The Shrine Virgin

by I. J. Parker

  I. J. PARKER

  THE

  SHRINE VIRGIN

  AN AKITADA NOVEL

  I. J. Parker

  I J P 2015

  Copyright © 2015 by I. J. Parker.

  All rights rescued. No part of this publication may he rehrcxluced, distrilnucd or transmitted ill any form ca- by ally means, including photocopying, recm'ding, or other clecu-oui(- or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of Ilce publisher, except in the case of brict quotations cndbodied in critical reviews and cettaiu other noncommercial uses pertni(tcd I)v copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed "Attention: Pcnuissions Coordinator," at tltc address below.

  Published 2015 by I. J. Parker and IJP Books

  428 Cedar Line, Virginia Beach VA 23152

  http://www.ijprkcr.com

  Cover design by I. J. Parker. Cover image: Kasamatsu Shiro

  Publisher's Note: Thus is a work ol fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author's imagination.

  The Shrine Virgin, 1st edition, 2015

  IS13N-13: 978-1505990157

  Characters

  (Japanese family names precede proper names)

  Characters in Mikawa:

  Sugawara Akitada - new provincial governor

  Yukiko - his young wife

  Yasuko & Yoshitada - his children

  Tora - Commander of the guard

  Saburo - Tribunal Secretary, a former spy

  Lieutenant Mori - provincial police chief

  Kitagawa - manager of a private estate

  Hozo - a former warrior monk A merchant from Owari Province

  Characters in Ise:

  Junichiro - a dwarf

  Mrs. Akechi - owner of a silk shop

  Michiko - her shop assistant

  Mrs. Inabe - owner of thc River Palace

  Inabe Seijiro - her husband

  Keiko - her daughter

  Nakatomi - High Priest of Ise shrine

  Princess Takahime - the shrine virgin

  Minamoto Sadamu - her cousin

  Tamba Shikibu - her senior lady-in-waiting

  Lady Tacliibana Lady Tamba's mother

  Lady Ayako - young lady-in-waiting

  Murata - ship owner

  Lieutenant Matsuura - local police officer

  Sukemiehi Yasunori - provincial high constable

  Precious Butterfly - courtesan

  Gangsters known as "prowlers"

  Since our love was no deeper

  Than a stream too shallow

  To wet the hem of your robe...

  Farewell note by an Ise Virgin to her lover.

  Tales of Ise, 10th century

  1 The Messenger

  The messenger arrived on a beautiful day In early autumn.

  Akitada listened as the last sounds of his flute faded and sighed with pleasurc. Gradually the real world invaded this dreamlike existence again. Somewhere a horse neighed, and a guard shouted an order. A clatter came from kitchen area, and the loud laughter of-boys floated over the garden fence.

  'I'licy sat oil (lie veranda overlooking the garden. Akitada looked with pleasure at his companions in their pretty summer robes. "Well donel" he said. "Well done indeed! Yasuko, you've made great progress. I know I have to thank my lady wife for it. Yukiko, your pupil does you proud."

  Their small orchestra consisted of a zither, played by Yasuko, a lute played by his wife, and his flute.

  His daughter blushed mid shot a glance at her companion. "Thank you, Father. I worked very hard," she said pointedly.

  Akitada, newly married and even more newly governor of Mikawa province, winked at Yukiko, his young wife. Life was good again. He had money, a promotion and this very good appointment, and one of the loveliest women in the land for his wife.

  Beyond the garden lay the many halls, galleries, stables, and outbuildings of the Mikawa tribunal and government headquarters. And beyond all of that was Komachi, the capital of Mikawa Province.

  He still could barely believe it.

  Yukiko, not much older than Yasuku, smiled at hiin. "It's true. Yasuko works very hard. Much harder than I ever did. Isn't it pleasant to make music together on a beautiful autumn morning? I could wish her brother took an interest in music."

  Akitada glanced toward the fence when someone shouted "Gotcha!" and burst into boyish laughter. "Yoshi is still all boy," he said defensively. "He prefers the manly arts of' practicing with swords and shooting arrows. Tora and Yuki arc better company for hitn." "Oh, do you rate womanly pursuits over martial ones, Akitada?"

