‘My name is Daisuke and no thanks are necessary. If I have saved two lives, then I am content. Speaking of which, how is the patient?’
‘Much better. The fever is gone and although he’s still weak, there is nothing wrong with his brain. Come and see for yourself.’
Together they mounted the steps and walked into the back room. Temperance performed the introductions and when Kazuo struggled to stand up to greet the monk, the latter put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down. ‘No, please, don’t get up on my account. I will sit next to you instead.’
He repeated his tale for Kazuo’s benefit and was thanked once more. ‘I will see that my father rewards you if at all possible,’ Kazuo said. ‘Your help has been invaluable.’
‘Oh, I want nothing for myself, but if you really want to do something, then perhaps you could ask him to restore this temple to its former glory? It’s such a shame it has fallen into disuse.’
‘I agree.’ Temperance nodded. ‘It must have been lovely once.’
‘Then that is what I will do,’ Kazuo agreed.
‘Good. Now how about some fresh food?’ the monk asked. ‘I bought some in the last village I passed through.’
The monk chose to spend the night sitting in the balcony room, deep in contemplation of all that had just come to pass. His presence reassured Temperance so that she was able to sleep deeply all night. She woke feeling much refreshed and after checking on Kazuo, she packed up their few belongings and made everything ready for their departure.
‘I hope we will meet again one day, Daisuke-san,’ she said to the monk when he came to help her with the horse.
‘If not in this life, then in the next,’ he replied. Temperance knew he didn’t mean in heaven, but she let this pass. She respected the fact that he had different beliefs and felt certain that somehow she would meet him again. Such a good person would surely be rewarded by God whether he was a Christian or not. His actions were certainly those of a deeply honourable and compassionate man.
Kazuo was able to hobble slowly down the steps, with the help of the monk who was surprisingly strong. Temperance could see that it pained Kazuo to mount the horse, but his jaw was set with determination and she didn’t say anything. It would have been better if they could have rested one more day, but she knew that he was dead set against this.
‘Time is of the essence,’ he’d insisted, and she had to admit that the thought of fleeing as far away as possible from the evil Tanaka was a comforting one.
‘Sayonara!’ the monk called after them as they rode slowly down the hill. They waved for as long as they could see him, but soon they were swallowed up by the mighty forest and his tiny figure disappeared from view.
For days they travelled north, then north-west, passing through great cool groves of cedar, across fertile valleys, around the rim of freezing cold lakes and skirting great mountains. Emerging from dense woodland they would suddenly come upon the glorious sight of a high waterfall, thundering down a mountainside, its damp spray chilling them as it hovered in the air in the shape of misty clouds. Or a still pool in the middle of an emerald grove, so calm as to be almost unreal.
‘This is breathtakingly beautiful,’ Temperance marvelled, and Kazuo agreed. Such reminders of the beauty of nature only made them feel even more grateful to be alive, and for her part Temperance couldn’t regret having made the decision to stay with Kazuo. She may have lost the opportunity to return to her family, but it made no difference – she was with the person she loved and for now they were safe.
At first they had to stop frequently to allow Kazuo to rest, but as the days went by his strength began to return and he was able to ride for longer periods each day. He still had a limp whenever he tried to walk, but he practised for a while each evening in order to strengthen his leg. Temperance’s heart soared every time she looked at him and she thought she saw an answering glimmer in his eyes. To her chagrin he had reverted to his previous rule of sleeping back to back with her though and didn’t attempt any more kisses. She wondered if he had only done so out of gratitude that first night, but she sensed that he’d undergone some sort of change and that he was battling with himself as to what he should do.
She decided to give him time to think it over. She knew her own heart and it belonged firmly to Kazuo, but she wanted him to feel the same before she handed it over unconditionally.
‘There’s been no trace of them for two days now. That peasant boy must have been lying.’
