She was putting on her gown again, tying the sash firmly around her enormous middle. “Seems to me you do whatever works at the moment,” she said practically. “Surprise always does the trick. Half the time you stood there looking like a gasping fish, so I had time to grab the staff and attack. Still, even if you had followed through, I would have rolled myself into a ball and come up at you from underneath to toss you on your face.”
“Without the staff?” Tora widened his eyes. “But that’s not stick fighting. Only wrestlers do that.”
She clapped the wig back on her head and got into her chair. “Didn’t you mention that you’re training to fight criminals? If you need practice for sporting contests, I’m not your woman.”
Tora said quickly, “Oh, you are! You are! I think you’re fantastic.”
She nodded and pointed to the dais next to her. “Come and sit, then. My advice to you is to learn a few unorthodox tricks. Your regular technique is probably better than mine anyway.”
Impressed against his will, Tora went to sit at her feet. He felt out of his depth with this strange female. The small crowd that had gathered to watch the bout dispersed again, laughing and chattering, and returned to various athletic exercises. Only Genba remained. After a moment, he came and took his seat on the other side of Miss Plumblossom.
They sat together companionably, watching the activity in the room. The sword fight had resumed, the dancers moved in carefully measured figures, and the tumbling youngsters began a new routine of jumping and flipping. Tora saw in amazement that the diminutive girls took their turns catching the two men. They looked alike to him. Both were small-waisted, full-breasted, and graceful. He could not make up his mind which would be the more delicious bed partner. It had been a long time since he had had a good bout of lovemaking. A well-rounded man had to stay in practice in more ways than one.
“Those four youngsters tumbling about must be acrobats?” he said to Miss Plumblossom.
She took her eyes from the men with the swords. “Not really. They are all working for Uemon. This is their night to practice.”
Tora’s interest perked up, and an idea began to form in his mind. “I didn’t know they used acrobats in plays.”
“They don’t. These four have worked up an act to make some extra money. The girls are twins. They call themselves Gold and Silver. Gold, the one whose hair is coming loose, has some talent. But the others …” She waved her hands dismissively. “They should stick to acting. Trouble is, young people have no discipline or patience. They want to be rich now, and with the winter fairs coming up there’s always a demand for acrobats and jugglers to entertain the crowds. The money’s good, so when they’re not onstage, they do their stunts.”
“I suppose they travel about a bit. From temple fair to temple fair?”
Miss Plumblossom nodded. “Uemon’s come back from putting on some religious show outside the capital.”
Tora shook his head, looking at the girls’ nearly naked bodies. “How come Uemon allows them to cavort about like that? I mean, they’re women.”
She snapped, “And what’s wrong with women performing in public if they’re talented? You’re just like the rest of the men! Uemon included. Him! Never mind what he thinks about women. The hoity-toity old stick says acrobatics aren’t respectable, but for all that he’s put some funny scenes into his plays so the youngsters can do a bit of their stuff. The crowds love it.” She sniffed. “Pah! Not respectable! I say let him give command performances before imperial princes!”
“And all the others here also work for Uemon?”
Miss Plumblossom nodded. “The women mostly sing and dance. But the handsome fellow with the sword is Danjuro. He’s Uemon’s top man.”
Happy that he had come to the right place, Tora looked at the two sword fighters. No wonder they did all that stupid jumping and shouting while laying about them with their wooden swords. It was all make-believe. Clearly Danjuro was meant to be the hero, while his opponent, a broad-faced, bearded fellow, was cast as the villain. It was well done, really, especially the moment where the villain used a dirty trick to disarm the handsome youth and then leapt at Danjuro with his naked sword raised high. Danjuro sidestepped at the last moment, caught the villain in midair, and tossed him aside like a bag of rice. Then, wrestling the villain’s sword from his hand, he plunged it into the man’s belly.
Tora half rose in shock, but both actors laughed, picked up their swords, and strolled off.
“That was good,” Tora said admiringly. “That Danjuro doesn’t look big, but he must be very strong to catch and throw a man his size.”
Miss Plumblossom pursed her lips. “He is. And he’s a good actor. Uemon’s people get asked to private houses to perform.”
It was said grudgingly, and Tora asked, “Something wrong with him?”
She sniffed. “Too good-looking for his own good! Women throw themselves at him, stupid creatures.”
Tora eyed the actor again. So he had a reputation of breaking hearts. Perhaps Miss Plumblossom’s with the rest. As a ladies’ man Danjuro did not impress him. The fellow was slender and well muscled, and he seemed agile enough, but that smooth face with the round eyes was positively girlish, and as for his handling of the sword…! “He may be a good actor, but he couldn’t fight a bout with a real swordsman!” Tora said disdainfully.
Miss Plumblossom chuckled. “That’s the way they do it onstage. Anyway, sword fighting’s not the sort of exercise a girl’s looking for, eh?” She leaned forward to poke Tora’s shoulder. “Bet you’re quite the gallant yourself in the clinch. Got a wife or girlfriend?”
Tora’s eyes went across to Genba, who had paled at the exchange. “Can’t afford either,” he said lightly, trying to think of a way to detach himself from Miss Plumblossom. He felt the strongest aversion to this female, who seemed to have designs on him. Besides, he was eager to talk to some of the actors. Or actresses, as the case might be.
Miss Plumblossom chortled and gave him another poke. “Nobody’s getting any younger. Best get on with it.”
“This Danjuro? I suppose he carries on with the women in the troupe, too?” Tora cast an expert eye over the female members of Uemon’s Players. There was a very good-looking girl among the dancers, the tall one who was whispering with Miss Plumblossom’s maid. The maid still averted her face, but she was every bit as shapely as the dancer. And the twin acrobats were charming. The twin whose hair was coming loose in wisps caught his admiring glance and gave him a wide smile. He smiled back and remembered that her name was Gold.
Miss Plumblossom said, “Not anymore. Old Uemon put a stop to it. Told him to settle down or get out. So he got married and hasn’t so much as looked at another woman since.”
Tora exchanged another warm glance with the little acrobat and rose. “I think I’ll introduce myself to the others,” he told Miss Plumblossom. “If I’m going to be back for lessons, I might as well get to know them.”
The acrobats had started another routine, so Tora strolled to the end of the hall to get a closer look at the dancer and the maid. The maid scurried away, but the dancer was a real beauty. He bowed to her, but her glance flicked disdainfully away. Piqued, he next tried some suggestive compliments about her figure. Suddenly there was a painful grip on his shoulder and he was jerked around.
“Make yourself scarce!” the actor Danjuro snarled.
Tora shook off the hand and glared. “What business is it of yours?”
Danjuro was almost as tall as he and possibly stronger. On close inspection Tora did not like him any better. His posture was a strange mix of male arrogance and feminine pettishness. The eyes were hostile but a bit too soft, the lips too full and red, and the skin too white and smooth for a man.