The auction room wasn't any more pleasant upside down than it had been right side up. Nor was Mitsuhide, but this angle was more familiar, given our previous meetings. Even so, I objected to being hauled across the ship like a sack of rice. "What are you doing? Put me down!"

My hands were still tied and wedged into his back, but I managed to kick his ribs hard enough to hear him grunt.

"As you wish." He dumped me on the floor, then loomed above. "Are you comfortable down there?"

What do you think?

He thrust his hand at me, but I ignored it and got to my feet. "After you."

In an instant, he yanked me to his side and whispered in my ear. "I would prefer to get off this ship without having to kill anyone on the way, so if you could at least pretend to be cowed, it would make both our lives easier."

He… had a point.

Meek now.

Kill him later.

"If you think there's going to be trouble, maybe you could untie me so that I can help defend us?" Knowing that it would be useless, I did not bother trying the puppy-dog eyes that occasionally got Aki to agree to my suggestions.

He ignored my perfectly reasonable offer of help and propelled me out the door.

Hm, should have tried the puppy eyes after all.

Because I had no desire to get caught in the middle of a swordfight while my hands were tied in front of me, I kept my mouth shut as Mitsuhide half-dragged me across the deck of the ship, until I saw two hulking shapes and the priest out of the corner of my eye. "On your lef-"

With three sharp strikes of his sword, Mitsuhide had the attackers disarmed. He gave me a look that left no doubt in my mind that he had seen them before my warning. No one else bothered us as we hurried down the gangplank and onto the docks of Sakai, where Mitsuhide's vassal Kyubei was waiting with two horses. Oh, hi, Kyubei. Long time no see.

Before I could greet the other man, Mitsuhide tossed me onto the horse and climbed up behind. "Make certain no one follows us," he yelled over his shoulder at Kyubei – then we were off.

"You know, I can actually ride without help." No response.

It was even odds between 'couldn't hear me over the sound of the horse' and 'still ignoring me.'

What followed as a circuitous route around and through and back around Sakai. Probably Mitsuhide had doubled back to avoid pursuit, although he might also have done so to make things extra uncomfortable for me. By the time we halted behind a building in the merchant quarter, my core muscles were screaming at me. Without the use of my hands, I had been forced to continuously rebalance myself or risk sliding off the horse (and I doubted Mitsuhide would have bothered to catch me had it happened).

Equestrian pilates will never catch on as the next big fitness craze.

Before I could jump off on my own, Mitsuhide pulled me off the horse and led me through the back gate into a townhouse. Like Franscico's office/home, it was a typical merchant's machiya, more narrow than wide, with an office, a courtyard, and storerooms on the main floor. But I had no time to look around, because Mitsuhide hurried me past the business area to the second floor, where the stairs led to a private office of sorts. Presumably there would be a kitchen and an eating area also on this level and sleeping quarters on the top level.

Given that Mitsuhide still seemed disinclined to talk, I plopped down on a cushion to try to figure out how to let Francisco know where I was. He must be frantic.

Mitsuhide lit a lantern, filling the room with a warm amber glow, then took his time settling down at a writing desk. Finally, he looked at me. "I imagine it would be too much to expect your gratitude."

"For what? It took me three days to set that up." Now I would need to figure out an alternate plan… which would require coming up with an explanation for how I was purchased by Mitsuhide and ended up with Francisco. Hm. Perhaps I had been purchased as a gift. I mean, a slave was a little more personal than socks, or a bottle of Drakkar Noir… but I could probably make it work.

"Dear me." It takes talent to make the condescending words of a British butler sound like the sarcasm of an exhausted parent. "Am I to understand that you were selling yourself in the slave market on purpose? That does put a different face on it." Mitsuhide nodded his head to indicate the stairs leading up to the top level. "My bedroom is the last door on the left. You may disrobe first, although I would prefer that you wait for me to undress you."

Since my hands were still tied together from the slave ship, I figured he was being facetious. Although, who knows. Maybe he thought that I had some contortionist skills.

"I wasn't selling myself." He gave me a look of sheer disbelief. "Not exactly. I have a partner who was going to purchase me, thus giving me the opportunity to view the auctions from the inside, as well as create a back story for when he paraded me around the Nanban merchants." Figuring that Mitsuhide had no immediate plans to untie me, I wiggled around until I managed to extract the dagger I kept strapped to my ankle. The auctioneer hadn't even bothered to search "Kaya," – apparently, he lacked the imagination to realize that even a kidnapped housemaid would have been armed. I tried to flip the dagger around to cut the rope around my wrists, but the angle was all wrong. After I poked myself three too many times, I stuck it between my knees and began sawing away at the bindings.

"For what purpose? You cannot tell me that Akihira would permit his daughter to masquerade as a courtesan." With benign interest, Mitsuhide watched me reposition the knife after it slipped to a useless angle. "What happened to your partner?"