  She was teasing. Yukiko claimed to have fallen in love with him because of the heroic adventures of his youth. He smiled. "Not at all, my love. But I do prefer to gaze at my two favorite ladies to watching Tora and a couple of grimy boys."

  His daughter giggled. Yukiko gave her husband a melting glance and said, "'Thank you. Well, shall we play another one?"

  Akitada was about to suggest "Deer in the Autumn Mountains" when Saburo dune striding down the gravel path in the garden and bowed to his master and his family.

  "Sorry, sir, ladies. Au important messenger has arrived from the capital."

  A little regretfully, Akitada slipped the flute back into its brocade pouch. "I'd better see what it is. Thank you, my dears, for giving me such pleasure."

  He and Saburo walked back to the main hall of the tribunal. Saburo lead come to him some seven years ago in Naiiiwa. He lead been horribly disfigured and out of work. His background-he was a renegade monk and former spy-made him a useful addition to Akitada's staff. He had a good education, used his brush with considerable skill, and knew a thousand ways of entering a building to find out what the people inside were up to. Most of his time he now spent as senior secretary of the Mikawa tribunal.

  Akitada asked, "Do you know what it's about?" "The officer wouldn't say, but he's a very superior sort of messenger, sir. My guess is that he's a member of the palace guard."

  And that made him a ranking nobleman. Akitada raised his brows. "You don't say? He rode all this way to bring me some communication' From the palace:

  Saburo raised his shoulders. "I couldn't say, sir. He glared at me when I asked what it was about."

  "Very strange." Akitada hurried a little more, partially out of curiosity and partially in recognition of the effort made by his visitor.

  The young man waited in Akitada's private study. He had not bothered to sit down and seemed to have spent his time pacing.

  Akitada closed the door behind him and said, "I'm Sugawara. And you?"

  The young man came to attention. He was in uniform, though he did not wear any of the insignia of the various guard companies. Still, Saburo had recognized the cut of his coat and trousers, and the fine boots, now somewhat dusty. He also wore a very handsome sword. Not an ordinary soldier by any means.

  He did not answer Akitada's question but studied him with a frown. "How do I know you are who you say you are?" he asked coldly.

  Akitada smiled. "We're at an impasse." Walking to his desk, he sat down. "I don't receive people who refuse to identify themselves. My secretary should not have admitted you. You'd better leave."

  The officer glared. Akitada, not as easily impressed by the manner of high-ranking persons as Saburo had been, merely stared back.

  The messenger cleared his throat. "I carry an important message for governor Sugawara. It is personal and I have been charged to deliver it to no one but him."

  Akitada cocked his head. "But how do I know this is the case? Who is the message from and, I repeat, who are you?"

  The young man suddenly looked pale and swayed on his feet. He took a gasping breath.

  Akitada half rose. "Oh, for heavens' sake, man, sit
down. You look exhausted. And let's stop this nonsense. I'm Sugawara."

  His visitor took a few steps to a cushion, where he knelt and sat back. "It was a long journey," he muttered, brushing perspiration from his forehead.

  Akitada got up. On an ornate lacquer stand stood, cups and a flask of wine. He filled two cups and handed one to the young man, taking the other back to his seat. "Drink it all down. There's more if you want it."

  The officer looked at the cup and set it down. "Thank you, sir, but my duty doesn't permit it."

  "And your duty won't get done, if you don't put some color back in your face and some strength in your belly. Drink. That's an order."

  The young man blinked, then emptied the cup. He sighed. "Are you really Sugawara? I'd expected a younger man."

  Akitada winced. "I'm Sugawara. Now what is this all about?"

  "I am Kiyowara Yasunori, lieutenant in the left Palace Guard. I'm to give you a letter of instructions from His Majesty's private secretary, Tachibana Nakahira."

