I Parker - The Fires of the Gods

‘I have to.’

Hoshina came in and set down three bowls of stew. She joined them. ‘You cannot do that, Tora,’ she said. ‘They’ll arrest Jirokichi.’

Light dawned a second time. Tora grinned. ‘You mean you were breaking into Watanabe’s house when you found out?’

They both nodded. Jirokichi raised his bowl and slurped noisily. ‘Hoshina,’ he mumbled, chewing, ‘you’re an artist. Eat, Tora. It’s delicious.’

Tora sniffed his bowl cautiously, then tasted the soupy broth. It was good, but Jirokichi was clearly besotted with anything Hoshina did. He ate a little and said, ‘I hate to mention it, but Superintendent Kobe plans to question Hoshina. So it’s pretty well too late. Besides, I don’t know how to tell him about Watanabe without bringing up your name, but maybe I can make a deal.’

They looked at each other. Jirokichi sighed. ‘Well, I’d made up my mind to tell you anyway. One night I was getting ready to help myself to some of Watanabe’s gold… For the poor, you know. Make sure the superintendent understands that it was for the poor.’

Tora cast up his eyes. Of course.’

‘I was sitting on a beam right above his money chest when there was this loud pounding at the back door. Watanabe gets up and goes to answer it, cursing under his breath, and I creep into a corner of the roof to hide. He brings in three of the bastards – Takeo, Togo, and Chako. They want money from him for some work they’ve done.’

Tora interrupted, ‘Was that the night they caught you?’

Jirokichi raised his bowl and let the vegetables in the bottom drain into his mouth. ‘Yes. They saw me coming from the house. I thought I was dead, but the devils took their time.’

‘But you already knew someone was setting the fires.’

Jirokichi heaved an aggrieved sigh. ‘Are you going to let me tell the story? Yes, I knew Takeo and those young devils were setting fires. Most of us in the business suspected. But it wasn’t just a lark. They were being paid. They bragged about it. Said they worked for those above the clouds and laughed like it was a joke. You know, the fires of the gods? Only, it wasn’t the gods they meant. And there I was, caught in the house of their employer. I tell you I was so scared I almost wet my pants. Anyway, Watanabe goes to open his money chest, giving me a good view of piles of gold and silver that would feed the whole western city for a year. He hands the scum a few gold pieces and tells them to be more careful next time. They leave, he goes back to bed, and I take off without touching his gold.’ Jirokichi made a face. ‘Only, in the rush to get away, I didn’t look where I was going, and the bastards caught me in the street outside.’

Tora digested that. ‘Any idea why Watanabe wants to burn down businesses?’

Jirokichi shook his head and eyed Tora’s half-filled bowl. ‘That money chest was full. Watanabe’s a money lender. I bet he’s working for one of the great lords.’ He suddenly looked angry. ‘That’s the way it is in the world. The nobles borrow ready cash for their expensive lifestyles from men like Watanabe in exchange for protecting them from the law. There’s no difference between that and a protection racket.’ He gestured to Tora’s bowl. ‘Are you going to finish that?’

Tora was far enough removed from his own humble beginnings to be taken aback by Jirokichi’s comparison. ‘The great lords don’t burn down the city when they don’t get their money,’ he said sourly and pushed his bowl towards Jirokichi.

Jirokichi flared up. ‘Hey, that wasn’t the gang’s doing. That was Watanabe and his hired boys.’ He seized Tora’s bowl and ate.

‘Maybe, but if your friend Koichi and his buddies are such good guys, why did they let those young devils escape?’

Jirokichi put down his bowl. He looked glum. ‘Turns out Takeo’s Koichi’s son. Koichi’s a good man, but he’s a father. He hit Takeo hard for what he did to me, but he couldn’t let him be taken by the police.’

‘So Takeo’s still loose?’

Jirokichi nodded glumly.

Tora sneered. ‘Well, they caught his sister. She keeps company with a kid called Tojiro. What about him?’

Jirokichi burped. ‘Don’t know him. Don’t keep up with the family except to nod to Koichi when I see him.’

Hoshina said, ‘Don’t get them into trouble.’

‘Too late for that,’ said Tora, getting up. ‘When they tried to kill my master, the police arrested Koichi and the girl. They’ll make them talk, and that means they’ll get the young bastards, too.’

Jirokichi gulped, shook his head, and shrank into himself. ‘I’m sorry we met,’ he said heavily, then turned away to look out at his garden.

Tora looked down at him. ‘And I should’ve let them kill you,’ he snarled and stalked out.

Hoshina ran after him. ‘He doesn’t mean it, Tora. He’ll come round, you’ll see. But they’re his friends. His people.’

Tora stopped and looked at her. ‘And I’m not. Fair enough. And we should never help someone who isn’t one of us, right?’

She hung her head. ‘Nobody helps people like us.’

‘I did,’ Tora grunted and left, slamming the door behind him.

Akitada frowned at the note. ‘What does it mean?’ ‘We think it must be a warning, sir,’ said Seimei. ‘Or a threat,’ said Genba. ‘Somebody’s going to set fire to this place.’

Akitada’s heart sank. He should have expected it. Kobe had arrested some of the gang. Now the rest had declared war. He glanced around at his home – ancient, time-blackened and shaded by enormous trees, a continuous drain on his finances, and a place he loved dearly. He could not lose it.

Seimei was still confused. ‘Who would send such a thing to us?’

Akitada explained. ‘The way it was delivered, it may announce retaliation because Tora and I have interfered with criminal activities in the western city.’ He turned to Genba. ‘It doesn’t say when. We’d better fill buckets with sand and water, warn the neighbors, and stand watch tonight.’ He thought of Tamako and the baby, of Tora’s little son. Tomorrow they would take the women and children to his sister Akiko in the country.

He glanced up at the cloudy sky. Perversely, the clouds were too high for rain, and they scudded along too quickly on a fresh breeze. It was perceptively cooler than it had been, and thunderstorms were unlikely. With this weather, it would be dark sooner than normal.

Akitada folded the paper and put it in his sleeve. ‘I have an errand and will drop this off with Superintendent Kobe on the way. If those hooligans operate in the usual manner, we needn’t expect trouble until the hour of the rat or later.’ He cast a worried glance towards the house. Tamako was getting stronger every day, but a sudden scare might dry up her milk. He did not want to risk that. ‘Better not alarm the women yet. Tell my wife I’ll be back in time for the evening rice.’

Seimei looked dubious but bowed, and Akitada turned on his heel to walk out of his gate again.

He went quickly along Horikawa Avenue, hurrying because he felt uneasy, and arrived at Kobe’s office out of breath. To his disappointment, Kobe was not in, and the officers and men seemed very busy. Akitada left the note and an explanation with an assistant. Then he turned south to Nijo Avenue to make his way to the residential area where Fuhito lived. He did not relish this errand, but wanted to get it over with.

As last time, the major-domo’s mother admitted him. He noticed the change in her almost immediately. She held herself as taut as a bow string.

Her expressions of the usual courtesies and her congratulations on the birth of his daughter were almost painful in their stiffness.