Tanaka paced the floor of the inn he and his men had taken shelter in during a sudden rainstorm, feeling as ready to burst as the thunderclouds they had just escaped. His men tried to make themselves invisible, huddling in the corners, speaking in hushed voices, and he noted that no one dared reply to his comments. His gaze swept round the room searching for inspiration, and alighted instead on the foreigner, who was slumped on a bench near the window. He was a sorry sight after the recent beating Tanaka had administered. But despite the numerous bruises that ought to have reminded him of the folly of crossing such a powerful man, the gai-jin stared back almost insolently now, a half-smile of derision playing on his lips.
‘And what is it you find so amusing?’ Tanaka demanded, marching up to stand in front of Haag with his hands fisted at his side, ready to inflict more damage at a moment’s notice. He knew it wouldn’t take much to ignite his fuse right now and he would welcome the opportunity to beat the fool to a pulp once more. ‘You think it’s funny that my concubine is roaming this country with a thief whose company she apparently prefers to that of her master or the man she is supposedly betrothed to?’
The translator, who was sitting nearby, quickly told Haag what Tanaka had said, but the foreigner continued to smirk.
‘What I’m enjoying is the sight of such a great man being led a merry dance by a mere woman, even if she is a cut above the rest.’ The translator looked aghast at Haag’s words and stammered out a shortened version, obviously not daring to render them in full. ‘Besides,’ Haag added, ‘I know where she’s gone.’
‘Nani?’ Tanaka moved forward until he was towering over Haag, but the latter kept calm, as if sensing he had the upper hand for once. ‘You will tell me at once.’
‘Why should I do that? You’ve treated me disgracefully so far. I don’t owe you anything.’
Tanaka raised a fist and had the satisfaction of seeing Haag flinch ever so slightly. ‘You will tell me what you know because if you don’t you will never speak again. Is that clear enough?’
Haag blanched, but hung on to his composure somehow. He glared at Tanaka. ‘If I tell you, will you promise to return me safely to Edo after we find the fugitives?’
Tanaka lost what little patience he had left and grabbed Haag around the neck with both hands. ‘I will promise you nothing other than that you may live, cretin,’ he snarled. ‘Now spit it out or else …’ He shook his victim as if he were a sack of rice and although Haag tried to fight back at first, his bravado deserted him completely when Tanaka tightened the grip around his windpipe and began to squeeze.
‘No! Let me go!’ Haag tried to prise away the strong fingers clamped round his throat, but rage lent Tanaka additional force. Swearing under his breath, Tanaka banged Haag’s head against the wall behind him.
‘Where. Have. They. Gone?’ Each word was emphasised by the satisfying thump of skull on wood.
‘All right, all right.’ Haag’s teeth were beginning to rattle audibly. ‘North,’ he gasped. ‘They must’ve gone north.’ Tanaka let go at last and stood panting in front of the infuriating gai-jin while Haag put his hands up to massage his sore neck.
‘Why on earth would they go north? It’s getting colder by the day and if they’re hoping to find help from other foreigners it’s completely the wrong way.’
‘Ah, but they’re not seeking help from foreigners. I think they know someone who lives in northern Japan. The Chief Factor of the Dutch has a concubine whose relative is secretly helping in the search for the
woman. I can’t recall his name at the moment but I know they said he lived up north. And Temperance was very friendly with that concubine so she’s bound to have heard all about the lady’s relatives and where they live.’
Tanaka hit himself on the forehead. ‘Of course, Lord Ebisu! Why didn’t I think of that? Isn’t that the name?’
Haag shrugged. ‘Could be. As I said, I don’t know.’
‘It must be. The thief had a letter of reference from the old man when he first sought employment in my household. No doubt he’ll seek shelter with him. Hah! That will avail him nothing. Old Ebisu is mortally afraid of me and he’ll hand them over without the slightest protest. Excellent, let’s be off then. Make haste everyone, we’re going north.’ The day seemed suddenly brighter and he strode off towards the door.
‘But, my lord, the rain …?’ one retainer protested without thinking.
Tanaka cuffed him hard. ‘What’s a little rain? Now cease your whining and saddle the horses.’
‘I’m coming too. She’s my woman.’ Haag stood up, swaying slightly.
