After a moment, Yoshi nodded. "A good idea, Ogama-dono. It had not occurred to me."

Indeed it had not. The more he thought about it, the more titillating the offshoots became. "That should have priority. Excellent."

Across the square a horse neighed restlessly and skittered. Both men watched while the soldier holding the bridle gentled her, Ogama wondering in his most secret heart if, when he had eliminated Yoshi--and then, without a hiccup, Nobusada, the rest of the Toranagas and their allies--and became Shogun, if he should then inherit this Imperial Princess. No woman would ever give me a problem, she would be spawning sons so quickly even gods would smile.

"So what is your proposal?" he asked, his head reeling with the wonderful avenues a temporary alliance might open.

"We make a secret agreement from today to join forces and influence and formulate plans: first to smash the shishi, second to neutralize Anjo and Sanjiro of Satsuma, third a surprise attack on Tosa being a priority. The moment Anjo is dead or resigns, I will propose you as Elder in his place and guarantee your appointment. Simultaneously Zukumura will resign and a replacement, agreed in advance by both of us, put in his place. Three to two.

Toyama I keep, Adachi is replaced by your appointee. I vote for you to be the Council Leader."

"With the rank of tairo."

"To be Chief Minister of the Council, that is enough."

"Perhaps not. In return for what?"

"From today Tosa and Satsuma are considered enemy. You will commit all necessary force for a joint, surprise attack on Tosa the moment it is feasible. We divide his fief."

"As he is an Outside Lord, his lands should go to an Outside Lord."

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Yoshi said easily. "You agree never to ally yourself with Tosa and Satsuma against me, or the Shogunate. If, I should say when Satsuma and Tosa separately or together attack you I bind myself to support you at once with massive force."

"Next?" Ogama asked impassively.

"You agree not to take sides against me, as I agree not to take sides against you."

"Next?"

"From today, quietly, each in our own way, we work to annul the marriage."

"Next?"

"Last: the Gates. You agree that legal, legitimate Shogunate forces take back control from dawn tomorrow."

Ogama's face closed. "I already showed you I am the legal and legitimate representative of the Deity."

"I already pointed out, though the document is certainly signed correctly, the signature was, regretfully obtained by misrepresentation."

"So sorry, no."

"The Gates must come back into Shogunate control."

"Then we have little left to talk about."

Yoshi sighed. His eyes slitted. "Then, sadly, there will be a new request from the Emperor --for you to leave the Gates and leave Kyoto with all your men."

Just as coldly Ogama stared back at him.

"I doubt it."

"I, Toranaga Yoshi, guarantee it. In six or seven days Shogun Nobusada and his wife are within the palace. As Guardian I have immediate access to him--and to her. Both will see the correctness of my argument--about the Gates and much else."

"What much else?"

"The Gates should not be a problem for you, Ogama-dono. I would give guarantees not to flaunt this in your face, would "gratefully accept your kind invitation to assume control," would not fortify them against you. What is so difficult? The Gates are mostly a symbol.

I advise you formally, to continue the peace and ensure order in the Land until Anjo is onwards, the Shogunate should have their place there."

Ogama hesitated, in a quandary. Yoshi could easily have such another "request" sent to him, that he would have to accept. "I will give you an answer, in a month."

"So sorry, noon on the sixth day from now is the limit."

"Why?"

"In five days Nobusada reaches Otsu.

By the dusk on the sixth day Nobusada will go through the Gates. I require possession, temporary possession, before that." It was said so gently and so politely.

Their eyes locked. Noncommittally, but equally politely, Ogama said, "I will think about all of this, Yoshi-dono." Then he bowed, Yoshi bowed, both men walked to their palanquins and everyone in the square sighed with relief that their ordeal was over and the expected bloodbath had not happened.

Friday, 21st November

Friday, 21st November: The way station of Otsu had been bustling all day in a crescendo of excitement, anticipation paired with fear over final preparations for tonight's stop of the impossibly august visitors, Shogun Nobusada and the Princess Yazu.

For weeks the citizens had been brooming streets, cleaning all dwellings, hovels, outhouses--roofs, walls, wells, gardens manicured--new tiles, shojis, tatamis, verandas, with the Inn of Many Flowers, the best and biggest in the whole of Otsu, still in a state of near panic.

It had begun the moment it was known the Hallowed Travellers had declined to stay in the nearby Shogunate castle of Sakamoto that had graced the area since before Sekigahara, selecting the Inn instead: "Everything must be perfect!" the Patron wailed, awed and at the same time petrified. "Anything not perfect will merit beheading or at the very least a whipping, man woman or child! Tales of the honor done to us this one night will be remembered through the ages --our successes or failures! The Lord High Shogun himself? In all his glory? His wife, a sister of the Deity? Oh ko...."

Late in the afternoon, veiled, surrounded by guards and counselors and well screened from being observed, Shogun Nobusada hurried from his palanquin through the gates into the isolated section of the Inn reserved for him, with the Princess and their entourage of personal bodyguards, servants, her ladies-in-waiting and maids. There were forty traditional raised bungalows of four rooms each, surrounding the inner sanctum of the Shogun's sleeping quarters and bathhouse, many of the covered verandas interlocking in a maze of pleasing walks and bridges over delicate pools and streams that came down from tiny mountains and all self-contained within a high, thick hedge of manicured hemlocks.

The room was warm and spotless, new tatamis and polished charcoal braziers. Nobusada threw his veiled hat and outer clothes aside, tired and querulous. As always the palanquin had been uncomfortable and the ride bumpy. "I hate this place already," he said to their Chamberlain whose head was touching the floor beside those of an echelon of maids. "It's so small and stinks and I ache all over! Is the bath ready?"

"Ah yes Sire, everything as you require."

"Otsu at long last, Sire," Princess Yazu said gaily, sweeping in with several ladies-in-waiting, "tomorrow we arrive home and everything will be marvelous." She dropped her huge, also veiled hat, and outer clothes.

Maids scrambled to gather them up. "Tomorrow we will be home! Home, Sire! Bypassing a few way stations will be well worth it, neh?"

"Oh yes, Yazu-chan if you say so," he said, smiling at her, quickly caught up in her exuberance.

"You will meet all my friends, cousins, aunts, uncles, elder sister and baby sister, my dear stepbrother Sachi, he's nine this year..." she twirled with happiness, "and hundreds of less close relatives and in a few days you'll meet the Emperor and he will greet you as his brother too and solve all our problems and we will live in tranquility ever after. It's cold in here. Why isn't everything ready? Where is the bath?"

Their Chamberlain--a portly, greying man of fifty with few teeth and heavy jowls--had already been here a day with an advance party of special maids and cooks to prepare their quarters, and particular foods and fruits, with an abundance of polished rice, that the Shogun's delicate stomach required and the Princess demanded. Superb flower arrangements by a Master of ikibana abounded. Again he bowed, inwardly cursing her. "Extra charcoal heaters are ready, Imperial Highness. The bath is ready, your light meal just as you and Shogun Nobusada ordered, dinner the same. It will be the most sumptuous..."