Read Online Lord Oda's Revenge by Nick Lake - Free Book Online Page B

Hayao’s mother asked me to help. He felt awful. Had he known, he said, how badly Hayao would take the news of the girl’s death, he wouldn’t have spoken so flippantly. But he was a product of his Buddhist training. I believe he couldn’t help but think of a girl who would die of love as being. . . silly, frivolous perhaps. He didn’t treat the matter with the due respect, and it may yet prove the death of this fine young samurai.’
    â€˜You don’t really think he’ll die, do you?’ asked Hana, looking stricken by the thought.
    Oshi shrugged and gave a heavy sigh. ‘Perhaps not. But things are bad. I was surprised when he spoke yesterday – it has been days since I heard his voice. It must have been because he recognized you. Were you two close?’
    Hana looked at Taro, then down. ‘We spent much time together,’ she said.
    Taro bit his tongue.
    â€˜But since then,’ said Oshi, ‘it doesn’t even seem that he sees us.’ They all glanced at Hayao, who was lying in the cart and crooning.
    â€˜Does it get worse with time, then?’ said Hiro.
    â€˜Yes. With every day that the ghost spends at his side, he loses more of his strength. He becomes less and less himself, and more like a husk with no flesh inside. Eventually he will be. . . scooped out. Empty.’
    There were tears on Hana’s cheeks, Taro noticed.
    â€˜The rest of the story,’ said Oshi, ‘I had directly from Hayao – in part at least. I also had to speak to his neighbour, to piece together what had happened. But I did speak to Hayao at length. This was when he was still able to talk of it, when he had moments of lucid thought – though for the most part he thought that Tsuyu was real, and alive. He believed, I think, that I was trying to take away his happiness – that I was part of some conspiracy designed to remove Tsuyu from him, because of her low birth, perhaps. That was how it started – and over time, it grew worse and worse. Now he is as you see him. She’s the
only
thing that’s real for him.’
    â€˜How did she find him?’ asked Taro. ‘You said she died apart from him. ‘
    â€˜Yes,’ said Oshi. ‘From talking to Hayao and his neighbour, I believe she was able to locate him during
obon
, when the spirits of the dead are drawn to those with whom they share karmic connections. I know, because Hayao told me, that when the festival drew near, he loaded his
shoryodana
shelf with rice and water for his family ghosts. In particular, though, he dedicated all his offerings to Tsuyu. On the night of the first day of the festival, he lit his lamp and repeated the
nenbutsu
once more. Then, it being a hot and oppressive night, he went out to the veranda in search of cool air. He sat there dreaming of Tsuyu – getting up only once, to fetch incense sticks, which he arranged around him to drive away the mosquitoes.
    â€˜All of a sudden, he was disturbed by the clopping sound of a woman’s
geta
clogs passing in front of his house. He looked over the hedge that surrounded the garden and saw a woman walking past, holding a beautiful decorated lamp.
    â€˜As he looked, the woman turned to face him, and he was surprised to see Tsuyu.
    â€˜â€œHayao!” she cried out, rushing towards him. “I thought you were dead.”
    â€˜â€œAnd I thought
you
were dead!” replied Hayao. Tripping over his feet, he ran out into the street and invited the woman inside. Once seated, Hayao gave his side of the story and Tsuyu explained hers.
    â€˜â€œYou see, Hayao,” she said, “this monk who taught me was so afraid of causing me dishonour, and so losing either his position or his head, that he tricked you into believing I was dead! And he told me
you
were dead, hoping no doubt that we would forget each other.”’
    â€˜She was cunning,’ said Hana.
    Oshi smiled sadly. ‘The dead always