Chapter 25
Senhime was long joining the other women and little Chiyo ran over to Akiko as one ready to give her time. Akiko suggested they make a temari ball to play with to pass the time; and Chiyo was very happy to be shown how to make the ball over a crushed paper core and when it was covered in thread to work out where to put the pattern by the use of a strip of paper around it, marked with a pin for one end, folded in half and replaced to show the opposite end, and in half again
"For where the obi-line is" said Akiko.
Scraps of ribbon sewn onto the ball made it gay and kept Chiyo amused until her adoptive mother came into the room, looking pale.
Sen came over to Akiko.
"Please come with me" she said.
Ochiba's voice rang out.
"Daughter, what can it be that you want with the Christian nun?"
Sen looked at her mother-in-law.
"There is a man who will be dead before long who wishes her presence, honoured mother" she said "I said that I would bring her. So sorry, but it is my duty to bring such comfort as I may to our people."
Ochiba grunted.
"I think you should not see too much of her" she said "And though YOU are my grandaughter's mother now, it does not please me that she should get drawn into this foreign faith."
"I will not permit her to be" said Sen "The nun is but kindly giving her attention; see, they make a temari ball; that is a good traditional art."
Ochiba grunted again.
"Take her and hurry back" she said "You have been out of my presence too long. Where have you been?"
"Firstly and for the most time, honoured mother, with my husband, who has first claim on my time" said Sen patiently. "And also doing my duties as wife of the lord of the castle."
There was a collective gasp from the other women; that came close to an impudent declaration that Ochiba was NOT doing her duty.
Ochiba went white.
"You are pert" she grumbled "Go as you have promised; and you had better be ready to apologise on your return!"
Sen was shaking with anger as they left the room.
"I loathe her" she said to Akiko in a low voice. "And the more because of HER ambition and HER war which has brought us to this! I spoke truth little fox; you will bring comfort to a man who will be dead ere long; my husband. He is determined to die rather than be shamed by escaping while others die in his name."
"Then I honour him for that" said Akiko. "Why does he wish to speak with me?"
"Because he wishes to know if my grandfather still loves him. Oh Akiko, if he does not, will you lie please?"
"No lie will be required" said Akiko.
Sen ushered her into the so-called Taiko's chamber and Akiko bowed deeply.
"Anjin Akiko" said Yaemon "Do not be concerned; I have dismissed any who might overhear. I am known for fits of melancholy when I do such. I wish to know Lord Toranaga's heart."
"Yaemon-sama, his heart is heavy" said Akiko "He well knows that this uprising is none of your making. He also well knows that it must be crushed ruthlessly in order to maintain peace and try to regain some measure of stability and prosperity. He desired that you should escape if you were of such mind and live in obscurity with your son, never to be cause for uprising again" she added the smooth lie since Yaemon seemed determined on death in any case.
"He has mellowed" said Yaemon "I recall he put his own son to death and his wife, the youth's father, for plotting against Goroda."
"The difference is that his son actively plotted" said Akiko dryly.
"Nevertheless, it would be better if I were dead" said Yaemon "Better for this poor land my father tried so hard to unify. I never wanted to be Taiko; I would have sworn loyalty to Uncle Toranaga had I been permitted and served as his vassal. I will order my son to do so; perhaps he will then be permitted to live."
"I would do my best to argue in his favour if he may be brought to do so" said Akiko.
Yaemon nodded.
"I wish to say farewell to my children" he said "I am glad that you can take my wife to her family; will you also take my father's consort, Narita Kai-hime? She is Naahime's governess, and a kinswoman of Naa's mother."
"Of course" said Akiko. Going with her governess would perhaps make Chiyo less nervous for it would be frightening. "I would ask that you go onward late in the day; after the evening rice; that way all can be ready to take the ladies and children out under cover of darkness. I would like to witness also."
Yaemon bowed.
"It shall be so" he said. "It will be….distressing for the children; I have no-one I can ask to be my second."
Akiko bowed deeply.
"I am trained in the sword, Yaemon-Sama; I should be honoured if you will permit me to act as your second."
He looked at her in surprise.
"In the sword? Some women learn naginata…. But of course, you are the Anjin-san's child who is also versed in the art of kyu-jutsu. The honour would be mine. I always liked the Anjin-san when I was a child."
