Once he's here, where can he hide, where can he run?"' Details for the urgent meeting he had requested had been settled between their advisors.
It was to take place in the courtyard of an empty, neutral barracks, equidistant between their headquarters. Each side to have a hundred guards. Only twenty would be mounted.
Ogama and Yoshi would ride in protected, armored palanquins. One counselor each. They would arrive simultaneously.
Within moments spies were hurrying the news to the palace, to shishi groups, and to daimyos that the two most dangerous men in Nippon were, astonishingly, on the streets in armed columns at the same instant. Quickly a spy found Katsumata and whispered the where of the meeting, and by the time Ogama and Yoshi's samurai marched through the neutral gates, Katsumata and thirty men were stationed nearby--in case an opening for a suicide attack presented itself.
The courtyard was a hundred metres square with light wooden walls, easy to breach, the one-story barracks and extensive stables also of wood, dark with age. Opposing guards took up their positions, while others brought four folding chairs and placed them carefully in the center of the space.
The two men got out of their palanquins together and strode to the chairs and sat down. Then General Akeda and Basuhiro, Ogama's chief counselor, sat beside them. Basuhiro was in his forties, a narrow-eyed, scholarly samurai, his family hereditary heads of the Choshu bureaucracy for generations. Formally they bowed. Then the eyes of the two leaders locked.
Yoshi was two years younger than Ogama-- twenty-six--and tall where Ogama was short and thickset, his face clean-shaven in contrast to Ogama's heavy blue-black beard. His blood line was more regal though Ogama's was equally ancient, equally renowned, both of them balanced in ruthlessness, ambition, and secretiveness.
Leisurely they went through the obligatory compliments and polite questions, fencing, waiting to begin --hands easily on their sword hilts. "Your arrival is a pleasant surprise, Lord Yoshi."
"I had to come myself to make sure the wild rumors I heard were not true."
"Rumors?"
"Amongst them that Choshu forces inhibit Shogunate representatives, legal representatives from their positions around the Gates."
"A necessary measure to protect the Deity."
"Not necessary and against the law."
Ogama laughed. "The Deity prefers my protection to the traitorous Council of Elders who signed gai-jin Treaties against his wishes and continue to treat with them against his wishes instead of expelling them as he has asked." He motioned to Basuhiro. "Please show Lord Yoshi."
The scroll, signed by the Emperor, "requested the Lord of Choshu to assume command of the Gates until the distressing matter of the gai-jin was settled."
"It is not within the Deity's sphere to dictate matters temporal. That is the law--I must ask you to retire."
"Law? You refer to Toranaga law, Shogunate law, all of which the first of your line implanted by force which disavowed the ancient, Heaven-granted rights of the Emperor to rule."
Yoshi's lips set into a thin hard line.
"Heaven granted the Emperor rights to intercede between us mortals and the gods, everything in all matters spiritual. Matters temporal were always in the sphere of mortals, of Shoguns. The Emperor granted Shogun Toranaga and his line perpetual rights to deal with all matters temporal."
"I repeat that Emperor was forced to agree an--"
"And I repeat this is the law of the land that has kept the land at peace for two and a half centuries."
"It is no longer valid." Ogama waved the paper. "What a previous Emperor was forced to concede, this Emperor has freely cancelled."
Yoshi's voice became softer, more deadly.
"A temporary mistake. Clearly the Son of Heaven has been given misguided advice by self-seeking malcontents as he will soon realize."
"You accuse me?" The grip of all four men tightened on their hilts.
"I merely point out, Lord Ogama, your piece of paper was obtained by false information, and is not according to the law. The Presence is and always has been surrounded by ambitious men--and women.
That is why He granted perpetual rights to Shogun Toranaga and the following Shogunate to guide him in all matters an--"
A bellow of laughter cut him off and set everyone within the walls even more on edge.
"Guide? Guide did you say? The Deity's to be guided by Anjo Nori, Toyama, Adachi and now that slobbering half-wit Zukumura? By incompetent fools who overrule you at their leisure, make stupid agreements with vile gai-jin against all daimyo advice that lay the Land of the Gods and all of us open to destruction?" His face twisted with anger, "Or is he to await guidance from the child Nobusada to pull our nuts from the fire?"
"You and I, we need not wait, Ogama-dono," Yoshi said smoothly, knowing that his major strength was in his calm. "Let us discuss this in private--the two of us."
Ogama stared at him. A slight breeze picked up and rustled the banners. "When?"
"Now."
Thrown off balance a moment, Ogama hesitated. He glanced at Basuhiro. The small man smiled with the front of his face. "I would have thought that important matters should be discussed openly, Sire, not that my poor advice would be of value. Private agreements can sometimes be misinterpreted, by either side--that was your honored father's rule."
Ogama's eyes went back to Yoshi. "This Shogun visit to the Emperor, to kowtow, to "ask advice," the first time in the whole Toranaga period, this negates the very kernel of your Toranaga structure, eh? Worse it clouds any future settlement between the Son of Heaven and... future leaders, forof course mortals will rule, eh?"
"In private, Ogama-dono."
Ogama hesitated, dark eyes recessed in the weathered face. In spite of himself, in spite of knowing that this man was potentially the only one in the Land who could perhaps gather enough opposition to prevent him reaching the prize he sought, he enjoyed the clash, enjoyed meeting face to face. He waved his hand dismissing Basuhiro, who obeyed at once though clearly disapprovingly. Akeda bowed and also moved away, even more watchful for the expected treachery he had warned against.
"So ka?"
Yoshi bent forward slightly and kept his voice low, his lips hardly moving in case Basuhiro who had placed himself out of earshot, could lip-read. "The Council vote was four to one against me in favor of the Shogun visit. Of course the visit is a major mistake, Anjo cannot and will not see that. The present Council will vote as he wishes, on any subject. Nobusada is a puppet until he is eighteen, in two years, when formally he can create many changes and problems if he so wishes. Does that answer all your questions?"
Ogama frowned, astonished that his opponent would be so open. "You said, "in private,"
Yoshi-dono, what do you want to say in private that of course I will tell my advisors afterwards and you will tell yours."
"Some secrets are better kept between leaders, than..." Yoshi added deliberately, "than with certain retainers."
"Eh? What does that mean?"
"You have spies--retainers--within my gates, neh? How else did you know I arrived when I did? Surely you don't think I don't have men here, and spies within your walls?"
Ogama's face became grimmer. "What secrets?"
"Secrets we should keep. For example Anjo is very sick and will die within a year--or at the very least will have to resign." Yoshi had seen the flicker of immediate interest that Ogama could not totally contain. "If you want proof I could tell you how your spies can confirm it."
"Good, thank you," Ogama said, docketing that for immediate action without waiting for guidance. "I would like the means to prove such pleasant news. So?"