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

Yabu tried to marshal his thoughts but could not. "But Ishido still has all Japan against us!"

"Yes. Less Zataki. And there must be other secret alliances. Toranaga and you can hold the passes until the time."

"Ishido has Osaka Castle and the Heir and the Taiko's wealth."

"Yes. But he'll stay skulking inside. Someone will betray him."

"What should I do?"

"The opposite to Toranaga. Let him do the waiting, you must force the pace.

"How?"

"The first thing, Sire, is this: Toranaga's forgotten the one thing you noticed this afternoon. The Tsukku-san's total fury. Why? Because the Anjin-san threatens the Christian future, neh? So you've got to put the Anjin-san under your protection at once, because those priests or their puppets will murder him within hours. Next: The Anjin-san needs you to protect and guide him, to help him get his new crew at Nagasaki. Without you and your men he has to fail. Without him and his ship and his cannon and more barbarians, Nagasaki won't burn, and that must happen or Kiyama, Onoshi, and Harima and the filthy priests won't be distracted enough to temporarily withdraw their support from Ishido. Meanwhile, Toranaga, now miraculously supported by Zataki and his fanatics, with you leading the Musket Regiment, sweeps through the Shinano passes down to the Kyota plains."

"Yes. Yes, you are right, Yuriko-chan! It has to be that way. Oh, you are so clever, so wise!"

"Wisdom and Luck are no good without the means to put a plan into effect, Sire. You alone can do that - you're the leader, the fighter, the battle-general that Toranaga must have. You must see him tonight."

"I can't go to Toranaga and tell him I've seen through his ruse, neh?"

"No, but you'll beg him to allow you to go with the Anjin-san, that you must leave at once. We can think of a plausible reason."

"But if the Anjin-san attacks Nagasaki and the Black Ship, won't they stop trading and sail away?"

"Yes. Possibly. But that's next year. By next year Toranaga will be a Regent, President of the Regents. And you his commander-in-chief. " Yabu came down from the clouds. "No," he said firmly. "Once he has power he'll order me to commit seppuku."

"Long before that you will have the Kwanto."

His eyes blinked. "How?"

"Toranaga will never actually give his half brother the Kwanto. Zataki's a perpetual threat. Zataki's a wild man, pridefilled, neh? It will be so easy for Toranaga to maneuver Zataki into begging for the foremost place in the battle. If Zataki doesn't get killed... perhaps a stray bullet or arrow? Probably a bullet. You must lead the Musket Regiment in the battle, Sire."

"Why shouldn't I receive a stray bullet equally?"

"You may, Sire. But you're not Toranaga's kinsman and therefore no threat to his power. You will become his most devoted vassal. He needs fighting generals. You'll earn the Kwanto, and that should be your only goal. He'll give it to you when Ishido's betrayed because he'll take Osaka for himself."

"Vassal? But you said to wait and soon I'd nev-"

"Now I counsel you to support him with all your strength. Not to follow his orders blindly like old Iron Fist, but cleverly. Don't forget, Yabu-chan, during battle, as in any battle, soldiers make mistakes, stray bullets do happen. So long as you lead the Regiment, you can choose, too - any time, neh?"

"Yes," he said, awed by her.

"Remember, Toranaga's worth following. He's Minowara, Ishido's a peasant. Ishido's the fool. I can see that now. Ishido should be hammering at the gates of Odawara right now, rain or no rains. Didn't Omi-san say that months ago too? Isn't Odawara undermanned? Isn't Toranaga isolated?"

Yabu pounded his fist on the floor with delight. "Then it's war after all! How clever you are to have seen through him! Ah, so he's been playing the fox all the time, neh?"

"Yes," she said, greatly satisfied.

Mariko had come to the same astonishing conclusion, though not from all the same facts. Toranaga must be pretending, playing a secret game, she reasoned. That's the only possible explanation for his incredible conduct giving the Anjin-san the ship, the money, all the cannon, and freedom in front of Tsukku-san. Now the Anjin-san will absolutely go against the Black Ship. He will take it, and threaten the one next year, and therefore he'll maul the Holy Church terribly and force the Holy Fathers to compel Kiyama and Onoshi to betray Ishido....

But why? If that's true, she thought, perplexed, and Toranaga's considering such a long-range plan, then of course he can't go to Osaka and bow before Ishido, neh? He must .... Ah! What about today's delay that Hiro-matsu persuaded Toranaga to make? Oh, Madonna on high, Toranaga never intended to surrender! It's all a trick.

Why? To gain time.

To accomplish what? To wait and weave a thousand more tricks, and it doesn't matter what, only that Toranaga's once more what he always was, the almighty puppeteer.

How long before Ishido's impatience shatters and he raises the battle standard and moves against us? One month - at the most two. No more. So by the ninth month of this Fifth Year of Keicho, the battle for the Kwanto begins!

But what's Toranaga gained in two months? I don't know - I only know that now my son has a chance to inherit his ten thousand koku, and to live and breed, and that now perhaps my father's line will not perish from the earth.

She relished her newfound knowledge, toying with it, examining it, finding her logic flawless. But what to do between now and then? she asked herself. Nothing more than you've already done - and decided to do. Neh?

"Mistress?"

"Yes, Chimmoko?"

"Gyoko-san is here. She has an appointment, she says."

"Ah yes. I forget to tell you. First heat sake, then bring it, and her, here."

Mariko reflected on the afternoon. She remembered his arms around her, so safe and warm and strong. 'Can I see you tonight?' he had asked very cautiously, after Yabu and Tsukku-san had left.

'Yes,' she had said impulsively. `Yes, my darling. Oh, how happy I am for thee. Tell Fujiko-san ... ask her to send for me after the Hour of the Boar.' In the quiet of her house her throat tightened. So much foolishness and danger.

She checked her makeup and coiffure in her mirror and tried to compose herself. Footsteps approached. The shoji slid open. "Ah, Lady," Gyoko said, bowing deeply. "How kind of you to see me."

"You're welcome, Gyoko-san. " They drank sake, Chimmoko pouring for them.

"Such lovely pottery, Lady. So beautiful."

They made polite conversation, then Chimmoko was sent away.

"So sorry, Gyoko-san, but our Master did not arrive this afternoon. I haven't seen him, though I hope to before I leave."

"Yes, I heard Yabu-san went to the jetty in his place."

"When I see Toranaga-sama I will ask him once more. But I expect his answer will be the same." Mariko poured sake for both of them. "So sorry, he will not grant my request."

"Yes, I believe you. Not unless there is great pressure."

"There's no pressure that I can use. So sorry."

"So sorry too, Lady."

Mariko put down her cup. "Then you've decided that some tongues are not safe."

Gyoko said harshly, "If I were going to whisper secrets about you, would I tell you to your face? Do you think I'd be so naive?"

"Perhaps you'd better go, so sorry, but I have so much to do."

"Yes, Lady, and so have I!" Gyoko replied, her voice rough. "Lord Toranaga asked me, to my face, what I knew about you and the Anjin-san. This afternoon. I told him there was nothing between you. I said, 'Oh yes, Sire, I've heard the foul rumors too, but there's no truth in them. I swear it on the head of my son, Sire, and his sons. If anyone would know, surely it would be me. You may believe it's all a malicious lie-gossip, jealous gossip, Sire....' Oh yes, Lady, you may believe I was suitably shocked, my acting perfect, and he was convinced." Gyoko quaffed the sake, and added bitterly, "Now we are all ruined if he gets proof - which wouldn't be difficult to get. Neh?"