"I … don't know." Had Francisco joined the ranks of the disappeared? Would the Nanban imprison one of their own? As to the first question… was I safe telling him that Aki was missing? The two of them were, well, if not exactly friends, they were at least friendly. Or had been before I ruined that earlier this summer. Still…

Taking a chance, I looked him right in the face, alert to any change of expression, and added, "Aki is missing. Like your friends Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his fiancée. Frack." The knife had slipped again. I bent to retrieve it, but not before noticing that his posture had stiffened when I mentioned his friends. Nothing major, and he recovered immediately. But I saw.

"You might have better luck if you held it in your teeth," Mitsuhide said. I guess his advice, such as it was, was all the help I could expect here. "Do you have a spy in Azuchi Castle?"

If I put the knife in my mouth, I wouldn't be able to answer his question – which… I'm sure he had considered. I again repositioned it between my knees. "In fact, we don't. You might have to repeat whatever lecture you normally give the castle servants and vassals about not gossiping when they wander around town."

The dagger clunked to the floor and bounced out of reach. I refused to crawl to retrieve it – it would totally undermine the attitude of casual indifference I was attempting to project. Mitsuhide might intimidate me, but I refused to let him know that. "It's possible they didn't notice me. I'm very good at being invisible in plain sight."

"An enviable skill." He got up and poured himself a cup of sake. He didn't offer to share but that was ok because I wouldn't have taken it anyway. While he was moving about, I used my foot to pull the dagger back, and then, as he had suggested, held it in my teeth to try to saw through the rope.

It wasn't any easier than holding it with my knees.

With an attitude of indifference, Mitsuhide pulled out his sword. "Hold out your hands."

I did so, presenting the rope as the best target I could. The sword whistled through the air, then sliced cleanly through the bindings.

Ahhhh. So much better. I massaged my wrists and wiggled my fingers. I guess I did owe him some gratitude, even if he had ruined my investigation. "Thank you."

He inclined his head but said nothing.

"I will pay you back, of course." It might mean breaking into Francisco's desk, but the money was mine anyway, so I wouldn't technically be stealing it.

"Of course." He rubbed his chin. "Do not attempt to sell yourself into slavery again. I might not be around to rescue you next time."

His definition of rescue differed quite a bit from mine – but I wasn't really in position to argue. "My back-up plan involves keeping an eye on a certain warehouse." And perhaps scamming my way – as Katsu - into a job with this mysterious Shojumaru. "I doubt I will need rescue from that."

I pretended not to notice his look of skepticism – clearly exaggerated for theatricality. "You've been a source of chaos since we met."

"You're the one who just messed up my plan." I was still on the fence as to whether I had needed rescue. "However, if I discover anything about Lord Hideyoshi or Lady Mai, I am willing to share information."

If Mitsuhide had any intention to make reciprocal offer, I will never know, for our 'negotiations' were interrupted by the sound of angry shouts coming from the ground floor of the building. Reacting instantly to the noise, Mitsuhide picked up his sword and stepped in front of me.

"Lord Mitsuhide – stop. That's my partner. Francisco." I pushed past him and called down to the lower level. "Francisco, up here. Don't worry. I'm safe." Then, because Francisco's apt to forget his Japanese even in the calmest situation, I repeated myself in Portuguese.

Moments later, a puffing Francisco breached the top of the stairs and rushed into the room. His face was red and there were sweat stains visible on the shirt he wore under his jerkin. "Katsu. You are here. When I learned someone bought you, I thought, Akihira will murder me." He paused and drew in a long panting breath. And then another. "I got lost and went to the wrong ship."

Of course he did.

Note to self. Next time find a partner who can find their way from one end of the city to the other.

He was still speaking in Portuguese, so clearly his language skills (such as they were) had deserted him completely. I hurried to reassure him. "An acquaintance of Aki's recognized me and purchased me. If you can repay him… and maybe give him a bit extra for his trouble, then we can be on our way."

Francisco turned to Mitsuhide and executed a clumsy bow. In halting Japanese, he thanked Mitsuhide then held out his coin purse.

Mitsuhide ignored the money and looked back at me. "You are fluent in Portuguese?"

No, Francisco and I were just talking in Pig Latin. "Yes. Speaking anyway. Reading… I'm still working on that." The Latinate alphabet script wasn't that difficult because I had had some rudimentary lessons in English when I was in school, but it added another layer to translations.

"That being the case, our previous agreement is nullified." He signaled for Francisco to put away the money. "I believe I will keep you after all."

Keep me? How…? What? I didn't bother to hide my confusion, so it was no surprise that he easily read my expression. "I purchased you and have no intention of selling you back."

Yes, that part I got.

If he thought I would willingly become his concubine, he'd better keep a dagger next to his futon, because I would kill him in his sleep. Or when he was awake. Or… now. Actually, I probably wouldn't even need a dagger. I'd just strangle him, the way Princess Leia killed Jabba Hutt. Only slower. "Strange. You don't look like you're certifiably insane."

Francisco's head swiveled from me to MItsuhide, his expression one of complete confusion. We'd passed his grasp on Japanese a long time ago. "Katsu, what is going on? Does he not want the money?"

