Two Loose Floorboards

It was an early morning at the Dojyu docks. The timber rafts were afloat at the river, and the workers were loading the crates into the ships. The fishmongers steered their boats into the inner city, ready to sell their stock to the awakening town. Mei and Yukemori were heading to the warehouse area, just one of the unremarkable buildings - that however was the Black Water Hall, the most notorious gambling establishment of Dojyu.

- "So. I will be on guard duty at the Black Water Hall today. I asked the oyabun, and he said it is alright. I will let you in the premises now," Yukemori said. He was more serious than usual. Even though he wasn't acting against his yakuza family, he was working on his own initiative on an independent project, and using the gang's resources for that. Men had been killed for far less, and worse than that would be to disappoint his oyabun, who had given him a real life instead of a few decades of humiliation while being conscious that usually was the fate of lowly commoners.

- "I understand the magnitude of your sacrifice, Yukemori. Better than you know," Mei said quietly. "You probably think I am just an irresponsible girl, free as a bird and unable to comprehend that other people have ties of honor."

Yukemori shook his head in order to deny it, but Mei raised her hand to silence him.

- "I have come to understand more by being a closer friend to you... and you chose to do this because you trust my judgement. If it turns out that I was wrong about Giro... I really will make any sacrifice that you won't get into any trouble."

Yukemori swallowed and held her hand briefly. What they looked like from the distance was a yakuza youth with his girl going for a bottle of sake and a plateful of sashimi to ease their hangovers. Little would anyone know they were two friends determined to save themselves, Kozakura or perhaps even the whole Kara-Tur.

They arrived at the abandoned gambling hall. Yukemori let them in amid the shades, the green, looming tables, the piles of chips, the bar and the cans of sake and bottles of imported wine. They passed the gambling area and went for one of the dining rooms at the back, where the painted panels depicted the wonders of the empire, one of them being the Jade Pavilion. Yukemori knelt and clicked someplace at the bottom of the panel, behind the low bench. The panel slid away, and a secret room was revealed. It was also built as a dining room. Only a very faint light from the gambling hall illuminated it.

- "So this is where he has been coming," Mei mused. Whom did Giro meet here?

- "I expect they will put wards everywhere so you will have to be in the room," Yukemori said. "You will have to wait the whole day... it won't do to let anyone see me let you in here."

Mei just nodded. She was not afraid of dark or confined places. Yukemori pulled the table a few feet and took off two floorboards.

- "I dug a place for you to be in when I had the chance to be alone here. It is not much but the table will cover the floorboards, and even so you would really have to be looking to notice that they are loose. But Mei... are you sure that you want to do this?" he said, anxious.

- "Of course I am sure," she said, wondering what he was going on about.

- "These people, they are dangerous. I did what I could, but what if they have some sort of black magic and can reveal your presence? They would slaughter you in that pit."

- "I am a servant of Zetsubo, and only the Great Wheel and Celestial Ones can judge how well I have done. Then I would go where my destiny takes me," Mei said evenly. "Do not think I am a coward."

- "I would never think that. Wait here, then. I will come with the maid some half an hour before the meeting to prepare the sushi and the drinks for them. It is then you need to slide into the pit and put the floorboards in place. As for now, you can lie next to the pit and have fresh air at least."

- "Yukemori. If they notice me... do not do anything stupid, and deny all knowledge of me. It is bad enough for you as it is - and you will still be needed to try to find out the truth about them, perhaps warn your oyabun," Mei said.

- "I feel bad about this," the young man frowned. "But I suppose you are right about that. It is just... what kind of madness is this? Whatever they are up to, are we two enough to stop it?"

- "It is the kind of madness that I think is courage, and the right thing to do," Mei said. "We must at least try. Remember, if what we fear is true the forces they are playing with are going to destroy far more than the Two Gates Gang. The samurai always fights, no matter how strong the foe, for there is only victory or death. So it is for us too. Let us show that also the ninja and the yakuza have honor."

The two embraced, for there was not much left to say. Yukemori left with a heavy heart, while Mei tried to relax and meditate as she had a lot of time left to do that.