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[continuing chapter 16]
A farmer, walking along the road with a bundle of damp sticks and twigs in his arms, gave them directions to Hokke-ji, which they found in the western part of the old city. Nara was pretty much as Hiroki had imagined it: even riding through the place it was impossible to tell where the palaces and grand buildings had once stood, and even the famous grid, modeled on the ancient Chinese capital city, Chang’an, was no longer visible.
Hokke-ji itself was beautiful in a way that seemed to Hiroki almost unearthly. The temple grounds were spacious, and the gardens were laid out in a style he had never seen before — was it Chinese? Or perhaps something developed by ancestors countless generations removed from the troubled life of the current capital? It was a pleasure — and a relief — to see such beauty untouched by war. So far, at least.
At the centre of the complex was a squat tower that looked as if the Great Buddha from the Tōdaiji had sat on a pagoda, squashing and compacting it.
It was while he was smiling at the image he had conjured up that Hiroki realized something: the monks walking in the temple grounds were female.
All of them.
Tetsuo seemed to have come to the realization at the same time. “Hiroki,” he whispered, “we’re surrounded by nuns.”
“Time to dismount and explain ourselves,” Hiroki told them. “Jiro, take the horses outside the complex and wait for us.”
He stumbled when stepping down from his stirrup. Better, but not quite well, he said, silently chastising his treacherous knee.
Apparently his discomfort had caught someone’s eye, because an old woman in a very faded saffron robe was suddenly at his side. “Are you hurt, my lord?” she asked. Her voice was as penetrating as it was soft, and Hiroki could not help but admire the effect.
“It is an old injury that still causes me trouble from time to time,” he told her. “Please take no notice of it.”
“As you wish. Speaking of notice, I see you were examining our bell-tower.”
“Is that what it is? It certainly is a memorable structure.” He heard Jiro leading the horses away, and bowed to the nun. “Forgive me, Nisou, for my clumsiness in barging directly into your temple this way. I’m afraid I was ignorant as to the true nature of Hokke-ji; all I knew of it was that it was a temple in Nara. We have rather urgent business here.”
“We are not in the slightest upset if the outside world knows nothing of us,” she said. Her smile was as other-worldly as the gardens behind her. “Though we are not precisely new arrivals in the city. Our temple was founded by the empress Kōmyō eight hundred and eighty-two years ago. And we are a nuns’ temple, so I am not sure I understand what business you could have with us.”
“Well, it is a woman we are seeking, Nisou. Her name is Inaki Sakiko, she comes from the imperial palace, and her life is in danger.”
The nun’s pleasant look of vague distraction was suddenly gone, and it was a sharp-eyed old woman who asked him, “In danger from whom? Or what?”
“That is not an easy question to answer,” Hiroki said. “The direct danger is from a master-less warrior, or warriors, coming from the capital. The greater danger is from a person I cannot yet identify. I am hoping the lady herself might be able to enlighten me, the better to allow me to” — he nearly choked on the words — “serve her.”
“I can tell you that a woman of that name is visiting the temple,” the nun said. “And as far as I am aware she is safe and unharmed. And no warrior would dare intrude on our grounds with violent intent.” The soft voice had become rather waspish, Hiroki thought.
“I am relieved to learn that the woman is unharmed,” he said. “So far, that is. I am afraid I must insist on seeing her anyway.”
“You are welcome to insist all you want,” the nun told him, “but I am not letting three armed and armoured men anywhere near our abbess. I trust I make myself clear.”
Hiroki felt himself flush. Slowly he untied his helmet, removed it and set it on the ground. Then he divested himself of sword and dagger. I wish I hadn’t sent Jiro away, he thought, struggling with the laces that held his shoulder-guards to his breastplate. “Might I keep my staff with me?” he asked.
“Given your limp, yes.”
He wiped his forehead, secretly relieved to be out of the heavy armour. Cherry blossoms were still weeks away, but riding for hours in armour was hot and sweaty work even in this chill.
After an embarrassing wait for Shiro and Tetsuo to finish removing their armour, Hiroki said, “And now, perhaps?”
“Who’s going to watch our gear?” Shiro asked. “This cost a lot of money, you know.”
“I believe you can trust me, young man,” said the nun, “when I tell you that there is nobody at this temple with the slightest desire to possess any of these — these things.”
She turned and began to walk away. “Follow me, please,” she said.
Next Characters Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6
Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14
Chapter 15 Chapter 16
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