Shin shook his head. “If anything, it is I who owe you. You have provided me with much entertainment. If I can help in some small fashion then I am bound to do so. Kasami will show you out.” As he spoke, Kasami slid the door open and glared at him. From her expression, he knew that she’d been eavesdropping and that he would hear all about it once Sanemon was safely out of earshot. That was a problem for later, however.
In the meantime, there was a cup of tea to finish.
Chapter Twelve
The Unicorn
The following morning was cool and quiet, save for the creaking of docked vessels and the cries of river birds. Lady Sun rose high in a gray-blue sky, momentarily casting aside the clouds that threatened to burst at any moment. The air held the promise of rain.
Guards clad in the livery of the Unicorn escorted Shin onto the covered uppermost platform of the watch tower where his host awaited him. Beneath its violet roof, the platform was open to the elements. A low table had been set up at the center of the platform, and the guards who manned it had been dismissed. Two stools had been set to either side of the table, and one of them was occupied by the representative of the Unicorn.
Shichiro was breaking his fast when Shin arrived. The old man hunkered over a bowl of aromatic rice, mixed with something that smelled decidedly of beef. Shin wrinkled his nose. Red meat was considered unclean by most right-thinking people. The Unicorn, however, were only a few generations removed from barbarism and had no such strictures. The old man looked up, mouth full, and said, “Ah, Daidoji Shin. You made it. May I provide you some refreshment? Some plum wine perhaps? I know you Crane favor it…”
“No, thank you. Tea will be sufficient.”
Shichiro signaled to one of the waiting servants, and a tray of tea was brought up. Shin realized that the old man had had it waiting. “Forgive an old man his eccentricities,” Shichiro said, after one last mouthful. He jabbed his chopsticks into the remainder of the rice and set the bowl aside. “I prefer to breakfast here, when the opportunity arises.” His wrinkled features were brown from the sun and wind, and his body bent by a lifetime in the saddle. “Walls interfere with my digestion.”
Shin nodded agreeably. “I am honored that you agreed to speak with me.” The servant set the tray down on the table and poured the tea. It had an acrid aroma that put Shin in mind of harsh winds and empty plains.
“But not surprised.”
“No.”
Shichiro smiled widely. “And even if you were, you wouldn’t admit it. You Crane are good at hiding what you think. I hear you teach your babes to cry only when no one can hear. Is that true?”
Shin returned the old man’s smile. “I can only speak for myself, but I cried often and at volume. Or so my mother insists.”
Shichiro laughed and slapped his knee. “That’s good. Children should be loud. All of mine were at that age. Loud and strong.” He looked out over the river. “Of course, there’s such a thing as being too loud.”
Shin followed his gaze and saw that he was looking at the defensive wall that marked the Lion district. “Lions roar. It is what they do,” Shin said. Shichiro grunted.
“I don’t worry when they roar. I worry when they stop.” He looked at Shin. “It wasn’t us. I swear it.”
Shin hesitated. He hadn’t expected such a blunt declaration, but it didn’t surprise him. The Unicorn were odd, in that way. Their idea of honor was less rigid, more personal, but no less potent than that of the other clans. “You will forgive me if I cannot take you at your word,” he said, choosing his own with care.
Shichiro frowned. “My word has always been good enough for Tetsua.”
“Ordinarily, I would agree. But I have been tasked with making an investigation of the matter, and I intend to do so.”
Shichiro snorted. “What is there to investigate? Someone sabotaged a batch of rice. It happens all the time. We cannot wage war in the open, so we do so in the shadows. We sink boats, burn warehouses and set pirates on one another. How is this any different?”
Again, his bluntness caused Shin to hesitate. Even Kasami wasn’t so plain-spoken. “Poison is not fire or even pirates. It is deliberate – one cannot pretend it was an accident. The Lion insist that it is an act of war.”
Shichiro shook his head. “Of course they do.”
“You think they poisoned their own shipment?”
