Death on an Autumn River (A Sugawara Akitada Novel)

by I. J. Parker

  No answer, just that hungry, hopeless look.

  He said, “Don’t go away. I’ll bring you something.”

  He hurried from the hostel and almost immediately came across a man who was selling hot stuffed dumplings from a steaming kettle. Tora bought a generous helping and carried it back, wrapped into oiled paper.

  The girl had moved to the door and watched him as he came running back.

  “Here,” he said, out of breath. “They smell good. Eat!”

  She hesitated, glancing over her shoulder, then held out her hands.

  “Careful. They’re hot.”

  She took the food, flinching a little, bowed her head in a nod, and dashed inside.

  Tora looked after her, a silly smile on his face. Poor little one, running off to eat in some corner so no one could snatch the precious food away. Then he heard a masculine roar and the sound of a slap.

  “Stupid little bitch! Look what you did!”

  Tora went in. The fat manager sat at his desk, chewing. The savory dumplings lay before him. There was a greasy stain on his ledger. The little girl cowered in a corner, holding her cheek.

  “What the devil?” roared Tora. “I bought the food for her, not for you, you lazy bastard. Give it back to her!”

  The man’s mouth dropped open, dribbling bits of dumpling and stuffing down his chest. “Umm,” said and swallowed. “She’s my daughter. She’s a good girl and gives her father what she gets. That’s only proper. Honor your father and mother!What’s it to you, if she shares her food?”

  “You’re not sharing, and you hit her. I heard you.”

  “Stupid girl made a mess on my ledger,” he said, wiping his chin with his sleeve and dabbing at the stain on his robe. “She’s a bit slow.” He touched his head. “I’ve got to be after her all day long. It’s a great trial, raising a backward child. You got to knock some sense into them.”

  Tora took a large step forward, grabbed the neck of the man’s shirt, twisted, and jerked him forward until their faces nearly touched. “If I catch you beating her again,” he snarled, “I’ll make sure you get a double dose of that medicine. Now give the food back to her. She looks starved.”

  The manager’s face turned red, and he made choking sounds, but he nodded his head. Tora released him.

  “Here, Fumiko,” the man said to the child. “You should’ve told me that it was yours. Thank the gentleman and then go into the kitchen and eat it.”

  The girl slunk forward, bobbed her head at Tora, snatched the food, and ran.

  Tora nodded. “Good! And remember what I said about hitting her.” Then he walked out of the hostel.

  Still very upset, he made for the harbor. He liked harbors. There was always business there, people coming and going, some waiting for boats to arrive, others waiting to leave on far journeys. One could learn things because people liked to chat while they waited. Besides, there was also a sense of excitement in the air. What would the next boat bring? What would the travelers find at their destination?

  But it was still early. The gates of the post station were closed. He wandered about for a while, stopping for a bowl of noodles, eyeing the boats, chatting with a porter about loading and unloading goods and with a sailor about his home port and the places he had visited.

  Eventually, the large gates of the post station opened. The large compound was marked by a fluttering banner and conveniently located between the harbor and on the main road inland. It served as one of the government barriers where travelers had to show permits and pay tolls. An office, stables for post horses, and fields for the horses to graze made up the whole.

  The bulletin at the gate listed the services and fees. Apart from renting horses, people could book passage on boats between Naniwa and the capital or the port of Kawajiri on the Inland Sea. In the yard, a groom was saddling a horse as a messenger stood by. Tora also saw armed guards. Post stations took great care not only of the post, but also of their animals and foot messengers. Several of these runners, in loincloths and short jackets, squatted beside the door, waiting for assignments. Tora walked past them into the office.

  Two scribes sat bent over low desks, working on papers. Near them, stacks of parcels waited to be posted or delivered locally. Two more men in loin cloths crouched beside the parcels, ready to carry items to their recipients or to one of the boats. There seemed to be no other customers, and one of the clerks sprang to attention with a bow.

