Omi glanced at Igurashi, Yabu's chief lieutenant, who was still looking out toward the headland, his face stretched, the livid scar tissue over his empty eye socket eerily shadowed. "You'd be welcome to stay, Igurashi-san. My house is poor but perhaps we could make you comfortable. "
"Thank you," the older man said, turning back to him, "but our Master said to return to Yedo at once, so I will return at once." More of his concern showed. "I wish I was on that galley."
"Yes."
"I hate the thought of Yabu-sama being aboard with only two men. I hate it."
"Yes."
He pointed at Erasmus. "A devil ship, that's what it is! So much wealth, then nothing."
"Surely everything? Won't Lord Toranaga be pleased, enormously pleased with Lord Yabu's gift?"
"That money-infected province grabber is so filled with his own importance, he won't even notice the amount of silver he'll have stolen from our Master. Where are your brains?"
"I presume only your anxiety over the possible danger to our Lord prompted you to make such a remark."
"You're right, Omi-san. No insult was intended. You've been very clever and helpful to our Master. Perhaps you're right about Toranaga too," Igurashi said, but he was thinking, Enjoy your newfound wealth, you poor fool. I know my Master better than you, and your increased fief will do you no good at all. Your advancement would have been a fair return for the ship, the bullion, and the arms. But now they've vanished. And because of you, my Master's in jeopardy. You sent the message and you said, 'See the barbarians first,' tempting him. We should have left yesterday. Yes, then my Master would have been safely away by now, with the money and arms. Are you a traitor? Are you acting for yourself, or your stupid father, or for an enemy? For Toranaga, perhaps? It doesn't matter. You can believe me, Omi, you dung-eating young fool, you and your branch of the Kasigi clan are not long for this earth. I'd tell you to your face but then I'd have to kill you and I would have spurned my Master's trust. He's the one to say when, not me.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Omi-san," he said. "I'll look forward to seeing you soon, but I'll be on my way now."
"Would you do something for me, please? Give my respects to my father. I'd appreciate it very much."
"I'd be happy to. He's a fine man. And I haven't congratulated you yet on your new fief."
"You're too kind."
"Thank you again, Omi-san." He raised his hand in friendly salutation, motioned to his men, and led the phalanx of horsemen out of the village.
Omi went to the pit. The priest was there. Omi could see the man was angry and he hoped that he would do something overt, publicly, so he could have him thrashed.
"Priest, tell the barbarians they are to come up, one by one. Tell them Lord Yabu has said they may live again in the world of men." Omi kept his language deliberately simple. "But the smallest breaking of a rule, and two will be put back into the pit. They are to behave and obey all orders. Is that clear?"
"Yes." Omi made the priest repeat it to him as before. When he was sure the man had it all correctly, he made him speak it down into the pit.
The men came up, one by one. All were afraid. Some had to be helped. One man was in great pain and screamed every time someone touched his arm.
"There should be nine."
"One is dead. His body is down there, in the pit," the priest said.
Omi thought for a moment. "Mura, burn the corpse and keep the ashes with those of the other barbarian. Put these men in the same house as before. Give them plenty of vegetables and fish. And barley soup and fruit. Have them washed. They stink. Priest, tell them that if they behave and obey, the food will continue."
Omi watched and listened carefully. He saw them all react gratefully and he thought with contempt, how stupid! I deprive them for only two days, then give them back a pittance and now they'll eat dung, they really will. "Mura, make them bow properly and take them away. " Then he turned to the priest. "Well?"
"I go now. Go my home. Leave Anjiro."
"Better you leave and stay away forever, you and every priest like you. Perhaps the next time one of you comes into my fief it is because some of my Christian peasants or vassals are considering treason," he said, using the veiled threat and classic ploy that anti-Christian samurai used to control the indiscriminate spread of the foreign dogma in their fiefs, for though foreign priests were protected, their Japanese converts were not.
"Christians good Japanese. Always. Only good vassals. Never had bad thoughts. No."
"I'm glad to hear it. Don't forget my fief stretches twenty ri in every direction. Do you understand?"
"I understand. Yes. I understand very well."
He watched the man bow stiffly - even barbarian priests had to have manners - and walk away.
"Omi-san?" one of his samurai said. He was young and very handsome.
"Yes?"
"Please excuse me, I know you haven't forgotten but Masijiro-san is still in the pit." Omi went to the trapdoor and stared down at the samurai. Instantly the man was on his knees, bowing deferentially.
The two days had aged him. Omi weighed his past service and his future worth. Then he took the young samurai's dagger from his sash and dropped it into the pit.
At the bottom of the ladder Masijiro stared at the knife in disbelief. Tears began coursing his cheeks. "I don't deserve this honor, Omi-san," he said abjectly.
"Yes."
"Thank you.."
The young samurai beside Omi said, "May I please ask that he be allowed to commit seppuku here, on the beach?"
"He failed in the pit. He stays in the pit. Order the villagers to fill it in. Obliterate all traces of it. The barbarians have defiled it."
Kiku laughed and shook her head. "No, Omi-san, so sorry, please no more sake far me or my hair will fall down, I'll fall down, and then where would we be?"
"I'd fall down with you and we'd pillow and be in nirvana, outside ourselves," Omi said happily, his head swimming from the wine.
"Ah, but I'd be snoring and you can't pillow a snoring, horrid drunken girl and get much pleasure. Certainly not, so sorry. Oh no, Omi-sama of the Huge New Fief, you deserve better than that!" She poured another thimble of the warm wine into the tiny porcelain cup and offered it with both hands, her left forefinger and thumb delicately holding the cup, the forefinger of her right hand touching the underside. "Here, because you are wonderful!"
He accepted it and sipped, enjoying its warmth and mellow tang. "I'm so glad I was able to persuade you to stay an extra day, neh?
You are so beautiful, Kiku-san."
"You are beautiful, and it is my pleasure." Her eyes were dancing in the light of a candle encased in a paper and bamboo flower that hung from the cedar rafter. This was the best suite of rooms in the ' Tea House near the Square. She leaned over to help him to some more rice from the simple wooden bowl that was on the low black lacquered table in front of him, but he shook his head.
"No, no, thank you."
"You should eat more, a strong man like you."
"I'm full, really."
He did not offer her any because she had barely touched her small salad-thinly sliced cucumbers and tiny sculptured radishes pickled in sweet vinegar-which was all she would accept of the whole meal. There had been slivers of raw fish on balls of tacky rice, soup, the salad, and some fresh vegetables served with a piquant sauce of soya and ginger. And rice.
She clapped her hands softly and the shoji was opened instantly by her personal maid.
"Yes, Mistress?"
"Suisen, take all these things away and bring more sake and a fresh pot of cha. And fruit. The sake should be warmer than last time. Hurry up, good-for-nothing!" She tried to sound imperious.
Suisen was fourteen, sweet, anxious to please, and an apprentice courtesan. She had been with Kiku for two years and Kiku was responsible for her training.