“It is the simplest explanation.” He studied Shin. “Then, it doesn’t really matter, does it? They want war – they always have. They chafe in times of peace.”
“And you do not?”
“I am an old man,” Shichiro said. “I have held this post for twenty years – good years, most of them. But my time is coming to an end.” He turned, looking away from the river, out towards the far horizon. His expression became wistful. “I have one last great ride in me, I think. One day soon I will take it, and leave this duty to one of my sons.”
“Which one?”
“I have not decided.” Shichiro gestured, vaguely. “There’s seven of them. One of them is bound to be suitable.”
Shin paused, and then asked his next question. “And what about your daughter?”
Shichiro stiffened. Then he chuckled. “You heard about that, then?”
“The whole city has heard about it. I wasn’t sure there was any truth to it.”
“Some.” Shichiro sighed. “I’d hoped to make alliance with the Dragonfly. Strengthen our claim to the city, and ensure peace between our clans. Fate had other ideas.” He gestured sharply. “I do not wish to speak of it. It has nothing to do with your investigation.”
“Some might regard it as just provocation.”
“The affair in question had nothing to do with the Lion.”
“True. But a canny man might see an opportunity to provoke an enemy into a rash action. Such an act might also serve to humiliate the imperial governor.”
Shichiro grunted and looked away. “It would take a more crooked mind than mine to think of a scheme like that.” He sighed and shook his head. “No one was at fault, whatever the gossipmongers claim. A misunderstanding is all. And already forgotten.”
“Tell me.” Shin leaned forward. Gossip was as good as gold among the nobility. That Shichiro denied it so strongly meant it was almost certainly worth knowing.
Shichiro didn’t look at him. “My daughter, Konomi, is promised to Tonbo Kuma. But she was seen in the company of Miya Tetsua. I do not know by who, though I can think of a few who might profit from such a scandal.”
“Was it? A scandal, I mean.”
“She swears nothing untoward occurred, and I trust her. And the governor is an honorable man – he would do nothing to jeopardize his position, or the peace. But word spread, and in spreading was blown out of proportion.” Shichiro shrugged. “As these things inevitably are. As far as I am concerned, the engagement is still planned.”
Shin wasn’t surprised. A marriage proposal was a thing of infinite complexity. Once an engagement had been made, it required great effort – or great shame – to break it. “What does she claim happened?”
“Why does that matter?”
“Context,” Shin said.
Shichiro was silent for a moment. “My daughter has nothing to do with this. If you press the matter, I may become angry.” He spoke calmly, but there was undercurrent of heat to his words. The incident was clearly still a sore point for him. The potential for embarrassment was great, and it could not have been easy for a man like Shichiro to ignore the gossip, especially when it might have concerned his daughter’s morals or suitability.
Shin decided to change tack. “The Lion claim that the vessel that delivered the tainted shipment came from your docks.”
Shichiro nodded reluctantly. “It’s possible. Do you know the name of the captain?”
Shin frowned. “Regrettably, the Lion were not forthcoming.
I was hoping you might be able to point me in the right direction.”
Shichiro grunted. “I bet they weren’t. Stubborn bastards. I can have a look. Our captains keep records of every transaction. We like to know what they sold and to who.”
“Wise.”
“We learned it from you,” Shichiro said, smiling crookedly. “The Crane do much the same, last I heard. You even keep records of what everyone else is selling.”
Shin shrugged. “Information is currency.”
Shichiro nodded. “So I’ve been told. I prefer steel, myself. It never loses its value.” He paused. “Why are you looking for it? The boat, I mean.”
“I need to know when the rice was poisoned. If it was on-board the vessel, the captain might well be a conspirator.” Shin waited, but Shichiro did not protest as he expected. Instead, the old man sat back and stroked his chin, as if deep in thought.
“That is an unfortunate possibility.” He sat forward. “How much do you know about how the river trade works?”
Shin hesitated. “Not as much as I might like,” he said. It was always best to appear ignorant, that way someone was bound to come along and educate you – and in doing so, perhaps tell you more than they intended.
