Poison River

by Josh Reynolds

  “I trust you will find a way, when the time comes.” Still seated, Shin leaned back, every inch the disaffected Crane noble. “You may go now.”

  Kitano clambered awkwardly to his feet. “I’ll- I’ll begin tonight.”

  “See to your wound first,” Shin said, magnanimously. He fluttered a hand towards the service entrance. Kasami caught Kitano by the collar of his robes and half-dragged him out of the garden. When she returned, she was frowning.

  “Do you think he’ll find anything?”

  “I believe so. With the proper motivation, even the humblest man might achieve miracles.” He retrieved his biwa. “Unfortunately, all we can do now is wait.” He gave the strings an idle strum. “I am sorry that he proved obstreperous. I believe he’s learned his lesson, however.”

  “Maybe.” Kasami looked around the garden. “What if he doesn’t find anything?”

  “Then we will look elsewhere.” Shin plucked a string and stilled it. “In fact, I already have another path to follow. The actress.”

  Kasami frowned. “What about her?”

  “She’s the one who poisoned the rice.”

  Kasami stared at him. Then she laughed. So loudly and uproariously that the birds in the trees fell silent. She bent double and braced her hands against her knees, wheezing. Shin waited patiently until she’d regained control of herself. He thought it only fair to allow her a few moments indulgence, given how rarely she laughed.

  “Are you quite done?” he asked.

  Kasami held up a finger. Shin nodded politely and gave her another moment. When she straightened, he said, “I found certain evidence that pointed in that direction, at least. And her cohorts in the theater confirmed it.”

  “So where is she?”

  “Ah. That is where it gets interesting. She was ambushed.”

  “By who?”

  “I have no idea, but I’m eager to find out. A better question might be who hired her in the first place? For if we find her, we find them.”

  “If she’s still alive.”

  Shin nodded slowly. “Yes, if she’s still alive.” He began to play in earnest. “Tomorrow we are going to the shrines to speak to Tonbo Kuma.”

  “Why? The Dragonfly have nothing to do with this.”

  “Kaeru Azuma thinks that they might. At least somewhat. He suspects that Tetsua’s friendship with Kuma might have weakened his position politically…”

  “Which may have motivated someone to attempt to provoke a war,” Kasami said.

  “Exactly. Also, we will be having guests tonight.” He picked up the missive and showed it to her. “The Lion will be coming to call. We had best be prepared.”

  At that moment, something heavy thumped against the main entrance. Shin looked at Kasami. “Well. At least they’re punctual.” He set his biwa aside. “I will meet them in the receiving room. Rouse one of the servants for tea.”

  He hurried inside, his steps light. If Minami were here, it meant that she wasn’t as obstinate as he’d feared. Or that she wished to challenge him in person.

  Either way, the next few moments would be interesting.

  •••

  Okuni’s hand was trembling as she pulled her hood back. She was not fully recovered, as Sanemon had so helpfully pointed out. But she was here, nonetheless. It was foolish, she knew. There was every possibility that her client was behind the ambush. And there was every chance that her attackers would be nearby, especially if they had reported their failure to kill her.

  But pride held her to her course. She had never failed to collect a payment and would not start now. Especially given the consequences for Sanemon and the rest of the troupe, not to mention herself. Theater brought in precious little money. If they wanted to eat, to travel, it was up to her to provide for them.

  Unlike last time, she was prepared. Besides her knives, she was armed with a blowgun of her own, as well as pouches of flash and smoke powder. If her attackers showed themselves, she intended to make as much noise and light as possible.

  The alleyway was empty when she arrived. It was much the same as the other, though farther from the theater. She’d thought it best to give her attackers no reason to turn their attentions to Sanemon and the troupe, unless there was no other option.

  She’d hidden herself as best she could, among the discarded barrels and trash. As she sat, she listened to the sounds of the city around her. The streets were full of noise and activity. The city was in an uproar, and many were seeking passage downriver or bringing in extra supplies to weather the coming storm. The streets teemed with mercenary trash, hoping to find a berth with one clan or another and merchants descended on them like scavenger birds. The thought almost made her laugh, and that in turn made her wince.

  She touched the bandages beneath her concealing robes, probing the edges of the ache that radiated through her side. The stitches were holding, and the salve helped. Nao had a way with a needle and thread. Even so, she needed time to rest, something she didn’t have at the moment. But after this was over, she intended to sleep for a few days, at least.

  The smell of the river was strong on the air. A clammy mist crept through the streets, carrying with it the smell of fish. Okuni heard him coming before she saw him. He walked hurriedly, splashing through puddles. Every so often, she caught the clink of coins and knew he had done as he promised, startling as it was. Perhaps he was an honest man after all – but what sort of honest man hired shinobi in the first place? She pushed the thought aside as he came into view.

  He paused at the mouth of the alleyway, looking from side to side nervously. Then, slowly he advanced. He was dressed much as he had been before, and once again she was struck by how out of place he looked – how uncomfortable. He was not used to subterfuge. That would come in time. Eventually, you learned – or you died.

  “Hello?” he whispered. “Are you there?”

