Akitada’s heart fell. “What stories?” he asked bluntly.

His brother-in-law looked down at his clenched hands. “That I have… privately enriched myself with, er, objects belonging to the Imperial Treasury.”

THREE

The Cares of This World

After a moment of shocked silence, Akitada asked, “Do you mean that someone suspects you of having stolen imperial treasures?”

Toshikage flushed and nodded. “It all started with a stupid misunderstanding. In an old inventory list I found that a lute called Nameless had been mislabeled ‘Nonexistent.’ Then some fool had drawn a line through the entry and made the notation that the instrument had been removed from the storehouse, but did not say by whom. When I started asking questions, nobody seemed to know what had happened to the lute, and there was no record that someone from the palace had sent for it. This started me checking all the lutes in the treasure-house. I could not find Nameless, but saw that another lute needed repair and restringing. Because it was the last day of the week, I took it home with me to have our usual craftsman work on it at my house. Foolishly I did not sign it out. It so happened that evening I was having a party for friends. Someone must have seen it lying there, for when I returned to work the next week, the palace sent for me and asked what an imperial lute was doing in my house. It was embarrassing, I tell you, especially since the person did not quite believe my explanation.” Toshikage broke off and sighed deeply.

“Hmm,” said Akitada. “I grant you that was a bit unpleasant, but I don’t see that a single incident should cause you serious trouble. Surely you returned the lute?”

“Of course.” Toshikage rubbed his brow with shaking fingers. “And I got strange looks from everybody when I did. You know how people are. They were whispering behind my back, snickering, exchanging glances. The worst was that they have been doing it every time I make some innocent remark, perhaps mentioning that I was thinking of buying a present for Akiko, or commenting on some misplaced object.” He sighed again.

“Nasty.” Akitada nodded. “Your colleagues must be rather unpleasant people.”

Toshikage looked surprised. “I never thought about it, really. I suppose they are. What shall I do?”

“Who is behind it, do you think?”

“Behind it? What do you mean?”

“Well, if there is a plot to blacken your name, then there must be someone, or perhaps several people, who instigated it.”

Toshikage’s expression went blank. He asked in total astonishment, “Do you really think so?”

Akitada almost lost his patience. It was becoming clear to him that his new brother-in-law was naive and not given to pondering arcane matters. Instead of explaining, he said, “Of course. Who saw the lute in your house?”

“Oh, everybody, I suppose.”

Akitada bit his lip. “Who was at your house?” To forestall another “everybody,” he added quickly, “Their names, I mean.”

“Oh.” Toshikage wrinkled his brow. “Kose was there, of course, and Katsuragi and Mononobe. Then some people from the Bureau of Books and someone from the Bureau of Music, I don’t recall their names, and some of my personal friends. Do you want their names also?”

“Perhaps later. Were the first three the only ones from your office?”

Toshikage nodded.

“Do you have any particular enemies among any of the men who attended your gathering and may have seen the lute?”

“Enemies?” Toshikage was shocked. “Of course not. They may not all be close friends, but they certainly were not enemies. I am not in the habit of inviting enemies to my house.”

Akitada sighed inwardly. “Could anyone other than the three from your office—what were the names—Katsuragi, Kose, and… ?”

“Mononobe.”

“Yes, Mononobe. Could anyone else have recognized the lute as belonging to the Imperial Treasury?”

Toshikage shook his head. “I doubt even Mononobe would. He just started working in the bureau.”

“Very well,” said Akitada. “We are making progress. More than likely either Kose or Katsuragi, or both, recognized the lute. They may have pointed it out to Mononobe, and one or all of them later passed the story around your office. From that point on, someone, perhaps one of the three, perhaps someone else in the bureau, decided to make use of the incident to blacken your reputation. You will have to find out who that man is and put a stop to it.”

“How can I do that?” cried Toshikage. “I cannot very well accuse them.”

“Do you want me to pay your colleagues a visit and ask questions?”

Toshikage looked horrified. “Good heavens, no! I would really be in trouble.”

Akitada looked grim. “Then I do not know how I can serve you in this matter.”

“I thought you might find the missing items. Then we could return them quietly and the whole matter would die down.”

Akitada stared at his brother-in-law. “What items? You said you returned the repaired lute. Do you mean that other instrument? What was it called? Nameless?”

“No. Everybody knows Nameless has been missing for a long time. The other things started disappearing later, after the gossip about my having taken the lute.”

Akitada sat up straight. “What else is missing?” he asked, fearing the worst.

Toshikage closed his eyes and recited tonelessly, “A lacquer box with a design of wheels, given to the eighth emperor by a Korean ambassador; two amulet covers, gilded silver, once the property of Empress Jimmu; a painted jar, said to have contained the true toenail of the Buddha; a small carved statue of a fairy; a gilded censer; and the golden seal given by the Chinese emperor to one of our embassies to Changan.”

Akitada breathed, “Good heavens!” Such a loss was a scandal of the first magnitude. “How many people know?”

Toshikage began to look frightened. “Only I know of all of them. I think Katsuragi has been checking the inventory, and he and Kose know about the jar and the box. Maybe the statue also.”

“Have they reported the losses to you?”

“No.”

“Didn’t that puzzle you?”

“I supposed it was because they thought I had been taking the things.”

Oh, Toshikage! “Have you mentioned the theft to anyone?”

“No, I was afraid to. I think we should try to find everything and put it back.”

“Easier said than done. Shouldn’t you have reported to your superior? Who is he, by the way?”

“The director is Otomo Yasutada. And no, I did not.”

“I think you had better. It does not look good for you to keep this matter to yourself… unless there is something you are not telling me?”

Toshikage waved his hands. “No, no. I have no secrets from you, Akitada. Where do you think the items are?”

“That depends. If they were taken for resale, they could be in a shop or in someone’s home.” Toshikage looked shocked. “But if they were taken purely to get you in trouble, they may be hidden someplace.”

“Oh. Well, you must find them.” Toshikage bit his lip. “But why get me in trouble? I have not done anything to them.”

“Since you cannot remember having made any enemies, there must be another reason. Who would get your position if you were dismissed?”

Akitada watched his brother-in-law digest this new thought. He was beginning to look distinctly uneasy and said, “Kose would be promoted in my place. But I cannot believe it of him. The thief must have sold the objects. Even that is terrible to consider. How can I clear myself ?”

“It may be difficult. Well, I shall ask around in the shops. Cautiously, for it would not do for anyone to find out that we are looking for imperial treasures.” Akitada found a sheet of paper and some writing utensils. “Here, make a list of the items for me.”

Toshikage seized on this task eagerly. “Thank you, my dear Akitada,” he muttered when he was done, passing him the list. “I shall, of course, pay you back if you have to buy the items.” He paused, frowning. “I don’t suppose it would be too expensive? They are all old things.”