“We’ll leave at noon.”

“No, Mariko-san.” Lady Sazuko was almost in tears.

“Yes,” Kiri said. “Yes, we’ll leave as you say.”

“But they’ll stop us,” the young girl burst out. “It’s all so useless.”

“No,” Mariko told her, “you’re wrong, Sazuko-chan, it’s very necessary.”

Kiri said, “Mariko-san’s right. We have orders.” She suggested details of their leaving. “We could easily be ready by dawn if you want.”

“Noon is when we should leave. That’s what he said, Kiri-chan,” Mariko replied.

“We’ll need very few things, neh?”

“Yes.”

Sazuko said, “Very few! So sorry, but it’s all so silly, they’ll stop us!”

“Perhaps they won’t, child,” Kiri said. “Mariko says they’ll let us go. Lord Toranaga thinks they’ll let us go. So presume that they will. Go and rest. Go on. I must talk to Mariko-san.”

The girl went away, greatly troubled.

Kiri folded her hands. “Yes, Mariko-san?”

“I’m sending a cipher by carrier pigeon telling Lord Toranaga what happened tonight. It will go at first light. Ishido’s men will certainly try to destroy the rest of my carrier birds tomorrow if there’s trouble and I can’t bring them here. Is there any message you want to send at once?”

“Yes. I’ll write it now. What do you think’s going to happen?”

“Lord Toranaga’s sure they’ll let us go, if I’m strong.”

“I don’t agree. And, please excuse me, I don’t think you put much faith in the attempt either.”

“You’re wrong. Oh, of course they may stop us tomorrow and if they do there’ll be the most terrible quarrel and threats but they’ll all mean nothing.” Mariko laughed. “Oh, such threats, Kiri-san, and they’ll go on all day and all night. But at noon the next day we’ll be allowed to go.”

Kiri shook her head. “If we’re allowed to escape, every other hostage in Osaka will leave too. Ishido will be weakened badly and he’ll lose face. He can’t afford that.”

“Yes.” Mariko was very satisfied. “Even so, he’s trapped.”

Kiri watched her. “In eighteen days our Master’ll be here, neh? He must be here.”

“Yes.”

“So sorry, then why is it so important for us to leave at once?”

“He thinks it important enough, Kiri-san. Enough to order it.”

“Ah, then he has a plan?”

“Doesn’t he always have many plans?”

“Once the Exalted One agreed to be present, then our Master was trapped, neh?”

“Yes.”

Kiri glanced at the shoji door. It was closed. She leaned forward and said softly, “Then why did he ask me secretly to put that thought into the Lady Ochiba’s head?”

Mariko’s confidence began to fade. “He told you to do that?”

“Yes. From Yokosé, after he’d seen Lord Zataki for the first time. Why did he spring the trap himself?”

“I don’t know.”

Kiri bit her lips. “I wish I knew. We’ll soon know, but I don’t think you’re telling me everything you know, Mariko-chan.”

Mariko began to bridle but Kiri touched her, again cautioning her to silence, and whispered. “His dispatch to me told me to trust you completely so let’s say no more than that. I do trust you, Mariko-chan, but that doesn’t stop my mind from working. Neh?”

“Please excuse me.”

“I’m so proud of you,” Kiri said in a normal voice. “Yes, standing up like that to Ishido and all of them. I wish I had your courage.”

“It is easy for me. Our Master said we were to leave.”

“It’s very dangerous, what we do, I think. Even so, how can I help?”

“Give me your support.”

“You have that. You’ve always had that.”

“I’ll stay here with you till dawn, Kiri. But first I have to talk to the Anjin-san.”

“Yes. I’d better go with you.”

The two women left Kiri’s apartments, an escort of Browns with them, passing other Browns who bowed, clearly enormously proud of Mariko. Kiri led down corridors, across the expanse of the great audience room, and into the corridor beyond. Browns were on guard here, and Grays. When they saw Mariko, all bowed, Browns and Grays equally honoring her. Both Kiri and Mariko were taken aback to find Grays in their domain. They hid their discomfiture and said nothing.

Kiri motioned at a door.

“Anjin-san?” Mariko called out.

“Hai?” The door opened. Blackthorne stood there. Behind him in the room were two more Grays. “Hello, Mariko-san.”

“Hello.” Mariko glanced at the Grays. “I have to talk to the Anjin-san privately.”

“Please talk to him, Lady,” their captain said with great deference. “Unfortunately we are ordered by Lord Ishido personally on pain of immediate death not to leave him alone.”

Yoshinaka, tonight’s officer-of-the-watch, strode up. “Excuse me, Lady Toda, I had to agree to these twenty guards for the Anjin-san. It was Lord Ishido’s personal request. So sorry.”

“As Lord Ishido is only concerned with the Anjin-san’s safety, they’re welcome,” she said, not at all pleased inside.

