Part 3 (2/2)

After an initial hesitation, Brickman had proved remarkably co-operative and eager to please. The Mute, on the other hand, had informed Yama-s.h.i.+ta - with all due deference and through the usual intermediaries-that the clan M'Call had delivered the flying-horse on the understanding that she and the long-dog were to be s.h.i.+pped back to her homeland when the wheelboats made their next voyage across the great lakes.

But there had been no such understanding. The eventual fate of those delivering the craft had never been raised by the white-haired leader of the M'Call's trade council. And Yama-s.h.i.+ta had no intention of renegotiating the agreement with a female Mute. Once they set foot in Ne-Issan, Mutes were slaves; non-persons with no rights whatsoever.

But even if this had been the case, by the very nature of the enterprise, Clearwater's request was bound to fall on deaf ears. It was vital that the Federation should remain unaware of what was afoot for as long as possible. If she and the long-dog were to return to the Plainfolk and subsequently fall into enemy hands, it would be a secret no longer.

As the Mute had no further part to play, she had been placed in the custody of Consul-General Nakane Toh-s.h.i.+ba, nephew to the domain-lord of that name.

Nakane was the permanent representative of the Shogun to the House of Min-Orota. Military men, appointed by Yoritomo, held similar posts in all subject domains.

They occupied imposing residences on private estates maintained by the Shogunate and which also served as a base for a team of provincial administrators, tax inspectors, and a regiment of government soldiers.

At the Heron Pool, the necessary buildings were completed and a team of long-dogs, recruited from mines and quarries, was set to work under the supervision of local craftsmen. The dark-haired, brown-skinned Brickman quickly revealed himself to be' an ideal overseer, totally dedicated to the task he had been a.s.signed. He was, moreover, endowed with a formidable intellect and displayed a keen interest in, and appreciation of, every aspect of Iron Master society; its art, culture, custom and tradition, its spiritual ethos. His grasp of these matters was so instinctive, Min-Orota was moved to seek permission to allow him to be taught j.a.panese.

Ieyasu had pa.s.sed his written request to the Shogun with an appended note recommending its rejection. For once, Yoritomo and his Chamberlain found themselves in agreement. Despite his willingness to share his skills and knowledge, the long-dog was an alien, a renegade, and was thus without honour. The language of Ne-Issan was a sacred relic from The World Before that had to be zealously protected. Never again was it to be debased by foreign influences and, above all, it must never be allowed to issue from the mouths of the unworthy.

Yoritomo, like his Heralds, might speak what the long-dogs called 'Basic' but that was merely a means by which they could discuss confidential matters in the presence of others.

Brickman, unaware of the representation made on his behalf, continued to work like a man possessed, and by early March, a much-improved version of the craft he had delivered was ready to take to the air. It was to be launched from high ground, gliding like a sea-bird from its clifftop nest. Preparations had also been made to produce several more but, before they could be completed, a suitable mechanism had to be found to move them through the air. Steam was a possibility, but none of the existing engines was small enough, and the craft could not be fuelled by logs or coal whilst in the air! If steam was the answer, then a special lightweight engine using entirely new principles would have to be created. Undaunted by the problems, Brickman set to work.

Lord Kiyo Min-Orota, impressed by Brickman's energy and his impeccable demeanour, which was the equal of a samurai's in every respect, sought some way to reward him for the host of useful devices created by his restless pen. This was a goose driven by some inner compulsion to lay golden eggs. The bird must be kept well-fed and given a comfortable nest until it was time to wring its neck.

Like Mutes, long-dogs had traditionally been accorded slave status, but Min-Orota felt that Brickman was a' special case meriting more favourable treatment. And so it was, as if by magic, that Brickman was installed in a small but elegant dwelling-house, staffed by Korean female body-slaves. Lord Min-Orota accepted his effusive thanks without telling him that Koreans, along with Thais and Vietnamese, were one of the 'unpure' breeds who inhabited the lower strata of Iron Master society. To a true Son of Ne-Issan - a samurai from a n.o.ble family the provision of such inferior servants would have been a mortal insult; to the long-dog, unaware of such subtleties, it was an undreamt-of luxury.

During an earlier visit, Tos.h.i.+ro had tactfully conveyed to the domain-lord the Shogun's feeling that Brickman's unprecedented elevation from slave status was both unnecessary and inappropriate.

Lord Min-Orota had been at pains to rea.s.sure him that it was purely a temporary arrangement which could bring important material benefits not only to his house but to the Shogun himself.

And the long-dog's eventual fall from grace would provide an amusing diversion.

But there were other aspects of the present situation which were less amusing and it was upon these that Tos.h.i.+ro proceeded to report. The female Mute who had been taken into protective custody by Consul-General Nakane Toh-s.h.i.+ba had mysteriously dropped out of circulation.

By diligent detective work and with the help of the local network of agents and informers, Tos.h.i.+ro had uncovered an illicit s.e.xual liaison which, although disturbing in itself, had turned out to have far more sinister ramifications.

Tos.h.i.+ro reported on Brickman's latest work, then made a casual reference to the fate of his Mute escort. 'I regret to tell you I have received information from an unimpeachable source that the Consul-General of Masahusa and Ro-diren has given a new meaning to the phrase ”protective custody”.”

The Shogun reacted with a sharp-eyed glance. 'Are you sure of this?”

'Absolutely. By all accounts he has been gripped by a grand pa.s.sion.

The, ah... ”lady” in question has been set up in some style with her own body-slaves. Picked from the gutter, of course.”

The Shogun's face showed no sign of the wave of revulsion that swept through him. His eyes remained fixed on the garden. 'Where?”

'His estate includes a lake with a small island in the middle.

Apparently there is a house on it. The trees which surround it make it difficult to see from the sh.o.r.e. I believe it has been put to similar use before.”

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