Tanaka threw him a pitying glance. ‘Go where you like. I don’t care. And whether she’s your woman or not, I paid for her, so if you want her back when I’ve finished with her, you’ll have to pay me a ransom. That’s if she agrees to return to you at all.’ He chuckled. ‘She doesn’t seem very keen to be reunited with you and if she has even half the brains you credit her with, she’ll stay in my household for good.’
Haag glared after Tanaka’s retreating back. The man was a complete maniac. In fact, he was inhuman and the sooner they found Temperance, the better. The moment they did, Haag vowed to put a knife in the mean bastard’s back. If he thought he was giving up his woman to someone like that, he was much mistaken. He’d rather see her dead.
Not that it wouldn’t be what the idiotic girl deserved, to be punished by Tanaka, but if anyone was going to make her pay, it was Haag. He felt he’d earned that right after all he’d been through. And he still wanted her, even if she was soiled goods, because the hunger inside him must be appeased. The dreams of her had only intensified with time and he constantly woke with his body on fire with lust. He’d damn well have her for as many times as it took to put that fire out.
Tanaka may have the upper hand for now, but Haag would find a way to defeat him, by fair means or foul. At the moment he needed the man to help find the fugitives, but as soon as that happened, his usefulness would be at an end.
He just had to be patient a little while longer.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The journey seemed endless and turned into a blur of impressions while the horse plodded steadily onwards, but Kazuo knew he had to continue or his mission would have failed completely. He couldn’t risk Tanaka sending a message to the third lord, if indeed they were co-conspirators. His only chance was to reach the man first and see whether he could find any evidence of guilt.
When he had first woken up in the temple to find that Temi was still with him and had in fact saved his life instead of returning to her family, he’d experienced a mixture of emotions. Foremost of these was a sense of fate or inevitability. No matter what he did, it seemed the two of them were destined to remain together. And as he had to acknowledge that that was his own wish, were he given a choice, it wasn’t difficult to accept. Now that he knew this was so, he felt calmer. He was also more sure of where his future lay, should he succeed in clearing his father’s name.
If he failed, however, there would be no future for either of them.
‘Are you warm enough?’ He looked over his shoulder to where Temi was sitting on the horse’s rump, lightly holding onto Kazuo’s waist but lost in thought.
‘Hmm? Oh, yes, thank you. I’m fine. And you? Would you like me to guide the horse for a while?’
They had been taking turns so that the person on the back could close their eyes and doze a little if they wished and thereby save energy. However, Kazuo found that after a week and a half of travelling, his strength was returning at last and he no longer needed as much rest. ‘No, I’m not tired.’
The weather had grown colder the further north they came, and Kazuo had had to stop at a small village to buy them warm, padded jackets and some more blankets. The villagers had been only too happy to part with these items in exchange for silver, and for a slightly larger sum had sworn not to mention having seen the two strangers should anyone enquire. Kazuo had his doubts as to whether they would keep this promise, but there hadn’t been any signs of pursuit so far and he could only hope that Tanaka had at last given up. Surely the man must have better things to do than hunt for two fugitives, no matter how much it galled him?
Thinking out loud, he said, ‘It was a good thing Tanaka never thought to question me as to the real reason why I requested employment with him. I’m sure he would have thought of that sooner or later, but you managed to rescue me in time.’
‘Did he only ask you about me then, during your, uhm, interrogation?’
‘Yes. Being the sort of man he is I don’t think he could stomach losing any part of his property, be it human or otherwise, in such a way. He seemed intent on getting you back, probably to punish you severely before casting you aside.’ He felt Temi shudder behind him.
‘Hateful man,’ she muttered. ‘To think I had almost talked myself into believing that I could give myself to him without a fight.’
‘Really?’
‘Well, yes, what choice did I have? But when it came down to it, I simply couldn’t do it. I was just about to fight back when that messenger arrived to tell him about his wife’s infidelity. I’ve never been so relieved in all my life.’
‘It was fate yet again,’ Kazuo mused.
