Part 12 (2/2)

'Not exactly. If the balloon went up, Se-Iko would probably wait to see how things were going then come down on Yama-s.h.i.+ta's side of the fence.”

'Then it's the best place. It would be safer once they cross over into Mitsu-Bis.h.i.+ territory, but they're one of the pillars of the Shogunate.

It would look too much like a setup.”

'True. But how about this? Take them out of the convoy while it's travelling through Se-Iko's patch, hold them overnight, then cross over the border and release them on the other side. That way we can stage-manage whatever. judicial response is required.”

'Meaning?”

'My dear Tos.h.i.+ro, we cannot allow such lawlessness to go unpunished.

I'll ask Mitsu-Bis.h.i.+ to gather up thirty or more common criminals, dress them up as ronin, chop their heads off to exhibit by the roadside, and have him claim his men caught the people involved.

Before anybody gets to question them, of course.”

'Who is going to make the raid on the convoy?”

'A very reliable group led by a man who answers to the name of n.o.buro Naka-Jima. A real pro.”

'May I ask, sire, if he knows what is expected of him?”

'Not yet. I'll set up a meeting. The most convenient place is the post-house at Midiri-tana. Just south of Ari-saba. You'll need a disguise, of course. Ieyasu will provide you with false papers and give you all the details.”

Tos.h.i.+ro sat back on his heels, his mouth opening and shutting like a stranded carp. 'M-me, sire? B-but ' 'Yes, I know what you said, but I've decided it's better not to have too many people involved. That's why I want you to handle this personally. After all, it is your conspiracy. And if anything goes wrong, I'll know who to blame.”

'B-but sire. Ari-saba is ' '- miles away. That's right,' said Yoritomo. 'You'd better get moving.”

Tos.h.i.+ro placed his forehead on the top step of the veranda, then rose, backed down the path for the required ten paces and turned and hurried away.

Yoritomo watched him until he disappeared behind the neatly trimmed shrubbery. He knew that when the Herald had recovered his composure, he would tackle this a.s.signment with his usual vigour and dedication.

His hunch about Yoko Mi-s.h.i.+ma, the itinerant courtesan, was probably correct. Tos.h.i.+ro had a flair for sensing the ins and outs of this kind of situation. Even so, success was not guaranteed. The risks were considerable but it was worth the gamble. If the Herald had proved to be right, Yama-s.h.i.+ta and his friends would be severely, perhaps fatally, compromised and his dear brother-in-law, Nakane, the Consul-General, of whom he had never been particularly fond, would finally get his well-deserved comeuppance.

And it was not that much of a gamble. Yoritomo had taken steps to limit the risks. n.o.buro's 'ronin' could be relied upon to die without revealing their connection with the Shogunate. Indeed, not all of them were aware they were in Yoritomo's employ. His Herald was another problem. If things did not go as planned and Tos.h.i.+ro was caught in the subsequent fiasco, he could be recognised and the Shogun's hand would be revealed. It was for this reason that Yoritomo had made separate arrangements with the head of his own very private team of a.s.sa.s.sins for Tos.h.i.+ro to disappear without trace if circ.u.mstances required it.

Yoritomo might, in Ieyasu's eyes, still be wet behind the ears, but no one ever became Shogun without first learning to cover his a.s.s.

It was not the way Yoritomo would have liked to conduct the business of government, but his scope for action was limited. The Yama-s.h.i.+ta could not be brought to heel by direct confrontation. They were too powerful, their influence too widespread. Yoritomo could not afford to have the authority of the Shogunate openly rebuffed and the alternative - armed conflict was out of the question. The years of peace under the Toh-Yota had sapped the desire for large-scale conflicts.

But it had not stilled ambition. The struggle for power continued, and the secret weapon Hiro Yama-s.h.i.+ta had turned against the Shogunate was far more destructive than the greatest army ever raised. It was called progress.

Yama-s.h.i.+ta was a cunning, ruthless individual. He was also highly intelligent and capable of great subtlety.

Given the present situation, his plans had to be countered by equally devious means. The unsuspecting Herald who would soon be galloping westwards, changing horses at the post-houses on the way, had likened it to a poker hand. It was an apt comparison.

Yoritomo weighed up the odds and concluded that the only way he could win this particular game was to play a wild card.

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