Rashomon Gate (27 page)

But the boy did not seem to mind and bowed.

"Was there something you wished to say?"

"Yes, sir. I wished to thank you for lending me your man. It was extremely obliging. I found him very skillful with kites, and he provided excellent entertainment."

Akitada suppressed a smile at the boy's formal manner. "I am very happy to hear it. Tora has spoken equally highly of you."

The boy's face brightened. "Did he really? I should like to hire him if you can spare him. I expect to get my allowance soon, and he will be very well paid."

Akitada was momentarily taken aback. "You surprise me," he said. "You will have to speak to Tora about this. He is free to choose his own master."

"Yes. I understood him to say that he had come to you only recently or I would not make the offer. He told me how you met." The boy gave Akitada a surreptitious glance and added, "He seems very loyal."

"Tora has many excellent qualities."

"But loyalty is a most important quality in a servant, don't you agree?"

"That and affection."

This thought appeared to be new to the little lord. He pondered it and then nodded. "Such emotions place a master under an obligation," he said. "The obligation to protect his people."

Akitada was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the direction the conversation seemed to be taking. Was the boy reminding him that he was too poor to afford a man like Tora?

But young Lord Minamoto went on in a voice that suddenly shook with passion. "When my grandfather died, that obligation passed to me. How am I to carry out my duty to my people when I am kept a prisoner here without a single retainer or even servant at my command? Not so much as someone to bring me my clothes or my food?" Clenching impotent fists, he cried, "How will I protect my people?"

Akitada sat speechless at this outburst. After a moment spent looking into the boy's agonized eyes, he said hesitantly, "Surely your people do not expect you to take on this burden until you are older. Meanwhile others will take care of your family business for you. And personal servants or armed retainers are not really permitted here in the university."

The boy jumped up angrily. "You don't understand! My rightful place has been taken by Sakanoue. He is the one who keeps me here. It was not my grandfather's wish that things should be this way. I had private tutors. Heaven only knows what that evil man is doing to my people . . . and my sister." He swung around towards the nearest wall and pounded his fists against the boards in helpless rage.

Akitada waited until the boy calmed down and was standing still, his chin on his chest and his arms hanging limply at his sides. "Do you have any proof," he asked quietly, "that Lord Sakanoue is not carrying out your grandfather's wishes?"

The boy turned around, his eyes blazing through tears. "I need no proof. I have my grandfather's word for it! My grandfather hated him. He called him an upstart and suspected him of stealing from us. He warned me never to give him any power."

Akitada sighed. "Lord Sakanoue has been appointed your guardian," he reminded the boy. "In order to change his guardianship, you will need to go to court against him, proving his unfitness— and since your grandfather is not here to testify, it will be your word against his."

Silence fell between them. The boy sat back down, biting his lip. After a moment he said, "Tora says that you solve crimes no one else can solve. I want you to solve my grandfather's murder. Can you do that?"

It seemed to Akitada that he had waited for this moment since the first time he had heard of the peculiar circumstances of the prince's death. Forcing himself to conceal his surge of excitement, he said quietly, "I don't know. Perhaps you had better tell me what happened."

"Then you agree that it was murder?"

"It is more likely a murder than a miracle."

The boy's eyes shone with relief and excitement. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything you remember about the time before and after your grandfather's disappearance. I gather you suspect Lord Sakanoue. Perhaps you had better start with him."

"Yes." The boy straightened his shoulders. "Sakanoue was our bailiff. His father before him held the same position and his father's father. It was hereditary. My ancestors and my grandfather had always trusted the Sakanoue family, and they, in turn, were well rewarded. But when Sakanoue started to buy land while reporting shortages in our rice crops, my grandfather became suspicious and called him to the capital with the accounts. I know this, because my grandfather told me about it. That was when he warned me against him. My grandfather was quite angry, but I think Sakanoue talked his way out of the shortages, for my grandfather was going to send him back to the country. Then, the day before my grandfather died, they had a terrible argument. It concerned my sister."

