The Hand of Death Ch. 11

walked.

I nodded. "Then why did you take it?"

She stopped walking. "...I was not fast enough to catch it. I believed you had become

frustrated."

"...I was not allowed to cause you a loss of face."

"Yes. I thought as much."

"Are you angry?"

She thought a moment. "No, I suppose I am not. I just wondered. Are you the best they have?"

"For a student, yes. Who else would you trust to lose and not make it look sloppy?"

"I suppose that is flattering, in a way."

"It should make you feel that way." I put a small inflection on the word 'should.'

She looked at me. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Why?"

"The way you said that. As if it was designed to make me feel flattered."

"I would not know, my lady."

"Yes. You would. What is it you are not telling me?"

"My lady, where I come from we treat everyone as equally as we can."

"Go on."

"It is just... I have heard some talk, in the courts here. There are those who wish to misuse this trade agreement. It bothers me because they would not do it to a major House, but yours is so small they feel they can get away with it without your knowing."

She was shocked. "You are sure?"

I stepped back a pace. "My lady, why would I lie?"

She was confused. "What can I do?"

"I am not sure. Warn your father so he may at least be prepared."

"Yes. That will do for a start. Tell me what you have heard?"

I started to spin a tale of how the Bandai were going to give them just a little less silver on all of the goods they sent. I told her how everyone knew the Karafuto were notorious for not coming off of their island, so they would never know what the fair price was. She believed every word. I made sure she agreed, on her honor, not to tell anyone where she had gotten the information. She wanted to know who was behind it but I explained it was court. Ideas fly around all day with many people bringing up new thoughts, and many more agreeing one minute, and disagreeing to the same idea from the same person the next minute.

"Why are you helping me?" she said suddenly.

"Because they are trying to misuse you."

"But they are your House. Should you not be loyal to them?"

"No. This is not my Champion's work. It is the work of the courtiers. They have hounded him and the Daimyo until they have started to give in. If I can make it go badly for them then they will lose any control they have over my lords."

That she understood. It was a lie, but it sounded great! She still wanted to know who she was up against. I told her I would try to find out for her, for a price.

"What price? You sell your loyalties now?"

Before she could go on I leaned in and kissed her on the neck.

"...I did not expect that," she said with a smile as she touched the spot I had kissed.

"That was the point."

Soon we heard dinner was about to be served. I walked her back to the hall with instructions to act happy like nothing had been said. She agreed and I left her to join my friends when we returned. My associates and I were seated at the far end of the room but I could still see where she sat. More entertainers came after dinner, but my target had become tired. Soon I saw her leave for the night.

The meetings the next day were tense, but not too serious. I sat in the crowd of courtiers and samurai, not directly involved in the negotiations. Eisai came to me in the gardens afterward.

"Things seem to have gone well today." she said as we walked.

"Yes. From what I can find out they are trying to be subtle, not offensive. The word I got was that they anticipate little supervision from your House when the actual products are being handled. It is then that they will skim some of your product from the shipment."

"That is months away. Is there nothing we can work with now?"

"I am still looking. You may be able to thwart their efforts by insisting on Karafuto supervision of the transports after the trade is made."

"That sounds a little offensive. Does it not?' she asked.

I shrugged. "I am hoping it will send a scare into whoever is behind this. Maybe they will lose their composure and finally give themselves away." She nodded. "You must remember to stay aware of those around you. Trust no one in these negotiations." She nodded again.

Over the next week I continued to feed her fabrications about the Bandai courtiers. I built up her distrust of the Bandai a little at a time. Whenever I heard a Bandai complain about them, I would feed her that courtier's name. She being a samurai would be more direct in her treatment of that person. She couldn't help it. By the end of the week the negotiations were going badly and her distrust was seeping over to her father.

I had noticed more and more people watching us as we met up in the gardens so I arranged it with her for us to meet in her quarters from now on. When I first broached the subject she looked at me as if I had ulterior motives. And truth be told, if I had been of any other House, I would have.

"Are you sure this is not some ploy to get me alone, Kumikazu san?" she asked suspiciously.

I shook my head. "My lady, I am not trying to get you to spread your legs."

"Spoken like every man in Giapan," she smirked.

"...I am simply trying to help both of our Houses." I said.

She nodded. "So you are saying you do not see me that way."

"No. I am saying I am trying to see you as a friend and I would be grateful if you did not test me."

"Because we would not be friends anymore?" she asked.

I looked at her. "Because I would fail the test." I smiled.

The truth is she was very tempting but there was no way I could disrobe in front of her. With what I knew was needed in this situation... It - just - was - not - going - to - happen.

Later that day things continued to escalate in court. The Shogun had gone so far as to threaten

one of the Bandai present at the negotiations. Ashi had seen that Eisai and I were talking a great deal. He wanted to know if I knew what was going on, so he pulled me aside the next day after class.

"What do you know?"

I shrugged. "The first night I spoke to her she was fine. But ever since then she has become more and more suspicious, sensei sama."

"Has she mentioned why?"

"No. She has not actually said she is speaking to another Bandai, but she has implied it."

"Any ideas who?" he asked.

"It has to be someone with access to her. Someone who could get to her when we are not able to see." I shrugged.

"Well, she seems to respect you, Kumikazu san. So stay close to her. Try to calm her down. And find out what is going on!"

I bowed in acceptance of this great responsibility. I hated that I gave him the idea to see who she was talking to. It could lead him to our meetings at night, but sometimes when you are improvising a lie you have to go with it. I went in search of Eisai as that is what they would expect. I walked up to her in the garden.

"I need you to slap me and walk away. They think I am the one helping you."

