Ok Jizo… any suggestions?
Wheellock pistols are faster than matchlocks.
How much faster, I didn't know. Nor did I know if the priest was considered a good shot, but I did know that there wasn't time to carefully evaluate my options. Maybe if I had been able to think things through I would have done something differently.
Instead, I left it up to the patron God of children and travelers, whose stone avatar was right by my foot, and smashed the statue into the priest's head.
THUNK.
Technically Jizo hadn't answered my prayer… but he was solid enough to knock out the priest, who crumpled heavily to the ground.
Heavily… and loudly enough to attract the attention of Shojumaru and Mitsuhide, who both withdrew their swords and assumed defensive postures. As I stood over the body, unsure whether to run or wait, Mitsuhide said something quietly to Shojumaru, then headed in my direction, presumably to check things out.
Taking in the unconscious priest, the pistol, and the statue I now clutched to my chest, Mitsuhide reacted instantly. He turned and called toward Shojumaru. "It was an owl… hunting," he lightly prodded the priest with his foot, "…vermin."
With rather impressive theatrical skills, he cupped his hands to his mouth, expertly imitating a night bird call, then creating the impression that a large bird was flying off into the night. To me, he simply waved toward the shrine, and whispered, "Go."
No other urging needed. I set Jizo down, patted its little head, and fled the scene of the crime.
When Mitsuhide finally caught up with me, he had the priest's gun tucked into his sash, nestled next to his sword. By my estimate, it had been nearly an hour since I'd left the courtyard. While I waited for Mitsuhide in the main shrine, various scenarios rebounded as regrets. What if I had killed the priest? While I had no affection for him… I didn't want to be a murderer either.
What if the Nanban found his body and it mushroomed into a diplomatic incident? What if I hadn't killed him, but it became a diplomatic incident anyway? What if he had seen me right before I'd hit him with the statue?
Maybe instead of doom scrolling I would be better off just asking a direct question. "I didn't kill him, did I?"
He glanced over his shoulder and put his finger to his mouth. "Come this way; everyone is leaving now."
Translation – we'll discuss this later.
He'd already flipped back into character, so I put on the attitude of the meek Kaya and nodded.
As we made our way toward the entry, he put his hand in the small of my back, an oddly intimate gesture that I puzzled over, until he gave me a slight push, just hard enough to send me stumbling into the path of one of the Nanban merchants I had been spying on earlier – Senhor de Sousa.
Only my innate sense of balance kept me from knocking the poor man over, but I had to grab onto his sleeve in the process.
"Kaya! You clumsy idiot!" Mitsuhide yanked me upright and pulled me back to his side. "I am sorry sir, this little girl has forgotten how to walk." His words were in Japanese, uttered in a tone of voice that suggested anyone unable to understand our language shouldn't be here.
Given that I was in character as well, there was no way to protest his flinging in me into de Sousa, but I wished Mitsuhide would tell me whatever his plan was first, instead of throwing me into a situation and assuming I could improvise it. I mean, I could improvise – case in point Jizo statue. But my preference would be to have at least a general outline of the scenario in advance.
The merchant waved Shojumaru over to translate and then complimented Kyubei on having a beautiful wife. After a quick conversation, in which Shojumaru it clear to de Sousa that I was a prostitute, not a wife, the merchant made a more general comment that this country was full of beauty and to have been accosted by a lovely young woman was no imposition.
What followed was Shojumaru more or less accurately translating the conversation between Mitsuhide and de Sousa about beauty, the about art, which somehow turned into de Sousa deciding to host a dinner in order to show us how things were done in Portugal.
And no, I still haven't figured out how Mitsuhide manipulated things to that end – especially without speaking a word of Portuguese. He's just that good at mind control.
By the time we climbed into that dreaded box, Mitsuhide seemed pleased.
"That was the entire point of the evening, wasn't it?" This time, I settled quickly as close to the window as possible, hoping to get this trek over with. "You wanted a chance to meet de Sousa."
"Mm. That's rather an oversimplification. I had many objectives, but indeed Master de Sousa was an important one." He shifted positions, and physically lifted me over to face him. "Sorry Brat, but your elbow was in my ribs."
