美铁之战系列 第三卷 铁领主 第6部分

AstheMutehadnofurtherparttoplay,shehadbeenplacedinthe

custodyofConsul-GeneralNakaneToh-Shiba,nephewtothedomain-lord

ofthatname.

NakanewasthepermanentrepresentativeoftheShoguntotheHouseof

Min-Orota.Militarymen,appointedbyYoritomo,heldsimilarpostsin

allsubjectdomains.

Theyoccupiedimposingresidencesonprivateestatesmaintainedbythe

Shogunateandwhichalsoservedasabaseforateamofprovincial

administrators,taxinspectors,andaregimentofgovernment

soldiers.

AttheHeronPool,thenecessarybuildingswerecompletedandateamof

long-dogs,recruitedfromminesandquarries,wassettoworkunderthe

supervisionoflocalcraftsmen.Thedark-haired,brown-skinned

Brickmanquicklyrevealedhimselftobe'anidealoverseer,totally

dedicatedtothetaskhehadbeenassigned.Hewas,moreover,endowed

withaformidableintellectanddisplayedakeeninterestin,and

appreciationof,everyaspectofIronMastersociety;itsart,culture,

customandtradition,itsspiritualethos.Hisgraspofthesematters

wassoinstinctive,Min-Orotawasmovedtoseekpermissiontoallowhim

tobetaughtJapanese.

IeyasuhadpassedhiswrittenrequesttotheShogunwithanappended

noterecommendingitsrejection.Foronce,Yoritomoandhis

Chamberlainfoundthemselvesinagreement.Despitehiswillingnessto

sharehisskillsandknowledge,thelong-dogwasanalien,arenegade,

andwasthuswithouthonour.ThelanguageofNe-Issanwasasacred

relicfromTheWorldBeforethathadtobezealouslyprotected.Never

againwasittobedebasedbyforeigninfluencesand,aboveall,it

mustneverbeallowedtoissuefromthemouthsoftheunworthy.

Yoritomo,likehisHeralds,mightspeakwhatthelong-dogscalled

'Basic'butthatwasmerelyameansbywhichtheycoulddiscuss

confidentialmattersinthepresenceofothers.

Brickman,unawareoftherepresentationmadeonhisbehalf,continued

toworklikeamanpossessed,andbyearlyMarch,amuch-improved

versionofthecrafthehaddeliveredwasreadytotaketotheair.It

wastobelaunchedfromhighground,glidinglikeasea-birdfromits

clifftopnest.Preparationshadalsobeenmadetoproduceseveralmore

but,beforetheycouldbecompleted,asuitablemechanismhadtobe

foundtomovethemthroughtheair.Steamwasapossibility,butnone

oftheexistingengineswassmallenough,andthecraftcouldnotbe

fuelledbylogsorcoalwhilstintheair!Ifsteamwastheanswer,

thenaspeciallightweightengineusingentirelynewprincipleswould

havetobecreated.Undauntedbytheproblems,Brickmansettowork.

LordKiyoMin-Orota,impressedbyBrickman'senergyandhisimpeccable

demeanour,whichwastheequalofasamurai'sineveryrespect,sought

somewaytorewardhimforthehostofusefuldevicescreatedbyhis

restlesspen.Thiswasagoosedrivenbysomeinnercompulsiontolay

goldeneggs.Thebirdmustbekeptwell-fedandgivenacomfortable

nestuntilitwastimetowringitsneck.

LikeMutes,long-dogshadtraditionallybeenaccordedslavestatus,but

Min-OrotafeltthatBrickmanwasa'specialcasemeritingmore

favourabletreatment.Andsoitwas,asifbymagic,thatBrickmanwas

installedinasmallbutelegantdwelling-house,staffedbyKorean

femalebody-slaves.LordMin-Orotaacceptedhiseffusivethanks

withouttellinghimthatKoreans,alongwithThaisandVietnamese,were

oneofthe'unpure'breedswhoinhabitedthelowerstrataofIron

Mastersociety.ToatrueSonofNe-Issan-asamuraifromanoble

familytheprovisionofsuchinferiorservantswouldhavebeenamortal

insult;tothelong-dog,unawareofsuchsubtleties,itwasan

undreamt-ofluxury.

Duringanearliervisit,Toshirohadtactfullyconveyedtothe

domain-lordtheShogun'sfeelingthatBrickman'sunprecedented

elevationfromslavestatuswasbothunnecessaryandinappropriate.

LordMin-Orotahadbeenatpainstoreassurehimthatitwaspurelya

temporaryarrangementwhichcouldbringimportantmaterialbenefitsnot

onlytohishousebuttotheShogunhimself.

