The Hand of Death Ch. 17

Chapter XVII

"Maneuvering"

"The Art of War"

~by Sun Tzu~

Four months later I received a summons from my Daimyo. I had received many from him in the last four months but this one wouldn't be so short and sweet. I followed the servant through the city to the castle. The city reminded me of how happy I was of the change. I was thinking how not that long ago I didn't think I would ever get to see my old friends again, but now I was around them most of the year. I loved this town.

Since I hired Nokizaru Anaido to handle my money he had managed to grow my profits to 1000 gold pieces. The 350 silver a month from the Nigata lands wasn't hurting me either. But it was becoming clear I needed to do something more with my money than just let it ride. It was becoming boring.

The servant took me to the fourth floor where an open shoji screen showed me Masao sitting with a young samurai-ko. Her back was to me so I could not see who she was but she looked to be an Onmyoji. She wore a scroll case on her hip and had no daisho. Just a wakizashi, denoting her station as samurai. She sat with an arrogance not even Masao possessed. I bowed to my lord after I entered the room and sat a small distance from her.

"Hiro san, I believe you know Nokizaru Ketsumempo?"

I looked a little too quickly then and couldn't help but smile. It had been several months since I had seen her last.

"You will be working with her on your next assignment." I nodded and he continued. "The RyuKyu have been smuggling gaijin weapons onto their islands. They have been warned by the Emperor before about this. You will find the weapons and destroy them. Make sure the RyuKyu know that the Emperor is not to be disobeyed. You are acting on Imperial decree, yes?"

"Yes, my Daimyo."

"Take this letter. It is from the Emperor and you are to leave it where the RyuKyu will find it when the job is done."

"I understand." I took the folded piece of paper from him.

"Good. Now, you two go make your preparations. I want this completed as soon as possible."

We both bowed and left.

Once we were alone I turned to her. "Have you eaten rice today?"

"No. But, I have been dying to see this mother of yours whom everyone talks about. Shall we go to her home?"

I agreed. It took an hour of them chatting and laughing at me before we could get enough privacy in the garden to discuss our plans.

Once I was sure we were alone I said, "I believe our best chance will be as merchants. There are many that deal with the RyuKyu on their islands and we would blend in well."

"We would need a great deal of gold, Hiro san."

"That is not a problem. The problem will be in finding the right ronin to play our yojimbo."

"You wish to tell others of our mission?"

"No. They need only know that they are to escort us, and will be paid well to keep their mouths shut."

She thought on that a moment. "Where will you get the money?"

"I will locate a merchant who can stand to be "not so rich."

"Ah. And the men?"

"If I cannot find any around here then ronin tend to stay in Umeko Mura. It is a small town just a quarter of a mile from here."

"And how do we outfit ourselves without raising suspicions?"

"My uncle is a great tailor. We should be able to get the clothing together quickly enough. The weapons we can procure from the castle. The rest we can get bit by bit."

"Not bad, Hiro san. Our Daimyo was right about you."

I nodded at the praise though I was sure she was just being kind. I couldn't imagine Masao saying anything good about me.

She went on, "So, we are to be Koga merchants with our entourage then." She said this not as a question but a statement of fact. It bothered me to correct her.

"Um... no, Ketsumempo sama. We are to be Bandai. Koga anything raises too many suspicions."

"Oooo, that will be fun." She had a scary devious smile when she said that.

"I suppose." I said coolly. "Who would suspect the... beautiful... Bandai merchant's daughter of sabotage?"

She nodded. "Yes."

We discussed the necessities of the plan a little more. This gave me the time I needed to get over her and keep my mind on the job. We decided she would collect the weapons and miscellaneous items: mirrors, fans, food, that sort of thing. Enough for ten men we figured. I would go resolve the money issue, not hard to do. This was my town after all. Then, I would start on the clothing with my uncle.

I left to start getting the information I would need. I had heard talk over the last few months about a friend of mine who was having some difficulties, a merchant by the name of Goemon Riko. I had done work for him as a child and he was a good man. Relatively honest, but of late his luck had been so poor that it was rumored if you spoke his name you would have a bad day.

I stopped by a tea-house, "The Mandible," where Riko was a frequent customer. He liked to conduct his business here so I thought I might catch him while he was in.