"Rude." I waited a moment for him to explain further about de Sousa, and when he didn't, I took the initiative and asked. "Why is he important?"
"Nobunaga had arranged with de Sousa to import arquebuses from the west. "Two days before the scheduled fulfillment, we were informed the shipment had been stolen." He peeked out the window. "Far enough, I should think."
He banged on the side of the palanquin, until we stopped and one of the porters opened the door. "We will walk from here."
They seemed surprised, but Mitsuhide had already paid them the full amount, so they were happy enough to carry the empty box back from whence it came.
"Thank you." Walking was definitely more pleasant, even with factoring in Mitsuhide's unorthodox distraction methods.
Even with? Especially with.
"An umprompted thank you. You must have an improved opinion of me. Pity. I shall have to do something villainous to even the scales." In spite of his words, he did offer me his arm companionably and after a moment of hesitation, I took it. Funny how quickly that had become a habit that we'd both fallen into. "We're far enough away from the shrine that our walk will not be noticed. Far less likely to be overheard out here."
He does nothing without figuring out how to multitask it.
"Why did Nobunaga order western muskets? Isn't he already keeping the Kunitomo gunsmiths busy?" Our country had already begun the habit of improving upon western technology, a trend that would continue into the century that I was born in.
"We wanted to discover whether they are any faster or more accurate than what we currently use. As more enemies add guns to their arsenals, it behooves the Oda to use the most advanced weapons available." He indicated the gun that he had apparently confiscated from the priest. "This appears to be an improvement over the flintlock."
"Hm, that's what it looked like to me too." Aki had shown me drawings of the European wheellocks, but this was the first time I'd seen one up close. "What are you going to do with it?"
"Keep it for now – it could be useful." He tucked it back into his sash. "Give it to Nobunaga eventually. I imagine he'd like it for his collection." He paused a moment. "Or if you have any interest, I could teach you how to use it. I taught Mai and you appear to be much more…" He stopped, although, I'm not sure why. I was beginning, however, to recognize that note in his voice when he spoke of Mai.
"Athletic?" It was just a guess. Given that Mai was a seamstress, I figured she hadn't spent much time on sports.
"Bloodthirsty was the word that came to mind." It was said without any indication as to whether he thought that was a bug or a feature.
"As it happens, Aki taught me how to fire a gun. I'm just so much better and faster with my bow, that I never saw the point." This century's firearms were still pretty slow and clunky. Adequate for war, if you used them in staggered firing lines the way Nobunaga did. But not useful enough for me to use as a personal weapon. Although the Priest's wheellock might a better for that purpose. Still… a gun was never going to be as comfortable for me as a bow. Or… a stone statue. "Do you know why the priest wanted to kill you?"
"Me? Was I the target? And not Shojumaru?" He took hold of my shoulders, almost… affectionately? "Stay there." Then he paced off an approximate distance to where he and Shojumaru had been standing. "Could you be certain from this length?"
Hm. I thought back to the moment in question. "No. His body was blocking my full view of the scene. I um…" Assumed.
Mitsuhide returned to my side and tapped my forehead. "Thought that because you are often tempted to kill me, that the priest would be as well." He laughed, a sound that was two parts amusement and one part bitter. "It's true, there are many who wish me dead. However, besting the man in your auction is hardly the motivation for murder."
I couldn't disagree with that without seeming conceited. Nor could I disagree with the fact that I had sometimes thought about killing Mitsuhide. Although I probably would not have followed through with those thoughts. "People have killed for less."
He hummed with what probably was an agreement, as we continued through what during the day, was a bustling area of town. Now, however, the shops were quiet, and there was little light coming from the personal living spaces above the businesses. It felt like we were the only awake people in Sakai.
It felt almost like… a date? Well, a date if your dating profile listed your interests as 'murder, espionage, and long walks through sketchy dark alleys' and your ideal date included assault with a deadly statue.
"I will know more after my interrogation." Ah. So the priest was still alive. Until that moment, I hadn't realized I'd been afraid to ask again. Afraid to think about, afraid to ask, and afraid of the answer. My worries, and subsequent relief must have been clear enough for he continued. "No. You didn't kill him, although figuring out what to do with him now is an unwanted complication."