Shichiro chortled and slapped his knee. “As I thought. Most of the captains on this part of the river own their vessels. They hire their own crews, pursue their own contracts. They rent berths from us, or the Dragonfly, to offload their cargoes. We have no more control over them than we have over the pirates and smugglers who infest these waters.”
“You mean, you might not be able to direct me to the captain in question,” Shin said.
“The Lion deal almost exclusively with private captains – that is to say, either those already in their employ, or those who owe no particular allegiance to any clan. They don’t trust us, or the Dragonfly. Why would they trust our captains to deliver supplies?”
“Ah.” Shin made a show of pinching the bridge of his nose. He’d already assumed as much, but having Shichiro confirm it was something, albeit not particularly helpful.
“I am still happy to make inquiries, of course. But there is a very good chance that they will come to nothing. The vessel you seek is likely already gone – or at the bottom of the river. That’s what I would do. Why risk a wagging tongue? Promise them the moon, and then give them the blade. At the end of the day, such men are expendable.”
“And that is where we part ways, my lord,” Shin said. “I have never considered other people expendable. I am told it is a flaw in my character.”
Shichiro smiled. It was not a mocking expression, but genuine in its warmth. “Funny words from a Daidoji in this day and age, but perhaps not surprising. And I bet I know who told you that. Your grandfather and I clashed often in our younger days.”
Shin bowed his head. “He will be pleased you remember him.”
“I doubt that. He was an obstreperous sort, even then. I cannot imagine that the years since have improved his character.”
Shin allowed himself a smile. “I would not know, my lord.”
Shichiro snorted and looked out over the river. “He was one of the ones who arbitrated our current arrangement, you know. The Crane ever pursue peace, especially when it profits them. That is what my mother said, and I have always found it to be true.”
Shin, who hadn’t been aware of that fact, raised an eyebrow. “I must confess, my lord – my grandfather and I rarely speak to one another. Intermediaries are our preferred method of communication and have been since the death of my father.”
Shichiro looked away. “Best way to deal with him, I always thought. I might have married your grandmother, you know. There was a time when I vied with him for her hand. Such an arrangement would have bound our families together. Instead, her father chose the wealthier suitor.” He smiled. “I cannot say that was the wrong choice.”
Shin was growing uncomfortable with this line of conversation. His grandfather was not someone he wished to discuss, especially here and now. He decided to change the subject. “What will you do?”
“If they decide to pounce, you mean?” Shichiro chuckled. “Let them. There’s a river between us, and a boat is as good as a parapet for my archers. We’ll beat them back across the water, bloody and chastened.”
“You sound as if you almost look forward to the prospect.”
Shichiro shook his head. “As I said, I am old. I have spent the better portion of my life here, serving ably and quietly. Facing the warriors of the Lion would be a good end to my story, I think.”
“Especially if you were victorious.”
Shichiro smiled. “Ah. There’s the Crane guile. You think, maybe, we sent a bag of poisoned rice to the Lion to start a war. Like waving a hank of raw meat in front of a starving cur’s snout, eh?”
“It did occur to me.”
Shichiro picked up his bowl and took another bite of rice. “You remind me of your grandfather quite a bit, actually. He was a suspicious bastard too.”
Shin was momentarily taken aback. “I meant no insult.”
“Oh of course you did. You Crane always mean your insults. It’s your compliments you make in ignorance.” Shichiro pointed his chopsticks at Shin, an insult in and of itself, but one Shin decided to ignore, given the circumstances. “I can see the only way to prove our innocence in this matter will be to find that ship. If the captain is one of ours, I will find him and offer him up to you. And if not… I wish you luck.”
Shin bowed his head gratefully. “I will take all the luck I can get, my lord.”
Shichiro gestured again with his chopsticks. “Go and let me finish my breakfast in peace. I’m sure you have other people to bother today.”
