Black Arrow

FOURTEEN
THE FISHMONGER

Hitomaro walked through the tribunal gate with a light step, returning the guard’s brisksalute and smiling with satisfaction at the trim appearance of the constablessweeping the courtyard. Kaoru was doing a fine job with them.

After the stormy weather, theskies had cleared and the sun sparkled on many small icicles hanging from theeaves of buildings. Hitomaro glanced toward the far corner of the tribunalcompound where a small wooden house stood. Private yet convenient, it wouldmake a fine home for a tribunal officer and his spouse. Today he would askpermission to live there with Ofumi. The place was humble but in good repair,and in time they would furnish the two rooms to their liking. They would savetheir money and buy some land where they would build a larger house and raise afamily.

Blinking into the sunlight,Hitomaro stretched, laughed out loud, and ran up the steps to the barracks roomhe shared with Tora. He could hardly wait to see Tora’s face when he told himthe news.

Whistling happily, he pulledoff his boots and placed them next to Tora’s.

“Hey, Tora!” he shouted. “Waittill you hear! I’ll take you out tonight and buy you the best meal in town andall the wine-” He walked in and came to an abrupt halt. “What-?”

Tora was seated cross-legged ona piece of white cloth. His torso was bare, because he had slipped his robe offhis shoulders. In front of him lay a sheet of paper, covered with clumsy brushstrokes, and on this rested his short sword. There was an expression of intenseconcentration on Tora’s face.

“What are you doing?” Hitomaroasked, his heart skipping in his chest because he guessed at the significanceof these preparations.

Tora bowed lightly. “I’ve beenwaiting for you,” he said with uncharacteristic calm. “Will you assist me?” Hereached for the other, longer sword beside him and extended it toward Hitomaro.

Hitomaro did not touch it. “Why?What happened?”

Tora laid the sword down again.“Last night we went to dig up the body of the old lord,” he said tonelessly. “Kaibarasurprised the master and almost killed him.”

Comprehension began to dawn. “Wherewere you?”

For a moment, Tora’s shoulderssagged. “Being sick with fear.”

“Is the master badly hurt?”

“A cut near the shoulder.” Toraadded bitterly, “I wish Kaibara had carved out my heart instead.”

“That’s not too bad,” Hitomarosaid soothingly. “I expect Kaibara waited till you were out of the way.”

“You don’t understand. I shouldhave hurried back, but I was afraid of the ghost and trembling like a foolishwoman. The master had no sword. Kaibara would have killed him, if someone elsehadn’t done my job for me and shot the bastard.”

“Kaibara’s dead? Who did it?”

“It was dark. We found no one.”

“Does the master know aboutyour … this?”

Tora reached for the piece ofpaper and handed it to Hitomaro. “He will when he reads this … if he can makeout the writing. I can’t do anything right.” He touched the short sword andlooked up at Hitomaro with earnest eyes. “Help me do this one thing well, Hito.I am only the son of peasants, but you with your fine upbringing know theproper way for a soldier to die. I’ve bathed, shaved, put on clean clothes andtied up my hair. I’m ready. I thought I would just sort of fall forward on myshort sword, but now that you’re here, I might try shoving it in my belly withboth hands. Then, if I’m losing my strength before I’m done cutting across, youcan cut off my head. That’s the way it’s done, isn’t it?”

Hitomaro dropped the paper andscowled. “Have you thought what this will do to the master? How do you think he’llfeel? Last night you did not mean to desert him, but now you are. And he’s inmuch greater danger now. This whole province is in turmoil. If you wish to die,at least die fighting against his enemies.”

Tora stared at him. “But howcan I show my face?” he asked uneasily.

Hitomaro reached down and toreup Tora’s suicide note. “You will tell the master how you feel and that you owehim two lives instead of one. What did you do with Kaibara’s body?”

Tora looked blank. “I thoughtthis would make it all right,” he said, looking about the room helplessly.

“No!” Hitomaro’s voice wassharp. “You can die later. For now the master needs your help.” He waited untilTora nodded slowly. “Where is Kaibara?”

Tora scrambled up andrearranged his clothing. “We brought the body back. He’s with the others.”

