"Perhaps it happened before him, Lady."
"Lord Toranaga will have to be told. Why is Kiku-san so disobedient and foolish?"
"Karma, Lady. She wants a child."
"Whose child?"
"She won't say. All she said was that any one of the three had advantages."
"She'd be wise to let this one go and be sure next time."
"I agree. I thought you should know in case .... There are many, many days before anything shows or before a miscarriage would be a danger to her. Perhaps she will change her mind. In this I cannot force her. She's no longer my property, though for the time being I'm trying to look after her. It would be splendid if the child was Lord Toranaga's. But say it had blue eyes .... A last piece of advice, Lady: Tell the Anjin-san to trust this Uraga-nohTadamasa only so far, and never in Nagasaki. Never there. That man's final allegiance will always be to his uncle, Lord Harima. "
"How do you find out these things, Gyoko-san?"
"Men need to whisper secrets, Lady. That's what makes them different from us - they need to share secrets, but we women only reveal them to gain an advantage. With a little silver and a ready ear and I have both - it's all so easy. Yes. Men need to share secrets. That's why we're superior to them and they'll always be in our power."
In the darkness just before dawn, the portcullis of a side gate lifted noiselessly and ten men hurried out across the narrow drawbridge of the innermost moat. The iron grille closed after them. At the far side of the bridge the alert sentries deliberately turned their backs and allowed the men to pass unchallenged. All wore dark kimonos and conical hats and held their swords tightly: Naga, Yabu, Blackthorne, Uraga-noh-Tadamasa, and six samurai. Naga led, Yabu beside him, and he took them unerringly through a maze of side turnings, up and down staircases and along little-used passages. Whenever they met patrols or sentries - ever alert - Naga held up a silver cipher and the party was allowed to pass unhindered and unquestioned.
By devious byways he brought them to the main south gate, which was the sole way across the castle's first great moat. Here a company of samurai awaited them. Silently these men surrounded Naga's party, screening them, and they all hurried across the bridge. Still they were not challenged. They continued on, down the slight rise toward First Bridge, keeping as close as they could to the shadows of the flares that abounded near the castle. Once across First Bridge they turned south and vanished into the labyrinth of alleys, heading for the sea.
Just outside the cordon surrounding the Erasmus wharf the accompanying samurai stopped and motioned the ten forward, then saluted and turned about and melted into the darkness again.
Naga led the way through the barriers. They were admitted onto the jetty without comment. There were more flares and guards here than before.
"Everything's ready?" Yabu asked, taking charge now.
"Yes, Sire," the senior samurai replied.
"Good. Anjin-san, did you understand?"
"Yes, thank you, Yabu-san."
"Good. You'd better hurry."
Blackthorne saw his own samurai drawn up in a loose square to one side, and he waved Uraga across to them as had been prearranged. His eyes raced over his ship, checking and rechecking as he hurried aboard and jubilantly stood on his quarterdeck. The sky was still dark with no sign of dawn yet. All signs indicated a fair day with calm seas.
He looked back at the wharf. Yabu and Naga were deep in conversation. Uraga was explaining to his vassals what was going on. Then the barriers were opening again and Baccus van Nekk and the rest of the crew, all obviously apprehensive, stumbled into the clearing surrounded by caustic guards.
Blackthorne went to the gunwale and called out, "Hey! Come aboard!"
When his men saw him they seemed less fearful, and began to hurry, but their guards cursed them and they stopped in their tracks.
"Uraga-san!" Blackthorne shouted. "Tell them to let my men aboard. At once." Uraga obeyed with alacrity. The samurai listened and bowed toward the ship and released the crew.
Vinck was first aboard, Baccus groping his way last. The men were still frightened, but none came up onto the quarterdeck which was Blackthorne's domain alone.
"Great Jesus, Pilot," Baccus panted, above the hubbub of questions. "What's going on?"
"What's amiss, Pilot?" Vinck echoed with the others. "Christ, one moment we was asleep, then all hell broke loose, the door burst open an' the monkeys were marching us here...."
Blackthorne held up his hand. "Listen!" When there was silence he began quietly, "We're taking Erasmus to a safe harbor across the-"
"We've not men enough, Pilot," Vinck broke in anxiously. "We'll nev -"
"Listen, Johann! We're going to be towed. The other ship'll be here any moment. Ginsel, go for'ard - you'll swing the lead. Vinck, take the helm, Jan Roper and Baccus stand by the forewinch, Salamon and Croocq aft. Sonk - go below and check our stores. Break out some grog if you can find any. Lay to!"
"Wait a minute, Pilot!" Jan Roper said. "What's all the hurry? Where're we going and why?"
Blackthorne felt a surge of indignation at being questioned, but he reminded himself that they were entitled to know, they were not vassals and not eta but his crew, his shipmates, and, in some respects, almost partners. "This is the beginning of the storm season. Tai-funs they call them - Great Storms. This berth isn't safe. Across the harbor, a few leagues south, is their best and safest anchorage. It's near a village called Yokohama. Erasmus will be safe there and can ride out any storm. Now lay to!"
No one moved.
Van Nekk said, "Only a few leagues, Pilot?"
"Yes."
"What then? And, well, what's the hurry?"
"Lord Toranaga agreed to let me do it now," Blackthorne answered, telling half the truth. "The sooner the better, I thought. He might change his mind again, neh? At Yokohama..." He looked away as Yabu came stomping aboard with his six guards. The men fled out of his way.
"Jesus," Vinck choked out. "It's him! It's the bastard who gave Pieterzoon his!"
Yabu came up near to the quarterdeck, smiling broadly, oblivious of the terror that infected the crew as they recognized him. He pointed out to sea. "Anjin-san, look! There! Everything's perfect, neh?"
A galley like some monstrous sea caterpillar was sweeping silently toward them from the western darkness.
"Good, Yabu-sama! You want stand here?"
"Later, Anjin-san." Yabu walked off to the head of the gangway.
Blackthorne turned back to his men. "Lay for'ard. On the double - and watch your tongues. Speak only gutter Dutch - there's one aboard who understands Portuguese! I'll talk to you when we're under way! Move!"
The men scattered, glad to get away from Yabu's presence. Uraga and twenty of Blackthorne's samurai loped aboard. The others were forming up on the jetty to board the galley.
Uraga said, "These your personal guards, if it pleases you, senhor."
"My name's Anjin-san, not senhor," Blackthorne said.
"Please excuse me, Anjin-san." Uraga began to come up the steps.
"Stop! Stay below! No one ever comes onto the quarterdeck without my permission! Tell them."
"Yes, Anjin-san. Please excuse me."
Blackthorne went to the side to watch the galley docking, just to the west of them. "Ginsel! Go ashore and watch 'em take our hawsers! See they're secured properly. Look lively now!"