  Akitada stared at him. Not only was Lieutenant Kiyowara a member of an important noble family and a most unlikely messenger on a long-distance journey

  between the capital and Mikawa province, but Tacliibaila Nakafiira was one of* only a liandlul ol'rich perinittcd to attend His Majesty.

  "Dear ire," Akitada said lifter a moment. "You dune all this way by yourself,"

  "No. Not by myself. I leave attendants. But we did not dawdle. "The message is urgent, you see."

  "Yes. I run understand that. Well, may I see the letter'"

  ,The lieutenant hesitated only a moment, then drew a flat package from inside his coat of armor and handed it to Akitada.

  Akitada verified that the seal was that ot the imperial secretariat and unwrapped the purple silk cover. Inside was another, thinner package, this one with spidery writing addressed to him and another seal, the seal of Tachibana Nakafiira. He undid this also and found a short letter inside in the same crabby hand as the address. This he scanned rapidly, then reread more slowly.

  Refolding the letter, he looked at Lieutenant Kiyowara. "Do you know what is in this letter?"

  "No, sir."

  "Very well. You'll be my guest here until you're rested enough for the return journey. There is no answer except that I accept the charge and will leave immediately. under the circumstances, I regret not being able to entertain you myself, but my people will offer any assistance you may require." Akitada rose.

  The lieutenant, looking slightly better already, also got to his feet and saluted. He even managed a smile as

  he said, "Then I must wish you good success wherever you go, sir.

  When he was alone again, Akitada sat back down. He was not sure if he looked forward to this assignment or resented it. It would take him away from his family, and he was still so newly a husband that he hated leaving. Besides, there was the matter of Yukiko's feelings. Site would resent being left behind with only the children and servants for company. He almost wished his sister were here. In the capital, Akiko had taken his young wile in hand with an enthusiasm that lead kept both entertained and him free to work. He lead never wholly approved of the social lives of the "good people" But Akiko enjoyed them. Here in Komachi, life was quieter, though being governor of a comfortable province like Mikawa was not as time-consuming as his past provincial assignments had been or, for that matter the daily grind in the Ministry of justice.

  On the other hand, he looked forward to a brief Journey, and the problem intrigued him.

  He sighed and clapped his hands for Saburo, who appeared on silent feet. The man's quietness was often disconcerting. No doubt his past as a spy had taught him to creep up on people.

  "Saburo," Akitada said, "I must go on a short journey across the bay. I'll be gone only a few days, but I have to leave tomorrow. Inform Tora and send him to the harbor to arrange for ferry transport. Don't use my name or title. Say the reservation is for . . . hmm . . .Yoshimine Takatsuna." He smiled a little, remember-

  ing Yukiko's admiration for his mission on Sado Island. "I'm an archivist in Mikawa. Best write it down." Saburo's eyes lit up. "Immediately, sir. Shall I pack to accompany you or will you take Tora?"

  "Neither. I'm going alone."

  2 The Goblin

  Akitada stepped ashore from the ferry in Oyodo, a coastal hamlet in Ise province. He had enjoyed crossing Ise Bay. The weather was calm and sunny, and the scenery of blue sea and green islands had been beautiful.

  Oyodo bay had a busy harbor. Not only ferry boats landed here, bringing and taking away steady streams of pilgrims visiting the shrine, but goods travelled more cheaply and quickly by water than by the Tokaido highway. Besides Ise province produced much timber for building. He reflected briefly that his own province also enjoyed prosperity from the water trade, though this brought its own worries for its governor. Well equipped pirate ships plied the coasts along the eastern seaboard.

  The harbor scene was familiar to him. He had seen much the same in Hakata and Otsu and now in his own provincial capital, Komachi. He paused to watch the activities. The shipping seemed to involve mostly lumber here and, of course, a large number of shrine visitors.

  As he watched the bustle of pilgrims and watermen, he noticed a well-dressed man. He was tall and heavyset and looked like a wealthy businessman in his expensive silk gown. After all the travelers had left the ferry, the wealthy man walked along the waterfront to a place where he met with three rough-looking characters. To Akitada's surprise, a long conversation ensued between them. Perhaps they were just porters or fishermen, but Akitada had seen enough gangsters to wonder what the merchant was up to.

