The Gilded Fan (Choc Lit)

by Courtenay, Christina

  The muted conversation was interrupted by some newcomers on the scene, a group of men seemingly on their way home from a night on the town.

  ‘What’s going on here? Can we help?’ one of them shouted.

  ‘Yes, we’ll do our civic duty,’ called out another, or at least that’s what Nico had been told he’d say. Kumashiro had prepared him so that he’d know if things were going wrong. He pretended he wasn’t paying attention, but he listened closely and picked up the words which told him the conversation was going mostly as Kumashiro had planned.

  ‘It is none of your concern,’ the head guard replied haughtily, but his fellow officer whispered something in his ear which made him look at Nico again and mutter, ‘Hmm.’

  ‘Is the stupid foreigner bothering you?’ the civilian persisted. ‘Shall we throw him in the harbour for you?’ His companions erupted into loud guffaws, shouting agreement.

  ‘Yes, yes, let’s dunk him, serve him right. They are too full of themselves, these gai-jin.’

  ‘No, thank you. He is to be arrested. I have the matter in hand.’

  Loud protests followed by the civilians. ‘No, surely not!’

  ‘He’s probably just lost, didn’t mean any harm.’

  ‘Yes, look at the state of him!’

  ‘We’ve all been there, a bit too much sake and before you know it …’

  The second officer again whispered something to his superior and Nico wanted to shake the man. His nerves were stretched to breaking point; this was all taking too long and he wished himself a hundred miles away.

  ‘Very well, I will let him go,’ the man said at last. ‘Perhaps you could take him back to where he came from? I can spare you a small escort in case he becomes troublesome, but most of my men are needed here at this time.’

  ‘Back to where?’ The civilian peered at the guard, as if he didn’t quite understand.

  ‘To the island of Dejima, of course,’ the man snarled. ‘Take him to the gate there and tell the fool of a guard on duty that next time he lets one of these idiots on to the mainland, he’s a dead man.’

  ‘Oh, I see. Very well, we can do that, can’t we?’ The civilian looked at his friends, who all nodded. Two of them came forward and took Nico by the arms, dragging him along.

  ‘Come, it’s time for bed. Bed, understand?’

  ‘I want sake.’ Nico frowned petulantly and dragged his feet. ‘More sake!’

  ‘Yes, yes, we’ll find you some, now come along.’

  The man waved away the guards, saying, ‘We’ll be all right, we don’t need help. It’s only one man, and a foreigner at that, we can manage.’

  ‘Very well. Thank you.’ Everyone bowed politely, including Nico whose head was unceremoniously pushed downwards by one of his new friends. The prison guards then began to disappear into their compound once again, like ants into a nest. The drunken party wended its way along the street and turned a corner. Out of sight of the prison they all began to run as if the hounds of hell were after them, and they didn’t stop until they reached the very darkest part of the harbour.

  At first, sunk in misery, Midori barely resisted the pull on her arms and didn’t look to see where she was being taken. She assumed she was to be tortured, and it didn’t matter where that was to take place. All she could pray for now was that they would kill her by mistake. Better that than …

  Her mind suddenly rebelled and a steely resolve spread through her, taking her by surprise. No, I don’t want to die! And she most certainly didn’t want to be tortured. It’s up to me to do something about it. Acting on impulse, she hurled herself at the guard on her right, taking him by surprise. She flung her arms round his neck from behind so the rope her wrists were tied with cut off his air supply. She crossed her hands behind his head, making the improvised garrotte squeeze him with all her might, her strength born of desperation and fear. Exhilaration flowed through her. She was in charge of her own destiny again and it felt good.

  ‘Chikusho!’ She shouted out her father’s favourite curse.

  She thanked the gods she was still wearing hakama and not hampered by a kimono. With her legs wrapped round his waist the man was hard put to stay upright, never mind shake her off. He struggled to pull her hands and the deadly rope away from his windpipe. In his frantic attempts to dislodge her, he swivelled from side to side. This protected Midori to a certain extent from attack by the other guard, who was trying to lunge at her. She kicked out several times, aiming for the second man’s most vulnerable parts, and had the satisfaction of hearing him grunt.

