Taiko. Part 39

"It is Monkey, then," Koroku said.

"Do you know him?" the retainer asked.

"He was a quick-witted kid we kept here for a while. He swept the garden and took care of Kameichi."

"But isn't it strange that he's come here as a messenger from Oda n.o.bunaga?"

"That makes no sense to me either, but what does he look like?"

"Respectable."

"Oh?"

He wears a short coat over his armor, and it looks as though he's come quite a distance. Both his saddle and stirrups are covered with mud, and he's got a wicker basket for meals and other travel supplies on his saddle."

"Well, let him in and we'll see."

"Let him in?"

"Just to make sure, let's take a look at his face." Koroku sat on the veranda and waited.

It was a distance of only a few leagues from n.o.bunaga's castle to Hachisuka. By rights, the village should have been part of the Oda domain, but Koroku did not recognize n.o.bunaga, nor did he receive a stipend from the Oda clan. His father and the Saito of Mino had supported each other, and the sense of loyalty among ronin was a strong one. Actually, in those troubled days, they esteemed loyalty and chivalry, along with their honor, even more than did the samurai houses. Although they were fated to live as savage plunderers, these ronin were bound together like father and children, so that disloyalty and dishonesty were not tolerated. Koroku was like the head of a large family, and he was the very source of these iron rules of conduct.

Dosan's murder and Yos.h.i.+tatsu's death the previous year had caused one problem after another in Mino. And there had been repercussions for Koroku as well. The stipend paid to the Hachisuka while Dosan was alive had been cut off after the Oda blocked all the roads from Owari into Mino. But even so, Koroku was not going to forget his sense of loyalty. On the contrary, his enmity toward the Oda intensified, and in recent years he had indirectly aided defections from n.o.bunaga's camp and had been one of the major plotters of agitation in the Oda domain.

"I've brought him in," the retainer said from the wooden gate. Just in case, five or six of Koroku's men surrounded Tokichiro as he came in.

Koroku glowered at him. "Come here," he said, with an imperious nod.

An ordinary-looking man stood before Koroku. His salutation was also ordinary. "Well, it's been a long time."

Koroku stared fixedly at him. "Sure enough, it's Monkey. Your face hasn't changed much."

In contrast to his face, Koroku could not help being surprised by the transformation in Tokichiro's clothes. Koroku now clearly recalled that night ten years ago near the Yahagi River, when Tokichiro, dressed in a dirty cotton tunic, his neck, hands, and feet covered with grime, had been sleeping by the riverbank. When a soldier had shaken him awake, he had responded with such big words and such fighting spirit that they had all wondered who he could be. Under the light of the soldier's lanterns, he had turned out to be nothing more than a strange-looking youth.

Tokichiro spoke humbly, seemingly without any sense of the distinction between his former and present status. "Well, I've been quite negligent since I left. It's good to see that you're in your usual good health. I'll bet Master Kameichi has grown up. And your wife is well, too? You know, coming back here for a visit, ten years seem like an instant."

Then, looking around at the trees in the garden with heartfelt emotion and staring at the roofs of the buildings, he talked on and on about his recollections of scooping water from that stone well every day, of being scolded by the master, perhaps, next to that stone, of carrying Kameichi around on his back, and of catching cicadas for him.

Koroku, however, did not seem to be moved in the least by such memories. Rather, he focused on Tokichiro's every movement and finally spoke sharply. "Monkey," he said, addressing Tokichiro as he had done long before, "have you become a samurai?" It was obvious, though, from Tokichiro's appearance, that he had. Tokichiro, however, was not in the least disconcerted.

"Yes. As you can see, I still receive only an insignificant stipend, but somehow I'm on the verge of becoming a samurai. I hope you're pleased. In fact, today I rushed all the way from my post at the camp at Sunomata, partly because I thought you might be pleased about my promotion."

Koroku displayed a forced smile. "These are good times, aren't they? There are even people who will hire men like you as samurai. Who's your master?"

"Lord Oda n.o.bunaga."

"That bully?"

"By the way..." Tokichiro changed the tone of his voice a little. "I've digressed a bit about my personal affairs, but today I've come as Kinos.h.i.+ta Tokichiro, on the orders of Lord n.o.bunaga."

"Is that so? You're an envoy?"

"I'm coming in. Excuse me." With that, Tokichiro took off his sandals, went up the steps of the veranda where Koroku was sitting, and sat down, taking the seat of honor in the room for himself.

