Jamie smiled. "Mass production is initially expensive to set up, machines and factory. It's not like the joint venture I suggested. There's no way I could raise that much money."
"Jami-sama, you not worry, not worry about money. Gyokoyama can buy-se're Yedo if want." Hiraga smiled grimly as Jamie blinked. "Shoya thank you and I thank you.
P'rease, in three days, you say what to make and price. I see you home."
"No need for that, thanks."
Hiraga bowed, the shoya bowed, Jamie bowed back equally and went into the evening air.
"Tea, Sire?" the shoya asked.
Hiraga nodded a yes, preparing to leave, needing a bath and massage, but pleased with himself, everything done now except to collect Jami Mukfey's supposed fee of the three koku.
The shoya ordered fresh tea. When the maid had gone, he said, "I have some news. By carrier pigeon, Otami-sama, about Lord Yoshi, and about the shishi you might like to hear."
"Stop playing games! Of course I wish to hear." Now that he was alone with the shoya, Hiraga became imperious and samurai without noticing it. "What news?"
"There's been another attempt on Lord Yoshi."
"He's dead?" Hiraga said hopefully.
"No, Otami-sama, here, please read for yourself." With pretended meekness the shoya offered the sliver of paper, the same he had previously shown to Raiko and Meikin: An assassination attempt on Yoshi at dawn at Hamamatsu village failed. Lone shishi assassin slain by him. Lady Koiko also dead in skirmish.
Inform Wisteria our great sadness. More information soon as possible.
Hiraga read it, and gasped. "When did this happen?"
"Five days ago, Otami-sama."
"Nothing further?"
"Not yet."
Reading the message, his headache seemed to become even worse, his thoughts jumbled. Koiko dead, another shishi dead! Who? If she's dead what about Sumomo? "You've informed the House of Wisteria?"
"Yes, Otami-sama."
"What did Meikin say?"
"She was distraught, Otami-sama, naturally."
"What else do you know, shoya?"
"What I know that affects you and shishi, I tell you."
"What about Katsumata and Takeda?"
"The word, Sire, they were still travelling towards us, as, supposedly, Lord Yoshi is."
"When does he arrive back? Has he changed his plans now?" he asked, his mind tumbling. If Koiko was killed in the skirmish, was it by accident, or had Yoshi discovered Koiko had tentacles to us, as Meikin has? "Eh?"
"I don't know. Perhaps about eight days, Otami-sama." The shoya studied Hiraga's concern and thought that, yes, this youth should be concerned for obviously he is in great danger, but eeee, how valuable he is! I agree he is a National Treasure, or should be. Joint-u ven'shur!
--a godlike idea! My son will go to work with this Jami gai-jin starting tomorrow, to learn barbarian ways and then I will not need Hiraga who represents nothing but trouble to me directly, and so sorry, is doomed. Like we all are, if we are not very clever. "Otami-sama, there are many troop movements around us."
"Eh? What kind of movements?"
"The Bakufu have reinforced the three nearest Tokaido way stations to us. Also, also there are five hundred samurai straddling the road north and south of us." A bead of sweat slid down his cheek. "We are in a box of Tairo Anjo."
Hiraga cursed and, too, felt the pressure increase. "What do you hear, shoya?
Is he planning to attack us here?"
"I wish I knew, Otami-sama. Perhaps telling the Taira about the troops might help to find out what the gai-jin plan."
"They'll bombard Yedo, any fool knows that." Hiraga felt sickened at the thought of the inevitable gai-jin victory though it would serve sonno-joi like nothing else. "There's nothing the tairo can do to prevent..." His heart skipped a beat and he stopped.
"Except, Otami-sama?"
"Except history's answer, the usual answer: a sudden, brutal, surprise attack to destroy the fleet's base." Hiraga was astonished he had shared his thought, and been so open with such a lowly person, even though the shoya was intelligent, a valuable ally, and soon to be a business partner.
Eeee, he told himself through the throbbing of his headache, there's so much I do not understand, the world is turning upside down, everything different, I am different, no longer samurai yet totally samurai. It is these filthy gai-jin with their tempting, sickening, awesome, greed-making ideas.
They must be thrown out--sonno-joi sonno-joi sonno-joi--but not yet. First massu produk'shun, the first to make rifles.
"Shoya, send out all spies in case that is Anjo's plan."
"Spies, Otami-sama?"
Hiraga said, "The time is now to stop playing games. Shoya. You understand? No-more-games!"
"I obey in everything, Otami-sama. As usual, as I ha--"
"You did very well tonight, shoya. The moment you hear anything about Yoshi or shishi, send me word, please." Hiraga added the "please" as a major concession.
"As quick as a hunting sea bird, Sire."
"Good night then--ah, so sorry, I forgot, there is the gai-jin's fee. He asked me to remind you."
The shoya's stomach turned over. From his sleeve he extracted a small bag--it would have been very bad manners to give it to Jami-sama direct. "Here is the equal in gold oban for one and a half koku, Otami-sama, the rest in ten days."
Hiraga shrugged and casually put it in his own sleeve, but the weight of it and the joy of it astonished him. "I will tell him, and see he is here in three days."
"Thank you, Otami-sama. These troop movements, terribly worrisome. War is coming.
My Masters say if they could have advance warning of gai-jin plans... they would appreciate deeply any help. Perhaps your Taira-sama ..." Hopefully, he left the name hanging.