Laura Rowland: The Cloud Pavilion

Brother and sister, separated for forty-four years, seemed to be at peace if not openly affectionate with each other. There was much to forgive on at least one side.

Sano's mother said, "We've been getting reacquainted."

"So I see," Sano said.

"I can see now that you have inherited good qualities from your mother," Major Kumazawa said. "Both of you are willing to risk your own skins to do what you think is right. That's courage. Stubborn and reckless, to be sure, but honorable."

A wry smile tugged Sano's mouth. He knew better than to expect unalloyed approval from his uncle, and he couldn't help feeling pleased. It went some way toward making up for the insults that Major Kumazawa had hurled at him, which Sano would forgive for his mother's sake.

"Join us," Major Kumazawa said.

Sano sat. Major Kumazawa's wife served him tea and rice cakes, the first nourishment he'd taken in his ancestral estate. It slaked not just hunger or thirst, but the yearning for family connection that had spurred him to help the Kumazawa clan despite his misgivings.

"I heard what happened to you because of Lady Nobuko. Your wife wrote to Chiyo and told her everything. I wouldn't blame you for blaming me." Major Kumazawa said gruffly, "I'm sorry."

Here was more sincere remorse than Sano had expected from his uncle. "It's not your fault. The blame belongs solely to Yanagisawa."

"After everything else he's done to you!" Sano's mother blurted angrily. "I could kill that man!"

Sano and Major Kumazawa avoided each other's gazes. They both knew she was fully capable of killing someone she thought deserved it. But that was a story now over and done with. Their family had outlived years of guilt, shame, and discord.

"So you and Yanagisawa are enemies again," Major Kumazawa said.

"We always were," Sano said. Their truces had been short-lived flukes. The war was on.

"That's a hard blow he hit you." To his credit, Major Kumazawa didn't gloat because Sano had been demoted or shun him because of the disgrace.

"I haven't yet met a blow I couldn't recover from."

Sano explained that he was gradually working his way back into the shogun's good graces. Oddly enough, that had come about because Sano had humiliated and banished Joju. The shogun had summoned Sano to the palace to give him a tongue-lashing. Some fast talk by Sano had reversed much of the damage done him by Yoritomo and carried the day. "My new task is preparing my family for the future."

"I'll do whatever I can to help," Major Kumazawa said.

Sano's mother smiled and blinked away tears. Major Kumazawa wasn't just repaying a favor, Sano realized. Sano had taken the first step toward mending relations within their clan. Now Major Kumazawa had gone the rest of the distance, by voluntarily welcoming Sano's mother back into the clan. Sano was truly moved.

"Many thanks," he said.

"Just be careful next time," Major Kumazawa said, with a hint of his old, critical tone. "No more foolish heroics."

Sano felt the old offense, tempered with respect and amusement. "I'll try."

This wasn't ever going to be an easy relationship. He and his uncle were too different. Yet Major Kumazawa had taken what he himself probably deemed a foolish risk by allying himself with his unconventional, embattled nephew. They would manage.

Blood was blood.