Shike by Robert J. Shea (the reading list txt) 📕

Eootsteps near his tent woke Jebu. Moko was standing close by, his eyes red with weeping. Jebu’s first thought was, Sakagura. Then he sat up and saw Sakagura standing behind Moko. The two men were barely visible. Jebu sensed that it should be dawn, but it was still dark. It was utterly silent. Not an insect buzzed, not a bird sang. Pulling his head all the way out from under his cloak, he saw that there were no moon and stars. Sakagura was wearing only a fundoshi. His lean body was dripping water, and he was shivering despite the oppressive heat. Sakagura’s ship might have been sunk, but if he was alive why was Moko so upset, and why did Sakagura himself look as if he had suffered a mortal wound and was holding himself erect only by sheer will?

There was still that strange feeling of tension in the air that Jebu had noticed the night before, but the rain had stopped. He heard the voices of many samurai gathering in darkness for combat near the base of the town wall. He could not see them; they carried no lights that would attract enemy archers. He stood up, tightening the laces of his armour and checking over his weapons.

“I was thinking about you before I went to sleep last night,” he said. “About you and Sakagura. What is wrong?”

“Sakagura,” said Moko. “If only he had been killed yesterday. If only he had never been born.” He turned and struck his son in the face, full force. It was amazing. Jebu had never seen Moko strike anyone. What was even more amazing was that Sakagura stood there and took it. A chill crept into Jebu’s bones. He knew what was wrong.

“Something has happened to Sametono,” he said flatly. His entire body was cold now. “Tell me exactly what happened,” he snapped at Sakagura.

“Give me permission to kill myself, shik��,” said Sakagura in a low voice.

“Don’t be a fool,” Jebu snarled. “What good would that do?” It was all he could do to keep his hands from the woebegone figure before him. These samurai-death was their solution to everything, their way of running from the problems they had created. Succeeding his anger, a feeling of shocked desolation began to grow. How would he tell Taniko, how would he face her?

“Is Sametono dead?”

“If I knew that for certain I would already have killed myself,” said Sakagura with a groan.

“I assume he went to you yesterday and asked to be taken along when you raided the Mongol ships last night. And you agreed.” Jebu could not keep the fury and contempt out of his voice.

“He is the Shogun, shik��. How could I disobey him? Did I not take Lord Munetoki on one of our raids? Did anyone find fault with that? Then why not the Shogun himself?”

“Don’t pretend to be more stupid than you are, Sakagura. Just tell me everything.”

Sakagura began to cry, and he blurted the story out between sobs. “As soon as it was dark enough we went out. Their ships were all clustered around Hakata. I had it in mind to try to set fire to some of the junks further out in the harbour that hadn’t yet unloaded their troops. His lordship insisted on going for Red Tiger.”

“Oh, compassionate Buddha!” cried Moko. It seemed Moko himself didn’t know everything that had happened.

“His lordship said that killing Arghun Baghadur would be better than sinking a thousand junks, because it would break the Mongols’ spirit. We sailed in among the Mongol ships. They were so busy trying to land troops at Hakata that they didn’t even have the nets up. We made for Red Tiger. Think if we had succeeded, shik��.”

“Thirty of you against the four hundred or more warriors on that huge ship? Madness. What happened then?”

“They must have seen us. Just before we got alongside Red Tiger a fire ball struck us amidships and exploded. Most of our men were killed. His lordship and I, standing in the prow, were thrown into the water. The Mongols began fishing around in the water for us with hooks and rakes from the portholes and deck of Red Tiger and other near-by ships. When last I saw his lordship, he was being hauled aboard Red Tiger. As long as our Shogun might be alive, it seemed to me it was my duty to get word back to our side. I spent most of the night swimming back to Hakozaki. I didn’t know who to tell, realizing that the news of our lord’s capture might panic our troops. So I went first to my father. And ever since we’ve been looking for you.”

“Swimming back with the news was the only intelligent thing you did,” said Jebu. “Of course, by now they might have tortured him to death. Or killed him outright. Could they find out who he is? He certainly would try to keep them from knowing.”

“He was wearing an ordinary low-ranking samurai’s armour. He did have his family sword with him, though. Higekiri.”

“Arghun would know that sword. We must prepare for the worst, that they know who they’ve got and will try to use him against us.” Even in his anguish he realized what agonies poor Moko must be going through now. He turned to the little man and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“What are we going to do, shik��? Sakagura and I must commit seppuku at once, don’t you agree?”

