"I ask a lifetime favor,"

Katsumata had said.

"No, you must not!" she had said, shocked to see him, shocked that he would endanger her with such a clandestine meeting and shocked that he would ask such a favor of her that surely must have dire consequences. Once granted, no other favor could ever be asked of the same person, the ensuing debt enormous. "We agreed when Lord Toranaga Yoshi honored me, all personal contacts between us should cease, except in an emergency. We agreed."

"Yes, hence the lifetime favor I ask."

Seven years ago, in Yedo, when she was fifteen, Katsumata had been her first client.

Quickly he had become a lot more: friend, guru and consummate teacher. He had opened her eyes to the world, to the importance of the real world, as well as the Floating World. Over the years he had taught her the tea ceremony, the art of debating, calligraphy, about poetry and inner meanings of literature, politics, and regaled her with his ideas and plans for the future, how his small band of acolyte samurai would dominate the land, would force through sonno-joi, and, in time, showed her how there was a vital place for her in the jigsaw called sonno-joi. "As a courtesan of supreme rank you will be a confidante of the powerful, as wife of one of them, you'll marry one, never fear, and have samurai sons and be indispensable to the new future and a major part of its power, never forget it!"

Meikin, her mama-san, was an adherent so of course she had agreed, her imagination devoured by his bravery and daring and his band of shishi, the rise of their fortunes.

"Our fortunes have ebbed," he had said and told her about the ambush last night and his escape with two others. "We were betrayed--I do not know by whom but we have to scatter--for the time being."

"Forty shishi spiked?"' she whispered, appalled.

"Forty. Most of them leaders. Only three of us escaped, another shishi and a girl--a ward of mine. Listen, Koiko-chan, there's not much time. The lifetime favor I ask is for you to guard this girl while you stay in Kyoto, take her into your household, even back to Yedo with you an--"' "Oh but as much as I would like to, so sorry that would be very difficult, the General Akeda is very particular about people. He would personally interview her--he did with all my other helpers," she said as nicely as she could, inwardly horrified that he dared to make such a dangerous suggestion to her that she harbor a shishi escapee, however innocent, "it would be very diff--"' "Of course it would be difficult. But you will be able to arrange this without having him see her."

"I do not think that possible and then there is Lord Yoshi." She had left that hanging, frantically hoping he would withdraw the favor but he had continued softly, watching her with his intense, compelling eyes, saying that Sumomo would be safe with her, that she was samurai, the affianced of a very important shishi, a woman to be trusted: "So sorry but I ask you do this for sonno-joi, she is to be trusted. Any problem, send her away. Any task she will do ... sorry, Koiko-chan I must go. A lifetime favor, as an old friend."

"Wait. If... I will have to consult with General Akeda, but even if he can be avoided, certainly I must ask my household, I will have to consult them of course, but what am I to say about her? To the General or to them, I do not know these Kyoto people, or anything about them."

"Their mama-san guarantees they are to be trusted," he had said with utter conviction. "I asked her and she approves of this, Koiko, or I would not suggest it. Tell them the truth, that Sumomo is simply a headstrong girl and her guardian--an old, old client-- wants her curbed and trained in useful, feminine arts. I cannot take her with me and want her protected. I have an obligation to her fianc`e.

She will obey you in everything."

Koiko trembled at the danger she had put herself into, as well as those she was responsible for, Teko and her attendants: four maids, a hairdresser, and a masseuse. Fortunately they had agreed to have this stranger in their midst and to help her to change her ways--and Akida's scrutiny had failed to detect any flaw.

Ah, Katsumata, you knew I could refuse you nothing, she thought. Curious how quickly you went beyond needing my body, a few months, wanting instead to possess and expand my mind. I'm still bound by hoops of iron, deep in your debt.

Without you and the knowledge you gave me I would not be at the pinnacle I am now--and able to beguile the greatest man in the land.

"Sit down, Sumomo," she said. "We have a little time now before I have to go. We can not be overheard here."

"Thank you."

"My attendants are concerned about you."

"Please excuse me if I have not been correct."

Koiko smiled. "The maids wonder if you have a tongue in your head, all agree your gentility needs improving, and all can understand a guardian wanting you improved."

"I need improving," Sumomo said, smiling.

Koiko's eyes crinkled. The young woman opposite her was not unattractive, her body lithe and strong, the face without makeup, the bloom of youth and health making up for that deficiency.

Her hair is in good condition but needs styling, she thought critically. The Kyoto style would suit her, lots of good oils on her hands and arms, some shading on her fine cheekbones, a touch of color on her lips. The girl has promise. We must bathe together and then I would know more though I doubt she could adapt to our life even if she wanted to adapt. "You are a virgin, yes?"

She saw the girl flush and laughed outright.

"Ah so sorry, of course you are, for a moment I forgot that you are not of our world. Please excuse me, but it is rare for us to meet outsiders, let alone a samurai lady, and to have one in your household however briefly, that is almost unknown."

"Is, is that what you call us? Outsiders?"

"Yes. Our Floating World sets us apart.

Take little Teko. Soon her other life will have vanished and she will know only mine. That is my duty, to train her and keep her gentle and kind, to sacrifice herself for man's pleasure--not at her impulse." Koiko's eyes took on a sheen. "That is what keeps men happy and content, pleasure in all its manifestations, neh?"

"Sorry, I don't understand "manifestations"."

"Ah, so sorry, it means "appearances, or qualities," to show pleasure in all its degrees."

"Ah, thank you," Sumomo said awed.

"Please excuse me, I never knew that ladies of the, the Floating World were so... of course I presumed they were beautiful, but never, never as beautiful as you and never dreamed they could be so well educated and accomplished." In the few days she had been here she had heard Koiko singing, and playing the samisen and had been inspired by the peerless quality and her repertoire--she too could play the samisen, just a little, and knew how difficult it was. She had heard her teaching Teko the art of haiku and other poetry, how to caress a phrase, about silks, how they are made, the warp and the weft and other mysteries, the beginnings of history and similar wonders, her range of knowledge vast. She bowed in tribute. "You astonish me, Lady."

Koiko laughed softly. "Learning is the most important part of our work. It's easy to satisfy a man's body--such a transient delight--but difficult to pleasure him for any length of time, to intrigue him and retain his favor. That must come through the senses of the mind.

To achieve that one must train oneself extremely carefully. You must begin to do that too."

""When there are cherry blossoms to admire, who would look at carrot tops"?"

"When a man is hungry he seeks carrots and not cherry blossoms and he is more hungry than not." Koiko waited amused. She saw Sumomo drop her eyes, at a loss.

"Carrots are peasant food, Lady,"