by India Millar
The screen door had been left open, and two maids bustled in with cups and sake flasks in charcoal burners. They put them down and at a quiet word from Gin returned quickly with more trays.
“May I prepare a pipe for you, lord?”
“Yes, in a moment. Who’s that?” Even with my eyes fixed on the tatami, I felt the man stab his finger toward me. The gesture was so rude, I guessed he was already drunk. “Have you a new treasure in the Hidden House, Gin? Is she a surprise for us? What secret does the delicious little morsel hide, I wonder?”
“Ah, lord. No.” Gin’s voice was high and breathy, almost girlish, and so unlike her normal speaking voice I understood deep in my gut that I was in danger. “I am so sorry. This is…this is Junko. She is a maiko from the Green Tea House. Auntie sent her to us with an urgent message, and I’m afraid she didn’t have time to leave before you arrived. I’ll dismiss her now, if it pleases you.”
“No. No, it doesn’t please me at all. Make me a pipe, Gin. You, Junko. Stand up and come over here.”
I obeyed, but stood as far away from him as I dared.
“Maiko, are you? Why aren’t you wearing tabi, then?”
I swallowed. It had delighted me that morning to put on my geta without tabi, the divided-toe sock that I had worn as a maiko. Geisha never wore tabi outside the house. As I now considered myself to be a geisha, neither would I wear them. Now, I wished devoutly that I had.
“I think you’re not telling me the whole truth, Gin.” Gin was rolling the bowl of the opium pipe over the flame. Already, the fumes were beginning to float sleepily on the air. “What do you think, gentlemen? Fancy a bit of variety? Looks to me as if we might have something new to play with.”
Gin leaned across and pushed the pipe between her patron’s lips. He inhaled, holding the aromatic smoke in his lungs for a long time. Perhaps it was not the first pipe he had taken that day, for it seemed to have little effect on him.
“Aye, Ikko. She’s a beauty, all right,” said one of the other patrons sitting next to Nami. He also had a fuming pipe, but his other hand was fumbling deep inside the neck of Nami’s kimono. She stared straight ahead, her smile looking as if it had been painted on her lips. “Got some special talents, has she?”
“I promise you, gentlemen. She’s just a maiko from the Green Tea House. Auntie sent her across urgently, so no doubt she had no time to put her tabi on.” Gin widened her eyes urgently at me, and I bowed deeply to her patron.
“I am so sorry, Ikko-san,” I murmured. “I have no right to be here, disturbing the honorable gentlemen. I will go now.”
Ikko wagged his finger at me. “Not so soon, little one. Stay awhile. Don’t worry about Auntie. I’ll have a word with her.”
All of the men laughed. Ikko took his pipe from Gin and pushed the stem between my lips.
“Suck in the smoke. Take a deep breath, and hold it.” I started to choke, and he grinned. “Again. That’s it.”
The smoke tasted like flowers, releasing their perfume after rain. But it was very hot, and I coughed most of it out. But suddenly, I was no longer afraid. I smiled at Ikko-san, trying not to laugh as his face swayed in and out of focus.
“Ikko-san.” Gin’s voice was so loud it startled me. Why couldn’t she just be quiet and let me float off gently? “Ikko-san. Junko is Auntie’s favorite. The man who is to be her danna is one of the most important men in Edo. I cannot tell you his name, but he’s very powerful. Auntie really will not be pleased if anything should happen to Junko before her mizuage.”
“In that case, Auntie should take greater care of her treasure, shouldn’t she?” He held out the opium pipe to me and I sucked in the smoke. I held his wrist to keep the stem steady, and Ikko licked his lips. “Joji, what do you think? Between the four of us, we should be able to scrape up enough to make Auntie forget this one’s mizuage is going to be a bit irregular.”
He laughed and I giggled with him. After all, if he did but know it, my mizuage had already been far more irregular than he could ever imagine!