“Come on then. I want to take alook at him. You can fill me in on the way.”

“Hito?” Tora asked plaintivelyon the veranda as they put on their boots. “What would you have done in myplace? I mean, if you had failed like I have?”

Hitomaro scowled at his boots. “Iwould’ve tried harder and complained less,” he snapped. Getting up, he put hishand on Tora’s shoulder and added more gently, “Come on now, brother. We’renone of us perfect. All we can do is try. Now no more talk. We have work to do.”

Four covered bodies awaitedthem in the icy storeroom, their temporary morgue. Hitomaro shook his head. “Ifthis keeps up, we’ll have to move them to a larger building. Thank heaven it’scold.”

Tora drew back the reed matfrom the nearest corpse. The dead man lay on his back, and the mat got caughton the tip of the arrow protruding from his neck. Tora untangled it carefully.

Hitomaro bent closer and peeredat the face. “So that’s Kaibara,” he said. “Funny, I’ve never seen the bastardup close. He’s in full armor. That means whoever got off that shot was eithervery lucky or very good.” His eyes went to the arrow. “Isn’t that one of yours?”he asked, astonished.

Tora nodded.

“But I thought you said-”

“There was another arrow. Itlooked unusual. The master had the doctor take it out and put one of mine in.”Turning away abruptly, Tora cursed and flung the mat violently across the room.“To my shame!” he cried, burying his face in his hands. “His way of telling methat I should have shot the bastard.”

“You know very well that wasnot why the master did it. He would never shame you. Still, it was a strangething to do. Did he explain?”

Tora did not answer. He hadgone to pick up the reed mat he had thrown. It had fallen across another body,disarranging the mat covering it. Now he stood bent, staring down at the corpse’sshaven head.

“Amida!” he muttered. “Hito,come here and look at this. I could swear that’s the same scar on his ear as onthe sick man at the Golden Carp. Remember, I told you about the poor bastardthe widow was going to throw out in the street? I thought it looked like amouse took a bite out of his earlobe. And this is just the same.” He slammedhis fist into his hand. “By the Buddha, I bet it’s a secret sign. A gang mark.They both belonged to some secret society. Come on. We’ve got to tell themaster.” Flinging the reed mat back over Kaibara, he dashed out the door,leaving Hitomaro to lock up.

WhenTora burst in with his news, Akitada was seated behind his desk. Things had gone from worse to disastrous, and he had not slept. The wound in his shoulder caused a constant searing ache that he had hidden from his wife. Tamako was unaware of his injury and distracted by the fact that Seimei had taken to his bed with chills and a bad cough. She had dosed him with his own concoction and he had finally slept. Akitada, on the other hand, had lain awake, worrying about Seimei, about the danger they were in, about the missing boy Toneo, and about the next day’s hearing. A vicious cycle of separate calamities kept him company until he rose at dawn.

But now he smiled at Tora. “Good,”he said. “I wondered what had become of you. Matters seem to have reached a critical point. I need all of you to stand by.”

Tora flushed. Falling to his knees, he bowed his head. “I was going to kill myself this morning, but Hitosaid you needed me.” He did not see Akitada’s astonishment nor his momentary amusement, and continued in a rush, “It’s true you sent me to check the horses before Kaibara came, but I was taking my time because I was afraid to come back. Afraid of the ghost, I mean, not that bastard Kaibara. But it was cowardly and it’s my fault you got hurt. Hito says I now owe you two lives instead of one and that you would need me to die fighting your enemies. So Idecided not to kill myself.” He knocked his head on the floor three times andsat up.

Akitada said, “I understand,and Hitomaro is right. I do need you.”

Tora said fervently, “I’ll remember next time, sir.” He paused for a moment. “About that mutilated body. I just happened to look at it with Hito and I saw a mark on his ear. It’s just like one on the dying man at the Golden Carp.”

Akitada made a sharp move of surprise and gasped, reaching for his wounded shoulder. “Call Hamaya,” he croaked.

