The Gilded Fan Part 3

'You have to return to your mother's country,' Ichiro said, cutting into her thoughts, and Midori looked up at him quickly. It sounded like an order, the words uncompromising, which was most unlike the gentle brother she knew and loved.

'To England? Why can't I stay here with you? I can make myself useful in one way or another. I don't need a husband, really.'

'That's not the problem.' He was silent for a while, then continued. 'I had news from Edo this morning. My closest friend and ally sent me a warning I can't ignore. Have you heard about the persecution of Christians by the Shogun?'

'Well, yes, I know they're not much liked, but-'

'That is a huge understatement. They're simply not tolerated any longer. In fact, they are being hunted down like prey and soon they'll all be exterminated.'

'But what does it have to do with me? I'm not a Christian, you know that. Mother did try to teach me, but to be honest, I didn't really pay much attention to what she was telling me about her G.o.d and his son.'

'I know. Nevertheless you're half-foreign and as such, more likely to be a Christian in the eyes of the authorities. These people risk a lot for their beliefs, their very lives in fact, and none worship openly, as far as I know. Therefore suspicion can fall on anyone and you'd be a prime candidate. Had Hannah still been alive ...' He shook his head. 'We must be grateful she's not. Men, women and even children by their thousands have been executed already. I've heard many gruesome tales of torture and people being burned alive alive, do you hear? simply because they follow this foreign G.o.d and his teachings.'

He paused and took a deep breath before continuing. 'The present Shogun is even more determined than his predecessor to be rid of all foreigners, and now he has apparently ordered the expulsion of all children of mixed parentage as well. Those who don't leave will be put to death. I'm afraid that includes you.'

'But surely he doesn't know I'm here? Your castle is so far north, he never comes this way. When you next go to Edo, I can stay here.'

'Don't underestimate the Shogun. He has spies everywhere and, believe me, he knows of your existence. Someone made sure he knew.'

'What? You mean, someone deliberately informed him?'

'Precisely. I don't know who yet, but I will find out. Meanwhile, your life is in danger. You must leave while there is still time, Midori.'

She struggled to take in the news. Someone had informed the authorities of her existence. 'I don't understand, Ichiro. Why? Who wants me gone from here? I may not be universally liked, but as far as I know there's no one here who hates me.'

This wasn't strictly true. Lately there had been many instances where she'd come across groups of people whispering in corners, and whenever she appeared, they stopped abruptly. She was left in no doubt as to whom they were talking about, and she had caught several malicious glances coming her way as well. It had puzzled her at the time, but now she understood.

'It's a mystery, and I'll get to the bottom of it, never fear, but it doesn't make any difference who the culprit is. The fact is you have to leave, and soon, and although I am reluctant to let you go, we have no choice. Hannah was the only mother I ever knew and I held her in high esteem. I swore to her I would keep you safe and I intend to keep my promise. Did you know she saved my life once, here in this very pond when I fell off the jetty and nearly drowned? Now I have to do the same for you.'

He turned back to stare across the mirror surface of the water and when he spoke again, it was with the voice of one who is accustomed to being obeyed. 'I will escort you to the coast and together we'll sail south to Nagasaki, where I believe the foreign ships come to trade. I'll give you enough silver to buy yourself pa.s.sage to your mother's country, and wait until I know you're safe on board a foreign ship. I will also provide you with a dowry. It's the best I can do in the circ.u.mstances. Do you know where to find Hannah's family?'

'Of course, she talked of her home often. It was in a place called Plymouth, but I had never thought to go there myself.' There was a hollow feeling inside Midori. She suddenly felt as if she were talking to a stranger, one who wanted to be rid of her. How could she leave all that was familiar and dear, to travel to a country which, by all accounts, was barbaric in the extreme? Where the people were dirty and discourteous, had no manners and ate strange food. She bowed her head to hide her tumultuous thoughts.

'And you know how to take care of yourself?'