  Tora looked past him into the next room. A solitary official sat at a desk: the local postmaster. Postmasters were appointed by the central government in the capital and held to strict account, because official messages, news, and orders from the capital passed through their hands and because post stations regulated travel throughout the country.

  Tora told the clerk, “I’ll have word with your boss,” and walked into the postmaster’s office.

  He was a middle-aged, plain man with thinning hair who pretended to be busy. Tora cleared his throat.

  “Yes?” The postmaster raised his eyes to give him an appraising look.

  Tora, neatly dressed and with a black cap on his shapely head, smiled. “Good morning, sir. May I have a word, if you’re not too busy?”

  The postmaster smiled back. “I’m always happy to be of assistance. My name is Toyoda.”

  “That’s very good of you, Toyoda.” Tora approached. “I’m Tora, from the capital and a stranger here. You’re the first person to show me a friendly face.”

  Toyoda positively twinkled with friendliness. “I’m sorry you’ve had a hard time of it. We must try to do better. What can I do for you?”

  “Well, it’s a complicated story. I work for an important official in the capital. He sent one of his clerks down here to deliver a payment. The young man seems to have disappeared without a trace and never made the delivery. I’m here to ask if anyone remembers him.”

  Looking concerned, the postmaster pushed aside the ledger he had pretended to

  work on and said, “You suspect him of a crime? That’s shocking. Hmm. Here’s a puzzle to solve.” Gesturing to a reed cushion in front of his desk, he said, “Please sit down. I’ll do my best to help you. Can you give me some particulars? Like what he looks like and when he was here? We take pride in the service at Naniwa station, and visitors from the capital are particularly noted.”

  Tora took this as a wish to impress his superiors in the capital in case this visitor

  reported to his master. “He arrived in Naniwa six days ago,” he said. “On the fifteenth day of the month. The master thought he would make the delivery later that day or the next. Either he’s run off with the gold or something happened to him before then.”

  “Ah. He may have rented a horse or a boat. What is the clerk’s name?”

  “Miyoshi. First name Sadenari.”

  The postmaster jotted this down. “And the name of the person or place he was visiting?”

  Tora hesitated. He had not thought his tale through very far. “As I said, this is a delicate matter.” He put a finger to his lips and winked.

  The other man sighed. “Yes. Quite so, but it makes it harder.” He called one of the clerks, who went to the shelves of document boxes and brought two to his master. The postmaster riffled through the contents and took a list from each. “Ah, I see,” he muttered, frowning as he compared them. “Yes, a person called Miyoshi called in on the sixteenth day of the month to post a letter. As for renting a horse or boat . . .” He switched to the second list. “Ah, yes. Here he is again. He took a boat to Kawajiri.” He looked very pleased with himself. “Does that solve your problem?”

  It did not. Tora did not have to pretend chagrin. “Looks like the master has been cheated. I don’t suppose you remember any details?”

  The postmaster chuckled. “Maybe. Seeing the list brought it back to me. A young fellow, handsome and well dressed, a little like you, in fact, except he wore no boots and had no sword? He didn’t look at all like a crook. More like a student. You know, good
class, well educated, naive. And he was poor. He asked about the cheapest rates and then he counted his coppers very carefully. That’s what made me pay attention. I remember thinking how strange it was that someone of his background should have to be so frugal.”

  It had almost certainly been the clerk. “Hmm. Was he alone?” Tora asked.

  “Well, he came in alone, but I got the impression someone was waiting for him outside.”

  “Did you see who was waiting?”

  “No. But he kept looking over his shoulder and seemed in a big hurry.”

  “Ah. That’s not much to go on.”

  The postmaster’s face fell. “I’m sorry. I hope you find him.”

  Tora was about to take his leave, when the man’s face brightened. “Wait! I seem to remember he posted two letters, the one to the capital and a local one.” He reached into the first box and brought out the list again. “Yes, here it is. Addressed to the Foreign Trade Office, in care of Senior Secretary Nakahara. That sounds very respectable.”

