Part 27 (1/2)

Supreme Judge Takeda's thick brows drew together in a scowl. oYou insult me, Ssakan Sano, if you think I would act on unsubstantiated claims from someone with everything to gain by slandering other men. Do you take me for a fool?

The other judges smirked. A sense of doom fell over Sano.

oThe original verdict stands: guilty on all counts, Takeda said. oI will now p.r.o.nounce the sentence.

oSano Ichir is denied the privilege of restoring his honor through ritual suicide. His head shall be severed at a public execution, and his remains displayed as a warning to potential traitors. Takeda clapped his hands twice.

Guards rushed over and seized Sano. oNo, he cried. oI swear I'm telling the truth!

This was a samurai's worst nightmare: to toil and sacrifice in loyal service to his lord, yet end his life in disgrace and dishonor. From the depths of Sano's soul exploded a fireball of anger at his accusers, at Chamberlain Yanagisawa and the entire corrupt bakufu. He kicked and flailed, scattering the white sand of truth. But the guards locked iron shackles around his wrists and ankles.

oLet me go. I'm innocent!

Then, as the guards dragged him toward the door, it flew open. A running figure burst into the room, followed by a shouting, sword-waving mob. Shocked out of his pain, shame, and anger, Sano recognized the runner. oHirata? His heart swelled with joy, then contracted in horror. The soldiers would surely kill Hirata. oNo!

oSsakan-sama. Merciful G.o.ds, I'm not too late. Hirata fell to his knees before the dais and the surprised judges. He wore nothing but a loincloth. Dirt and sweat streaked his body. Most startling of all, he'd shaved his head. Bowing to the judges, he spoke in a breathless rush. oHonorable Judges, I've come to plead for my master's life. I beg your permission to prove his innocence.

As Sano watched helplessly, the mob surrounded Hirata. oThis man got past us before we could stop him, said the commander. oMy apologies for the interruption. To his men: oThis is the fugitive traitor and murderer. Take him outside and kill him.

The soldiers hoisted Hirata's struggling body over their heads. oNo! Sano leapt to the rescue, but his captors jerked his chains. He fell with a crash. The guards carried Hirata past him.

oWait. Supreme Judge Takeda's voice boomed from the dais, halting the soldiers' rush. oBring him back.

oWhat? Why? bleated Judge Segawa.

Takeda ignored him. The soldiers dumped Hirata facedown in front of the dais. Sano, lying on the floor in a tangle of iron, watched in puzzlement as the supreme judge studied Hirata. Takeda's strange expression offered no clue to his intentions.

oSit up, Takeda ordered Hirata, who did. oAre you the man accused of abetting Ssakan Sano's treason, breaking into the treasurer's mansion, and murdering a soldier?

Hirata bowed. oYes, but I'm innocent, and so is my master. His voice cracked; he cleared his throat and continued bravely, oPlease forgive my intrusion, Honorable Judge, and please allow me to explain.

oIn a moment. Supreme Judge Takeda regarded Hirata in apparent fascination. oI understand you've been in hiding. How have you occupied yourself during that time?

Now Hirata's voice rang with ardent determination. oI've been gathering information about the men who have unjustly accused my master.

Sano closed his eyes briefly in despair. Even while a fugitive, Hirata had not abandoned the investigation, or his campaign to clear his master. For this steadfastness, Sano loved the foolhardy young warrior, his truest friend. But now they would die together, because it was obvious Hirata had brought no material evidence with him.

oDo you know that troops have been hunting you day and night, and that Governor Nagai has already condemned you to death? asked Takeda.

oYes, Honorable Judge. If Hirata felt any fear, Sano couldn't detect it in the straight line of his naked back, the proud lift of his shaven head.

oAnd still you risked your life to come here and speak on your master's behalf?

oYes, Honorable Judge.

A spasm of emotion tightened Supreme Judge Takeda's stern face. oInshteki ”impressive, he murmured. He lifted his sleeve and wiped a tear from his eye. oA truer expression of Bus.h.i.+do than I ever hoped to see in this day and age.

As a historian, Sano knew how the Way of the Warrior had evolved in response to j.a.pan's changing political climate. Peacetime lacked the clear-cut allegiances and rigorous austerity of war. Samurai owed conflicting loyalties to various superiors, patrons, and colleagues; myriad pleasures distracted them from duty; self-interest often prevailed over self-sacrifice. During the civil wars that had ended almost a century ago, samurai had gladly died in their lords' battles. Today there were few opportunities for glory ”and fewer who sought them. Many samurai regretted Bus.h.i.+do's lost purity; evidently Supreme Judge Takeda was one of them.

oSuch loyalty must be rewarded, he announced. After ordering the troops out of the room, he said to Hirata, oYou may speak.

Hirata related an impa.s.sioned tale of posing as a police officer, conducting inquiries, and killing in self-defense. oUrabe has connections with gangsters. He has no one trustworthy to confirm his alibis for Spaen's murder, Peony's, or the smuggling. Interpreter Iis.h.i.+no spends more money than he earns on gifts for his superiors. How can he afford this, if not by crime?