Her head snapped back up and she frowned at him. 'Of course I do. You trained me yourself in swordplay and defence techniques, as well as archery. So did Father.'

He smiled and raised a hand to stop her. 'Yes, yes, forgive me, I didn't mean to cast doubt on your abilities. As you say, I've done my best to prepare you for life, although I hadn't thought you'd have to go quite so far away.'

Neither had she.

They sat in silence for a while, then Ichiro patted her hand awkwardly. 'It is for the best, and it's your fate. We must accept that.' He drew a sealed letter out of the capacious sleeve of his robe. 'Your mother and I discussed the possibility of you leaving one day, and she prepared this letter for you to give your relatives if the need should ever arise.' He handed her the rolled-up doc.u.ment.

'Why didn't she give it to me?' Midori frowned.

'Perhaps she didn't want to upset you? She knew your thoughts on the matter.'

Midori nodded slowly and recalled her mother's last words, whispered and urgent, her thin, clammy hand clutching Midori's. 'You must leave this place, return to England and seek out my family. There's nothing for you here.'

'If that is your wish, Mama,' Midori had replied, but she'd said it only to placate her mother and keep her from fretting. She'd never had any intention of travelling to a country on the other side of the world. j.a.pan was her home.

'So it's all settled? There really is no other way?'

Ichiro nodded slowly. 'We leave tomorrow at first light.'

'So soon? But ...'

'Go and make your preparations now, and remember to take only as much as you can carry yourself. Who knows whether you'll find a.s.sistance en route. I'll send someone with your dowry so you can hide the coins in your clothing.'

'May I not even say goodbye to your wife, and my nieces and nephews?' Somehow the thought of leaving without bidding her sister-in-law and the rest of Ichiro's family farewell made it seem even harder.

Ichiro shook his head. 'I'm sorry; it's for the best. Just visit them as usual and pretend you'll see them tomorrow afternoon.'

Midori stood up, knowing the discussion was at an end. There was no choice and she had to abide by her brother's decision. He was the daimyo now, but even he couldn't save her from the Shogun's men if they came for her, and she wouldn't want him to try. It would bring dishonour to the family and put both Ichiro and the entire clan in danger. She couldn't ask him to risk it. She bowed and turned to go, then hesitated.

'Ichiro? If I can't bear it in England, may I come back?'

He nodded without looking at her and Midori understood he was hoping it wouldn't come to that.

Slowly, she made her way back to her quarters. She tried to let the brilliance of nature soothe her troubled mind, but found it impossible to concentrate on the autumnal display. The shock of having to leave the only home she'd ever known, and so suddenly, was too great. What if I never see this place again? Midori drew in several calming breaths to stop her heart from beating faster, but she couldn't rein in the feelings of anger, sadness and resentment that surged through her.

She was still in a state of turmoil when she reached her suite in the east wing of the castle. Situated at ground level, with a tiny private garden, she had the luxury of two large rooms and one smaller one all to herself. Tatami mats of the highest quality and thickness covered the floors, and there were costly painted scrolls covering many of the walls. On a built-in shelf precious items of porcelain and lacquer-ware, which her parents had given her over the years, were displayed. In an alcove stood a low table with the half-finished flower arrangement she'd been working on earlier.

She had been spoiled, and she knew it, but that would now come to an end.

She wondered what kind of accommodation awaited her in England? Her mother had talked about sharing a small chamber and even a bed with her sister. Would that be Midori's fate, too, or worse? And what if her relatives weren't there any longer or wanted nothing to do with her? She sighed and tried to put such thoughts out of her mind. They were pointless.

In a corner of one room she had set up a small shrine in honour of her parents and she went to kneel in front of it. Two miniature urns held part of their ashes and there were wooden tablets with their names carved in j.a.panese kanji. A small bowl filled with sand held burning incense sticks which filled the room with sweet scent and early that morning she'd left an offering of food and drink.

She clapped her hands twice, bowed deeply, then began to pray for her parents' help.