  Tora’s jaw sagged. He went around the desk to look at the list. It was true. Why would Sadenari write to Nakahara? Straightening, he said darkly, “I wouldn’t be too sure about that. There’s corruption in the highest places these day. Well, I’d better go there and ask some questions. I wish I could repay you with a cup of wine, but it’s early and you’re at work.”

  The postmaster laughed. “A man in my position can leave at any time. But you needn’t, you know. As I said, we pride ourselves on our service.” He paused. “Still, perhaps just a short one.”

  Tora regretted his generosity, but said, “A pleasure, postmaster.”

  “Call me Toyoda.” The man was up in an instant and led Tora to his favorite wine shop. There the “short one” turned into several long ones. Since Tora had led him to believe that he served a high-ranking courtier, Toyoda questioned him minutely about the sexual habits of those who “lived above the clouds”, forcing Tora to resort to outright lies to satisfy his curiosity.

  He had just told a lurid tale about a princeling who had seduced his half-sister, when Toyoda said, “I heard of a good story myself. There’s a great palace on the Yodo River, just outside Eguchi. It belongs to an imperial princess. I think she’s the aunt of the present emperor, an elderly lady.” He chuckled. “She has a taste for young men, and her servants scour the countryside for well-built youngsters. People say she’s very hard to satisfy. If the young men don’t perform to her taste, she gets rid of them. But if she likes them, they live like the blessed souls in paradise.”

  Tora was familiar with such tales and did not believe a word, but the mention of a palace on the Yodo River made him curious. “Where exactly is that place?”

  Toyoda guffawed. “Are you thinking of applying?”

  Tora did not think that funny. “Don’t be silly. I wondered because my boat passed a very elegant pavilion just before we reached Eguchi.”

  Not surprisingly, Toyoda did not know the precise place where the princess entertained her young lovers. But the topic had reminded Tora of the professor’s tale.

  “I expect you know the local pleasure towns quite well,” he said. “Are there any very young Korean girls working there?”

  The postmaster cocked his head. “Korean? Not that I know, and I do know my way around the better houses in all of those towns.” He chuckled and preened himself a little. Seeing Tora’s raised brows, he confided, “My own old lady is the very opposite of the princess. Cold as a fish! If it weren’t for some of the beauties in our river towns, I don’t know what I’d do.” He winked. “I could introduce you to some very charming flowers, if you’re interested. You like them young, did you say? I know where there are some as young as twelve, if that’s what you like. How about it? A man must do what he can to take care of his health, you know, and they do say the young ones have more of the long-life essence in them.”

  Tora disliked the postmaster very much by now. He thought of the dead girl, and shook his head. “Thanks, not for me. My wife’s enough for me. And children don’t appeal to me that way. It’s unnatural. Like sleeping with your own children. I just overheard some talk on the boat coming down. Umm, it’s getting late.”

  But Toyoda did not give up easily. He described a variety of bed partners and their amazing skills to Tora and told him about a barbarian woman from the far north who had some enticing peculiarities.

  In desperation, Tora reminded Toyoda that he had to get back to work, even if postmasters lived more leisurely lives. He paid the large bill, and they walked back to the post station, the postmaster singing a bawdy song, and Tora nursing a headache.

  At the post station, Tora questioned the porters and the two clerks about Sadenari.

  They had no information. Apart from Sadenari’s sending a letter to Nakahara, he had extracted nothing useful in his morning’s work, while his funds had shrunk considerably.

  He was walking glumly from the post station, when his master hailed him. Startled, Tora stopped. The look on his master’s face told him that he had bad news.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Karma

  The journey was rapid and allowed little time for conversation. In Naniwa, as they waited for horses to be saddled, Akitada had read Tora his wife’s letter. They reached home after dark.

  Tora pounded on the gates and called out. A fully armed Genba threw them wide. He knelt, knocking his head on the gravel of the courtyard. “Forgive me, sir,” he cried.

  Akitada said, “Get up, Genba. This was not your fault.”

  He and Tora dismounted, leaving the horses to Genba, and ran straight to the main house. Monks chanted in the reception room. Tamako came to meet them, bowed to her husband, and said in a low voice, “He’s very weak. Oh, Akitada, I’m so afraid.”

