The Samurai's Wife Part 8

"Kozeri. Ah. Yes." Yanagisawa recognized the name from Konoe's metsuke dossier. "What did the letters say?"

Hoshina described the pa.s.sages that Sano had read aloud. "Unfortunately, Sano took the letters, and I was afraid he would get suspicious if I objected."

Perceiving a possible connection between Kozeri and the murder, Yanagisawa fumed at the thought of such valuable information in Sano's hands.

"I pointed out reasons he should consider Kozeri irrelevant to the case," Hoshina said. "He won't ignore her, but I managed to convince him to put off following up on her until after he interviews the suspects."

"Good," Yanagisawa said. Perhaps Hoshina's initiative was an a.s.set rather than a liability; his quick thinking had bought Yanagisawa time to send someone to investigate Kozeri before Sano could. Admiration for Hoshina increased Yanagisawa's desire, although another man's wits had never attracted him before. His past lovers had been young maidens, adolescent boys, or frail, older men like the shogun-all physically smaller and weaker than himself, and intellectually inferior. The unexpected departure from habit troubled Yanagisawa.

"What else did Sano find?" he asked Hoshina.

The yoriki reached into the pouch at his waist and removed a small object. Yanagisawa extended his open palm; Hoshina reached up and placed a coin in it. Their hands touched. The warm contact of flesh against flesh startled Yanagisawa; he stifled a gasp. For an instant, their gazes held. Hoshina smiled uncertainly, his boldness vanished. Something incomprehensible pa.s.sed between them. To hide his confusion, Yanagisawa examined the fern-leaf design on the coin.

Hoshina sat back on his heels. "There were three of those hidden in Konoe's cloak." Rapid, audible breaths punctuated his speech. "Sano's detectives have the others. When Sano told them to find out what the coins are and whether they have any relevance to the murder, I said I would make some inquiries too. My contacts in the city should give me an advantage over Marume and f.u.kida."

"Whatever you learn, report it to me, not Sano." Recovering his composure, Yanagisawa said, "What are Sano's plans for tomorrow?"

"I'm taking him to the palace to interview Emperor Tomohito, Prince Momozono, Lady Jokyoden, and Lady Asagao," Hoshina said, his voice steady now. They regarded each other coolly, master and servant again-at least on the surface. "In the evening, we'll attend the shoshidai's banquet."

Yanagisawa mentally arranged his plans around these events, then said, "Have you located a site that meets the criteria I specified in my message to you yesterday?"

"Yes, Honorable Chamberlain." Hoshina described a certain house and its location.

"That sounds just right," said Yanagisawa. They finalized plans for Yanagisawa to pursue the major lead in the case, while Sano investigated the minor ones for him, with Hoshina as his eyes and ears. "Be ready to report everything to me tomorrow night. I'll let you know the time and place."

Then a thought occurred to Yanagisawa. "What has Lady Reiko been doing?"

"Staying in Nijo Manor. The innkeeper's wife is my informer, and I've ordered her to watch Lady Reiko. So far, she hasn't done anything of interest."

However, Yanagisawa knew enough about Reiko to doubt that Sano had brought her all this way just to keep him company. "I want to know where she goes, whom she sees, and what she does."

"Yes, Honorable Chamberlain."

Their business was finished, but Yanagisawa didn't utter the command to dismiss Hoshina. Outside, a distant temple bell tolled the hour of the boar. Hoshina waited, watching Yanagisawa. Neither moved nor spoke, but their silence clamored with questions, expectancy, and the inaudible, accelerating pulse of blood.

Then Hoshina said, "Honorable Chamberlain.... If there's anything else you wish of me..." His voice was quiet, his expression somber yet highly charged. "I would be more than happy to provide it."

The s.e.xual innuendo inflamed Yanagisawa, but Hoshina's nerve affronted him. How dare Hoshina make the first move toward a personal relationship? That was Yanagisawa's prerogative.

"Would you?" Yanagisawa said sharply. "And what do you expect in return? Wealth? Property? A position on my staff?"

Though he guessed that Hoshina wanted all those things, the yoriki spread his hands and said nonchalantly, "Just a chance to prove I'm worthy to serve you." Then he leaned forward, staring at Yanagisawa with unmistakable intent. "And the honor of your company."

In the past, Yanagisawa had shunned ambitious lovers who sought to use him for personal gain, but Hoshina's bold proposition tempted him strongly. He rose, stepped down from the dais, and stood over Hoshina.

The yoriki, still kneeling, gazed up at him, muscles tense, eyes feverish with need and ambition.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Yanagisawa said abruptly, then strode toward the door without a backward glance. But he felt Hoshina's gaze on him, and the ache of frustrated desire. Despite the fear of treachery, he looked forward to their next meeting.

5.

Above the Imperial Palace rose a sky of pale, bleached blue; glaring white sunlight bathed the crowds that thronged Teramachi Avenue. A small procession drew up to the palace gate reserved for bakufu officials. At the front rode Sano and Yoriki Hoshina. Behind them marched a few guards; then came Reiko in her palanquin.

Earlier, when Hoshina had arrived at Nijo Manor to escort him to the palace, Sano had said, "My wife is coming along to call upon the emperor's mother and consort."

To his relief, Hoshina had accepted without question this explanation for Reiko's presence. Hoshina merely said, "I'll send a messenger ahead to tell the imperial women to expect a guest."

Now Sano and Hoshina dismounted; palace sentries opened the gate. Inside the walls, the procession divided as Sano and Hoshina headed toward the imperial enclosure for an audience with the emperor, while a courtier led Reiko's palanquin down another pa.s.sage. The odors of sewage, charcoal smoke, and tropical flowers saturated the air in the pa.s.sageways of the kuge district like warm, fetid breath; stormclouds layered the hills visible beyond the city. But in spite of the hot weather, Sano felt refreshed and energetic. A good night's sleep had renewed his confidence. Surely, his investigation would be successful, and he'd made the right decision by agreeing that Reiko should a.s.sist him.