‘Fate?’
‘Yes. It wasn’t your destiny to be Tanaka’s concubine.’
‘Perhaps it’s not my fate to be anyone’s mistress or wife.’
Temi sounded so forlorn that Kazuo twisted in the saddle to look at her. ‘Nani? What’s this? Self-pity from the bravest woman I’ve ever come across? Surely not?’ He smiled at her and she reluctantly smiled back.
‘I’m not at all brave.’
‘Yes, you are. Don’t argue with your liege-lord.’ He was still smiling to show that he was joking.
‘My what? You’re not my lord anything.’ Playfully she hit him on the shoulder, only to put a hand over her mouth as he grunted. ‘Oh, sorry! I forgot again. You seem so much like your normal self now it’s hard to remember the bruises are still there.’
‘It’s all right. I’ll live.’
Without warning they came upon a clearing in the forest where a small waterfall tumbled into a dark pool. It seemed like a magical place and Kazuo stopped the horse to sit in silent contemplation of the beauty around them for a moment. Then, making up his mind to do what he’d been wanting to do for days, he jumped off the horse and held out his hand to Temi. ‘Come, let us stop here for a moment.’
‘But, do we have time?’
‘Not really, but there’s something I want to ask you.’
Looking intrigued, Temi followed him to an old tree trunk near the mysterious pool and didn’t protest when he pulled her down to sit there. ‘This is incredibly peaceful,’ she commented, staring at a tiny rainbow shining in the midst of the spray from the waterfall. ‘Like something out of a fairy tale.’ All was quiet, apart from the occasional chirp from a bird and the gurgling of the water.
Kazuo nodded, but didn’t reply. He was silent for a moment longer, then asked, ‘Temi, would you like me to be your lord?’
Temperance turned to frown at him slightly. ‘For me to be your vassal, you mean? I don’t think I could. The Shogun would never let me stay in Japan.’
‘I meant as my wife.’
Temi gasped and blinked in surprise. ‘Your wife? But, how could I? I mean, I’m a gai-jin, you’re a ronin … we’d never be allowed …’
When he looked at her again, she was shaking her head and her eyes were suspiciously shiny, as if she was tryi
ng to hold back tears. He didn’t know if they were tears of happiness or sadness, but she was clearly lost for words. He leaned forward and kissed her on the mouth to silence any more protests. ‘If it’s what you want too, we’ll find a way, don’t worry. If not in Japan, then somewhere else.’
‘Are you serious? You truly want to marry me?’
‘There’s nothing I would like more. As long as you want me, that is?’
‘Yes, yes, of course I do.’ Her eyes shone at him, making him feel as though he was drowning in the clear blue therein, and she smiled broadly. She wrapped her arms around him more closely and squeezed hard. ‘I just can’t believe you would go against all your family’s expectations. Aren’t you the eldest son?’
‘Yes, but I have brothers. My father is a wise man. He’ll not deny me anything if I succeed in my quest.’
‘Ah, yes, the quest …’ Temi’s mood became instantly more sombre. ‘And if you don’t succeed?’
‘Then I’ll be dead, so it won’t matter. We’ve made a pact. Our spirits will be together now whatever happens.’
Temi didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t say anything else.
That night they found a cave to sleep in and made themselves as comfortable as they could, fashioning a single bed out of moss, blankets and clothing in order to keep warm. When Kazuo lay down with his back towards her as usual, Temperance thought about their earlier conversation and came to a decision. She put a hand on his shoulder. ‘Kazuo?’
‘Yes?’ He half turned towards her, but instead of replying she leaned over and kissed him.
It started as a mere touch of mouth on soft mouth, like the kind of kiss they’d shared in the temple when Kazuo was too weak to do anything else. But now he was feeling better, it was no longer enough for her. She wanted more and instinctively she deepened the kiss and caressed the nape of his neck, pulling him closer in the process.
‘Temi, are you sure—?’ he began, when they had to pause for breath, but she put a finger across his mouth and shushed him.
The Jade Lioness Page 26
