Yanagisawa gave Sano an insolent smile. “Nothing.”

“You were close enough to hear what Ichijo and those samurai were saying,” Fukida said.

“Shut up,” Yanagisawa ordered without looking at him. To Sano he said, “Even if I did hear something, why should I tell you? Many thanks for breaking Right Minister Ichijo’s alibi, but you and I are finished. I know Ichijo is responsible for the murders and the imperial restoration conspiracy.

Marume and Fukida looked at Sano, who experienced a rapid, jarring sequence of reactions. First came dismay: Yanagisawa had solved the case, and with Hoshina gone, Sano had no proof of Yanagisawa’s earlier sabotage and therefore no way to discredit his enemy’s victory. Then he felt anger: The chamberlain had beaten Sano by using the results of his work, then pursuing leads behind his back. Next came fear of dishonor, loss of his post, and the destruction of his family. But Sano saw a glimmer of hope: If Ichijo was the traitor and murderer, then Kozeri wasn’t. Maybe she’d told Reiko the truth. Could Sano and Reiko forget her and put their quarrel behind them?

Recovering his equilibrium, Sano said to Yanagisawa, “You let Ichijo’s friends get away last night. If you’d told me about your plans, we might have captured them. And if Ichijo is the killer, then why haven’t you arrested him?” The narrowing of Yanagisawa’s eyes told Sano he’d hit a nerve. “Ichijo may very well be the leader of the conspiracy, but you’re afraid you won’t be able to make him tell you where the outlaws and weapons are. You need me, because you can’t think what to do next.”

“You’re insane,” Yanagisawa declared.

“You know I’m right,” Sano said.

“Get out of here.”

“Good luck.” Sano nodded to Marume and Fukida, who followed him to the door. “I suppose you don’t want to hear my plan for coercing Ichijo. Oh, and you’d better just hope that what I’ve discovered about him isn’t the critical piece of evidence you need to get his cooperation.”

Sano and his men had walked halfway down the corridor when they heard Yanagisawa call, “Wait.” Marume and Fukida grinned at Sano. They all returned to the chamber, where Yanagisawa said, “Well? What’s this critical evidence you have?”

“First I want to know what you learned from spying on the right minister last night,” Sano said.

The chamberlain’s expression turned murderous. Sano nodded encouragingly. At last Yanagisawa grimaced in exasperation. “The two samurai are rōnin who work for Ichijo.” After describing their conversation, he said, “They must be part of the army he recruited to overthrow the Tokugawa. But they didn’t mention when or where they’ll attack, and I don’t know where they are now.”

Excitement coursed through Sano, followed by unwilling admiration for his enemy. Yanagisawa had established an apparent connection between Ichijo and the restoration conspiracy. Sano asked, “How did you think to spy on Ichijo?”

Yanagisawa’s ominous look warned Sano off the subject. “It’s your turn to talk.”

“Before I say anything, I want you to reinstate our partnership,” Sano said.

Yanagisawa nodded grudgingly.

“I also want you to agree that you won’t sneak around behind my back again, sabotage me, or try to harm me in any way while we’re working together.”

“All right, all right!” Yanagisawa threw up his hands. “You have my word. Now tell me what you know about Ichijo. And it had better be good.”

Although Sano didn’t trust Yanagisawa’s word, he had to be content with their pact if they were to go on together. “I have a witness who saw Ichijo at the scene of Left Minister Konoe’s murder,” he said, and told Kozeri’s story, which Yanagisawa’s news about Ichijo had convinced him to believe.

“A witness.” Yanagisawa spoke with relief as well as satisfaction. Obviously he’d still harbored uncertainty about Ichijo. “The right minister’s attempt to cover up Konoe’s murder also supports his guilt. So what’s your plan for him?”

“We confront him with the evidence,” Sano said. “We give him a chance to confess and turn in his confederates. If he refuses, we lock him up and interrogate him continuously. He cats, sleeps, and bathes only when we permit him; he sees no one except us. We don’t mistreat him, but he’s a proud man who’s used to being in control; imprisonment will break him eventually.”

“But that could take forever!” Yanagisawa said.

“When Ichijo’s mercenaries hear of his arrest, they’ll worry that he’ll turn them in,” Sano said. “They’ll run for their lives. The rebellion will fall apart.” He lifted a hand, forestalling Yanagisawa’s objections. “But we don’t just wait for that to happen. While one of us is wearing Ichijo down, the other will be giving the same treatment to Emperor Tomohito.”

Approval dawned on Yanagisawa’s face.

“Ichijo must have told the emperor some details of the plot,” Sano went on. “I think His Majesty can be persuaded to inform on Ichijo in exchange for keeping his throne.”

“A brilliant scheme,” Yanagisawa admitted with a calculating look in his eyes. “I’m glad I thought of it.”

Though Marume and Fukida frowned at the theft of their master’s idea, Sano nodded, willing to give Yanagisawa credit for his plan if it meant they could deliver a killer to justice and avert a war.

Yanagisawa said, “What are we waiting for?”

The brilliant plan crumbled as soon as they rode up to the Imperial Palace. Tokugawa troops had gathered outside the compound, along with a battalion of yoriki, doshin, and civilian police assistants. The commanders shouted urgent orders. While Sano, Marume, Fukida, and Yanagisawa watched in bewilderment, the whole army swarmed into the city.

Yanagisawa approached the gate, where two scared-looking watchmen stood guard. "What’s going on?” he asked.

Bowing, they answered, “The emperor is missing!”

Stunned, Sano looked at Marume and Fukida. Their exclamations echoed his alarm.

“Where is Shoshidai Matsudaira?” Yanagisawa demanded.

“At the emperor’s residence,” chorused the watchmen.

“Can this have anything to do with the murder case?” Fukida asked.

“I don’t know,” Sano said, “but if something bad has happened to the emperor, it could mean disaster.”

Any misfortune that befell the sacred sovereign heralded trouble for all of Japan: earthquakes, fires, typhoons, famine. And if Emperor Tomohito should die, even a temporary break in the continuity of the imperial succession would create disorder in the cosmos and evil among mankind.

Yanagisawa had already dismounted and marched into the palace compound. Sano, Marume, and Fukida leapt off their horses and followed. Watchmen and Tokugawa troops ran up and down the lanes of the kuge quarter. In the sun-baked courtyard of the emperor’s residence, anxious court nobles and ladies stood apart from a crowd of angry samurai officials. Shoshidai Matsudaira hurried out of the latter group and flung himself on the ground at Yanagisawa’s feet.

“Oh, Honorable Chamberlain,” the shoshidai wailed, “I apologize for letting the emperor disappear. I’ve failed in my duty. I shall commit seppuku to atone for my negligence.”

“Stop whining and tell me exactly what happened,” Yanagisawa said. “How long has the emperor been gone?”

Right Minister Ichijo left the group of nobles and came over. “No one has seen His Majesty since he retired to his bedchamber last night. His attendants discovered that he was missing when they went to wake him for his sunrise prayer ritual. When His Majesty wasn’t found after a search of the palace, I notified the shoshidai. But he could have disappeared hours before daybreak.”

“Have you examined his quarters?” Sano asked.

“Yes,” said Ichijo. “Everything was in order. A set of daytime clothes is missing from his wardrobe.”

“Then he probably went voluntarily,” Sano deduced. “How did he get out of the palace?”