"Everything's prepared," the small man said.
"Of course the Council will have no objections if I check the arrangements, neh?" Yabu was expansive. "It's essential the ceremony be worthy of the Council and occasion, neh?"
"Worthy of His Imperial Majesty, the Son of Heaven. It's his summons now."
"Of course but..." Yabu's sense of well-being died. "You mean . . . you mean His Imperial Highness will be there?"
"The Exalted has agreed to the Regents' humble request to accept personally the obeisance of the new Council, all major daimyos, including Lord Toranaga, his family, and vassals. The senior advisers of His Imperial Highness were asked to choose an auspicious day for such a - such a ritual. The twenty-second day of this month, in this, the fifth year of the era Keicho."
Yabu was stupefied. "In - in nineteen days?"
"At noon. " Fastidiously Ogaki took out a paper kerchief from his sleeve and delicately blew his nose. "Please excuse me. Yes, at noon. The omens were perfect. Lord Toranaga was informed by Imperial messenger fourteen days ago. His immediate humble acceptance reached the Regents three days ago." Ogaki took out a small scroll. "Here is your invitation, Lord Kasigi Yabu, to the ceremony."
Yabu quailed as he saw the Imperial seal of the sixteen-petal chrysanthemum and knew that no one, not even Toranaga, could possibly refuse such a summons. A refusal would be an unthinkable insult to the Divinity, an open rebellion, and as all land belonged to the reigning Emperor, would result in immediate forfeiture of all land, coupled with an Imperial invitation to commit seppuku at once, issued on his behalf by the Regents, also sealed with the Great Seal. Such an invitation would be absolute and would have to be obeyed.
Yabu frantically tried to recover his composure.
"So sorry, are you unwell?" Ogaki asked solicitously.
"So sorry," Yabu stuttered, "but never in my wildest dreams .... No one could have imagined the Exalted wouldwould so honor us, neh?"
"I agree, oh yes. Extraordinary!"
"Astonishing ... that His Imperial Highness would - would consider leaving Kyoto and - and come to Osaka."
"I agree. Even so, on the twenty-second day, the Exalted and the Imperial Regalia will be here." The Imperial Regalia, without which no succession was valid, were the Three Sacred Treasures, considered divine, that all believed had been brought to earth by the god Ninigi-noh-Mikoto and passed on by him personally to his grandson; Jimmu Tenno, the first human Emperor, and by him personally to his successor down to the present holder, the Emperor Go-Nijo: the Sword, the Jewel, and the Mirror. The Sacred Sword and the Jewel always traveled in state with the Emperor whenever he had to stay overnight away from the palace; the Mirror was kept within the inner sanctuary at the great Shinto shrine of Ise. The Sword, the Mirror, and the Jewel belonged to the Son of Heaven. They were divine symbols of legitimate authority, of his divinity, that when he was on the move, the divine throne moved with him. And thus that with him went all power.
Yabu croaked, "It's almost impossible to believe that preparations for his arrival could be made in time."
"Oh, the Lord General Ishido, on behalf of the Regents, petitioned the Exalted the moment he first heard from Lord Zataki at Yokose that Lord Toranaga had agreed, equally astonishingly, to come to Osaka and bow to the inevitable. Only the great honor that your master does the Regents prompted them to petition the Son of Heaven to grace the occasion with the Presence." Again the dry cough. "Please excuse me, you would perhaps give me your formal acceptance in writing as soon as is convenient?"
"May I do it at once?" Yabu asked, feeling very weak.
"I'm sure the Regents would appreciate that."
Feebly Yabu sent for writing materials. Nineteen kept pounding in his brain. Nineteen days! Toranaga can delay only nineteen days and then he must be here too. Time enough for me to get to Nagasaki and safely back to Osaka, but not time enough to launch the seaborne attack on the Black Ship and take it, so not time enough to pressure Harima, Kiyama, or Onoshi, or the Christian priests, therefore not time enough to launch Crimson Sky, therefore Toranaga's whole scheme is just another illusion ... oh oh oh!
Toranaga's failed. I should have known that he would. The answer to my dilemma is clear: Either I blindly trust Toranaga to squeeze out of this net and I help the Anjin-san as planned to get the men to take the Black Ship even more rapidly, or I've got to go to Ishido and tell him everything I know and try to batter for my life and for Izu.
Which?
Paper and brush and ink arrived. Yabu put his anguish aside for a moment and concentrated on writing as perfectly and beautifully as he could. It was unthinkable to reply to the Presence with a cluttered mind. When he had finished his acceptance, he had made the critical decision: He would follow Yuriko's advice completely. At once the weight tumbled off his wa and he felt greatly cleansed. He signed his name with an arrogant flourish.
How to be Toranaga's best vassal? So simple: Remove Ishido from this earth.
How to do that, yet leave enough time to escape?
Then he heard Ogaki say, "Tomorrow you are invited to a formal reception given by the General Lord Ishido to honor the birthday of the Lady Ochiba."
Still travel-worn, Mariko embraced Kiri first, then hugged the Lady Sazuko, admired the baby, and hugged Kiri again. Personal maids fussed and bustled around them, bringing cha and sake and taking away the trays again, hurrying in and out with cushions and sweet-smelling herbs, opening and closing the shojis overlooking the inner garden in their section of Osaka Castle, waving fans, chattering, and weeping also.
At length Kiri clapped her hands, dismissed the maids, and groped heavily for her special cushion, overcome with excitement and happiness. She was very flushed. Hastily Mariko and the Lady Sazuko fanned her and ministered to her, and only after three large cups of sake was she able to catch her breath again.
"Oh, that's better," she said. "Yes, thank you child, yes, I'll have some more! Oh, Mariko-chan, you're really here?"
"Yes, yes. Really here, Kiri-san."
Sazuko, looking much younger than her seventeen years, said, "Oh, we've been so worried with only rumors and-"
"Yes, nothing but rumors, Mariko-chan," Kiri interrupted. "Oh, there's so much I want to know, I feel faint."
"Poor Kiri-san, here, have some sakd," Sazuko said solicitously. "Perhaps you should loosen your obi and-"
"I'm perfectly all right now! Please don't fuss, child." Kiri exhaled and folded her hands over her ample stomach. "Oh Mariko-san, it's so good to see a friendly face again from outside Osaka Castle."
"Yes," Sazuko echoed, nestling closer to Mariko, and said in a torrent, "whenever we go out of our gate Grays swarm around us like we were queen bees. We're not allowed to leave the castle, except with the Council's permission - none of the ladies are, even Lord Kiyama's - and the Council almost never meets and they hem and haw so there's never any permission and the doctor still says I'm not to travel yet but I'm fine and the baby's fine and .... But first tell us-" Kiri interrupted, "First tell us how our Master is."
The girl laughed, her vivacity undiminished. "I was going to ask that, Kiri-san!"
Mariko replied as Toranaga had ordered. "He's committed to his course - he's confident and content with his decision." She had rehearsed herself many times during her journey. Even so the strength of the gloom she created almost made her want to blurt out the truth. "So sorry," she said.
"Oh!" Sazuko tried not to sound frightened.
Kiri heaved herself to a more comfortable position. "Karma is karma, neh?"
"Then - then there's no change - no hope?" the girl asked.
Kiri patted her hand. "Believe that karma is karma, child, and Lord Toranaga is the greatest, wisest man alive. That is enough, the rest is illusion. Mariko-chan, do you have messages for us?"