“There will be no more talk about anyone’s killing himself,” Jebu said. “We will do what we can to help Sametono. That should be enough to satisfy anyone’s lust for self-destruction.” He realized that the Self was speaking through him, and with that realization came the glimmerings of a plan.

Moko and Sakagura stood silently, awaiting orders. “You must be very careful that word of this does not get out,” Jebu said. “I will tell those who must be told. Moko, you will have to ride at once to Lady Taniko at the governor’s castle at Dazaifu. Tell her what has happened. I should bring her the news myself, but I have much to do here and there is no time. Tell her that I have a plan, if she is willing to trust his life to me. Of course, if she has any orders of her own, I will follow them.”

“Shik��, don’t ask me to break this news to her,” Moko wailed. “I couldn’t bear it.”

“A moment ago you were telling me that you were ready to cut your belly open with a knife. Tell Lady Taniko that if she wants to let me try my plan, she should gather all the finery for men she can find in the chests at the governor’s palace. Court dress, robes, hats, jewellery, that sort of thing. She should have it sent by carriage to Hakozaki as quickly as possible. Sakagura, I want you to get me a ship, preferably not a warship, but a large, handsomely decorated one, a gozabune, a governor’s galley, something of that sort. I presume you are enough of a famous sea captain to be able to requisition a ship.”

“One thing, shik��,” said Moko as father and son turned to go. “Yes.”

“I owe you so much already that I cannot find any way to thank you. I could praise you for a thousand lifetimes and it would not be enough. I have one last favour to ask. Whatever you do in this rescue attempt you’re planning, you must let me go with you.”

“Moko, you are not in any way to blame for what happened to Sametono. A raid of this sort is hardly the place for you, and you do not need to risk your life to expiate something which is no fault of yours.”

“Eathers are always accountable for the deeds of their sons. Everyone says so. As for my being out of place, I respectfully ask you to remember what I accomplished in Oshu. Eurthermore, I know ships, I know this harbour, I know quite a bit about Mongols. If you do not take me, shik��, you will find me dead when you return.”

Jebu put his hand on Moko’s shoulder. “Still ready to go anywhere with me, are you, old friend? Well then, I won’t leave you behind this time, either.”

Taniko insisted on coming to Hakozaki from Dazaifu along with the wagonloads of Court dress Jebu had sent for. While the costumes were loaded aboard Jebu’s ship, he sat with her in her carriage. She was dry-eyed. She had been through these crises of terror and grief so many times, it seemed there were no more tears to shed.

“I don’t think he’s still alive,” she said faintly to Jebu. “In a way I hope he isn’t. I can’t stand to think of what they might do to him. I don’t want you to risk your life trying to save him. You are all I have left. A storm is coming. If you go out there you will never come back.”

“Yes, he may be dead and I may not come back,” Jebu said. “But it is not true that you will have no one left. I said that same foolish thing to my father, Taitaro, when he was preparing to die. I had everybody then. As you have everybody. You are the mother of this nation, the AmaShogun. Do not fear, my love. You can never be separated from me, because we are both the Self.” He held her in his arms and kissed her, and his tears wet her tearless cheeks. Then he pushed himself away and climbed out of her carriage.

General Miura Zumiyoshi was standing near the carriage, staring gloomily at Jebu’s ship. Jebu had secretly notified him of Sametono’s capture, and he had passed the disastrous news on to the other generals.

“I don’t know what I can wish you,” he said. “What you are attempting to do is impossible, but it is a noble attempt. May you be reborn in Amida’s Western Paradise.”

Jebu bowed and thanked him, then ran across the dock to the great beribboned state galley.

The ship rose high and fell far, hawsers screaming in protest, as tall waves rolled into the Hakozaki docks. The moaning wind whipped the red and white ribbons and the embroidered banners that adorned the sides of the vessel. The hull itself was richly carved awl decorated with red and gold dragons. The ship’s name was Shimmering Light, and it was, as Jebu had ordered, a gozabune, a state galley with a high bridge and a deck covering the sixty rowers, used in normal times to transport provincial governors and the like.

Timing his jump to catch the ship on the rise, Jebu made the perilous leap from pier to deck. Kagyo, Moko and Sakagura were waiting for him.

“Were you able to get the items we need on such short notice?” Jebu