Shin stood and bowed respectfully. “Thank you, my lord.” The guards were waiting at the steps for him, and he allowed them to escort him down the tower.
As they descended, however, they met another party coming the opposite way. Two sets of guards momentarily faced off, as the newcomers made way for Shin’s escort. Shin paused. The newcomers were escorting a young woman of means and her ladies-in-waiting – a young woman he recognized easily.
“My Lady Konomi,” he said in greeting, and bowed his head.
“My Lord Shin,” she replied. “I believe I saw you at the play the night before last.” Her voice was soft, but her words were calculated and her gaze was keen. She was a tall woman, and sturdy. A woman made to ride the plains and beat wolves to death with her bare fists. She looked somewhat ill at ease in her kimono, with her hair artfully arranged and her face powdered, surrounded by simpering maids.
“Yes. Did you enjoy it?” He studied her curiously. Konomi was one of the great mysteries of the city – she was the youngest of Shichiro’s children, but the one most often seen in his company. Rumor had it that she had taken on the role of advisor to the old man. Perhaps that was why he was so eager to marry her off.
“Not as much as I hoped. The lead actress…”
Shin nodded. “Yes. A last minute replacement, I’m told.”
“Oh? Are you on good terms with them, then?” She smiled thinly. “It is a rare man of quality who admits to knowing such individuals.”
“I am told that I am one of a kind,” Shin said. He paused. “My sympathies for your current… difficulties.” The words were chosen with care, so as to apportion neither blame nor pity. But he wanted to see how she reacted.
“Thank you.” She smiled, as if nothing were amiss. “You had a meeting with my father this morning.”
“Yes.”
“About the difficulties with the Lion?”
Shin paused. “Yes. You know about it?”
“Not much. Enough to know he is worried.”
“He did not give that impression.”
She hid a smile behind her fan. “No, I expect that he did not. And you? Are you worried? The Lio
n and the Crane are not on the best of terms of late – or so I have heard.”
“I rarely worry myself with such matters, my lady. Politics is of little interest to me.”
“And commerce?”
“Even less, I am afraid.” He smiled openly and her eyes sparked with humor. She wanted to tell him something, he could feel it. “Though I am aware that the Lion rarely sell the products of their own fields.”
“They blame us for this of course, for after our return the lands they had held in stewardship were reclaimed. It represented a substantial loss of fertile land, or so I’m told.”
“The Lion have a great many grievances,” Shin said. “Some of which are baseless. Let us hope this matter is among them.” He paused. “I do wonder, however, why the blame fell upon the Unicorn. They insist that the rice came from your docks.”
“Maybe it did.” She paused, and then went on. “We lost a shipment of rice not long ago. Stolen off the wharf by persons unknown.”
“An entire shipment?” Shin asked, incredulously.
“It wasn’t large, as shipments go,” Konomi said, defensively. “It was loaded onto a wagon – not one of ours – and vanished into the city. Likely it was stolen by someone looking to sell it on somewhere else.”
“Like an unscrupulous merchant, perhaps?”
“Perhaps. If I were you, I might ask whether that stolen rice somehow wound up on a ship bound for the Lion wharfs – and if so, who put it there.”
Shin bowed his head. “A fine question, my lady. And one I shall try to answer.”
Chapter Thirteen
Thus Far
“So, you learned nothing then?” Kasami said, as she and Shin took lunch in the garden. It was lovely this time of year. Fragrant blossoms of all shapes and hues hung from nodding stems, filling the air with a mélange of pleasing odors. Fat trunked trees cast comforting shadows, in which one might escape the heat of midday.
Carved gourds, filled with seeds and grain, hung among the branches overhead, attracting the appreciative attentions of a variety of songbirds. Shin gently strummed his biwa, keeping time with their song. “Quite the opposite. Shichiro confirmed what I already suspected – Minami was being frugal with the truth. The ship had no connection to the Unicorn whatsoever. But the rice… ah, the rice. That is where things become interesting.”
Poison River Page 11