'Please, give me the strength to meet my fate with courage, as you would have done. Help me to overcome any obstacles and to accept with fort.i.tude that which can't be changed. Please, I beg of you, stay with me always and protect me,' she whispered. 'I need you both to guide me now as I journey into the unknown.'

She bowed once more and waited for a response. She believed with every fibre of her being that her parents were still with her, although as kami, spirits, and she had no doubt they were benign ones since they'd both been good in life. This was part of the Shinto religion she'd been taught by her father, and she much preferred it to her mother's Christian belief in an afterlife where the choice was only between heaven and h.e.l.l.

'If the Shogun could see me now,' she whispered, 'then perhaps he wouldn't doubt me.'

A small wind stirred the hair on the nape of her neck and she knew her parents had heard her. Immediately she felt rea.s.sured. She must remember she wasn't alone and never would be. The prayers finished, she took the urns and tablets and began to pack. Wherever she went, her parents would go too.

There was one other thing she couldn't leave behind. From a small chest of drawers, she retrieved a tiny silk pouch. It contained a golden cross hanging on a chain and Midori held it up to the light. She shivered at the sight of the tiny symbol, glinting in the sunlight. She hadn't realised that to own it was to put oneself in the greatest of danger, but after what Ichiro had just told her, she understood now. It had belonged to her mother though, so how could she possibly leave it behind?

The safest course of action would be to throw the necklace into the pond and never set eyes on it again, but images of her mother wearing it kept intruding into Midori's mind. Hannah would have wanted her to keep it and surely, if it was well hidden, no one would ever know? Midori looked at the offending object again, then made up her mind. Soon, she'd be on her way to a country where such things were not forbidden were encouraged even and it might come in useful. She tied it into a piece of cloth, then fetched a garment and slit open a seam. Sewed safely inside, no one would ever find it, she was sure ...

Chapter Five.

Nico lay on the soft futon with his hands behind his head, contemplating the dancing dust motes. It was only just after dawn, but he couldn't sleep. His mind was still whirling from his encounter with the sword-wielding Midori and his gut churned at the enormity of the tasks that lay before him.

How could I have agreed to take her with me? I must be mad!

All his arguments against letting her buy pa.s.sage on his ship were definitely valid. Bringing one woman to live among over a hundred men was asking for serious trouble, no doubt about it. And not just any woman, but a young and breathtakingly beautiful one at that.

'Aaargh!' He punched his pillow to give vent to some of the frustration.

She had surprised him by attacking him like that, but he'd never been in any real danger. He could have said no and walked away, then put her out of his mind forever. There was nothing that said he had to be the one to rescue her, after all. Except my conscience, devil take it! He happened to be the man she chose to ask and once he'd seen her, talked to her and been dazzled by that amazing smile, he was lost.

Dear Lord, but she was so determined! Something about her resonated within him perhaps an echo of the young boy he'd once been during that first voyage with Casper. Because, despite her bravado, he knew she was as vulnerable as he'd been then. No matter how many fighting tricks she knew, how skilled with her weapons, she'd been no match against a big man like himself. How then would she fare on a ship full of rough sailors without someone to protect her?

He dry-washed his face. Well, I've taken on the task and I'll do my best. The Lord only knew how.

Her beauty had disturbed him, more than he cared to admit. He'd seen pretty women before, had even been lucky enough to bed a few, but never had he met anyone like Midori. Perhaps it was her mixed heritage, he thought. The combination of European and Asian features made her looks exotic, yet not as different as the pure j.a.panese girls. She was somehow much more appealing and he couldn't deny that her fighting skills had fired his blood, too. Such courage!

'Struth, but I don't need this complication and I can't be l.u.s.ting after her all through the voyage. I'll go insane ... No, enough! No more thoughts of her.

