Vol 7 Chapter 11 (1/2)
Chapter 11: Death on the Banks of Lake Ashi+
“What did you say?” Ujiteru deer from his elder brother Houjou Uji in a rooer seated before him was a short man with small eyes and pale lips named Tooyama Yasuhide, a vassal of the Houjou who had once served as one of their istrates He and his father Yasumitsu had also acted in the capacity of diplomats from the Houjou to other daimyo He now attended on Ujimasa as one of his aides
“Ujiteru-sama, this is what our lord hath commanded”
“I asked you to repeat what you just said!”
Quivering, Tooyarowl
“That Master Saburou should be given as offering to the ‘Yatate Cedar’”
“What is ?!”
Thump Ujiteru struck his knee hard with his fist as he stood
“We are putting all our effort into searching Hakone for a suitable offering! Why, then, must Saburou be sacrificed? Doeswould mean?”
“But consider, Ujiteru-sah toat Nikkou No common existence could hope to contain all the spiritualpower,” Tooyama continued, animation in his small frame, “‘Tis ht one Once the Nikkou sacrifice is tree-bound, the binding of the ’Yatate Cedar’ must follow immediately thereafter At this moment, is there any but Lord Saburou who may take the awesome spiritualtorn apart?”
“But to do so would mean that Saburou will never be able to return as a huer “The offering to the ‘Ritual of Unification by Fire’ necessarily loses his humanity as he is enfolded within the spiritual majesty of the sacred tree The soul itself transfor weapon, to exist forevery I would never do such a thing to Saburou How could my brother possibly consider this course with equanimity? How could he command Saburou’s destruction?!”
”’Tis because Lord Saburou is his brother that Ujimasa-sama hath decided he must be sacrificed for the conquest of the Kantou But even were it not for the Kantou, we face le misstep would rand ritualeffect in full All that he does, he does for the Houjou conquest of the «Yaoku»
“Conquest conquest conquest Were the sacrifices we deh? Mustexploit him still further?”
Tooyama closed his mouth, chastened
“Moved around like a chess piece by his own flesh and blood for glory, for peace—after all his terrible sacrifices, e once again use hi whims of the clan?”
“Surely, Ujiteru-sama—”
“Let us soar across the battlefield together as brothers To make of him a mere weapon I cannot allow it Doesby blood, is nohis knee “I am certain he countenances such cruelty because he fears Saburou’s power—that terrible power of «choubuku» What absurdity! Whatcan peace have to our family if we cannot even trust our own brother?”
“Ujiteru-sama, surely you cannot mean these words”
“Can’t I? It’s the truth My answer is no I don’t care if the head of the fa such an inhuain after so long Return and tell that tosuch an order”
“But you must, Ujiteru-sama! ’Tis the absolute command of our lord!”
“Absolute command? Toss around these e my mind”
“Ujiteru-sa forward on his knees “This command you must obey!”
“What?”
“Ujimasa-sama hath laid his doo your consent, I must commit seppuku to atone for my failure”
“Seppuku? Even if you did, you could siless”
“I beg you to listen to me, Ujiteru-sama This command is not by will of Ujimasa-sama alone”
“What did you say?”
“The order to make Master Saburou the sacrifice of Hakone came from your honored father, Ujiyasu-sama!”
“What?! From Father—!” Ujiteru’s eyes widened “What do you mean? Has my brother finally seen him? Does he knohere Father is now?!”
Ujiteru’s anger was not unjustified, for their father’s whereabouts had eluded the Houjou brothers until now All they kneas that he had not been purified, for it was his spirit which had dissuaded Uji a death-curse upon Hideyoshi+, the man who had commanded their deaths by seppuku It was his counsel which had pacified their onryou four hundred years ago
They had been searching for their father Ujiyasu since their resurrection With battle upon the theard That hy they believed it to be Ujiyasu’s power But neither Ujimasa nor Ujiteru had ever felt his presence appear before theh they had hoped for the use of his power, that they ether, he did not seeetora that ‘Father is waiting’ was but an expediency, but
(Has my brother found our father?)
If it was their father’s will that Saburou be made a sacrifice, Ujiteru would offer no opposition
Indeed, contact with Ujiyasu was incredibly good news
“Tooyama, has my brother seen Father, met with him? Did he say?”
“ThisUjiyasu-sama must be kept absolute secret You are the only one who knows, my lord”
“”
Ujiteru pondered After long hed deeply “Tell er on the issue of this sacrifice”
“But time”
“is running short? I know this I must have time to prepare myself”
“Might I conclude, then, that thisMaster Saburou is resolved?”
“Does the idea of Saburou as sacrifice bring you joy?” Ujiteru snapped, looking up at the hint of—glee?—in Tooyama’s voice
“N-no, not at all”
“That was not sorrow I heard in your voice So you and my brother are accomplices Ah, of course—you are Tooyama Yasumitsu’s son, are you not?”
