Koushiro! Part 5
It was nearly 2 in the morning and Yamato and Sora had still not returned with Koushiro. Taichi and Miss Monks were getting nervous.
"It's dark, and Yamato and Sora have still not come back. Something must have gone wrong." Taichi said.
"If the plan does not succeed tonight, we'll try again tomorrow. That gentleman is a regular customer at that bookstore and sooner or later we'll-"Miss Monks said before being cut off by Taichi.
"Hush! What's that?" Taichi said, listening.
"But I don't want to come with you. Let me go! Let me go!' Koushiro's voice said outside the door.
"Keep quiet brat. Get him inside Sora." Yamato's voice said.
"They have him! TK, the door!" Taichi said, jumping up. TK opened the door as Yamato and Sora dragged Koushiro into the room. Yamato had a tight grip on him.
"Look at him Taichi! Just look at him!" TK laughed as the thieves laughed and leered at him. Taichi came before him and bowed low.
"I'm delighted to see you looking so fine Koushiro. Any trouble Yamato?" Taichi said.
"No. The people let him out of the house alone and he walked straight into our hands." Yamato said.
"Look at his clothes Taichi. He's a regular gentleman, he is." Kari said. TK walked up to him and began to search his pockets.
"Look here Taichi. Money!" TK said, handing the money to Taichi.
"That's mine Taichi. Mine and Sora's for grabbing him." Yamato said.
"No Taichi. Mine. You shall have the books." Taichi said.
"Mine you old devil. You may keep the books if you're fond of reading." Yamato said, snatching the money out of Taichi's hand.
"Those books belong to the kind gentleman who brought me into his house and took care of me. Please send the books and money back to him. He'll think I stole them." Koushiro pleaded.
"You're absolutely right Koushiro. That's exactly what he'll think." Taichi chuckled.
"And he won't ask questions for fear he'll have to prosecute him. We have him safe now." Miss Monks said, leering at Koushiro. Koushiro broke away from Yamato and ran to the door.
"Help! Police! Somebody help!" Koushiro screamed. In an instant, TK and the other thieves had recaptured Koushiro and dragged him back to the table.
"So, you tried to get away, did you Koushiro? Called for the police? Well, I'll soon cure you of that!" Taichi said as he raised his arm to strike. Sora knocked Taichi's arm aside and pulled Koushiro away.
"No Taichi! You've got him back now leave him be." Sora yelled.
"Why Sora, what do you mean by this?" Taichi asked.
"I wish I had been struck dead before I lent a hand in bringing him back. Now he'll become a thief and a liar like the rest of us!" Sora screamed.
"Come, come my dear. We must have civil words." Taichi said, trying to calm the hysterical woman.
"Civil words? You villain! I've robbed for you since I was only half his age! Do you dare ask for civil words from me?" Sora screamed before Yamato roughly pulled her back.
"Keep quiet Sora. Or I'll quiet you for good. A pretty subject you are for the boy to make a friend of." Yamato threatened. Sora looked warily at him and rushed angrily out the door.
"Temper! Passion! But she's clever, and we can't go on without her. Boys, look after Koushiro." Taichi ordered.
"Come along Koushiro. We'll get you a change of clothes so you don't spoil those Sunday ones." TK said as he and the others hustled Koushiro off.
"Now we're ready for the next step of the plan." Miss Monks said.
"Yes. You're set for the robbery, aren't you Yamato? There's a fine quantity of silver to be taken." Taichi said. Sora poked her head through the doorway to eavesdrop.
"I'm set, but I don't want the boy along." Yamato said.
"He must go with you." Miss Monks explained.
"I don't like it I tell you. He'll be in the way." Yamato said.
"No, no Yamato. You must make use of him. Put him through the window and he'll go softly through the house and unlock the door for you. He'll do it without trouble if you frighten him enough." Taichi explained.
"Frighten him? Ha! If he makes one wrong move you'll ever see him alive again!" Yamato said. Sora gasped and was almost heard.
"He's not to be harmed. It's only his undoing I'm after. I'll have no violence!" Miss Monks ordered.
"Just let him feel that he's one of us Yamato. Make him believe he's a thief and he's ours. He won't try to escape again." Taichi said.
"All right. When's the job to be done?" Yamato asked.
"I think in a week Yamato. On Sunday, in the dark of the moon." Yamato said.
"Now I have business with some people from the country, business which I hope will seal Koushiro's fate once and for all." Miss Monks said. With that, she got up and left.
"Who is that woman Taichi?" Yamato asked.
"What does it matter Yamato? She wants the boy made a thief and so do we. But she pays us in gold what we would've done for nothing. I don't see any trouble in that and I don't ask questions. Good night Yamato." Taichi said as he picked up his box of treasure and went to bed. After a while, Yamato followed.
"I don't half like what's going on. Koushiro will be as bad as any of us if he goes on that job with Yamato. A week until it is done." Sora said as she walked into the room. Koushiro came down with TK and Kari dressed in his usual rags.
"Now you look like yourself again Koushiro. What a pity you ain't a prig." Kari said.
"Why Kari. I suppose he don't even know what a prig is." TK said.
"Yes, I know. It's a thief. You're one." Koushiro said as he pushed TK.
"Of course I am. I'd scorn to be anything else." TK said proudly.
"But I don't want to be like you." Koushiro said.
"Take just a minute to think about your situation Koushiro. Those people that took you in, they won't ever want to see you again now that they think you're a thief." TK explained.
"No… I suppose not." Koushiro said sadly.
"Then think about the best of things. Think about wallets and purses and the handiest way to lift them." TK said.
"They make my brother happy and he'll reward you for them." Kari said as she danced around waving a handkerchief that she pinched off of Taichi.
"All right. Leave off you two. Let the boy alone." Sora said, rising.
"There, you see Koushiro? Here's Sora acting like a mother to you. Come on Kari." TK said and he and Kari ran off.
"Oh Sora. Don't let them make me steal. Please! I don't want to be a thief." Koushiro pleaded.
"If I could prevent it Koushiro, I would but it's not in my power. I can't arouse Taichi's suspicion and I can't go against my Yama-chan. You don't understand Koushiro but bad as we are, we stand by each other. It's the only way to survive." Sora explained.
"That lady with the scar… who is she? Why did she look at me the way she did?" Koushiro asked.
"Have you seen her before?" Sora asked.
"No. Not until tonight." Koushiro responded.
"Then forget about it. Go over to the fire and have something to eat before you go to bed." Sora said. Koushiro went over and picked up a bowl of oatmeal. He ate it.
"Poor boy. If only there was something I could do… if I could speak to… no, it would be too great of a risk. But perhaps…" Sora said, thinking out loud.
"You're the only friend I have now Sora." Koushiro said as he clasped Sora's hand. Sora suddenly buried her face in her hands.
"What's the matter?" Koushiro asked, concerned for the only motherly figure in his life.
"Nothing. You mustn't worry for me Koushiro. I'm all right now. Go on to bed. I'll… I'll do what I can for you." Sora said. Koushiro went off to bed and Sora put on a shawl over her shoulders.
"Forgive me Yamato but if you knew I meant to seek out Gennai, you'd never stand for it." Sora whispered and exited the den in search of Gennai.
