Part 84 (1/2)

Yoritomo looked thoughtfully at the Herald, then turned to his uncle.

'Didn't Lord Yama-s.h.i.+ta regale us some years ago with tales about gra.s.s-monkeys with so-called magic powers?”

'He did,' said Ieyasu. 'But he didn't believe them either.”

Yoritomo laughed drily. 'A big mistake.” He turned his attention back to Tos.h.i.+ro. 'It was only natural he should underrate their abilities, but it's now. clear he knew far less about them than a man in his position, and with his experience, should have done.

'For instance, the Lord Chamberlain had recently discovered that not all Mutes have deformed, multicoloured skins and lumps on their skulls.

Some of them are smooth-skinned - like Trackers. I thought the two individuals the ”mexican” was sent to recapture were long-dogs but I was wrong. They were Mutes!” The Shogun threw up his hands. 'What a strange state of affairs! On the one hand we have this ”mexican” who claims to be a long-dog - but comes here disguised as a gra.s.s-monkey and on the other, we have two gra.s.s-monkeys pretending to be long-dogs!” Tos.h.i.+ro said nothing. The bottom seemed to have dropped out of his stomach.

'Were you aware of this deception?” asked Ieyasu, the spider, slowly weaving his silken net.

The Herald bowed. 'Yes, sire. I did finally discover their ident.i.ties a few weeks ago, but I said nothing because ' 'You thought :it might confuse me,' suggested Yoritomo.

'No, sire - because it did not change the overall situation.

Lord Yama-s.h.i.+ta was engaged in a conspiracy with Lord Min-Orota to recapture the Dark Light, and the threat of an attack by the Federation if these individuals were not returned still hung over us.”

'And my dear brother-in-law was coupling with a gra.s.s-monkey.

But you sought to protect my feelings and the honour of my sister by not telling me the whole truth...”

'I did take that into consideration, sire, yes.”

'I respect you for that. And that is no doubt one of the reasons why the Lady Mis.h.i.+ko holds you in such high regard.”

Once again, Tos.h.i.+ro said nothing.

Yoritomo turned to the Lord Chamberlain. 'I have something of a personal nature to discuss with this Herald who has rendered us such sterling service. If there are no further matters you wish to raise .

Tos.h.i.+ro uncrossed his legs and knelt with his forehead almost touching the floor as the Lord Chamberlain took formal leave of the Shogun and then rose and silently backed out of the study. The only sound was the swish of the door screen sliding shut behind him.

Now only the five blank-faced bodyguards remained.

Unable to speak or understand a word of Basic, they were regarded as being part of the furniture. For all practical purposes, he and the Shogun were alone.

Yoritomo motioned the Herald to sit as before.

Tos.h.i.+ro placed the palms of his hands on his knees and held his back erect. The day could end well or badly. He would accept whatever lay in store in the same calm fas.h.i.+on.

The Shogun gave him a long, thoughtful look. The sigh that followed was tinged with regret. 'I understand why you acted as you did. And had I been in your...

situation, I would have probably done the same. But there is a greater issue at stake. You knew what my aims were when I got rid of the riff-raft who were working hand in glove with Ieyasu and set up a new College with direct access to me.

'The bond that exists between the Shogun and his Heralds is one based on absolute trust. You are my eyes and ears. The senses we possess are not infallible. Our eyes sometimes see less clearly than they should, but when the true nature of an object becomes apparent, the eye instantly corrects the faulty information it has fed to the brain. For reasons best known to yourself, you failed to do that.”

Tos.h.i.+ro hung his head. Protest was useless.