Mariko did not answer for a moment. Five koban was outrageousas much as you'd pay for a famous courtesan of First Class in Yedo. Half a koban would be more than reasonable for Kiku. Mariko knew prices of courtesans because Buntaro used courtesans from time to time and had even bought the contract of one, and she had had to pay the bills, which had, of course, rightly come to her. Her eyes gauged Gyoko. The woman was sipping her sake calmly, her hand steady.
"Perhaps," Mariko said. "But I don't think so, neither another lady nor another night .... No, if tonight cannot be arranged I'm afraid that the day after tomorrow would be too late, so sorry. And as to another of the ladies..." Mariko smiled and shrugged.
Gyoko set her cup down sadly. "I did hear that our glorious samurai would be leaving us. Such a pity! The nights are so pleasant here. In Mishima we do not get the sea breeze as you do here. I shall be sorry to leave too."
"Perhaps one koban. If this arrangement is satisfactory I would then like to discuss how much her contract would cost. "
"Her contract!"
"Yes. Sake?"
"Thank you, yes. Contract - her contract? Well, that's another thing. Five thousand koku."
"That's impossible!"
"Yes," Gyoko agreed, "but Kiku-san's like my own daughter. She is my own daughter, better than my own daughter. I've trained her since she was six. She's the most accomplished Lady of the Willow World in all Izu. Oh, I know, in Yedo you have greater ladies, more witty, more worldly, but that's only because Kiku-san hasn't had the good fortune to mix with the same quality of persons. But even now, none can match her singing or her samisen playing. I swear it by all the gods. Give her a year in Yedo, with the right patron and correct sources of knowledge, and she'll compete satisfactorily with any courtesan in the Empire. Five thousand koku is a small sum to pay for such a flower." Perspiration beaded the woman's forehead. "You must excuse me, but I've never considered selling her contract before. She's barely eighteen, blemishless, the only Lady of First Class Rank that I've been privileged to manage. I really don't think I could ever sell her contract even at the price mentioned. No, I think I will have to reconsider, so sorry. Perhaps we could discuss this tomorrow. Lose Kiku-san? My little Kiku-chan?" Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes and Mariko thought, if those are real tears, then you, Gyoko, you've never spread yourself open to a Princely Pestle.
"So sorry. Shigata ga nai, neh?" Mariko said courteously and let the woman moan and weep and refilled her cup every so often and then again. How much is the contract really worth, she was asking herself. Five hundred koku would be fantastically more than fair. It depends on the anxiety of the man, who's not anxious in this case. Certainly Lord Toranaga isn't. Who's he buying for? Omi? Probably. But why did Toranaga order the Anjin-san here?
"You agree, Anjin-san?" she had asked him earlier with a nervous laugh, over the boisterousness of the drunken officers.
"You're saying that Lord Toranaga's arranged a lady for me? Part of my reward?"
"Yes. Kiku-san. You can hardly refuse. I - I am ordered to interpret. "Ordered?"
"Oh, I'll be happy to interpret for you. But, Anjin-san, you really can't refuse. It would be terribly impolite after so many honors, neh?" She had smiled up at him, daring him, so proud and delighted with Toranaga's incredible generosity. "Please. I've never seen the inside of a Tea House before - I'd adore to look myself and talk with a real Lady of the Willow World."
"What?"
"Oh, they're called that because the ladies are supposed to be as graceful as willows. Sometimes it's the Floating World, because they're likened to lilies floating in a lake. Go on, Anjin-san, please agree."
"What about Buntaro-sama?"
"Oh, he knows I'm to arrange it for you. Lord Toranaga told him. It's all very official of course. I'm ordered. So are you! Please!" Then she had said in Latin, so glad that no one else in Anjiro spoke the language, "There is another reason that I will tell thee later."
"Ah - tell it to me now."
"Later. But agree, with amusement. Because I ask thee."
"Thou - how can I refuse thee?"
"But with amusement. It must be with amusement. Thy promise!"
"With laughter. I promise. I will attempt it. I promise thee nothing other than I will attempt the crest."
Then she had left him to make the arrangements.
"Oh, I'm distraught at the very thought of selling my beauty's contract," Gyoko was groaning. "Yes, thank you, just a little more sake, then I really must go." She drained the cup and held it out wearily for an immediate refill. "Shall we say two koban for this evening - a measure of my desire to please a Lady of such merit?"
"One. If this is agreed, perhaps we could talk more about the contract this evening, at the Tea House. So sorry to be precipitous, but time, you understand..." Mariko waved a hand vaguely toward the conference room. "Affairs of state - Lord Toranaga - the future of the realm - you understand, Gyoko-san."
"Oh, yes, Lady Toda, of course." Gyoko began to get up. "Shall we agree to one and a half for the evening? Good, then that's set-"
"One.
"Oh ko, Lady, the half is a mere token and hardly merits dis cussion," Gyoko wailed, thanking the gods for her acumen and keeping feigned anguish on her face. One and a half koban would be a triple fee. But, more than the money, this was, at long last, the first invitation from one of the real nobility of all Japan for which she had been angling, for which she would gladly have advised Kiku-san to do everything for nothing, twice. "By all the gods, Lady Toda, I throw myself on your mercy, one and a half koban. Please, think of my other children who have to be clothed and trained and fed for years, who do not become as priceless as Kiku-san but have to be cherished as much as she."
"One koban, in gold, tomorrow. Neh?"
Gyoko lifted the porcelain flask and poured two cups. She offered one to Mariko, drained the other, and refilled her own immediately. "One," she said, almost gagging.
"Thank you, you're so kind and thoughtful. Yes, times are hard." Mariko sipped her wine demurely. "The Anjin-san and I will be at the Tea House shortly."
"Eh? Whatwasthatyousaid?"
"That the Anjin-san and I will be at the Tea House shortly. I am to interpret for him."
"The barbarian?" Kiku gasped.
"The barbarian. And he'll be here any moment unless we stop him - with her, the cruelest, most grasping harpy I've ever met, may she be reborn a back-passage whore of the Fifteenth Rank."
In spite of her fear, Kiku laughed outright. "Oh, Mama-san, please don't fret so! She seemed such a lovely lady and one whole koban - you really made a marvelous arrangement! There, there, we've lots of time. First some sake will take away all your heartburn. Ako, quick as a hummingbird!"
Ako vanished.
"Yes, the client's the Anjin-san." Gyoko almost choked again.
Kiku fanned her and Hana, the little apprentice, fanned her and held sweet-smelling herbs near her nose. "I thought she was negotiating for Lord Buntaro - or Lord Toranaga himself. Of course when she said the Anjin-san I asked her at once why didn't his own consort, Lady Fujiko, negotiate as correct manners insisted, but all she said was that his Lady was badly sick with burns and she herself had been ordered to talk to me by Lord Toranaga himself."
"Oh! Oh, that I should be so fortunate to serve the great Lord!"
"You will, child, you will if we scheme. But the barbarian! What will all your other customers think? What will they say? Of course I left it undecided, telling Lady Toda that I didn't know if you were free, so you can still refuse if you wish, without offense."
"What can other customers say? Lord Toranaga ordered this. There's nothing to be done, neh?" Kiku concealed her apprehension.
"Oh, you can easily refuse. But you must be quick, Kiku-chan. Oh ko, I should have been more clever - I should have."
"Don't worry, Gyoko-sama. Everything will be all right. But we must think clearly. It's a big risk, neh?"
"Yes. Very."
"We can never turn back if we accept."
"Yes. I know."
"Advise me."