"So sorry, it was awful," Midori said. "I'm glad to be back and hated being away. Is my husband well?" .
"Yes, very well. He laughed a lot this evening and seemed to be happy. He ate and drank sparingly and he's sleeping soundly."
"The Mistress-san was beginning to tell me some of the terrible things that happened while I was away and-"
"You shouldn't have gone. You were needed here," the old woman interrupted, venom in her voice. "Or perhaps not. Perhaps you should have stayed away permanently. Perhaps you brought a bad kami into our house along with your bed linen."
"I'd never do that, Mistress-san," Midori said patiently. "Please believe I would rather kill myself than bring the slightest stain to your good name. Please forgive my being away and my faults. I'm sorry."
"Since that devil ship came here we've had nothing but trouble. That's bad kami. Very bad. And where were you when you were needed? Gossiping in Mishima, stuffing yourself and drinking sake."
"My father died, Mistress-san. The day before I arrived."
"Huh, you haven't even got the courtesy or the foresight to be at your own father's deathbed. The sooner you permanently leave our house, the better for all of us. I. want some cha. We have a guest here and you haven't even remembered your manners enough to offer her refreshment!"
"It was ordered, instantly, the moment she-"
"It hasn't arrived instantly!"
The shoji opened. A maid nervously brought cha and some sweet cakes. First Midori served the old woman, who cursed the maid roundly and chomped toothlessly on a cake, slurping her drink. "You must excuse the maid, Kiku-san," the old woman said. "The cha's tasteless. Tasteless! And scalding. I suppose that's only to be expected in this house."
"Here, please have mine." Midori blew gently on the tea to cool it.
The old woman took it grudgingly. "Why can't it be correct the first time?" She lapsed into sullen silence.
"What do you think about all this?" Midori asked Kiku. "The ship and Yabu-sama and Toda Hiro-matsu-sama?"
"I don't know what to think. As to the barbarians, who knows? They're certainly an extraordinary collection of men. And the great daimyo, Iron Fist? It's very curious that he arrived almost the same time as Lord Yabu, neh? Well, you must excuse me, no, please, I can see myself out."
"Oh, no, Kiku-san, I wouldn't hear of it."
"There, you see, Midori-san," the old woman interrupted impatiently. "Our guest's uncomfortable and the cha awful."
"Oh, the cha was sufficient for me, Mistress-san, really. No, if you'll excuse me, I am a little tired. Perhaps before I go tomorrow, I may be allowed to come to see you. It's always such a pleasure to talk with you."
The old woman allowed herself to be cajoled and Kiku followed Midori onto the veranda and into the garden.
"Kiku-san, you're so thoughtful," Midori said, holding her arm, warmed by her beauty. "It was very kind of you, thank you."
Kiku glanced back at the house momentarily, and shivered. "Is she always like that?"
"Tonight she was polite, compared to some times. If it wasn't for Omi and my son I swear I'd shake her dust off my feet, shave my head, and become a nun. But I have Omi and my son and that makes up for everything. I only thank all kami for that. Fortunately Mistress-san prefers Yedo and can't stay away from there for very long." Midori smiled sadly. "You train yourself not to listen, you know how it is." She sighed, so beautiful in the moonlight. "But that's unimportant. Tell me what's happened since I left."
This was why Kiku had come to the house so urgently, for obviously neither the mother nor the wife would wish Omi's sleep disturbed. She came to tell the lovely Lady Midori everything, so she could help to guard Kasigi Omi as she herself would try to guard him. She told her all that she knew except what had happened in the room with Yabu. She added the rumors she had heard and the stories the other girls had passed on to her or invented. And everything that Omi had told her - his hopes and fears and plans - everything about him, except what had happened in the room tonight. She knew that this was not important to his wife.
"I'm afraid, Kiku-san, afraid for my husband."
"Everything he advised was wise, Lady. I think everything he did was correct. Lord Yabu doesn't reward anyone lightly and three thousand koku is a worthy increase."
"But the ship's Lord Toranaga's now, and all that money."
"Yes, but for Yabu-sama to offer the ship as a gift was an idea of genius. Omi-san gave the idea to Yabu-surely this itself is payment enough, neh? Omi-san must be recognized as a preeminent vassal." Kiku twisted the truth just a trifle, knowing that Omi was in great danger, and all his house. What is to be will be, she reminded herself. But it does no harm to ease the brow of a nice woman.
"Yes, I can see that," Midori said. Let it be the truth, she prayed. Please let it be the truth. She embraced the girl, her eyes filling with tears. "Thank you. You're so kind, Kiku-san, so kind." She was seventeen.
"What do you think, Ingeles?"
"I think there'll be a storm."
"When?"
"Before sunset."
It was near noon and they were standing on the quarterdeck of the galley under a gray overcast. This was the second day out to sea.
"If this was your ship, what would you do?"
"How far is it to our landfall?" Blackthorne asked.
"After sunset."
"How far to the nearest land?"
"Four or five hours, Ingeles. But to run for cover will cost us half a day and I can't afford that. What would you do?".
Blackthorne thought a moment. During the first night the galley had sped southward down the east coast of the Izu peninsula, helped by the large sail on the midships mast. When they had come abreast of the southmost cape, Cape Ito, Rodrigues had set the course West South West and had left the safety of the coast for the open sea, heading for a landfall at Cape Shinto two hundred miles away.
"Normally in one of these galleys we'd hug the coast - for safety," Rodrigues had said, "but that'd take too much time and time is important. Toranaga asked me to pilot Toady to Anjiro and back. Quickly. There's a bonus for me if we're very quick. One of their pilots'd be just as good on a short haul like this, but the poor son of a whored be frightened to death carrying so important a daimyo as Toady, particularly out of sight of land. They're not oceaners, Japmen. Great pirates and fighters and coastal sailors. But the deep frightens them. The old Taiko even made a law that the few ocean ships Japmen possess were always to have Portuguese pilots aboard. It's still the law of their land today."
"Why did he do that?"
Rodrigues shrugged. "Perhaps someone suggested it to him."
"Who?"
"Your stolen rutter, Ingeles, the Portuguese one. Whose was it?"
"I don't know. There was no name on it, no signature."
"Where'd you get it?"
"From the chief merchant of the Dutch East India Company."
"Where'd he get it from?"
Blackthorne shrugged.
Rodrigues' laugh had no humor in it. "Well, I never expected you to tell me - but whoever stole it and sold it, I hope he burns in hellfire forever!"
"You're employed by this Toranaga, Rodrigues?"
"No. I was just visiting Osaka, my Captain and I. This was just a favor to Toranaga. My Captain volunteered me. I'm pilot of the - " Rodrigues had stopped. "I keep forgetting you're the enemy, Ingeles. " "Portugal and England have been allies for centuries."
"But we're not now. Go below, Ingeles. You're tired and so am I and tired men make mistakes. Come on deck when you're rested."
So Blackthorne had gone below to the pilot's cabin and had lain on the bunk. Rodrigues' rutter of the voyage was on the sea desk which was pinned to the bulkhead like the pilot's chair on the quarterdeck. The book was leather-covered and used but Blackthorne did not open it.