“I’m glad you care. But I’m not going to lose,” Sugaru said cheerfully. “I’ve never lost a fight yet. And I’m not going to this time either.”
Lady Kage handed him a dagger with a red hilt and scabbard. “In that case, at least take this. It’s a protective charm that has been passed down from priest to priest in my family. If you should provoke the god’s wrath, throw this on the ground and you’ll be aided, but only once. Or at least, so it’s said.”
“Thank you. I’ll take it.”
Lady Kage knew that it was futile to try and stop him. She said sadly, “If I were a true shrine maiden, I’d go with you. I’d go with you to the end no matter what happened. If only I hadn’t been defiled. If only my virtue hadn’t been violated in the chancellor’s service.”
“You shouldn’t dwell on such things,” Sugaru said, comforting her in his own unique style. “You’re not defiled. Being a shrine maiden means being strong-willed. You’ll only bring yourself down if you go around thinking you’re unclean. You didn’t do those things by choice. Your heart is still pure. If you believe in yourself, then the god will have to respect you. But don’t worry. I’ll be fine on my own. I’ll come back, I promise. You wait here.”
He waved the bright red sheath and then strode up the mountain, smiling. Lady Kage stood beside the altar and watched him go. She continued to stare long after he had vanished from sight, as if she could still see him in the distance.
5
THE BANQUET WAS in honor of fireflies. On the south side of the emperor’s hall was a garden with a pond and stream large enough for boating. Thousands of fireflies had been brought in from outlying regions to be released: an extravagant entertainment perfect for a summer’s night. Packhorses and carts laden with food for the feast, as well as firefly cages, passed through the large gate into the palace grounds.
“We couldn’t have asked for anything better,” Nanatsuka said, taking in the situation. “To enjoy the light of the fireflies, they’ll have to use fewer torches, and once everyone is in the garden, the number of guards in the palace will decrease.” Toko nodded. The night seemed to have been planned just for them. Surely the gods were on their side.
They waited until the sun had set, and then walked around behind the palace where one of Nanatsuka’s spies, employed as a servant, led them safely inside. Tall fences enclosed the palace grounds, and guards with spears and whistles seemed to be stationed everywhere. Toko and Nanatsuka followed their guide as he carefully bypassed each one. Without his help, Toko realized, they would never have made it into the inner reaches of the palace.
“Remember, don’t do anything rash,” Nanatsuka warned Toko. “Tonight we only need to find out where the magatama is. As you can see, we can enter anytime we want. There’ll be other opportunities to actually steal it.” Toko nodded solemnly. She was so nervous she could think of nothing but carrying out the task assigned to her. They were planning to split up and explore the treasury, the dressing chamber, and the emperor’s room. Toko would go to the latter, which was why she was dressed as a court lady. Only the emperor’s wives and the court ladies who served closest to him were allowed free access to his quarters.
As they drew closer to the garden, the stir of voices and instruments being tuned drifted toward them on the evening breeze. A host of musicians must have been invited to perform. The sound of their flutes and stringed instruments warming up was an overture to the spectacular event to follow. Even Toko, who certainly did not have time to spare, felt her heart beat faster in anticipation. She took a deep breath, and the scent of summer—green leaves and water—filled her. How lucky are those who can stop to appreciate the season, she thought. But she felt no envy. For her, time was still something through which she raced rather than something she regretted passing her by. There would be time enough to enjoy the seasons later.
Up ahead, she saw a covered walkway that must have run all the way to the emperor’s quarters. Nanatsuka had already separated from them, heading for the treasury. Toko looked at the other man and nodded. From here she was on her own. She left the shadows of the bushes and, making sure no one was in sight, pulled herself onto the edge of the platform and hoisted herself over the railing and onto the walkway. Light and quick, a moment later she was on the other side smoothing her robes.
