Ogama's eyes went back to Yoshi. "This Shogun visit to the Emperor, to kowtow, to "ask advice," the first time in the whole Toranaga period, this negates the very kernel of your Toranaga structure, eh? Worse it clouds any future settlement between the Son of Heaven and... future leaders, forof course mortals will rule, eh?"

"In private, Ogama-dono."

Ogama hesitated, dark eyes recessed in the weathered face. In spite of himself, in spite of knowing that this man was potentially the only one in the Land who could perhaps gather enough opposition to prevent him reaching the prize he sought, he enjoyed the clash, enjoyed meeting face to face. He waved his hand dismissing Basuhiro, who obeyed at once though clearly disapprovingly. Akeda bowed and also moved away, even more watchful for the expected treachery he had warned against.

"So ka?"

Yoshi bent forward slightly and kept his voice low, his lips hardly moving in case Basuhiro who had placed himself out of earshot, could lip-read. "The Council vote was four to one against me in favor of the Shogun visit. Of course the visit is a major mistake, Anjo cannot and will not see that. The present Council will vote as he wishes, on any subject. Nobusada is a puppet until he is eighteen, in two years, when formally he can create many changes and problems if he so wishes. Does that answer all your questions?"

Ogama frowned, astonished that his opponent would be so open. "You said, "in private,"

Yoshi-dono, what do you want to say in private that of course I will tell my advisors afterwards and you will tell yours."

"Some secrets are better kept between leaders, than..." Yoshi added deliberately, "than with certain retainers."

"Eh? What does that mean?"

"You have spies--retainers--within my gates, neh? How else did you know I arrived when I did? Surely you don't think I don't have men here, and spies within your walls?"

Ogama's face became grimmer. "What secrets?"

"Secrets we should keep. For example Anjo is very sick and will die within a year--or at the very least will have to resign." Yoshi had seen the flicker of immediate interest that Ogama could not totally contain. "If you want proof I could tell you how your spies can confirm it."

"Good, thank you," Ogama said, docketing that for immediate action without waiting for guidance. "I would like the means to prove such pleasant news. So?"

Yoshi pitched his voice lower. "Within this year --if we were allied--it will be easy to ensure you are appointed an Elder. Then jointly we would approve the other three."

"I doubt if we could ever agree, Yoshi-dono," Ogama said with a twisted smile, "neither on a Council, or which of us would be tairo, the Leader."

"Ah, but I will vote for you."

"Why would you be so stupid?" Ogama said blankly. "You must know I would at once demolish your Shogunate."

"As it exists, yes. I agree we should. I would like to do it now. If I had power I would do it now and make reforms together with the advice of a council of all daimyos, including Outside Lords." He saw Ogama's astonishment increase and knew he was gaining. "But I can't, I must wait until Anjo resigns or dies."

"Why not sooner than later, eh? If he's the boil on your balls, lance it! You are both in Yedo Castle, eh?"

"That would precipitate the civil war I do not want, no daimyo wants. I agree the Shogunate and Bakufu must be reorganized radically--your views and mine are very similar.

Without your support I could not achieve reform."

Yoshi shrugged. "It is difficult to believe but it is an offer."

The other man said, "With Anjo out of the way you could do whatever you wanted. You could tempt Sanjiro and the fool of Tosa, perhaps both together, eh? If you three allied against me, perhaps I am a dead man and my fief ended. Then you divide them and you are the power." His lips curled into the smile that was not a smile. "Or more likely they stay together and divide you."

"Much more likely. So why not choose power to us and not them. First, together we crush Tosa."

Again the short hard laugh. "Not easily, not with Sanjiro and his Satsuma legions ready to go to Tosa's aid at once--he could never allow us to smash Tosa because then he is isolated and we would turn on him. He would never allow me to smash Tosa which I could do in time, let alone allow an alliance between us. Not possible to split them although they hate each other. At length we would beat them but neither of us can easily sustain a lengthy war--and certainly never while the gai-jin are on our shores and ready to exploit us."

"Leave the gai-jin for the moment, except to say that I oppose the Treaties, want all gai-jin expelled, want--with all my strength-- to fulfill the Emperor's request, want the Elders replaced and most of the Bakufu dismissed."

Again Ogama stared at him, hardly able to believe his ears. "Such private thoughts, lethal thoughts, so openly spoken will not remain secret for long. If true."

"They are true. They are spoken privately, between us. I gamble with you, yes. But there is purpose: Nippon. I propose a secret alliance: together we could control all power. You are a good leader, you possess the Shimonoseki Straits, your cannon cannot stop the gai-jin ships until we can buy or build an equal fleet and modernize our armies--gai-jin ships, cannon and firearms are all we need. And you are strong enough and clever enough to understand the problems confronting us."

"They are?"

"Five main ones: a weak, stupid and out-of-date Shogunate supported by an even more stupid Bakufu; second, the nation is divided; third, the gai-jin and the need for us to modernize before their ships, cannons and rifles enslave us like they enslaved China; fourth, how to obliterate all shishi whose influence grows in spite of the smallness of their numbers. And then fifth: the Princess Yazu."

"Four I agree. But why is she a problem?"

"Nobusada is a child, querulous and simple, yes and I think he will remain one. On the other hand, she is strong, educated, and cunning, cunning beyond her years."

"But a woman," Ogama cut in irritably, "with no army, no purse, and once she becomes a mother all her energies will be expended on her sons. You see fire in a bowl of water."

"But say her husband is impotent."

"What?"

"That is what his doctors whisper to me. Say also he is totally within her spell--believe me this girl has all the wits and devilment of a wolf kami! This visit is her idea, the beginning of her plan: to put him and through him the Shogunate into the clutches of Court sycophants who have no temporal experience, who will misguide the Deity and wreck us all."

"She could never do it," Ogama said sourly, "however clever, no daimyo would accept such madness."

"Step one: the visit, step two: the Shogun takes up permanent residence in the palace. From then on, supported by the Emperor's requests, her brother's requests, decisions come down through her cronies, one of whom is your Prince Fujitaka."

"I do not believe that!"

"Certainly he will not admit it. I can give you proof in a little while that he is not really working for you but against you." Yoshi kept his voice down and filled with sincerity. "Once Nobusada is permanently inside the walls, she rules. That is why she is a problem."

Ogama sighed and sat back, again weighing what his adversary had been saying, much of which was true, wondering how far he could trust him. Certainly a secret alliance had possibilities, if the price extracted was high enough.

"The answer to her is to break the marriage," he said thinly. "The Emperor was asked to approve it, eh? Perhaps the Emperor would be happy to request the annulment. At once you neutralize her, gain back support from the many who detest the Toranaga connection as a gross impertinence... not my opinion," he added hastily seeing a momentary flush, not wanting an open clash yet, so much yet to hear and to decide.