"Huh!" Koroku grunted and sat unmoving, right where he was. He had not invited him to come in, and yet Tokichiro had marched up unhesitatingly and sat down. Korok turned toward him and said, "Monkey?"

Though Tokichiro had answered to this name before, this time he refused. He simply stared fixedly at Koroku, who teased him for his childishness. "Come, come now, Monkey. You've suddenly changed your att.i.tude, but," he said, "until now you've been talking to me like an ordinary person. Do you want to go through the formality of being addressed as n.o.bunaga's envoy from now on?"

"That's correct."

"Well, then, go home immediately. Get out of here, Monkey!" Koroku rose an stepped down to the garden. His voice had taken on a rough edge, and he had a dangerous look in his eye. "Your Lord n.o.bunaga may think that Hachisuka is within his territory, but nearly all of Kaito is run by me. I don't recall that I or any of my forebears have ever received a single grain of millet from n.o.bunaga. For him to look at me with the air of a lord of a province is the height of absurdity. Go home, Monkey. And if you say something rude, I'll kill you!" He glared at him and went on, "When you get back, tell this to n.o.bunaga: he and I are equals. If he has some business with me, he can come himself. Do you understand, Monkey?"

"No."

"What!"

"It's a shame. Are you really nothing more than the chief of a gang of ignorant bandits?"

"Wha-what! How dare you!" Koroku jumped back up into the room, facing Tokichiro with a hand on the guard of his sword. "Monkey, say that again."

"Sit down."

"Shut up!"

"No, sit down. I have something to say to you."

"Hold your tongue!"

"No, I'm going to show you your own ignorance. I have something to teach you. Sit down!"

"You-"

Wait, Koroku. If you're going to kill me, this is the place, and you're the person to do it, so I don't suppose there's any reason to hurry. But if you cut me down, who's going teach you anything?"

"You-you're crazy!"

"Anyway, sit down. Come on, sit down. Put away your petty selfishness. What I want to tell you is not just about Lord n.o.bunaga and his relations.h.i.+p with the Hachisuka clan. It starts with the fact that you were both born in this country of j.a.pan. According to you, n.o.bunaga is not the lord of this province. Now these are quite reasonable words, and I agree with you. But what I find impertinent is your claim that Hachisuka is your own domain. You're mistaken."

"How's that?"

"Any piece of land that is said to be personal property, whether it be Hachisuka or Owari, or any bay or inlet, or even a single clod of earth, is no longer a part of the Empire. Isn't that correct, Koroku?"

"Hm."

"With all due respect, to speak this way about His Imperial Majesty-the true owner of all land-no, to be standing over me, grasping a sword in front of me as I tell you this, is an act of the grossest disrespect, is it not? Even a commoner wouldn't behave that way, and you're the leader of three thousand ronin, aren't you? Sit down and listen!"

Rather than arising from courage, this last shout sounded more as though it had exploded from his entire being. Just then, someone yelled from inside the house. "Master Koroku, sit down! You can't do otherwise!"

Who was that? Koroku wondered as he turned. Surprised, Tokichiro also looked in he direction of the voice. In the green light s.h.i.+ning from the central garden, someone could be seen lingering in the entrance to the corridor inside. Half of the man's body was hidden in the shade of the wall. They could not tell who he was, but at a glance, he seemed to be wearing the robes of a priest. "Oh, it's Master Ekei, isn't it?" Koroku said.

"That's right. It was rude of me to yell from outside, but I was concerned about what you two were arguing about so loudly," Ekei said, still standing there with what seemed to be a half smile on his face.

Koroku spoke calmly. "I'm sure that we disturbed you terribly. Please forgive me, Your Reverence. I'm going to toss out this impudent fellow right away."

"Wait, Master Koroku." Ekei stepped into the room. "You're being rude." Ekei was a traveling monk of about forty years of age who had stopped here as a guest. He had the physique of a broad-shouldered warrior. His large mouth was especially striking. At the hint that this monk, who was staying as a guest in his own house, might be taking Tokichiro's side, Koroku looked straight at him. "How am I being rude?"

"Well now. There's a reason not to turn your back on the words of this envoy here, Master Tokichiro has stated that neither this area nor the province of Owari belongs to n.o.bunaga or the Hachisuka, but rather to His Majesty the Emperor. Can you definitely state that this is not true? You can't. To express dissatisfaction with that national polity is the same as harboring treason against His Majesty, and this is what he's saying. So sit down for a moment, bend to the truth, and listen carefully to what this messenger has to say. After that, you can decide whether it's right to chase him away or to accede to his request. This is my humble opinion." Koroku was hardly an uneducated, ignorant bandit. He had the rudiments of an education in j.a.panese literature and he knew j.a.panese traditions, and from what bloodlines his own lineage flowed.