Yoshinaka said to the captain of the Grays, “I will be responsible for him while the Lady Toda’s with him. You can wait outside.”

“So sorry,” this samurai said firmly. “I and my men have no alternative but to watch with our own eyes.”

Kiri said, “I will be glad to stay. Of course someone’s necessary.”

“So sorry, Kiritsubo-san, we must be present. Please excuse me, Lady Toda,” the captain continued uncomfortably, “but none of us speaks the barbarian.”

“No one suggests you would be so impolite as to listen,” said Mariko, near anger. “But barbarian customs are different from ours.”

Yoshinaka said, “Obviously the Grays must obey their lord. You were totally correct tonight that a samurai’s first duty is to his liege lord, Lady Toda, and totally correct to point it out in public.”

“Perfectly correct, Lady,” the captain of the Grays agreed with the same measure of pride. “There’s no other reason for a samurai’s life, neh?”

“Thank you,” she said, warmed by their respect.

“We should also honor the Anjin-san’s customs if we can, Captain,” Yoshinaka said. “Perhaps I have a solution. Please follow me.” He led the way back to the audience room. “Please, Lady, would you take the Anjin-san and sit there.” He pointed to the far dais. “The Anjin-san’s guards can stay by the doors and do their duty to their liege lord, we can do ours, and you may talk as you wish, according to the Anjin-san’s customs. Neh?”

Mariko explained to Blackthorne what Yoshinaka had said, then continued prudently in Latin, “They will never leave thee tonight. We have no alternative—except I can order them killed at once if that is thy wish.”

“My wish is to talk to thee privately,” Blackthorne replied. “But not at the cost of lives. I thank thee for asking me.”

Mariko turned to Yoshinaka. “Very well, thank you, Yoshinaka-san. Would you please send someone for incense braziers to keep away the mosquitoes.”

“Of course. Please excuse me, Lady, is there any further news of the Lady Yodoko?”

“No, Yoshinaka-san. We heard she’s still resting easily, without pain.” Mariko smiled at Blackthorne. “Shall we go and sit there, Anjin-san?”

He followed her. Kiri went back to her own quarters and the Grays stood at the doors of the audience room. The captain of the Grays was near Yoshinaka, a few paces away from the others. “I don’t like this,” he whispered roughly.

“Is the Lady Toda going to pull out his sword and kill him? No offense, but where are your wits?”

Yoshinaka limped away to check the other posts. The captain looked at the dais. Mariko and the Anjin-san were seated opposite each other, well lit by flares. He could not hear what they were saying. He focused on their lips but was still no wiser, though his eyes were very good and he could speak Portuguese. I suppose they’re talking the Holy Fathers’ language again, he told himself. Hideous language, impossible to learn.

Still, what does it matter? Why shouldn’t she talk to the heretic in private if that’s her pleasure? Neither are long for this earth. So very sad. Oh, Blessed Madonna, take her forever into thy keeping for her bravery.

“Latin is safer, Anjin-san.” Her fan sent a droning mosquito skittering.

“They can hear us from here?”

“No, I do not believe so, not if we keep our voices softened and talk as thou hast taught me with so little movement of the mouth.”

“Good. What occurred with Kiyama?”

“I love thee.”

“Thou . . .”

“I have missed thee.”

“And I thee. How can we meet alone?”

“Tonight it is not possible. Tomorrow night will be possible, my love. I have a plan.”

“Tomorrow? But what about thy departure?”

“Tomorrow they may stop me, Anjin-san—please do not worry. The next day we will all be free to leave as we wish. Tomorrow night, if I am stopped, I will be with thee.”

“How?”

“Kiri will help me. Do not ask me how or what or why. It will be easy—” She stopped as maids brought the little braziers. Soon the curling threads of smoke repelled the night creatures. When they were safe again they talked about their journey, content just being together, loving without touching, always skirting Toranaga and the importance of tomorrow. Then he said, “Ishido’s my enemy. Why are there so many guards around me?”

“To protect thee. But also to hold thee tight. I think Ishido might also want to use thee against the Black Ship, and Nagasaki and the Lord Kiyama and Lord Onoshi.”

“Ah, yes, I had thought that too.”

She saw his eyes searching her. “What is it, Anjin-san?”

“Contrary to what Yabu believes, I believe thou art not stupid, that everything tonight was said deliberately, planned deliberately—on Toranaga’s orders.”

She smoothed a crease in her brocade kimono. “He gave me orders. Yes.”

Blackthorne turned to Portuguese, “He’s betrayed you. You’re a decoy. Do you know that? You’re just bait for one of his traps.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You’re the bait. So am I. It’s obvious, isn’t it? Yabu’s bait. Toranaga sent us all here as a sacrifice.”