Hamaya came in, followed by Hitomaro. “Hamaya,” Akitada said through gritted teeth, “Send for Dr. Oyoshi.”Three pairs of eyes widened with concern. “No, wait,” he corrected himself. “Tell him it’s about one of the bodies, and to meet us in the storehouse. Hitomaro,you can report on the way. Tora, help me up.”

He staggered to his feet,holding Tora’s arm to steady himself against a bout of dizziness. “It’s nothing,” he murmured, when he saw Tora’s white face. “Remember, it was the same when I was wounded in the capital? They say losing blood leaves emptinessin the head. In time it will fill again.”

Tora nodded but looked unhappy.While the three men walked slowly to the storeroom, Hitomaro reported on hisvisit to the judge’s villa. Akitada listened without comment.

Dr. Oyoshi joined them at the storehouse door. His face was colorfully bruised, but his eyes were bright. “How are you feeling this morning?” he asked Akitada.

“I shall be better when we get to the bottom of all these mysterious killings. In each case, it seems to me,we lack one crucial piece of information. Now perhaps Tora has found one forus. I want you to listen to what he has to say about the mutilated man, becauseit may jog your memory.”

Hitomaro unlocked the door, andthey stood around the corpse. Tora lifted the mat and explained about the ear,offering his theory about a secret society.

At Tora’s first words, Oyoshigrunted and knelt, looking closely at the dead man’s face, chest, and tongue.Straightening up with a sigh, he said, “Of course. I made a terrible mistake,sir. How could I have forgotten, when I saw the man myself just a few daysearlier! Tora is quite right. It is the poor fellow at the inn. He wasdying of lung disease.” He shook his head. “I am getting old and incompetent.Please, forgive my carelessness, sir. I understand that I have caused youembarrassment and that this disqualifies me as coroner.”

There was an awkward silence.Then Akitada said sharply, “Nonsense. You reminded us repeatedly that you weredissatisfied with the diagnosis.”

“But how could it be the sameman?” Tora asked, astonished. “The one at the inn was old. He had gray hair.”

Oyoshi said, “Someone shavedhis head. That can change a man’s appearance amazingly.”

“It explains why you didn’trecognize him, Doctor,” Hitomaro said. “Besides, his face is pretty muchdestroyed.”

Oyoshi shook his head. “It iskind of you to make excuses for an old man, but in my profession we do notconsider a patient’s looks but the symptoms of his disease. Those I should haverecognized.”

“Come,” said Akitada, touchinghis arm. “I have had enough of this … this self-recrimination from all ofyou.” He pointed to the four bodies stretched on the floor, almost filling thesmall room. “Look at them! The nameless guest from the inn. The old servantHideo. The thug Koichi. And now Kaibara. If you add Sato, the innkeeper, wehave five unsolved cases. And a missing child. Why should you blame yourselvesfor minor mistakes, when I have failed so grossly and completely in my duty?”For a moment he swayed on his feet, and Tora put out an arm to steady him.

“You should not be up, sir,”scolded Oyoshi. “Come, back to your room with you. I insist on bed rest untiltomorrow.”

Akitada protested in vain. Theywalked him to his office, where Tora and Hitomaro spread some bedding andbrought him tea.

Akitada drank it meekly andsmiled. “I must be thankful that Seimei is too sick himself to concoct one ofhis vile brews,” he joked feebly.

“I look forward to meeting him,”said Oyoshi. “I may have just the medicine to make him better.” He sat downnext to Akitada and felt his forehead. “As for you, you’re slightly warm, butthat may be due to exertion. Rest is essential. You must avoid overheatingyourself. By the way, you may be certain now that the man from the inn was notmurdered. He was dying when I saw him. Even if Mrs. Sato threw him into thestreet after my visit, she could not properly be held responsible for hisdeath.”

“Yes.” Akitada chewed on hislower lip. “I admit that’s a disappointment. The woman is detestable. However,though she may not be responsible for his death, she knows something about theconspiracy and who mutilated the dead man. Let her try to talk her way out ofthat!” He glanced at Tora and Hitomaro, who were hovering nearby. “Sit down,both of you. It’s time for a council of war.”

