"What about Yabu?"
"Order him to commit seppuku tonight."
"Why?"
"He's got no manners. You foretold what he'd do when I arrived at Anjiro. He was going to steal your property. And he's a liar. Don't bother to see him tomorrow as you've arranged. Instead, let me take him your order now. You'll have to kill him sooner or later. Better now when he's accessible, with none of his own vassals surrounding him. I advise no delay."
There was a soft knock on the inner door. "Tora-chan?"
Toranaga smiled as he always did at that very special voice, with that special diminutive. "Yes, Kiri-san?"
"I've taken the liberty, Lord, of bringing cha for you and your guest. May I please come in?"
"Yes."
Both men returned her bow. Kiri closed the door and busied herself with the pouring. She was fifty-three and substantial, Matron of Toranaga's ladies-in-waiting, Kiritsubo-noh-Toshiko, nicknamed Kiri, the oldest of the ladies of his court. Her hair was gray-flecked, her waist thick, but her face sparkled with an eternal joy. "You shouldn't be awake, no, not at this time of night, Tora-chan! It will be dawn soon and I suppose then you'll be out in the hills with your hawks, neh? You need sleep!"
"Yes, Kiri-chan!" Toranaga patted her vast rump affectionately.
"Please don't Kiri-chan me!" Kiri laughed. "I'm an old woman and I need lots of respect. Your other ladies give me enough trouble as it is. Kiritsubo-Toshiko-san, if you please, my Lord Yoshi Toranaga-noh-Chikitada!"
"There, you see, Hiro-matsu. After twenty years she still tries to dominate me."
"So sorry, it's more than thirty years, Tora-sama," she said proudly. "And you were as manageable then as you are now!"
When Toranaga was in his twenties he had been a hostage, too, then of the despotic Ikawa Tadazaki, Lord of Suruga and Totomi, father of the present Ikawa Jikkyu, who was Yabu's enemy. The samurai responsible for Toranaga's good conduct had just taken Kiritsubo as his second wife. She was seventeen then. Together this samurai and Kiri, his wife, had treated Toranaga honorably, given him wise counsel, and then, when Toranaga had rebelled against Tadazuki and joined Goroda, had followed him with many warriors and had fought bravely at his side. Later, in the fighting for the capital, Kiri's husband had been killed. Toranaga had asked her if she would become one of his consorts and she had accepted gladly. In those days she was not fat. But she was equally protective and equally wise. That was her nineteenth year, his twenty-fourth, and she had been a focus of his household ever since. Kiri was very shrewd and very capable. For years now, she had run his household and kept it free of trouble.
As free of trouble as any household with women could ever be, Toranaga thought.
"You're getting fat," he said, not minding that she was fat.
"Lord Toranaga! In front of Lord Toda! Oh, so sorry, I shall have to commit seppuku-or at least, I'll have to shave my head and become a nun, and I thought I was so young and slender!" She burst out laughing. "Actually I agree I have a fat rump but what can I do? I just like to eat and that's Buddha's problem and my karma, neh?" She offered the cha. "There. Now I'll be off. Would you like me to send the Lady Sazuko?"
"No, my thoughtful Kiri-san, no, thank you. We'll talk for a little, then I'll sleep."
"Good night, Tora-sama. Sweet dreamlessness." She bowed to him and to Hiro-matsu and then she was gone.
They sipped their tea appreciatively.
Toranaga said, "I'm always sorry we never had a son, Kiri-san and I. Once she conceived but she miscarried. That was when we were at the battle of Nagakudé."
"Ah, that one."
"Yes."
This was just after the Dictator Goroda had been assassinated when General Nakamura-the Taikō-to-be-was trying to consolidate all power into his own hands. At that time the issue was in doubt, as Toranaga supported one of Goroda's sons, the legal heir. Nakamura came against Toranaga near the little village of Nagakudé and his force was mauled and routed and he lost that battle. Toranaga retreated cleverly, pursued by a new army, now commanded for Nakamura by Hiro-matsu. But Toranaga avoided the trap and escaped to his home provinces, his whole army intact, ready to battle again. Fifty thousand men died at Nagakudé, very few of them Toranaga's. In his wisdom, the Taikō-to-be called off the civil war against Toranaga, though he would have won. Nagakudé was the only battle the Taikō had ever lost and Toranaga the only general who had ever beaten him.
"I'm glad we never joined battle, Sire," Hiro-matsu said.
"Yes."
"You would have won."
"No. The Taikō was the greatest general and the wisest, cleverest man that has ever been."
Hiro-matsu smiled. "Yes. Except you."
"No. You're wrong. That's why I became his vassal."
"I'm sorry he's dead."
"Yes."
"And Goroda-he was a fine man, neh? So many good men dead." Hiro-matsu unconsciously turned and twisted the battered scabbard. "You'll have to move against Ishido. That will force every daimyo to choose sides once and for all. We'll win the war eventually. Then you can disband the Council and become Shōgun."
"I don't seek that honor," Toranaga said sharply. "How many times do I have to say it?"
"Your pardon, Sire. I know. But I feel it would be best for Japan."
"That's treason."
"Against whom, Lord? Against the Taikō? He's dead. Against his last will and testament? That's a piece of paper. Against the boy Yaemon? Yaemon's the son of a peasant who usurped the power and heritage of a general whose heirs he stamped out. We were Goroda's allies, then the Taikō's vassals. Yes. But they're both very dead."
"Would you advise that if you were one of the Regents?"
"No. But then I'm not one of the Regents, and I'm very glad. I'm your vassal only. I chose sides a year ago. I did this freely."
"Why?" Toranaga had never asked him before.
"Because you're a man, because you're Minowara and because you'll do the wise thing. What you said to Ishido was right: we're not a people to be ruled by committee. We need a leader. Whom should I have chosen to serve of the five Regents? Lord Onoshi? Yes, he's a very wise man, and a good general. But he's Christian and a cripple and his flesh is so rotten with leprosy that he stinks from fifty paces. Lord Sugiyama? He's the richest daimyo in the land, his family's as ancient as yours. But he's a gutless turncoat and we both know him from eternity. Lord Kiyama? Wise, brave, a great general, and an old comrade. But he's Christian too, and I think we have enough gods of our own in this Land of the Gods not to be so arrogant as to worship only one. Ishido? I've detested that treacherous peasant's offal as long as I've known him and the only reason I never killed him was because he was the Taikō's dog." His leathery face cracked into a smile. "So you see, Yoshi Toranaga-noh-Minowara, you gave me no choice."