"I beg your pardon. It makes no difference who is speaking; it's foolish of me to oppose the principle of moral obligation. I shall hear what the envoy has to say."

When he saw that Koroku had settled down and was seated, Ekei was satisfied. "Well then, it would be rude of me to stay here, so I'll withdraw. But, Master Koroku, before you give this messenger an answer, I'd like you to stop by my room for just a moment. There's something I'd like to tell you." With that, he left.

Koroku nodded to him and then turned again toward the envoy, Tokichiro, and corrected himself. "Monkey-no, I mean Lord Oda's honorable envoy-what sort of business do you have with me? Let's hear it briefly."

Tokichiro unconsciously moistened his lips and considered that this was the turning point. Would he be able to persuade this man with an eloquent tongue and a cool head? The construction of the castle at Sunomata, the rest of his life, and, in its turn, the rise or fall of his master's clan-everything hinged on whether Koroku would say yes or no. Tokichiro was tense.

"In fact, this is not a different matter. It has to do with my previous inquiry, sent through my servant, Gonzo, about to your intentions."

"Concerning that matter, I absolutely refuse, just as I wrote in my reply. Did you see my reply or didn't you?" Koroku cut him off bluntly.

"I saw it." When he saw how unbending his opponent was, Tokichiro hung his head meekly. "But Gonzo delivered a letter from me. Today I'm delivering the request of Lord n.o.bunaga."

"It doesn't make any difference who asks, I have no intention of supporting the Oda clan. I don't need to write two answers."

"Well then, are you planning on leading the family line that your ancestors left to you to its regrettable destruction in your own generation and on this very land?"

"What?"

"Don't get angry. I, myself, received the favor of lodging and meals here ten years ago. In a larger sense, it's a great pity that people like you are hidden out here in the wilds and put to no use. Thinking of this in terms of both the public interest and my own, I thought it would be a shame if the Hachisuka went down to isolated self-destruction. So I came here as a last resort, in order to return the old favor that I owe you."

"Tokichiro."

"Yes?"

"You're still young. You don't have the capacity of running errands for your master with an eloquent tongue. You're just making your opponent angry, and I really don't want to get angry at a youngster like you. Why don't you leave before you've gone too far?"

"I'm not going to leave until I've had my say."

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but this is the forcefulness of a fool."

"Thank you. But great achievements beyond human strength generally resemble the forcefulness of fools. Nevertheless, wise men don't take the road of wisdom. For example, imagine that you consider yourself wiser than me. But when looked at objectively, you're just like the fool who sits on the roof and watches his own house burn down. You're still stubborn, even though the fire's spreading on all four sides. And you only have three thousand ronin !"

"Monkey! Your slender neck is getting closer and closer to my sword!"

"What? It's my neck that's in danger? Even if you remain loyal to the Saito, what kind of people are they? They have committed every treachery and every atrocity. Do you think there are any other provinces with such degenerate morals? Don't you have a son? Don't you have a family? Take a look at Mikawa. Lord Ieyasu has already bound himself to the Oda clan in an unbreakable alliance. When the Saito clan collapses, if you rely on the Imagawa, you'll be intercepted by the Tokugawa; if you ask for aid from Ise, you'll be surrounded by the Oda. No matter which clan you choose as your ally, how will you protect your family? All that remain are isolation and self-destruction, isn't that right?"

Koroku was silent now, almost as though he were dumbstruck, almost as though he had been taken in by Tokichiro's eloquence. But even though Tokichiro's sincerity showed on his face as he spoke, he never glared at his opponent or became overbearing. And sincerity, even if it speaks with a stutter, will sound eloquent when inspired.

"I'm asking you once again to reconsider. There's not an intelligent person under the sun who doesn't look askance at the immorality and misrule of Mino. By allying yourself with a faithless and lawless province, you're inviting your own destruction. Once you've accomplished this, do you think anyone is going to praise you as a man who died a martyr's death in the true Way of the Samurai? It would be better to end this worthless alliance, and meet once with my master, Lord n.o.bunaga. Although it's said these days that the entire country is filled with warriors, there's not one in the land with Lord n.o.bunaga's genius. Do you think things are going to continue as they are? It's a disrespectful thing to say, but the shogunate is at the end of the road. No one obeys the shogun, and his officials are unable to rule. Every province has withdrawn into itself, each one strengthening its own territory, supporting its own warriors, sharpening its weapons, and laying up stocks of firearms. The only way to survive today is to know who among those many rival warlords is trying to establish a new order."