Andthelong-dog'seventualfallfromgracewouldprovideanamusing

diversion.

Buttherewereotheraspectsofthepresentsituationwhichwereless

amusinganditwasuponthesethatToshiroproceededtoreport.The

femaleMutewhohadbeentakenintoprotectivecustodyby

Consul-GeneralNakaneToh-Shibahadmysteriouslydroppedoutof

circulation.

Bydiligentdetectiveworkandwiththehelpofthelocalnetworkof

agentsandinformers,Toshirohaduncoveredanillicitsexualliaison

which,althoughdisturbinginitself,hadturnedouttohavefarmore

sinisterramifications.

ToshiroreportedonBrickman'slatestwork,thenmadeacasual

referencetothefateofhisMuteescort.'IregrettotellyouIhave

receivedinformationfromanunimpeachablesourcethatthe

Consul-GeneralofMasausaandRo-direnhasgivenanewmeaningtothe

phrase"protectivecustody"."

TheShogunreactedwithasharp-eyedglance.'Areyousureofthis?"

'Absolutely.Byallaccountshehasbeengrippedbyagrand

passion.

The,ah..."lady"inquestionhasbeensetupinsomestylewithher

ownbody-slaves.Pickedfromthegutter,ofcourse."

TheShogun'sfaceshowednosignofthewaveofrevulsionthatswept

throughhim.Hiseyesremainedfixedonthegarden.'Where?"

'Hisestateincludesalakewithasmallislandinthemiddle.

Apparentlythereisahouseonit.Thetreeswhichsurrounditmakeit

difficulttoseefromtheshore.Ibelieveithasbeenputtosimilar

usebefore."

TheShogunnodded.HisfaceremainedimpassivebutToshiroknewthe

mentalanguishhisnewshadcreated.

Consul-GeneralNakaneToh-ShibawasmarriedtooneofYoritomo's

sisters.TovisitherbedchamberaftercouplingwithaMuteslavewas

anaffronttoherhonourandonewhich,attheappropriatemoment,

wouldhavetobeavenged.

'It'snotquiteasbadasitseems,'saidToshiro.

'Youmean.that'sthegoodnews?"

'Yes,sire.Thebadnewsis...she'snotaMute."

TheShogunclosedhiseyesandbreatheddeeply.'Howcomeyoudidn't

noticewhenshearrived?"

'Ihadnoreasontosuspectanything.Wehadbeentoldthelong-dog

wouldhaveaMutewarriorescort.Whocouldhavefiguredshewas

deckedoutinbody-paint?Idon'tknowwhatpromptedhertoremoveher

disguise,'butshe'sclear-skinned-justlikeBrickman.They'retwoof

akind."

'Bothlong-dogs..."

ToshirowatchedtheShogunasheweigheduptheimplications.Their

eyesmet.'Whythedeception?"

Toshirochosehiswordscarefully.'PerhapsthedealthatLord

Yama-ShitaclaimedtohavesetupwiththeMuteswasa...coverfora

moredirectarrangementwiththemanufacturers."

'TheFederation...?"

ToshirobowedundertheShogun'spiercinggaze.'It'stheonly

explanationthatmakessense,sire.Ontheotherhand,youmayknow

somethingIdon't."

'IwishIdid."

'LordYama-Shitaisamanwholikestomakedeals."

'Andhe'salsoambitious.Buttosuggesthemaybeinbusinesswith

theFederation..."Yoritomoleftthesentencehangingintheair.

'Iamawareit'saseriouscharge."

'Theworstkindoftreason.Deathforhimandhisimmediatefamily,

plustheconfiscationofhisentiredomain.ButbeforeIputIeyasuon

thecaseI'mgoingtoneed-morethaninspiredguesswork."

'Giventime,IthinkIcangetproof.Butthatdoesn'tsolvethe

problemofhowtoputthecollaronhim."

'Exactly.IsKiyoMin-Orotainvolved?"

'Letmeputitthisway.Ifindithardtobelievehedoesn'tknowwho

theConsul-Generalisspendingmostofhisafternoonswith.Evenif

thefamilyweren'tinonthedealwiththelong-dogs,theymusthave

puttwoandtwotogetherbynow."

TheShogunsighedregretfully.'That'sallIneed."Hismouth

tightened.'Howlonghasmydearbrother-in-lawbeen...?"

'SinceearlyJanuary."

'Andyou'veonlyjustfoundout...?"

Toshirobowed.Thiswasnotthemomenttomakeexcuses.

'Ijustdon'tunderstand,'musedYoritomo.'Mysisterandherchildren

wereherejustafewweeksago.Shenevergavetheslightesthintthat

anythinglikethiswasgoingon."

