美铁之战系列 第三卷 铁领主 第25部分

newsoftheraidreachedhim,hedispatchedtwotrustedofficialsat

thegalloptoadvisemagistratesandotherofficialsstationedalong

theroutethatanyenquiriesintotheaffairweretobemadewiththe

utmostcircumspection.

TranslatedintoBasicthatmeant:'Don'truinyourcareerprospectsby

tryingtosolvethisone,boys.Ifthecaselandsonyourdesk,just

closeuptheofficeandtakealongtimeoverlunch."

ForthenervousSu-ShanandNan-Khe,itmeantthatwhentheyreached

thepost-houseatKara-liandexplainedwhathadhappened,theyfound

theinnkeeperbothsympatheticandconcerned.Althoughnotofficially

partofthelawandordersystem,innkeeperswererequiredtokeepa

beadyeyeonallcomingsandgoings.

Itwasintheirintereststodoso.Asaresult,theyusuallygotthe

wordonanysensitiveissuesorinvestigationsaheadofeverybody

else.

Suchwasthecasenow.

Orderingaroomtobeplacedatthedisposaloftheirmistress-who

wassodistressedbytheexperiencethatshewasunabletospeak-the

innkeeperarrangedforthemtobeconveyedtothenearbymagistrates'

officeandinsistedoncomingwiththem.

Filledwithtrepidation,Su-ShanandNanKhepresentedtheirpapersto

theclerk,togetherwiththoseoftheirmistress,andrecountedtheir

ordealatthehandsoftheronin.Theinnkeeperconfirmedthatthe

ladyYokoMi-Shimawasinnofitstatetoanswerquestions.

Totheiruttersurprise-whichtheyhastenedtoconcealtheclerk

appearedtoacceptthiswithoutdemur.Hemadeanoteofwhatlittle

theywereabletotellhimabouttheraidontheconvoyandtheronin

whohadcarriedthemoff,madeacursoryexaminationoftheirpapers,

thenhandedthembackwithoutcomment.

Su-ShanandNan-Khecouldhardlybelievetheirluck.

Thegoodkamihadcertainlyfavouredthemtoday.

Bowinggratefully,theyenquiredaboutthefateoftheconvoyfrom

whichtheyhadbeentaken.

Theclerktoldthemthattheremainingtravellersandwagonshad

reassembledand,aftergivingevidenceandfilingalistofthe

valuablesthathadbeenplundered,hadbeenallowedtoproceed.Did

theyintendtorejointheconvoy?Theydid.Theclerkpromptly

providedthemwithalaissez-passertogetthemacrosstheferry.

Itwasallquitebewildering.Frompastexperience,bothwomenknew

thatanyproceduresinvolvingtheissuingorexaminationofdocuments

usuallytookhours,sometimesthebetterpartofaday-nomatterhow

pifflingthetransactionmightbe.Theiraudiencewiththisparticular

clerkhadtakenlessthananhourandtheyhadnotevenbeenrequired

to'polishthetable'-thephraseusedtodescribethepaymentof

bribes.Billedasvoluntarydonationstoassistthewidowsandorphans

oflow-paidclerks,suchpaymentswereonascalewhichvariedwiththe

importanceofthedocumentrequired,andensuredthatpaperworkdidnot

goastray.Itwasanentrenchedtraditionandeverybody,fromthetop

mandown,hadahandinthepot.

Bobbingupanddownfromthewaist,Su-ShanandNan-Khewithdrewfrom

theclerk'spresenceandturnedtobegtheassistanceofthekindly

innkeeper.Theyhadsomemoneythattheroninhadnotfound.Wasit

possibletohireapushcartforthemselvesandafinrikishafortheir

mistress?Itwas.Thegoddessofgoodfortunehadsmiledonthemyet

again.Bothvowedtooffergiftsandburnmanyjoss-sticksinher

honouratthenextshrinetheycameto.

Havingreleasedthecaptives,Noburonowledthecolumnonacircuitous

routewhichtookthemacrossthehighwaywestofthethreewomenand

intothetreesontheotherside..Dawncame,andsoontheforestwas

piercedbyslantingraysoflight.Pausingonlytofeedthemselvesand

thehorses,theroninpressedonthroughoutthedayandthefollowing

night,ridingfirstnorth,theneastacrosstheSusquehannaRiverwhere

itsweptintoanarrowright-handbendonitswaysouthtoHarrisburg

nowaferry-crossingknowntotheIronMastersasAri-saba.The

SusquehannawastheborderbetweenthedomainoftheSe-Ikoandtheir

easternneighbours,theMitsu-Bishi-staunchalliesoftheShogun.

