Part 38 (1/2)

”h.e.l.lo! I'm home!” Whenever he returned home, he always yelled out loudly at the entrance before going in. This way, they would all know that the son-in-law of the house had returned-from the servant working in the storage room to the corners of the kitchen. But today Tokichiro did not wait for people to come out and greet him.

When he entered the room, Tokichiro was struck by what he saw. A new mat had been spread out on the floor, and his armor chest placed on top of it. Naturally enough, his gloves, s.h.i.+n guards, body armor, and waistband were there, but also some medicine for wounds, a brace, and an ammunition pouch-everything he would need to take with him was laid out in order. ”Your equipment,” said Nene.

”Very good! Very good!” He praised her without thinking, but was suddenly struck with the thought that he hadn't yet judged this woman correctly. She was even more capable than he had perceived before marrying her.

When he had finished putting on his armor, Nene told him not to worry about her. She had taken out and arranged the earthenware cup for sacred sake.

”Take care of everything, please, while I'm away.”

”Of course.”

”There's no time to say good-bye to your father. Would you do it for me?”

”My mother took Oyaya to Tsus.h.i.+ma Temple, and they still haven't returned. Father's been ordered to duty at the castle, and sent a message a while ago that he won't be coming home tonight.”

”Won't you be lonely?”

She turned away but did not cry.

She looked like a flower caught by the wind with the heavy helmet on her lap. Toki-chiro took it from her, and as he put it on, the fragrance of aloeswood unexpectedly filled the air. He smiled at his wife appreciatively, tightly knotting the scented cords.

3.

FIFTH YEAR OF EIROKU 1562.

Characters and Places.

Saito Tatsuoki, lord of Mino.

Oyaya, Nene's sister Sak.u.ma n.o.b.u.mori, senior Oda retainer Ekei, Buddhist monk from the western provinces Osawa Jirozaemon, lord of Unuma Castle and senior Saito retainer Hikoemon, name given to Hachisuka.

Koroku when he became Hideyos.h.i.+'s ward Takenaka Hanbei, lord of Mount Bodai Castle and senior Saito retainer Oyu, Hanbei's sister Kok.u.ma, Hanbei's servant Horio Mosuke, Hideyos.h.i.+'s page.

Hosokawa Fujitaka, retainer of the shogun Yos.h.i.+aki, fourteenth As.h.i.+kaga shogun Asakura Kageyuki, general of the Asakura clan Inabayama, capital of Mino Mount Kurihara, mountain retreat of Takenaka Hanbei Sunomata, castle built by Hideyos.h.i.+ Gifu, name given to Inabayama by n.o.bunaga Ichijogadani, main castle of the Asakura clan.

A Castle Built on Water.

In those days the streets of the castle town of Kiyosu rang with the voices of children singing a rhyme about n.o.bunaga's retainers: Cotton Tokichi.

Rice Goroza Sneaky Katsuie Out in the cold, n.o.b.u.mori.

”Cotton Tokichi”-Kinos.h.i.+ta Tokichiro-was riding out as the general of a small army. Although the soldiers should have been marching out in splendid array, the morale was low, and they lacked spirit. When s.h.i.+bata Katsuie and Sak.u.ma n.o.b.u.mo had left for Sunomata, the army had marched out to the sound of drums, with a flourish of banners. In comparison, Tokichiro looked like the leader of an inspection tour of the province, or perhaps of a relief detachment for the front.

A couple of leagues from Kiyosu, a lone rider came chasing after them from the castle, calling to them to wait.

The man leading the packhorse train looked back and said, ”It's Master Maeda Inichiyo.” He sent a man to the head of the column to inform Tokichiro.

The order to rest was pa.s.sed along the line. They had hardly walked far enough to work up a sweat, but the officers and men were halfhearted about the whole affair. It was an army that did not believe in the possibility of victory. And if one looked at the faces of the rank and file, one could see they were uneasy and showed no trace of a will to fight.

Inuchiyo dismounted and walked through the ranks, listening to the soldiers' talk.

”Hey! We can rest.”

”Already?”

”Don't say that. A rest is all right anytime.”

”Inuchiyo?”

As soon as Tokichiro saw his friend, he dismounted and rushed to greet him.

”The battle you're headed for will be the turning point for the Oda clan,” Inuchiyo said suddenly. ”I have absolute faith in you, but the expedition is unpopular among the retainers, and the unease in the town is extraordinary. I chased after you to say good-bye. But listen, Tokichiro, becoming a general and leading an army is very different from your previous jobs. Come on, Tokichiro, are you really prepared?”

”Don't worry.” Tokichiro showed his resolve with a firm nod of the head, and added, ”I have a plan.”

When Inuchiyo learned what that plan was, however, he frowned. ”I had heard you sent Gonzo with a message to Hachisuka, right after you received His Lords.h.i.+p's orders.”

”You know about that? It was absolutely secret.”

”The truth is, I heard it from Nene.”

”A woman's mouth always leaks, doesn't it? That's a little scary.”

”No. Just as I was looking in through the gate to congratulate you on your appointment, I overheard Nene talking to Gonzo. She had just come back from a visit to Atsuta Shrine to pray for your success.”

”In that case, you have some idea of what I'm going to do.”

”Well, do you think these bandits you're asking to be your allies are reliable? What happens if you don't pull it off?”

”I will.”

”Well, I don't know what you're using as bait, but did their chief give any indication that he agreed to your proposal?”

”I don't want the others to hear.”

”It's a secret, is it?”

”Look at this.” Tokichiro took out a letter from under his armor and handed it silently to Inuchiyo. It was the answer from Hachisuka Koroku that Gonzo had brought back the night before. Inuchiyo read it silently, but as he returned it, he looked at Tokichiro in surprise. For a while he did not know what to say.

”You understand, I guess.”

”Tokichiro, isn't this a letter of refusal? It says that the Hachisuka clan has had a relations.h.i.+p with the Saito clan for generations, and to break with them now and support the Oda clan would be immoral. It's clearly a refusal. How do you read it?”

”Just as it is written.” Tokichiro suddenly hung his head. ”It troubles me to speak so bluntly after you've shown your friends.h.i.+p by coming after me this far. But if you have the least bit of consideration, please just do your duty at the castle while I'm gone and don't worry.”