Part 14 (1/2)
”Do you know Ken well?” Annja expected him to say they'd been friends for years.
Taka laughed. ”We've only just met, actually.”
”And you're not concerned about him?”
Taka stopped and looked at her. ”Should I be?”
Ken looked at Annja. ”Something wrong, Annja?”
She shrugged. ”I just find it odd that you've never met him before and yet we're being welcomed as if we were long-lost family. I can't imagine the same thing happening anywhere else in the world.”
Taka shrugged. ”Perhaps Ken and I are more like long-lost family. Maybe that is why I feel compelled to have him and his guest in for tea and conversation.” His eyes gleamed. ”Or I might just be a lonely old man in need of some decent company. And you two are a welcome change from the real-estate developers who normally visit me.”
Ken gestured around the temple. ”I'd imagine they're offering you quite a sum of money for this place.”
”Certainly, but what is money worth? Not a thing. They would pay me a fair price for the land and then tear down the temple only to build another club or pac.h.i.n.ko pac.h.i.n.ko parlor or apartment house. Man does not need any more of these distractions. He needs more temples.” Taka shrugged again. ”So I stay.” parlor or apartment house. Man does not need any more of these distractions. He needs more temples.” Taka shrugged again. ”So I stay.”
”The Yakuza don't bother you?” Annja asked. Ken flashed her a look and she blanched. ”Sorry, please forgive my inquisitiveness.”
Taka laughed. ”It is not a problem, young lady. And yes, the Yakuza have stopped by. But while they are certainly to be despised for their criminal activities, they are one of the few groups in j.a.pan who still have some degree of respect for the old ways. And when I told them I was not interested in selling, they accepted it with far greater humility and understanding than the new generation of developers, who cannot see beyond the limited life of their bank account balances.”
They approached a small room set with a low table and three cups of steaming tea. Taka gestured for them to sit. ”I've only just poured it, so it should be just about right.” He lifted his cup and bowed to his guests. Ken and Annja followed suit.
Annja sipped the bitter green tea and smiled. ”Delicious.”
Taka bowed low. ”My thanks.” He took a sip and then set the cup down before turning to Ken. ”Now, please, tell me why you are here.”
Ken set his own cup down and regarded Taka. ”I seek the vajra vajra of the Yumegakure-ryu.” of the Yumegakure-ryu.”
Taka nodded. ”Interesting. I must admit I knew this would be your reason for coming here, but when I saw this happening, I did not believe it myself. It was the first time in many many years that I had questioned my faith. I see now there was never any need to do so.”
Annja sipped her tea, waiting for Taka to continue. The spry monk took another sip of tea and looked at Annja.
”And you, young lady-are you also on this quest to recover the vajra vajra?”
”Supposedly.” Annja glanced at Ken. ”Although honestly I don't know why I am. I've contributed nothing as yet that I would call either useful or even helpful.”
Taka gestured to Ken. ”She is an honest woman. And fully possessed of her own skill and wisdom.”
Ken nodded. ”It is one of the many reasons I asked her to come along. A valuable ally is a very difficult thing to find these days. She is unmotivated by the usual machinations of mankind.”
Taka grinned. ”Time will tell if your a.s.sessment is correct or not.” He sighed and drank more tea. ”You know the history of the vajra vajra?”
”Mostly. I know that Prince Shotoku made a gift of it to my family over a thousand years ago,” Ken replied.
Taka nodded. ”Indeed. It was to be used as a force for good in the world of madness that descended upon j.a.pan. During the Warring States period, the vajra vajra was reputed to be one of the only things that helped keep the country from utterly destroying itself. As evil tried to gain root, the was reputed to be one of the only things that helped keep the country from utterly destroying itself. As evil tried to gain root, the vajra vajra countered its influence by helping those who fought for the good of the people. It was, needless to say, a very back-and-forth struggle. It was one of the darkest times for j.a.pan.” countered its influence by helping those who fought for the good of the people. It was, needless to say, a very back-and-forth struggle. It was one of the darkest times for j.a.pan.”
