第105节

that meant.

Compensation would have to be paid to the Consul-General's widow, of

course. An official of his rank didn't come cheap - and since his wife

was the Shogun's sister, the going rate would probably be multiplied by

ten. The wider consequences of the Heron Pool incident could also

prove expensive. Extra taxes could be imposed, commercial licences

could be withdrawn, assets could be seized. The lives of senior aides

who were involved with the Heron Pool project but had gone unpunished

could be forfeit, and there could also be a dramatic increase in the

number of government officials and troop garrisons - to whose upkeep he

would be obliged to contribute.

If a domain-lord chose to resist such measures his lands could be

proclaimed a 'dissident fief'. That gave the Shogunate the right to

place his domain under military occupation. His own family could, if

the situation worsened, be deposed, or subjected to much harsher terms

of vassalage. Not a pleasant prospect - especially when he was already

under threat of unspecified reprisals by the Yama-Shita family.

Fuji-Wara, a man clearly experienced in delicate, high-level

negotiations of this kind, revealed that his master was aware of the

precarious nature of the relationship between the Min-Orota and the

Yama-Shita following the death of their domain-lord. The Lord

Chamberlain wished to come to the aid of the house of Min-Orota who

were, after all, friends and allies of the TohYota.

Both houses were, in their different ways, threatened by the

Yama-Shita. If some way could be found for them to act together to

eliminate or reduce that threat then, said the courier, he was sure

that Ieyasu could persuade the Shogun to take a more lenient view of

what had occurred and to demand only nominal reparation for the death

of the Consul-General.

It was, basically, an offer he couldn't refuse.

Min-Orota was in need of help, but even though he was backed into a

corner he was shrewd enough to realise that the courier's visit was

merely the tip of a political iceberg.

That sly old fox, Ieyasu, had been up to his tricks again, just when

his critics and enemies were confidently expecting to be called upon to

sit through his funeral oration. The domain-lord considered the

options and then assured his visitor that he was, as might be expected,

constantly ready to be of service to the Shogun - but what action was

he being called upon to perform?

Skull-Face, a.k.a. Fuji-Wara, proceeded to tell him.

The three ocean-going junks which had brought Lord Yama-Shita, his

armed entourage and his escort to Ba-satana were still moored in the

harbour, and the survivors - including those who had dined with Lord

MinoOrota - had spent the night on board. The ships' crews, who had

not ventured beyond the docks counted themselves fortunate to have been

spared the terrible ordeal their compatriots had undergone.

When captains and crews awoke, they saw that another large junk, flying

the house-flags of the Hase-(3awa, had arrived during the night and now

lay at anchor to starboard, on the north side of the harbour.

Over breakfast, the temporary heads of the delegation discussed their

next move. Should they set sail immediately - or should they wait

until additional men mainly soldiers - arrived via the overland route

to make up their depleted numbers?

News of Yama-Shita's death had been dispatched by horse to the palace

at Sara-kusa, but its speedy arrival was not guaranteed, since the

rider was obliged to traverse the Toh-Yota's northern domain.

The carrier pigeons used to convey top-secret messages from the

domain-lord to the palace had gone with him to the Heron Pool. It was

customary for several baskets to accompany Yama-Shita on any journey he

undertook so that urgent dispatches could be 'sent at a moment's

notice. Unfortunately, the earthquake had overturned and wrecked the

cart. The driver and pigeon-keeper had been found with their skulls

crushed - presumably by flying stones - and those birds who had not

been killed had escaped when their baskets had broken open.

Whilst they were in the middle of these deliberations, a boat-man