I glanced around the room lazily. My lips formed into an “ooh” of amazement as I saw that somewhere along the way Hiromi had lost her kimono and underclothes. She was completely naked, lying on her side on the tatami with a man full length on each side of her. I nodded wisely to myself. I had seen this before. She had become an illustration from my pillow book. As I watched, one of the men took his rigid tree of flesh in his hand, and pushed it deep in her black moss. As if the other patron had been waiting for the signal, he thrust hard at Hiromi from the back. I remembered vaguely that Lord Dai had shown me this in my pillow book and said it was called “splitting the melon” and that it was very pleasant. I had assumed bitterly he meant it was pleasant for the man, as I could not believe that a woman would enjoy it. Looking at Hiromi, I decided I had been wrong. She was grunting, and her face wore exactly the same expression of rapture as the woman in my pillow book.
The man Ikko had called Joji had his head in Nami’s lap. She was still fully clothed, but her kimono was thrown aside. I was astonished to see she was wearing nothing beneath it. I glanced at her face. It seemed to be contorted in agony. Surely, that couldn’t be right.
“You see, Junko? My friends are pleasuring themselves at the same time as they pleasure dear Hiromi. And Joji has given not a thought to his own desires. Instead, he’s seeking the seed with our lovely diving girl. See how she rejoices in his attentions? Perhaps you might like it if I did something similar for you?”
Gin made a strangled sound deep in her throat. If Ikko heard her, he gave no sign. He put the pipe down carefully and leaned toward me, putting his hand on the nape of my neck and pulling me toward him. His fingers slid down the front of my kimono and found my breasts.
“After all, there are many ways in which a woman can be pleasured and give pleasure to a man in return and still remain whole. Isn’t that so, Gin-chan? And that being the case, there’s no need at all for Auntie to know what’s gone on here this afternoon. Junko’s danna can still have her and never be any the wiser that we’ve been there before him.”
His fingernail was ragged and it caught on my nipple. The pain was surprisingly great, and I tried to wriggle back. Ikko clutched my breast harder so that it really did hurt.
“It seems to me that you’re not quite as innocent as a maiko should be, Junko-chan. None of this appears to astonish you at all.” He licked his lips and I wanted to explain to him that I had seen it all before. But only in my pillow book. Before I got the chance to speak, he was whispering to me again. “Would you like it if I sought the seed with you, Junko? Or perhaps I could split the melon for you. I would like that. Or you could lick and kiss my tree until I burst my fruit in your mouth.” Memories of Lord Dai doing just that made me shudder. I saw at once that Ikko had mistaken my horror for the tremble of desire. He grinned widely. “Or perhaps all of those. But first, I think it would entice my appetite to see Gin here play with you.” He smiled at Gin. “It’s always exciting for a man to see two women pleasuring each other.”
“Ikko-san, I cannot,” Gin whispered. I stared at her, wondering why she was so obviously horrified. All of the geisha in the Hidden House had brushed my hair, kissed me, and stroked my face. It would be odd that her patron was watching us, but if that was all he wanted, I would be happy to do it.
I held my arms out to Gin and smiled encouragingly at her. But I froze as I saw Ikko-san reach into his robe and pull out his tree of flesh. To my innocent eyes, it was huge. Not as astonishingly large as Big’s tree, but most certainly a river monster compared with Lord Dai’s wilting stick. The sight of it blew away the opium fumes that had made my head swim. He ran his hand up and down the length of his tree and wagged the nasty thing at me.
“Later on, but not too much later,” he said hoarsely. “When I’ve seen Gin seek the seed with you and watched you give her pleasure in return, then I shall have you, little one. I shall take great delight in splitting the melon with you.”
“I’m afraid, dear Ikko-san, that you’re going to have to take your fun elsewhere. This child is not for you. She’s spoken for.”
I had not heard the screen slide open. Neither had Ikko. His mouth dropped in surprise and suddenly he was thrusting his tree of flesh back in his robe hastily.
“You’re her danna? This foolish creature never said. I’m so sorry, Seemon-san. Had I known, of course, I would never have presumed…” Ikko’s voice choked off into silence. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Do run along, child. Gin was quite right, you have no place here in the Hidden House.”
