When the sun was halfway above the horizon, she bowed and left. To Yabu's surprise, the guards left also. Now they were alone. The three of them.
"I was pleased to receive your gift, Yabu-san. It was most generous, the whole ship and everything in it," Toranaga said.
"Whatever I have is yours," Yabu said, still deeply affected by the dawning. I wish I had more time, he thought. How elegant of Toranaga to do this! To give me a lastness of such immensity. "Thank you for this dawn."
"Yes," Toranaga said. "It was mine to give. I'm pleased that you enjoyed my gift, as I enjoyed yours."
There was a silence.
"Yabu-san. What do you know about the Amida Tong?"
"Only what most people know: that it's a secret society of ten units of ten - a leader and never more than nine acolytes in any one area, women and men. They are sworn by the most sacred and secret oaths of the Lord Buddha Amida, the Dispenser of Eternal Love, to obedience, chastity, and death; to spend their lives training to become a perfect weapon for one kill; to kill only at the order of the leader, and if they fail to kill the person chosen, be it a man, woman, or child, to take their own life at once. They're religious fanatics who are certain they'll go directly from this life to Buddhahood. Not one of them has ever been caught alive." Yabu knew about the attempt on Toranaga's life. All Osaka knew by now and knew also that the Lord of the Kwanto, the Eight Provinces, had locked himself safely inside hoops of steel. "They kill rarely, their secrecy is complete. There's no chance of revenge on them because no one knows who they are, where they live, or where they train."
"If you wanted to employ them, how would you go about it?"
"I would whisper it in three places - in the Heinan Monastery, at the gates of the Amida shrine, and in the Johji Monastery. Within ten days, if you are considered an acceptable employer, you will be approached through intermediaries. It is all so secret and devious that, even if you wished to betray them or catch them, it would never be possible. On the tenth day they ask for a sum of money, in silver, the amount depending on the person to be assassinated. There is no bargaining, you pay what they ask beforehand. They guarantee only that one of their members will attempt the kill within ten days. Legend has it that if the kill is successful, the assassin goes back to their temple and then, with great ceremony, commits ritual suicide."
"Then you think we could never find out who paid for the attack today?"
"No."
"Do you think there will be another?"
"Perhaps. Perhaps not. They contract for one attempt at one time, neh? But you'd be wise to improve your securityamong your samurai, and also among your women. The Amida women are trained in poison, as well as knife and garrote, so they say."
"Have you ever employed them?"
"No."
"But your father did?"
"I don't know, not for certain. I was told that the Taiko asked him to contact them once."
"Was the attack successful?"
"Anything the Taiko did was successful. One way or another."
Yabu felt someone behind him and presumed it to be the guards coming back secretly. He was measuring the distance to his swords. Do I try to kill Toranaga? he asked himself again. I had decided to and now I don't know. I've changed. Why?
"What would you have to pay them for my head?" Toranaga asked him.
"There is not enough silver in all Asia to tempt me to employ them to do this."
"What would another have to pay?"
"Twenty thousand koku - fifty thousand - a hundred - perhaps more, I don't know."
"Would you pay a hundred thousand koku to become Shogun? Your bloodline goes back to the Takashimas, neh?"
Yabu said proudly, "I would pay nothing. Money's filth - a toy for women to play with or for dung-filled merchants. But if that were possible, which it isn't, I would give my life and the life of my wife and mother and all my kin except my one son, and all my samurai in Izu and all their women and children to be Shogun one day."
"And what would you give for the Eight Provinces?"
"Everything as before, except the life of my wife and mother and son. "
"And for Suruga Province?"
"Nothing," Yabu said with contempt. "Ikawa Jikkyu's worth nothing. If I don't take his head and all his generation in this life I'll do it in another. I piss on him and his seed for ten thousand lifetimes."
"And if I were to give him to you? And all Suruga - and perhaps the next province, Totomi, as well?"
Yabu suddenly tired of the cat-and-mouse game and the talk about the Amida. "You've decided to take my head, Lord Toranaga - very well. I'm ready. I thank you for the dawn. But I've no wish to spoil such elegance with further talk, so let's be done."
"But I haven't decided to take your head, Yabu-san," Toranaga said. "Whatever gave you the thought? Has an enemy poured poison in your ears? Ishido perhaps? Aren't you my favored ally? Do you think that I'd entertain you here, without guards, if I thought you hostile?"
Yabu turned slowly. He had expected to find samurai behind him, swords poised. There was no one there. He looked back at Toranaga. "I don't understand."
"I brought you here so we could talk privately. And to see the dawn. Would you like to rule the provinces of Izu, Suruga, and Totomi - if I do not lose this war?"
"Yes. Very much," Yabu said, his hopes soaring.
"You would become my vassal? Accept me as your liege lord?"
Yabu did not hesitate. "Never," he said. "As ally, yes. As my leader, yes. Lesser than you always, yes. My life and all I possess thrown onto your side, yes. But Izu is mine. I am daimyo of Izu and I will never give power over lzu to anyone. I swore that oath to my father, and the Taiko who reaffirmed our hereditary fief, first to my father and then to me. The Taiko confirmed Izu to me and my successors forever. He was our liege lord and I swore never to have another until his heir became of age."
Hiro-matsu twisted his sword slightly in his hand. Why doesn't Toranaga let me get it over with once and for all? It's been agreed. Why all the wearing talk? I ache and I want to piss and I need to lie down.
Toranaga scratched his groin. "What did Ishido offer you?"
"Jikkyu's head - the moment that yours is off. And his province."
"In return for what?"
"Support when war begins. To attack your southern flank."
"Did you accept?"
"You know me better than that."
Toranaga's spies in Ishido's household had whispered that the bargain had been struck, and that it included responsibility for the assassination of his three sons, Noboru, Sudara, and Naga. "Nothing more? Just support?"
"By every means at my disposal," Yabu said delicately.
"Including assassination?"
"I intend to wage the war, when it begins, with all my force. For my ally. In any way I can to guarantee his success. We need a sole Regent in Yaemon's minority. War between you and Ishido is inevitable. It's the only way."