第106节

worthies been bamboozled?

Little by little, Min-Orota drew out the full story and by conceding

his own complicity - persuaded them to reveal that Lord Hiro Yama-Shita

had been the prime mover in the plan to recapture the Dark Light.

The two aides did not know that the long-dog who was to help bring the

plan to fruition had escaped. None of the Yama-Shita knew. And Lord

Min-Orota did not propose to tell them. He did, however, have another

proposition.

Let us drink, he said, to the success of your master's plan and to his

memory!

He struck a small gong to summon his lieutenants, who entered bearing a

tray of refreshments. Cups of sake were poured out and handed to

Min-Orota and the two aides.

'To the Yama-Shita,' proposed Min-Orota. 'Lords of the Dark Light!'

'May the enemies of progress perish!" chorused the aides.

Since Min-Orota had already drunk from the same flask, the two samurai

had no hesitation in joining him.

The rims of the porcelain cups they raised to their lips had been

coated with a potent, transparent poison which caused almost

instantaneous paralysis of their motor functions, leaving them unable

to move their limbs or cry out, but fully conscious and aware of their

predicament.

As the cups fell from their fingers, their arms were pinioned by

Min-Orota's lieutenants and quickly bound with ropes. The paralysis

was only temporary but had been necessary to prevent the two aides from

sounding the alarm or killing themselves. For they would have done so

without hesitation at the sight that now met their eyes.

The screens behind the dais were drawn aside, revealing the young

Shogun seated between six domain-lords and their field-marshals.

Min-Orota knelt to pay homage to Yoritomo. His two lieutenants

followed suit, forcing the stricken aides down with them.

It was Ieyasu, the Lord Chamberlain, who had organised this assembly on

a variety of pretexts and in condir tions of unprecedented secrecy.

Seated with the Shogun, as judge and jury, were the domain-lords of the

Ko-Nikka, Se-Iko and Mitsu-Bishi, whose lands lay along the southern

border of Yama-Shita's domain, and their own immediate neighbours, the

Dai-Hatsu, Da-Tsuni and SuZuki.

The Ko-Nikka were allied by marriage to the YamaShita; the Se-Iko were

regarded as being predisposed to take their side in any serious dispute

with the Shogunate.

The other four were in the Toh-Yota camp. In terms of power, the

Ko-Nikka and Se-Iko outweighed the four other members of the jury, but

Ieyasu had done some shrewd wheeling and dealing behind the scenes.

The verdict was unanimous. The house of YamaShita was guilty of high

treason and must be called to account.

Lords Ko-Nikka, Se-Iko and Mitsu-Bishi agreed to journey to Sara-kusa

to inform the family of the charge and the evidence on which they had

been found guilty by a council of peers. They would also take with

them a list of those held to be responsible. Those named could either

take the appropriate action - suicide - or throw themselves upon the

mercy of the Shogun.

It was a stark choice. Either way they Would wind up dead. The only

alternative was an armed invasion, seizure of all assets and the

possible break-up of the domain.

Ordinarily, the Shogunate would not have dared to make such a move

against the Yama-Shita, but with the Ko-Nikka and Se-Iko now firmly on

the fence, resistance to the Shogun's demands was not a viable

option.

No.

Yoritomo was confident that those judged guilty of complicity would

take their own lives or be quietly disposed of. Any family entering

the power game had to be prepared to make sacrifices.

The disguised companions of Yama-Shita's aides, who had been keeping

guard outside the manor, had been surprised and overwhelmed when the

gong had been struck to summon