The Amtrack Wars - Earth Thunder Part 56

After satisfying himself that he had not been followed, and that there was no one on the stairs or in the corridor above, he entered the room, and locked the door behind him. Stepping lightly across the room to the wall of shelves and pigeon-holes, he pressed the 'knot' beneath the lower shelf and stood back as the hinged segment of shelving unlocked itself and opened towards him.

A spine-chilling sight met his eyes. Instead of the trusted operator rising from his seat to greet him, his severed head sat on top of the neat stack of radio equipment. A sheet of blood had run down the dials, k.n.o.bs and meters on the front panels, spread along the table and dripped over the edge onto the floor below.

Ichiwara stepped into the box-room. The seat had been overturned.

There was blood all over the floor, but there was no body. The implications were obvious - and chilling. He backed out slowly, then froze as he heard a movement behind him.

'Do you not dare to face us, Ichiwara?"

The voice turned the secretary's knees to water. Supporting himself on the shelf unit, he inched round, keeping his eyes averted until the last moment.

Prince Yoritomo, the Shogun, and his sister, Lady Mishiko, stood on the far side of the room flanked by samurai and men from the Palace Guard led by Captain Kamakura. Kneeling on the floor between four of the guards were two painted gra.s.s-monkeys - Mute slaves dressed in kimonos, their wrists pinioned with ropes. The taller of the two had a radio transceiver hung around his neck.

They were not the only prizes. Another member of the Palace Guard held a string bag in each hand. They contained the severed heads of Watanabe, Ieyasu's Princ.i.p.al Private Secretary, and Samurai-Captain Mashimatsu.

'You have betrayed us, Ichiwara,' said Yoritomo, in a voice stripped of all emotion. 'You, your master, and all who serve him have sold your souls in the hope of gaining power over me."

Ichiwara fell to his knees and hung his head. Nothing he could say would save him. With Watanabe gone, all was lost. Death, when it came, would be a welcome release.

'For such a crime,' continued Yoritomo, 'your life cannot be spared, but you can, at least, expect an honourable death if you will answer me truthfully. How long has your master been served by these infernal devices?"

."Many years, sire."

'And how were they obtained?"

Silence.

'.Must we tear your flesh with red-hot irons? Pluck out your eyes and roast them slowly on their stalks?"

'By... by a... secret treaty with the Federation, sire."

'And who signed this treaty - your master?"

'I cannot say, sire - because I do not know. Only Watanabe and the Lord Chamberlain met with those who rule the Federation!" 'How convenient. For as you see, Watanabe lost his head in attempting to escape retribution. Never mind, I am sure ways can be found to prompt your memory."

Yoritomo turned to Captain Kamakura. 'Have this wretch searched and stripped of any means to kill himself. He is to be secured in irons and thrown into a cell."

Two guards seized Ichiwara and pinioned his arms behind his back as they hauled him to his feet.

'Sire!" he cried. 'I do not seek to save my life, but I beg you to believe that in doing what we did, we had but one goal- to safeguard your life, preserve your family and the future of the nation!'

Yoritomo's anger burst through. 'Ign.o.ble dog! You sought to preserve the power of the Chamberlain's Office and the baleful influence of your master! You and the other jackals who serve him have conspired to thwart my will from the very beginning! And for this lie you will all suffer the most painful death that can be devised! Get him out of my sight!" The luckless Ichiwara was bundled out of the room.

Ieyasu's guards backed slowly into his official apartments as Yoritomo's party advanced. The Chamberlain emerged from his private study and took in the sea of faces. His eyes gave nothing away as they alighted on Lady Mishiko and the two captive Mutes.

The radio hanging from the strap around the neck of the taller Mute told him all he needed to know. But he was not beaten yet.

'Ahh, sire! How extraordinary! I was on my way to advise you of your sister's unexpected arrival, but I see she has forestalled me." Ieyasu bowed respectfully to Mishiko then pointed to Cadillac and Roz who had been forced to their knees. 'Why have these two grubby animals been brought before me?"

'They are here,' said Yoritomo, 'because they have an interesting tale to tell."

