第107节

the sake. Their attackers had also been

disguised as peasants, some with women and children, aboard three farm

carts which had paused to exchange gossip and offer some of their

produce for sale.

All were executed on the spot.

When the two paralysed aides had been hustled away to meet the same

fate, Yoritomo warmly congratulated Min-Orota for the part he had

played in exposing the treachery of the YamaShita.

No mention was made of his own involvement, or his complaisant support

of the Consul-General's affair with the outlandish whore. Matters such

as these could wait.

The rumoured love-match between Min-Orota's second son and one of

Yama-Shita's daughters would die a quiet death. As would the daughter

in question and the rest of the domain-lord's immediate family.

Parents, wife, sons, daughters, even their newborn child.

It was regrettable but necessary. The past history of Ne-Issan had

been shaped on more than one occasion by orphaned children of deposed

domain-lords who had grown to become avenging generals of armies and

had swept away those who had unwisely spared them.

Lord Yama-Shita had eliminated all serious rivals, but with the

disappearance of his own direct line, a worthy and, it was hoped, a

more amenable - successor would appear. All great families, including

the Toh-Yota, had strong and weak branches. They were like trees; when

a strong branch which took the greater share of the light was lopped

off because it shadowed its owner's house, the weaker branches

prospered.

The measures taken against the house of YamaShita would be punishing

but not crippling. Their commercial activities were inextricably

linked to the general economic well-being of Ne-Issan. If they were

forced to pay too high a price, it would create a source of continuing

disaffection.

A balance had to be struck. Firmness had to be tempered with

magnanimity. But they would no longer have the monopoly on trade with

the Mutes. Their former allies the Ko-Nikka would henceforth be able

to build and operate wheelboats across the Western seas, and the Se-Iko

would become the land-agents for the slave trade.

The Yama-Shita could still bring them ashore, but they could only be

sold through the Se-Iko. It was through these two crucial deals,

masterminded by Ieyasu, that their loyalty had been purchased - leaving

the YamaShita to pay the price.

The ship flying the house-flags of the Hase-Gawa was, in fact, part of

the Shogun's battle fleet. It was this heavily disguised vessel which

had brought Yoritomo and the six domain-lords into the port of

Ba-satana during the night.

On the command of Lord Min-Orota, a salvo of cannon was fired from the

island fort which guarded the entrance to the outer bay. It was the

signal for the other five warships from the same flotilla to enter

harbour. When they have into sight and their identity became clear,

their sister ship hauled down the Hase-Gawa flags and revealed her true

colours.

'As troops of the Min-Orota flooded on to the dockside, it was clear to

the astonished captains of YamaShita's vessels that there had been a

sea-change in the political fortunes of their dead master's family.

With six TohYota ships, barring the only exit, there was little chance

of breaking out into the open sea. They were left with two choices: go

down fighting, scuttling their junks when defeat seemed certain, or

surrender.

Two deck officers from each of the three boats went to the dockside to

parley under a flag of truce with representatives of the Toh-Yota,

Min-Orota and the six visiting domain-lords. They informed the

deck-officers of the charge of high treason against their house. Their

vessels were now forfeit. If they surrendered by the next tide, their

crews would be returned unharmed to their native domain. Resistance

was pointless, but if the captains chose to scuttle their boats, not