In the southern sector of the imperial enclosure stood the Purple Dragon Hall, site of important court events. The austere half-timbered building faced a courtyard bounded with covered corridors supported by vermilion posts. The ground was covered with white sand to reflect the light of the sun and moon onto the hall. A cherry tree and a citrus tree flanked the entrance, representing the guardian archers and hors.e.m.e.n of ancient tradition. Leading up to the door, eighteen steps, framed by red bal.u.s.trades, symbolized the number of n.o.ble ranks in the court hierarchy. Sano and Hoshina approached the bottom of the steps, where a line of courtiers waited. One, a man in his sixties with short, sleek gray hair, stepped forward and bowed.

"Greetings, Sosakan-sama," he said in a strong, resonant voice. He wore a black cap with a vertical flap at the back, a moss green silk court robe, and baggy white trousers. Deep lines creased his forehead and bracketed his mouth, giving character to a long, elegant face. He had shrewd, intelligent eyes, and teeth dyed black in the ancient court style. "It is a singular honor to receive such a great personage as yourself."

Yoriki Hoshina introduced the courtier to Sano. "Allow me to present the honorable Right Minister Ichijo."

"Many thanks for consenting to act as intermediary in my dealings with the Imperial Court," Sano said, although the right minister had no choice but to serve his needs. Ichijo's aura of refinement commanded respect and disconcerted Sano. From studying history, he knew that the man's n.o.ble lineage went back a millennium, to a time when his own ancestors were peasants and the samurai cla.s.s hadn't yet emerged from the ranks of primitive tribal chieftains. Ichijo was a member of the famous Fujiwara clan that had once dominated the Imperial Court. Their era had produced masterpieces of painting and poetry; their name was still synonymous with culture and prestige.

"His Majesty the Emperor awaits you," Ichijo said.

As Sano mounted the steps, flanked by Ichijo and Hoshina, he experienced a vast sense of awe. He, like all j.a.panese, revered the emperor as a direct descendant of the Shinto sun G.o.ddess Amaterasu. The emperor could invoke her power on behalf of human affairs; he had a special ability to perceive the moral order of the universe and impose it upon society. In the cosmic scheme of Confucian tradition, j.a.pan's military dictatorship was just an instrument through which the emperor ruled.

They paused in the entranceway to remove their shoes, then proceeded to the audience hall. Sunlight streamed in through latticed windows. A long white mat bridged the polished cypress floor. Ichijo led Sano up this, between rows of kneeling courtiers. More attendants knelt by the imperial throne. This was an elaborate, cushioned lacquer seat inside an octagonal pavilion canopied with silk curtains and elevated upon a railed platform. A

huge gold phoenix surmounted the throne's roof; paintings of Chinese sages decorated the wall behind it. The air smelled of incense.

Right Minister Ichijo knelt before the throne and bowed; Sano and Yoriki Hoshina followed suit. "Your Majesty, I present Sano Ichiro, Most Honorable Investigator to His Excellency the Shogun," Ichijo said, then turned to Sano. "I am privileged to introduce to you Supreme Emperor Tomohito, One Hundred and Thirteenth Imperial Sovereign of j.a.pan."

As he and his first murder suspect faced each other, Sano hid his surprise. He'd known the emperor was only sixteen and had ascended the throne upon his father's abdication four years ago; therefore, Tomohito's extreme youth didn't shock Sano. However, the emperor seated within the pavilion looked nothing like his elegant formal portraits. Big for his age, Tomohito wore a purple robe stamped with gold imperial chrysanthemum crests and a tall black cap. He had a solid, muscular build, but his face was childishly round, with full, rosy cheeks and mouth, smooth brow, and bright eyes. He regarded Sano with the insolence of a misbehaving youngster who is too big for anyone to punish.

Right Minister Ichijo said, "Sosakan Sano is investigating the death of Left Minister Konoe, and he would like to ask you some questions, Your Majesty."

"Oh?" Tomohito asked truculently. "Well, that's too bad, because it is I who shall ask questions of him."

Sano was shocked by this rudeness, even though he'd been prepared for it. During the ride to the palace, he'd asked Yoriki Hoshina to brief him on the suspects. Regarding the emperor, Hoshina had said, "He's been overindulged his whole life. A crown prince's training usually teaches manners and discipline, but it didn't work on Tomohito. He thinks he can do whatever he likes. Hardly anyone in the palace dares to criticize him because of his temper; he threatens to bring down the wrath of the heavens on the country when he's in a bad mood."

Now an uncomfortable silence hung over the Purple Dragon Hall as everyone waited to see how Sano reacted to the emperor's contrariness. Although Sano feared offending the emperor and straining relations between the bakufu and the Imperial Court, he needed to establish control over the interview.

"I'll answer your questions on one condition," Sano said. "You have to answer mine."

Tomohito scowled, as if ready to refuse. "Oh, all right," he said grudgingly. Then, with a naughty gleam in his eye, he said, "Is it true that there are places where girls sit in window cages and men can buy them for the night?"

So the great emperor had the same prurient interests as ordinary boys. "Yes," said Sano, "in the licensed pleasure quarters."

"Have you ever been there?" An insinuating grin quirked Tomohito's mouth.

"Your Majesty, I advise you to confine your questions to subjects of a less personal nature," Right Minister Ichijo said. "You don't want to insult the sosakan-sama." Or the shogun by implication, said the warning note in his voice.