The Dragon Scroll (27 page)

The Rat was offended. “I never eat rotten food,” he said. “The rich throw out good stuff. Last month I found a whole sea bream among the radish tops and abalone shells behind the rice merchant’s place.”

“About the Tachibana mansion,” Akitada said more gently.

“Didn’t have time to look properly.” The Rat gave a wheeze and whispered, “Jikoku-ten struck me with his sword.”

“Jikoku-ten? The Guardian King of the East?”

The Rat nodded. “That’s the one. It’s a miracle I’m alive to tell about it,” he said darkly, wheezing a little for effect. “He was fetching the soul of the old governor.”

Tora stared at him. “You don’t mean it! Did he see you?”

The Rat rubbed his head. “How could he miss? There I was, by the back gate, looking up at him. He had burning pieces of charcoal for eyes and struck me with his sword—just there, feel it? I passed out. Next thing I knew, I was lying half-frozen in the snow under the kitchen window, and the maids inside were weeping and shouting about the old lord having passed away. I tell you, I haven’t been myself since.” He held out his empty cup.

Akitada was on his feet. Striding over to the Rat, he took his scrawny wrist in a viselike grip and removed the wine cup. “Pay attention!” he snapped. “When was this?”

The beggar cried out in pain or fear, and Ayako’s hand was on Akitada’s arm. “You’re frightening him,” she murmured. Akitada released the beggar.

The Rat shot him an aggrieved look and rubbed his wrist. “I sleep in the old fox shrine behind the Tachibana place, see. It’s real quiet there. Only night before last something woke me and I crept out in the alley for a pee. It was snowing, but there was that garbage barrel by the gate. I felt a little empty, so I went to take a look. That’s when the light started bobbing about.” The Rat shuddered, and Tora sucked in his breath. “All of a sudden there’s all this scraping and scratching and hissing like fire. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Only no smoke.”

“Go on. Go on,” urged Tora, his eyes wide.

“I was bending down to look through the boards of the gate when it flew open. I saw his boots first and a bit of his blue robe. Then I looked up and there were those fiery eyes piercing me. The last thing I remember is falling on my knees crying to the Buddha, then he struck me. I still got this monstrous pain in my head and I haven’t been able to eat a bite since.” The Rat glanced over at the stove and sniffed. “I’m a little better, I think.”

Akitada returned to his seat. “A strange ghost story,” he said with a frown.

Higekuro laughed. “The wine has done its work. Let’s see if he can tell us another one. Ayako, Otomi! Is the soup ready yet?”

The soup was excellent and Ayako sat demurely by Akitada’s side, serving him wine and placing choice bits of clam in his bowl. The Rat recovered his appetite and when the bowls were empty and the women were cleaning up, he embarked on another tale.

“I got a friend who watched an
oni
procession and lived to tell about it,” he said, scratching his belly and belching. “It happened in the city where the emperor lives. My friend says the palaces have golden roofs there and the high-born ladies are so beautiful, you’d think they were fairies in paradise. He would have stayed forever except for the demons.”

Tora shivered. “I bet he was as frightened as a mouse in the cat’s paw.”

Higekuro winked at Akitada and whispered, “And I bet the Rat’s friend also sampled some of that strong wine I remember from my younger years.”

The Rat heard him and nodded. “You’re right. It was the chrysanthemum festival and my friend was celebrating, but he was sober when he saw what he saw. He’d spent his last coppers that night and had no money for lodgings, so he slept in an old temple that was all boarded up. He put down his bundle, made himself comfortable, and dozed off. Now old temples like that are regular meeting places for evil spirits, only he didn’t know that. When he heard people singing and laughing, he thought it was a party and got up to look.” The Rat paused to empty his cup. Then he looked around and whispered, “It was no human party he saw,” and fell silent.

Tora, his eyes round with suspense, shook the Rat’s arm impatiently and made him cough again. Otomi refilled the Rat’s cup. He drank, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and continued.

“Oh, it was a gruesome sight,” he said, his voice rising a little. “It was a whole crowd of
oni,
as evil a set of devils as you’ll ever meet, and passing before his very eyes. There were near a hundred of them, he said, and they looked horrible. Some had only one eye in the middle of their face. Some had horns, or pointed ears and long noses, some had long red hair all over their bodies. There were some as thin as chopsticks, and some as round as chestnuts. And in front walked a giant with a face like fire and claws for hands. They all gathered by an old well in the middle of the temple courtyard.”

Akitada exchanged a smile with Ayako. He enjoyed the tale and was beginning to feel benevolent toward the Rat.

“Now,” continued the Rat, “what with the moon and all them torches, it was bright as day, and my friend could see they had a young lady with them. The young lady was as beautiful as a fairy and had jewels in her hair and she was crying. But the evil demons only laughed and mocked her, pulling her this way and that. They tore off her gown and ripped the jewels from her hair, and she was lying there in the dirt...” The Rat paused and looked at Ayako. “Storytelling is hungry work. Would there be some soup left?”

