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nge against their authority."

Sakimoto shook his head. 'I commend your insight, but the proposal you

have just put forward has been considered and rejected on countless

previous occasions."

'Rejected,' added Lord Se-Iko, 'because of the difficulties of placing

an assassin within reach of the Shogun. If anything, Lord Ieyasu is an

even more difficult target.

The assassination of both of them simultaneously or in quick succession

is not a practical proposition.

'On all formal occasions they are surrounded by guards whose loyalty is

beyond question, and there are watchers who exercise extreme vigilance

at all times. Access to the Inner Court is strictly controlled and no

one is allowed to carry anything that might be remotely considered as a

weapon when accorded a private audience."

'What constitutes a "private audience"... ?"

Sakimoto swapped glances with his coconspirators.

'The phrase is usually applied to meetings between members of the Inner

Court in which two individuals - although it can be more - engage in

some form of sexual intercourse."

Lord Se-Iko enlarged upon his colleague's reply. 'In the case of

Ieyasu, these audiences are said to be a daily event. The Shogun,

despite his youth, is somewhat less voracious."

Cadillac looked at Roz, then said: 'Can you enlighten us further?"

'In what way?"

'By telling us what kind of partners, they prefer, how they are chosen

and how they are introduced into the presence of Lord Ieyasu and Prince

Yoritomo."

'We can give you some information,' replied Sakimoto, 'but this is a

blind alley. Anyone chosen to receive the intimate attentions of these

gentlemen has to strip and bathe - and of course they are washed and

groomed by trusted members of the palace staff.

'Every orifice is searched - even their fingernails are trimmed - and

they are then dressed in clothes which have been specially prepared and

checked, and offer no possibility of concealing any dangerous

objects."

'And,' said Lord Min-Orota, 'any food or drink served on such occasions

is carefully prepared, inspected and tasted beforehand."

The other Iron Masters seated around the low table took it in turns to

reveal what they knew, providing Cadillac and Roz with an entertaining

mixture of fact, speculation and gossip.

It emerged that Ieyasu's preference was for prepubescent young girls

between ten and twelve years old.

These were supplied by a group of favoured ladies of the Inner Court.

On the much rarer occasions when the Shogun indulged his baser passions

it was with partners nearer his own age - male and female.

An unsubstantiated rumour which had gained currency because of its

juicy content hinted at a romantic attachment to several of the

Heralds. Founded by Prince Yoritomo soon after his accession, the

College of Heralds was a body of intelligent, dedicated, handsome young

men, chosen by the Shogun to be his personal representatives. His

'eyes and ears'.

With their appointment came the privilege of direct access to the

Shogun, a move which had threatened Ieyasu's influence at court and

his grip on the reins of power.

Cadillac sought further details about their exact role and it was at

this point that the name of the Herald Toshiro Hase-Gawa came into the

conversation. This, he recalled, was the Iron Master who had been

closely involved with Steve.

It transpired that, following the successful unmasking of the

conspiracy led by Lord Yama-Shita to resurrect the Dark Light, the

Herald Toshiro Hase-Gawa - who had played a pivotal role in the

Shogun's triumph had been obliged to take his own life because of a

compromising letter that had been intercepted by one of Ieyasu's

agents.

No one knew what the letter contained, but its penning and posting by

Toshiro had led directly to his death.

Slicing open his own belly in the time-honoured fashion before being

beheaded by his second - Kamakura, a Captain in the Palace Guard.

The recounting of this incident caused the assembled Iron Masters a

great deal of merriment. Sakimoto explained: 'The good captain has

five daughters and an ambitious wife, who entertained hopes of marrying

one of them off to the Herald. Not only was he a good friend of the

family, he was also Kamakura's pupil. The poor man - who is a