  The guard whose back she was clinging to suddenly charged backwards and slammed her into the wall, knocking the air out of her lungs and dealing her head a heavy blow against a door post. She blinked to clear her vision and gasped for breath, but didn’t loosen her hold on the man’s throat. She could feel him panicking now, then weakening, and prayed he would die quickly.

  As he fell to the ground at last, however, the other guard pounced on her and she wasn’t quite fast enough to escape his vice-like grip. His face was a contorted mask of fury only inches away from hers and he snarled, ‘Get up,’ and yanked her to her feet. She tried to resist, kicking out at him again, but this time he was ready for her. ‘Oh, no you don’t, you little ama!’

  He grabbed her by the hair, while he kicked at the lifeless form of his comrade to check whether he was dead. ‘You’ll pay for this, just you wait.’ With a vicious yank, he lifted her up and threw her over one shoulder, knocking the air out of her again. Despair flooded Midori’s brain and all the fight went out of her as suddenly as it had come. I have failed.

  A small rustling noise to one side penetrated the fog of despondency. In the next instant the man carrying her lost his grip on her and she fell to the ground, jarring her shoulder painfully. Looking up, she saw him staring at her strangely, before making a gurgling noise. He slumped to the ground, but a black-clad figure caught him from behind to stop any sound. Midori’s breath stuck in her throat and she watched the attacker remove a knife from the guard’s thick neck. Her rescuer had eyes that Midori would have recognised anywhere.

  ‘Ichiro!’ She mouthed his name, but no sound escaped her.

  ‘Come,’ he breathed next to her ear. ‘There is not a moment to lose.’

  Her heart, which had been doing somersaults, returned to its normal position, and she moved with lightning speed. She followed the hand that tugged her along and whipped her through a nearby door before anyone else came.

  Several sombre shadows followed them. Others detached themselves from obscure corners of the courtyard to run in silent procession towards freedom. There was no time to look around as, with calm efficiency and speed, the shadowy men all climbed a blackened rope ladder slung over one wall. There didn’t seem to be any guards on duty here, but Midori didn’t have time to wonder about it. When her turn came, she climbed as fast as she could, helped by someone pulling her from above and hands pushing from below. At any moment she expected to hear a cry go up as her absence was noted, but nothing happened. There was the sound of people talking and laughing in the distance, but no alarm raised.

  On the other side of the wall a palanquin waited, as dark as all her rescuers and barely visible. She almost dove into it head first and it started to move immediately. Someone running on either side pulled down the flaps to leave her in darkness. Jolted along like that, Midori should have felt sick, but she didn’t. Instead, jubilation swelled through her and she breathed in the slightly stale air inside the conveyance, which, compared to the odours of the prison, was like perfume to her senses.

  Ichiro had rescued her and she would be forever grateful to him.

  By the time she was allowed out of the palanquin her brother was waiting near the shore, dressed in clothing identical to that worn by his men. They all blended into their surroundings and only his voice gave away hi
s exact position. ‘Are you hurt?’ he asked, an anxious note in his voice which she had seldom heard.

  ‘No, I just feel indescribably dirty.’ She felt for his hands in the darkness and gripped them tight once she found them. ‘I can’t thank you enough. It was … You have no idea what … They were just about to …’

  ‘I know. Don’t think of it now, it’s over. You did very well to kill one man, it helped us to rescue you more quickly. There is very little time, we must make haste out to the ship. The captain awaits us. And remember, don’t show yourself until well after the ship has left in case there are other vessels around.’

  ‘I promise. But Ichiro, you must take care, too. There is a traitor in our midst.’ She told him quickly about the cross and Ichiro swore when she brought it out of her sleeve to show him.

  ‘I knew it. Don’t worry, I’ll get to the bottom of this, never fear.’