"My father's heart is also heavy at this pass" said Akiko.
She bowed her way out, leaving Yaemon and his wife alone; and went to the window that was to be their escape to lay a single white handkerchief with the yellow that all was going to plan. When she took the yellow one down, Buntaro would fire the first light line to her; and that must be risked in some daylight. The light line would be tied to await darkness and then heavier ones pulled in.
Akiko glanced down the castle walls. She was not herself in any wise concerned by height but she knew that many people were; and trusting themselves to a small slide on a rope would be a hard thing to do. She undid the nun's robe and unstrung from the obi over her other clothes beneath it the four slides she had brought, simple wooden handles with a wider mid section that had in it a hole bored to fit snugly to the thickness of rope to be used. A pot of grease lubricated those holes; not something to do beforehand in case the heat of her body caused unpleasant smells from the grease.
At least in the darkness the height would not be so apparent.
oOoOo
Akiko had no reason to go back to the women as she was supposed to be praying over a dying man; so she waited where she was. Missing a meal or two was of no real moment; she slipped quietly down for a flagon of water which a nun might be supposed to do for the care of others.
The evening rice had been served and mostly consumed when Akiko left the room and went towards Yaemon's chambers. She met an elderly woman who looked distressed. The woman bowed. Akiko had seen her tending to wounded women.
"Lady, I am Narita Kai-hime; all is ready."
"You grieve greatly for Lord Yaemon" said Akiko.
"Yes; but it is not for him. It is for Kunimatsu that I have wept" said Kai-hime. "He was loud in his denunciation of Toranaga-sama and would not listen when Yaemon-sama urged him to make obeisance to him and trust him; he said that Lord Yaemon had trusted him like an uncle. He was too young to understand. Lord Yaemon knew – knew that if he spoke thus he would be executed. He – he chose to kill his own son rather than have him given a shameful death."
"I see" said Akiko sighing "I understand; and I cannot say that I am surprised. I think in his sandals at his age I would likely have done the same."
I would not have fled from my husband but would die with him she thought But then I have married for love and passion not as a pawn. And Sen has such divided loyalties.
She went in with Kai-Hime in attendance. Yaemon was dressed in his white death robe, his swords on a rack before him.
The small body of Kunimatsu was laid out beside him.
She bowed; and he returned it, almost absently, in the state of near trance achieved by many preparing for seppuku.
"My lord wishes you to use his own katana" said Sen steadily "And to take it and his wakizashi for Chiyo's descendants to use."
Akiko bowed deeply and bowed to the swords.
"I will do this dressed as Samurai not as a stinking foreign priestess" she said, stripping off the orange robe. She wore a light kimono and calf length hakama beneath like any warrior.
"My death poem" said Yaemon.
"Tears lost in the rain
Wash away all the regret
Spring will come again!"
"Very fitting my lord" said Akiko quietly, drawing the katana to stand beside and behind him.
Yaemon took his wakizashi and wrapped it in a cloth so that his hands would not slip in the blood. He bowed his head to his wife and his daughter who was burying her head against Sen while Kai-Himi also had her arms about her. Then the blade plunged into his belly, cutting in; he groaned slightly; and grey faced made the second cut. The merest flicker of appeal in his eyes was enough; and Akiko brought the katana down to sever his head.
She shook the blood off the blade and bowed deeply to the headless body.
"Yaemon-sama, it is witnessed that you died not just like a samurai but like a taiko" she said. Gently she eased the wakizashi from his dead grip, shaking the blood from that too and sheathing both blades. "I pray my lord that you will not mind me wearing these until we are out" she added.
"He would be proud" said Sen "You were a steadfast second; thank you."
Akiko bowed.
"What do we do now?" asked Chiyo, forlornly, "Chichi-san is dead. What are we going to do?"
"We are going to go to a safe place" said Akiko "There is a kind man who would like to be your stepfather. He is a good man" she added "And he knows how to smile."
At least he did now he had talked long with his father, she reflected.
oOoOo
Akiko led the way from Yaemon's chamber towards the room she had chosen.
And then Ochiba burst through a shoji, wielding a naginata.
"I KNEW it!" she screeched "I KNEW it was you, you fox spirit! Bewitching my daughter-in-law and granddaughter! And now you are going to DIE!"