"When and where is this meeting to take place?"

"My Master say: not sure if arranged yet, Sire. Perhaps Chief Medicine Doctor help tairo."

"If a meeting is arranged, tell me.

Tell Serata also that a hospital is an interesting possibility."

He decided to let it go at that. For the moment.

But that was another piece of information that Misamoto had better forget. How can I get a personal interpreter I can trust? I must have one. Perhaps I should train Misamoto, he is my running dog, dependent and in my grasp. So far he has been obedient. Certainly he handled the prospectors well. Pity he was away, detailing progress to Hosaki, when they fought-- like wild beasts, the samurai reported, how apt! Had Misamoto been at the mine, perhaps he could have stopped them. Not that it matters, one dead is one less to worry about, and surely the survivor is not long for this world. Coal! So we have an abundance of coal, Hosaki says, and that for these gai-jin coal is as good as gold.

Deliberately, he changed tack. "Ask Serata-san why gai-jin fire cannon and rifles and send warships up and down to disturb the peace of this Land of the Gods? Do they prepare for war?"

There was a silence. The mood reversed.

"My Master say, no prepare war." He saw Andreh gai-jin was translating meticulously. "Prepare defend only. So sorry, tairo say all gai-jin must leave."

"Why not leave for a month or two and then return?" He laughed inwardly seeing the consternation this generated.

"My Master says, Treaty signed by Lord Shogun and made true by Bakufu leader Tairo Ii, and Most High Emperor, allow us Yokohama, Kanagawa, Kobe soon. Treaty is good treaty for Nippon, gai-jin. Tairo Anjo, so sorry, wrong to be angry."

"Many daimyos do not think so. Tairo Anjo is the leader. You should do what he orders.

This is our land."

"My Master says Furansu want help Nippon be great nation in world... as here too."

"Say to Serata-sama, the tairo is the leader, what he says is to be obeyed, though sometimes," he said delicately, "even the tairo may change if given the correct advice." He saw this register. "So sorry, we have explained a dozen times that Satsuma matters may only be resolved by Sanjiro, the Satsuma daimyo."

"My Master say hope someone can give correct advice to tairo. Satsuma daimyo must say sorry, pay indemnity agreed in Yedo meeting, punish killer openly."

He had nodded as if gravely concerned.

Abruptly, he got up to more consternation--no point in further talk with these underlings who were valuable in other ways, the Ing'erish Leader must be approached. This suited him perfectly. And while he kept his demeanor haughty and stern, he showed some friendliness and agreed, with pretended reluctance, to another meeting. "Misamoto, tell them we can meet in ten days, in Yedo.

They may come to Yedo for a private meeting."

Just as he was leaving the warship, the gai-jin Andreh said, "My Master wish you Good New Year." Dumbfounded, he learned that the gai-jin world had its own calendar, totally different from the Japanese--and Chinese--lunar calendar that had been the way to count the days and the months and years since the beginning of time.

"The first day of our year, Serata-sama,"

Misamoto explained, "is between 16th day of First Month and 22nd day of Second Month depending on the moon. This year, the Year of the Dog, First Day, which begins our season of festivals is the 18th of First Month. That's when all China says Kung Hay Fat Choy."

All the way back to Yedo in the galley Yoshi had wondered about these men. Mostly he was appalled--gai-jin were like monsters in the shape of men who had come from the stars, their ideas and attitudes the wrong side of yin and yang.

Yet for us to survive as a nation, Nippon has to have bigger ships and guns and more power to protect themselves from this alien evil. And for now, he thought, feeling nauseated, the Shogunate must make an accommodation with them.

They will never go away, not all of them, of their own accord. If not these, others will come to steal our heritage, Chinese or Mongols or Hairies from the Siber Ice lands who eye us like slavering dogs from ports stolen from China. And always the Ing'erish will be around us. What to do about them?

That was yesterday. Last night and in this dawn he had been deep in thought, hardly eating, hardly sleeping, conscious too of the emptiness of his bed and of his life--the seams of Koiko's compartment leaking--like Anjo's, and Ogama's and the others.

Many times during the journey here from Kyoto he had thought of the clean sword, the cleanliness and peace of death, the minute and the hour and the day chosen with godlike power--to chose your own death time made you a god: from nothing into nothing. No more sorrow grinding you to petals of pain.

So easy.

The first ray of dawn came through the shutters, touching his short sword. It was beside the bed with his long sword, both within perfect reach, his rifle there as well, loaded, the one he had named Nori. The short sword was an heirloom made by the Master Swordsmith Masumara and once possessed by Shogun Toranaga. He saw the old used scabbard and through it, in his mind, the perfection of the blade. His hand stretched out, caressing the leather, then moved up to the hilt to rest on the small toggle secured to it.

His father had instructed their swordsmith to attach it before presenting the sword to him, formally, in front of their inner circle of retainers. Yoshi was fifteen then and had killed his first man, a ronin who had run amok near his family castle, Eagle's Nest.

"This is to remind you of your oath, my son: that you will carry this blade with honor, that you will use only this blade to commit seppuku, that you will only commit seppuku to avoid capture on a battlefield, or if the Shogun orders it and the Council of Elders confirms the order unanimously. All other reasons are insufficient while the Shogunate is in jeopardy."

A terrible sentence, he thought, and lay back on his bed, safe for the moment in this room high up in his castle quarters where he had had so much pleasure. His eyes went back to the short sword. Today his need was very great. In his imagination he had rehearsed the act so many times that it would be so smooth and kind and releasing. Soon Anjo will send men to arrest me and that will be my excuse...

His sharp ears heard footsteps. Marching feet. His hands took up the short sword and the long sword and he was in defend-attack position.

"Sire?"

He recognized Abeh's voice. That did not mean safety, Abeh could have a knife at his throat or Abeh could be a traitor--after Koiko everyone was suspect. "What is it?"

"The man Inejin begs to see you."

"Have you searched him?"

"Seriously."

Yoshi used the rope he had had rigged, allowing him to slide back the bolt on the reinforced door without moving.

Inejin, Abeh and four samurai waited there.

He relaxed. "Come in, Inejin." Abeh and the others of his personal guard started to follow.

"There's no need, but stay within calling."

His spymaster came in and closed the door, noticed the bolt arrangement but did not comment, and knelt ten paces away.

"You've found Katsumata?"

"He will be in Yedo within three days, Sire.

His first place of calling will be the House of Wisteria."

"That den of scorpions?" Yoshi had not closed the trap on mama-san Meikin to learn the real extent of the plot against him before taking vengeance--vengeance best savored calmly. And he did not yet feel calm. "Could we take him alive?"

Inejin smiled strangely. "I doubt it, but may I tell the story in my own way, Sire?" He settled his aching knee more comfortably. "First about the gai-jin: a development hoped for and encouraged since the beginning has happened. A gai-jin spy has offered their battle plans for money."