For the first time, Koroku gave a single reluctant nod of a.s.sent.

Tokichiro drew closer to Koroku. "That man is among us now, and he is a man of vision. Only common men cannot see it. You've taken a loyal stand with the Saito clan, but you're so concerned with minor loyalty that you're overlooking the greater loyalty. This is regrettable for both you and Lord n.o.bunaga. Wipe the little things away from your mind, and think about the bigger scheme. The time is right. Unworthy as I am, I've been ordered to build the castle at Sunomata, and with that as a foothold, I've been given the command of the vanguard to strike into Mino. The Oda clan is not poor in clever or brave commanders, and for Lord n.o.bunaga to appoint an underling like me among them is daring, and indicates that he is not an ordinary lord like the others. Contained within Lord n.o.bunaga's orders is the implication that the castle at Sunomata will be commanded by the man who builds it. For people like us, is there any other time to rise up but now? I say this, but there's nothing that's going to be done with one individual's strength. No, I'm not going to embellish my words. I thought that I could put this opportunity to use, and I've gambled my life in coming here to draw you out. If I've been mistaken, I'm resolved to die. But I didn't come here empty-handed. It isn't much, but for the moment I brought three horses loaded with gold and silver as compensation and military expenses for your men. I'd be grateful if you'd accept it." As Tokichiro finished speaking, someone addressed Koroku from the garden.

"Uncle."

A samurai prostrated himself as he spoke.

"Who's calling me 'Uncle'?"

Koroku thought this was strange, and looked carefully at the warrior.

"It's been a long time," the man said, looking up.

There was no doubt that Koroku was startled. He spoke out without intending to do so. "Tenzo?"

"I'm ashamed to say that it's me."

"What are you doing here?"

"I didn't think I would ever see you again, but owing to Master Tokichiro's compa.s.sion, I was ordered to accompany him on today's mission."

"What? You came together?"

"After I turned against you and ran away from Hachisuka, I stayed with the Takeda clan in the province of Kai for many years, working as a ninja. Then, about three years ago, I was ordered to spy on the Oda, and so I went to the castle town of Kiyosu. While there, I was discovered by Lord n.o.bunaga's police and thrown into prison. I was released through the good offices of Master Tokichiro."

"So now you're Master Tokichiro's attendant?"

"No, after I was let out of prison-and with Master Tokichiro's help-I worked with the Oda ninja. But when Master Tokichiro set out for Sunomata, I asked to accompany him."

"Oh?" Koroku absentmindedly stared his nephew. What had changed even more than Tenzo's appearance was his character. That uncontrollable nephew, who was so brutal and barbarous even by the Hachisuka's standards, was no longer recognizable. Now he was courteous and mild-eyed, regretting and apologizing for his former crimes. Ten years ago-it was really ten years-Koroku could have torn him limb from limb!

Angered at his nephew's evil deeds, he had chased Tenzo as far as the Kai border to punish him. But now, when he looked at Tenzo's steadfast eyes, he was hardly even able to recall his anger. This was not just the sympathy of a blood relative: Tenzo's personality had definitely changed.

"Well, I didn't say anything about this because I thought we would talk about it later," Tokichiro said, "but out of consideration for me, I'd like you to forgive your nephew. Tenzo is now an irreproachable retainer of the Oda. He himself has apologized for his former crimes. He's often told me that he wanted to apologize to you in person but was too ashamed of his former deeds to come here. And, since there were other matters to take care of in Hachisuka, I thought this might be the perfect opportunity. Please let the relations.h.i.+p between uncle and nephew be as harmonious as it was before, and look to a prosperous future."

As Tokichiro mediated from the side, even Koroku did not feel like badgering his nephew for his crimes of ten years before. And as Koroku began to open his heart, Tokichiro did not let the moment go by.

"Tenzo, did you bring in the gold and silver?" When he spoke to Tenzo, it was naturally in the tone of command.

"Yes, sir."

"Well, let's take a look at it along with the inventory. Tenzo, have a servant bring it here.

"Yes, sir."

As Tenzo started off, Koroku called out hurriedly, "Wait, Tenzo. I can't accept this. If I did, it would mean that I was promising to serve the Oda clan. Wait a bit until I've thought the matter over." His flushed complexion showed his anguish. With these words, then, he stood up abruptly and went inside.