Sowing Ghosts 11.3

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[continuing chapter 11]

“I am still curious about your mother,” Katsunata said, getting to his feet. “But for now I will hold my curiosity in check. I believe I owe you some consideration, after what I have put you through.” He went to the sliding screen and opened it when he heard Jiro approaching.

“I am curious about my mother as well,” Hiroki said. He felt the soft comfort of the futon trying to drag him down into sleep, and fought against it. “But I suspect you may not be able to answer my questions.” Before Katsunata could protest he added, “And any way, I have more immediate questions that I am certain you can answer.”

“I will do my best,” Katsunata said, “once your man and I have got your knee wrapped properly again.”


“What? No, that’s not for you — that’s a servant’s job,” Hiroki said, trying to sit up.

“Shut up and stay where you are,” Katsunata said. “I expect to have to lead men into war sooner than later, and a commander is not always going to have dutiful servants available to help in emergencies. So, good Jiro, if you would be so kind as to let me help you, and to explain to me why you do what you do, we will see if we can’t make your master a bit more comfortable.”

He did feel better, Hiroki had to admit, when the wrapping was finished. He even allowed himself to be persuaded that the swelling was not as bad now as it had looked at first light.

“So,” Katsunata said when Jiro nodded that they were done. “What is it I can tell you about factions?”

“I want to know about the factions within the Sakai faction,” Hiroki said. “It seems I have underestimated their importance with regard to Lord Naitō’s mission here. And” — he tried to gesture his confusion — “I want to understand why one of these factions might want me dead, rather than my superiors.”

“That is a lot to try to answer,” Katsunata said, speaking with great care. “I freely admit that there is much I do not understand myself. Miyoshi Motonaga, for instance, is a man I don’t understand at all. I know he is playing some sort of long game, but I have no idea what his game is, much less his goal. He is supposedly a supporter of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshitsuna — but he spends almost no time in the Kenpon temple, where the shōgun and kanrei live, and if he has ever even spoken to the shōgun I have not learned of it.”

“Where is he if not in the Kenponji?”

“Officially he is the deputy military governor of Yamashiro province.” Katsunata gestured in an easterly direction. “But titles are meaningless, as you have discovered. He is without doubt the most powerful man in the Sakai party — but he seems to care neither for the shogunate nor the capital itself.”

“ I have never met him, but I think I know a little about him. If he doesn’t care for either, why was he fighting here just a few weeks ago?” Hiroki asked.

“Who knows? I am beginning to think that however much he may fight in the capital, he isn’t really fighting for it. He fought against Yanagimoto Kataharu, but somehow Yanagimoto is still in control of Kyoto — or at least as much in control as anyone is, or can be.”

“Yanagimoto thinks that he ought to be the power behind the Sakai party,” Hiroki said, trying to think aloud. “Is his enmity with Miyoshi of long standing?”

“No!” Katsunata sounded both frustrated and anguished. “A year ago they were allies, and drove my cousin Takakuni and his shōgun out of the capital. Now they hate each other, and last month Miyoshi Motonaga actually allied himself with Takakuni to fight against Yanagimoto.”

“Last year’s allies are now enemies, and last year’s enemies are now allies.”

“Yes to the first,” said Katsunata, “no to the second. Nobody seems to stay allied with my cousin Takakuni for very long. He is, I believe, having a great deal of trouble finding supporters anywhere, and that includes the provinces even further from Kyoto than your Kozuke.”

“And which faction,” Hiroki asked, “do you support, Lord Hosokawa?”

“Haven’t I already told you? I support none of them. It’s much safer that way.”

“Is it, though?” This could be interesting, Hiroki thought. Maybe even important. “Aren’t you at risk of making all of them your enemies?”

“Why should I worry about who is my enemy, when everything we’ve just talked about proves that today’s friend is tomorrow’s enemy regardless? Remember what you yourself said not an hour ago, my lord Hiroki.”

“I would be happier about having said that,” Hiroki muttered, “if I felt I had a greater understanding now of where things stand. But all I seem to have learned from you, my Lord Hosokawa, is that nobody can be trusted and anybody can be — or is — an enemy.”

“At least you aren’t in any doubt now.”

“Well, in that case why don’t we look at which of all these factions has the least interest in seeing Lord Tanuma allied with the shōgun Yoshitsuna?” Hiroki shook his head. “But that doesn’t make any sense. The party with the most to lose would seem to be that of Omi. But nobody in the capital speaks of Hosokawa Takakuni or Shogun Yoshiharu these days. For all I know they have no presence here at all.”

“There are Omi supporters here even if the leadership has been driven out,” Katsunata said. “Most of the fighting in the streets now is between self-identified supporters of one shogunate and the alleged supporters of the other.”

“Alleged.”

“In a city with no proper government or administration, rumour conquered truth a long time ago, Hiroki.”

“Fair enough. Then which of the factions within the Sakai faction most resents outside alliances?”

“I am inclined to believe it is Yanagimoto,” Katsunata said.

“There is sense in that,” Hiroki said, still feeling his way through this snarl of conspiracy and betrayal. “After all, if Miyoshi Motonaga has based himself in Yamashiro then almost by definition he is seeking the support of the provincial lords. Yamashiro may surround the capital but it is not the capital. And it is a province.”

Hiroki had been on his side, propped up on one elbow, but now he felt exhaustion flattening him, and he acceded to its demands that he lay back down. “So now I have to investigate the Yanagimoto clan,” he said, weary at the thought and hoping Lord Hosokawa hadn’t discovered the investigating Hiroki had already done.

“Allow me to give you a name to begin with,” Katsunata said. “Look for a man named Nishikawa Masamichi. He lives on Kita no Koji Avenue. On one of the blocks that didn’t burn.

“There are a lot of alleged supporters of factions in this city, but nobody is in any doubt that Nishikawa is Yanagimoto’s man.”

“I don’t suppose he has a scar on his forehead,” Hiroki said, and was not at all surprised when Katsunata, confused, shook his head.

Next    Characters    Chapter 1    Chapter 2    Chapter 3    Chapter 4    Chapter 5    Chapter 6
Chapter 7    Chapter 8    Chapter 9    Chapter 10    Chapter 11