"Riko san, how have you been?" He looked up from his books.

"I have been better."

"The day is young yet." He laughed. "What makes your day so bad, Riko san?"

"I have a caravan coming from Teikoku Toshi no Kyoto and it's late. I have three employees that want more pay. I have a Hokkaido in town that keeps under bidding me. I owe four very nasty people money. And my head itches." He scratched his head for emphasis.

I ordered us some sake. "I may have some friends that can find the caravan for you. Where was it last seen?"

"Shiro Masa, but can you trust these men?"

"Yes, they are Koga samurai. Next, are the three employees worth the extra money?"

"Two are, the third one will leave if I pay them more and not him."

"Fire him and give them his share." He smiled and nodded. "The Hokkaido, maybe I can do something there. Where can I find him?"

"He is staying at Juko's inn, but his days are spent talking to the merchants. He could be anywhere in town."

"What is his name?"

"Obihiro Ninba. Domo arigato Hiro sama."

"Do not thank me yet. I have not done anything and we are not through. Who are the people you owe?"

"Nokizaru Daiki, Shotoku Junghai, Goemon Eita, and Goemon Jute."

Junghai was a smuggler and not a very nice one, while Jute was the head of the Yakuza, also a very mean woman.

"The Koga Shogun, a family Daimyo, and two crime lords? What were you thinking?"

He cringed. "They were backers for the caravan. That is all."

I nodded. "I will talk to them for you."

"Domo arigato again, Hiro sama. You are a wonder if you can help me."

I got up and started to walk out, but stopped and turned. "Riko san? Go see Warayumi. She has an ointment that will help with the itching."

I turned and left as he was giggling. After leaving Riko, I walked to the palace. Daiki was visiting Masao for a few weeks, as usual, so I knew I would be able to find him in the gardens. He must have enjoyed bringing his daughter with him, he loved her very much.

I walked through the castle out onto the paths between the great trees. It all still took my breath away when I saw it. The powerful oaks and pines, balanced against the smaller cherry blossom trees and flowers. I walked along the primary path from the main hall until I stumbled upon Masao holding court. There were twelve people present, not all of them were of our House. I found a spot and knelt in the back. Masao noticed.

"My young friend, I believe you are supposed to be somewhere else. Are you not?"

I walked forward and knelt before him in a deep bow. "Yes, my Daimyo, but I must speak with Daimyo Daiki to complete some preparatory work."

He nodded. "Yes, Daiki san, would you please walk with our friend while we finish up here."

Daiki bowed to him and rose with me. When we had walked far enough away not to be heard he said, "What can I do for you, Hiro? You know I hate being pulled away from court."

"I will be brief, my lord. While Ketsumempo and I have been getting prepared for our mission. I ran into a small snag. I had to spend some time with a merchant I believe you know by the name of Riko."

"Yes, I have heard he has run into some problems with his latest endeavor."

"Yes, my lord. I was hoping you would do me the small favor of letting him be while I send someone to track down the problem."

Daiki thought for a moment. I knew he wasn't going to bother the man anyway but this put me in his debt. Something he lived for and because of that he would look out for Riko while I was away.

"Yes. I can see no reason to decline such a simple request, but Hiro san, how does this aid your mission?"

"Arigato gozaimasu, for doing this for me my lord. As for how it helps. We need some money and material to support a proper lie of who we are. One of Riko's problems will do that but I need Riko to think all of it was just out of my generosity."

He shook his head. "Your plans are more convoluted than mine, Hiro san."

"Is that a compliment, my lord?'

"No. And you be sure to keep my daughter safe."

"I will, my lord." I smiled and bowed.

He returned it and walked back to court with a smile while I walked out of the gardens. I found a guard who told me Eita was eating on a balcony on the third floor of the castle. With that information, finding Lord Eita was easy.

I approached. "Hiro san, have you eaten rice today?"

"No, but I would be grateful for whatever you can spare, my lord."

He smiled and sent a servant to retrieve my meal.

"What brings you here? I know you are too busy to visit with me right now."

I nodded. "I came across a minor issue while getting ready. I wanted to ask you to back off of Riko the merchant, my lord."