“No, you’re wrong, Anjin-san. So sorry, but you’re wrong.”

In Latin he said, “I tell thee that thou art beautiful and I love thee, but thou art a liar.”

“No one has ever said that to me before.”

“Thou hast also said no one ever said ‘I love thee’ before.”

She looked down at her fan. “Let us talk of other things.”

“What does Toranaga gain by sacrificing us?”

She did not answer.

“Mariko-san, I have the right to ask thee. I’m not afraid. I just want to know what he gains.”

“I don’t know.”

“Thou! Swear by thy love and thy God.”

“Even thee?” she replied bitterly in Latin. “Thou also with thy ‘Swear before God’ and questions and questions and questions?”

“It is thy life and my life and I cherish both. Again, what does he gain?”

Her voice became louder. “Listen thou, yes, I chose the time and yes, I am not a stupid woman and—”

“Be cautious, Mariko-chan, please keep thy voice down or that would be very stupid.”

“So sorry. Yes, it was done deliberately and in public as Toranaga wished.”

“Why?”

“Because Ishido’s a peasant and he must let us go. The challenge had to be before his peers. The Lady Ochiba approves our going to meet Lord Toranaga. I talked to her and she is not opposed. There’s nothing to trouble thyself about.”

“I do not like to see fire in thee. Or venom. Or crossness. Where is thy tranquillity? And where are thy manners? Perhaps thou should learn to watch the rocks growing. Neh?”

Mariko’s anger vanished and she laughed. “Ah, thee! Thou art right. Please forgive me.” She felt refreshed, herself again. “Oh, how I love thee, and honor thee, and I was so proud of thee tonight I almost kissed thee, there in front of them as is thy custom.”

“Madonna, that would have set fire in their tinderboxes, neh?”

“If I were alone with thee I would kiss thee until thy cries for mercy filled the universe.”

“I thank thee, Lady, but thou art there and I am here and the world’s between us.”

“Ah, but there’s no world between us. My life is full because of thee.”

In a moment he said, “And Yabu’s orders to you—to apologize and stay?”

“They may not be obeyed, so sorry.”

“Because of Toranaga’s orders?”

“Yes. But not his orders truly—it is also my wish. All this was my suggestion to him. It is I who begged to be allowed to come here, my darling. Before God that is the truth.”

“What will happen tomorrow?”

She told him what she had told Kiri, adding, “Everything is going to be better than planned. Isn’t Ishido already thy patron? I swear I do not know how Lord Toranaga can be so clever. Before I left he told me that would happen, might happen. He knew that Yabu has no power in Kyushu. Only Ishido or Kiyama could protect thee there. We are not decoys. We are in his protection. We’re quite safe.”

“What about the nineteen days—eighteen now? Toranaga must be here, neh?”

“Yes.”

“Then isn’t this as Ishido says, a waste of time?”

“Truly I don’t know. I only know that nineteen, eighteen, or even three days can be an eternity.”

“Or tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow also. Or the next day.”

“And if Ishido will not let thee go tomorrow?”

“This is the only chance we have. All of us. Ishido must be humbled.”

“Thou art certain?”

“Yes, before God, Anjin-san.”

Blackthorne clawed out of a nightmare again but the moment he was truly awake the dream vanished. Grays were staring at him through the mosquito net in the light of early dawn.

“Good morning,” he said to them, hating to have been watched while he slept.

He came from under the net and went out into the corridor, down staircases, until he came to the garden toilet. Guards, both Browns and Grays, accompanied him. He hardly noticed them.

The dawn was smoky. The sky to the east was already burnt clean of the haze. The air smelled salt and wet from the sea. Flies already swarmed. It’ll be hot today, he thought.

Footsteps approached. Through the door opening he saw Chimmoko. She waited patiently, chatting with the guards, and when he came out she bowed and greeted him.

“Where Mariko-san?” he asked.

“With Kiritsubo-san, Anjin-san.”

“Thank you. When leave?”

“Soon, Sire.”

“Say to Mariko-san like say good morning before leave.” He said it again although Mariko had already promised to find him before she went back to her home to collect her belongings.

“Yes, Anjin-san.”

He nodded as a samurai should and left her and went to wash and bathe. It was not custom to have a hot bath in the morning. But every morning he would always go there and pour cold water all over himself. “Eeeee, Anjin-san,” his guards or watchers would always say, “that surely is most very good for your health.”

He dressed and went to the battlements that overlooked the forecourt of this castle wing. He wore a Brown kimono and swords, his pistol concealed under his sash. Browns on sentry duty welcomed him as one of them, though very disquieted by his Grays. Other Grays teemed on the battlements opposite, overlooking them, and outside their gate.

“Many Grays, many more than usual. Understand, Anjin-san?” Yoshinaka said, coming out onto the balcony.

“Yes.”