第8节

omains were poised like a dagger at the heart of the

TohYota.

Fortunately, the forty-year-old Yama-Shita seemed to be more interested

in trade deals than political alliances, but it was a situation that

had to be kept constantly under review. The country had been riven

more than once by factional disputes, and despite the era of firm

central government instituted by the Toh-Yota, the domain-lords had

kept a jealously guarded measure of independence. While all had sworn

oaths of fealty to the Shogunate, there were some whose word could not

be taken entirely at its face value. As a result, Yoritomo, like the

previous holders of high office, kept two lists in his head - one

headed fudai, those considered loyal and trustworthy; the other,

tozama, unreliable.

Hiro Yama-Shita, despite his family's links with the Toh-Yota, occupied

a grey area in between.

After consulting Ieyasu (the Chamberlain had known Hiro since he was a

boy), Yoritomo agreed to the acquisition of a flying-horse and its

rider. Through Yama-Shita's trading activities, a number of long-dogs

'had fallen into their hands. Their interrogation had enabled the

Shogun to build up a partial picture of the strange underground domain

known as the Federation.

But their testimony was flawed. These captive long-dogs were

criminals, renegades - like the small bands of rootless ronin that

lurked in dark recesses of the forests blanketing the slopes of the

western hills. The pale warriors of this underground world could also

be disloyal to their masters. Even so, the threat from the south

could not be ignored. Hence the chosen strategy, put into effect

through Yama-Shita, to arm the Mutes, who were numerically superior to

both sides.

Because of their alien culture and backwardness, the Mutes could never

be considered as allies, but their concept of warrior-hood was worthy

of respect. The years of trading had brought about a state of friendly

neutrality. No pledges had been exchanged, no plans were ever

discussed but, over the last few years, Plainfolk territory had become

a buffer zone protecting the frontiers of Ne-Issan. The warrior clans

were now armed auxiliaries who, if everything went according to plan,

would wear the long-dogs down in a slow war of attrition.

On Ieyasu's advice, Yoritomo had awarded the manufacturing licence for

the flying-horses to Kiyomori Min-Orota, whose lands, bordering the

Eastern Sea, lay just across the water to the north of Arongiren.

Kiyomori's father had married one of Yoritomo's aunts and the Min-Orota

were on the list markedfudai.

As the snows deepened, burying the old year, Toshiro had returned with

his first dispatch: a flying-horse had landed near Bu-faro, a harbour

on Lake In on the western border of Lord Yama-Shita's domain. It

carried two riders: a long-dog called Brickman and his escort, a female

Mute warrior from the clan M'Cail, who were the donors of this

long-awaited object.

Without more ado, the craft and its riders had been shipped via the

canal and river system to Ro-diren and from there by road to the aptly

named Heron Pool, the site chosen for this new enterprise. The

workshops had not yet been constructed at the time of Toshiro's first

visit, but he had brought back sketches of the alien craft together

with verbal portraits of Brickman, the brown-skinned long-dog, and

Clearwater, his blue-eyed Mute escort.

After an initial hesitation, Brickman had proved remarkably

co-operative and eager to please. The Mute, on the other hand, had

informed Yama-Shita - with all due deference and through the usual

intermediaries-that the clan M'Call had delivered the flying-horse on

the understanding that she and the long-dog were to be shipped back to

her homeland when the wheelboats made their next voyage across the

great lakes.

But there had been no such understanding. The eventual fate of those

delivering the craft had never been raised by the white-haired leader