  Just at that moment, the moon came out and Midori caught sight of a pale face which stuck out briefly from behind a nearby tree, then disappeared almost as quickly. It happened so fast, at first she wasn’t sure she had really seen anything. Then a memory flashed through her brain and she suddenly knew without a doubt who the traitor was. Fury threatened to choke her, but she quelled it and instead pretended to stumble. When Ichiro caught her, she whispered to him urgently.

  Ichiro set off towards the tree straight away and whoever had been hiding behind it burst out of the cover and ran for his life, thereby proving his guilt. The other men had by now realised something was going on, and followed their master, converging on the fleeing individual from different angles. The traitor didn’t stand a chance and, in the end, he was lucky to end his life swiftly with a knife between his shoulder blades. It was far too lenient a fate for such as him.

  Midori waited by the shore and when Ichiro returned, panting slightly, she asked, ‘Was I right?’

  He nodded. ‘Yes, Satoshi is dead. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed him capable of such treachery. That will teach me not to trust so easily in future. Thank you, you have no doubt saved me a lot of aggravation.’

  ‘I’m glad.’

  It was time to go. She was led down to the shore, where a tiny rowing boat waited. Ichiro took her hand to steady her, then jumped in swiftly behind her.

  ‘Are you sure you should come?’ Midori whispered.

  ‘Yes, I want to see you settled.’

  ‘But it’s too dangerous. Someone might see you.’

  ‘If they do, they’ll be dead soon after.’ He nodded towards the shore, where dark shadows moved into position behind trees and boulders. If anyone else had followed them, they would be dealt with ruthlessly.

  To Midori’s surprise they all bowed low to her as a gesture of farewell. She understood that they were honouring her, the daimyo’s gai-jin sister, and this was totally unexpected. She was deeply touched and, with equal respect, bowed back. She owed them her life.

  The enormous ship lay anchored in the middle of the bay and, as they rowed out across the dark water, it rose before them until Midori felt completely dwarfed. It was moving slowly up and down with the almost non-existent waves. For a moment Midori felt like turning round and running as fast as she could, away from this hulking monster, but she took a deep breath and composed herself. No matter how terrifying her journey would be, surely it couldn’t be worse than what she had just escaped from?

  The smell of salt water mixed with the acrid stench of tar and there was a tang of wet wood hanging in the air, as well. A few lanterns were dotted around the deck, but the ship was in darkness for the most part. It was also strangely silent as they climbed a long rope ladder to reach the top. Midori jumped down on to the deck, then waited for Ichiro to join her.

  ‘Where is everyone?’ She looked around with interest. This ship wasn’t like anything she’d ever seen before – it was big and unwieldy, with a seemingly well-scrubbed deck and huge, folded sails. Ropes as thick as her arms lay coiled in neat heaps at intervals and above her the many masts reached towards the sky. She wondered how such a heavy thing stayed afloat.

  ‘Perhaps taking the chance for a last night of carousing before their departure?’ Ichiro was looking round as well, but with a more critical eye, as if he was making sure all was in order. He nodded, apparently satisfied with what he saw.

  A man came towards them from the back of the ship and Midori saw that it was Captain Noordholt. His tall, muscular frame was unmistakeable, even in the semi-darkness, and for some reason her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. The light from a single lantern emphasised his features and made him look other-worldly. He stopped a few paces away from them and bowed, slightly awkwardly as if he hadn’t quite figured out the correct angle expected of him yet. They followed suit and Midori was baffled to see Ichiro bow almost as low to the foreigner as he would to someone of superior rank.

  ‘Welcome, Kumashiro-sama, Lady Midori,’ Nico said in halting Japanese.

  ‘Thank you.’ Midori saw the two men eyeing each other up, then some sort of silent message passed between them and they nodded. Both men smiled, which confused her even further, and she wondered what was going on. Before she had time to ask, however, Ichiro began to give her last-minute instructions in a quiet voice, and the moment was lost.

  When he had finished, he turned to the captain. ‘Is everything ready for departure?’