'Since when has the word of a gra.s.s-monkey been worth more than the spittle on the lips of an Iron Master?"

'They are not gra.s.s-monkeys, mi'lord,' said Mishiko.

'These are the long-dogs I told you about."

'You brought them here? Then I was right! You and Min-Orota are in league with the Yamas.h.i.ta!" 'No, you are wrong, mi'lord. Kiyo Min-Orota stole these dogs from under the noses of the Yama-s.h.i.ta to prevent them from being used to destroy the authority and honour of the TohYota."

'If that was his reason, why bring them here?!" thundered Ieyasu.

'Why did he not kill them?!" 'Isn't it obvious? I' cried Yoritomo."Bringing them here was the only way of rooting out the cancer which has been eating away at the body of the Toh-Yota! The cancer which is the source of the weakness our enemies are so eager to exploit! And that cancer is you, great uncle!

Your place-men, your servants, your army of spies who are in thrall to the Dark Light! This evil growth is your creation!

You, whom I relied upon to uphold the rule of law and maintain our most cherished traditions, have betrayed everything we hold dear!" Ieyasu, unbowed by these accusations, responded with a dry laugh. 'In thrall to the Dark Light?! What nonsense is this? You condemn me on the word of this treacherous harlot?! Are you so blind you cannot see the thrust of this game? She is a p.a.w.n of the Yama-s.h.i.ta, and her motive is revenge because you and I took away her plaything - the Herald HaseGawa!" Yoritomo did not waver. 'You are wrong, great-uncle.

YOu stand condemned by your own words. The devices that you used to extend your own power over me and this country have betrayed you!" He turned to the guards standing over Cadillac and Roz. 'Free the long-dog's hands! Let him make the box speak?

Ieyasu's face turned a paler shade of grey.

Using the counter as a guide, Cadillac rewound the LP tape to a certain point, set the transceiver down on the floor, pressed the 'Play' b.u.t.ton and turned up the volume.

Everyone apart from Cadillac and Roz listened in awed silence as the disembodied voice of Samurai-Captain Mashimatsu issued from the box, followed by Ieyasu then Watanabe.

'... There were a handful of survivors- crewmen who were asleep in the forward part of the vessel when the explosion occurred - but no trace had been found of the twenty or so pa.s.sengers believed to have been on board at the time."

'Good fortune smiles upon us, Captain. We were warned that a team of a.s.sa.s.sins sent by the Yamas.h.i.ta might attempt to land from just such a vessel. It looks as if they have blown themselves up while preparing explosive devices which they obviously intended to use against us.

'Make sure all the bodies are brought out of the water, and search the outer islands in case there are survivors hiding there. No one must be allowed to escape justice.

Do I make myself clear?"

'Yes, sire. ' 'See that the men are rewarded. And you shall have your long-awaited promotion. I shall not of course tell the Shogun the real reason for the glowing recommendation I will make on your behalf."

'To be able to serve you is honour enough, sire. Your generosity overwhelms me."

Sounds of movement, the rustle of robes and the noise of door screens being slid aside. Stockinged feet walked across straw matting then Ichiwara's voice 'What are we to say when the lady and her children are reported as missing from the Winter Palace?"

'We say nothing, Watanabe! We simply look as puzzled as everyone else I In time it will be discovered that she and the traitor Min-Orota boarded two ships at Oshana bound for an unknown destination'.

Questions will have to be asked. We must pursue the matter with our usual zeal, but her fate will remain shrouded in mystery. It will be a sad loss to our family, as you can imagine- and I fear her brother will feel it more keenly than most."

A dry laugh.

'We will have to find a -' Cadillac stopped the tape as the Shogun sliced the air with his right hand, then pointed down at the transceiver.

'It is all here, great-uncle. Every word you have uttered today - to the moment when you ordered your faithful secretary Ichiwara to destroy the contents of the "box-room"."

Yoritomo indicated the kneeling figures of Cadillac and Roz. 'But thanks to these long-dogs, we had already found it and were waiting for his visit. He has already told us a great deal and will no doubt be persuaded to tell us more before suffering the fate of these two -'