All right. Let’s get on with it. With a glance back at the shrubs, she saw that the third man in their party had already disappeared and so turned her attention to the walkway. It made a sharp turn up ahead and continued on, passing under the large overhanging eaves of a building on the left. That must be the emperor’s quarters. She had only taken a few steps, however, when she stopped short. Three women exited the building and began gliding along the corridor toward her. The light was already dim but still Toko shrank back.
Turning the corner, the women saw her. “Who are you?” one of them asked. “His Highness has already gone. If you’re new here, you should already be lined up outside.”
To say nothing at all would arouse their suspicions. Toko was desperately trying to formulate a reply when one of the others said, “Oh, never mind the slowpoke. If we don’t hurry up ourselves, we’ll be late. They’ll have extinguished the torches by the time we get there, and then we won’t get to ride in the boats.”
Toko was fortunate that they were in such a hurry. Without pressing her any further, the court ladies moved away with a rustle of silk. Toko took a deep breath and calmed her pounding heart. By the time she reached the emperor’s quarters, it was much darker. She could hear cheers from the garden. They must have put out the torches and freed the fireflies. Peering inside the building, Toko saw that one lamp remained lit in the inner chamber, its light diffused through a thin curtain. She held her breath and waited a long time, but she did not sense anyone else nearby. Gathering her courage, she pulled the curtain aside.
No one was there. Contrary to Toko’s expectations, the emperor’s room was amazingly bare. It was just a big empty room, its walls draped with pleated purple cloth. A black chair inlaid with mother of pearl sat on a dais against the far wall. That must be the emperor’s throne, Toko thought. Beside it stood a small side table with a pitcher of water on it. That, however, was the only furniture.
Could this really be the room of the man who rules over Mahoroba? It was a cold place. Surely Akaru’s magatama could not be here. It seemed unlikely that this emperor would keep anything at all close to hand. Toko passed in front of the throne and was about to enter the chamber beyond when she stopped, startled. At first she did not know why. She had not seen or heard anything nor had she sensed any danger. Deciding it was nothing, she moved forward, but there it was again. It felt like a tiny golden bell ringing beside her. She listened intently in the direction she thought it came from. And then she remembered. Sugaru talked about something like this … He said the magatama jingle like a bell when they call. Could this be it?
Her heart racing, Toko looked carefully around the throne room one more time. On the side table near the throne she noticed a small box that had been concealed by a fold in the curtain. The instant she saw it, she knew with a certainty that surprised even her. The magatama is calling me. If not, this could not possibly have happened. Joy surged through her. The magatama of Mino, Lady Akaru’s stone, and Toko’s as well. The stone wanted her, just as she had longed for it. Stepping up onto the dais, she reached out to pick up the box—then froze.
Without any warning at all, a man spoke from behind her, there, where no one should have been.
“What are you doing?”
Toko felt her blood sink to her feet as she turned to look.
“What are you doing here? In the middle of the banquet?” The man repeated. He had a sword on his hip and appeared to be an officer.
Toko hastily covered her face with her sleeve. “I was late going out and there were no lights …”
“A new lady-in-waiting, are you?” he said. Toko’s relief, however, was short-lived. He strode toward her and gra
bbed her by the wrist. She had no time to even cry out. Yanking her toward him, he dragged her toward the lamp. Then, taking her chin, he forced her face into the light.
“Ah, I thought as much. I’ve seen you before,” he said in a low voice. Toko stopped struggling and looked up at him in surprise. She could see him clearly now. His long hair was tied back, and his face … Toko remembered it very well. She had met him once in Mino and once again in Himuka. The worst possible person had discovered her. She had no hope of passing herself off as a court lady now.
“I didn’t know that you’d returned from the mountain of fire,” Toko said.
“Nor I you.” His grip on her arm tightened, yet his voice was soft. “Let me hear you explain what the girl from Himuka is doing tonight in the emperor’s chambers.”
THOUSANDS OF FIREFLIES flitted through the air, their tiny lights reflected on the surface of the water. Elegantly dressed revelers, laughing merrily, drifted in boats accompanied by strains of music. In the midst of the festivities, however, the emperor was already becoming bored. There was ever less in the world these days that could keep his interest for long. Even the fireflies had entertained him for no more than a moment, and once that moment had passed, the banquet was no different from the many others held throughout the year.