"Why so?"

"I was looking for funding for this job and he gave me the answer without knowing it. But I have to do this favor for him as well so that when I take the money from his competition it just looks like another favor." He shook his head.

"Sounds complicated. You are going to wear yourself out, Hiro san."

"Yes."

He laughed. "Hiro, you are rich. Why not just pay for whatever you need out of your own pocket?"

I sort of leaned my head to the side and asked, "Where would the fun be in that?" He laughed. "To be honest..."

"Oh this is a first." he commented.

I looked unamused. "To be honest, I have heard of Riko's issues for a while now and this has provided me with the chance to do something about it."

"I did not realize you even knew the man."

"Yes, from my childhood when I played peasant. He was one of the people I would work for in town."

He nodded. "I can leave him be. I was not going to bother him about it anyway. Not for a while yet."

A few moments later the food arrived. I ate with him for a short time on the balcony. The conversation was pleasant but I couldn't stay too long. When I left, I headed to the heimin quarter

of the city to find Junghai. I knew he operated out of a certain dull looking building near the south wall. Finding it was easy enough. I had passed it many times before. I walked up to the ronin sitting next to the door. He had been doing a good job of looking unimportant.

"I want to speak to your boss."

He looked at me warily. "What about, Shotoku sama?"

"A friend of mine who's caravan he backed with money."

The ronin nodded and rose. He knocked on the door and walked in saying, "Please wait here, Shotoku sama."

I nodded to him. A few moments later I was invited in by the ronin. Another one walked me through the small building as his friend stepped back outside and closed the door. There were several drab boxes stacked throughout the building and I saw more men moving them around near the back. We walked to the door of an office where my escort knocked on the heavy wooden door. It opened and the ronin motioned for me to go inside. In front of me sat a fat old Shotoku samurai sitting behind a desk. He had two yojimbo in the room standing on either side of the door. I stepped to the left and knelt where I could see all three of them. My escort closed the door.

"Junghai san, I have come to request that you leave Riko san alone while he tries to straighten out this mess of the caravan."

He laughed. Loud. "You request?! That I didn't expect!" He continued to laugh. "Tell me boy, why should I care what you want?"

"Because it is in your best interest."

"Is it? And what happens when I tell you, no?" He was trying to look menacing. He succeeded.

"Actually, Junghai san, it never occurred to me that you might be that stupid." He appraised me with a shrewd glint in his eye. "...Your next question will be, "Who am I to come into your place of business and talk to you in this manner?"

His yojimbo were slowly moving their stance to a defensive posture. "...Well? Who are you, boy?!"

"Shotoku Hiro." I said flatly.

"...I thought you were older?"

"I hear that a lot." I don't but I wasn't here to insult the man. Too much. "I would consider this a personal favor, Junghai san."

"...Yes. Of course I will leave him be, Hiro sama." He bowed. When I returned it he continued. "But, the investment is quite sizable and I am not so large that I can wait on it forever."

I paused a moment. "Is that a threat?"

"No. No, no. From what I have heard of you that would be a mistake. No, my point is I understand you want to protect your friend but his luck could put me out of business. I don't suppose you have an answer for finding the caravan do you?"

"I am not a miracle worker. I cannot promise the caravan will be found at all... How much were you expecting to make from your investment with Riko, Junghai san?"

He relaxed a little before answering. "He had assured me of a 50% increase so I gave him 150 silver."

"So you anticipated a return of 225 silver then?" He nodded. "I can buy you out for 250. Does that sound acceptable?"

"Very much so. Domo arigato, Hiro sama." He had a relieved smile on his face.

"How will you feel if the caravan is found and turns out to be worth more than 250?"

He shook his head. "I will still have made a good profit. That is a good day for me, Hiro sama."

"Good. I will have a man bring you the money this evening."

"Domo arigato. I suppose in return you will want me to stay away from investing with your friend Riko from now on?"

I shook my head. "No. I am just trying to change the man's luck, Junghai san. You may run your business how you feel is best."

He looked pleasantly surprised by that. "It is none of my business but I suppose you will go and buy out the others now?"

"I have already spoken to the two noblemen who invested with him. They prefer favors to money so it was really just conversation to get their agreement."