  It was not a proper greeting, and Tamako was always proper. Akitada took her hand and drew her close as Tora looked away. “Are you and Yasuko well?” Akitada asked, his cheek against her hair. Her familiar scent moved him deeply. All that was precious to him was contained in his home.

  She nodded against his chest. “Genba blames himself.”

  “Why?” demanded Tora suspiciously.

  Tamako gently moved from Akitada’s arms. “He was not here, Tora. Cook had sent him to the market. He thinks if he’d hurried more, he could have stopped them. It’s nonsense, of course.”

  “Yes,” said Akitada heavily. “Come, I want to see Seimei now.”

  He lay in his room, stretched out on his bedding, pretty screens set around, incense wafting from a small brazier, and costly wax candles lighting his pale and rigid face. He was very still; only his breath rattled softly.

  Akitada knew the signs. Death was near. He sank down on his knees beside the old man and whispered, “Seimei?”

  Seimei’s lids flicked open. “S-sir?” It was no more than a breath. Then, with an effort, “I t-tried to stop them.”

  “I know, old friend. Don’t exert yourself. Tora and I came as soon as we heard. How are you feeling?”

  The lips quirked into a smile. “You’re home,” he whispered. And after a pause for a breath, “In time.” Then he sighed and fainted.

  Tora plopped down on Seimei’s other side. “Seimei,” he cried, “Seimei, it’s me, Tora. Speak to me? Don’t die, old man. Not yet. Not without a word to me.”

  “Sssh.” Akitada put his finger to the old man’s neck. “He isn’t gone yet, Tora,” he said softly and got to his feet. “He’s just resting, I think.” He glanced at Tamako. “How bad is it?”

  “He took a blow to the back of the head and lost a lot of blood. At his age . . .” Her voice trailed away, and she wrung her hands. “I’m afraid, Akitada.”

  “Yes,” Akitada said heavily. He looked down at the frail body, the waxen face with its sharp hollows, already like those on a lifeless skull, the hands with fingers that were bones held barely in place by transparent skin. “Yes,” he said again. “Let’s go to my study. Tora, will you stay and call us if he wakes?”<
br />
  In his study, he took Tamako into his arms again. “I’m so glad you and my daughter were not hurt,” he said. “That thought was too terrible to contemplate.”

  She clung to him for a moment. “It was you I was worried about.”

  He released her reluctantly. They went to sit on the veranda, and looked at the dark garden where fireflies danced above the moss and over the koi pond. “What exactly happened?” he asked.

  “They came just before midday. Two armed men wearing half armor. Genba had left for the market because cook wanted a sea bream. Seimei opened the gate to their pounding. He thought they’d lost their way and greeted them politely, but they stormed in, flinging him aside. Trouble rushed out, barking, and snapped at their legs. One of them struck him with his halberd and nearly killed him. He’s lame and still very weak. Seimei ran after them and tried to bar their way into the house. That’s when they swung the halberd at his head. A glancing blow, but . . .” She bit her lip. “Cook and Hanae came out of the kitchen and saw it all. When they started screaming, the villains drove them into the kitchen building and locked them in. Then they came to find me.” Tamako gulped and took a deep breath.

  Akitada reached for her hand. She squeezed it and went on. “Yuki and Yasuku were with me in my room. They came in with their weapons ready, and Yuki attacked the first one. I screamed. I was so afraid they’d kill the child, kill us all. But they pushed Yuki at me and only delivered a message. ‘Tell your husband to come home and look after his own, or we’ll be back and you will die.’ Then they walked out quite calmly.”

  Akitada felt a deep anger. “Did they say who they worked for? Who sent the message?”

  “No. I think it has something to do with your work in Naniwa.”

  “Yes. Probably.” Akitada was no closer to knowing what was going on, while the person behind the pirate attacks had evidently felt he was getting much too close. “Come,” he said, “Let me take a peek at Yasuko. Then I’ll go back to Seimei.”