He knew that wasn’t true but reckoned these men might not know this.
‘Shut up.’ Someone smacked him on the back of the head, making it ache like the very devil. ‘You can talk later.’
He understood that much and decided that perhaps it was better to save his energy. Hopefully he’d be given an opportunity to put his case and when he did, he would need all his powers of persuasion.
With a bit of luck, the lord of these domains was a more reasonable man than Tanaka. He could hardly be worse.
As they followed slowly behind the cavalcade of men, who had retrieved their own horses a short distance away, Temperance leaned forward to whisper in Kazuo’s ear. ‘Now what do we do? Are these men servants of the lord you were hoping to speak to?’
‘Yes, I recognise the clan motif on their clothing.’
‘But how will you find anything out if they are suspicious right from the very beginning? They’ll soon realise I’m not an albino at all.’
‘We’ll think of something. This may even be to our advantage. Without being captured like this it could have taken me weeks to approach his lordship. This way we might find what we’re looking for much faster.’
He sounded confident and calm, but Temperance still had her doubts. She thought it best not to voice her fears. Instead, she just asked him to tell her what to say if she was questioned.
‘Stick to the truth as much as possible. You are from Nagasaki, you met me when I came south on an errand for the lord I was employed by, we fell in love and I persuaded you to marry me and move north with me. Simple. The rest of the time we have been travelling.’
It sounded easy enough, but Temperance still began to pray. She had a bad feeling about this.
Just before dusk the castle appeared suddenly in front of them as they came out of the forest and looked down upon a large valley below. An impressive sight, it made Temperance gasp with the sheer beauty of its white walls and distinctive roofs, but the menacing power of the central tower, the tenshu, also made her insides clench with fear.
This was it. They had arrived.
Clattering down the hill, the poor tired horse picked up his pace as if scenting the end of his journey at last. It didn’t take long before they were crossing a drawbridge over the wide moat and into the first of many courtyards. Their captor spoke quietly to some of the guards on duty before beckoning for everyone to follow him further into the castle compound. The party passed through several more gates, and across increasingly smaller courtyards, until they came to a halt in front of a large staircase with wide steps leading up to huge double doors covered with hammered bronze decorations. Temperance stared at it with equal measures of awe and fear swirling around inside her.
‘Stay calm,’ Kazuo whispered. ‘All will be well,’ he added, but as if to disprove his words immediately two of their escort grabbed hold of him from either side as soon as he set foot on the ground and began to drag him off in a different direction. ‘Hold on a moment! I demand to see your lord. You can’t just—’
‘Shut your mouth. You’ll get your chance to speak to him soon enough. Now come on.’
The guards began to pull him away once more and although he tried to break free of their grip it proved impossible and he had to give up, at least for the moment. ‘Let my wife come too. It’s my duty to protect her.’
‘That’s for our lord to decide. Now cease arguing and do as you’re told.’
Temperance panicked, suddenly convinced that this was the last time she would ever see him. ‘No! Where are you taking him? I want to go with my husband.’ She jumped off the horse and rushed over to the leader of their captors and shook his arm, but he took no notice. Instead he grabbed her wrist in a painfully hard grip.
‘You are to come with me. His lordship may wish to speak to you as well, but either way, he won’t want to see both of you at the same time. He’ll want the truth.’
‘But we will tell the truth,’ Temperance protested, trying to dig in her heels, which was difficult as the courtyard was paved with smooth stones that left her no grip. ‘Please, just let me stay with my husband.’
‘No. Now be quiet or it will be the worse for you. Come along.’
Temperance felt as if all the air went out of her in one sudden whoosh and she knew then that resistance was futile. They were up against a whole castle full of armed men. What could two people possibly accomplish against such a force? Throwing one final glance in Kazuo’s direction, she saw that he had made the guards halt one last time as well, and they exchanged a look of longing and despair. Regret for what might have been swamped her mind and Temperance’s eyes filled with tears.
Was that to be her last ever glimpse of him?
Temperance was taken to a guardroom which, although reasonably clean, was ingrained with the smell of hard working men and also somewhat damp. A single brazier stood in one corner, but it wasn’t enough to heat the entire room. As Temperance was led to a bench in the opposite corner, she felt only the chill of the wood beneath her and the dank walls at her back.
‘Stay there,’ the man commanded, then went to give orders to the two other men whose duty it obviously was to guard her. She didn’t hear his words, but it made no difference. Nothing mattered any longer.
She pulled her legs up and curled into a ball of misery, shivering from a combination of cold, fear and sheer exhaustion. The last few weeks had taken their toll on her and she had very little resistance left to whatever fate chose to throw at her, least of all any more setbacks. That morning she’d been so happy after their wonderful night together. She had felt like Kazuo’s wife in every sense except for trifling legal details and perhaps eventually the blessing of the church if he agreed, but now her dreams were all shattered. She stared reality in the face.
She and Kazuo had no future. It was as simple as that.
She had no idea how long she remained in the little room. At one point she was offered something to eat and she accepted it automatically, although she didn’t register what it was that she ate. Her mind was turned inwards, treasuring the memories of the night before, storing them up as a shield against the unpleasantness to come. She had no illusions as to her fate now. Somehow she or Kazuo would be made to tell the lord exactly what they were doing there and then that would be it.