Worthless. There is too much in this world that is worthless. Nothing ever filled the emptiness within. It was this that made him willing to listen to a shadow that glided unobtrusively to his side. “Sukune bade me to inform you that he has caught a different kind of firefly—one that crept into the palace with the others.” The emperor told the chancellor beside him and laughed deep in his throat. The chancellor, relieved to see the emperor finally smile, chose words that he hoped would win him favor. “How clever. I wonder what kind of firefly that might be.”
“This sounds interesting. I think I’ll go take a look.” The emperor stood up abruptly. “You stay here and carry on with the banquet. I’ll go back to my room for a while.” Leaving the chancellor behind, he returned to his hall and climbed the stairs. Entering the throne room, he found Sukune and at his feet, the “firefly” dressed in the fine robes of a lady-in-waiting, her hands tied. She looked very young.
“Hmm. So this is it?” He gazed down at the girl, and perhaps due to her youth, she stared back up at him defiantly, her black eyes gleaming. She scrutinized him carefully as if weighing him. The emperor knew instantly that he had found something far more unusual than a firefly. “Who is she?”
“She can’t have snuck in here without the aid of accomplices, but she won’t talk yet. However, I can make a fairly accurate guess as to why she came to your room. She was after your magatama. I saw this same girl in the land of Himuka. She appeared right near the stone we were looking for and prevented us from obtaining it. I do not know where she comes from, but it is clear that she has some connection to the magatama.”
The girl waited until he had finished his explanation and then announced boldly, “I’m not ashamed of who I am. If you really want to know, then let me tell you. I am Toko, daughter of Onetsuhiko of the Tachibana clan of Mino. I did not come here to steal anything. I came to take back what is rightfully ours. Lady Akaru’s magatama belongs to us. It is worthless to you, so please give it back.”
The emperor and Sukune stared at her in astonishment. She was an extraordinary thief, fearless even in the face of discovery. And her voice rang clear and free, as if she had nothing to hide. She was either extremely brave or very naive. But the emperor, to his own surprise, was enjoying this. It had been a long time since something had diverted him so completely.
Lady Akaru … Examining the girl closely, he now saw some resemblance. But Lady Akaru had never stared at him like this. She had regarded him timidly like all the other women. The only woman who had ever looked at him with such a penetrating gaze was his sister, Princess Momoso.
I want to hear what this girl has to say, he thought.
“Sukune,” he said. “Wait outside the curtain. Let me question her.” Sukune looked uneasy, but he left the room. When he had gone, the emperor drew his sword from its gold scabbard. Toko tensed for an instant but then realized that he was using it to cut her bonds. She did not know why, but from the moment she had first seen him, she had actually felt a faint liking for the man, and now that feeling increased. She could not understand it for she was convinced that he should be hated. Yet instead of inspiring fear, the emperor before her seemed sad and depressed, discouraged rather than ferocious. A sharp crease was carved between his eyebrows and only a shadow of his youth remained. Even so, he was still handsome. He reminded Toko of Prince Oh-usu.
“You said your name is Toko? Then, Toko, let me hear what you have to say. You came here to retrieve Lady Akaru’s magatama. What do you plan to do with it? What do you need it for?”
“I need it to prove that I’m the bearer,” she answered without bothering to explain any further. Rubbing her wrists to revive the circulation, Toko felt the blood returning to her brain as well. “The magatama is in that box,” she continued. “The fact that I can tell is proof. The stone of power is calling me. Because I’m blood kin to Lady Akaru.”
“The stone of power? But it has no power,” the emperor said bitterly. “There’s only a dead magatama in that box. When Lady Akaru first came to the palace, the stone glowed. But she never gave it to me, even though she said that she would. In the middle of the ritual, its light died never to return, even when she held it in her hand. Her deceitful heart tainted that vow and the light died.”