  Okuni waited until he’d walked past her, and then rose swiftly, discarding the ragged cloak that had hidden her huddled form. She caught him from behind, drew one of her knives and placed it against his jugular. “Do not make a sound, or I will end you here and now,” she murmured into his ear. “Nod if you understand me.”

  He nodded fearfully. She relaxed slightly, and reached into his robes. She found the money and extracted it. He swallowed and said, “What is the meaning of this?”

  “You tried to kill me,” Okuni said, softly, letting her knife play against the man’s throat. “Ordinarily, I would not give you a second chance, but I am in a forgiving mood. And you have brought my payment.”

  “I- I did no such thing!”

  “Oh? Is this not my payment?” The knife pressed close, and a thin trickle of blood ran down his neck. “How unfortunate.”

  “No, no! I didn’t try to kill you! Why would I?”

  “Who knows why men like you do anything?” she countered, but something about his tone of voice told her he was telling the truth. He was surprised. Not that she had survived, but at her accusation. She flicked the knife out of sight and stepped back, suddenly alert. “Who else knows about this?”

  “Just- just that worthless merchant, Saiga,” he said, rubbing his throat. “I told no one. We were never supposed to meet, remember?”

  “Where is Saiga now?”

  He stared at her. “Where he always is, I assume. Why?”

  “You might want to warn him. Someone is cleaning up after you, my lord.”

  He shook his head, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

  But she was already moving away, her payment safely secreted within a hidden pocket of her robes. She kept her hand on her knives as she left the alleyway and crossed the street, seeking the safety of the crowd. The wet streets gleamed gold in the lantern light, and noise echoed from every doorway.

  She could feel them watching her. They’d followed him, of course. Used him as b
ait. She’d expected that they might, and had planned accordingly.

  A noisy crowd spilled from a nearby puppet theater. She effortlessly joined the jubilant throng, doing her best to avoid having her injured side jostled. As she bathed in the sake fumes, she saw new faces crossing the street, expressions fixed and intent. A true shinobi could kill their target in the open, surrounded by armed guards. The crowd was only a momentary refuge at best. She eased her knives from her belly-sheath and let them dangle by their ring-pommels.

  She caught sight of another to her left – Chobei. He smiled slightly, and she knew that he knew he’d been seen. She nodded respectfully, and he returned the gesture. There was no call for incivility, even now.

  Chobei joined the throng, slipping towards her as easily as a shark navigated the depths. She turned slightly, keeping him in sight, and began to push towards the front of the crowd. They were singing now, loudly and off-key. She momentarily lost sight of her stalker as someone shoved someone else.

  It was only her instincts that saved her. A thin blade darted low through the press of bodies, seeking an artery in her leg. She parried it with a flick of her wrist and kept moving. Another blade darted for the side of her throat, and she bent low, letting it skid over the back of her neck. It stung, but better a little pain than a long death.

  They were on all sides of her, boxing her in. No one in the crowd had yet noticed the dance of death occurring in their midst. Two blades slid low, aiming for her kidneys and hamstrings. She blocked both, but almost lost her life to a third, as it jabbed for her eye.

  Chobei grinned at her as she artfully stumbled into a singer and spun the man around between herself and her attackers. He bellowed something, but she was already slipping away, threading through the crowd. Her attackers followed.

  She had to distract them. She palmed a pouch of flash powder and tossed it underhanded towards a nearby ronin clad in imperial livery. The pop of light and sound had the unwary man reaching for his blade. The crowd scattered in a flurry of surprised shouts and catcalls.

  Quickly, she pulled loose a second pouch and spun, hurling it full in the face of Chobei. Instinctively, he cut it from the air, and smoke spewed in all directions. Coughing, he reeled back and she took to her heels. She ran as fast as she could, despite her wound. The pain clawed at her as she caught hold of a low hanging rooftop and shimmied up. She climbed as quickly as possible, seeking the high ground. Shouts echoed behind her, and the soft thump of pursuit.

  She didn’t stop to look back.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Akodo Minami

  Shin poured his guest a cup of tea and smiled. “I am gratified to see you here, Lady Minami. After our last encounter, I did not expect we would speak again.”

  “If I had any choice in the matter, we would not be,” she said, stiffly. Minami sounded tired, but she stood as stiff and as straight as the first time he’d seen her. “But your message implied that it would be inadvisable to ignore your invitation.”

  The Lion representative had come with a handful of retainers. They were currently in the garden, under the watchful eye of Kasami. He hoped they would all still be alive when Minami and Shin had finished their conversation. “That is not the only reason, I believe,” he said. “You do not seem the sort to succumb to oblique blackmail.”

  Minami sat. “I wish to know what you have discovered.”

  “About?” He offered her the cup.

  “The rice,” she growled. She did not take the tea. “It has been several days. Have you learned nothing in that time?”

  “Nothing save that no one seems to have done it – or to have reason to do so.” Shin took a sip of his own tea and licked his lips. “Tell me Lady Minami, are you a fan of the theater?”

  “What?”

  “No, I don’t suppose you are, are you?” He gave her an insouciant smile, and was rewarded by a visible bristling. She wanted very badly to challenge him, but as yet he hadn’t given her sufficient reason. Nor did he intend to.

