The Amtrack Wars - Earth Thunder Part 60

From further down the corridor came the sound of a flurry of blows, followed by hoa.r.s.e screams and curses. A woman gave a shrill animal-like scream of pain. Another heavy, iron-clad door slammed shut. Bolts were rammed home. The noise subsided, leaving only the sound of someone sobbing quietly.

'Any of that make sense to you?" asked Steve. All he could see of Fran was the barely discernible outline of her head framed by a square of dark grey that marked the barred window in the cell door.

'Not much,' she replied. 'The woman who cried out was saying she was innocent. Of what, I don't know.

Not that it matters. Whoever's running this place doesn't seem to be taking much notice."

Steve heard more faint voices. 'What's happening?"

'If you will just keep quiet, maybe I'll be able to tell you!" Fran listened intently, then said: 'Must be one of the warders. He was asking where he should put the new arrivals."

Steve joined her by the door and feigned ignorance.

'Why are they arresting so many people in the middle of the night?" As he asked the question he realised he was standing next to someone who'd seen this kind of thing before. But from the other side. 'Some kind of purge, huh?"

Fran nodded. 'Looks that way."

'But why us? h.e.l.l - we're here at the invitation of Ieyasu and the Shogun."

'Exactly,' said Fran. 'Maybe they're not in charge any more."

Steve caught his breath and continued to play the innocent. 'Hey, c'mon, that's crazy! Karlstrom and the P-G wouldn't have sent us here if they'd known something like this was brewing."

'Karlstrom? Huhh! Don't be fooled by him. He's the worst head of AMEXICO we've ever had!" 'You're kidding!" 'I'm telling you, Brickman!

You're just a new boy, okay? He's hanging onto that job by his fingertips - and has been for years. And the only reason he's still there is because the P-G keeps on giving him another chance.

They were childhood buddies."

'I'm amazed. He's always given me the impression of being in total control. Like he had the inside track on everything and everybody ....

' 'Yeah, sure,' said Fran, letting go of the bars. 'So how come we're in this mess?" She slid down the wall onto the straw and drew her knees up against her chest.

Steve couldn't believe what she had said about Karlstrom was true, but it was an interesting piece of malicious gossip that warranted further investigation.

It was also typical of Fram Unable to blame him for their present predicament, she had converted her anxiety into a spiteful attack on the head of the organisation he worked for.

The thing was - did she have the necessary resilience to pull through something like this? She had faced down Ieyasu's aides with some tough talking, but that was all it had been - talk. As far as he knew, Fran had never suffered a day of discomfort in the whole of her privileged existence. When she'd put the verbal boot into Karlstrom there had been a noticeable quaver in her voice. Anger or the first signs of panic?

He dropped down beside her and laid a rea.s.suring arm across her shoulders. 'Listen. I know this doesn't look too good at the moment, but don't let it get to you. We'll figure a way out."

Fran bristled and pushed his arm away. 'You can be a real pain in the b.u.t.t, y'know that?! Yeah, sure, I'm scared. Who wouldn't be? But I'm not about to come apart at the seams. Y'got that, Captain?"

'Yessurrma'am!" 'Good. Now get this. You may be the best thing that happened to me so far, but if you ever lay that "poor little woman"

s.h.i.t on me again, you'll find yourself back in the A-Levels. And this time you'll stay there!" Fran seemed to have completely forgotten her first night at sea when she'd clung to him like a terrified child.

I'm dealing with an irrational human being here, thought Steve. If I show no concern, I'm unsympathetic. If I offer comfort, I'm being patronising. And if I disagree, I'm insubordinate.

It was a no-win situation, but there was nothing he could do about it.

He was stuck with her ....

On being respectfully informed that Oyoki, her personal maid-servant had arrived in the anteroom, Mishiko emerged from the Shogun's private suite of rooms.

Oyoki was- accompanied by Nitobe, one of the eight guards who had helped to row the long-boat. He had a bloodstained bandage around his neck and over his left ear, and another on his left forearm. Oyoki looked distraught, and when she and Nitobe fell to their knees before her, she burst into tears.

Mishiko went cold inside. 'You have not brought my children?"

Oyoki answered with a wailing incantation and began to sob uncontrollably, rocking back and forth with her hands clasped to her chest - the traditional way of mourning the dead.

Mishiko's outward demeanour did not change. Anger and joy were permissible emotions, but it was not proper for someone of n.o.ble birth to display any sign of weakness in front of lesser beings.

She addressed the guard. 'Nitobe...?"

The wounded man touched the straw matting with his forehead then sat back on his heels. 'Your highness, it shames me to bring you such grievous news. Your children are dead. Secretary Ichiwara and four of Ieyasu's personal guards burst into your apartments and put everyone they met to the sword! They were like men possessed! We fought back and killed them all, but not before Ichiwara reached your children and their nurse."

His face crumpled. 'Your maids tried to shield them with their bodies.

Only Oyoki and Katiwa survived."

Mishiko received this news with the same blank face.

'And my valiant guards...?"

Nitobe lowered his head. 'Four died, your highness.

Another may not live beyond morning. Two more received sword thrusts to the body. I am the only one who can walk unaided."

'I commend your bravery, Nitobe. Go and tend your wounded companions and give them my thanks."

The guard bowed and left. Oyoki choked back her grief. Mishiko motioned her to rise.

'Dry your tears, Oyoki. Only the common people display their grief outside the temple precincts. Ask my brother's servants to prepare me a bath then bring two cups and a good supply of sake. If we are to be denied happiness, we can at least drown our sorrows!" It was after midnight when the Shogun and his escort returned. He looked tired, but there was a firm set to his jaw and a hard glitter in his eyes.

Captain Kamakura was with him. Mishiko bowed in greeting. Yoritomo sat down on the stool that had been placed under him and spread his arms and legs to enable his servants to remove his armour.

'The Palace is ours. The future is a.s.sured. Did you hear the cheers?

That was me winning the hearts of the second company." He gave a quick laugh. 'If there were any waverers, they soon fell into line when Mashimatsu's head was paraded past them on a pole!" His face tightened as he saw her kneeling maidservant.

'You know then?"

'Yes, my lord. Oyoki has spared you the pain of telling me yourself.

The Fates have played a cruel trick on us.

Just when we are about to savour victory, they hand us a poisoned chalice?

'It should never have happened. That fool of a lieutenant and the soldiers who let Ichiwara go will pay dearly for this."