“It wasn’t her fault. It was yours,” Toko said. The emperor glared at her, but Toko stared boldly back. “You did not love her as much as the prince. Akaru told me that when she met you, your heart was already occupied by someone else. Yet you still blamed it all on her.”
The emperor remained silent for some time. Slowly, he reached out and picked up the box. He opened the lid and stared inside. Then he thrust it at Toko. “All right. Prove it. If you’re capable of bringing life back to this cold stone, let me see you do it.”
Now, at long last, Toko looked upon the magatama, semitranslucent, lying on a bed of folded silk. But it was only an ordinary stone. It could not compare with the two that Sugaru wore. Her confidence evaporated rapidly and was replaced by nervousness.
“You said you were the bearer. If so, then restore it to its original hue,” the emperor pressed her.
She could not just stand there. She must pick it up. She thrust out her hand and grasped it. At first nothing happened. Then, just as she was about to despair, a point of light flickered in the depths of the stone. Clear and bright, it spread rapidly, until the stone in her hand shone brighter than the lamp and illumined the entire room. It was pure white, like a foaming waterfall or sun-bathed snow, with a sheen brighter than polished silver.
Thank the Goddess, Toko thought in silent gratitude. This white magatama, this clear stone, was hers. Tears filled her eyes.
“What’s this?” the emperor whispered, stunned. “But the color …”
Toko wiped her eyes. “Now you know what I said is true. I am the bearer of this stone. Only I can make it shine. You must give it back.”
The emperor stared at her—at this girl with her frank gaze who had made the stone radiate pure light, even though she was young enough to be his daughter. “It seems you’ve won,” he said carefully. “All right then. You may have the magatama.” Joy lit Toko’s face. But the emperor had not finished. “However,” he continued, “I will not permit you to leave. Serve me. Stay with me in place of Lady Akaru.”
The flush that had rushed to Toko’s cheeks drained slowly away. She stared at him, unable to digest what he had said. “What do you mean?”
“I’m asking you to be my wife,” the emperor said, and for the first time since Toko had met him, he smiled. “If only I had met you first, instead of Lady Akaru. Then perhaps Mino would not have fallen. If it had been you, I could have loved. Use your magatama to fill the emptiness i
n my heart. You have the power to do that.”
Stunned, Toko stood rooted to the spot.
IT BEGAN TO POUR as Sugaru neared the peak. A wind sprang up, whipping the leaves on the trees upside down and driving the rain against him. He was soaked through instantly, but he did not slacken his pace. It was as dark as night, and the heavily banked clouds flickered with an uneasy light. Holding his arms above his face, Sugaru looked up at the sky and realized how the god intended to punish him. Ah, so that’s what he’s up to. Swifter than thought, he drew Lady Kage’s dagger from its red sheath and threw it down in front of him. A thick bolt of lightning split the sky and struck the blade with a deafening crack. The shock wave sent Sugaru flying. He flew head over heels, and then slowly rose to survey the damage. Looking at the smoldering ground around the blade, he muttered, “I certainly don’t want to be hit by that.” Trees rattled and creaked in the punishing wind and rain. Something borrowed that sound to speak.
Leave.
Sugaru pretended not to hear and tried to press onward.
You can only use the dagger once.
“I know that,” Sugaru shouted to the treetops. “You’re supposed to be a god. Why are you wasting my time repeating what I already know? Hurry up and show yourself.”
Another bolt of lightning struck the ground. But this time, instead of aiming for Sugaru, it hit the tree beside him. Sugaru was thrown to the ground yet again by the explosion of light and sound. Gritting his teeth, he looked up at the tree. Its trunk was charred and flames crawled along the branches. That would have been enough to strike cold terror into any heart, but there was more. The flames licking the branches stretched and began to take shape. Under Sugaru’s gaze, they formed a crimson serpent, its thick body coiled around the blackened tree trunk and its eyes made of burning flame.
He who sees me thus can never leave the mountain, the god said. But it’s unusual for anyone to demand that I reveal myself. Who are you? You’re obviously no ordinary man.
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