escape.”
“Not for that,” Nobuhide said. “My men will secure the teahouse. I hold you responsible for my father’s death. If you prove Sayuri’s innocence by noon two days from now, I will execute the killer and set her free.
“But if you fail, I will kill you both.”
Chapter 5
“Have you lost your mind?” Hiro barely restrained himself until he and Father Mateo reached the street. “What were you thinking?”
“He won’t kill me,” the priest replied. “I’m under the shogun’s protection.”
“You forfeited special status when you offered to help the girl. How do you know her anyway? I’ve never seen her before.”
“I met her a month ago, in Pontocho.”
Hiro stopped short. “What were you doing in Pontocho? I thought you didn’t like women.”
“There are other reasons for taking a vow of chastity,” Father Mateo said.
Hiro raised an eyebrow. “Not in Japan.”
“If you must know, I went to Pontocho for the cherry blossom dances. I missed them last year and heard they were something to see. Sayuri danced her formal debut this year. She is a talented entertainer.”
“And she talked to you?” Hiro could hardly believe it. Most entertainers only had time for paying clients.
“You don’t have to look so surprised. But as it happens, I didn’t talk with Sayuri at the dances. I ran into her on the street a few days later. She was going to have her hair styled, and I walked her there and back. Since then, we’ve met for tea several times. She became a Christian only a week ago.”
“How convenient,” Hiro said, “just in time for you to defend her.”
“She didn’t do this,” the Jesuit said. “She wouldn’t lie.”
“All women lie,” Hiro retorted, “and she’s not even good at it. That samurai was awake when someone killed him, and she couldn’t have slept through it.”
“How do you know that?”
“The blood on the walls all sprayed in the same direction, the one he was facing when someone cut his throat.”
They had reached the Kamo River, but instead of turning homeward Hiro started across the bridge.
“Where are you going?” Father Mateo asked.
“ Yoriki answer to the magistrate.” Hiro paused and waited for the Jesuit to follow. “As Nobuhide’s superior, the magistrate can absolve you of liability. I’m going to see him and explain you have no part in this.”
“But I do have a part in it.” Father Mateo caught up and fell into step. “I’m going to help Sayuri prove her innocence.”
“What? You hardly know her!”
“She is a member of my flock and my sister in Christ. Would you let your sister be wrongfully executed?”
Hiro looked away at the mention of sisters. That topic ranked high on the list of things the shinobi did not discuss, even with friends.
When Hiro did not answer Father Mateo added, “I cannot sit by and watch someone put an innocent woman to death.”
“You can and you will, even if she is innocent, which I doubt. I swore an oath to keep you safe, and I don’t intend to fail.”
“I’m trying to save a woman’s life and you’re worried about your salary?”
“Salary?” Hiro made a sound, more bark than laugh. “If you die, it means my head.”
“Shogun Ashikaga would understand that I acted on my conscience. I’ll write a letter saying you were not to blame.”
“You overestimate samurai understanding,” Hiro said. “The Iga ryu sent me here, not the shogun, and Iga does not forgive failure.”
“The shogun will make them.”
“The shogun controls Kyoto,” Hiro said, “but his reach does not extend to Iga Province. Even if it did, shinobi clans do not answer to warlords, including the shogun.”
“Then you’ll have to convince the magistrate some other way,” Father Mateo said. “I’m helping Sayuri no matter what the cost.”
Two samurai boys were sparring at the far end of the bridge. The crack of their wooden swords echoed off the buildings that lined the bank. The
“Not for that,” Nobuhide said. “My men will secure the teahouse. I hold you responsible for my father’s death. If you prove Sayuri’s innocence by noon two days from now, I will execute the killer and set her free.
“But if you fail, I will kill you both.”
Chapter 5
“Have you lost your mind?” Hiro barely restrained himself until he and Father Mateo reached the street. “What were you thinking?”
“He won’t kill me,” the priest replied. “I’m under the shogun’s protection.”
“You forfeited special status when you offered to help the girl. How do you know her anyway? I’ve never seen her before.”
“I met her a month ago, in Pontocho.”
Hiro stopped short. “What were you doing in Pontocho? I thought you didn’t like women.”
“There are other reasons for taking a vow of chastity,” Father Mateo said.
Hiro raised an eyebrow. “Not in Japan.”
“If you must know, I went to Pontocho for the cherry blossom dances. I missed them last year and heard they were something to see. Sayuri danced her formal debut this year. She is a talented entertainer.”
“And she talked to you?” Hiro could hardly believe it. Most entertainers only had time for paying clients.
“You don’t have to look so surprised. But as it happens, I didn’t talk with Sayuri at the dances. I ran into her on the street a few days later. She was going to have her hair styled, and I walked her there and back. Since then, we’ve met for tea several times. She became a Christian only a week ago.”
“How convenient,” Hiro said, “just in time for you to defend her.”
“She didn’t do this,” the Jesuit said. “She wouldn’t lie.”
“All women lie,” Hiro retorted, “and she’s not even good at it. That samurai was awake when someone killed him, and she couldn’t have slept through it.”
“How do you know that?”
“The blood on the walls all sprayed in the same direction, the one he was facing when someone cut his throat.”
They had reached the Kamo River, but instead of turning homeward Hiro started across the bridge.
“Where are you going?” Father Mateo asked.
“ Yoriki answer to the magistrate.” Hiro paused and waited for the Jesuit to follow. “As Nobuhide’s superior, the magistrate can absolve you of liability. I’m going to see him and explain you have no part in this.”
“But I do have a part in it.” Father Mateo caught up and fell into step. “I’m going to help Sayuri prove her innocence.”
“What? You hardly know her!”
“She is a member of my flock and my sister in Christ. Would you let your sister be wrongfully executed?”
Hiro looked away at the mention of sisters. That topic ranked high on the list of things the shinobi did not discuss, even with friends.
When Hiro did not answer Father Mateo added, “I cannot sit by and watch someone put an innocent woman to death.”
“You can and you will, even if she is innocent, which I doubt. I swore an oath to keep you safe, and I don’t intend to fail.”
“I’m trying to save a woman’s life and you’re worried about your salary?”
“Salary?” Hiro made a sound, more bark than laugh. “If you die, it means my head.”
“Shogun Ashikaga would understand that I acted on my conscience. I’ll write a letter saying you were not to blame.”
“You overestimate samurai understanding,” Hiro said. “The Iga ryu sent me here, not the shogun, and Iga does not forgive failure.”
“The shogun will make them.”
“The shogun controls Kyoto,” Hiro said, “but his reach does not extend to Iga Province. Even if it did, shinobi clans do not answer to warlords, including the shogun.”
“Then you’ll have to convince the magistrate some other way,” Father Mateo said. “I’m helping Sayuri no matter what the cost.”
Two samurai boys were sparring at the far end of the bridge. The crack of their wooden swords echoed off the buildings that lined the bank. The
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