‘What’s your name?’
Temperance vaguely registered that someone was speaking to her, but she had dozed off by this time and didn’t hear the words. The person shook her shoulder. ‘Your name?’ he repeated, slightly more forcefully.
‘Name? I’m Temi,’ she muttered. ‘Kanto Temi desu.’ She and Kazuo had decided to use the surname Kanto if anyone should ask, as they dared not use his real name.
‘Very well, Kanto-san, come with me. His lordship wishes to speak with you in person.’
‘Really?’ Temperance blinked, suddenly awake. She wondered if the man simply meant that his lordship wanted to be present while she was being interrogated, but as she followed the guard along corridors that grew increasingly opulent she concluded that might not be the case. Surely a daimyo didn’t torture people in his private quarters? She frowned.
The walk seemed endless and they didn’t meet anyone apart from the odd guard, stationed at strategic points where corridors met or where there were outside doors set into the walls. It was almost eerily quiet and Temperance realised that it must be very late at night. Thick candles on tall stands were positioned at intervals along their route and the flames flickered as they walked past, but nothing else stirred.
As they continued on, Temperance began to take in her surroundings. When she compared them mentally to Tanaka’s residence, she noticed that this place was both older and less ostentatious, but still much more elegant in an understated way. There were none of the effusive paintings that had adorned Tanaka’s house everywhere, nor as much gold leaf and hammered bronze. Instead there were delicate painted silk screens, spaced out so as to draw the eye, and wooden carvings decorated with just enough
gilt or bronze to highlight the exquisite workmanship. Temperance came to the conclusion that whoever owned this castle had far more discernment and taste than the boorish Tanaka, who obviously just wanted to draw attention to his high status with vulgar displays.
At long last the guard stopped outside beautifully painted screen doors and knocked softly. Temperance was ushered in and, just before announcing her name, he pushed her to her knees right inside the door. Her time with Tanaka had taught her to do this without being asked, so she didn’t protest, only shook off the man’s hand surreptitiously. She bent her head down as low as she could without actually touching the tatami mat beneath her and hoped his lordship hadn’t seen the slight tussle. Breathing in the fresh scent of the mat, she knew without seeing that it was fairly new, and it felt soft and springy under her legs as well. She tried to calm her breathing and concentrated on the summery fragrance.
‘Dozo, irrashaimase. Come and sit over here where I can see you.’ A low-pitched voice, calm and measured, rang out and Temperance raised her eyes to look at her host.
He was dressed all in black and at first Temperance found it difficult to make out his shape in the fairly dim light cast by a few lanterns scattered around the room. As her eyes adjusted, however, she could see that he wasn’t as old as she had expected. Perhaps in his mid to late thirties as his body appeared to be well honed under the layers of clothing. Something about him made her think of a large sleek cat, its latent power only visible when intent on pouncing, but he exuded no immediate menace and she felt at ease for the moment.
He had an air of neatness about him, as if he liked everything to be just so, and although his clothing looked sombre she could see that the silk was sumptuous. It shone with the same lustre as his dark hair, which had been expertly bound into the customary topknot so that not a wayward strand escaped. His expression was bland, his features unremarkable, albeit even and not unattractive, but her gaze was drawn to his eyes, which were fixed on her with interest.
‘Here, sit.’ He indicated a large, crimson silk cushion not too far from the small dais where he sat, his back ramrod straight and his hands folded neatly in his lap. She did as she had been asked and shuffled forward to kneel on it. He nodded as if pleased that she had obeyed, then looked her over before speaking again.
‘I have been told that you are an albino, Kanto-san. Would you be so kind as to remove your head gear? I wish to see the colour of your hair. Just out of curiosity, you understand. I mean you no harm.’
The words reassured Temperance a little, although she didn’t know if he was telling the truth. He looked sincere enough, but looks could be deceptive. In any case, she took off her hat then unwound the scarf from around her head. Her hair tumbled out, a silver cascade down her back. It had grown during the last two months and most of it was in a tangle after being confined for so long. She thought it probably wasn’t too clean, but didn’t really care.
‘My lord.’ She bowed to him to show that she’d done his bidding.
His lordship regarded her for a long time, but made no further comments about her looks. Briskly, he asked her some questions, firing them off at a rapid rate.
‘Where have you come from?’
‘Nagasaki.’
‘What is your business in this part of the country?’
‘My husband and I had decided to move north.’ Temperance related the story she and Kazuo had concocted, then fell silent, waiting with trepidation to see what would happen next.
His lordship sighed, then chuckled, a sound that made Temperance raise her eyes to stare at him in astonishment. What could possibly amuse him about her tale? He shook his head, as if in exasperation.
‘You will have to forgive me.’ He tried to compose his features, but she could still see mirth twinkling in his eyes. ‘I’m afraid you lie no better than any of your countrymen and I can’t help but find it amusing.’
‘My … my countrymen?’ Icy slivers of fear shot through her once more. He knew.