When they had gathered around,Akitada said, “Hamaya, Seimei, and I have drawn up the documents appointing mehigh constable. Notices will be posted all over the city. This step will allowme to assume command over the garrison and declare a state of emergency ifnecessary. It may also convince the people that Uesugi power can be broken. I checkedthe law carefully and studied similar cases and believe the action is unusualbut perfectly legal. The circumstances certainly make it necessary. We aretrying to foil a conspiracy against imperial authority in this province.”

Hitomaro grunted. “That’s wherethat judge fits in, sir. Remember his talk about a new ruler? And Chobei is upto his neck in the plot of the mutilated corpse. I saw his face when we foundthe body at the gate. He’s working for Hisamatsu now, a man who has a wholelibrary of Chinese texts and could have written the note that was pinned to thedead man. And that reminds me.” He reached into his sleeve and pulled out apiece of paper. “I helped myself to a sample when I was in Hisamatsu’s house.”

Akitada took it and nodded. “Itlooks like the same paper. Have Hamaya compare it later. From what you told meabout Hisamatsu it seems likely he wrote this, but he does not strike me as thesort of man who could organize a conspiracy of the complexity and seriousnessof this one. There is more than a touch of madness here.”

The possibility of an uprisingagainst the emperor was frightening. Without military support, they, werehelpless to avert it. One thing seemed certain to Akitada: When he failed inhis duties, he did so spectacularly. Freshly assigned to a post which hadseemed an open door to rapid promotion, he was about to lose the province tothe enemy. Unless they fled, they would also lose their lives, of course, butthere was no point in dwelling on that detail.

Hiding his fears, he said, “Much depends on Captain Takesuke, of course, and on Uesugi himself. And let’s not forget Sunada. I wonder what that rascal’s part is in all of this, and what asmall-time crook like Koichi wanted from him. A pity Kaibara is dead. He wouldhave had answers. Who shot him? And why? His killer may have saved my life, butwhat if that was not his real purpose?” He frowned. “I wish there weren’t somany pieces missing. Do you know what this situation reminds me of? The shellmatching game my sisters used to play. I feel that it’s my play and I don’tknow which piece to turn over.”

Tora and Hitomaro looked blank,but Oyoshi nodded. “A very good comparison, sir.” He explained, “The shells areplain on the outside but hide pictures on the inside. For each picture there isa matching one in only one other shell. The object is to find the match. Well,sir, we have just matched our first shell by identifying the mutilated corpse.Will you let the other players know?”

“Yes, perhaps that is thelogical next move. There will be a court hearing later. Tora, go tell Hamaya tomake the arrangements.”

“But you are wounded,”protested Hitomaro.

Akitada refrained from pointingout that his shoulder was a small matter compared to their all beingslaughtered by the Uesugi. “Never mind,” he said. “I shall rest till then. I’mperfectly capable of conducting a brief hearing. Tell Kaoru to have Mrs. Satobrought in.”

Oyoshi poured some tea andadded one of his powders. Stirring, he said, “This should dull the pain alittle and let you rest.”

Akitada smiled his thanks,swallowed the draft, and closed his eyes as the others stole from the room.

The crowd in the hall was smaller and more subdued than last time, and they watchedhim intently. Akitada saw them through a haze. What Oyoshi had given him forthe pain unfortunately made him see and hear everyone as if from a greatdistance. He also felt flushed and uncomfortably warm.

He began the session byannouncing his new status. When the crowd began to buzz, he rapped his batonsharply, calling for the prisoners and the witnesses in the Sato case.

Kaoru knelt and reported thatMrs. Sato had claimed to be too ill to appear.

Akitada shifted irritably andwinced. “Arrest her,” he said. The crowd whispered like wind rustling throughdry grasses. He pulled himself together. “We will start with the fishmonger’scase.”

When two constables dragged inGoto, a new wave of excitement rippled through the onlookers. Goto was inchains but drew courage from them.

“This person,” he cried when hefaced Akitada, “wishes to complain about the cruel treatment he’s received. I’man honest citizen and pay my taxes, but I was beaten and chained, and thenthrown in jail like a criminal. Me, a poor shopkeeper who’s never been introuble with the law! Meanwhile my brother’s body lies someplace, cut topieces, without a proper burial, and his killer is smiling while I suffer. Isthat justice?”

