美铁之战系列 第三卷 铁领主 第8部分

ItwasataskthattheSonsofNe-Issanhadneverabandoned.Onthe

establishmentofthefirstShogunate,ithadassumedtheformofan

edict.TheDarkLightwasthegreatestenemyofmankind;toseekto

recaptureitwasthegreatestcrime.SuccessiverulersofNe-lssanhad

carriedonthefightwithcrusadingfervourandthepresentShogunwas

noexception.

Yoritomoknewthatiftherumourprovedtobetrue,thenthoseinvolved

wouldhavetoberuthlesslyeliminated.Buthowwidespreadwasthe

conspiracy?

PriortoToshiro'sreturn,theMin-Orotahadbeenregardedasfudai

loyalalliesoftheToh-Yota.Itwasanextremelydelicate

situation.

Withtheforcesintheopposingcampssofinelybalanced,theShogunate

couldnotriskmakinganyovertmovesagainsttheconspirators-if

thatwaswhattheywere.Evenifheorderedhisbrother-in-law,the

Consul-General,tocommitseppuku-asfamilyhonourdemanded-it

could,giventhepresentclimateofintrigue,haveunforeseen

consequences.

No...Theinsulttohissisterandhisownhousewouldbeavengedbut

atatimeofhisownchoosing.

Forthemoment,itwaswisertoletthepotsimmer.

CHAPTERTHREE

Onceagain,ToshiroHase-Gawahaddemonstratedhisremarkableflairfor

information-gathering,drawingtogethertheloosestrandsfromhis

networkofagentsandinformers:eyewitnessreports,tell-tale

documents,pillowtalk,drinking-dengossipandbath-houserumour.

Butthepicturetheheraldhadwovenfortheshogunwasseriously

flawed.Domain-lordsYama-ShitaandMin-Orotahadenteredintoa

covertalliance,theywerecontemplatingtheconstructionofdevicesto

recapturetheDarkLight,andConsul-GeneralNakaneTohShibawas

involvedinanillicitsexualliaison.ButYamaShitawasnotinleague

withtheFederationoritsagents.

Toshirohaddrawnthewrongconclusionfromtheinformationpresented

tohim.Thescenariohehadconstructedwasbasedononefundamental

error:hisassumptionthatthelove-object-Clearwater-wasa

long-dog.

ItwasamistakewhichToshirocouldnotbeblamedformaking.Like

mostIronMasters,hisknowledgeofMuteswaslimitedtothosehehad

encounteredinNe-Issan;dull-eyedslaveswhowerefedandwateredlike

cattleandwhoworkedbetterunderthewhip.Theywereprimitive

outlanderswhoseplaceinIronMastersocietywasonaparwith

field-oxenand,attimes,theywereaccordedevenlessconsideration.

AsasamuraiandHeraldoftheInnerCourt,Toshirowasboundbystrict

socialconventions.Itwasunfittingforhimtoconversewithsuch

individuals,hecouldonlygiveorders.And,hadheownedslaves,

thoseorderswouldhavebeentransmittedthroughanintermediary.

Asaresult,heknewnexttonothingabouttheircustomsandtraditions

ortheirunfetteredmodeofexistenceinthevastnessthatlaybeyond

thewatersoftheO-hiyoandMei-sun.Inparticular,hewasunawareof

theexistenceof'super-straights';Muteswhosebodieswerenotonly

straight-bonedandsmooth-skinnedbutwhowerealsoclear-skinnedlike

long-dogsandtheSonsofNe-Issan.

Hewasnotalone.

LordHiroYama-Shitahadmadeexactlythesamemistakesomemonths

before-despitethefactheknewmoreaboutthePlainfolkthananyone

elseinNe-Issan.

Overtheyears,Yama-Shitahadamassedaconsiderablebodyof

informationaboutthenomadicMutes,butonlyseniormembersofhisown

familyhadaccesstoit.

TheannualexpeditionbythewheelboatsacrosstheGreatLakeswasone

ofthemanyenterprisesthathadmadetheYama-Shitarichand

powerful.

TheMuteswerenotonlyasourceofcheaplabour;thegoodsthey

suppliedhelpedtofeedandclothetheircaptivebrethren.Thefacts

athiscommandweretradesecrets;knowinghisclients'strengthsand

weaknessesenabledYama-Shitatoextractthemostfavourableratesof

exchange,andtherivalrybetweenthevariousclansusuallymeanthis

trade-captainsgotthebestofthebargain.