  Minami stared at him for a moment and then looked away. “No.”

  “Pity. Have you found the boat yet?”

  Minami hesitated. “What boat?”

  “The one that delivered the poisoned rice.” Her hesitation told him he was right – she was searching for it, and probably with more urgency than Shichiro.

  “I told you already…” she began. Shin forestalled her with a twitch of his finger.

  “I would guess that you have not. And that is because it was never at the Unicorn docks, was it?” It was a guess, and one he’d come to the night before as he pondered the problem. A boat could not simply vanish. It had to be somewhere.

  Minami was silent for several moments. “I was mistaken,” she said, with obvious reluctance.

  “Were you?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Are you accusing me of something?”

  “I am merely asking a question. In your place, I might well have obscured the facts in order to buy time for my people to locate the vessel and conduct my own investigation. There is no shame in that.”

  “Who are you to talk about shame, Crane?” She pointed an accusing finger at him. “I know all about you, Daidoji Shin. You wouldn’t know shame if it pierced your belly and pulled your intestines out.”

  “What an unpleasant image,” Shin said. “But accurate for all that. Shame is something of a foreign country to me, I admit. That is my failing, and I am endeavoring to correct it.” He paused. “If you have found it, I would request to see it.”

  “Why?”

  “It may hold answers.”

  Minami glared at him. “We have not found it. Nor are we looking.”

  “Because you did not think to – or because it does not matter?”

  Minami laughed softly. “I hear contempt in your voice, Crane, though you mask it well. Under all your pretty banter, you are just like all the rest of your clan. You think you are smarter than the rest of us. As if courtesy is any indicator of wisdom.”

  “Some might say it is.”

  “Not me.”

  “No. I suppose not. You have always seen the Dragonfly as your main threat in this city. A fact you have been very open about.”

  Minami looked at the water. “And so?”

  “Why the sudden change of target?”

  “The vessel belonged to the Unicorn.”

  Shin shook his head. “Shichiro insists that it didn’t. More to the point, how would you have known?”

  “Their papers…” she began, and then trailed off. She realized what she’d just given away. Shin nodded in satisfaction.

  “If Shichiro is right, their papers would have shown them to be exactly what they were. Unaffiliated river trash, carrying a shipment of rice that they got – where, exactly?” He paused. “Was it stolen, by chance?”

  “Stolen?”

  He pressed forward. “Tell me, my lady – how much unlawfully obtained cargo does the Lion have squirreled away in their warehouses?”

  “None!”

  “You are lying.”

  Minami’s gaze snapped around. “What proof do you have of any of this, Crane?”

  “None, of course. It is a theory, nothing more. And if I have given insult, I can but ask for your forgiveness.” He wasn’t really worried about insulting her, for all that he’d clearly struck a nerve. He was on the right track, and she knew it. “Since neither yourself nor Shichiro seemed to know anything of the ship in question – well, there has to be a reason.”

  “He claims to know nothing about it?”

  “Indeed he does.”

  “And you believe him.”

  “As I believe you.” Shin looked at her. “Neither of you has reason to lie.”

  Minami sat back. “You are wrong,” she said, after a moment.

  “Am I?” He pointed at her. “That is why yo
u prevaricate. You growl and show your fangs, but hesitate to strike. Am I correct?” It was a gamble. He was betting on her pragmatism, betting that she wasn’t the sort to simply cut the knot, rather than untangle it.

  Minami was silent for several moments. Then, “If you are?”

  “I require no admission of guilt, if that’s what concerns you. I ask only on behalf of my investigation – to rule you out as a suspect.”

  Minami snorted. “I admit nothing.”

  Shin nodded. “That is all the answer I require, thank you.”

  She was silent for a moment. “I can trace my ancestry back to Akodo himself,” she said, finally. “When I first arrived in this city, I thought I had found my battlefield at last. A place to prove myself. I would make a bastion of the city…”

  “And now?”

  “Now I think I was sent here not to wage war, but to prevent it. My bushi demand action, but my advisors murmur caution. A disruption of trade – any disruption – would be regarded as a failure on my part. And I will not fail.”

  “That is why you allowed the trade in illicit cargo to continue,” Shin said, in sudden understanding. He shook his head. “Your reputation.”

  Minami nodded. “A little wound to delay a greater one. Though I hoped – hope – to eventually bring it to an end.”

  “You do not have to explain that decision to me, my lady. I am a Daidoji. I know full well honor’s price and what it means to pay it.”

  She looked at him, and made as if to retort. But instead of an insult, she said, “I think that you do, Crane. And that is why I tell you all of this now. I cannot attack until I know for certain who is to blame.”

  “There are some who would say you have done due diligence.”

  She looked at him, her eyes flashing. “I am not some. I will unsheathe my sword when my enemy is before me and not a moment sooner.”

  “Then help me,” Shin said. “I will find your enemy for you, so that you might have justice.”

  Minami looked away. After a moment she said, “I have discovered that the rice was purchased through a regular contact on the Unicorn docks. I was not aware of this arrangement, obviously.”