He tried to concentrate on something else. Anything other than Midori! He let his gaze roam the plain interior of the house he was in. The spartan furnishings really appealed to Nico's aesthetic sense and he wanted to remember them when he left. Raised wooden floors supported the tatami mats, and the walls were made up of unpainted wooden pillars interspersed with removable panels, sliding doors and screens which part.i.tioned all the rooms. The screens were fashioned of plain, oiled rice paper. Shiny and soft, with silvery strands of fibre forming a pretty pattern, they were very unlike the coa.r.s.e material he was used to writing on. The only other furniture in the room, apart from the odd silk cushion, were some low tables.

If only his life were as simple, but fate seemed determined to play nasty tricks on him. Well, there was nothing for it but to grit his teeth and cope.

He'd had a lot of practice at that.

'We must buy you provisions for the journey,' Ichiro said to Midori the morning after her visit to Dejima. 'No doubt you'll find the ship's fare inedible so it's best if you cook your own food. I'll have my men deliver a small brazier to the ship and enough fuel to last you six months if you're careful.'

'What if it doesn't fit? I'm not sure how big my cabin will be.'

'We will make sure it's big enough for your needs.' There was a determined set to Ichiro's mouth which stopped Midori from arguing the point. 'Is there anything else?'

Together they made a list, and a servant was sent to buy the required items.

'Now I must go out for a while, but I think it's best if you stay here, just in case anyone should catch sight of you and report it to the authorities.'

Midori agreed, but as he'd said nothing about her having to remain in her room, she soon made her way into the tiny garden at the back of the inn. It was a haven of serenity, with a tiny water feature ringed by moss-covered stones and clumps of bamboo. The garden hummed with the drone of busy insects and a tiny frog croaked forlornly from under the shelter of a huge leaf. Midori sank down on to a rock nearby, breathing in the air that was moist with a tang of greenery. She stared at the tranquil scene, trying to come to terms with the unknown future she now faced.

It's odd how life can go on for years in the same old routines, then suddenly something happens to turn it upside down.

She had been so sure the biggest challenge she'd ever encounter would be marriage. But the older she got, finding a suitor became less likely with each day, and she had accepted her fate and settled into a peaceful existence where nothing much happened. Of course, she'd had to cope with the loss of her parents, but that was something everyone went through at some stage. Hard though it had been, it was nothing compared to what she now had to endure.

She took a deep breath. Perhaps it won't be so bad? After all, her mother had done much the same thing, all those years ago, hadn't she? Hannah had left her friends and family in England, never to return, and she'd been blissfully happy. Not once had she ever said she regretted her decision to stay. There was no reason why Midori shouldn't find joy in a strange country, as well. Whatever happens, it must be better than staying in a place where I'm not wanted?

Midori clenched her fists and silently cursed the Shogun.

'I wish he hadn't taken against foreigners,' she whispered. 'If only he would let me defend myself so I could convince him I'm not a Christian.'

And if only the gai-jin had kept their religion to themselves ...

She sat by the little pond in the garden behind the inn for what seemed like ages. Completely lost in thought, she didn't realise she wasn't alone any longer until she was suddenly grabbed from behind.

'Got her!'

The harsh voice sounded triumphant and Midori twisted frantically to see who her captor was, her heart pounding with shock. To her consternation, there were several men crowding into the small, enclosed s.p.a.ce, all dressed in identical clothing, which looked alarmingly official. A lightning streak of fear shot through her and she tried to struggle, but it was futile as she was completely outnumbered and there was no chance of escape.

'You're to come with us, gai-jin. The authorities have issued a warrant for your arrest.'

'I'm not a gai-jin, I'm the daughter of a daimyo,' she said, trying to sound confident and haughty. 'Release me, or it will be the worse for you.'

Her words were greeted with laughter and derision, and no one paid her the slightest heed. Instead, her hands were quickly tied behind her with a tight knot and she was hauled away through the inn. Just before they pa.s.sed the front door of the ryokan and out into the city, she caught a glimpse of Satoshi, Ichiro's servant, hiding in a dark corner of the hallway. He seemed to be cowering in terror, but there was a strange look in his eyes which had Midori puzzled. There was no time to dwell on it, however, and knowing he'd seen her lessened some of her fear. Ichiro would be told what had happened, then he'd help her somehow. The thought gave her courage and she shrugged off the tight grip of her guard to walk unaided with her head held high.