UnlikethemajorityofIronMasters,Yama-Shitadidnotdespisethe

Mutes,eventhoughhepersonallyfoundtheirdisfiguredbodiessomewhat

repugnant-inparticular,theirhairyarmpitsandbushysexual

organs.

But,despitetheirbizarreappearanceandtheirlackadaisicalapproach

tohygiene,theypossessedacertainnobilityand,intheirnatural

state,werestrong,fearlessindividualswiththeirowncodeofhonour

which,inmanyways,paralleledthatofthesamurai.Theyalsohad

sufficientgoodgracetorecogniseanddefertoahigherauthority

namelyhimselfandhisentourageandthewittorealisethatthe

continuingexchangeofgoodsandpeopleforarmsandartefactswasa

profitableenterpriseforbothparties.

Thepicturetheypresentedtooutsiderswasthatofalargelyuntutored

raceendowedwithacertainlowcunning,butwithmorebrawnthan

brains.However,thereweresomeMutes-notablythewordsmiths-who

displayedakeenintelligenceandanunexpecteddegreeofsubtlety.

TheindividualnamedMrSnow,thewordsmithoftheclanM'Call,wasone

ofthem,anditwastohimthatYama-Shitahadturnedforhelpin

acquiringaflying-horse.

Thedomain-lordwasalsofamiliarwiththeunsubstantiatedclaimsthat

certainMutespossessedsupernaturalpowers:mysteriousgifted

individualsknownassummonersandseers.TheIronMasters,who

worshippedatshrinesdedicatedtoAmeratsuOmikami,believedthatthe

worldofnaturewaspermeatedbythespirit-world-therealmofthe

kami-butYamaShitatreatedthestoriesofMutemagicwithderision.

Inhisview,theMutesposednodangertotheIronMaster.

Despitetheirvastnumbers,thefragmentarynatureoftheclansystem

andthetraditionalhostilitywithwhichtherivalfactionsviewedeach

othermadeitimpossibleforthemtomountalarge-scalemilitary

actionagainsttheirbenefactorsintheeastortheirenemyinthe

south.

ThePlainfolkwerefiercelyterritorialbuttheywerenot

empire-builders.Thatwaswhyitwassafetosupplythemwith

rifles.

Theirimplacablehatredforthelong-dogs,andtheguerrillatactics

theyemployed,wereideallysuitedtocountertheprobingadvancesof

theFederation'sovergroundwarmachines.

Yama-ShitasometimeswonderedifthePlainfolkrealisedtheywerebeing

manipulated,butitneveroccurredtohimthattheymightalsobe

inspiredbyasenseofdestiny.HehadneverheardoftheTalisman

PropheCybut,haditbeenbroughttohisnotice,hewouldhavegivenit

shortshrift.HiscuriosityabouttheMuteswasblinkeredbythe

innatebeliefinhisownsuperiorityandthatofthesystemhe

represented.Inhisview-whichwassharedbyallIronMastersfrom

theShogundownwards-therewasnothingtobelearnedfromtheMutes,

onecouldonlylearnaboutthem.

Yama-Shitawasnotananthropologist,norwasheastudentof

comparativereligion;hewasengagedinresource-management.

ThisselectivegarneringofinformationmeantthatYama-Shita,likethe

Herald,wascompletelyunawareoftheexistenceof'super-straight'

Mutes.Hewasthusfatedtodrawthesamewrongconclusionand,when

thenewsofClearwater'sunexpectedtransformationfrommulticoloured

Mutewarriortounblemishedlong-dogreachedhimattheendofJanuary,

hehadsharedtheShogun'spresentsenseofbetrayal.

InthecaseofYama-Shita,hisangerhadbeendirectedagainsttwo

targets:MrSnow,forattemptingtodeceivehim,andtheConsul-General

forhisweaknessandstupidity.WhenKiyoMin-Orotahadinformed.him

ofwhathadtakenplace,hisfirstimpulsehadbeentohaveClearwater

dispatchedbyanassassin,butKiyohadreassuredhimthat,whenall

thecircumstancesweretakenintoaccount,neitherofthemcouldbe

accusedofcomplicity.