The crowd buzzed their support.One of the constables kicked Goto in the back of the legs, shouting, “Kneel!”

Goto fell to his knees with aloud wail. The crowd became noisy.

“Silence!” Akitada shouted,rapping his baton again. He felt unaccountably weak and languid. He looked forKaoru and saw that constables moved among the people to control them. Graduallyit became quiet. Akitada turned his attention back to the fishmonger. “Statethe case against this man, Sergeant.”

Kaoro announced, “This man iscalled Goto and is a fishmonger in this city. He stands accused of having liedto this tribunal and of having falsely accused one Kimura of murder.”

“What? I never lied …” Goto’s outraged protest died with a kick from his guard.

Kaoru continued impassively, “Hei dentified a body found outside the tribunal gate three days ago as that of his brother Ogai, a soldier absent without leave from the local garrison.”

Akitada asked the prisoner, “Do you persist in your identification?”

Goto cried, “It’s my brother, Iswear it.”

“Have the maid brought in!”Akitada commanded.

The maid of the Golden Carp marched past the crowd with a smile of self-assurance. Akitada saw that she wasa sturdy, plain woman with a knowing look on her face. Near the dais she passedTora and stopped with a gasp. Tora kept his eyes carefully fixed on a corner ofthe hall. The maid looked outraged. Putting her hands on her hips, she cried, “Sothis is where you’ve been hiding out, you lying dog! If I’d known that you werea stinking spy for the tribunal, I’d have made you wish you were bedding arabid monkey instead.”

There was a moment of stunnedsilence, then a ripple of laughter started and crude jokes flew back and forth.Akitada bit his lip and rapped his baton on the boards while Kaoru started forthe girl.

Tora was crimson. Satisfied with the scene she had created, the maid spat on his boots and walked to thedais.

There she knelt, bowed deeply,and said, “This humble person is called Kiyo. She works as a maid at the GoldenCarp. She apologizes for having lost her temper with a lying dog.”

In view of the provocation,Akitada decided to ignore her outburst. “You were shown the corpse of amutilated man,” he said. “Did you recognize him?”

“Aiih!” she cried. “It was horrible! It turned my stomach what they did to poor Mr. Kato.”

“Answer the question.”

“I recognized him. May theBuddha comfort his soul! It was Mr. Kato, one of our guests. He died last week.Someone must’ve stolen the body. They cut off his feet and hands. And shavedhis head. Who’d do a nasty thing like that to a dead man? I hardly knew himexcept for that ear of his. I nursed the poor man till he died. The doctor andmy mistress saw him, too.”

“Dr. Oyoshi has already identified the body. Where is your mistress?”

Kiyo spread her hands. “Whoknows? She says she’s sick but she stays away a lot. I bet she’s meeting someman.” She turned to shoot a venomous glance in Tora’s direction and shook herfist at him. “She’s a fool.”

Akitada snapped, “Stop that!Did this Kato die from his illness?”

“Yes, sir. The night after thedoctor came. The mistress sent for someone to take his body away.”

Akitada said, “Let the recordshow that the maid Kiyo has identified the body left at the tribunal gate asthat of one Kato, a guest who died of an illness at the Golden Carp.” Turning to Goto, he asked, “What do you say now?”

The fishmonger was trembling.He prostrated himself, knocking his head on the floor, and cried, “Forgive thisignorant person, your Honor! My brother had disappeared and I… my eyes areweak. Heaven be praised it is not my brother! But the rest was true. Kimura didfight with Ogai, and now Ogai has disappeared.”

Akitada said, “Bring in theother prisoner.”

The constables dragged in a burlyman in chains. He was quite ugly, with the straggly beginnings of a beardsurrounding a slack mouth which lacked most of its front teeth. One of his armswas bandaged to a piece of wood.

The moment he appeared therewas a cry from the crowd. A thin man in a hemp jacket and short pants pushedhis way to the dais and fell on his knees.

Akitada rapped for order, andwaited impatiently until the constables had made their prisoner kneel next toGoto, whose mouth fell open in surprised horror. The resemblance between thetwo men was apparent.

