He looked back at the headland where the galley would appear any moment now. Soon Yabu would step ashore and then they were all in the hands of the gods, all kami, God the Father, His Blessed Son, and the Blessed Madonna, oh ko!
Blessed Madonna, protect us! Would it be too much to ask to put Thy great eye on this special village of Anjiro? Just for the next few days? We need special favor to protect us from our Lord and Master, oh yes! I will light fifty candles and my sons will definitely be brought up in the True Faith, Mura promised.
Today Mura was very glad to be a Christian; he could intercede with the One God and that was an added protection for his village. He had become a Christian in his youth because his own liege lord had been converted and had at once ordered all his followers to become Christians. And when, twenty years ago, this lord was killed fighting for Toranaga against the Taiko, Mura had remained Christian to honor his memory. A good soldier has but one master, he thought. One real master.
Ninjin, a round-faced man with very buck teeth, was especially agitated by the presence of so many samurai. "Mura-san, so sorry, but it's dangerous what you've done - terrible, neh? That little earthquake this morning, it was a sign from the gods, an omen. You've made a terrible mistake, Mura-san."
"What is done is done, Ninjin. Forget about it."
"How can I? It's in my cellar and-" "Some of it's in your cellar. I've plenty myself," Uo said, no longer smiling. ' "Nothing's anywhere. Nothing, old friends," Mura said cautiously. "Nothing exists." On his orders, thirty koku of rice had been stolen over the last few days from the samurai commissariat and was now secreted around the village, along with other stores and equipment - and weapons.
"Not weapons," Uo had protested. "Rice yes, but not weapons!"
"War is coming."
"It's against the law to have weapons," Ninjin had wailed.
Mura snorted. "That's a new law, barely twelve years old. Before that we could have any weapons we wanted and we weren't tied to the village. We could go where we wanted, be what we wanted. We could be peasant-soldier, fisherman, merchant, even samurai - some could, you know it's the truth."
"Yes, but now it's different, Mura-san, different. The Taiko ordered it to be different!"
"Soon it'll be as it's always been. We'll be soldiering again."
"Then let's wait," Ninjin had pleaded. "Please. Now it's against the law. If the law changes that's karma. The Taiko made the law: no weapons. None. On pain of instant death."
"Open your eyes, all of you! The Taiko's dead! And I tell you, soon Omi-san'll need trained men and most of us have warred, neh? We've fished and warred, all in their season. Isn't that true?"
"Yes, Mura-san," Uo had agreed through his fear. "Before the Taiko we weren't tied."
"They'll catch us, they have to catch us," Ninjin had wept. "They'll have no mercy. They'll boil us like they boiled the barbarian."
"Shut up about the barbarian!"
"Listen, friends," Mura had said. "We'll never get such a chance again. It's sent by God. Or by the gods. We must take every knife, arrow, spear, sword, musket, shield, bow we can. The samurai'll think other samurai've stolen themhaven't the shit-heads come from all over Izu? And what samurai really trusts another? We must take back our right to war, neh? My father was killed in battle - so was his and his! Ninjin, how many battles have you been in - dozens, neh? Uo - what about you? Twenty? Thirty?"
"More. Didn't I serve with the Taiko, curse his memory? Ah, before he became Taiko, he was a man. That's the truth! Then something changed him, neh? Ninjin, don't forget that Mura-san is headman! And we shouldn't forget his father was headman too! If the headman says weapons, then weapons it has to be."
Now, kneeling in the sun, Mura was convinced that he had done correctly, that this new war would last forever and their world would be again as it had always been. The village would be here, and the boats and some villagers. Because all men - peasant, daimyo, samurai, even the eta - all men had to eat and the fish were waiting in the sea. So the soldier-villagers would take time out from war from time to time, as always, and they would launch their boats . . . .
"Look!" Uo said and pointed involuntarily in the sudden hush.
The galley was rounding the headland.
Fujiko was kneeling abjectly in front of Toranaga in the main cabin that he had used during the voyage, and they were alone.
"I beg you, Sire," she pleaded. "Take this sentence off my head."
"It's not a sentence, it's an order."
"I will obey, of course. But I cannot do-" "Cannot?" Toranaga flared. "How dare you argue! I tell you you're to be the pilot's consort and you have the impertinence to argue?"
"I apologize, Sire, with all my heart," Fujiko said quickly, the words gushing. "That was not meant as an argument. I only wanted to say that I cannot do this in the way that you wished. I beg you to understand. Forgive me, Sire, but it's not possible to be happy - or to pretend happiness." She bowed her head to the futon. "I humbly beseech you to allow me to commit seppuku."
"I've said before I do not approve of senseless death. I have a use for you."
"Please, Sire, I wish to die. I humbly beg you. I wish to join my husband and my son."
Toranaga's voice slashed at her, drowning the sounds of the galley. "I've already refused you that honor. You don't merit it, yet. And it's only because of your grandfather, because Lord Hiro-matsu's my oldest friend, that I've listened patiently to your ill-mannered mouthings so far. Enough of this nonsense, woman. Stop acting like a dung-headed peasant!"
"I humbly beg permission to cut off my hair and become a nun. Buddha will-" "No. I've given you an order. Obey it!"
"Obey?" she said, not looking up, her face stark. Then, half to herself, "I thought I was ordered to Yedo."
"You were ordered to this vessel! You forget your position, you forget your heritage, you forget your duty. You forget your duty! I'm disgusted with you. Go and get ready."
"I want to die, please let me join them, Sire."
"Your husband was born samurai by mistake. He was malformed, so his offspring would be equally malformed. That fool almost ruined me! Join them? What nonsense! You're forbidden to commit seppuku! Now, get out!"
But she did not move.
"Perhaps I'd better send you to the eta. To one of their houses. Perhaps that'd remind you of your manners and your duty."
A shudder racked her, but she hissed back defiantly, "At least they'd be Japanese!"
"I am your liege lord. You-will-do-as-l-order."
Fujiko hesitated. Then she shrugged. "Yes, Lord. I apologize for my ill manners. " She placed her hands flat on the futon and bowed her head low, her voice penitent. But in her heart she was not persuaded and he knew and she knew what she intended to do. "Sire, I sincerely apologize for disturbing you, for destroying your wa, your harmony, and for my bad manners. You were right. I was wrong." She got up and went quietly to the door of the cabin.
"If I grant you what you wish," Toranaga said, "will you, in return, do what I want, with all your heart?"
Slowly she looked back. "For how long, Sire? I beg to ask for how long must I be consort to the barbarian?"
"A year."
She turned away and reached for the door handle.
Toranaga said, "Half a year."
Fujiko's hand stopped. Trembling, she leaned her head against the door. "Yes. Thank you, Sire. Thank you."
Toranaga got to his feet and went to the door. She opened it for him and bowed him through and closed it after him. Then the tears came silently.
She was samurai.
Toranaga came on deck feeling very pleased with himself. He had achieved what he wanted with the minimum of trouble. If the girl had been pressed too far she would have disobeyed and taken her own life without permission. But now she would try hard to please and it was important that she become the pilot's consort happily, at least outwardly so, and six months would be more than enough time. Women are much easier to deal with than men, he thought contentedly. So much easier, in certain things.