We stay secret allies until formally, person to person and alone, we decide otherwise." Ogama laughed but said nothing.
"Last, while I am gone, our agreement over the Gates stays in place."
"Your mind jumps around like a cat with thorns in its pads." Ogama cleared his throat and shifted his knees more comfortably. "Perhaps I agree, perhaps not. This is too important to decide at once. I must talk with Basuhiro."
"No. Talk to me. I can give better advice because I know more and, importantly, in this your interests are mine--and I am not a vassal who has to seek petty favors."
"Only big ones. Like the Gates."
Yoshi laughed. "That is a little one compared to some you will grant me, and I will grant you, when you're tairo."
"Then give me one now while I'm not: Sanjiro's head."
Yoshi looked at him, hiding his surprise.
He had not forgotten what Inejin, his innkeeper spy on the road to Dragon's Tooth, had told him about Ogama and "Crimson Sky."
Inejin spoke of how, with Sanjiro in support, or neutral, Ogama would prevail against the Shogunate with the historic tactic so favored by daimyos, a sneak attack.
"Would you settle for his balls?" Yoshi asked and laid out the plan he had been refining for months.
Ogama began to laugh.
The column of guards that had been relieved trudged homewards, four men abreast, Yoshi still disguised as a foot soldier amongst them. Although they had been warned in advance to treat him as such, they were finding it difficult not to sneak a glance, or apologize when coming too close. One of the soldiers was a shishi informer named Wataki. He had had no opportunity to warn of this unique opportunity for an ambush.
Yoshi was tired but content. At length Ogama had agreed to everything so now he could leave Kyoto with the Gates safe in Shogunate hands and the Shogunate safe.
For a time--enough time, he thought. My gamble is great, and my scheme filled with holes that will worry Ogama if he sees them. It does not matter, surely he plans to betray me anyway. Never mind, it was the best I could do, and should be workable. Impossible for me to accept the Invitation.
The day had improved now, the sun jousting with clouds for possession of the sky. He hardly noticed it or his surroundings, his mind occupied with all the details of his departure, who to tell, what to do about Koiko and General Akeda, who to take with him, and his overall concern: would he be in time to minimize the damage in Yedo?
First a bath and massage, decisions afterwards ...
His eyes focused and he became aware of the streets as they marched along, the pedestrians, stalls and ponies and kagas and palanquins, the houses and hovels and stalls and children and fish sellers and hawkers and soothsayers and scribes and all the bustle of the markets. It was a completely new experience for him to be one of many, incognito in the column, and he began to enjoy this completely different perspective. Soon he was gawking like a country person at the sights and sounds and smells of the city he had never seen before, wanting to stop, to intermingle with the crowds, to experience them, what they thought and did and ate and where they slept. "Soldier," he whispered to the young man beside him. "Where do you go when you're off duty?"
"More-me, Lord?" the man stuttered, and almost dropped his spear, appalled at being talked to by the Most High, wanting to kneel at once. "Me, I... go and drink, Sire..."
"Don't call me "Sire,"" Yoshi hissed, startled by the sudden confusion his question had caused in all those nearby, some of whom missed their footing and almost broke ranks. "Act normally--do not look at me! All of you!"
The soldier offered apologies, and those nearby tried to do what he had ordered, finding it almost impossible now that their Lord Yoshi had broken the spell of invisibility. The Sergeant glanced around and came back anxiously. "Everything all right, Lord? Is ev--"
"Yes, yes, Sergeant. Return to your post!"
Automatically the Sergeant bowed and obeyed, the soldiers picked up their step and continued onwards--their barracks a hundred metres ahead. To Yoshi's relief this minor confusion went unnoticed by the crowd alongside who had been bowing as the column passed.
But it had been noticed by two men further down the street. They were the shishi lookout, Ruru, and his replacement, Rushan, a young Tosa ronin, who had that moment arrived at the street stall not far from the Toranaga gateway. "Am I drunk, Rushan? A sergeant bowing to a foot soldier. A sergeant?"
"I saw it too, Izuru," the other whispered. "Look at the soldier. There, you can see him now, the tall one near the back, look how he carries his spear. He is not used to it."
"Right, but... What is it about him, eh?"
"See how the others watch him without watching!"
With growing excitement they scrutinized the soldier intently as the column approached.
Though the soldier's weapons were the same and uniform and everything the same, there was no mistaking a major difference: in carriage, step, the physical qualities of the man, however much he pretended to slouch.
"Lord Yoshi," both men said simultaneously, and Rushan added at once, "He's mine."
"No, mine," Izuru said.
"I saw him first!" Rushan whispered, committed, so impatient he could hardly talk.
"Both of us, together we have a better chance."
"No, keep your voice down. One man one time, that was Katsumata's order and we agreed.
He is mine. Signal me when!" Heart pumping, Rushan eased through the pedestrians and other customers to a better attack position.
They bowed politely, taking him for one of the many, ordinary, low-rank samurai off duty from one of the ceremonial garrisons and gave him no more attention, preparing to bow to the approaching column.
Rushan's new position was on the edge of the roadway. A last look to place his quarry.
Then he sat on a stool with his back towards the column, eyes on his friend Izuru, completely at peace. His death poem for his parents was in the hands of his village shoya, given years ago when he and ten other student samurai had rebelled. They were all goshi and had rebelled when they were refused entrance to the school for higher education--their parents could not afford the necessary bribes to local officials. They had killed the officials, declared themselves ronin and for sonno-joi, and fled.
Of the ten, he alone was still alive. Soon to die, he thought gloriously, knowing he was prepared, trained, at the height of his power and that Izuru would be his witness.
Izuru was just as ardent. He had already decided on his own attack plan if Rushan failed.
Confidently, he moved into a better spot. His gaze left the patrol and went to the gateway.
Guards were preparing for the ritual of checking the others back through the barricade. At once he noticed there was more bustling, and barking orders than usual, the men smarter and more nervous.
He cursed to himself. They know! Of course they know and have known since the column left! That explains why they have been so jittery and irritable all morning. They all knew Lord Yoshi was loose outside and in disguise. But why? And where's he been? Ogama! But why? were they planning another ambush on us? Are we betrayed again?
All the time his eyes darted back and forth, never forgetting Rushan, gauging distances and timing.
Already many pedestrians and shoppers close by were bowing. Any moment the officer would halt the column, the officer of the gate would come to meet him, both would bow, together they would inspect the incoming men and then they would all march away.
The officer held up his hand. The column shuffled to a halt. "Now," Izuru said almost audibly, and gestured. Rushan saw the signal and dashed for the tail of the column twenty metres away, his long sword poised in a two-handed grip.
He burst through the first two men sending them sprawling before they or any of the soldiers realized they were being attacked, and hacked at Yoshi who stared at him blankly for a split second.
Only Yoshi's honed instinct made him lurch towards the death blow, diverting it into a stupefied soldier beside him who screamed and went down.
Shrieking "sonno-joi" in the sudden shouting melee around him, Rushan jerked the blade out as soldiers fought for space, shoving each other out of the way, other guards rushing from the gateway, bystanders everywhere gaping and paralyzed, Wataki, the shishi informer, as surprised as any of the soldiers, and terrified he would become involved or betrayed by this shishi he recognized who had appeared out of nowhere.