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here; I had never heard of this village.โ€ He drank his soup noisily. โ€œBe thankful no one else knows of your existence, for Iida Sadamu hates us and many have died in Inuyama, even as far west as Noguchi and Yamagata in the Middle Country. If Iida ever succeeds in conquering the Three Countries, he will wipe us out.โ€

โ€œWe are no threat to Lord Iida or to anyone,โ€ Sara said. โ€œAnd we are safe here. My husband and Isao, our leader, are respected; they help everyone. Everyone likes us; no one will harm us here.โ€

โ€œI pray that he will protect you,โ€ the peddler said.

Shimon noticed the puzzlement in his daughtersโ€™ eyes. โ€œWe are safe under his protection,โ€ he said swiftly, dreading seeing that puzzlement turn to fear. โ€œLike the little chicks under the mother henโ€™s wings.โ€

When the sparse meal was finished, the peddler insisted on showing them his wares, saying, โ€œYou must choose something: it will be payment, as I said.โ€

โ€œIt is not necessary,โ€ Shimon replied politely, but he was curious to see what else the man carried, and he was still thinking about the needles; they were so useful, so easily lost or broken, so hard to replace.

Sara brought a lamp. They rarely lit them, usually going to bed as soon as darkness fell. The unusual light, the precious objects made them all excited. The little girls stared with shining eyes as the peddler unwrapped squares of woven cloth in pretty patterns, needles, a small doll carved from wood, spoons made of red lacquer, skeins of colored thread, a bolt of indigo-dyed hemp cloth, and several knives, one of which was more like a short sword, though it had a plain hilt and no scabbard.

Shimon could not help noticing that Tomasuโ€™s eyes were drawn to it and that, as the boy leaned forward into the light to look more closely, his right hand seemed to curve as though the sword were already settling against the line across his palm.

The peddler was watching him, a slight frown between his eyes. โ€œYou like it? You should not!โ€

โ€œWhy do you carry such instruments of murder?โ€ Sara said quietly.

โ€œPeople offer me things in exchange,โ€ he replied, lifting the sword carefully and rewrapping it. โ€œIโ€™ll sell it somewhere.โ€

โ€œWhy donโ€™t we have weapons?โ€ Tomasu whispered. โ€œWe would not be so defenseless then against those who seek to kill us.โ€

โ€œThe Secret One is our defense,โ€ Shimon said.

โ€œIt is better to die ourselves than to take the life of another,โ€ Sara added. โ€œWe have taught you that all your life.โ€

The boy flushed a little under their rebukes and did not reply.

โ€œDid that knife kill someone?โ€ Maruta asked, recoiling slightly as if it were a snake.

โ€œThat is what it is made for,โ€ Shimon told her.

โ€œOr to kill yourself with,โ€ the peddler said and, seeing the childrenโ€™s astonished eyes, could not resist embellishing. โ€œWarriors think it is honorable in certain circumstances to take their own lives. They cut their bellies open with a sword like this one!โ€

โ€œIt is a terrible sin,โ€ Sara murmured, and taking Marutaโ€™s hand, she traced the sign of the Hidden on it. โ€œMay he protect us not only from death but from the sin of killing!โ€

The men whispered their assent, but Tomasu said, โ€œWe are not likely to kill; we have no enemies here and no weapons.โ€ Then he seemed to become aware of his motherโ€™s disapproval. โ€œI pray, too, that we may never have either,โ€ he said seriously.

Sara poured tea for everyone, and they ended the evening with a final prayer for the coming of the kingdom of peace. The peddler gave the doll to Madaren and to Maruta some red cords for her hair. Shimon asked for needles and received five.

The next morning before he left, the peddler insisted on leaving the hemp cloth. โ€œHave your wife make you a new robe.โ€

โ€œIt is too valuable,โ€ Shimon remonstrated. โ€œWe have done so little for you.โ€

โ€œItโ€™s heavy,โ€ the man replied. โ€œYouโ€™ll be saving me the trouble of carrying it farther. Iโ€™m grateful to you, and we are fellow-believers, brethren.โ€

โ€œThank you,โ€ Shimon said, taking it gratefully. He had never owned anything so costly. โ€œWill you return here? You are welcome to stay with us at any time.โ€

โ€œI will try to come again, but it wonโ€™t be for months. Next year or the year after.โ€

โ€œWhere will you go from here?โ€ Shimon asked.

โ€œI was going to try to get to Hinode, but I think Iโ€™ll give up that plan. I want to be in the West next year. If your son can show me the way back to the river, the Inugawa, I can get to Hofu by ship before winter comes.โ€

โ€œDo you travel throughout the Three Countries?โ€

โ€œI have been all over; I have even been to Hagi.โ€ The peddler picked up the frame, and Shimon helped fix it on his back.

โ€œI have never even heard of Hagi,โ€ he admitted.

โ€œIt is the main city of the Otori, who were defeated by Iida at the Battle of Yaegahara. You must have heard of that!โ€

โ€œYes, we heard of it,โ€ Shimon said. โ€œHow terrible the struggles between the clans are!โ€

โ€œMay He protect us from them,โ€ the peddler said. He was silent for a few moments, then seemed to shake himself.

โ€œWell, I must go. Thank you again, and take care of yourselves.โ€

Both men looked around for Tomasu. Shimon noted with approval that he was already at work, gathering fallen leaves to spread on the empty fields, which were white with frost. He was about to call him when the peddler remarked, โ€œHe does not look like you. Is he your own son?โ€

โ€œYes,โ€ Shimon heard himself say, and even added, โ€œHe takes after my wifeโ€™s father.โ€ He was suddenly uneasy at the manโ€™s curiosity and garrulity. โ€œI will show you the way myself,โ€ he said. He was afraid that if Tomasu left with the peddler he might never come back.

44

After her daughter, Mariko, went to Inuyama as a hostage at the age of seven, Maruyama Naomi traveled twice yearly to Iida

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