"Hitting him was the only thing I could think of at the moment. I couldn't call out a warning without dropping the Kaya act." It wasn't like we'd put 'what do to when you come across a sniper' into our contract.
"Peace, brat, it wasn't a criticism." In spite of his words, he squeezed my arm in a light warning. "That said, I expect you will otherwise consult with me before taking drastic action."
Well, that was a 'do as I say, and not as I do' statement if I had ever heard one. I could comment on his habit of flinging me into the path of merchants without any warning. But… it wasn't worth getting further distracted from our original discussion now, especially as I was still trying to figure out how Aki's disappearance was connected to everything. "Did you want to find out directly from de Sousa what happened to the shipment? Do you think he sold them to another and kept Nobunaga's deposit? Why this charade? You could simply have asked him yourself." Mitsuhide had a fearsome reputation, even amongst the Nanban.
"Hideyoshi thought it was wise to give the man a chance to prove his innocence. He and Mai came here to, as you say, 'simply ask.' That was the last we heard from them." The muscle in his forearm tensed under my hand – the only clue I had that there was something more primal under his teasing mask.
That tension… it occurred every time he mentioned her name, and unwilling to probe in that direction any further, I diverted the conversation to my own missing person. My missing father. "I wonder how or if Aki fits into all this."
"Who knows what we will discover in the coming days?" Placating words. It was nice that he at least tried to make me feel better. "What did you discover tonight? Anything beyond what I already learned?"
He hadn't bothered to actually tell me what his discoveries were, but… details. "Let me backtrack first and tell you what I discovered about Shojumaru this morning." Had that been just today? I suppose if a day feels like it is a year long, then maybe so. "So, two things. One is that he appeared to be familiar with – friendly even – a crew of sailors from an atakebune. It didn't fly a banner, so I don't know its origins." I thought back to that moment on the dock, trying to put into words why it seemed suspicious. Because when I said it out loud, it really wasn't. Not in these times. "I thought it odd for a merchant."
"He could be relying on a nearby Daimyo's naval forces to protect his shipments from pirates." He was quiet a moment, possibly considering the issue further. "So that alone isn't evidence of crime."
Mitsuhide had been in Sakai longer than I had, so he did likely know they did things here. "The other thing… um, I had a source inform me that he had seen Shojumaru converse with an agent of Yoshiaki's."
"A source?" Mitsuhide swept one of those head to toe searchlight glares on me. "I ought to commend you for having managed to turn an Imagawa into a spy, for Yoshimoto is the only person I can imagine who would realize that Shojumaru had a connection with the deposed shogun. Although Yoshimoto is not someone you should be spending any time with." He rubbed his chin. "As with the other, on its own, it's not particularly damning. The Kaigoshu merchants are desperate to avoid Sakai falling under Oda's rule, and Yoshiaki has quite the grudge. It would not be out of the question for them to send another merchant, such as Shojumaru, to reach out to him. However, Yoshiaki is a man of little imagination who relies on others to carry out his whims. He might pay to raise an army against Nobunaga but would see no value in a self-governing city."
Maybe. It was true that in spite of its value as a port, Sakai didn't have the political value of a city like Kyoto. "So, the short version of all that is that the Kaigoshu might have sent Shojumaru to ask for help, but Yoshiaki is likely to have turned them down."
Mitsuhide inclined his head. "It is one possible explanation."
"But it's possible that Shojumaru is not what he seems and Yoshiaki could be involved?" I was undecided about Shojumaru. On the surface, he seemed friendly, and certainly both Hiko and Sho liked him (granted, Sho was biased by his looks). But something about him gave me the woogies (to use a clinical term).
"At this point, it's best not to discount any idea, but also… not to get attached to any theory either." Mitsuhide seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "I would prefer to keep an open mind, rather than discount something which turns out to be important at a later stage."
"Which brings us to tonight, in which I learned a few things, but nothing conclusive." At Mitsuhide's 'carry on' hand wave, I continued. "Shojumaru slapped down a suggestion from de Sousa's friend that he could supply human cargo, and the man was surprised to hear that. Also, de Sousa previously imported something for him, but they didn't go into detail." That piece of information seemed to intrigue Mitsuhide, for I noticed that he briefly clenched his fist. "Does that mean something?"
