Akitada bit his lip. Of course. The miserable creature was vengeful and greedy enough to make trouble. He should have known. If it had not been for his foolish haste, they would be well away from Otsu by now, perhaps even at home in the capital. The child in his arms trembled. Akitada patted his thin back and said, ‘Don’t be afraid. I shall take care of this,’ before putting him back on his blanket and standing up. The child instantly clasped his leg and began to sob.

‘Warden,’ Akitada said, ‘I can explain, but these people are frightening the boy. Make them wait outside and close the door.’

‘Oh, no, you don’t,’ Mimura cried, pushing his wife aside and stepping forward. ‘I’m his father and I want to hear what’s being said. There won’t be any deals this time. We can all see what’s going on here. If the so-called ‘good people’ think they can go to an honest working man’s house, beat up his wife, and steal his son for their foul pleasures, it’s time we stood up for ourselves. No, Warden, this time I’m laying charges against him. I demand that he’s arrested, along with his servant, and put in jail until we can get a hearing before a proper judge.’

There was a murmur of agreement from the people in the back. Even the innkeeper nodded his head.

‘Don’t be ridiculous, Mimura,’ Akitada snapped. ‘We took this boy away from your place because he was being abused. Your wife attacked my servant and he defended himself.’ It was not far from the truth. ‘You’re lucky I didn’t lay charges against both of you right away. Since you have conveniently brought the warden with you, I think I will.’

The warden cleared his throat. ‘Well, er, if you’ll come along then, sir?’

‘My servant isn’t back from an errand. As soon as he gets here to look after the child, I’ll walk over to your office.’

The warden shook his head. ‘I’m sorry, sir. As I said, charges have been laid against both you and your servant. And the boy will be returned to his parents.’

‘You must be joking! I will not permit it.’

‘It’s not for you to say, sir.’

Akitada saw that the man was quite serious. He felt an icy knot of fear in his stomach. ‘You cannot turn this child over to the people who tormented him. Look at him.’ Akitada leaned down to tip up the boy’s chin and expose his black eye. Then he stripped back his little jacket and pointed out the new wounds on his neck and back.

Mrs Mimura cried, ‘We never did that. He did it. He’s been hurting our child.’ She burst into tears and started forward. Akitada snatched up the boy and retreated.

‘Sir,’ pleaded the warden.

‘Give me my child,’ clamored the woman.

‘Arrest him!’ shouted Mimura.

By now a crowd had squeezed into the room and formed a threatening circle around Akitada and the child. If the boy had not clung to him so tightly, Akitada might have found the melodramatic scene comical. It certainly was beneath his dignity, but he could not think of a good way out of it. Where the devil was Tora?

‘Sorry, sir. I have to do my duty.’ The warden gestured to his constables and took the boy from Akitada.

Tora reached the capital before sunset. He went directly to his and Hanae’s small house, and tied his tired horse to the fence post. The house was locked and empty.

Trouble was in the back, on a triple rope he had wrapped so many times around a tree that he now sat pinned to it, his tongue hanging out and his eyes nearly popping from his head. He whimpered when he saw Tora and wagged his tail weakly. A broken broomstick lay nearby.

Muttering under his breath, Tora struggled with the knots and finally got the dog loose, but Trouble acted strangely, cowering and hanging his head. When Tora called to him, he finally came, crawling and skirting the broomstick, and licked his boots. Tora saw that his neck was a mass of raw welts from the rope. It reminded Tora unpleasantly of the boy in Otsu. Convinced that Mrs Hamada had used her chance to tie and beat Trouble, Tora fetched the dog some water and then shouted for Hanae’s neighbor.

Mrs Hamada trotted over to the fence.

‘That miserable cur got loose and went after my chickens again,’ she said immediately.

Tora swallowed down his anger and asked, ‘Where’s Hanae?’

‘Hanae waited the best part of the morning for you. Finally, Lord Sadanori sent a sedan chair for her. She said she’d be back as quick as possible.’

‘When?’

‘How should I know?’ Mrs Hamada added slyly, ‘Some gentlemen show a pretty young woman a lot more respect than you do. She may decide to spend the night.’

Tora glared. ‘That’s a lie. She’s to be a nursemaid to one of the children.’

Mrs Hamada cackled. ‘You’re a fool, Tora. Hanae’s much too pretty for any lady to hire as a nurse.’

‘And you’re an evil-mouthed hag,’ Tora snapped. ‘And something else: next time stay away from my property. It’s cowardly to beat a poor dumb animal that can’t defend itself.’

She flushed with anger. ‘Good riddance to you and that monster,’ she cried. ‘He killed one of my chickens, and you’d better pay for it.’

‘I don’t believe you. Where is it?’

‘It’s in the soup. Poor people can’t afford to give a chicken a proper funeral.’

‘Then I hope you choke on it.’ Tora turned away in disgust.

She cursed after him as he walked away.

Tora’s anger at Akitada faded. Now he was sick with worry. The neighbor had an evil tongue, but Tora was beginning to doubt the nursemaid story himself. He did not like the idea of the sedan chair. Being too edgy to wait in the little house, and not wanting to leave the dog to Mrs Hamada’s cruel care, he cut a length of rope, looped it loosely about the dog’s sore neck, and got back on his horse.

It was dusk when they reached the Sugawara residence.

Genba let them in, looking anxious when he did not see Akitada.

‘He’s spending the night in Otsu,’ Tora said. ‘With a small boy.’

‘With a small boy? What’s going on? Why are you looking like that?’

Tora did not answer. He dismounted and took the horse to the well to water it. Then he tied the dog to a tree.

‘Whose dog is that?’ Genba asked, his voice a little louder. ‘And the horse looks worn out.’

Tora sagged down on the well rim and put his head in his hands. Where was Hanae? How could he find her? And what was he going to do about Akitada? He had walked out of the inn room in Otsu too angry to think straight.

‘Tora?’

He looked up at Genba. ‘I’ve made a mess of it, brother. But the devil only knows what a man is to do in my case. The master wouldn’t let me get a message to Hanae, and now she’s gone, the gods only know where. I was supposed to question people in Otsu, but instead I went home to Hanae. The dog’s name’s Trouble. He’s mine. Our neighbor beats him, so I couldn’t leave him there.’

‘Trouble?’ Genba’s eyes grew round as he worked through this garbled response and grasped the salient part. ‘You left the master in Otsu? Without telling him? That’s not good. What’s this about a boy?’

Tora rubbed a hand across his eyes and told Genba what had happened at the Mimuras.

Genba’s face lengthened. ‘But that means the master still has the gold with him. And you left him to ride back with all that gold, and with a small child, on an injured horse?’ Genba’s voice rose with anxiety. ‘How could you? You’ve sworn to serve and protect him.’

Tora grasped his head again. ‘I know, I know. I meant to go back as soon as I talked to Hanae. But what am I to do now? She’s gone. Abducted. Hanae’s my wife, and she’s going to have my child. I just thought she needed me more than he did. He’s got his sword. And he should’ve let me explain. Genba, what good is my life if I’m not allowed to look after my own?’

Genba shook his head and sat down beside him. ‘I’d go myself,’ he said, ‘but somebody’s got to look after Her Ladyship and the house.’

‘I have to find Hanae.’