Ayako went to fill a bowl and brought it to him. He raised it to his lips, slurped noisily, chewed, and asked, “Where was I?”

Tora said impatiently, “The beautiful lady was lying there all naked ...”

“Not naked,” cried the Rat, shocked. “I never said ‘naked.’ You have a filthy mind, Tora. No, she was still wearing her underrobe. But not for long ...”

“There, I knew it!” muttered Tora.

“Will you shut up? If you keep interrupting, I’ll never get done. I said not for long, because the giant with the red eyes and fiery flames shooting from his face got in a fight with the others over the jewels. He roared like the fiend he was, but the other devils were too fast for him and ran away. So he roared some more and then he saw the lady lying there in her thin gown and went to get that off her. The lady screamed, and he ripped, and she fought him. And then he took his knife, shoved it in her, and fell upon her body ...”

Ayako gasped, and the Rat broke off and said piously, “In the presence of ladies I can’t talk about what happened next, but demons are nasty creatures. Anyway, when he was done with her, he dumped her in the well and went away. My friend was frightened to death and left the capital that very night.”

Tora heaved a sigh of pleasurable horror, but Ayako glared at the Rat. “I might have known you’d come up with something dirty,” she spat. “I don’t believe a word about this friend of yours. You made up the whole thing yourself, you and your nasty mind.”

The Rat wheezed. “I saw you. You had your ears wide open, girl.” He cackled. “Women act like prudes, but they talk dirt with their girlfriends.”

“Why, you...” Ayako half rose amid the general laughter.

Akitada caught her hand to pull her back down beside him when his eyes met Higekuro’s knowing smile.

* * * *

THIRTEEN

HIDESATO AND

THE HARLOT

he following morning Akitada attempted to see the governor again but was told that Motosuke had returned late and was still asleep. Tora, chastened by his master’s outburst the evening before, made no comment when Akitada canceled their usual workout for a visit to the bathhouse. Seimei was another matter.

“What is wrong with the tribunal bath?” he asked.

“Nothing. But the bathhouse has...masseurs, and since I injured my shoulder . . .” Trailing off, Akitada busied himself with his morning rice.

Seimei was distracted from the bathhouse issue. “You were lucky you only hurt your shoulder. Your ancestors must shudder at the risks you take with their good name. Stealing into a monastery with low-class companions like thieves in the middle of the night! Imagine the scandal if you had been caught. It would have been the end of your career.”

“More than likely it would have been the end of my life.” Akitada smiled, his mind on Ayako.

“It is no joking matter,” cried Seimei. “After years of disappointment, you got this chance to make a name for yourself. Imperial inspector before your twenty-sixth year and you choose to behave in this reckless fashion! Remember, the path to success makes for a long and troublesome journey, but the way back is quick and easy.” Seimei’s voice broke.

Akitada’s conscience smote him. “I’m sorry I made you worry, old friend,” he said. “You’re right, it was a very risky thing to do, but I had no other choice. Consider it part of the troublesome journey to success.”

Seimei’s face lit up. “Ah. You have solved the case.”

“Not quite. Let’s say we are closer to the answer.” Pushing away his empty bowl, Akitada rose and went to keep his appointment at the bathhouse.

It was nearly midday before he got back. He took up Otomi’s scrolls and walked across the compound to the governor’s residence. Akinobu greeted him with a smile and led the way to the library.

They found Motosuke, sleek as usual, in figured blue silk over pale green trousers, eating heartily from a large number of dishes.

“His Excellency is here, sir,” announced Akinobu, and withdrew.

“Elder brother!” Motosuke cried, apparently still enamored of his new honorific for Akitada. He smiled and waved his chopsticks in the air. “Welcome, welcome! Forgive my not rising. I got back late last night and here I am, just now eating my morning rice. Shameful, isn’t it?” He pointed the chopsticks at a cushion near him. “Have a seat. Have some fish. Or some abalone? Pickled radish? Nothing? Well, then, Akinobu says you stopped by twice, last evening and again this morning. I am devastated that I missed you. What happened?”

“It’s a long story. Permit me.” Akitada went to hang Otomi’s scrolls from a standing screen.

Motosuke peered at them, then clapped his hands. “The deaf-mute girl! You’ve found her. Oh, they are very nice. Very nice, indeed. And is she as pretty as they say, eh?”

“She is very pretty, yes. But that is not why I brought the pictures.”

“If you say so. I am delighted you discovered a local beauty.” Akitada flushed against his will, and Motosuke’s eyes twinkled. “Ah! I see the way it is. Ha, ha. And I thought you a dull dog. Or worse, a fondler of boys, like our saintly abbot.”

“Joto?”

“Ahem.” They looked up and saw Akinobu at the door, his face expressionless. Beside him stood the abbot.

Joto came in smoothly. “Did I hear my name?” he asked, adroitly avoiding the difficult rank distinction by bowing to Motosuke and Akitada simultaneously. Without waiting for an invitation, he seated himself and looked at Motosuke’s array of food. “I see I am late for the midday rice,” he said with a smile.