"Noblemen, like most people, prefer favors when they are not having money problems." He said. I laughed a little before he continued. "But you will have to buy out Jute. My understanding is she needs the money as much as me... For an additional 50% increase on her investment? This is going to be a very expensive gesture, Hiro sama"

I thought on that and sighed. "You are assuming he did not promise her more?" He looked at me with a slightly confused look on his face. "Jute and Riko were together at one time." Now he understood. "And it is my understanding that once a man has been between a woman's legs he generally gives her better dealings in business."

He looked off into the distance and said, "Jute is a handsome woman. Hmmm."

"Yes, and I have to counter what she was promised."

"...And she is not with anyone at the present." He was still staring at nothing.

"Junghai san?"

"I wonder if..."

"Junghai san, focus."

When he came back to his senses I said, "Domo arigato, for your cooperation in this, Junghai san." I bowed slightly to him and he returned it with a smile.

I like making friends. As I left I realized it was getting too late in the evening to visit with Jute so I headed home for dinner. Jute would still be up, and working, but at this hour it would be those things that are best done in private. Not an appropriate time for a friendly visit from a known killer.

When I got home I found that Ketsumempo was visiting with my mother, along with her father and his whole court. Daiki had brought eight of his closest advisers and their staff. I immediately understood why Mother needed a larger home. There must have been twenty people in here. Not counting her staff, of which even the groundskeeper had been drafted into serving food with the maids.

Thankfully, I at least had missed all of the embarrassing stories about 'when Hiro was a child.' We had dinner and pleasant conversation about our time together in Shiro no Nokizaru. All of us questioned Daiki about his time in court today. We even discussed the pressures of being a servant during these visits with Daiki's court servants, many of which were also helping to serve the crowd.

Mother was so happy. Eventually, the night came to a close. I retrieved 250 silver from my hidden chest where Mother kept my money. Daiki was happy to lend me the service of one of his yojimbo so I had the man deliver the money to Junghai for me. Since Ketsumempo was returning to her father's suite with his court I spent the rest of the evening helping Mother and her staff clean up.

In the morning I went in search of Jute. I knew where she conducted her business. The nice part about having been a peasant child in this town is I had worked for most of the people who lived here. Including the criminals. Himi, Goruchi, Cho and I had been runners for Jute on more than one occasion. I found her establishment easy enough. I even knew the two men manning the door. A ronin named Cuchari and an old Komono by the name of Kara.

I briefly explained why I was there and then inquired as to how their friends and families were doing. After a few moments of discussion Cuchari went inside to let Jute know I was here while Kara informed me as to how his granddaughter was doing. The girl apparently was ill even after several visits from the doctor.

"She just seems very weak. I had almost thought she was faking it but the doctor believes it is a real problem."

I nodded to him. "Go to the castle when you can and ask for Gunso Toritono. Be sure to tell him I requested his help on this. Anything that has stumped a Goemon physician should be taken very seriously, Kara san."

He returned my nod. "Can the Gunso help?"

Just then Cuchari opened the door to invite me in. I said as I began to leave him, "He is the best onmyoji healer we have. He should be able to resolve it for you."

"Domo arigato, Hiro sama." We bowed as we parted.

Soon I was meeting Jute for the first time in years. She pleasantly invited me to the back room where we could talk. She was older, in her middle fifties and incredibly pretty. Crime suited her.

"I ran into Junghai last night, Hiro sama." she said as we sat down to some tea.

"Ah, so he informed you about my looking for you and why."

"When he could."

My eyebrows rose as I sipped my tea. It was very good. "Meaning?"

"The great oaf made several passes at me."

"You of course rebuffed his crude attempts." I said.

She nodded. "No. I drank too much sake and couldn't keep my hands off of him."

We both laughed far too hard to be dignified. Once we settled down she continued. "You are an old friend and very dangerous, Hiro sama. For either of those reasons I would be careful not to lie to you. I am doing very well financially." I was surprised. "The 'pity me' story I spread around is just for my competition's ears."

"Using their sympathies against them Jute san?"

She smiled as she sipped more tea. "With that in mind, I of course have no problem backing away from Riko. He has always been a dear friend."