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you, that you have been chosen by heaven and are protected to a certain extent until your goals are achieved." "I wish I were protected from sorrow," I said. "Then you would indeed reach enlightenment," he replied dryly. The full moon brought a change in the weather.The heat lessened and the air cleared. There was even a hint of autumn in the coolness of the mornings. Once the festival was over, my spirits lifted a little. Other words of the abbot came to me, reminding me that my followers, all those who supported me, did so of their own free will. I had to set my grief aside and take up my cause again so that their deaths would not be in vain. And the words Shigeru had spoken to me in a small village called Hinode, on the far side of the Three Countries, also returned to me. Only children weep. Men and women endure. We made plans to move on the following day, but that afternoon there was a slight earth tremor, just enough to set the wind chimes ringing and make the dogs howl. In the evening there was another, stronger one. A lamp was knocked over in a house up the street from where we were lodging, and we spent most of the night helping the townspeople contain the ensuing fire. As a result, we were delayed another few days. By the time we left I was mad with impatience to be with Kaede again. It made me hurry toward Maruyama, rising early and pushing the horses till late at night under the waning moon. We were silent mostly; Jiro's presence was too sharply missed to allow the light-hearted banter with which we had ridden out, and I had a vague sense of apprehension that I could not rid myself of. It was well into the Hour of the Dog when we reached the town. Most of the houses were already darkened and the castle gates were barred. The guards greeted us warmly, but they could not dispel my unease. I told myself that it was just that I was tired and irritable after the tedious journey. I wanted a hot bath, something decent to eat, and to sleep with my wife. However, her woman, Manami, met me at the entrance to the residence, and as soon as I saw her face I knew something was wrong. I asked her to tell Kaede I had returned, and she fell to her knees. "Sir... Lord Otori..." she stammered, "she has gone to Shirakawa to bring her sisters here." "What?" I could not believe what I was hearing. Kaede had gone off on her own, without telling me or asking me? "How long ago? When is she expected back?" "She left shortly after the Festival." Manami looked as if she would burst into tears. "I don't want to alarm Your Lordship, but I expected her before now." "Why did you not go with her?" Page 115 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html "She would not allow it. She wanted to ride, to go quickly so she would be back before your return." "Light the lamps and send someone to fetch Lord Sugita," I said, but it seemed he had already heard of my return and was on his way. I walked into the residence. I thought I could still smell Kaede's fragrance on the air. The beautiful rooms with their hangings and painted screens were all as she had designed them; the memory of her presence was everywhere. Manami had told the maids to bring lamps, and their shadowy forms moved silently through the rooms. One of them approached me and whispered that the bath was ready for me, but I told her I would speak with Sugita first. I went into Kaede's favorite room and my gaze fell on the writing table where she knelt so often to copy the records of the Tribe. The wooden box that held them always stood alongside the table; it was not there. I was wondering if she had hidden it or taken it with her when the maid announced Sugita's arrival. "I entrusted my wife to you," I said. I was beyond rage, just cold to the depths of my being. "Why did you allow her to leave?" He looked surprised at the question. "Forgive me," he said. "Lady Otori insisted on going. She took plenty of men with her, led by Amano Tenzo. My nephew, Hiroshi, went too. It was a pleasure trip, to see her family home and bring her sisters here." "Then why has she not returned?" It seemed harmless enough; maybe I was overreacting. "I am sure she will be back tomorrow," Sugita said. "Lady Naomi made many such journeys; the domain is used to their mistress traveling in this fashion." The maid brought tea and food, and we talked briefly of my journey while I ate. I had not told Sugita exactly what I'd had in mind in case it all came to nothing, and I did not go into details now but merely said that I was working out a long-term strategy. There was no word from the Miyoshi brothers and no reports on what either Arai or the Otori were up to. I felt as if I were wandering in half-darkness. I wanted to talk to Kaede and I hated this lack of information. If only I had a network of spies working for me... I found myself wondering as I had before if it would be possible to find talented children--Tribe orphans, if such children existed--and bring them up for my own purposes. I thought of my son with a strange longing. Would he have a combination of Yuki's talents and mine? If he did, they would be used against me. Sugita said, "I hear young Jiro died." "Yes, sadly. He was struck by an arrow that was intended for me." "What a blessing Your Lordship escaped!" he exclaimed. "What happened to the assassin?" "He died. It will not be the last attempt. It is the work of the Page 116 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html Tribe." I wondered how much Sugita knew about my Tribe blood, what rumors had been circulating about me during my absence. "By the way, my wife was copying something for me. What happened to the box and the scrolls?" "She never let them out of her sight," he replied. "If they are not here, she must have taken them with her." I did not want to show my concern, so I said no more. Sugita left me and I took a bath, calling to one of the maids to come and scrub my back, wishing Kaede would suddenly appear as she had at Niwa's house, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |