Kazuo was still shivering, his body aching like the very devil. Temperance seemed to notice and with some effort she managed to manoeuvre them both into a crouching position, leaning against the freezing wall. It wasn’t ideal, but it was better than him having to put weight on his bad leg for any length of time.
Blurred thoughts of what lay before them whirled through his mind. He had no illusions as to what would happen to them should they become Tanaka’s prisoners. In truth, he didn’t hold out much hope that they wouldn’t be found. Surely someone like Tanaka would reckon on there being hiding places. He knew the man was nothing if not thorough and he wouldn’t leave any stone unturned. Indeed, there were voices shouting above them now, coming ever closer, and the sound of wood breaking. It would seem his men were wrecking Hasuko’s house, pulling it to pieces in their efforts to find the fugitives.
Temperance’s breathing began to come in shallow gasps that sounded too loud in the enclosed silence of the little underground chamber. Kazuo wanted to calm her and tried to hold her tighter, even though that hurt his ribs. It helped a little as he felt her trying hard to control her lungs.
She took hold of his hand, which was swollen and probably hot to the touch. He hoped it made her feel safer and squeezed her fingers, silently acknowledging their mutual support, then leaned his head on her shoulder. Gingerly, she propped her own on his. Then she moved suddenly and groped for something inside her sleeve. Knives. He could feel the cool metal against his skin as she slid them out and handed one to him. He gripped it with determination while she grabbed the other one herself.
At least they wouldn’t leave this hiding place without a fight.
Suddenly, they heard Tanaka’s voice clearly and the heavy tread of geta on the floor above their heads. Holding their breaths, they listened.
‘They must be here somewhere, I tell you,’ Tanaka was growling. ‘There is nowhere else they could have gone, unless they fled the city straight away, in which case I’ll soon hear about it. Break the floor over there, under those casks, there’s bound to be a hiding place.’
The sound of shattering wood reached them, frighteningly close. Something like an axe was making short work of the floor in Hasuko’s store room, and there was the rasping of metal against wood as barrels and casks were moved to make way for the axe man.
Any moment now the trapdoor would give way and they would find themselves face to face with Tanaka. Kazuo steeled himself and got to his feet, inch by quiet inch, feeling Temperance do the same by his side. He raised the hand holding the knife, ready to strike the moment they were exposed.
Nothing happened.
They heard Tanaka swear loudly and then the yelp of another man, presumably the one wielding the axe who had failed to uncover the secret chamber. ‘Idiot! Incompetent fool.’ Tanaka took out his frustration on the hapless servant although he must know full well it wasn’t the man’s fault that they had failed. ‘We will go and see what news there is from the guards I posted. If they’re not here, then they must have left immediately.’
Their footsteps receded and silence fell on the hiding place once more. Temperance lowered her arm and let out a breath she’d been holding for much too long. She turned to Kazuo and buried her head in his shoulder, shaking with emotion, and he held her without saying a word.
They waited another eternity, but then at last the trapdoor eased open and the welcome smile of Hasuko appeared at the top, almost blinding them.
‘He’s gone,’ she hissed, ‘but I don’t know if he’ll be back. You must leave this instant. Come.’
Temperance clambered out then turned to pull Kazuo up to stand next to her. ‘That was so close,’ she whispered to Hasuko. ‘How come he only broke the floor over there?’ The planking in one corner of the room was completely ruined.
Hasuko smiled. ‘Because usually trapdoors are always hidden under something, as indeed this was when I brought you here, but I moved the barrels so that he would think I was trying to hide something in the corner. He fell for my ruse.’
They followed the older woman back to the kitchen, where they bid her farewell. ‘Sayonara and thank you for everything,’ Kazuo said. ‘I shall not forget.’
Hasuko bowed to him and smiled. ‘It was my honour to serve the son of a great man.’
He could only hope her loyalty would be rewarded one day.
Outside the back door several dark shapes waited in the shadows and Temperance and Kazuo followed them without question. One of them came up to Kazuo and whispered, ‘Can you walk a little? The horse is waiting a few streets away.’
‘I will manage it somehow.’
Temperance could hear that he was talking through clenched teeth, but to her relief Ryo must have noticed as well. He and one of his men immediately fell into step on either side of Kazuo, propping him up whenever necessary.
They traversed the back streets of the pleasure district, where thankfully not many people were about. At length they came to a run-down house on the outskirts of the area, and Ryo led them inside. Temperance wondered if they were to wait here until it was safe to leave through the main gate, but Ryo didn’t stop. Instead he continued to the back of the dwelling, where a man was standing by an open trapdoor in the floor.
‘Another hiding place?’ Temperance asked.
Ryo shook his head. ‘No, a secret passage under the walls and moat that surround Yoshiwara,’ he whispered. ‘Follow me.’
The tunnel was low and narrow, but by hunching over they were able to walk along it easily and soon reached the outside world once more. Another man guarded the opening and signalled that it was safe to emerge. Nearby, a saddled horse stood waiting patiently.
‘This is for you. It looks small,’ Ryo commented, ‘but it’s strong and sturdy enough to carry you both. It won’t let you down.’
‘Thank you, you’ve been a great help.’ Temperance gripped his arm and squeezed it. ‘We will repay you somehow, I promise.’
He shook his head. ‘No need. It was my pleasure to thwart the evil plans of Tanaka. It was my fault you ended up with him in the first place. Now go. Yoshi will show you a way out of Edo where Tanaka’s spies don’t catch sight of you. They are only watching the main routes. We will go and find our own horses and ride a different way, looking furtive, then perhaps some of his men will follow us instead.’
‘Wait, please.’ Kazuo put up a hand to halt them for a moment and bowed low. ‘Ryo-san, I owe you my thanks as well. You and your men will always be welcome in my father’s house, which is currently on one of the smaller islands of the Oki group. Just tell him I sent you and give him this password.’ He bent forward and whispered something in Ryo’s ear.
Ryo nodded and bowed back. ‘Thank you. We might do that one day. The life of a ronin can become a bit wearisome. But hurry now, there is no time to lose.’
Temperance mounted the little horse and someone helped Kazuo up behind her. He put his arms round her waist and leaned his head on her back. She urged the animal into a trot and followed Yoshi, who was on his own horse. She wasn’t an expert rider, but she had ridden before so she knew what to do.
Ryo had been right and Yoshi managed to lead them out of Edo without any trouble. Temperance had been prepared to be challenged by guards as they left the city, but Yoshi took them along narrow streets and somehow avoided being seen. She’d been so sure that Tanaka’s men would be lying in wait near every road, but there was no sign of anyone and to her relief no shout of ‘Halt!’ rang out.
On the outskirts of the city Yoshi stopped. ‘This is where I leave you,’ he said. ‘It’s up to you where you go from here. The less I know about it, the better. Sayonara.’
‘Goodbye and thank you.’ Temperance watched him go, but not for long. Time was of the essence. ‘Which direction should I go?’ she asked Kazuo. They had Edo Bay on their left and she instinctively wanted to head south, the way they’d come, as it was the only road she knew. But it was large and well-travelled and it would be far too easy
for anyone following them to find them.
‘Head south for a little way along this route, then turn off as soon as you see a smaller road and head back north.’
‘Double back you mean?’
‘Yes. There will be men watching, I’m sure, so we have to try and fool them.’
Temperance did as she was told and they passed the first station on the post road quite openly, making sure that they were seen. She rode the horse hard past the tea houses so as to make it seem like she was panicking, but reined him in as soon as they were out of sight. Shortly afterwards, she turned off to the right on a small track that shone white in the moonlight, but after about a hundred yards, Kazuo stopped her.
‘Wait a moment. You must go back and sweep the entrance to this track with branches or something. We can’t leave any hoof prints to lead them to us.’
She dismounted and handed him the reins, then she ran back to where the track met the post road. There were some bushes nearby and she grabbed a handful of branches and walked backwards, all the way to the horse, sweeping the road as she went.
‘Do you really think that will fool them?’ she asked dubiously.
‘Only for tonight, but it might be enough. It will have to be.’
He sounded grim, but determined, and Temperance took her cue from him. She mounted quickly and spurred the horse on at a steady gait, heading north-west towards mountains that could be vaguely seen as dark shapes in the distance. Kazuo slept fitfully behind her and only woke from time to time when she prodded him to make sure she was on the right course. When daylight crept over the horizon, Temperance was exhausted both physically and emotionally, but she knew she had to continue no matter what. They simply couldn’t afford to stop now.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Hasuko was not surprised when Tanaka returned after a short interval. This time she opened the door herself and gave him only a curt bow. Besides mistreating her former master’s son, he had caused a lot of damage to her property and she wasn’t in the mood to humour him. ‘Yes?’ she asked. ‘What is it now?’
‘Get out of my way, you old hag.’ He shoved her roughly against the wall. ‘My guards report that no one has left the city, so they must still be here. You’ve conned me,’
‘Look all you like, you won’t find them,’ she muttered, but if he heard her, he ignored her words.
Once more her house was searched from top to bottom and this time he found the hidden chamber he’d missed previously. He swore and cuffed Hasuko in his rage. ‘I knew you were hiding them. Damn you!’ She glared at him, almost daring him to strike her again, even though she knew it was madness to antagonise him.
‘I told you you wouldn’t find them. They’re gone.’
‘Yes, but gone where?’
‘I’m sure your spies will tell you that, my lord, but I know where I would go if I was a foreign woman.’ She waited for the expected pain as he aimed his fist at her once more, but he was interrupted by the arrival of one of his men.
‘Lord Tanaka, the fugitives have been seen heading south along the post road at great speed. Shall we follow them?’
‘Of course we’re going to follow them, you dolt. Go, go!’ Tanaka turned to cuff Hasuko one last time for good measure. ‘I’ll be back to deal with you later,’ he promised.
‘And I shall lodge a complaint with the city’s officials,’ she retorted. ‘You have ruined my house and you’ll have to pay for repairs.’
He ignored her and set off towards the front door, only to collide with someone who hadn’t had the wits to move quickly enough. ‘Get out of my way, oaf!’
‘Nani?’
Tanaka stopped in his tracks as he registered that the man he had walked into was another foreigner with pale eyes and what looked like yellow hair in the light from the lanterns. ‘What do you want? Foreigners aren’t allowed here,’ he snarled. He looked the man up and down, curling his lip in disgust. Hasuko could see why. Not only was the gai-jin dirty and dishevelled, but he looked like he’d recently been in a brawl and lost. He had one black eye and there was a trail of half dried blood running from his swollen nose and staining his clothing.
The man seemed oblivious to what Tanaka thought about his appearance, however, and turned to his Japanese servant, letting out a torrent of words that the hapless man was obviously supposed to translate. The servant did his best, while glancing fearfully at Tanaka’s scowl.
‘My master is here looking for his wife, a foreign lady with silver hair. He believes she lives here and if she doesn’t return to him of her own free will, he will call out the magistrate.’
‘His wife?’ Tanaka looked thunderstruck, then scowled at the man. ‘What’s your name? Namu?’
‘Haag. Pieter Haag.’
‘And your wife, what is she called?’
‘Temperance … er, Marston. She may not be using my name as she seems hell-bent on running away from me. I have also heard her referred to as just Temi by others.’
Tanaka threw Haag a contemptuous glance. ‘Well, the lady I’m looking for never mentioned having a husband and her name is Shinju, although I suppose that may not be her real one. It’s beside the point, however, she belongs to me now. I paid for her.’
The servant translated quickly for Haag, who blanched and grew angry. ‘You can’t just buy other people’s wives, that’s barbaric! She’s mine, I tell you, and I demand her back.’
‘Can you prove that you are married?’ Tanaka crossed his arms and glared at the foreigner.
‘Well, we haven’t exchanged the actual vows yet, but we are contracted to marry. That is to say—’
‘So she’s not your wife.’
‘Betrothed, if you must be pedantic, but really, we’re as good as married. The laws of my country say that—’
‘Pah! What do I care about your laws? You can’t have her. Anyway, she’s disappeared and I’m about to go after her. There’s not a moment to lose.’
‘Then I will come with you.’
‘I don’t give a damn what you do. Good night.’
Tanaka strode off and after only a slight hesitation the man, Haag, hurried off in his wake. Hasuko was left staring at their retreating backs, shaking her head. ‘Strange, very strange,’ she muttered.
‘That man is evil too.’ Kei came out of the shadows. ‘He tried to abduct Temi-san earlier today, but Ryo saved her. I don’t believe he is her husband at all. Should we do something?’
‘What can we do? Besides, I doubt Tanaka will let him anywhere near Temi. Not a puny foreigner like that. No, she’s safe enough from her so-called husband, but from Tanaka? That’s another matter. All we can do is pray.’
As dawn broke Temperance realised that she had strayed from the track and she was riding cross-country. She tried to rouse Kazuo to ask him what to do, but he only muttered something unintelligible.
‘Kazuo? Speak to me?’ She turned to face him in the growing light, but he wouldn’t open his eyes. She put a hand on his forehead – it was burning hot.
‘Oh, no! Kazuo, you must wake up. Please, don’t do this to me. How am I supposed to get us to safety without your help?’
But she couldn’t make him say anything coherent and she realised that he was delirious. There was only one thing to do. She had to stop and make him take some willow bark. But where would it be safe to rest for a while?
She looked for some time, but couldn’t find anywhere ideal like the overhang where they’d sheltered on their way to Edo. Instead, she had to make do with a thicket next to a fast-running stream, and there she dismounted and managed to slide Kazuo off the horse. It was akin to hefting a sack of turnips to the ground and she grunted with the effort. He was barely conscious and kept muttering words that didn’t make sense. She hurried to tie the horse to the nearest tree and then set to work steeping willow bark in water.
The infusion ought to have been made by boiling the water first, but Temperance didn’t dare start a fire in case someone might see the smoke, so she vigorously s
tirred the powder into cold liquid instead. She had no idea whether it would have as much effect that way, but she could only hope so. Making Kazuo drink it proved almost impossible, however.
‘Kazuo, for heaven’s sake, I need you to help me out!’
But it was like dealing with a recalcitrant toddler who was determined not to swallow the medicine on any account. In the end, Temperance was forced into holding his nose so that he opened his mouth to breathe, then she tipped some of the concoction down his throat. She hoped that at least a small measure slid down inside him, despite his coughing and spluttering.
Once the drink was all gone, she sponged him with cold water for a while and tried to make him drink some of that too. The water was refreshing, so he took a few sips, but no more and Temperance sighed.
‘This is going to be impossible,’ she muttered under her breath.
She knew she couldn’t stay put, however, so she forced herself to eat a few morsels of the food Hasuko’s maid had given her before they left, then drank some water herself and made sure the horse drank his fill. The most difficult part was trying to heave Kazuo back onto the horse, but she managed it in the end by dragging and cajoling him until he co-operated enough for her to push him onto the horse’s rump. She thanked the Lord that it was a small and very patient horse and rewarded the animal with a piece of rice cake before mounting herself. She wasn’t sure horses were meant to eat such things, but this one accepted it readily enough and it was the only thing she had to give him so she hoped it wouldn’t harm him in any way.
With Kazuo in such a state, she couldn’t be sure that he wouldn’t fall off, so she took off both their belts and tied them together to form one long one, which she secured around both of them. It wasn’t ideal, but it was the best she could think of for the moment. She set off once more, making the poor horse wade along the stream for quite a long time in order to throw anyone off their scent in case they had dogs.
She had no choice but to keep going and prayed as hard as she could for assistance from any deity who happened to be listening. There was no doubt about it – she would need divine intervention to evade Tanaka as she was sure he was hot on their heels.
The Jade Lioness Page 23
