Shogun - Clavell James (бесплатные полные книги .TXT) 📗

They were seated on mats set in a semicircle around him in the center of the plateau, without guards, safe from eavesdroppers. Buntaro, Yabu, lgurashi, Omi, Naga, the captains, and Mariko. Guards were posted two hundred paces away.

"I want some advice," Toranaga said. "My counselors are in Yedo. This matter is urgent and I want all of you to act in their place. What's going to happen and what I should do. Yabu-san?"

Yabu was in turmoil. Every path seemed to lead to disaster. "First, Sire, just exactly what is 'Crimson Sky'?"

"It's the code name for my final battle plan, a single violent rush at Kyoto with all my legions, relying on mobility and surprise, to take possession of the capital from the evil forces that now surround it, to wrest the person of the Emperor from the filthy grasp of those who've duped him, led by Ishido. Once the Son of Heaven's safely released from their clutches, then to petition him to revoke the mandate granted the present Council who are clearly traitorous or dominated by traitors, and grant me his mandate to form a new Council which would put the interests of the realm and the Heir before personal ambition. I would lead eighty to one hundred thousand men, leaving my lands unprotected, my flanks unguarded, and a retreat unsecured. " Toranaga saw them staring at him flabbergasted. He did not mention the cadres of elite samurai who had been so furtively planted in many of the important castles and provinces over the years, and who were to explode simultaneously into revolt to create the chaos essential to the plan.

Yabu burst out, "But you'd have to fight every pace of the way. Ikawa Jikkyu strangles the Tokaido for a hundred ri. Then more Ishido strongholds straddle the rest!"

"Yes. But I plan to rush northwest along the Koshu-kaido, then stab down on Kyoto and stay away from the coast lands."

At once many shook their heads and began to speak but Yabu overrode them. "But, Sire, the message said your kinsman Zatakisan's already gone over to the enemy! Now your road north is blocked too. His province is athwart the Koshu-kaido. You'll have to fight through all Shinano - that's mountainous and very hard, and his men are fanatically loyal. You'll be carved to pieces in those mountains."

"That's the only way, the only way I have a chance. I agree there are too many hostiles on the coastal road."

Yabu glanced at Omi, wishing he could consult with him, loathing the message and the whole Osaka mess, hating being first to speak, and utterly detesting the vassal status he had accepted at Omi's pleading.

"It's your only chance, Yabu-sama," Omi had urged. "The only way you'll avoid Toranaga's trap and leave yourself room to maneuver-" Igurashi had interrupted furiously. "Better to fall on Toranaga today while he's got few men here! Better to kill him and take his head to Ishido while there's time."

"Better to wait, better to be patient-" "What happens if Toranaga orders our Master to give up Izu?" lgurashi had shouted. "As liege lord to vassal, Toranaga has that right!"

"He'll never do it. He needs our Master more than ever now. Izu guards his southern door. He can't have Izu hostile! He must have our Master on his-"

"What if he orders Lord Yabu out?"

"We rebel! We kill Toranaga if he's here or fight any army he sends against us. But he'll never do that, don't you see? As his vassal, Toranaga must protect-" Yabu had let them argue and then at length he had seen Omi's wisdom. "Very well. I agree! And offering him my Murasama sword to fix the bargain's genius, Omi-san," he had gloated, taken whole heartedly by the cunning of the plan. "Yes. Genius. His Yoshitomo blade more than takes its place. And of course, I'm more valuable to Toranaga now than ever before. Omi's right, lgurashi. I've no choice. I'm committed to Toranaga from now on. A vassal!"

"Until war comes," Omi had said deliberately.

"Of course. Of course only until war comes! Then I can change sides - or do a dozen things. You're right, Omi-san, again!"

Omi's the best counselor I've ever had, he told himself. But the most dangerous. Omi's clever enough to take Izu if I die. But what does that matter. We're all dead.

"You're blocked completely," he told Toranaga. "You're isolated."

"Is there any alternative?" Toranaga asked.

"Excuse me, Sire," Omi said, "but how long would it take to ready this attack?"

"It's ready now."

"Izu's ready too, Sire," Yabu said. "Your hundred and my sixteen thousand and the Musket Regiment - is that enough?"

"No. Crimson Sky's a desperation plan - everything risked on one attack. " "You have to risk it, as soon as the rains cease and we can war," Yabu insisted. "What choice have you got? Ishido will form a new Council at once, they still have the mandate. So you'll be impeached, today or tomorrow or the next day. Why wait to be eaten up? Listen, maybe the Regiment could blast a way through the mountains! Let it be Crimson Sky! All men thrown into one great attack. It's the Way of the Warrior - it's worthy of samurai, Toranaga-sama. The guns, our guns, will blow Zataki out of our way and if you succeed or fail, what does it matter? The try will live forever!"

Naga said, "Yes. But we'll win - we will!" A few of the captains nodded their agreement, relieved that war had come. Omi said nothing.

Toranaga was looking at Buntaro. "Well?"

"Lord, I beg you to excuse me from giving an opinion. I and my men do whatever you decide. That's my only duty. My opinion is no value to you because I do what you alone decide."

"Normally I'd accept that but not today!"

"War then. What Yabu-san says is right. Let's go to Kyoto. Today, tomorrow, or when the rains stop. Crimson Sky! I'm tired of waiting."

"Omi-san?" Toranaga asked.

"Yabu-sama is correct, Sire. Ishido will bend the Taiko's will to appoint a new Council very soon. The new Council will have the Emperor's mandate. Your enemies will applaud and most of your friends will hesitate and so betray you. The new Council will impeach you at once. Then-"

"Then it's Crimson Sky?" Yabu interrupted.

"If Lord Toranaga orders it, then it is. But I don't think the impeachment order has any value at all. You can forget it!"

"Why?" Toranaga asked, as all attention went to Omi.

"I agree with you, Sire. Ishido's evil, neh? Any daimyos who agree to serve him are equally evil. True men know Ishido for what he is, and also know that the Emperor's been duped again." Omi was prudently treading through the quicksands that he knew could swallow him. "I think he made a lasting mistake murdering Lord Sugiyama. Because of those foul murders, I think now all daimyos will suspect treachery from Ishido, and very few outside of Ishido's immediate grasp will bow to the orders of his 'Council.' You're safe. For a time."

"For how much time?"

"The rains are with us for two months, about. When the rains cease Ishido will plan to send Ikawa Jikkyu and Lord Zataki against you simultaneously, to catch you in a pincer, and Ishido's main army will support them over the Tokaido Road. Meanwhile, until the rains stop, every daimyo who bears a grudge against any other daimyo will only pay Ishido lip service until he makes the first move, then I think they'll forget him and they'll all take revenge or grab territory at their whim. The Empire will be torn as it was before the Taiko. But you, Sire, between Yabu-sama. and yourself, jointly, with luck you have enough strength to hold the passes to the Kwanto and to Izu against the first wave and beat it off. I don't think Ishido could mount another attack - not a great one. When Ishido and the others have expended their energies, together you and Lord Yabu can cautiously come from behind our mountains and gradually take the Empire into your own hands."

"When will that be?"

"In the time of your children, Sire."