Without thinking she slapped me so hard across the face I almost lost my footing. By the time I looked back she was storming off. I saw several Bandai looking a mix of surprised and disappointed. I walked away like my heart was broken.

Now, the Mito are a family of.........above average ability in the art of stealth. And I had no doubt that everything I said to Sensei went directly to them. Since my lie to him gave away my contact with her at night, I knew I would have to check the rafters for the sleazy Mito that would be hiding in the shadows. Finding them was easy. Their Daimyo had stationed two above her room. I simply went to mist and slid my way onto her balcony. Then it was just a matter of waiting on the balcony until she came out after her maid had left for the evening. When she finally came out and saw me crouched in the shadows she said,

"Surely you have some lead on who is behind this?!"

"Eisai, we are being spied on." I whispered. "There are men listening in so keep it down."

She nodded. "All of these people are nothing." She whispered as she stepped closer.

I whispered, "Like ants, they are nothing on their own, but together..."

"My Daimyo is depending on my father for this trade, Kumikazu."

"I understand. I want it to work out as well. You must stay strong and get the best results for your House."

"I am already at the point of hurting someone over this," she said out of frustration as she

leaned against me.

"This will work out. We will solve this." I rubbed her back with my hand.

"Domo arigato, Kumikazu."

I continued to stir up the situation until finally, some courtier I never bothered to meet, said, "Perhaps, the young lady simply does not understand courtesies. The Karafuto have never been very civil."

She heard him. With the Karafuto's distrust growing as the week passed, the Bandai were also becoming less courteous in response. They had been insulting her and her father for days. She finally snapped. She shoved the little man across the floor until he met the wall. Weapons not being allowed in the meeting hall she picked up a small table and charged at his cowering form.

"I will kill you!" she screamed.

It was then I found out how brave Daimyo Shun was. He was not allowed to carry any weapons here either and yet he still jumped in front of her with his arms out to stop her.

"Eisai san! You cannot do this!" She slowed for him, still angry. "This will not help matters, and would only hurt your honor. The man is no samurai."

She set the table down and walked out of the hall. As she left she said, "I will find out who is responsible for this travesty!"

Her father suggested they all retire from the meetings for the rest of that day. Everyone left angry and confused. The treaty looked as if it would not be signed. I was succeeding. I told myself the reason I wasn't happy was because I had too much to do.

That night I changed into some darker clothes and wrapped a sash around my head and face to hide my features. I crept out of my room. I had access to a balcony at the end of the hall. Eisai was staying two floors up and on the other side of the castle. I went right for the shadows under her balcony and clung to the wall, waiting for her to sleep for the night. I could hear her storming around and her maid trying to sooth her. Eventually the maid left and she came to the balcony.

"Where are you?" she said.

I heard her pacing the balcony. She kept leaving and coming back to the balcony while I waited below. When the Buddhist temple rang the hour of the Ox she finally blew out the lamps and went to bed. I waited another quarter of an hour before I went to mist and crept up to the rafters.

This was not going to be easy. The two Mito were on far sides of the room from each other. They were settled in for a long watch so that helped. Because of their sitting position against the supporting pillars that meant they wouldn't fall the minute they blacked out. I misted up behind one of them and reached around with my sleeping potion tipped dart to prick his neck. He made a startled noise and reached for the wound but was out before he could do more. I just had to grab him and ease him back against the pillar.

His friend could not see him that well in the darkness but he heard something. He was looking in his friend's direction intently. So intently that he did not see me mist far out to the side and come up behind him to do the same to him. He gave a startled sound which caused Eisai to stir below. I held him up and pulled my fukiya. Before the girl could get her wits together I shot a dart into her neck and she quickly passed out.

I put the weapon away and feather fell with the Mito to the floor next to her. Then I quickly misted to his partner and did the same with him. Once I had carried him about halfway to the bed I laid him on the floor on his back. These Mito were not wearing armor, which had made all of this easier. I removed his obi and opened his kimono. Then I placed his pants and daisho a short distance from the bed as if he had dropped them there.

I walked over to his friend and did the same for him. Next I recovered my darts. The obi is a long strip of material that wraps around your waist several times. The two I had were more than long enough to tie Eisai's hands to the furniture near the head of her sleeping mat, and her feet to furniture I moved to the foot of the sleeping mat. I grabbed the corner of the sheet and threw it off of her. Then, I opened her light kimono to expose her body. I used one of the Mito's wakazashi to cut her under garments off and threw them to the side. I set the wakazashi on the pile of her torn clothes. Once she was nude I placed the broken necklace in her hand.... This is the part that still causes me to lose sleep.... I finally worked up the nerve to do my job.

I took the sash from her sleeping kimono and wrapped it around her neck before I took another short pause. I strangled her with it. When I was sure she was dead, I got up and removed the bottle of sake I had in my kit. I poured it over both Mito samurai. I then took the one near the bed and placed him on top of Eisai between her legs with his arms out to the side. It would look like he passed out on top of her after he had his fun. I then placed a simple note in the hand of his partner that read,

"Kill the disruptive bitch."

and the empty bottle of sake in his other hand. I took a moment to make sure I had not missed

anything and then climbed out over the balcony and went straight for my other jar of sake.

I had wanted to get drunk, to forget. But once I was back in my room, I couldn't. I tried. I drank the whole bottle but it wasn't enough. I sat there all night with my disgust and misery. I told myself I was just having trouble sleeping but I knew it was because I felt I owed her at least this much retribution.

I was being shaken. "Kumikazu! Wake Up!" It took me a while to clear my head and realize it was Saburo.

"What's wrong?" I sat up.

"We are at war! That's what's wrong!"

It had worked. Why wasn't I happy about it?

"What? War with who?"

She was just a girl. I didn't care about her.