  ‘Yes. Lady Midori’s quarters are over here. If you would come with me, please?’ He indicated the way and they followed him to a small cabin in the stern, which was reached via a hatch and down a set of steps. The captain had to duck his head to avoid hitting it on the lintel, unlike Ichiro, who, being shorter, was able to enter without any trouble. ‘This is the best I can do, I’m afraid.’ He sent Midori an apologetic glance. ‘My cabin is right above yours. If you have need of me, just call out or thump the ceiling with something.’ He bowed again.

  ‘Thank you, Captain. I’m sure I’ll be more than comfortable here.’ Looking around, she knew that was an outright lie. But under the circumstances she had no choice and she didn’t doubt the man’s words – it probably was one of the best cabins on board.

  Ichiro handed over a large pouch of silver and thanked the captain formally for conveying his sister to England. Captain Noordholt threw Midori an enigmatic look, before replying, ‘It’s my pleasure. I will leave you now.’

  Midori surveyed her belongings before turning to embrace her brother. The European gesture felt unfamiliar, but still right somehow and he didn’t pull away. ‘Thank you again. You are the best of brothers,’ she whispered, trying not to think about the fact that this may be the last time she ever saw him. He returned the hug awkwardly and they clung together for a few moments. She felt him shaking with emotion and knew it was the same with her. I will miss him so much!

  ‘I’ll not forget you,’ he whispered back. ‘I will pray to the gods and spirits to keep you from harm and I hope you can send me word of your safe arrival eventually.’

  Midori’s vision blurred and she blinked furiously. ‘I won’t forget you, either. Stay safe and well too, and write back if you can. Takano-san has promised to act as a go-between, right?’ she said, trying to keep her voice from quivering.

  ‘Yes. Anything you send him will be forwarded to me.’

  ‘Good. Go now, I’ll be all right.’ Suddenly she wanted this leave-taking out of the way. It was too painful to suppress her emotions and if Ichiro didn’t leave soon she knew she’d break down and beg him to let her stay. She couldn’t dishonour their family in such a way.

  He seemed to understand and didn’t linger. ‘May the gods be with you, little sister.’

  Chapter Eight

  Midori sat on her narrow bunk and listened to the waves slapping against the hull of the ship. As they were still anchored in the harbour the rocking motion was hardly noticeable
, just a soothing background rhythm. The ship’s timbers creaked continuously and she could hear footsteps as someone made the rounds to check everything was in order. When they came close to her cabin, she tensed, but they moved away again. Then there was only silence.

  She felt utterly alone for the second time that night and in a moment of self-pity wondered if perhaps it would have been better if she had died after all. It was only a fleeting thought, however, because she definitely wanted to live. Even if it meant leaving everyone she knew behind and forging a new life for herself.

  A sense of having been unfairly treated rose within her, but she quickly cut the thought off before it even took root.

  ‘Never feel sorry for yourself and never complain about your lot in life,’ her father had taught her. ‘It is pointless.’ Naturally that edict had been easier to follow as the pampered daughter of a daimyo, but she knew whatever fate threw at her, she could endure. She was a fighter.

  She had proved to be a good sailor on the journey south and therefore had no qualms about going to sea. Her stomach was even now beginning to accustom itself to the undulating motion of the ship. And even though the noxious odours coming from the bilge water in the lowest deck tainted the air slightly, she didn’t feel nauseous. There was a slight fluttering in her stomach, however, as she remembered the captain’s words at their first meeting.

  ‘Allowing you to sail alone on a ship with upwards of a hundred and twenty men would be madness.’

  Midori took a deep breath to steady her nerves. ‘It’s too late to worry about that now,’ she told herself. She had to hope he could keep her safe from his crew. In order to make his task easier, she decided to remain in her cabin as much as possible, only venturing up on deck if the captain had time to escort her.

  There came a sudden knock on her door and she stood up, instinctively reaching for one of her swords, which she had put out in readiness for any possible attack. ‘Yes? Who is it?’