I Parker - The Convict's sword

“Can I bring you some wine, sir?” Nakatoshi asked anxiously.

“No.” Akitada ran a hand over his face as if brushing away cobwebs and took a deep breath. “Yes, perhaps. Thank you.” A cup of wine would put some warmth into his body, would thaw out the icy fury that seemed to paralyze his muscles and his brain. He walked stiffly around Soga’s desk and sat down. Outside, thunder growled again, and the pines in the courtyard tossed in the wind. A gust of air stirred the papers on the desk. He got up to close the shutters and lit the tall candlesticks.

The correspondence. He looked through it. Apparently Soga had already removed anything he considered too important for Akitada’s eyes. The rest was routine. When Nakatoshi returned with the warm wine, Akitada gulped it thirstily, then told him to take dictation. For the next hour, Akitada dealt with the business of the ministry.

“Is anyone waiting outside?” he asked, when the paperwork was done.

“Nobody important. It’s time for the midday rice.”

Akitada glanced at the closed shutters. He was not hungry. The sound of rain had been with them for a while now without his having noticed. And he had forgotten Tora. “One more letter,” he said. “It must be delivered immediately. Then I shall see the petitioners.”

The letter was addressed to Kobe, superintendent of the capital police. He hated to ask the man for this favor, but his concern for Tora was too great. Besides, a request to transfer Tora from the Western to the Eastern Prison was not unreasonable since Tora resided in the eastern half of the capital. The problem was that Kobe would assume other concessions would be expected later.

Then he had Nakatoshi show in the people who had waited patiently outside (some of them, as it turned out, for many months) to lay a problem before the minister of justice. He discovered that several had come bearing gifts, which he refused. The ones who had waited for months appeared too poor to curry the minister’s favor in this way. This was not surprising. Akitada had always known that Soga enriched himself in his office. Indeed, most officials considered it a perquisite of their posts. Also, not surprisingly, the ones with gifts rarely deserved consideration, while the poor fellows who had lingered for months in the waiting area seemed to have legitimate cause for review. With a sigh, Akitada took down their information and sent them away until their cases could be studied. The others he dismissed brusquely. Still, hours passed in this manner until it became difficult to read the documents, because darkness was creeping from the corners of the room.

Impatiently, Akitada called for more lights. Nakatoshi came and threw open the shutters. The rain had stopped and it was clear again, but the sun had set and left behind a steamy dusk. Only now did Akitada become aware of the stiffness in his back and neck. He also realized that it was late and that he had done nothing about Tora.

“How many more?” he asked Nakatoshi.

“None, sir. And Sakae asks if he can leave.”

“Dear heaven, I forgot all about him.” Akitada rose, stretching his painful legs and back. “Don’t tell me there is always this much business,” he said with a grimace.

Nakatoshi grinned. “No, sir. A lot of stuff accumulated in His Excellency’s absence. Besides, he doesn’t see very many of the petitioners.”

“I gathered that. There was one old man who had been here every day for the past three months.”

“That would be Mr. Chikamura? The one who claims that his property has been taken by his nephew?”

“His home actually. I cannot imagine where he lays his head. He seems afraid for his life if he sets foot in his own house. I told him we would look into the matter. Have one of the scribes check the property deeds and then send someone from the police to his home to see what is going on.”

Akitada walked across to his own office, where he found Sakae pacing the floor impatiently. He said, “Sorry, Sakae, but there was a great deal of work. How did you manage?”

Sakae pointed to a stack of documents. “All finished, sir. And here’s the report for the minister. We’ve already signed.”

This was so unlike the Sakae he knew that Akitada looked quickly through the papers. Not only did they seem in order, but Sakae’s handwriting had improved materially. Light dawned belatedly. “I see you called on one of the scribes to assist you.”

Sakae drew himself up. “Under the circumstances I thought it proper, sir.”

“Yes. Quite. Very good.” Akitada signed the report. “I shall see you tomorrow then?”

Sakae bowed and departed. Akitada was still looking after him, wondering what had come over his clerk, when Nakatoshi joined him.

“Sakae is a changed man,” Nakatoshi said, making a face.

“I wonder why.”

“Isn’t it obvious, sir? Sakae wants your place when you’re gone.”

Akitada turned, aghast. “My place?” Then he remembered that he had offered Soga his resignation and that it had been accepted. He felt the crushing weight of worry about the future. Then shame returned. How had the clerks found out?

Nakatoshi looked embarrassed. “Before you came, the minister was speaking rather rashly about changes he intended to make. He also complimented Sakae on his fine work reorganizing the filing system. I’m afraid Sakae took this to mean…”

“I see.”

So that was why everyone had been all ears when he had arrived this morning. The humiliation of having been dismissed in such a public, and no doubt insulting, fashion made his face burn. He turned away abruptly, saying, “Until tomorrow then,” and walked out.

At the door, Akitada met a familiar figure just coming in: a tall, middle-aged official who had a neatly trimmed beard and wore a formal silk robe and court hat.

“Sugawara,” he cried, his face breaking into a big smile. “Here I am. Don’t look so glum! All will be well.”

“Kobe,” said Akitada weakly, coming to a stop. Little did the man know that nothing was well, or would be in the end. Still, he was touched that Kobe had come in person and seemed in a friendly mood. Becoming aware that his greeting was lacking in welcome, he bowed quickly and returned the smile. “I was coming to see you. I hope you didn’t take my request amiss?”

“Of course not! What are friends for?”

Akitada regarded him uncertainly. “That is very good of you. I didn’t want to trouble you, but since you know both Tora and me, I thought you might be willing to help. It’s a cursed affair, and Tora was flogged before I could get to him. I was afraid using my influence would do nothing but make matters worse.”

Kobe laughed-a nice, relaxed laughter. “Come, come! Why act the stranger when I expected to see an old friend? Of course I know Tora couldn’t have done such a thing. It’s all a mistake, though I expect Tora was meddling again. Sorry to hear about the flogging, but he was cheerful enough when I talked to him.”

“You have been to see him? That was very kind of you.”

“Not at all. Prisoners come to me, not I to them. I ordered his transfer. It took a while. Confounded paperwork. But you know how it is.”

“Yes. I’ve been tied up all day myself. Thank you.”

“If you’re free now, shall we pay him a visit?”

Akitada hesitated. Kobe’s open support might give his enemies an opportunity to charge him with favoritism. He said, “I don’t like to impose further on your goodness.”

“You’re not. I like Tora. Come, you can tell me what you think about the case on the way.”

Akitada still hung back. “What if… certain people use this kindness to make trouble for you?”