"We're bargaining over the price." Technically. The price being something I was not willing to pay. I considered telling Francisco to prepare to fight our way out of here, but I didn't know if Mitsuhide had any other men stationed in this building. Nor did I trust Francisco's swordsmanship. He'd probably accidentally stab himself. Or me.

Mitsuhide poured himself another cup of sake before responding to me – he'd apparently come to the same conclusion about Francisco's necessity in this discussion as I had. "In truth, there is something about you that causes me to doubt my sanity – but my reason for being at tonight's auction was to establish an identity as a merchant who has a lenient attitude toward slavery of his own countrymen."

Alright. Rational step, considering he was investigating his friends' disappearance. Similar to what I was doing but coming at it from the opposite side. I nodded to let him know I was following. So far.

"Having a-" he paused then sighed as if the idea was personally offensive "-concubine adds to the verisimilitude of this charade. Having a subordinate fluent in Portuguese, who can eavesdrop on the Nanban, puts me at an advantage."

Francisco poked my shoulder, so I quickly translated the gist of Mitsuhide's idea. He smiled, then bowed clumsily. "Katsu, tell him that this is a good idea. It will allow me to direct my resources in other less savory directions without involving you."

What was less savory than a slave concubine, I did not know, nor did I particularly appreciate the idea of them deciding my fate without any input of my own, but I dutifully translated his words to Mitsuhide, then added, "I really don't like the idea of being your partner."

He gave me one of those deep probing stares that said he could see right through me. If that look had been a scalpel, I would be filleted right now, and pinned to a dissection tray. "Heavens, wherever did you get the idea that I was offering you a partnership? You will be working for me, and you will do exactly as I say."

Oh hell to the no on that.

Before I could tell him where he could put his job offer (such as it was), he continued. "Don't look so mutinous, Brat. Am I wrong in thinking that this was exactly the scheme you were planning with this man-" he nodded toward Francisco, "-as your conspirator?"

Ok yes, that had been the plan.

"And would you agree that I would be far more competent in the role than a man who was not able to appear at the auction in time to rescue you from danger?" In spite of, or more simply to humor, Francisco, Mitsuhide sent a friendly smile in his direction.

Again, yes. Mitsuhide and his mouth full of teeth would be an upgrade in that regard. If I continued with Plan A. However, I could move directly to Plan B – finding and working for this Shojumaru – without taking a partner. Especially one who would-

"I rather think your rejection of me, while somewhat personally hurtful," he dramatically placed his hand over his heart, and directed an over-the-top lovelorn glance at me, "lies in the fact that unlike your language-deficient friend, I would exert control over your somewhat impetuous behavior."

"My rejection, as you put it, lies in the fact that I don't want to work for you. I don't want to work with you. I don't want to spend any time in the same room with you." My dagger was still within easy grabbing distance – one more snarky word from him and -

"Struck a nerve, did I? You do like being in control." He rubbed his chin, letting his thumb briefly sweep across his lip. Aki had the same chin rubbing 'tell' as Mitsuhide, although the lip thing was an individual twist, one that called attention to sensual shape of th-

Ack! What are you thinking?

While I was busy bleaching my brain, I nearly missed his next comment.

"Alas, do not, for one moment, imagine that I will permit you to leave. If I must parade you around the city in chains, I will do so. In fact…" his voice took on a speculative tone. "It would add an air of authenticity to the charade."

Yep. I'm out of here. "Never mind. I can find Aki without you." I snatched up the dagger and prepared to make a run for it.

"You couldn't even cut your way out of the rope with a knife, that, I will add, I am aware that you're clutching it in anticipation of fighting your way out of here, and I would not recommend that course of action." He turned to Francisco, and said in slow, clear words that even a language dunce like Francisco would understand, "Katsu and I are in agreement. You may go."

If this had been a cartoon, there would have been a Francisco shaped hole in the wall. As it was, he stirred up enough of a breeze on his exit, that some of the papers on Mitsuhide's desk rustled.

See if I send you a Christmas card this year!

"I would have managed the rope, eventually." I could do better work without an audience. He'd made me self-conscious, that's all.

"Hrm. I do believe you'd look quite fetching in chains." Now that the (dubious) protection of Francisco was gone, Mitsuhide stepped forward and with those cold hands, traced the line the rope had left on my wrist.

"Oh, let's not." Try it. I'd once read an article on how to get out of handcuffs. Surely the principle was the same with chains. I pictured Mitsuhide walking into an empty room, furnished only by a defeated chain.

"Your protest lacks conviction. Perhaps the prospect of wearing chains excites you. Or… you have the ability to pick locks." Those fingers massaged my other wrist and I just barely prevented myself from shivering. "Oh my, your pulse did race at that. Practice a bit of thievery on occasion, do we?"

It hadn't been the suggestion that I could pick locks that had made my pulse jump like that. It had been his touch. Because his hands are cold. Of course, that had been it.

The first thing I hate about Mitsuhide – he uses a royal we when he's teasing me.