I. Parker: Death of a Doll Maker

“So do I.” Kinsada’s voice had been cold and the implied threat palpable.

“May I beg for more information?”

“No. It is best that you don’t arrive with preconceived notions. And you are to keep our suspicions to yourself. The assistant governor general in Dazaifu has been informed.”

Their ship worked its way slowly and cautiously toward land. When the boat traffic increased, the captain took in the sails and they progressed at a snail’s pace as the sailors plied their long oars.

Saburo, who had been gathering their belongings, came out to join them. “Magnificent,” he said in a rapt voice.

Tora scanned the harbor and the city beyond. “It looks ordinary enough.”

“Not really. Look at it. Foreign ships and foreign houses.”

Akitada said nothing. His entire youth had been filled with images of wilderness and deprivation as his father had spoken of the suffering of his illustrious ancestor. Now he felt strangely disappointed. It was ordinary. Kyushu bustled with life and commerce. Not only was the scene not in the least threatening, the land was positively beautiful. Green fields and forests stretched to many mountains, volcanoes by their shape, and hence home to the many powerful and protective gods of the land. And all around stretched the bay, flecked with small islands. It reminded him of the eastern part of the Inland Sea, but this harbor was much larger, and the city was far more significant than the rapidly declining Naniwa.

But like Saburo, he felt a stirring of excitement. It was certainly an adventure.

When their ship had docked, they saw a reception committee had gathered on shore. A small group of well-dressed men waited in front of a contingent of armed men. Some of them wore official robes and hats, but there were also commoners among them. News must have traveled fast. Akitada had hoped for less advance warning.

As they stepped on land, Tora muttered, “There’s an odd-looking fellow for you. The one at the end. What do you suppose he is?”

“Chinese, I think,” Akitada said. “A merchant probably. There’s a large Chinese settlement here. And a Korean one as well.”

“I thought they were our enemies.”

“Not any longer, though they bear watching,”

Akitada wore a traveling robe and his long sword. Both Tora and Saburo were armed as well. Tora carried the saddlebag with their funds and valuables, and Saburo had the leather box with Akitada’s papers. He had not been given the money for additional staff.

The past three weeks afloat had been at best uncomfortable. The danger of pirate attacks increased the closer they came to Kyushu. Whenever they touched land, warnings were passed on to the captain and Akitada. They had not been attacked, but bad weather had nearly capsized them two nights before.

After he had become accustomed to the motion of the ship, the ground felt unsteady under Akitada’s feet; it seemed to rise to meet each step. The group who awaited him watched and whispered, startled perhaps by the fact he arrived with only two attendants, one of whom had a scarred face.

Saburo had been horribly disfigured when he had undergone torture in his murky past as a spy. He had survived the ordeal, but had become useless in his profession. For years, he had eked out a desperate living in the streets of Naniwa, frightening adults and children alike, until Akitada had found him and, somewhat reluctantly since he disliked spies, hired him.

He had since made himself very useful as his secretary. Recently, Akitada’s wife had suggested hiding the worst of his deep red scars under a thick paste of make-up, tinted to match his normal skin tone. The result had been amazing. While certainly not handsome-the puckered cheek and permanently scarred lips gave his face a lopsided look-he was no longer frightening children and, what was more useful, could pass in a crowd without attracting stares.

The face of the senior official in the middle expressed disapproval. “Lord Sugawara?” he asked, looking dubious.

“Yes.” Akitada stared him down. “And you are?”

His brusque answer convinced the man. He bowed deeply, as did his companions. “Allow me to bid you welcome on behalf of the city Hakata, Your Excellency. I am Nakamura, the mayor.”

Akitada nodded and listened to the introduction of the others. By rank, they were the shrine priest Kuroda Omaru, the Abbot Genkai, the head of the Hakata merchants’ guild Hayashi, the local police chief, Okata, the oddly dressed Merchant Feng, in charge of the Chinese settlement and his Korean equivalent Yi. Apart from Feng and Yi, whom Akitada noted with interest, it was the sort of welcome he could have expected in any province. But there was a striking difference. Apparently nobody from the provincial headquarters had come to greet him. Neither the outgoing governor, Tachibana Moroe, nor his representative, was present. This was curious, but Akitada did not remark on it.

He turned down an invitation to dinner at the mayor’s house and asked instead for horses in order to push on to provincial headquarters. Their baggage could be brought later. The local dignitaries dispersed, looking puzzled.

They stood waiting for the horses and watched their possessions being unloaded. Tora shook his head. “I don’t understand it, sir,” he said. “If they knew we were coming, shouldn’t they have told the out-going governor?”

“Perhaps they did. The provincial authority is in Minami, on the road to Dazaifu .”

“That’s no excuse. He could at least have sent someone. Is this Minami a big city?”

“No. I understand it’s not even a city. There are many military installations and forts nearby guarding the road to Dazaifu. Previous governors apparently opted for safety rather than keeping an eye on local business.”

Tora pursed his lips. “Sounds cowardly to me.”

“The Kyushu coast used to be a dangerous place. Besides, Dazaifu is the true administrative center. The governor general stays there. The nine provincial governors report to him.”

Tora whistled. “A governor general. A bit like being a king in your own country, isn’t it? Doesn’t that worry the bigwigs in the capital?”

Akitada chuckled. “Not at all. The governor general is always an imperial prince. As such, he stays in the capital while the assistant governor general does the work here. In our case, it is Fujiwara Korenori, one of the sons of the regent.”

“Ah.”Tora pondered. “A lot of ships here. More than in Naniwa. I suppose all this protection of the noble officials leaves the locals free to do as they please. The place is crawling with foreigners.”

“I expect we’ll keep a close eye on Hakata,” said Akitada lightly. “Saburo looks forward to exploring the town, don’t you, Saburo?”

Their companion’s mouth twisted into a grin. “With pleasure, sir. It looks fascinating.”

Horses for them and packhorses for their luggage appeared quickly, along with drivers and a guide.

They left the escort and the packhorses behind and passed through Hakata city as rapidly as the crowded streets allowed. The sun was setting, and people hurried from their workplaces to their homes. The market looked large and busy.

Tora sniffed the air. “Their food smells good. I could do with some fried fish or even just a bowl of noodles.”

Akitada shook his head. “Later. It will soon be dark. We don’t have time. They’ll have something to eat when we get there.”

“Did you notice those strange houses a while back, sir?” asked Saburo. “They were all plaster and tile, short, ugly, squat little things.”

“It must be the Chinese settlement,” Akitada said. “I’m very interested in that myself. You’ll get your chance to explore, Saburo.”