  Reminding himself that his own assignment lay farther inland and he had no time for idle curiosity, he turned away from the harbor. Like any other pilgrim taking advantage of a brief vacation to pay his respects to the gods in this sacred place, he followed the other passengers into the hamlet Oyodo. At an ordinary noodle shop, he stopped for a bowl of soup. The shop was small and crowded as other pilgrims were also refreshing themselves before continuing their journey inland. The soup, when he could get served, was barely edible, the broth thin and flavorless, the noodles overcooked, and the vegetables sparse. He said nothing, however, and thanked the woman. Eating slowly, he watched the other pilgrims gobble their soup and set out on the road to the shrines. They were a boisterous bunch for pilgrims to a holy place, but he knew well enough that pilgrimages were often an excuse for some fun and entertainment.

  When he was the only one left, he complimented the woman on her hard work-there was nothing good he could honestly say about her soup-and was rewarded with a long recitation of her burdens in life. These included a drunken husband and lazy children. He asked, if there was not plenty of work for men in such a harbor town.

  "Oh, there's work, but then there's also many that rob a man of his earnings," she said, frowning in the direction of the shrines. It's evil and shames the gods, but nobody cares."

  "You surprise me. Are there highwaymen on the road?"

  She scowled. "Them, too, but I meant the harlots and gamblers. They don't fleece just the visitors. It's our men they rob of their hard-earned coppers, leaving their women and children to starve."

  Akitada glanced around at the town. What he could see seemed to consist primarily of warehouses and fishermen's shacks. "Where are they?" he asked.

  "Not here. In Uji-tachi. Right between the two shrines. But don't you worry, sir. Stay away from the loose women and gaining, and you should be fine."

  Akitada laughed. "No fear. Is it far to Uji-tachi?" He cast an anxious eye at the declining sun.

  She eyed him and said dubiously, "Seven miles by the road. You could walk it. But there's a shortcut about hall 'a mile along the road where two pines grow side by side. That'll get you there iii lour miles."

  "Well," Akitada said with a smile, "I'd better get started."

  ==

  An hour later, Akitada was following a narrow track through a dense forest o
f cryptomeria trees. Very little light was coming through the thick branches overhead.

  It was already dusk here, and he was convinced that he had become lost. He had found the turn-off with the two pines easily enough, but alter that, other tracks had branched off here and there and it was not always easy to tell which was the main path. If this was a shortcut, he should have been in Uji-tachi before now. In fact, he would have been there, if he had followed the main road.

  The forest was quite silent. He had encountered no one else since he had left the mainroad. With so many unwary visitors carrying ample sums to pay for their stay, the area must be crawling with robbers. Thus, when he heard the sound of a child singing up ahead-a sure sign that he must be close to a house-he felt distinctly relieved.

  Up ahead was a bend in the path, and alter a moment, the child, about five or six years old, appeared. But there was something peculiar about this boy, and Akitada stopped. He was dressed in the most brilliant colors of blue, red, and green and had a very large head with spiky orange hair.

  A small goblin!

  A veritable goblin, if one was of a superstitious nature. Akitada was not. There were no goblins, though this creature coming closer was ugly enough. And then the goblin grinned at him and, with a pang of' pity, Akitada realized that thus was neither a child nor a goblin, but a young man who lead stopped growing at three feet. His head had kept going a bit longer so that it was almost normal size, though with oddly sharp and mature features.

  The goblin youth came to a halt before him and chuckled. He seemed to enjoy the moment. "You're lost," he announced with great satisfaction in a high voice. "For a piece of silver, I'll show you the way."

  Akitada shook his head. The boy's pleasure in his dilemma and his greed irritated limn. "I'm not lost," he said firmly. " I'm going to Uji-tachi."

  The youngster chortled. "No, you're not, but suit yourself' ." He skipped aside and walked past hum. Akitada capitulated. "Wait! I'll give you tell coppers."