I. Parker: The Crane Pavillion

Tora had been reporting on the case of the blind shampoo girl when he was dozing off. What exactly had he had said? He searched his memory and came up with something about Kobe going to the trial. Surely that had been odd. And yes, Tora had said the girl was free. It sounded as if Kobe had meddled when he should not have done so. Akitada suddenly felt anxious about all these events.

And he really must relieve himself or suffer a shameful accident.

He shouted, “Tora? Saburo?”

Nothing.

Cautiously he rolled on his better side and pulled up his knees. If he could get on his knees, he might be able to stand. His back protested, but with a groan he got to his knees. But getting up was impossible. He felt as limp as a rag, and one of his arms refused to support him..

The door opened.

Tora gasped, “Sir, what are you doing?”

Through gritted teeth, Akitada said, “Going to the privy.”

“But you can’t.”

“Call Genba. The two of you together can get me there. And be quick about it.”

Tora was quick, and Genba followed on his heels. They put their arms around his waist and he put his around their necks. In this manner, they lifted him to his feet. Then they started for the privy, half carrying their master, who was trying not to cry out at each jolt.

Somehow the errand was accomplished, and on the way back Akitada moved his legs a little better and put some of his weight on them. Nevertheless, he was sweating and exhausted when they laid him back down.

“Thanks,” he muttered. “That’s much better.”

Genba grinned. “I expect it is, sir.”

Tora frowned. “What about your back?”

“It’s fine,” Akitada lied.

Hanae joined them then. “I heard you got up, sir,” she said with a smile, setting down a tray with a bowl of steaming gruel.

Akitada blushed. “Oh, some gruel,” he said quickly, “and very welcome, too.”

He was hungry, as it turned out, and ate all of the gruel to the immense pleasure of Tora, Hanae, and Genba, who stood around him, watching him eat.

But there were more trials ahead. The doctor arrived and removed the bandages, leaning over the wounds to sniff them like a hungry dog. “Hmm,” he said with a frown.

“I’m feeling much better,” offered Akitada.

The physician looked at him sadly. “Many patients with such wounds experience dramatic improvements only to die anyway.”

Tora, who had brought the doctor in, snapped, “Don’t say things like that. You probably frightened your patients to death.”

“People are abysmally ignorant,” the doctor said, giving him a dirty look. He began to lay out an amazing number of sharp instruments and knives.

“What are you going to do?” yelped Tora.

“I have to probe the wounds to look for lurking poison.”

“You mean you’re going to cut him open again?”

Akitada felt overlooked in this discussion. He said, “No!” as loudly as he could.

The doctor jumped.

Tora grinned and nodded. “There you are,” he said. “If there’s nothing else you have to offer, you can leave. We’ll take it from here.”

“Well!” The physician sounded deeply offended. “On your head be it! If there’s any seed of poison left in him, he’ll fall into another raving fever and die.” With those ominous words, he gathered his tools into his basket and departed, having first collected his fee.

“You should get another doctor,” Tora said angrily. “I don’ trust this one any longer.”

“I’m in your hands, brother.” Akitada smiled at him. He knew he was getting better. His desperate attempt to join Tamako and Yori on the other side had failed. He had not reached the end of the bridge of dreams that spanned the two worlds.

Strangely, this failure no longer pained him. He had seen the faces of his family, had known their joy that he was still with them, and realized he should never have wished for death.

Akiko and Toshikage arrived soon after, happy to find him better. His sister suppressed her joy after the first, uncharacteristically emotional, embrace, and said, “Well, that was a very stupid thing to do. You could have been killed! And then what would have become of our case?”

Toshikage protested, “What a thing to say, Akiko! You must forgive her, Brother. She’s just a silly woman.”

This amused Akitada so much that he chortled.

Akiko had the good sense to see the humor and laugh. “Seriously, Akitada,” she said, “are you feeling better? Tora said something about the doctor being dissatisfied.”

“Tora and I have decided that we need another doctor.”

“But he comes most highly recommended. Fujiwara Moronaga uses him, and he was most helpful when Lady Kumoi fell into fits.”

Akitada grimaced. “More reasons for making a change.”

Her husband said soothingly, “Of course you shall have another doctor, Brother. We’ll find you a good one, one who’s gentle and very, very clever.”

His sister sighed. “Well, never mind. You do sound more like yourself. Contradictory and obstinate.” She settled herself beside him. “I don’t have much time,” she said. “”Toshikage is giving a little party. I’ve promised to see to the refreshments. Though when it comes to men, they don’t want much beyond a supply of good wine and a platter of salted vegetables.”

“Very good wine!” nodded Toshikage. “And that reminds me. I’m on my way to buy that wine, so forgive me if I dash away.”

When her husband had departed, Akiko asked, “Are you up to talking about Lady Ogata?”

He felt surprisingly tolerant of Akiko. Perhaps he had been too hard on her. His sister, for all her interest in high society, was both intelligent and supportive. “Why not?” he said. “Though I haven’t really thought about her at all and I still tire easily.” This last was true, but he mentioned it mainly because it was a perfect excuse for getting rid of her.

“You recall our last conversation?” she asked, giving him an anxious look

“Yes. At your house, and you were on your way to court in a stunning robe.”

She smiled and touched his cheek. “Thank you, Akitada. It was stunning, wasn’t it? I attended the empress that day. Her Majesty looks a good deal thinner since the birth of the child. And much older.” She shook her head.

The empress was several years older than the young emperor, who had initially taken no interest in bedding her. Akiko went on to say that there was already gossip that His Majesty had turned elsewhere, having done his duty.

Akitada, always impatient with court gossip, interrupted her. “You were going to ask them about Lady Ogata.”

She frowned. “You see? You pay no attention to important news. When an emperor discards one female for another, he can set the entire government on its ears. However, I did pick up one piece of interesting gossip and confirmed everything we had found out so far. Secretary Soga’s daughter Sadako married Minamoto Masakane and disappeared from court at the time of his arrest. Until then, she’d been serving as one of the emperor’s handmaidens, having been chosen for the post after the gosechi dancing. What do you think of that?”

“Are you suggesting that His Majesty was enamored of her, and that this is what caused Masakane to strike him?”

She smiled and nodded. “Ah, you have paid attention. Well, it’s likely that Masakane objected to his new wife finding favor in His Majesty’s eyes.”

Akitada snapped, “That is utterly repulsive. Even emperors should respect other men’s wives.”

Akiko laughed.

“You cannot be suggesting the emperor himself is behind her murder?” her brother protested. “That she was killed because she was an embarrassment?”