Akitada interrupted, "How do you know this? Were you present?"

The boy shook his head and stared at the clenched fists in his lap. He swallowed and said, "I had my own quarters in my grandfather's house. That afternoon I was in the garden. I could see servants rushing about. Then my grandfather came from his rooms and ran along the open gallery to my sister's pavilion. I could tell he was very angry, so I stood and waited, and he came right back, shouting for someone to get Sakanoue. "The boy paused and looked at Akitada defiantly. "I went to listen on the veranda outside my grandfather's room. He was shouting at Sakanoue, but I could not make out the words. Then Sakanoue came out, and he looked . . . like a devil would look, I think."

"I see. What about your sister? Did you have a chance to speak to her?"

"No. I have not seen my sister for more than a month. I do not know if she is alive. Sakanoue claims she has married him." The boy almost choked on the words.

"Yes. That is what people say. Now you had better tell me what happened next. Why did your grandfather travel to the mountain temple when there was trouble in his family?"

"When my father died, my grandfather had a dream. In the dream my father appeared to him and told him that he must pray for him on the first day of the fourth month at sunrise, or the family would die out with me. My grandfather has carried out those instructions every year since then."

"Good heavens!" said Akitada, staring at the boy. "Do you plan to continue the tradition?"

"Of course! "The boy hesitated. "If I live to do so."

A heavy silence hung between them. Of course. The child stood between Sakanoue and one of the richest estates in the country. For a fanciful moment, Akitada wondered if the prince had actually performed the prescribed ritual on this occasion. He asked, "What were you told about the events at the temple?"

The boy tossed his head. "They came back with this story that my grandfather had gone into the shrine hall and stayed there. When he did not come out, Sakanoue and the others opened the door. My grandfather had disappeared. They all said the gods must have come for him, for there was no other way for him to leave."

"They?"

"My grandfather's companions. Besides Sakanoue, there were retainers, servants, and some of his friends."

"I shall need their names. Did they all watch and witness the disappearance?"

"Yes. Or so they said."

Akitada pulled his earlobe. "You know that they would have been investigated carefully before the emperor would lend his support to the story of a miracle?"

"His Majesty has been bewitched by Sakanoue," said the boy. "I wish I had been there! I wish I had stayed up to see my grandfather leave! I wish I had spoken to him one last time, but I expected to see him the next day. I was to ride with him in his carriage. He sent a message that I was to go to bed early to be ready for the journey."

Akitada was startled. "Journey? What journey?"

"We were to move to the country the next day. Grandfather wished to supervise the estates himself to make certain there were no future shortfalls."

"This plan to remove to the country, was it sudden?"

"Yes. The servants were all complaining about it. You never saw such a bustle of packing. There were boxes and chests everywhere, and the yard was full of wagons, clothes hampers and crates of bedding when I got up in the morning."

"So you were up when the news of your grandfather's death arrived?"

"Yes. General Soga, one of the gentlemen who had accompanied Grandfather, came shouting and knocking at the gate. When they let him in, his horse was all lathered up and he almost fell off in his hurry. I had heard the noise and I ran out to see what was happening. He saw me and took me inside. Then he told me that Grandfather had disappeared. Later Sakanoue arrived with the others. He said the gods had taken Grandfather to be with them, and we must be happy about it and build a shrine to his memory. He also said that he was my elder brother now, since he had married my sister. I told him he was lying and spat in his face. That's when he hit me and locked me in my room. Later that day he came and brought me here."

"That must have been terrible. I am very sorry," said Akitada helplessly, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. But the child moved aside, and Akitada let his hand drop.

"I know Sakanoue killed my grandfather," the boy said fiercely. "You will prove it! Then I shall take control of my family and you will be rewarded."

Akitada said, "I shall certainly try."

"I was told by Tora that you are working on Nagai's case," the youngster continued. "I feel certain he is innocent, and his problem should not trouble you overmuch. Are you also helping with the murder of Professor Oe?"

"Not at the moment."

