Both men wore light armor and swords--a rarity here where all samurai and all weapons were forbidden, except for the ruling Shogun and an immediate guard of four, the Leader of the Elders and Guardian of the Heir.

It was almost noon. The two men were late and noticed none of the beauty surrounding them, lakes and bridges and flowering shrubs and trees groomed and cherished over centuries. Whenever a gardener saw them, the man would kowtow until they were out of sight. Over their armor were straw overmantles against the rain. All morning there had been intermittent showers. Yoshi's pace quickened.

This was not the first time he had hurried to a clandestine meeting within the palace grounds--safe but never truly safe. So difficult to have a truly safe meeting anywhere, with a spy, informer, or adversary--in secret almost impossible-- always afraid of ambush, poison or hidden bowmen or musketeers. The same applied to every daimyo. His own safety factor he knew was very low. So low in fact that his father and grandfather had taught him to accept the fact that death from old age had no place in their karma.

"We are as safe as anywhere on earth," he said. "It would be unthinkable to break a truce here."

"Yes, except for Ogama. He is a liar, cheat, he should be meat for vultures, his head spiked."

Yoshi smiled and felt better. Since the appalling news of the shishi attack had arrived in the middle of the night he had been more edged than ever --more than when on the death of his uncle he had been passed over as Shogun and Nobusada appointed instead, more than when tairo Ii had arrested him, his father and their families and sent them to rot in foul quarters. He had made preparations to rush two hundred men to meet the entourage at the Kyoto barrier, and at dawn had sent Akeda secretly to Ogama to relate what had happened and why a large party of men equipped for war were leaving his stockade.

"Tell Ogama all that we have been told, and answer any of his questions, I want no mistakes Akeda."

"There will be none from me, Sire."

"Good. Then give him the letter and request an immediate answer." Yoshi had not told Akeda what the letter contained, nor did his general ask. And when Akeda returned Yoshi said, "Tell me exactly what he did."

"Ogama read the letter twice and spat, cursed twice, threw it at his counselor, Basuhiro, who read it with that stony, slimy pockmarked face of his that gave nothing away, who said, "Perhaps we should discuss this in private, Sire." I told them I would wait, I did and then after a reasonable time Basuhiro came out and said, "My Lord agrees but he will come armed and I will be armed." What's this all about, Sire?"' Yoshi told him and the old man went purple.

"You asked to meet him alone? With only myself as guard? That is craziness, just because he says he will come only with Basuhi--"' "Enough!" Yoshi knew the risks were great but he had to gamble again, had to have an answer on his proposal about the Gates and then, when he was about to leave and one of the surfeit of Shogunate spies reported certain conversations overheard between the shishi Katsumata and others at the Inn of Whispering Pines he had been elated he had asked for the meeting. "There he is!"

Ogama was standing in the shade of a wide-branched tree where they had agreed, Basuhiro at his side. Both were clearly suspicious, expecting treachery, but not as visibly nervous as Akeda.

Yoshi had proposed that Ogama come in through the South Gate, he would use the East Gate, leaving his palanquin and guards outside with their safe conduct guaranteed. After the meeting, all four would walk out of the East Gate together.

As before the two adversaries walked towards each other to speak alone. Akeda and Basuhiro watched tensely.

"So!" Ogama said after their formal greeting.

"A handful of shishi attack through hundreds of guards like a knife through dung and almost in Nobusada's bath, naked wife and bed before they are caught. Ten men you say?"

"Three were Choshu ronin, the two that got through the hedge were Choshus, one of them the leader."

Yoshi was not over his fright at the attack, and wondered if he dared draw his sword at this rare opportunity to challenge Ogama alone-- Basuhiro presented no physical threat, with or without Akeda.

I need Ogama dead one way or another, he thought, but not yet. Not when two thousand Choshu hold the Gates and me in thrall. "All of them died without doing harm, except to some guards, the survivors not long on this earth. I hear you have offered all your Choshu ronin an amnesty?" he asked, his voice edging, wondering again if Ogama had a secret hand in the planning which had been impeccable and, if the truth was known, should have been successful. "If shishi or not."

"Yes," Ogama said, his mouth smiling.

"All daimyo should do the same, a quick and simple way to control all ronin, shishi or not.

They are a pestilence that must be stopped."

"I agree. Amnesty will not stop them. May I ask, how many of your ronin have accepted your offer?"

Ogama laughed roughly, "Clearly not the ones who were in the attack! One or two so far, Yoshi-dono. How many are there in all? A hundred? Not two hundred, of which twenty or thirty may be Choshu? Choshu or not, never mind." His face hardened. "I did not plan the attack if that is what is in your mind, or know about it." The mirthless smile returned.

"Unthinkable to have such a treasonous thought. Eh?

Easy to stamp shishi out if you and I wanted to --but their slogan is not as easy to suppress, if indeed it should be suppressed. Power should return to the Emperor, gai-jin should be expelled. Sonno-joi is a good slogan, eh?"

"I could say many things, Ogama-donno, but allies should not bait one another. We are allies? You agree?"

Ogama nodded. "In principle yes."

"Good," Yoshi said, hiding his astonishment that Ogama had agreed to his conditions. "Within the year you are Chief of the Elders. From noon I garrison the Gates." He turned to go.

"Everything as you said. Except the Gates."

The vein in Yoshi's forehead knotted. "But I said I need the Gates."

"So sorry." Ogama's hand had not tightened on his sword though his feet had shifted into a better fighting stance. "Secret allies yes, war with Tosa yes, with Satsuma yes, the Gates no. So sorry."

For a moment Yoshi Toranaga said nothing.

He looked at him. Ogama stared back unafraid, waiting, ready to fight if need be.

Then Yoshi sighed, wiped raindrops from the edge of his wide-brimmed hat. "I want to be allies. Allies should help one another. I have a compromise, perhaps, but first I give you some special information: Katsumata is here in Kyoto."

The blood rushed into Ogama's face. "Not possible, my spies would have told me."

"He is here and has been here for some weeks."

"There are none of Sanjiro's men in Kyoto, least of all that man. My spies would have t--"

"Ah, sorry," Yoshi said softly, "he is here, secretly, not as Sanjiro's pathfinder and spy, at least not openly. Katsumata is shishi, a Sensei of shishi, and the leader of shishi here, code name the Raven."

Ogama gaped at him. "Katsumata is the shishi leader?"

"Yes. And a little more. Think for a moment: is he not Sanjiro's most trusted, long-time counselor and tactician? Did he outsmart you on behalf of Sanjiro with his false pact and foil you at Fushimi and allow Sanjiro to escape? Does that not mean Sanjiro of Satsuma is secretly the real leader of shishi and that all of their assassinations are part of his general plan to overthrow all of us, you particularly, to become Shogun?"

"That's always been Sanjiro's goal, of course," Ogama said, momentarily glazed, many hitherto unexplained occurrences now falling into place. "If he controls all shishi too ..." he stopped, suddenly infuriated that Takeda had never told him. Why? Is Takeda not a spy for me, not a true secret vassal after all? "Where is Katsumata now?"