"Perhaps. I wasn't aware that they had any business connections." He nodded. "It may be helpful."
Oh. Well. Good. I did want to be helpful, although I cared slightly less about being helpful to Mitsuhide. Hopefully, it had been worth an evening of being treated like an object, or like… well, like a prostitute, for I was not ignorant of the speculative looks I had been receiving from the Japanese merchants either.
"There's something else, isn't there?" Once again, Mitsuhide stopped walking, and only after I looked around did I realize we were home. At the machiya. Not home.
"Nothing to do with our search. I'll just be happy to scrub Kaya off my face." I doubted Mitsuhide had ever been treated like a prostitute.
And yet, he did seem to understand after all. "Sometimes one must act in a certain way, a way that may attract suspicion or derision from others. You must hold onto a part of yourself that is true, and real, to fight off the doubts, especially your own."
He slid the door open and gestured for me to go inside.
The words, or at least the sentiment behind them, even his pensive tone of voice seemed oddly familiar. And though we'd never had this kind of conversation before, something pinged my subconscious. "Is that something you do?" I was suddenly curious about this man, who even a moment ago had seemed only an obstacle.
But of course, he was more than that, even if I had refused to admit it.
"No. I am deserving of all that is said about me."
I waited for him to say more, but he simply bowed. "Goodnight, Brat. Pleasant dreams."
It was a clear dismissal.
#Spoileralert. My dreams were not pleasant.
"You there! What are you doing with my … shipment?" Footsteps came closer to the box. I held my breath. Now would not be a good time to be discovered. And I hoped that Iekane wasn't in trouble either.
"Finishing up unloading them!" I heard the lid on another box open, and the clink of metal. Crap. Of all the crates to pick, we'd somehow gotten mixed in with someone's weapon smuggling outfit.
"Wait 'til they get a load of these, heh heh." The clunk of that lid. I prayed that this guy wouldn't inspect every box.
Another voice, this one with a European accent that I couldn't place through the walls of the crate. "I'm happy you approve, Motonari. You, boy, help us move these."
"Of course." That was Iekane's voice.
I felt the box being lifted. It almost felt like being rocked in a cradle, and in spite of my anxiety, I felt myself becoming sleepy. But after about half and hour or so, my crate's journey ended with a thunk. And then more thuds – oh the other crates.
The clink of coins. "Pleasure doing business with ye!"
"Pleasure doing business with ye!"
"Pleasure doing business with ye!"
Holy mother forking shirtballs.
I was halfway out of my bed before before my subconscious caught up with the rest of me, and well, basically slapped me upside of the head.
"Pleasure doing business with ye!"
Five years ago, while I had been trapped in the crate, I'd overheard Iekane speaking to a man named Motonari... a man who had said. "Pleasure doing business with ye!" Tonight, I had overheard Shojumaru say the same thing to the backs of the Nanban merchants.
Shojumaru, who now owned that warehouse.
Same voice.
Same man?
The need to tell Mitsuhide had me leaving my room and padding to the top of the staircase, before I hesitated, wondering if this was something that could wait for morning. I peered down to the lower level. If there hadn't been a glow from the lantern light in the office, I likely would have gone back to bed, for as important as this information was, it wasn't ugent enough to wake him up.
Even so, before I was halfway down the stairs, I had second thoughts. I could see Mitsuhide kneeling at his desk. The expression on his face was …
Bleak.
Maybe I should wait.
I wasn't even one hundred percent certain that Shojumaru was…
"Pleasure doing business with ye!"
I was certain.
Though I hadn't made a sound, something must have alerted Mitsuhide to my presence, because he looked up at me. "Couldn't sleep? Or… were you interested in renegotiation?"
The look of devestation was wiped from his face as if he had dropped a curtain over it. It was replaced by that now-familiar teasing grin as he ran his thumb over his lips. The red stain of lip rouge had long faded. In my head, the memory stayed crimson. At the last moment, I managed to stop myself from touching my own lips.