Onreflection,Yama-Shitahadagreedbut,liketheShogun,henowfound

himselfonthehornsofadilemma.Theconcealedpresenceofthe

femalelong-dogwassimultaneouslyanunwelcomeembarrassmentanda

heaven-sentgift.TheConsul'sinexplicabledesiretotupfemalesfrom

thelowersocialordershadfinallyrenderedhimvulnerableto

blackmail.Themanwasadegenerateclownbuthishigh-level

connections,throughhismarriagetooneoftheShogun'ssisters,made

himavaluablepawninthedangerousgamethatwasnowafoot.

MrSnow,theobligingwordsmith,wasanotherproblementirely.What

gamewastheslyoldlump-headplaying?Sinceitwashewhohad

undertakentodeliveraflying-horseinexchangeforashipmentof

rifles,itfollowedthathemustbepartytothedeception.Didthat

meanhewasinleaguewiththeFederation?Ifhewas,therequestby

thedisguisedfemalelong-dogtobereturnedtotheM'Callswiththe

cloudwarriorwhenhehadaccomplishedhistasknowmadesense.She

andher

50

partnerwereobviouslyexpectedtoreportonalltheyhadseen:the

craftskillsoftheIronMastersandtheirabilitytoadoptnew

techniques,themethodsbywhichtheywouldpowertheflying-horses,

andtheirmasteryoverthemintheair.Nowonderthecloudwarrior

hadrequestedthatheandhisescortbeallowedtoremaintogether.It

wasacleverruse,butnoMuteorrenegadeTrackerwhohadentered

Ne-lssanhadevenemergedtotellthetale-andthisimpudentpair

wouldsharethesamefate.

Butoneimportantquestionremainedunanswered:whywouldthe

Federationvoluntarilyhandoverthesecretsofflighttoapotential

enemy?Thegifthad,admittedly,beendeliveredintheguiseof

damagedgoods,butthatmerelylentplausibilitytoBrickman'sclaimto

havebuiltitfromsalvagedbitsandpieceswhileheldcaptivebythe

Mutes.Despiteitssomewhatbatteredappearance,thecraftwasstill

capableofcarryingtwopeoplethroughtheair,andithadarrived

bearingtwoobjectsofimmensevalue:ariderwhowaseagertoexplain

indetailthefunctionofeverypartandthetheorybehinditsdesign,

andaworkingexampleofanenginepoweredbytheDarkLight.

ToYama-Shita-abornentrepreneur-thishadprovedtoogoodan

opportunitytomiss.Afterhidingitaway,hehadusedconsiderable

ingenuitytofakeitsdestructionunderthewatchfulgazeofthe

Shogun'srepresentativeinaspectacularbonfirecontaining

crackerjacksandseveralconcealedchargesofgunpowder.

ThemistakeoverClearwater'strueidentity-whichwaslatertolead

theHerald,Toshiro,intobelievingthatYama-Shitamightbeinleague

withtheFederationpromptedthedomain-lordtoevolvehisown

elaboratescenarioaroundMrSnow.InNe-Issan,nooneattainedthe

positionofpowerthatYama-Shitaenjoyedwithoutbeingruthlessand

cunning-andhewasnoexception.

Likemostdomain-lords,hehadanaturallysuspiciousmindanda

penchantforlabyrinthineconspiracies.HewascertainthatMrSnow

hadnotexpectedthefemalelong-dogtorevealhertruecolours.And

therewasnowaythewordsmithcouldhaveknownshewouldbeplacedin

thecustodyofNakaneToh-Shiba,norcouldhehaveforeseenwhatwasto

follow.

Sowhathadbeenintended?Wasthedeliveryofthecraftwithits

intriguingengineanditsobligingrideranattempttosolicitfurther

interestastowhatotheritemsmightbeonoffer?Afteryearsof

tradingwiththeMutes,Yama-Shitawasclearlyapersononecoulddo

businesswith.Andhiswheelboatsofferedasecuredeliverysystemfor

goodsandpeople.WasitpossiblethattheFederationwasseekingto

makecontactwithhimviaMrSnow?

Torespondtosuchamovewouldbehightreason.Itwasalsohigh

treasontofloutthesacrededictconcerningtheDarkLight.But

Yama-Shitadidnotseehimselfasatraitor.Hewishedtopreserve

Ne-Issan-butnotnecessarilyinitspresentform.Peaceand

prosperitywerenotenough.Yama-Shitawantedprogress.Toachieve

it,hewouldhavetobecomeShogun.Thatmeantdisplacingthe

Toh-Yota.IftheknowledgethatlaybehindtheFederation'swar

machinescouldhelphimdothat,then,undertherightconditions,he