Sakae drew himself up. “Under the circumstances I thought it proper, sir.”

“Yes. Quite. Very good.” Akitada signed the report. “I shall see you tomorrow then?”

Sakae bowed and departed. Akitada was still looking after him, wondering what had come over his clerk, when Nakatoshi joined him.

“Sakae is a changed man,” Nakatoshi said, making a face.

“I wonder why.”

“Isn’t it obvious, sir? Sakae wants your place when you’re gone.”

Akitada turned, aghast. “My place?” Then he remembered that he had offered Soga his resignation and that it had been accepted. He felt the crushing weight of worry about the future. Then shame returned. How had the clerks found out?

Nakatoshi looked embarrassed. “Before you came, the minister was speaking rather rashly about changes he intended to make. He also complimented Sakae on his fine work reorganizing the filing system. I’m afraid Sakae took this to mean . . .”

“I see.”

So that was why everyone had been all ears when he had arrived this morning. The humiliation of having been dismissed in such a public, and no doubt insulting, fashion made his face burn. He turned away abruptly, saying, “Until tomorrow then,” and walked out.

CHAPTER SIX

KOBE

At the door, Akitada met a familiar figure just coming in: a tall, middle-aged official who had a neatly trimmed beard and wore a formal silk robe and court hat.

“Sugawara,” he cried, his face breaking into a big smile. “Here I am. Don’t look so glum! All will be well.”

“Kobe,” said Akitada weakly, coming to a stop. Little did the man know that nothing was well, or would be in the end. Still, he was touched that Kobe had come in person and seemed in a friendly mood. Becoming aware that his greeting was lacking in welcome, he bowed quickly and returned the smile. “I was coming to see you. I hope you didn’t take my request amiss?”

“Of course not! What are friends for?”

Akitada regarded him uncertainly. “That is very good of you. I didn’t want to trouble you, but since you know both Tora and me, I thought you might be willing to help. It’s a cursed affair, and Tora was flogged before I could get to him. I was afraid using my influence would do nothing but make matters worse.”

Kobe laughed—a nice, relaxed laughter. “Come, come! Why act the stranger when I expected to see an old friend? Of course I know Tora couldn’t have done such a thing. It’s all a mistake, though I expect Tora was meddling again. Sorry to hear about the flogging, but he was cheerful enough when I talked to him.”

“You have been to see him? That was very kind of you.”

“Not at all. Prisoners come to me, not I to them. I ordered his transfer. It took a while. Confounded paperwork. But you know how it is.”

“Yes. I’ve been tied up all day myself. Thank you.”

“If you’re free now, shall we pay him a visit?”

Akitada hesitated. Kobe’s open support might give his enemies an opportunity to charge him with favoritism. He said, “I don’t like to impose further on your goodness.”

“You’re not. I like Tora. Come, you can tell me what you think about the case on the way.”

Akitada still hung back. “What if . . . certain people use this kindness to make trouble for you?”

Kobe raised a brow. “Ah, so you’ve heard the rumors. Never mind that. And you, of all people, warning me about getting into trouble?”

That made Akitada smile. “Who better?”

“Nonsense. If you can break a few rules, so can I. We’ve been in the business of catching villains long enough to know that one has to use one’s own judgment sometimes. I’m just doing my job. Besides, I’m interested.”

Akitada gave up. They crossed the Greater Palace grounds together. The rain had cooled the air a little after the oppressive heat of the previous week, and there was still enough light to see by. The moist air intensified the scent of honeysuckle drifting over the wall of one of the ministries, and at the Shingon Temple, young monks laughed as they swept the water with brooms from the steps of the gate.

Suddenly Tora’s situation did not seem so bleak anymore. Akitada thought of what Kobe had said and snorted.

Kobe threw him a glance. “Something funny?”

“In a way. It seems that I’ve finally broken the rules once too often. Today Soga forced me to resign and then had the gall to announce that he expected me to cover for him for an unspecified period of time. I’m to run the ministry until his return. I’ve been promoted and dismissed in the same breath.”

“You’re joking!”

“Not at all. And I’ve never worked as hard or as cheerfully. Of course, my situation is not really amusing, but sometimes it’s easier to laugh at your troubles.”

“But what will you do?”

“I don’t know. At the moment Tora’s problem is more important.” He told Kobe what he had learned, and they became involved in the discussion of Tora’s case. Akitada barely noticed the archivist Kunyoshi waving from the other side of street. He waved back.

Clouds of small gnats hovered in their path. Officials and clerks, on their way home from ministries or the imperial residence, tottered along on tall wooden geta, skirting puddles and holding up their fine silk trousers.

As they passed the main gate of the imperial residence, its thatched roofs sodden black from the rain, Kobe nodded to one of the guards, the son of a powerful family. Kobe had truly risen in the world, and Akitada felt a little less guilty about accepting his assistance.

After leaving the Greater Palace, they turned northeast. In this part of the city were public buildings and the palaces and mansions of court nobles. The Sugawaras, though sadly come down in the world, had lived here since the capital had been built.

When they saw the bleak walls and gate of the Eastern Prison ahead, Kobe said, “A fascinating case. I shall look forward to your solution.”

“It’s difficult to think of it as a mental exercise when it may mean a friend’s life.”

“Come, come,” said Kobe bracingly. “We’ve worked ourselves out of muddles before, you and I. Don’t be so downcast. We’ll have Tora free in no time.”

Kobe’s kindness was touching, but Akitada remained uneasy. They had never quite seen eye to eye in the past, and while he knew Kobe to be scrupulously honest and in his own way as dedicated to justice as he was, the superintendent could become very stubborn when they disagreed. Besides, there was the threat to Kobe’s career. Few enough officials were both able and incorruptible. He hoped that Tora could be cleared quickly before someone took notice.

The conditions of Tora’s imprisonment had improved dramatically. They found him sitting cross-legged on a clean straw mat, gobbling food from a heaping bowl and looking a great deal more cheerful than that morning. On a gesture from Kobe, the guard left.

Tora greeted Akitada with a wide grin, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and put aside the bowl. He bowed to both of his visitors, then said to Akitada, “Thank you, sir. This is a great deal better, and the food isn’t half bad either. But, as I told the superintendent, I need to get busy solving the murder. Have you had any news?”

Tora’s meal reminded Akitada that he had not eaten since the night before. No wonder he felt light-headed. He said, “No news at all, I’m afraid. Soga has taken it into his head to leave the city for a while and I was trying to catch up on the work he left behind. I’m on my way home now for my evening rice. After that I’ll think about what is to be done next.”

“Well, well,” said Tora, “I guess you may be the next minister then. And here you’ve been worried about losing your job.”