I scrambled to my feet, almost falling over my own feet in my eagerness. The newcomer held out his hand to me and I took it gratefully.
“I would not disturb you gentlemen in your pleasures,” my savior said politely. “I’ll take this child back to the tea house myself. And perhaps take a little tea there before I return. I hope you will have taken your delights and we will be able to discuss our business by then.”
He bowed politely to Ikko-san. His skin was as white as silk and the hair falling onto the collar of his kimono was as red and thick as the winter coat of a fox, strong and lustrous to protect it from the cold.
I knew him. I had seen him before—just once, when I had gone with the geisha to entertain the nobles. But that was not how I knew him. I knew him in my flesh and my bones and my private places. In my head and in my heart. And also did I know that was why the gods had made my danna unable, so as to save me for this man. It all made perfect sense now.
The fact that he was a foreign barbarian mattered not at all.
He took my hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm as if it was the most natural thing in the world. It should have been unforgivably rude of him, to touch me so intimately when we had not even been formally introduced. But it was not. His touch was as familiar to me as if he were an old friend. Or already my lover.
He was silent as we crossed the garden, and he opened the door of the Green Tea House for me. My arm felt naked when he released me. I stood staring at his face, hypnotized by his exotic beauty.
“I knew we would meet again. You were called Junko when we met before. I asked Lord Ito who you were. Has your name changed since then?”
“Yes. I’m Terue now.”
“A lovely name. I’m called Seemon, Terue-chan. I must go now. I’m sorry, but I have no choice. But I’ll come back to you. Would you like that?” I nodded, finding no words. “Good. We shall talk then, amongst other things. But it may be some time. Will you wait for me?”
I longed to ask him when. To tell him that no matter how short the time, it would be too long. But the door was ajar, and I feared somebody would hear us.
“Yes. Yes, please.”
“I’ll come back as soon as it’s safe for us. We must tread very carefully, little Terue. Remember that, and tell nobody that we have met. Now go, before I forget myself and start gossip before there’s anything to gossip about.”
He smiled at me with his young man’s smile and put his hand very gently in the small of my back to urge me through the door. When I turned to look at him, he was already halfway across the garden, but I saw his head turn toward me as if it had been drawn by a magnet, and I was certain I saw both amazement and joy in his expression. And then the Hidden House swallowed him completely.
I went and sat on my tatami, my thoughts whirling. How strange that only hours before the thought of welcoming a man into my body repulsed me. Now, all I could think of was Seemon’s touch on my skin, his lips on my body, and I shuddered with pleasure.
And then I remembered I still had to face Auntie, and my pleasure died stillborn.
Twelve
This life or the next
Life. Truly there is nothing
New under the sun.
I kneeled before Auntie quickly, and then thought better of it and prostrated myself. I gabbled my story, my words muffled by the tatami as I blurted out everything as soon as I could.
When I had finished, I lay still, waiting for her fury to whip me unmercifully.
“Lord Dai was gone before I got back this morning. But he left a very handsome present for me. Very generous indeed.” I was amazed. Auntie sounded thoughtful rather than angry. “He left a message with the maid to say that he would return very soon and that he looked forward to talking with me when he did. Tell me again, what the witch said to him. And sit up. I can barely hear you, muttering into the tatami like that.”
I rose to my knees, and—watching her expression carefully—told her again what Lord Dai had confided in me.
“Ah. That explains a great deal.” I risked a glance at her face. She was smiling broadly. “There was much at stake amongst the nobles who bid for you, child. Not just the money for your mizuage—for such men as them, it was next to nothing. But more than anything, it was also a matter of face. Now I understand why Lord Dai was willing to risk so much to get you.”
I saw that she was truly pleased and thanked Nami and Gin silently for their good advice.
“I often wondered why Lord Dai didn’t take another wife after his first wife died. Especially as he has no children, not even by his concubines. And now I know. Well, I think we may say that things have turned out even better than one could have hoped.”
I could hardly believe her words. Auntie was clutching at reeds. Surely, she must understand, as I did, that I had been Lord Dai’s last hope. And I had failed him.
