Sudara obeyed. Toranaga waited silently until Kawanabi had written the order, then he signed it and made it legal with his chop. This was a small square piece of ivory with his name carved in one end. He pressed the chop against the almost solid scarlet ink, then onto the bottom of the rice paper. The imprint was perfect. "Thank you, Kawanabi-san, date it yesterday. That's all for the moment."
"Please excuse me but you'll need five more copies, Sire, to make your succession inviolate: one for Lord Sudara, one for the Council of Regents, one for the House of Records, one for your personal files, and one for the archives."
"Do them at once. And give me an extra copy."
"Yes, Sire." The secretary left them. Now Toranaga glanced at Sudara and studied the narrow expressionless face. When he had made the deliberately sudden announcement nothing had shown on Sudara, neither on his face nor in his hands. No gladness, thankfulness, pride - not even surprise, and this saddened him. But then, Toranaga thought, why be sad, you have other sons who smile and laugh and make mistakes and shout and rave and pillow and have many women. Normal sons. This son is to follow after you, to lead after you're dead, to hold the Minowaras tight and to pass on the Kwanto and power to other Minowaras. To be ice and calculating, like you. No, not like me, he told himself truthfully. I can laugh sometimes and be compassionate sometimes, and I like to fart and pillow and storm and dance and play chess and Noh, and some people gladden me, like Naga and Kiri and Chano and the Anjin-san, and I enjoy hunting and winning, and winning, and winning. Nothing gladdens you, Sudara, so sorry. Nothing. Except your wife, the Lady Genjiko. The Lady Genjiko's the only weak link in your chain.
"Sire?" Sudara asked.
"I was trying to remember when I last saw you laugh."
"You wish me to laugh, Sire?"
Toranaga shook his head, knowing he had trained Sudara to be the perfect son for what had to be done. "How long would it take you to be sure if Jikkyu is really dead?"
"Before I left camp I sent a top-priority cipher to Mishima in case you didn't already know if it was true or not, Father. I will have a reply within three days."
Toranaga blessed the gods that he had had advance knowledge of the Jikkyu plot from Kasigi Mizuno and a few days' notice of that enemy's death. For a moment he reexamined his plan and could find no flaw in it. Then, faintly nauseated, he made the decision. "Order the Eleventh, Sixteenth, Ninety-fourth, and Ninety-fifth Regiments in Mishima on instant alert. In four days fling them down the Tokaido."
"Crimson Sky?" Sudara asked, thrown off balance. "You're attacking?"
"Yes. I'm not waiting for them to come against me."
"Then Jikkyu's dead?"
"Yes."
"Good," Sudara said. "May I suggest you add the Twentieth and Twenty-third."
"No. Ten thousand men should be enough - with surprise. I've still got to hold all my border in case of failure, or a trap. And there's also Zataki to contain."
"Yes," Sudara said.
"Who should lead the attack?"
"Lord Hiro-matsu. It's a perfect campaign for him."
"Why?"
"It's direct, simple, old-fashioned, and the orders clear, Father. He will be perfect for this campaign."
"But no longer suitable as commander-in-chief?"
"So sorry, Yabu-san was right - guns have changed the world. Iron Fist is out of date now."
"Who then?"
"Only you, Sire. Until after the battle I counsel you to have no one between you and the battle."
"I'll consider it," Toranaga said. "Now, go to Mishima. You'll prepare everything. Hiro-matsu's assault force will have twenty days to get across the Tenryu River and secure the Tokaido Road."
"Please excuse me, may I suggest their final objective be a little farther, the crest of the Shiomi Slope. Allow them in all thirty days."
"No. If I make that an order, some men will reach the crest. But the majority will be dead and won't be able to throw back the counterattack, or harass the enemy as our force retreats. "
"But surely you'll send reinforcements at once hard on their heels?"
"Our main attack goes through Zataki's mountains. This is a feint. " Toranaga was appraising his son very carefully. But Sudara revealed nothing, neither surprise nor approval nor disapproval.
"Ah. So sorry. Please excuse me, Sire."
"With Yabu gone, who's to command the guns?"
"Kasigi Omi."
"Why?"
"He understands them. More than that, he's modern, very brave, very intelligent, very patient - also very dangerous, more dangerous than his uncle. I counsel that if you win, and if he survives, then find some excuse to invite him Onward."
"If I win?"
"Crimson Sky has always been a last plan. You've said it a hundred times. If we get mauled on the Tokaido, Zataki will sweep down into the plains. The guns won't help us then. It's a last plan. You've never liked last plans."
"And the Anjin-san? What do you advise about him?"
"I agree with Omi-san and Naga-san. He should be bottled up. The rest of his men are nothing - they're eta and they'll cannibalize themselves soon, so they're nothing. I advise that all foreigners should be bottled up or thrown out. They're a plague - to be treated as such."
"Then there's no silk trade. Neh?"
"If that was the price then I'd pay it. They're a plague."
"But we must have silk and, to protect ourselves, we must learn about them, learn what they know, neh?"
"They should be confined to Nagasaki, under very close guard, and their numbers strictly limited. They could still trade once a year. Isn't money their essential motive? Isn't that what the Anjin-san says?"
"Ah, then he is useful?"
"Yes. Very. He's taught us the wisdom of the Expulsion Edicts. The Anjin-san is very wise, very brave. But he's a toy. He amuses you, Sire, like Tetsu-ko, so he's valuable, though still a toy."
Toranaga said, "Thank you for your opinions. Once the attack is launched you will return to Yedo and wait for further orders." He said it hard and deliberately. Zataki still held the Lady Genjiko, and their son and three daughters hostage at his capital of Takato. At Toranaga's request Zataki had granted Sudara a leave of absence, but only for ten days, and Sudara had solemnly agreed to the bargain and to return within that time. Zataki was famous for his narrowmindedness about honor. Zataki would and could legally obliterate all the hostages on this point of honor, irrespective of any overt or covert treaty or agreement. Both Toranaga and Sudara knew without any doubt Zataki would do that if Sudara did not return as promised. "You will wait at Yedo for further orders."
"Yes, Sire."
"You will leave for Mishima at once."
"Then it will save time if I go that way." Sudara pointed at the junction ahead.