For the next hour they went over every last detail of their planning. Seimei came in once, cast a worried look at Akitada, and made more tea for everyone before withdrawing again.

They were nearly finished when Motosuke stopped and said, “Enough for today. You look terrible, elder brother. We should not have troubled you with all this when you are still so weak.”

“Not at all,” lied Akitada. He felt a profound indifference about his condition or their elaborate plan to catch Joto.

Motosuke rose and the others followed. They were still looking with concern at Akitada when the door flew open and Tora burst in.

He glanced around wildly, his clothes and hands stained with blood. “They’ve slaughtered Higekuro,” he gasped. “And now they’re after the girls. We’ve got to get the soldiers. Hurry or they’re dead.”

“Who is ‘they’?” asked Akitada, pushing back his covers.

“Those cursed monks. The neighbors saw them, and some brainless female sent them after Otomi and Ayako.” Tora seized Yukinari’s sleeve. “Get your soldiers. Quick. They’ve got to scour the city.”

“No, Tora,” said Akitada. “No soldiers or constables. We’ll have to go ourselves.” He got to his feet. “Hand me my robe and boots.”

* * * *

SEVENTEEN

THE TEMPLE OF

THE MERCIFUL GODDESS

T

he sun had set by the time they jumped off their horses in front of Higekuro’s school. Across the street a gaggle of frightened-looking neighbors stood in the dusk. Akitada shivered with nerves and weakness as much as with the cold. He crossed the road to the onlookers and snapped, “Which one of you saw the girls leave?”

A short, elderly woman stepped forward timidly. He recognized her as the neighbor who had been chatting with Ayako on his last visit. There were traces of tears on her round cheeks.

Akitada gave her a nod and said, “Tell me what you know quickly. They are in great danger.”

“About two hours ago,” she said. “The monks at the temple had just rung the hour of the rooster. I was looking out for my son because he was late for his dinner and saw Ayako and Otomi walking over there.” She pointed down the street. “At the corner they turned south.”

“Do you know where they were going?”

“No, but Otomi had her painting things.”

“Are there any temples that way?”

“Only the Sun Lotus temple is still open. Since Master Joto has come, everybody’s been going to the mountain temple. The other temples have closed, even the big temple of the goddess Kannon.”

“I was told that the girls were followed by some men. Did you see them?”

The old woman shook her head emphatically. “Not me. And I would have known better than to send them after Otomi. It was this foolish female.” She dragged a trembling white-faced young woman from behind the others. “Go ahead, tell His Honor what you did.”

The younger woman started to cry.

“How many men were there?” Akitada snapped.

“I don’t remember,” the woman quavered.

“You said ten, stupid,” the older woman said, giving her a shake.

“That was before. Only five when they stopped to ask.” The young woman wailed, “I’m sorry. They came from the school and I thought it was all right. I thought they were students of Master Higekuro.”

Akitada stared down at her, then turned on his heel and strode back across the street. “Come,” he said to Tora, who was waiting by the horses. “Maybe we can find something inside that will tell us where the girls went.”

The heavy door opened onto darkness. Akitada was aware of the smell first—warm, sweet, and metallic. Then he heard a faint dripping sound. It was getting dark outside but enough light fell from the door that he could make out several motionless shapes strewn about the exercise floor.

Blood. It was the smell of fresh blood—and a great deal of it. Akitada stepped into the hall, Tora on his heels.

Thinking of the women outside, Akitada said, “Close the door and strike a flint!” He did not know whether his rising nausea was due to the smell or his condition, but he started to gag.

Tora closed the door and fumbled about for some light, saying, “Higekuro’s over by the pillar.”

Suddenly, fear seized Akitada. How many bodies had there been? What if the women outside had been wrong? What if Ayako had not left but had died here, defending her father and sister? He took a step in the dark, slipped, and fell heavily onto his side.

“Sir?” A flint rasped. Light flickered on and went out again. Tora’s anxious voice came from the right. “Are you all right? There’s a lot of blood on the floor.”

“Yes,” said Akitada, getting to his knees. His head was swimming, and he was shaking with cold and weakness. “For heaven’s sake, get some light.” He wiped his hands on his trousers and stood up.

Tora was noisy in his groping around. He cursed once or twice, things fell with a clatter, then the flint flashed and one of the oil lamps on the wall lit up. Tora went to light another.

Akitada slowly turned and looked around. As the lamps came on, his first impression was of a battlefield after incredible carnage. Deep, dark red, glistening blood was everywhere. The bare floor was covered with puddles of it, the exercise mats were soaked in it, and somewhere it was dripping ponderously like a slow heartbeat. Akitada counted six bodies altogether, Higekuro’s among them. All of them were men.

The crippled wrestler lay slumped against the center pillar, one hand clutching a short sword covered with blood, the other his great bow; his fixed gaze was turned upward, toward the ceiling—or toward the weapon that had descended on his head and left the two terrible gashes, one reaching almost to the bridge of his nose, the other slanting toward the left temple, exposing part of his brain. Blood still oozed from the terrible head wounds. It had soaked the magnificent black beard and puddled on one shoulder, from where it fell, thickly, drop by drop, into his empty quiver.

Akitada controlled his rising nausea and went to touch Higekuro’s pale cheek. It was cool. Then he felt the blood and found it thick and sticky. “It must have happened shortly before you got here,” he said.

“Higekuro was still warm then,” said Tora. “I rushed through the place looking for the girls and then ran all the way back to the tribunal.” He glanced around the room. “He took five of the bastards with him.”