Providedtheykeptalowprofile,Noburoandhismenwererelatively

safehere.

Theycampedonthetopofaforestedridge-oneofthemanyhundred

thatStevehadglimpsedfromhistree-topperchandhadlikenedtothe

wave-crestsofanendlesstree-coveredocean.Noburoallowedhismen

threehours'sleepthen,afterapre-dawnbreakfast,thecolumnswung

southinawidecurvearoundArisaba.

Steve,whohadbeennotingthevariouschangesofdirection,sensed

thattheirpresentcoursewouldeventuallyleadthembacktothe

highway.Asonthepreviousday,theystayedonthebacktrailsand

rarelybrokecover.Eachtimetheyhadtocrossopenground,theysent

ascoutonaheadtospyouttheterrain,andwhentheystoppedtowater

thehorsesandletthemcroppatchesofgrass,everyonestayedinthe

saddle.

Inthemiddleoftheafternoon,Noburogavethesignaltohaltand

dismount.Apartfromafewmildcanters,thehorseshadcoveredthe

groundalternatelywalkingandtrotting,andwerethusinfairlygood

conditionwhentheywereunsaddled.Thesamecouldnotbesaidfor

Steve.Assoonashewasreleasedheslidtotheground,sank

gratefullyagainstthenearesttreeandstayedthere.

Overthelastthreedays,athisreckoning,hehadbeeninthesaddle

foralmostadayandahalf.Atthispoint,deathwouldhavebeena

blessedreleaseandthedirestthreatshiscaptorscouldutterwould

nothavepersuadedhimtogetuponahorseagain.

Asithappened,hismoodofgrimdeterminationcoincidedwiththeir

arrivalattheplaceNoburohadchosentolieupfortherestofthe

day.Soforthenexteighthours,theonlymovementdemandedofhim

wastositupontheoneoccasionheawoketofindthatabowloffood

hadbeenthrustunderhisnose.

WhileSteveslept,Noburostrippedoffhisdustyclothesandwashed

himselffromheadtofootinthestreamthatranpasttheircamp

site.

Afteravigoroustowelling,heopenedasaddlebagandtookoutthe

travellingdressandwigofasamurai.Twoofhismenhelpedarrange

thefoldsinhistunicandmadesurethewigwasseatedproperly.

Severalmoreswappedtheharnessonhishorseforamoreelaborateset

decoratedwithbluetassels,andlaidablackclothtrimmedwithblue

overthehorsebeforereplacingthesaddle.Noburoslidhistwoswords

throughthefoldsofthesasharoundhiswaistand,whenhewasassured

thathisappearancewascorrectineveryrespect,hemountedhishorse

androdeawayaccompaniedonfootbytworonindressedupas

red-stripes.

Theirdestinationwasthepost-houseatMidiritanawherehehadmet

withtheHeraldHase-Gawasometendaysearlier.Hase-Gawahadstepped

outofthedarknessswathedinblackfromheadtofootlikeaninja,

andwouldnodoubtappearinsimilarguisetonight.

NoburosmiledattheroletheHeraldhadadopted.

Despitehisobvious,flairforintrigue,theyoungmanwasaromantic

atheart,withatastefordrama.InNoburo'sview,anill-fitting

combination.NeverthelesshewasaHerald-andonlythebrightestand

mostcapableyoungmenwereselectedforthatprestigiouspost.Noburo

concludedthatHase-Gawamusthaveother,lessobvious,qualitiesto

recommendhim.

Flankedbythetwored-stripes-thecustomaryescortforasingle

samurai-Noburoarrivedatthepost-housearoundsixintheevening,

intendingtomakehisusualcarefulcheckofthelocationandthe

travellerswhowereplanningtostopthereovernight.HeknewHaseGawa

wasanxioustohearhisreportontheoutcomeoftheraidandhis

examinationofthemaskedcourtesan.TheHeraldwouldnotbe

disappointed-butwhatwouldhemakeofthevaliantgrass-monkeywho

claimedtobealong-dog?