Akitada nodded to the thin manand said, “State your name and purpose here.”

“This insignificant person iscalled Kimura. I’m a plasterer and a neighbor of that lying piece of dung Goto.Goto told everyone I murdered his brother Ogai, but there is Ogai, safe andsound.” Kimura pointed at the ugly fellow with the bandaged arm. “Goto liedbecause I built a dam across the creek that waters the land he stole from us,so now the land’s no good to him. Please, your Honor, tell him to stop makingtrouble for me.”

Akitada frowned. “I am gladthat you have finally come forward with your complaint. Let it be a lesson toyou next time to have the court settle your disputes. I have reviewed thedocuments of your case since they had some bearing on Goto’s charges. The courtgave the land to your neighbor on the evidence of a bill of sale and taxreceipts for more than ten years. Why do you claim he took your land?”

“I have no proof, your Honor,”Kimura said sadly, “except that my father did not like Goto and would neverhave sold him the land.”

“Was it not customary ten yearsago to have a sale witnessed by two neighbors of the owner?”

Kimura looked blank, but someone in the crowd shouted, “That’s true. They changed the law later.”

Akitada turned to Goto. “Whydoes your bill of sale not have the signatures of both witnesses?” he asked.

Goto paled. “A small oversight,”he pleaded.

“You lie,” said Akitada,nodding to one of the constables who stepped behind the fishmonger with hiswhip.

Goto shrank from him in horror.“No! Not another beating! I’ll tell the truth. Old man Kimura agreed to thedeal, but he died before he could put his mark on the papers, so I did it forhim. I didn’t know about other witnesses.” He prostrated himself, crying, “Pleasehave mercy. Please forgive an ignorant person.”

Akitada snapped, “Why shouldthis court believe you? You lied when you falsely identified the body. Who putyou up to that?”

Goto wiped sweat and tears fromhis face. “Nobody,” he wailed. “I was trying to save my brother’s life. That’swhy I said the dead man was him. So the soldiers would stop looking for him.”

The crowd had fallen silent,caught up in the proceedings, but now someone in the back shouted, “Don’tlisten to the dirty bastard, Governor. He’s always been a liar.”

The constables made a show ofglaring at the offender, and Akitada turned to the fishmonger’s brother. “Stateyour name and profession.”

“Ogai,” the man mutteredsullenly. “I’m a corporal in the provincial guard.”

“Not much longer,” shouted ajokester from the crowd.

Akitada frowned at theaudience. He hoped the sweat beading his face was not visible. “I am told,” hesaid to the prisoner, “that you deserted and were discovered hiding in theoutcast village. What part did you play in your brother’s false accusation ofKimura?”

“None.” Ogai avoided looking atGoto. “I know nothing about that. It was all Goto’s idea. Just like the landdeal. He made me pick a quarrel with Kimura.”

“You lying bastard!” Goto grabbed for his brother, but a constable struck his hand with the butt of hiswhip.

Ogai growled, “I’m not gettinganything out of this. You are! You’re the one stole the land. So don’t pin your troubles on me. I’ve got enough of my own.”

“You do indeed,” said Akitada. “Iam glad you understand the seriousness of your position. You are not only adeserter, but you have proven your bad character by committing a rape in theoutlaw village that offered you protection and hospitality. I have no qualms about turning you over to your captain for military trial.”

Ogai wailed.

Akitada ignored him and turnedto his brother. “You, Goto, shall receive fifty lashes and do six months of conscript labor for the government. The disputed land shall be returned to Kimura, the tax payments you made serving in lieu of rent that you owe him. In addition, your own property shall be confiscated and sold. The proceeds will goto Kimura in compensation for the false murder charge. Constables, remove the prisoners.”

The crowd broke into noisy cheering. Akitada, aware only of a mind-paralyzing tiredness, raised his eyesand lifted his baton to rap for order before closing the hearing when he sawthat Seimei’s startled attention was on the side door nearest him.

Akitada turned to look, andthere, in the light of a small oil lamp, stood the slender figure of his wife,Tamako, her face tearful and pale with anxiety.