The Old Men of Omi
An Akitada Novel
I. J. Parker
Copyright 2014 by I.J.Parker
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination
This edition published 2014 by I.J.Parker 428 Cedar Lane, Virginia Beach VA 23452
http://www.ijparker.com
Cover design by I. J. Parker.
Cover image by Toshikata Mizuno
Formatting: Polgarus Studio
Praise for I. J. Parker and the Akitada series
“Elegant and entertaining … Parker has created a wonderful protagonist in Akitada… . She puts us at ease in a Japan of one thousand years ago.” The Boston Globe
“You couldn’t ask for a more gracious introduction to the exotic world of Imperial Japan than the stately historical novels of I. J. Parker.” The New York Times
“Akitada is as rich a character as Robert Van Gulik’s intriguing detective, Judge Dee” The Dallas Morning News
“Readers will be enchanted by Akitada.” Publishers Weekly Starred Review
“Terrifically imaginative” The Wall Street Journal
“A brisk and well-plotted mystery with a cast of regulars who become more fully developed with every episode” Kirkus
“More than just a mystery novel, (THE CONVICT’S SWORD) is a superb piece of literature set against the backdrop of 11th-cntury Kyoto.” The Japan Times
“Parker’s research is extensive and she makes great use of the complex manners and relationships of feudal Japan.” Globe and Mail
“The fast-moving, surprising plot and colorful writing will enthrall even those unfamiliar with the exotic setting.” Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“…the author possesses both intimate knowledge of the time period and a fertile imagination as well. Combine that with an intriguing mystery and a fast-moving plot, and you’ve got a historical crime novel that anyone can love.” Chicago Sun-Times
“Parker’s series deserves a wide readership.” Historical Novel Society
“The historical research is impressive, the prose crisp, and Parker’s ability to universalize the human condition makes for a satisfying tale.” Booklist
“Parker masterfully blends action and detection while making the attitudes and customs of the period accessible.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Readers looking for historical mystery with a twist will find what they’re after in Parker’s latest Sugawara Akitada mystery … An intriguing glimpse into an ancient culture.” Booklist
Table of Contents
Chapter One Old Man Wakiya and the Spring Festival
Chapter Two The Visit to Otsu
Chapter Three Old Man Juro and the Gorge
Chapter Four Monks and Old Friends
Chapter Five Tora Meets the Sohei
Chapter Six In a Spring Garden
Chapter Seven Death of a Judge
Chapter Eight Dead Men Don’t Speak
Chapter Nine The Sohei Return
Chapter Ten An Unwelcome Visitor
Chapter Eleven The Shrine Fair
Chapter Twelve Enryaku-ji
Chapter Thirteen Searching for Tora
Chapter Fourteen Death of a Sweeper
Chapter Fifteen Abbot Gyomei
Chapter Sixteen Spring Rain
Chapter Seventeen Raid on the Tribunal
Chapter Eighteen Poems
Chapter Nineteen Falconry
Chapter Twenty The Hunt
Chapter Twenty-One Taira Sukemichi
Chapter Twenty-Two Family Secrets
Chapter Twenty-Three The Pact
Chapter Twenty-Four More Secrets
Chapter Twenty-Five The Old Man on the Mountain
Chapter Twenty-Six The Betto Hatta
Chapter Twenty-Seven The Wood Shed
Chapter Twenty-Eight A Strange Case
Chapter Twenty-Nine Another Murder
Chapter Thirty Otsu Again
Chapter Thirty-One The Wild Geese
Chapter Thirty-Two The Puppet Man
Chapter Thirty-Three The Grand Shrine Festival
Chapter Thirty-Four The Little God’s Message
Historical Note
About the Author
Characters
(Japanese family names precede proper names)
Characters in the Capital and in Otsu:
Sugawara Akitada Senior official in the Ministry of Justice
Yasuko & Yoshitada his children
Tora his senior retainer
Genba another retainer
Saburo a third retainer, a former spy.
Mrs. Kuruda his mother
Fujiwara Kosehira Governor of Omi Province
Yukiko his eldest daughter
Takechi Police chief in Otsu city
Persons connected with the case of the warring temples:
Abbot Gyomei chief priest of Enryaku-ji
Kanshin prior of the temple
Kojo a warrior monk in the service of the temple
a poor porter and his wife
Master Cricket a hermit
a wood gatherer and his family
Persons connected with the Jizo murders:
Wakiya & Juro two old men from Okuni village
Masaie headman in Okuni
Nakano retired judge in Otsu
Tokuno a sweeper
Fumi Tokiari a rice merchant in Otsu
Taira Sukenori nobleman; deceased
Taira Sukemichi his son
Hatta Hiroshi Lord Sukenori’s betto, deceased
Hatta Takashi his son
Mineko a maid in the Taira family.
Chapter One
Old Man Wakiya and the Spring Festival
They staggered from the neighbor’s farm followed by laughter and shouts: “Watch out or the kappa will jump out of a paddy and snatch ya.”
The two old men, white-haired and white-bearded, were drunk out of their skulls and hooted with laughter.
Juro raised a jug toward the moon. “Bring on yer kappa! We’ll fight’em.”
His friend Wakiya snorted. “Me, I’d rather have a woman than a kappa. I’d even take a fox.”