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changed nervous glances then followed suit just to be

on the safe side.

Clearwater then asked after her dan-sisters and Black-Wing, her

blood-mother.

'Your name is on their lips and in their hearts but they do not

weep."

Mr Snow paused then added, 'Others wait and watch for word of your

return in the stone."

He saw Clearwater's eyes react to the trigger word.

'And what does the stone say, Wise One?"

Mr Snow chose his words carefully, using a slight pause or a subtle

emphasis to convey the real meaning of what he was saying. 'The stone

speaks of life and death, of going and returning, of hope and despair,

of love and hate. What it has seen, has come to pass, what it

foretold, is at hand. Visions shall take shape, dreams shall become

reality."

Clearwater signalled with her eyes that she was beginning to get the

message. She asked how the clan had passed the winter and for news of

the spring planting.

'The seed which we thought was carried away on the wind has sprung

again from the earth,' replied Mr Snow.

'And what of the scattered fruit?"

'Nothing is lost. With the help of strong sharp iron, all will be

gathered before the Yellowing."

Very little sand was now left in the top half of the strange vessel.

Clearwater turned to the right and used both hands to pick up a small

black and gold lacquer box that lay close to the cushion on which she

knelt.

Measuring about nine inches by six by six deep, it had cut-off corners

and chamfered edges and was fitted with four little feet. Light

reflected from the golden images that covered its various surfaces.

'Wise One, Lord Yama-Shita has permitted me to offer you, my teacher,

this gift as a token of my respect and devotion. Only the Sons of

Nissan could have fashioned an object of such beauty. Knowing your

love of such things I used their unrivalled skills to create a design

that would please your eye. It expresses better than any words of

mine, the wonders and infinite riches to be found in the Land of the

Rising Sun." So saying, Clearwater reached forward as far as she could

without moving from the padded cushion and placed the box on the

floor.

She then bowed again to YamaShita.

The Iron Master responded with a peremptory flick of the wrist. One of

the kneeling reds picked up the box and set it down in front of Mr Snow

who, in his turn, bowed deeply to the chief Iron Master then said:

'Though our daughter's hand is on this gift we know it reaches us by

virtue of your inexhaustible munificence.

We are deeply honoured to be the recipients of your bountiful goodness

and shall forever seek ways to be worthy of the respect and friendship

you have expressed for our people."

The junior samurai translated this for YamaShita's benefit. Mr Snow

was sure that the chief Iron Master could speak the Mute language and

understood it perfectly well but for some reason - perhaps to enhance

his already exalted position - he chose to have everything relayed by

a mouthpiece.

Yama-Shita grunted his assent and stood up with an imperious wave.

Everybody below the dais put their nose on the floor and stayed there

till he had left the room, followed by his entourage.

When Mr Snow sat back on his heels Clearwater was no longer visible.

The invisible hands that had opened the wall screens had now closed

them cutting off his view of the adjoining room. He felt a sudden pang

of anxiety at what would now happen to her but as he picked up the box,

he felt reassured. It contained a message; what she would have said

had she been free to do so. He had understood that much from what she

had said and the subtle inflections she had used in her replies. He

ran his fingers over the painted surface of the wood and felt her

presence within it. It was fortunate that the Iron Masters were either

ignorant of, or did not give any credence to, the stories of Mute

magic.

Returning to the main deck, their guide ushered them into an annexe of

the bath-house where the female attendants who had washed them now