“But Auntie,” I said cautiously. “That’s all wrong. He couldn’t manage to take me. I’m still whole.”
“You are foolish, child,” Auntie said impatiently. “It doesn’t matter. He has it in his head that you’re the cure for what ails him. He may not have succeeded completely straight away, but you aroused him more than any other woman has been able to for years. He’ll come back to you, often. And you will please him more and more each time.”
I kept my face blank with an effort that hurt the muscles in my cheeks. Lord Dai would come back to me? And if—when—he finally took me, would I then find Big waiting on my futon for me?
Auntie leaned forward and patted my cheek almost fondly. “Ah, I knew you would be special, right from the start. Once word gets out that Lord Dai’s your patron, I’ll be able to name my own price for anybody else who wants your services.” For a moment, my confused thoughts conjured up memories of my friends in the Hidden House. Was Auntie going to sell my body, just as she did with theirs? I sighed with relief when she went on. “Everybody in the Floating World who matters will come to the tea house to be entertained by the geisha who has the great Lord Dai at her feet. It’s essential, of course, that you keep yourself pure for when he’s finally ready for you. There will be no lovers for you, Terue. No matter how long it takes. In case you think you can sneak a man in behind my back, I’ll instruct the boys that they must ensure that doesn’t happen. That nobody lays as much as a finger on you.”
Auntie smiled, and I smiled with her. I thought she gave me a strange look, but then, she had not heard my conversation with Big. At that moment—if I had dared—I would have embraced her in my thankfulness that she had unwittingly kept Big away from me.
“Yes, Auntie,” I murmured.
Thirteen
Each snowflake that falls
To earth is unique. Such a
Pity they must melt.
The other geisha were all of a flutter. I thought they resembled butterflies in the grace of their motions and the movements of their colorful kimonos.
No matter how important the patrons, normally they moved fluidly, as if they were playing a game where everybody knew the rules and it was essential that each moment was played accordingly. This evening, it was as if a stone had been thrown into a quiet pond, casting ripples as far as the land. They giggled behind their fans, opened their eyes wide, tilted their heads to one side flirtatiously.
And the guest of honor—seated as was only proper in front of the tokonoma, the alcove that was bare except for a sing
le silk scroll and a beautifully arranged ikebana spray of flowers in an elegant vase—smiled at each of them in turn. He inclined his head and appeared delighted with their attentions.
I hated all of them. Tamayu. Ren. Even my elder sister Saki. How dare they throw themselves at Seemon like this? Even worse, how dare he appear to enjoy their attentions? Well, two could play that game.
“Kita-san.” I leaned slightly nearer to my companion. “May I be of service to you? Perhaps some sake? Or could I play or dance for you?”
“Terue-chan, thank you. A cup of sake would be most welcome. It is hot this evening and I would welcome the refreshment.”
Hot? I had thought it cool earlier and had hurried to climb into my clothes after the bath. I glanced at Kita’s face and was surprised to see he had beads of sweat on his forehead. I leaned forward and fanned him tenderly at the same time as I waved my hand to the maid to bring sake.
“Terue.” Auntie’s voice was honeyed. “Tamayu will entertain Kita-san. Come over here. I wish to introduce you to our guest of honor.”
I bowed politely to Kita-san. He pouted like a child deprived of a promised treat as I rose to my feet and I hid a smile behind my fan. Tamayu would need all her talents to keep him happy.
“Seemon-san.” Auntie’s hand was resting on my shoulder. I wondered if she could feel the blood pulsing through my veins. I schooled my expression to be no more than politely interested. “This worthless girl is Terue, our youngest geisha. You haven’t seen her before as she’s been greatly occupied with her danna, Lord Dai. I am, of course, delighted that such a great man has seen fit to honor a humble child from my house.”
“Indeed, Hana.” I was amazed all over again at his command of Japanese. He spoke like a native of Edo. “I had heard the gossip, of course. And now that I’ve seen Terue-san, I can quite understand how she came to enchant such a great noble.”
