Sowing Ghosts 1.5

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[Continuing chapter 1]

Arms Master Miyoshi Takahashi was not a well-favoured man. His chin was weak, his hair was thin, and a softness in cheeks, body and hands argued for a life that was less active than it ought to have been.

For all that, though, Hiroki was impressed by his presence when he entered the room. The arms master was superbly dressed and accoutered, and his eyes, clear and firm, seemed to take the measure of Hiroki and all his companions in the time it took him to step through the doorway. Tetsuo, alarmed, swallowed the last of his tea abruptly as Hiroki, Lords Naitō and Matsukata, and Shiro made their bows. If he isn't deliberately trying to throw us off-balance, Hiroki thought, he has excellent instincts for the uses of power. 



“Good sirs, I thank you for honouring my home with your visit,” the arms master said. His voice was firm if a bit high-pitched, a voice used to command. Walking to the dais at one end of the room, the arms master seated himself. “I believe I understand your purpose, lords, but before we begin properly, could I ask a question of your warrior escort?”

Lord Naitō nodded, glancing at Hiroki as if to assign the task of responding to him. “Thank you,” the arms master said. “Might I ask for your perceptions of the state of the country as you saw it on your journey here?”

“If I might presume, my lord, to speak for us all,” Hiroki said, “the country we saw is in a disrupted state. It is as if the world were turned upside-down.” This was potentially dangerous, he knew — he was speaking of the usurpation of power to a man who represented just such a usurper, albeit a more exalted one — but it was the truth and in this instance the truth had to be said.

“The farmers and warriors of the land are confused because they no longer know where their loyalty lies. They wish, I think, for the shōgun to be strong again and for there to be order in their provinces. Certainly our embassy was treated with more fear than respect in most of the places we stopped during our journey here.”

“Fear without respect is not healthy,” the arms master said, “and it is the absence of certainty and confidence that leads to fear. Thank you for your honesty.” After a short pause to look down at the letters he had been given he said, “Lord Naitō Katsunori is the minister of the left in Lord Tanuma’s administration. Lord Matsukata Akatomo is a senior retainer of Lord Tanuma and the lord’s personal representative.” The two men nodded.

“I am most honoured to receive gentlemen of your stature and I believe we can talk productively,” the arms master said, scraping a fingernail across the surface of the paper before him. “And your escort?”

“Yoshino Hiroki is a captain and navigator,” Lord Naitō said. “It was he who guided us here. Shimada Tetsuo and Otomo Hideo”—this a reference to Shiro—“are warriors in Lord Tanuma’s service and serve as guards to us.”

“They must be very good fighters indeed,” the arms master said, smiling, “if they are only two.”

“Our lord has complete trust in them,” Lord Naitō said. Hiroki was fairly sure he detected pride in the lord’s voice.

The arms master got to his feet. “If you are in agreement, my lords, I believe we should begin our discussions immediately. I want to know more about how conditions are in—Kozuke, I believe”—Lord Naitō nodded—“and how my lord may be able to help you.” He bent his head in Hiroki’s direction. “As for your escort, I will ask my sister to see that they are properly accommodated until such time as our day’s work is complete.” He turned back to Lord Naitō. “My lords, if you will come with me?”

Hiroki got to his feet, trusting that Tetsuo and Shiro would join him, and bowed as the three lords passed them on their way to the door. In the doorway the arms master stopped and said, “If you will wait here, a servant will come to escort you to my sister. I hope you have a pleasant day.”

For a few moments after the door slid closed behind the departing lords they sat silent. Then, quietly, Tetsuo said, “I thought that went well.”

“Very well,” Hiroki told him. A little too well. Something about their reception here was disturbing, but Hiroki could not say precisely what that might be. He was sure Lord Naitō would be pleased at how rapidly he seemed to progress, but Hiroki felt equally certain they should have had to work harder to achieve this reaction. “Let us hope that when we meet again with him Lord Naitō agrees with us.”

Before he could say more, though, the promised servant arrived, asking them from the open doorway to follow her.

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