"Good!"The little lord rose. "In that case, you will be able to start investigating Sakanoue immediately. Remember the reward." He gave Akitada the tiniest of bows and was gone.

Akitada sat looking after him and laughed softly. Reward indeed! Young Lord Minamoto certainly knew how to put on the airs of the great man accustomed to giving orders. Still, the boy's awareness of his obligations was quite admirable and he had displayed considerable courage in his defiance of Sakanoue. On the whole, he thought, the young man showed much promise.

It was too late to go home, so he sent a servant to the staff kitchen for his noon rice and ate it alone in his room. When he was done, Hirata came in. Akitada saw with concern that the older man looked very tired and drawn again.

"How are you feeling today?" Akitada asked. "You gave me a scare yesterday."

"It was nothing. I am quite well again. Indigestion is one of the infirmities of old age. The reason I stopped in was to tell you that Sesshin has called a meeting. We had better be on our way."

Akitada was momentarily at a loss. "Sesshin?"

"The abbot of the Pure Water temple, but more importantly the director of the university. He is also our professor of Buddhism, a function he does not often carry out, because he prefers to live in his mountain villa which he intends to convert into a temple. He arrived about an hour ago; Oe's murder brought him back. No doubt he will disappear again as soon as he has appointed Oe's replacement."

"Hardly a testimonial of his devotion to the institution," said Akitada sarcastically, getting up and adjusting his hat and robe. Even at the best of times he had little respect for Buddhist clergy, and this one seemed lazier than most. "Isn't Ono back? Won't he take over for Oe?"

Hirata shook his head dubiously. "I have no idea. Ono has hoped for just this chance for a long time. I think it is the only reason he put up with Oe's abuse. But he is not the man Oe was, and Sesshin knows this."

They walked across the grounds to the Buddhist temple, discussing the effects of murder on their fixed routines. At one point, Akitada said, "Oh, young Minamoto spoke to me earlier. He has asked me to look into the matter of his grandfather's disappearance. He believes the prince was murdered by Sakanoue."

Hirata was so astonished he stopped in his tracks. "Lord Sakanoue? Oh, Akitada, please do not get involved in what is surely a mere child's fantasy. They say Sakanoue may become the next prime minister. If you let it be known that you support the boy in his charges, you will put yourself in jeopardy. You must speak to Sesshin about this."

Akitada laughed. "Speak to a monk? He is just about the last person I would consult."

Hirata shook his head impatiently. "I know all about your distaste for the religion, but in this case you cannot be aware of who Sesshin really is. He is another son of the Murakami emperor and the late Prince Yoakira's half brother. That makes him the boy's great-uncle."

Akitada's jaw dropped. He had assumed the boy had no male relatives left. "Sesshin is Sadamu's great-uncle?" he asked. "How could this man turn his back on the children? What sort of man is he?"

Hirata started walking briskly. "Come," he said. "That you must find out for yourself."

Crossing the street, they entered the temple courtyard. The doors of the small main hall stood wide open. Someone looked out and beckoned. They hurried in.

Akitada had forgotten how pretty the small temple was. It looked deceptively plain with its square, red-lacquered columns against the dark wood of ceiling and walls. Its only ornamentation was a lovely carved frieze of cranes, painted black and white with brilliant red patches on their heads. Behind the raised dais with its single cushion, covered in the imperial purple silk, hung five large scroll paintings of Buddhist deities. Before each scroll stood an elegant black-lacquered table with silver ceremonial implements.

Most of the others had already arrived and stood around chatting. In fact, apparently only the august personage himself was missing, for even the elusive Fujiwara and Ono had returned.

They greeted Ono first. Akitada had not expected grief, but the man looked both excited and smug. Akitada wondered if he had been confirmed as Oe's successor. They exchanged the conventional expressions of regret over Oe's death. Ono did not bother to explain his absence, and there was little point in pursuing the matter. Hirata turned to speak to someone else, but Akitada said, "You must be overwhelmed with duties. Will you rely on Ishikawa to give you a hand? I have not seen him since the poetry contest."