Taka took another sip of tea before clearing his throat and speaking again. ”In the wake of this darkest period of civil war, when only a few warlords remained powerful, peace at last seemed to be a possibility again. The Tokugawa family was rising to power and soon would usher in a period of hope and prosperity.”
”And someone stole the vajra vajra at this point, yes?” Ken asked. at this point, yes?” Ken asked.
Taka smiled. ”That is how the story is told.”
”I have tried for many years to figure out which of the warrior families might have been powerful and evil enough to do such a thing.” Ken sighed. ”I must confess I have been unable to figure out who would have been able to steal it.”
Taka's eyes gleamed. ”Perhaps you are looking at the wrong people.”
Ken frowned. ”What do you mean?”
Taka shrugged. ”I mean you are a.s.suming that it was an evil warlord that arranged for the vajra vajra to be stolen.” to be stolen.”
”It wasn't?”
Taka shook his head. ”Not at all. In fact, the people who took the vajra vajra would contend that they did so because they were helping the forces of good, and not the forces of evil.” would contend that they did so because they were helping the forces of good, and not the forces of evil.”
”But who would do that? There are no records of warlords mounting an expedition to steal the vajra vajra from my family,” Ken said. from my family,” Ken said.
Taka sipped his tea. ”Your mind is still clinging to the thought that the vajra vajra was stolen.” was stolen.”
”But it was.”
Taka shook his head. ”Not at all. The vajra vajra was entrusted to a group who could safeguard it more than your family could. Your ancestors were very wise, Ogawa-san. The Yumegakure-ryu was renowned for their ability to see the future and plan accordingly.” was entrusted to a group who could safeguard it more than your family could. Your ancestors were very wise, Ogawa-san. The Yumegakure-ryu was renowned for their ability to see the future and plan accordingly.”
Annja finished her tea and set her cup on the table. ”But who would they entrust such a special artifact to?”
Taka leaned over and poured more tea into her cup. ”The only ones who were powerful enough in their own right to protect such a thing and still resist the warlords who might have tried to steal it-the yamabus.h.i.+ yamabus.h.i.+.”
Ken frowned. ”Mountain warriors?”
Taka continued. ”Warrior monks who lived in secluded temples deep in the mountains to the west of Edo, the old capital. Their austere way of life, as well as their commitment to martial arts and devout ways, made them the perfect guardians of the vajra vajra. Your ancestors knew that they would not be tempted to use the vajra vajra for their own purposes. But your ancestors could not be so sure about their own descendants. Every new generation, after all, must find its own path-be it right or wrong. I imagine your ancestors believed it very likely someone born into the family would use it for their own gain and not the good of mankind as it was destined to do. They did the smartest thing they could, short of destroying it. They gave it to the for their own purposes. But your ancestors could not be so sure about their own descendants. Every new generation, after all, must find its own path-be it right or wrong. I imagine your ancestors believed it very likely someone born into the family would use it for their own gain and not the good of mankind as it was destined to do. They did the smartest thing they could, short of destroying it. They gave it to the yamabus.h.i.+ yamabus.h.i.+ with strict orders for it to be hidden away and thereby protected.” with strict orders for it to be hidden away and thereby protected.”
Ken leaned back. ”If that's true-”
”It is,” Taka snapped. ”I have little reason to lie about such things. What good would it accomplish?”
Ken bowed. ”Forgive me, that was rude.”
Taka smiled. ”More tea?”
Ken held out his cup and thanked Taka when it was refilled. ”The yamabus.h.i.+ yamabus.h.i.+ still have the still have the vajra, vajra, then?” then?”
”I would a.s.sume so,” Taka said. ”I am certain it still survives. The yamabus.h.i.+ yamabus.h.i.+ are nothing if not careful in where they hide such things.” are nothing if not careful in where they hide such things.”
”Then it would be up to me to go and retrieve it from them,” Ken said.