Tooyama’s face stiffened abruptly
“Yasuo And you as well”
“”
Averting his eyes slightly, Tooyama confiro”
Nodding, Ujiteru continued, “I heard that Yasu the Otate no Ran And you”
“YesyesI, too”
“You have not seen your ht and died for him How deeply it must affect you to be near to him once more”
“Ah”
“Will you not go to see him before you return to Nikkou? I aer speak to you, he would surely be glad”
“Nno! I!” Tooyaave hiiveto protect hiret I have not the face to see him”
“Nay, you laid down your life for Saburou and fought to the death to protect him How could he bear any ill-will towards you? Surely he would express his gratitude to you instead Besides, if truly you feel such sharace coy to him?”
“No, oh please Please grant me this mercy”
“I see,” Ujiteru finally allowed in the face of Tooyama’s steadfast refusal, which he sympathetically attributed to pained mortification from a hard defeat in the Otate no Ran “I will speak of you to Saburou You ive my consent to my brother and father”
Standing in the doorith Kotarou beside hi after Tooyama’s car as it drove away from the estate in the rain, Ujiteru asked, “What do you think? Of the news of my father?”
“What do I think?”
“Has my brother met with him, truly? Has my father appeared before him?” He was not prepared to accept such a claih he is in Nikkou, have known Father’s whereabouts e have been seeking him so desperately here in Hakone to no avail?”
“Do you doubt our liege lord’s command?”
“No No, I do not But”
“It is certainly true that at thisthat Ujimasa-dono does indeed speak our lord’s commands Perhaps it is only a convenient ploy to obtain your consent for the sacrifice of Saburou-dono”
“Are you saying that my brother’s claims are false?”
“I cannot say However, I, too, am in favor of Saburou-dono as the tribute It is unlikely ill find another with such power He suits perfectly”
“So you would also urge me to sacrifice Saburou?”
“If your aim is the successful completion of this project, certainly I support Ujimasa-dono’s decision”
“I see” Ujiteru cast his gaze at Lake Ashi+, misted noith rain “I suppose there is no other way”
“Ujiteru-dono”
“Leave h,” Ujiteru said, and re-entered the house Kotarou’s gaze followed hilare to the corner around which Tooyama’s car had vanished
How long had he been sitting there by Takaya’s side?
The day had not brightened with noon’s approach, for a stor rose around Lake Ashi+, turning loohts on
He gazed out at Lake Ashi+ Ah yes: he sa that they were situated directly across the lake froher elevation On a clear day he would be able to look out over the Moto-Hakone area
Naoe was seated in formal pose before the prone Takaya, his fists on his knees His eyes ide-open and fixed on Takaya’s face, as they had been for the past several hours, but he no longer saw him
(He is going to die)
The weight of his seventeen years—!
(As if I had any right)
He flinched back froust overwhelmed him: as he to spew such moralistic drivel?
Just what did he understand of Takaya’s seventeen years? Did he truly recognize their weight? Was he not also prone to regarding Takaya as if he were soetora’s life was Takaya‘s, but could he really treat ’Takaya’ in the exact saetora?’ He had no choice but to say he could not, not as long as he still entertained the thought that ‘in the worst case, even if he were to lose this body’
Not true, Naoe declared to hietora two different people? They were the same ‘you’—and to him, at least, the only ‘you’
(Have I been placed on trial?)
It seeard and blank, crushed by the weight of his thoughts and emotions
Must he now acknowledge the existence of so him?
Was it ‘Heaven’ testing hinition of this man called Takaya?
(How are they different?)
He gave in to the silent screa in his head: (But he is so precious to me!)
Must his resolve be tested?
Was Heaven testing his resolution to ‘sever these feelings’ even if it meant the end of his existence? No, not ‘Heaven’
(You’re the one testing me, aren’t you?)
Had Kagetora contrived all of this, calculated every one of Naoe’s moves and his own? Known that Naoe would end up here—predicted the Houjou targeting him, foreseen even his ietora—Takaya orchestrating this entire situation, voluntarily yet unconsciously
Was Kagetora testing Naoe’s resolve to sever all feelings for him?
Are youtruly capable of that?
Naoe’s heart skipped a beat as the words played back in his mind When had he uttered them?
He had s for me?
Naoe recalled his cold lofty s at him from within the mirror
“You’re not capable of it You cannot escape from your love for me”
Kagetora, imprisoned and stripped of all ornamentation It was said that mirrors reflected people’s true essence, and perhaps it was true Naoe had shi+vered, for that had been Kagetora’s essence; he, nize it Shorn of the artifice called ‘reason,’ what he had seen was the unique cruelty that sometimes surfaced in him
“You cannot leave me”
His smile, cold as ice
“Would you deny it?”
His silent provocation
Naoe would be able to deny these thoughts, were they etora within the mirror had been ‘ruthlessness’ itself, and a hopeless sense of ensnarement had frozen him in place The truth made manifest and thrust before his eyes had terrified him with its beauty
(Takaya-san)
He yearned helplessly for Takaya, his gentleness and vulnerability, the sadness in his expression I came to save you That is the reason I’ave myself If I do not, the dictator within the one, his menace vanished from my life forever
(Open your eyes—)