'Shemaynotknow,sire.Thereasonittookmesolongtogetonto

thiswasthatcertainpeoplehavegonetogreatlengthstokeepthe

wholethingunderwraps."

Yoritomobreathedoutsharplythroughhisnose.'Ifhewasn'tpartof

thefamilyhe'dbeonthemattomorrowmorning.Howcouldhedothis

tome?It'sunforgivable."Heregainedhiscalmandameasureof

ruefulgoodhumour.'Ontheotherhand,Ican'tsayit'sallthat

surprising.I'veknownforsometimethathehassomewhateccentric

tastesinthatdepartment."

AsilencedescendedasYoritomoconsideredthemovesthatwereopento

him.

'Isupposewecouldalwaysputastoptoitbyputtingsomethinginher

ricebowl.Ormaybecatchthembothtogether.Makeitlooklikea

suicidepact."

Toshiroansweredwithashakeofthehead.'Badmove,sire..."

'Areyousuggestingitcan'tbedone?"

'Notatall.ComparedtoLordYama-Shita,theConsul-Generalisa

reasonablysofttarget.Ijustdon'tthinkthatkillinganyofthe

playersatthisstageofthegamewouldbetoouradvantage.Ifthe

hitwastracedbacktoyou..."

'Ye-ess."ThecornersoftheShogun'smouthwentdownashisface

darkened.'Whatamess.We'vealwaysknownthatYama-Shita'sfamily

wouldbethefocalpointofanymoveagainsttheShogunate.Anditwas

clearthatmybrother-in-lawwasthekindofidiotwhowouldeventually

self-destruct,but..."Hesighed,thensaid,'ThepersonIfeelmost

letdownbyisKiyo.Areyouabsolutelysurehe'sinonthis?"

'I'llstakemylifeonit,sire."

Yoritomoshuthiseyestightlyasiftryingtowardoffthis

revelation.Inaslow,deliberatemovementhedrewbothhandsdown

overhisface,wipingitclearofallemotion,thenplacedthempalm

downonhissplayedknees.'So...wemayhavelosttheMin-Orota.And

oneofmyConsul-Generalsisintheirpockettoo."

'Nottotally.Idon'tbelieveheknowswhatthey'replanning.Hemay

nothavebeenmindingthestoreproperlybuthe'sstillonyour

payroll,andhe/sfamily."

'Don'tremindme..."

'LordYama-Shita'spreparedtotakechancesbuthe'snofool.Canyou

honestlyseehimconspiringwithamanwho'spreparedtolayeverything

onthelineinordertohumpalong-dog?"

'No,Iguessnot.Sohowdoesitplay?"

'IfYama-Shita/sinbedwiththeFederationthenhemusthaveknownwho

wasdeliveringthewingedpony."

'Soitwasasetup."

'Ithastobe.Butwhicheverwayyousliceit,theConsul-Generalhad

achancetoblowthewhistlewhenhefoundoutwhatwasunderthe

body-paint.Hedidn'ttakeit.Fromthereoninhewasonthehook.

WhatcanLordMin-Orotatellyou?I'msureheandLordYama-Shitacan

produceastringofwitnessestosweartheyhandedoverafemale

Mute.

Andwecan'tcheckoutthePlainfolkclanthatYama-Shitaclaimsto

havedoneadealwithbecause-''He'souronlycontact."

'Endofstory.Toh-Shiba'stheoneinthehot-seat.

He'sbeencaughtwithhisstickoutandthey'reaimingtouseitto

gainsomeleverage."

'Likepersuadinghimtoorderhisgarrisontolooktheotherwayifand

whentheMin-Orotadecidetomoveagainstme..."

Toshiroshookhishead.'There'salongwaytogobeforewereachthat

bendintheroad.Theyhaven'tevenbeguntoconsiderthemilitary

optionsyet.EvenwiththehelpoftheMin-Orota,Yama-Shitaandhis

friendsarenotstrongenoughtotoppletheShogunatewithone,swift,

bloodystroke."

'TheymightifToh-Shiba'sfamilywastochangesides."

'Wemustmakesuretheydon't."

'So,inotherwords,Imustletsleepingdogslie."

'I'msurewecancomeupwithsomeploysthat'llgivethemafew

restlessnights.ButeveniftheTohShibawentover,itstillwouldn't

guaranteeLordYama-Shitaacleanhit.Neithersidewantstoget

boggeddowninanotherlong-runningcivilwar.We'veallgottoomuch

tolose.No-whatwe'vegotonourhandsrightnowisabattlefor

heartsandminds."