'Lead on,' she commanded.

Some of the courage left her when she arrived at her destination, however. Her bonds were removed and she was shoved into a small room, filled to overflowing with pitiful individuals. They stank something dreadful, and she gagged as she landed on the floor with a thump. Gnarled hands reached out some to help her up, some just fingering the fine silk of her clothing but she shrank from them all and shot to her feet in record time. The hands continued to paw at her and she batted away a few, shrugging off others, looking around for some corner to shrink into.

'Have you any food? Give us something?' a voice pleaded, but Midori just shook her head, feeling too nauseous to speak.

'Oh, she's a haughty one, but they'll soon beat it out of her, won't they?' someone else cackled. 'What're you here for? Stealing? They'll cut your head off, so they will.'

'Leave me alone,' Midori muttered, shivering with delayed reaction. Seeing a free s.p.a.ce by the wall at last, she stumbled towards it and sank down with her back against the rough surface. She pulled her knees up in front of her and hid her face behind the curtain of her hair, which had come undone The less she saw of this place the better.

Nico was in the middle of his evening meal, enjoying the tranquillity of the night and the exotic dishes laid out for him so artistically. Casper had insisted on hiring a j.a.panese cook for the duration of his stay as he liked to try new things. Nico was all for it as well and so far he'd loved everything the man had served him. He would be very sorry to have to go back to the indifferent ship's fare in the morning.

He didn't hear anyone approaching, but an unexpected draught of air made him aware he wasn't alone in the room. Taken by surprise, he choked on a piece of shrimp tempura while staring at the menacing figure who had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. The man stood before him, calm and unmoving. Dressed all in black and with a face like a threatening thunderstorm, he was a formidable sight. Nico immediately noticed the two shining swords at his side, their hilts glittering with his every move, and he felt sure there would be other weapons hidden among the man's clothing.

Throughout the bout of coughing which accompanied his attempts to dislodge the piece of shrimp, thoughts of the ninja Midori had threatened him with earlier streaked through his brain. He dismissed them almost immediately, though. From what he'd gathered, ninja never showed their faces and this man was staring at him openly, almost appraisingly. Besides, he'd already agreed to take her on board, so there was no need for threats.

Breathing normally again at last, Nico slowly stood up and bowed. 'Hai, nani desu ka?' He wasn't sure he'd said that right, but thought the man would understand his meaning anyway.

To his surprise, the intruder replied in accented English. 'I am k.u.mashiro, brother of Midori-sama.' The polite phrase, 'Yoroshiku onegai shimasu,' that roughly equalled the English 'how do you do' was tacked on almost as a grudging afterthought, but Nico barely noticed.

Brother? Nico studied the man's features again, but couldn't see any trace of European blood. So, a half-brother then, he surmised. And obviously high-born, judging by his clothing and weapons. How strange. That must mean Midori was the child of a n.o.blewoman. Why had such a lady married an Englishman? It seemed unlikely in the extreme, but there was no time to think about that now.

'How did you get in here? I thought no one was allowed on to this island without approval,' Nico said, vaguely irritated that the guard system didn't seem to be working both ways.

k.u.mashiro smiled briefly. 'Guard is ... incapacitated.'

'I see. Well, to what do I owe this honour?' Nico crossed his arms over his chest to show he wasn't intimidated.

'You made bargain with my sister yesterday and I trust you keep it?'

Nico nodded. 'Of course. I'm a man of my word.'

Midori's brother looked as if he doubted whether foreigners could be honourable, but he didn't say this out loud. 'Hmph,' was all he said. 'Your ship sail tomorrow? This is certain?'

'Yes, unless your fellow countrymen find some way of delaying me. The cargo has been loaded and the ship is ready to leave at first light. I believe Mistress Midori's possessions are already on board.'