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

At noon, Mariko walked across the donjon forecourt, through the silent ranks of brooding guards, and went inside. Toranaga's secretary was waiting for her in one of the anterooms on the ground floor. "So sorry to send for you, Lady Toda," he said listlessly.

"It's my pleasure, Kawanabi-san."

Kawanabi was a sharp-featured, elderly samurai with a shaven head. Once he had been a Buddhist priest. For years now he had handled all of Toranaga's correspondence. Normally he was bright and enthusiastic. Today, like most people in the castle, he was greatly unsettled. He handed her a small scroll. "Here are your travel documents for Osaka, duly signed. You are to leave tomorrow and get there as soon as possible."

"Thank you. " Her voice sounded tiny to her.

"Lord Toranaga says he may have some private dispatches for you to take to Lady Kiritsubo and Lady Koto. Also for General Lord Ishido and Lady Ochiba. They'll be delivered to you tomorrow at dawn if . . . so sorry, if they're ready, I'll see they're delivered to you."

"Thank you."

From a number of scrolls that were stacked with pedantic neatness on his low desk, Kawanabi selected an official document. "I'm directed to give you this. It is the increase in your son's fief as promised by Lord Toranaga. Ten thousand koku yearly. It's dated from the last day of last month and . . . well, here it is."

She accepted it, read it, and checked the official chops. Everything was perfect. But it gave her no happiness. Both believed it was an empty paper now. If her son's life was spared he would become ronin. "Thank you. Please thank Lord Toranaga for the honor he does us. May I be allowed to see him before I go?"

"Oh, yes. When you leave here now you're asked to go to the barbarian ship. You're requested to wait for him there."

"I'm - I'm to interpret?"

"He didn't say. I would presume so, Lady Toda." The secretary squinted at a list in his hand. "Captain Yoshinaka's been ordered to lead your escort to Osaka, if it pleases you."

"I would be honored to be in his charge again. Thank you. May I ask how Lord Toranaga is?"

"He seems well enough, but for an active man like him to coop himself up for days on end . . . . What can I say?" He spread his hands helplessly. "So sorry. At least today he saw Lord Hiro-matsu and agreed to a delay. He's also agreed to deal with a few other things . . . rice prices must be stabilized now in case of a bad harvest . . . . But there's so much to do and . . . it's just not like him, Lady Toda. These are terrible times, neh? And terrible omens: The soothsayers say the harvest will be ruined this year."

"I will not believe them - until harvest time."

"Wise, very wise. But not many of us will see harvest time. I'm to go with him to Osaka." Kawanabi shivered and leaned forward nervously. "I heard a rumor that the plague's begun again between Kyoto and Osaka - smallpox. Is that another heavenly sign that the gods are turning their faces from us?"

"It's not like you to believe rumors or heavenly signs, Kawanabi-san, or to pass on rumors. You know what Lord Toranaga thinks of that. "

"I know. So sorry. But, well . . . no one seems to be normal these days, neh?"

"Perhaps the rumor's not true - I pray it's not true." She shook off her foreboding. "Has the new date for the departure been set?"

"I understood Lord Hiro-matsu to say that it was postponed for seven days. I'm so glad our commander-in-chief returned and so glad he persuaded . . . . I wish the whole departure was put off forever. Better fight here than be dishonored there, neh?"

"Yes," she agreed, knowing there was no point any longer in pretending that this was not foremost in everyone's mind. "Now that Lord Hiro-matsu's back, perhaps our Lord will see that surrender's not the best course."

"Lady, for your ears alone. Lord Hiro-matsu-" He stopped, looked up, and put a smile on his face. Yabu strode into the room, swords jingling. "Ah, Lord Kasigi Yabu, how nice to see you." He bowed and Mariko bowed and there were pleasantries and then he said, "Lord Toranaga's expecting you, Sire. Please go up at once."

"Good. What does he want to see me about?"

"So sorry, Sire, he didn't tell me - only that he wished to see you."

"How is he?"

Kawanabi hesitated. "No change, Sire."

"His departure - has a new date been fixed?"

"I understand it'll be in seven days."

"Perhaps Lord Hiro-matsu'll put it off even more, neh?"

"That would be up to our Lord, Sire."

"Of course." Yabu walked out.

"You were saying about Lord Hiro-matsu?"

"Only for your ears, Lady - as Buntaro-san's not here," the secretary whispered. "When old Iron Fist came from seeing Lord Toranaga, he had to rest for the best part of an hour. He was in very great pain, Lady."

"Oh! It would be terrible if something happened to him now!"

"Yes. Without him there'd be a revolt, neh? This delay solves nothing, does it? It's only a truce. The real problem - I'm - I'm afraid since Lord Sudara acted as formal second to General Kiyoshio, every time Lord Sudara's name has been mentioned our Lord gets very angry . . . . It's only Lord Hiro-matsu who's persuaded him to delay and that's the only thing that . . ." Tears started running down the secretary's cheeks. "What's happening, Lady? He's lost control, neh?"

"No," she said firmly, without conviction. "I'm sure everything will be all right. Thank you for telling me. I'll try to see Lord Hiro-matsu before I leave."

"Go with God, Lady."

She was startled. "I didn't know you were Christian, Kawanabi-san."

"I'm not, Lady. But I know it is your custom."

She walked out into the sun, greatly concerned over Hiro-matsu, at the same time blessing God that her waiting was over and tomorrow she would escape. She went toward the palanquin and escort waiting for her.

"Ah, Lady Toda," Gyoko said, stepping out of the shadows, intercepting her.

"Ah, good morning, Gyoko-san, how nice to see you. I hope you're well?" she said pleasantly, a sudden chill rushing through her.

"Not well at all, I'm afraid, so sorry. So very sad. It seems we're not in our Lord's favor, Kiku-san and I. Ever since we got here we've been confined to a filthy third-class hotel I wouldn't put an eighth-class male courtesan in."

"Oh, so sorry. I'm sure there must be some mistake."

"Ah yes, a mistake. I certainly hope so, Lady. At long last today I've been given permission to come to the castle, at long last there's an answer to my petition to see the Great Lord, at long last I'm permitted to bow before the Great Lord again - later today." Gyoko smiled at her crookedly. "I heard you were also coming to see the lord-secretary, so I thought I'd wait to greet you. I hope you don't mind."

"It's a pleasure to see you, Gyoko-san. I would have visited you and Kiku-san, or asked you both to visit me, but unfortunately that hasn't been possible."

"Yes - so sad. These are sad times. Difficult for nobles. Difficult for peasants. Poor Kiku-san's quite sick with worry to be out of our Lord's favor."

"I'm sure she's not, Gyoko-san. He - Lord Toranaga has many pressing problems, neh?"

"True - true. Perhaps we could take some cha now, Lady Toda. I would be honored to be allowed to talk to you for a moment. "

"Ah, so sorry, but I'm ordered to go on official business. Otherwise I would have been honored."

"Ah yes, you've to go to the Anjin-san's ship now. Ah, I forgot, so sorry. How is the Anjin-san?"

"I believe he is well," Mariko said, furious that Gyoko knew her private business. "I've seen him only once - and then just for a few moments - since we arrived."

"An interesting man. Yes, very. Sad not to see one's friends, neh?"

Both women wore smiles, their voices polite and carefree, both conscious of the impatient samurai watching and listening to them.