Quiet now. His sleeping weight not unpleasant, stoically borne, careful not to move lest she disturb his peace. Well satisfied with her art as she knew he had been with his. Her last, most secret, exhilarating thought before drifting into sleep was, I wonder how Katsumata, Hiraga and their shishi friends will interpret, "Sword of my fathers..."

KYOTO Monday, 29th September

KYOTO Monday, 29th September: A few miles south of Kyoto in twilight, a vicious rearguard skirmish was in progress between fleeing Satsuma troops and Choshu forces of Lord Ogama who had recently seized control of the Palace Gates from them. The Satsuma sword master, Katsumata, the secret shishi, supported by a hundred mounted samurai, was leading the fight to protect the escape of Lord Sanjiro and their main Satsuma force a few miles southwards.

They were heavily outnumbered. The country was open, wind blustering with a heavy stench of human manure from the fields and above an ominous buildup of storm clouds.

Again Katsumata lead a furious charge that broke through the forward ranks towards the standard of the Choshu daimyo, Ogama, also mounted, but they were forced back bloodily, with heavy losses as reinforcements rushed to protect their leader.

"All troops advance!" Ogama shouted.

He was twenty-eight, a heavyset angry man wearing light, bamboo and metal armor and war helmet, his sword out and bloodied. "Bypass these dogs! Go around them! I want Sanjiro's head!"

At once aides rushed off to relay his orders.

Three or four miles away, Lord Sanjiro and the remnants of his force were hurrying for the coast and Osaka, twenty-odd miles away, to seek boats to carry them home to the South Island of Kyushu, and the safety of their capital, Kagoshima, four hundred sea miles southwest.

In all there were about eight hundred fighters, well equipped and fanatic samurai desperate to rush back to join the fight, still smarting from their defeat and being forced out of Kyoto a week ago. Ogama had staged a sudden night attack, ringing their barracks and setting fire to the buildings, abrogating the solemn agreements between them.

With many losses the Satsumas had fought their way out of the city to the village of Fushimi where Sanjiro angrily regrouped, Choshu detachments dogging them. "We are trapped."

One of his captains said, "Lord, I propose an immediate counterattack, towards Kyoto."

Katsumata said emphatically, "Too dangerous, too many troops against us, they will overwhelm us. Sire, you will alienate all daimyos and further frighten the Court. I propose you offer Ogama a truce--if he allows an orderly withdrawal."

"On what grounds?"' "As part of the truce you accept that his forces will be custodians of the Gates--his forces, not the Tosa, and that will sow further dissension between them."

"I cannot accept that," Sanjiro had said, shaking with rage that Ogama had duped him.

"Even if I did he will not consent, why should he? We are in his grasp. He can piss all over us. If I were him I would fall on us here before midday."

"Yes, Lord, he will--unless we forestall him. We can by this ruse, he's not a real fighter like you--his troops are not filled with zeal like ours, nor are they as well trained. He only succeeded against us because he fell on us by night in a filthy betrayal. Remember, his alliance with the Tosa is precarious. He must consolidate his hold of the Gates and has insufficient troops to meet every problem for the next few weeks. He has to organize and get reinforcements without provoking opposition. And soon the Bakufu must come back in force to take back the Gates as is their right."

By Toranaga Edict, all daimyos visiting Kyoto were limited to five hundred guards, all of whom had to live under severe restrictions in their own fief barracks, built by decree without defenses. The same Edict allowed Shogunate forces to number more than all the others together. Over the centuries of peace the Bakufu had allowed these laws to languish. In recent years, Tosa, Choshu and Satsumas daimyos--depending on personal strength--had twisted the bureaucracy to increase their numbers until forced to send the added warriors home.

"Ogama is not a fool, he will never let me escape," Sanjiro said. "I would spike him if I had him trapped."

"He is not a fool, but he can be manipulated." Then Katsumata dropped his voice. "Added to the Gates, you could agree that, if or when there is a Convention of Daimyos, you would support his claims to head the Council of Elders."

Sanjiro exploded, "Never! He has to know I would never agree to that. Why should he believe such nonsense?"' "Because he is Ogama. Because he has fortified his Shimonoseki Straits with dozens of cannon from his not-so-secret, Dutch-built weapons factory and believes therefore, rightly, he can stop gai-jin ships from using it at his whim, yet still be safe against them. That he alone, he thinks, can put into practice the Emperor's wish to expel the gai-jin, that he alone can restore the trapping of power to the Emperor--why shouldn't he claim the big prize, tairo--Dictator?"' "The Land will be torn apart before that."

"The last reason he would welcome a possible truce is because, Sire, never before, has he possessed the Gates--isn't he an upstart, a usurper, isn't his line ordinary,"

Katsumata said with a sneer, "not ancient or exalted like yours. A further reason: he will accept the truce you offer because you will offer it to be permanent."

In the rumble of astonished, angry opposition, Sanjiro had stared at his counselor, astounded at the vast range of concessions Katsumata proposed. Not understanding, but knowing Katsumata too well, he dismissed the others.

"What is behind all this?"' he asked impatiently. "Ogama must know any truce is only good until I am safe behind my mountains where I will mobilize all Satsuma and then march on Kyoto to repossess my rights, avenge the insult and take his head. Why such nonsense from you?"' "Because you are in mortal danger like never before, Sire. You are trapped. There are spies amongst us. I need time to organize boats in Osaka, and I have a battle plan."

At length Sanjiro had said, "Very well.

Negotiate."

The negotiations had so far lasted six days.

During this time Sanjiro placidly stayed at Fushimi, but with spies on all roads to and from Kyoto. As a measure of mutual trust, Sanjiro had agreed to move into a less defensible position, and Ogama had withdrawn all but a token force athwart the escape route. Then both waited for the other to make a mistake.

With supreme power in Kyoto, however tenuous, Ogama, supported by more than a thousand samurai, seemed to be content to tighten his grasp on the Gates, cultivating daimyos and, more particularly, courtiers who were sympathetic. These Ogama persuaded to approach the Emperor, asking Him to "request" the immediate resignation of Anjo and the Council of Elders, to convene a Convention of Daimyos who would be given the power to appoint a new Council of Elders-- with himself as tairo--who would rule until Shogun Nobusada became of age, and at one stroke replacing all Toranaga adherents in the Bakufu.

To Ogama's delight he was told the news his cannon had fired on gai-jin ships had greatly pleased the Emperor, and that, together with Sanjiro's proffered truce and extraordinary concessions, had further bolstered his influence at Court. "The truce is accepted," he had imperiously told Katsumata yesterday. "We will ratify the agreement, seven days from now, here in my headquarters. Then you can retire to Kagoshima."

But this morning had come the astonishing word of Shogun Nobusada's proposed visit. At once Sanjiro sent for Katsumata. "What could possess Anjo and Yoshi to agree? Are they mad? Whatever happens they lose."