Read Online The Incense Game by Laura Joh Rowland - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Laura Joh Rowland
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roughened Kato’s voice. “Get out of bed, man! Before it’s too late!”
“I’m not moving.”
“You will move whether you want to or not.” Kato unfurled a scroll in front of Yanagisawa’s face, displaying elegant black calligraphy and the red official seal. “This is a decree from the shogun. It contains orders for you to vacate your home and travel to Tosa Province.”
Shock hit Yanagisawa so hard that he stirred in spite of himself. “What for?”
“To take up a new post, as administrator of the local government office.”
The daimyo ruled the provinces, but the Tokugawa regime had officials stationed in each, to look out for its interests. Tosa was located in southwest Japan, some two months’ journey from Edo. Yanagisawa couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “I’m being banished.”
“That’s the gist of it,” Kato said, triumphant because he finally had Yanagisawa’s attention. “You’re to leave Edo in ten days.”
For the first time in almost a year Yanagisawa’s thoughts turned to matters other than Yoritomo. His mind, dulled by too much sleeping and crying and not enough nourishment and exercise, cranked into motion. A roil of anger encroached on his grief. “This is Sano’s doing.”
Sano was his longtime rival for the shogun’s favor, for control of the regime. Sano had set off a chain of events that had cost Yoritomo his life. On top of all the other blows Sano had dealt him, Yanagisawa had Sano to thank for the loss of his son, the only person he’d loved and who’d loved him. Hatred burned away the fog of mourning that engulfed Yanagisawa.
“He’s not satisfied to have brought me so low,” Yanagisawa said bitterly. “He convinced the shogun to run me out of town.”
“I do believe I see a spark of life returning.” Kato’s sardonic smile was tinged with relief. “But I must correct you. Sano isn’t behind the shogun’s orders. It’s Ienobu.”
“Ienobu? The shogun’s nephew?” Fresh surprise jolted Yanagisawa upright too fast. He winced at the pain in his muscles. “But we’ve always been on good terms. In fact, we discussed the possibility of a marriage between his daughter and…” He couldn’t say Yoritomo’s name. “It would have sealed our alliance.” An alliance that would have defeated Sano.
“Water under the bridge. While you’ve been gone, Ienobu and the shogun have become very close. Ienobu thinks he doesn’t need you anymore, with good reason. You seem about as useful as a dead dog.”
“If I’m a dead dog, why doesn’t he just leave me in peace?”
“Ienobu is a smart, cautious rascal. He’s not about to gamble that just because you’re down now, it means you’ll stay down. He won’t take the chance that you’ll interfere with his becoming the next shogun. No—he’s sweeping you out of the way as if you were burning cinders in a gunpowder arsenal.”
Yanagisawa flopped back on the bed. Accustomed to quiet and solitude, he felt exhausted by the conversation, unable to cope with threats. Grief immobilized him like iron shackles. “Go away.”
Kato regarded Yanagisawa with contempt that didn’t hide his hope that Yanagisawa would rise to the occasion or his fear that Yanagisawa couldn’t. Then he stood. “Farewell, for now. But hear this: Don’t think you can just ignore the shogun’s orders. When ten days are up and you’re still here, the army will come and pry you out. You’d better do something.”
8
SANO AND HIS troops rode back to Edo Castle through deserted streets as the last rays of daylight faded. Since the earthquake the city had been eerily quiet at night. The only sounds were the horses’ hoofbeats and the howling of dogs. Sano fancied that the darkness brought out the evil spirits that had erupted from hell when the earth split open. They owned the night, while humans hid in their tents and ruined homes. Sano looked up at Edo Castle, looming against a sky that was the dull red color of a wound.
“I’m not moving.”
“You will move whether you want to or not.” Kato unfurled a scroll in front of Yanagisawa’s face, displaying elegant black calligraphy and the red official seal. “This is a decree from the shogun. It contains orders for you to vacate your home and travel to Tosa Province.”
Shock hit Yanagisawa so hard that he stirred in spite of himself. “What for?”
“To take up a new post, as administrator of the local government office.”
The daimyo ruled the provinces, but the Tokugawa regime had officials stationed in each, to look out for its interests. Tosa was located in southwest Japan, some two months’ journey from Edo. Yanagisawa couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “I’m being banished.”
“That’s the gist of it,” Kato said, triumphant because he finally had Yanagisawa’s attention. “You’re to leave Edo in ten days.”
For the first time in almost a year Yanagisawa’s thoughts turned to matters other than Yoritomo. His mind, dulled by too much sleeping and crying and not enough nourishment and exercise, cranked into motion. A roil of anger encroached on his grief. “This is Sano’s doing.”
Sano was his longtime rival for the shogun’s favor, for control of the regime. Sano had set off a chain of events that had cost Yoritomo his life. On top of all the other blows Sano had dealt him, Yanagisawa had Sano to thank for the loss of his son, the only person he’d loved and who’d loved him. Hatred burned away the fog of mourning that engulfed Yanagisawa.
“He’s not satisfied to have brought me so low,” Yanagisawa said bitterly. “He convinced the shogun to run me out of town.”
“I do believe I see a spark of life returning.” Kato’s sardonic smile was tinged with relief. “But I must correct you. Sano isn’t behind the shogun’s orders. It’s Ienobu.”
“Ienobu? The shogun’s nephew?” Fresh surprise jolted Yanagisawa upright too fast. He winced at the pain in his muscles. “But we’ve always been on good terms. In fact, we discussed the possibility of a marriage between his daughter and…” He couldn’t say Yoritomo’s name. “It would have sealed our alliance.” An alliance that would have defeated Sano.
“Water under the bridge. While you’ve been gone, Ienobu and the shogun have become very close. Ienobu thinks he doesn’t need you anymore, with good reason. You seem about as useful as a dead dog.”
“If I’m a dead dog, why doesn’t he just leave me in peace?”
“Ienobu is a smart, cautious rascal. He’s not about to gamble that just because you’re down now, it means you’ll stay down. He won’t take the chance that you’ll interfere with his becoming the next shogun. No—he’s sweeping you out of the way as if you were burning cinders in a gunpowder arsenal.”
Yanagisawa flopped back on the bed. Accustomed to quiet and solitude, he felt exhausted by the conversation, unable to cope with threats. Grief immobilized him like iron shackles. “Go away.”
Kato regarded Yanagisawa with contempt that didn’t hide his hope that Yanagisawa would rise to the occasion or his fear that Yanagisawa couldn’t. Then he stood. “Farewell, for now. But hear this: Don’t think you can just ignore the shogun’s orders. When ten days are up and you’re still here, the army will come and pry you out. You’d better do something.”
8
SANO AND HIS troops rode back to Edo Castle through deserted streets as the last rays of daylight faded. Since the earthquake the city had been eerily quiet at night. The only sounds were the horses’ hoofbeats and the howling of dogs. Sano fancied that the darkness brought out the evil spirits that had erupted from hell when the earth split open. They owned the night, while humans hid in their tents and ruined homes. Sano looked up at Edo Castle, looming against a sky that was the dull red color of a wound.
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