第90节

with

threads of shimmering silver and bore the symbol of his house on the

back. His face was once again concealed, a white head-scarf with a

solid red circle centred over the forehead covered his hairless

skull.

Inserting his curving swords into the wide sash around his body, the

samurai invited the three Mutes to follow him. Leaving the bath-house,

they came out onto the main deck then mounted two flights of open

stairs which brought them onto the second of the upper side

galleries.

The boat's overall structure was made of horizontal and vertical beams

but its severe lines were softened by sculptured beam supports and

cornices, richly decorated panels and pierced screens set between the

massive uprights. Their guide turned right and passed between two

masked reds guarding a passage running across the ship from port to

starboard. A platform, some four feet wide, ran along the left hand

side of the passage at calf-height. Two more reds sat on the platform

amidships, on either side of a door. Like the walls on either side,

the door was made up of two panels of translucent white cloth stretched

over wooden frames.

At their approach, the reds hastily uncrossed their legs and knelt

facing each other. They slid open the door and bowed low as the

samurai stepped through. Mr Snow followed, passing between two more

red guards stationed immediately inside. He found himself in an even

larger rectangular space whose walls were made of identical framed

panels of white cloth. The floor was covered with straw matting with

not a speck of dirt or a leaf to be seen anywhere. On the matting were

several small dark brown mats, three of them arranged in a triangle

which pointed towards a square dais at the far end of the room. Four

Iron Masters, dressed even more richly than their guide sat on the dais

to the right and left of an ornate folding stool.

Following the samurai's lead, Mr Snow and his companions dropped to

their knees and bowed from the waist. The samurai then took his place

on the left-hand side of the room. Mr Snow knelt on the first mat;

Rolling-Stone and Mack-Truck occupied the mats behind him. A panel at

the rear of the room slid aside to reveal Yama-Shita, instantly

recognisable by his black mask with the bridge of the nose and eyebrows

picked out with three broad strokes of gold. Everyone went forward on

their hands and put their noses to the floor then, when Yama-Shita had

seated himself, the Iron Masters on the platform straightened their

backs and adopted a cross-legged position. The junior samurai and the

Mutes sat back on their heels and awaited his first pronouncement. The

chief Iron Master addressed their guide with an unintelligible burst of

sound then leant forward with his right elbow on his knee and focused

his attention on Mr Snow.

The samurai translated: 'Lord Yama-Shita says your presence here is

proof of the high regard he has for the Plainfolk. Unlike those who

inhabit the deserts of the south, our two peoples, in their different

ways, share the same sense of honour and respect for valour. It

pleases him to know that the long sharp iron he has furnished

will be carried into battle by the most valiant of warriors."

Mr Snow acknowledged this unexpected compliment with a gracious nod.

Yama-Shita responded with another unintelligible burst for the samurai

to pass on.

'Lord Yama-Shita wishes to speak again of the cloud-warrior you sent us

and whose return you expected, together with that of his escort."

Another long string of nonsense words.

'He is aware of your disappointment and hopes it will not shadow the

friendship between the Sons of Nissan and the Plainfolk. In order to

remove any doubt about our conduct in this affair, he has summoned you

here to seek the truth for yourselves."

Yama-Shita barked an abrupt order and looked at the wall to the right

of Mr Snow. Drawn back by invisible hands, the two centre panels

parted to reveal a copper-skinned, dark-haired girl kneeling on a

padded cushion in the room beyond. Mr Snow was momentarily thrown by