As Sano marveled at how much Hirata had accomplished, he watched the judges receive the news. Takeda's concentration never wavered from Hirata. The others barely hid their disapproval of their superior's weakness. And weakness it was, Sano knew from personal experience. Bus.h.i.+do, the foundation of a samurai's strength, was also his greatest vulnerability. Chamberlain Yanagisawa had used Sano's sense of honor against him, perpetuating schemes he couldn't thwart without violating its rigid code of conduct. Supreme Judge Takeda was harsh and unjust, but a display of loyalty moved him to bend the rules and open his mind. Sano's hopes burgeoned while Hirata continued.

oI disguised myself as an itinerant laborer and found work at the Half Moon Pleasure House. From the staff I learned that Iis.h.i.+no, Yoriki Ota, and Governor Nagai all attended a party there the night Peony was murdered. I also found a teahouse proprietor who says Abbot Liu Yun regularly sneaks into the quarter disguised as a j.a.panese merchant. He was there that night, too.

oHonorable Judge, before you condemn my master, I beg you to conduct your own investigation of these men. Among them you'll find the real traitors.

Hirata bowed. Supreme Judge Takeda seemed lost in thought. Sano waited in an agony of suspense as the relentless war drums echoed the thudding of his heart.

Then Takeda said to the guards, oBring Ssakan Sano here.

The guards dragged Sano to the dais. The tight shackles had numbed his hands and feet, but he forgot physical discomfort as he knelt beside Hirata. The supreme judge's gaze bore into them. A steely vise of fear squeezed Sano's lungs; he felt Hirata's anxiety, too. With the discipline of his samurai training, he maintained a stoic facade while they awaited Supreme Judge Takeda's decision.

oSsakan Sano, your retainer's statement supports your claims, and his devotion speaks well of your character and his. Therefore, I grant you the chance to prove yourselves innocent.

The shock of reprieve overwhelmed Sano in a tidal wave of sensation: dizziness; ringing in his ears; a sudden loosening of tense muscles and release of trapped breath. He wanted to jump up and shout in joyous relief; he wanted to lie down and weep with grat.i.tude. But honor and protocol required dignity.

oThank you, Honorable Judge, Sano said quietly.

Then he turned to Hirata. One wordless glance mended the rift between them, cementing their bond. Sano realized how much he needed Hirata, and that he couldn't ”and shouldn't ”deny a fellow samurai the right to serve honor. Hirata's evidence had strengthened the case against their accusers, but it was his loyalty that had ultimately swayed Supreme Judge Takeda. To spurn such friends.h.i.+p might mean avoiding future pain, but also doomed Sano to constant loneliness, to losing battles he couldn't win alone. Then and there, Sano accepted Hirata as his true companion, in glory or disaster, honor or disgrace. This was the Way of the Warrior: absolute, eternal.

The tearful brightness of Hirata's eyes communicated his joy and understanding. He seemed radiant with an inner light, as if the outcome of the trial and Supreme Judge Takeda's praise of his loyalty had somehow validated his worth and brought him peace. Solemnly they bowed in mutual respect.

oThis is an abuse of the law, Judge Segawa protested.

oChamberlain Yanagisawa will not approve, Judge Dazai added.

As both men argued in favor of the original verdict and sentence, Sano guessed with a sinking heart that he and Hirata weren't safe yet.

oHonorable colleagues, do not forget that I command this tribunal, Supreme Judge Takeda said. oYour objections are duly noted, and dismissed.

Sano knew, however, that Takeda hadn't achieved his status by being gullible or ignoring the political realities of life in the bakufu, as his next words proved: oSsakan Sano, I shall personally oversee your dealings with the informant Chief Ohira, and accompany you to the smugglers' rendezvous. If you succeed in producing the criminals, the charges will be dropped.

oIf you fail, the death sentence will be enforced ”and extended to. include not only both your entire families, but all your close a.s.sociates as well. Keep this in mind while we carry out your scheme, Ssakan Sano.

Chapter 33.

MIDNIGHT. FROM A high bluff beyond the edge of town, Sano looked down at Nagasaki. Darkness covered the city like a quilt upon a restless sleeper. The moon, a translucent white bubble caught in a net of cloud, illuminated wars.h.i.+ps, barges, and the Dutch vessel in the harbor. Torch flames streaked the waterfront and streets, where troops continued to patrol. Bonfires burned at clifftop fortresses. The war drums beat with increasing urgency. A palpable menace vibrated the warm night, deepening Sano's unease as he turned away from the view and faced his companions.

In a sheltering circle of pines, Hirata squatted motionless, alert for any approaching sound. Supreme Judge Takeda sat on a rock, arms folded, his face in shadow beneath his hat. Judges Segawa and Dazai huddled together, exuding impatience and disapproval.

oWe've waited at least two hours, and still your informant has not arrived, Segawa complained. oYou may as well give up, Ssakan Sano.

oHe'll come, Sano said with more conviction than he felt. Nervously he eyed Supreme Judge Takeda's four retainers, who surrounded the clearing. They were here to either help arrest the smugglers, or to take Sano and Hirata to jail if the plan failed. oMaybe he's having trouble getting out of town. But he'll be here soon.