“Did it happen here in the capital, do you think?”

“Not necessarily. From what he said, he was raised in the country.”

“Oh.”

“Yes, I know. Like looking for a particular pebble in a very long stream. You don’t have to do it.”

“Oh, no, sir. I’ll get started as soon as His Excellency is finished with me.”

And at that moment, Sakae had walked in.

“Start what?” he had asked, his short, round-faced figure slipping in silently through the open doorway.

Akitada did not like his clerk, who was uncooperative, lazy, and insolent. He had greeted him with a frown. “I’ve been wondering what has become of you. There seems to be quite a bit of work here.”

Sakae had looked at the pile of documents and instantly protested, “I really don’t feel up to it today, sir. Why can’t Nakatoshi do it? I don’t understand why I always get all the work, while Nakatoshi has the time to stand around and chat.”

Nakatoshi cried, “You can have my job, Sakae. Take it. Right now! Go and wait for the minister to run his errands and take care of his social correspondence. You should find it most interesting, as it presents little challenge to your pitiful mind. And I’ll gladly do your work, which is at least related to legal matters, something that does not seem to hold much interest for you.”

Sakae did not take this well, and Akitada had intervened in the squabble of raised voices, when a sharp voice from the corridor demanded, “What is going on here?”

Instant silence followed.

The minister, portly and with his usual air of impatient superiority, typically focused his irritation on Akitada. “If you must reprimand the clerks, Sugawara, there is surely a more seemly way than shouting at the top of your voice. And what are you doing with Nakatoshi anyway?”

“It is my fault, Excellency,” Nakatoshi had said quickly. “I was arguing with Sakae. It was very wrong of me, and Lord Sugawara was quite right to correct me. I apologize, sir.”

But Soga was undeterred. “You should not permit arguments between the clerks, Sugawara. It shows a lack of proper authority. But I suppose your present position is perhaps, how shall I say, a bit too much for you?”

Akitada had bitten his lip. “Not at all, Excellency. May I be of some assistance to you?”

“Ah, yes. I came for your report.”

“I am afraid I’m not quite ready, Excellency. Perhaps in an hour?” More like four hours, but Soga might get busy with other things and forget.

“Not ready? What do you mean? You have had all morning. Surely you are not that incompetent? What is taking so long?”

At that moment, Sakae had murmured, “Lord Sugawara just arrived and has not really had time to read the documents, Excellency. I’m certain he will prepare a brilliant report as soon as he puts his mind to them.”

Soga had stared from Sakae to Akitada. “Just arrived? Not had time to read? How so, Sugawara? I sent a messenger at dawn and it is almost midday now.”

“I worked late last night clearing up the other cases and overslept, Excellency.”

“Hah!” Snapping his mouth shut after the single outraged syllable, Soga had stalked from the room, slamming the door behind him.

Bad as that scene had been, it had not ended there, and that was why Akitada dreaded the coming day. He approached Suzaku Gate along with a stream of government officials, clerks, scribes, and servants. Beyond rose the many green-tiled roofs of government buildings and palaces, some two hundred halls, great and small, in their own walled and gated compounds, their red-lacquered columns bright in the morning sun. Because of his stiff silk robe and the black hat with the colors of his rank, the guards saluted him. He nodded and turned left in front of the Grand Administration Hall, walking briskly along the wide avenue past the Festivals Hall, then turned left again and entered the courtyard of the Ministry of Justice.

He grew hot with anger when he recalled walking into So ga’s office after finishing the report. The minister had been seated at his desk, drumming his fingers impatiently on the glossy expanse. No piles of documents there. “Finally!” he had grunted, extending his hand. Akitada bowed and offered the stack of documents he was returning. “Not those, you fool,” snapped Soga. “The report only.”

Nakatoshi had rushed up to relieve Akitada of the documents. Akitada was too shocked to speak. For a moment, he considered a challenge, but killing Soga, while it would be a satisfying gesture, would also earn him exile. On the other hand, if word got out that he had allowed Soga to call him a fool, his reputation and career would be in shreds. In the end he had demanded, “What did you say just now?”

Soga had flushed and looked away. “What? Oh, I was speaking to Nakatoshi. Youngsters always have their minds on foolish things when they should be alert. Alertness is all, Nakatoshi. Remember that and be quicker next time. Er, you do have your report, Sugawara?”

“Yes, but I had hoped to give it orally. I had to send my clerk home. He was not well.”

Soga’s eyes had sharpened. “Sakae? Was it serious, do you think? A fever? There’s talk of smallpox in the city. Is he the sort of fellow to seek out bad company?”

“I don’t think so, sir. More likely he was at some poetry party and drank too much wine.”

“Ah, yes, I forgot. That boy has good connections. But you should have been done with the report when I arrived. I have already missed an important meeting because of your inattention to your duties. I hope you will not allow this to happen again.”

“No, sir. What about my report? Don’t you want to hear it now?”

“Certainly not. Write it out and leave it on my desk.” And without another glance at Akitada, Soga had left his office.

Today he found Nakatoshi waiting for him again. He looked tired and disappointed. His robe was creased and dusty, and a smell of stale candle wax hung about him.

“I found nothing, sir, even though I looked all night. I had all the document boxes down, every year from the beginning of Jian to the end of Chogen. You did say that it must have happened about five or six years ago, or perhaps a little more? I must have read all the major civil cases in the country in a ten-year period. Either there’s some mistake or another name has been substituted. Nobody by the name Utsunomiya was accused of anything during those years, and only one Haseo occurs and he was some peasant who killed both his parents. I’m sorry, sir. Did I overlook something?”

“Heavens, man,” cried Akitada, aghast, “I didn’t mean for you to stay up all night. No, I don’t think you missed anything. As I suspected, the name was expunged, and apparently rather thoroughly. I shall go to the Ministry of Popular Affairs later and have a look at the tax rolls.” Hearing a movement behind him, he swung around. He had left the door open. Steps padded away softly in the corridor outside.

“I think that was Sakae, sir,” offered Nakatoshi. “He’s punctual for once.”

The footsteps returned and Sakae made his official appearance with a bow and “Good morning, sir.” Then he turned with an accusing look to Nakatoshi. “Did you burn all those candles in the archives? The night watchman said you were here all night, and there are fifteen stubs lying beside the candleholder.”

“What business is it of yours? I had some work to finish.”

Sakae flushed with anger. “Not for the minister, surely? Have you taken on private consulting work? It’s about time you spent some money on a new robe. You look filthy.”

“Sakae,” snapped Akitada, “you will never again have the ill manners to insult a colleague in my presence. What Nakatoshi was doing is, as he said, none of your business, but it was not private work, which is, as we all know, forbidden. He was looking up some information for me. If you recall, you were too ill to do much of anything yesterday.”