Enteringthecourtyardofthepost-house,Noburowassurprisedtoseea

largenumberofloadedox-wagons,someofwhichlookedvaguely

familiar.Parkedalongsidethemwasacarriage-box.Passingthereins

ofhishorsetooneofhisred-stripes,hedismountedandstrodeboldly

aroundtheverandaandterracesofthepost-house,eyeingthefacesof

allthoseheencountered.Oneofthembelongedtothemasterofthe

convoyhisroninhadraided!Bythesacredkami.tIthadreassembled

andwasstoppinghereforthenight!

Noburoknewtherewasnodangerofbeingrecognisedandaccusedof

banditry.Hehadbeenmaskedduringtheattackanddressedasa

disreputable,down-at-heelcharacter.Butwhatanoddcoincidence!

Makinghiswaybacktothecourtyard,hemetwithanevenbigger

surprise.Onlyyardsfromwherehisownhorsestoodbetweenthetwo

disguisedronin,thetwoVietnamesehouse-womenwerehelpingthemasked

courtesandownfromajinrikisha!

Thiswasnolongermerecoincidence,decidedNoburo.Fatehad

conspiredtobringtheplayersinthedramatogetheronthesame

stage.

HewouldmakehispromisedreporttotheHerald,buthewouldalso

arrangefortheyoungmantodiscoverthetruthforhimself!

Noburowatcheddiscreetlyfromadistanceasthetwohouse-womenwere

broughttotheconvoy-master,whowelcomedthembackintothefoldand

helpedthemsecurethebestpossibleaccommodationfortheir

'mistress'.Whenshehadbeenwhiskedoutofsight,Noburosoughtout

theinnkeeperandhiswifeandannouncedthathewishedtodiscussa

matterofsomeimportancewiththeminprivate.

Theinnkeeper,who-likeallmenwhopliedhistrade-wasthesocial

inferiorofthesamurai,ledNoburointohisprivatequarterswiththe

usualbowingandscraping,towhichhiswifeaddedherabjectapologies

forthemiserablestateoftheirabode,etcetera,etcetera.

Oncethenicetieshadbeenobserved,Noburoadoptedacross-legged

positionfacingthekneelinginnkeeper.

Hiswifekneltinhertraditionalplace,facingherhusband'sleft

shoulder.Noburobeganbyexplainingthathispreviousvisittothe

post-househadbeentoverifyitsreputationasaclean,well-run

establishment.

Hehadbeengratifiedtodiscoverthateverythinghehadheardwas

true.Thehighstandardsofserviceandheart-warminghospitality

offeredtowearytravellersreflectednothingbutcredituponits

proprietors.Theirhonestyandzealwas,saidNoburo,anexamplethat

therestoftheirprofessionwouldbehardputtoemulate.

Praiseindeed.

Whilethesurprisedcouplesearchedforthecorrectformofwordsto

expresstheirunworthinesstobetherecipientsofsuchafulsome

accolade,Noburoproducedawadofhigh-denominationnotesandplaced

themonthematinfrontoftheinnkeeper.Themanandhiswife

exchangedastartledglance,thenbothstaredopenmouthedatwhatwas

clearlyasmallfortune.Unabletobelievehiseyes,theinnkeeper

reachedouttowardsthenoteswithtremblinghands,thenjerkedthem

away.Bytherulesofetiquettehecouldnotpickupthemoneyuntil

Noburogavehimpermissiontodoso.

Afterreceivingsolemnassurancesthattheywouldtreatwhathewas

abouttosaywiththeutmostdiscretion,Noburorevealedthathewas

actingonbehalfofayoungnoblemanofhighbirthwhogreatlydesired

tomeetthemaskedlady-whotheyhadonlyjustreceivedintotheir

house.

Warmingtohistale,Noburopaintedatragicpictureofayoungman's

awakeninglove-inthiscasereciprocatedbytheladyinquestion.

Butbecauseofhisfamily'sexaltedranktheliaisoncouldnotbe

allowedtocontinue.Arrangementshadbeenmadefortheyoungmanto

marryadaughterfromoneofthemanybranchesoftheToh-Yotafamily

therulersofNe-Issan.

Hhhhaaawwww...!Theinnkeeperandhiswifelookedimpressed.Tothink

theywerecaughtupinsuchgreatevents!

Forthisreason,continuedNoburo,theladyhadbeenbanishedfrom

courtcirclesandwasnowonherwaytobecomethechattelofsome

commoneast-coastmerchant.Thismeeting-assumingthattheinnkeeper

andhiswifewouldgraciouslyallowittotakeplaceundertheirown

roof-wastheirlastchancetobetogether.