‘Kanto-san, I may live far from the rest of the country, but that doesn’t mean I don’t travel and I’m not an imbecile. I go to both Edo and Nagasaki regularly and I have met gai-jin before. None so pretty or quite so fair-haired, I’ll admit, but nevertheless similar. You may be able to fool simple peasants, but not me I’m afraid.’
Temperance was silent while this unwelcome news sank in and she tried to think of some way of turning his knowledge to her advantage. Nothing came to mind and she grasped at straws. ‘Well, as I’m married to a Japanese man, doesn’t that make me a citizen of your country now?’ she asked.
‘As to that, I have no idea. I don’t believe the Shogun has changed his mind yet about wanting to be rid of all foreigners, but I may be wrong.’
Temperance hung her head, feeling even more defeated than before. She was just about to ask him what he planned to do with her, when there was a knock on the door.
‘Enter.’
The leader of the group of men who had brought Temperance and Kazuo to the castle came into the room and bowed low. ‘Forgive the interruption, my lord, but the foreigner we captured this morning claims to have information that will aid your interrogation of this lady.’ He glanced at Temperance, his eyes widening slightly as he took in her dishevelled blonde hair. ‘I thought it best to tell you.’ He bowed again to his master.
‘Thank you, Watanabe-san. Perhaps you had better bring him in so that we may hear what he has to say. Does he speak our language?’
‘No, my lord, but we captured his interpreter as well and the man has agreed to help in exchange for a small remuneration.’
‘Good. Show them in then.’
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Temperance’s spirits sank even lower as she watched Haag being ushered into the room. He was looking very pale and wan, his clothing dirty, torn and bloodstained. Temperance saw him wincing from time to time as if he was in pain, but he still sent her a look that promised retribution for all the inconvenience and frustration he obviously felt she had caused him. She suppressed a sudden urge to shudder. He groaned loudly and protested as his escort pushed his head down onto the floor and growled, ‘Bow to his lordship, gai-jin.’
‘Mind my head! It hurts.’ But the guard ignored him and Haag reluctantly did as he was told, then straightened up and shook off the man’s hands. He remained kneeling on the floor, but sat up straight to look at the lord of the castle, then began to speak before he had been invited to do so. The translator, who had sidled into the room behind the others, started to translate his words as fast as he could.
‘My lord,’ Haag began, ‘I thought you ought to know that this woman is not an albino as she claims, but a foreigner like myself. We hail from the island of Dejima, where we are part of a Dutch trading contingent. She is, in fact, my betrothed, but she ran away with the man she currently claims as her husband and has led me a merry dance all over your country.’
‘Is that so?’
Temperance glanced at the lord, whose voice had a distinctly frosty tone as if he didn’t believe a word of Haag’s story. She wondered why that should be. Haag sounded eminently truthful to her, possibly because he must believe his tale himself by now. She could see an almost insane hunger for her in his eyes whenever he glanced her way and his need to justify his obsession had obviously overridden his common sense.
‘Yes, my lord. And what’s more, I know where they were heading.’
‘Really? And where was that?’
‘To someone called Lord Ebisu. Lord Tanaka, with whom I was travelling for a while, said that the man had presented him with a letter of reference from Lord Ebisu when he came to ask for employment on Tanaka-san’s estate. Therefore, he must be a friend of his.’
The lord of the castle was silent for a while, as if deep in thought. Finally he said, ‘Do you have any proof of your betrothal to this woman?’
‘Proof? Er, yes, yes of course. Well, not with me, naturally.’
‘Why not? I would have thought
that if you were following on her trail, trying to have her returned to you, you should have brought some proof of your claims. And as far as I know, you’re not allowed to roam this country without express permission from the Shogun. I should know, as I am one of his chief advisers. Do you have such permission?’
Haag blanched and began to stammer. ‘I … it was, I mean, it all happened rather suddenly. I didn’t know where she’d gone and thought her lost, but then I happened to run into her in Edo and naturally I had to follow her. I couldn’t just let her go. And … and then I was, er, coerced by Tanaka-san into going with him. He said he had the authority to keep me at his side.’
The lord turned to Temperance, who had remained quiet during this exchange since she saw no point in arguing with Haag in front of their captor. ‘And what have you to say to these allegations, hmm?’
‘I utterly refute them, every last word, my lord. I am not betrothed to this man, nor would I marry him if he was the last man on earth. He has no rights over me whatsoever. He has tried to force me into marriage with him several times, but without success and this is his way of wreaking revenge on me. He has a twisted and devious mind, in my opinion.’
‘I see. And were you on your way to Lord Ebisu?’
‘I have no idea who he is and have never even heard the name. We had no fixed destination for our journey as far as I know.’
‘She is lying!’ Haag snarled, as soon as the interpreter had relayed Temperance’s words. He tried to lunge towards her, his fist at the ready. The interpreter managed to restrain his master and reluctantly translated for him again then shrugged, as if distancing himself from this madman and his beliefs. ‘She is simply frightened of facing me and the other foreigners because she knows she’ll be punished for what she did,’ Haag added, while the guard in his turn grabbed him from behind to further control him.
‘Do you wish me to remove him from here, my lord?’ the guard asked.
The Jade Lioness Page 28
