Read Online The Iris Fan by Laura Joh Rowland - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Laura Joh Rowland
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get married!”
Masahiro was speechless for a long, tense moment. Taeko heard him draw, hold, then release his breath. “You never seemed to care about getting married. Why are you talking like this all of a sudden?”
The sound of heavy footsteps in the corridor spared Taeko the necessity of answering. Detective Marume called, “Lady Reiko!”
“Why are you home so early?” came Reiko’s surprised voice. “Where’s my husband?”
“Sano- san is at the palace. The shogun was stabbed tonight. He’s not dead, but he’s badly wounded.”
Reiko exclaimed. Masahiro muttered under his breath. Taeko could tell that he was upset by the news but glad for the interruption.
“Why is there blood all over you?” Reiko asked.
“Long story, later,” Marume said. “I’m heading to the palace to find out what’s happening there, as soon as I wash up.”
Masahiro jumped to his feet and called, “I’m going, too!” He whispered to Taeko, “I have to help my father. Don’t worry. Someday, somehow, we’ll be married. I promise.” Then he ran off.
* * *
UNDER THE DARK sky, Hirata skimmed across the snow-frosted tile roofs of mansions where Edo’s richest businessmen lived in the Nihonbashi merchant district. He jumped from one to the next like a cat, effortlessly clearing the wide distances and landing without a sound. His body’s trained muscles absorbed the impact and dissipated it in heat that melted the snowflakes falling around him. A humorless smile twisted his mouth as he thought that anyone who saw him would think he was alone.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
To steal money for Lord Ienobu, the voice of General Otani said in his mind.
Since Tahara and Kitano had worked the possession spell on him three and a half years ago, Hirata had stolen millions of koban from merchants, daimyo , and gangsters and delivered it to Ienobu. Hirata wondered what Ienobu thought about the money that showed up on his doorstep. He didn’t know that Hirata and General Otani were working for him. No one knew Hirata was back in Edo. He wore his hair cropped short instead of in a topknot with a shaved crown, and he lived under a false name in a slum, where the neighbors thought he was a peasant from the countryside and the army wouldn’t think to look for him. Burglary was only one of the illegal services into which General Otani had pressed Hirata. It wasn’t the worst. Each additional day that Hirata had to serve Lord Ienobu’s interests, he despised it more.
“Lord Ienobu has the whole Tokugawa treasury at his disposal. Why does he need more money?”
Lord Ienobu has plans.
“What kind of plans?”
You will find out soon enough.
That was what General Otani always said. Hirata frowned in irritation.
If you dislike the same answer, then stop asking the same question.
Hirata especially hated that General Otani could read his thoughts but he couldn’t read Otani’s. The ghost hid them in a part of Hirata’s mind that Hirata couldn’t access no matter how hard he tried; it was like pounding on a locked door.
“I’ve been your slave for three and a half years,” Hirata said. “The least you owe me is an explanation for why we’re stealing money for Ienobu and why you want him to be the next shogun. How is that supposed to destroy the Tokugawa regime?”
Not now.
“Then let me see Sano- san .” Hirata wanted desperately to tell Sano what had happened to him. Even though Sano knew he was a traitor and had set the army on him, Hirata clung to the hope that a face-to-face talk would somehow set things right. And he missed Sano, his beloved friend as well as master.
No.
“I want to see my wife and children.” Hirata felt terrible about abandoning Midori, Taeko, Tatsuo, and Chiyoko. He hadn’t realized how much he loved them until he’d lost them. Midori probably hated him, the children had probably forgotten him, but he had to make it up to them, too.
You will see them when the time
Masahiro was speechless for a long, tense moment. Taeko heard him draw, hold, then release his breath. “You never seemed to care about getting married. Why are you talking like this all of a sudden?”
The sound of heavy footsteps in the corridor spared Taeko the necessity of answering. Detective Marume called, “Lady Reiko!”
“Why are you home so early?” came Reiko’s surprised voice. “Where’s my husband?”
“Sano- san is at the palace. The shogun was stabbed tonight. He’s not dead, but he’s badly wounded.”
Reiko exclaimed. Masahiro muttered under his breath. Taeko could tell that he was upset by the news but glad for the interruption.
“Why is there blood all over you?” Reiko asked.
“Long story, later,” Marume said. “I’m heading to the palace to find out what’s happening there, as soon as I wash up.”
Masahiro jumped to his feet and called, “I’m going, too!” He whispered to Taeko, “I have to help my father. Don’t worry. Someday, somehow, we’ll be married. I promise.” Then he ran off.
* * *
UNDER THE DARK sky, Hirata skimmed across the snow-frosted tile roofs of mansions where Edo’s richest businessmen lived in the Nihonbashi merchant district. He jumped from one to the next like a cat, effortlessly clearing the wide distances and landing without a sound. His body’s trained muscles absorbed the impact and dissipated it in heat that melted the snowflakes falling around him. A humorless smile twisted his mouth as he thought that anyone who saw him would think he was alone.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
To steal money for Lord Ienobu, the voice of General Otani said in his mind.
Since Tahara and Kitano had worked the possession spell on him three and a half years ago, Hirata had stolen millions of koban from merchants, daimyo , and gangsters and delivered it to Ienobu. Hirata wondered what Ienobu thought about the money that showed up on his doorstep. He didn’t know that Hirata and General Otani were working for him. No one knew Hirata was back in Edo. He wore his hair cropped short instead of in a topknot with a shaved crown, and he lived under a false name in a slum, where the neighbors thought he was a peasant from the countryside and the army wouldn’t think to look for him. Burglary was only one of the illegal services into which General Otani had pressed Hirata. It wasn’t the worst. Each additional day that Hirata had to serve Lord Ienobu’s interests, he despised it more.
“Lord Ienobu has the whole Tokugawa treasury at his disposal. Why does he need more money?”
Lord Ienobu has plans.
“What kind of plans?”
You will find out soon enough.
That was what General Otani always said. Hirata frowned in irritation.
If you dislike the same answer, then stop asking the same question.
Hirata especially hated that General Otani could read his thoughts but he couldn’t read Otani’s. The ghost hid them in a part of Hirata’s mind that Hirata couldn’t access no matter how hard he tried; it was like pounding on a locked door.
“I’ve been your slave for three and a half years,” Hirata said. “The least you owe me is an explanation for why we’re stealing money for Ienobu and why you want him to be the next shogun. How is that supposed to destroy the Tokugawa regime?”
Not now.
“Then let me see Sano- san .” Hirata wanted desperately to tell Sano what had happened to him. Even though Sano knew he was a traitor and had set the army on him, Hirata clung to the hope that a face-to-face talk would somehow set things right. And he missed Sano, his beloved friend as well as master.
No.
“I want to see my wife and children.” Hirata felt terrible about abandoning Midori, Taeko, Tatsuo, and Chiyoko. He hadn’t realized how much he loved them until he’d lost them. Midori probably hated him, the children had probably forgotten him, but he had to make it up to them, too.
You will see them when the time
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