The Pillow Book of the Flower Samurai (34 page)

Our samurai engaged the monks. One
s
ō
hei
was much taller, which I knew could be an advantage. I kept my eyes focused on his, surrounded by the white gauze. They had black all around them so the whites gleamed like rats’ eyes in stored grain. I gripped my sword tighter. He was strong, perhaps over-confident in dealing with a woman, and young but, from his strikes, seasoned. I was not. I concentrated on this monk and shut out the strikes and grunts coming from around me. I had to trust my fellows.

His eyes flickered; he sliced at me. I deflected and countered with my sword edge, rolled backwards. I had power from his stroke. I righted myself and thrust up. I heard him lose his breath. My sword pierced under his armour. Another stroke. I sliced from neck to belly. He fell backwards.

Holding my sword, I watched him before I turned away. His hand shook, holding something. I charged over and sliced it off, using Cutting the Sleeve, as Mokuhasa had taught me. The monk’s hand concealed a
shuriken
, similar to other spiked stars I had seen. I watched again, but he was still. Tokikazu’s advice had saved my life. If I had walked away, that would have been my death.

Scanning the scene, I saw the rest of the monks taking the shrine and running away, up the hill. Tokikazu, Mokuhasa and Sadakokai were unharmed. After scrutinising the area, we bowed as if we had finished a training session on the practice field.

I revisited the body of the monk I had killed, and wrested the
shuriken
from between his fingers. It was different from the ones I had used in practice: more points. I put it with my other weapons as a keepsake. Then we cleaned our swords and purified ourselves, scattered salt, rinsed our mouths and washed our hands.

‘Thank you for your advice at Uji.’ I bowed to Tokikazu.

‘It was my duty. I swore to Governor Michimori to protect you from harm and deliver you to his home.’

Overwhelmed, I lowered my head. ‘I do not have words,’ I said, holding my emotions low in my throat.

Tokikazu smiled, his small eyebrows raised in delight. ‘Commander Taira no Michimori will be pleased when I tell him of your courage with so large an opponent.’

‘Please, Tokikazu,’ I implored, ‘do not allow knowledge of this incident to reach my lord’s ears.’

III. A Secret

Tokikazu’s eyebrows lowered to his shining eyes. ‘Why do you not want Governor Michimori to know of your bold deeds?’

‘Please tell him of the monks. The information may be vital.’ I bowed again. ‘We are at war, but I am unsure who the enemies are. My life has been simple. Now it is complicated. I do not wish the governor to know of this scuffle because he has sufficient problems. Also, I took the loyalty pledge, so I am honour-bound. My duty is to make his life pleasurable.’ I could not tell Tokikazu that, while grateful to the governor, this was the first time, without assistance, I had executed a real fight all on my own. Such a potent experience: all my muscles and every limb tingled with exhilaration.

‘And yet I must inform him.’

‘Tell him about the
s
ō
hei
, but do not add to his burdens with these . . . trifling details.’ I looked past Tokikazu’s high forehead. I extended my hand towards the field in which we stood. ‘Compared to the battle at Uji, this was but a single flower in a meadow, was it not?’

Tokikazu growled in agreement, although scepticism and something else wrinkled his eyes and mouth.

‘Perhaps if I tell you a story which demonstrates that if one focuses on essential details one can vanquish foes.’

‘Only if you allow the others to hear it as well.’

I nodded and waited while he signalled to the others, who gathered as they finished cleaning their weapons and garments. When all was ready, I began ‘The Monkey and the Baby’.

‘A mother placed her baby near a tree while she worked in the field. Suddenly, a monkey picked it up and carried it high into the tree. The frantic mother yelled in terror and prayed to the Buddha. An eagle flew down to attack. Still in the tree, the monkey made a bow out of the swaying branches and shot the eagle. It fell dead to the ground. Seeing the violence, the mother continued to pray loudly to the Buddha. She was deeply afraid the monkey would harm her child, but the monkey delivered its precious armful to the frantic mother. The mother had looked only at the monkey’s actions, not its motives.

‘The mother’s suffering could have been avoided. Attention to vital details is as important as deeds.’ I studied the warriors’ expressions to see what impact the story had made.

‘Yes,’ Tokikazu admitted. ‘I direct all of us.’ He looked at each samurai, ‘Speak only of the
s
ō
hei
as if we had seen them but not fought with them.’ After the samurai separated from us, he moved closer to me. ‘Well done. I understand why Commander Michimori entrusted us with your care. You are a worthy companion.’

‘It is only my role. Who are these
s
ō
hei
?’

‘Warrior monks who come from Mount Hiei.’ He pointed to the mountains north-east of the city. His voice dropped to a low growl. ‘They come to plunder and ravage the capital.’

‘I see.’ His distress was clear.

‘By decree, coins are forbidden in the capital. The monks come to acquire coinage. These
s
ō
hei
have done this before, bringing their portable shrine to the city where no one dares to remove it.’

‘Because otherwise the shrine’s God will inflict vengeance?’

‘So the shrine stays in the streets until the emperor pays their ransom.’ His eyes showed the contempt of a hawk. ‘Then they come back, take the shrine and their ransom and leave – until the next time.’

‘Perhaps it is also payment for Chancellor Kiyomori’s arrow long ago.’ Sadakokai said.

I asked for the story.

Sadakokai narrated, stuttering less as he spoke:

‘L-l-long ago, when Ch-Ch-Chancellor Kiyomori was a young man, he and his companions attended the G-G-Gion Festival in the city at G-G-Gion Sh-Sh-Shrine. One of his comrades had a little clash with one of the Gion priests.

‘Not s-s-such a s-s-small one,’ he snarled.

‘Chancellor Kiyomori felt his name had been d-d-dishonoured. He took his men, rode out and attacked the priests of Gion. Now, they carried a portable shrine at the time, not like the one we saw but a bigger one, with a bell in f-f-f-front. The capital always has the f-f-finest of everything.’

Here he spread his arms and hands wide.

‘Chancellor Kiyomori shot an arrow straight into the bell, which rang loudly. The Enryakuji
s
ō
hei
.’ He stared at my confused expression. ‘That is the name of the temple on Mount Hiei. The Enryakuji
s
ō
hei
considered this an insult. Seven thousand of them rushed into the capital demanding justice. Because of his high rank, Chancellor Kiyomori’s punishment was a small fine.’

‘The monks seem always to be going into the city with more demands. I wonder what it is this time,’ Mokuhasa commented.

‘The city is no longer the Peace and Tranquillity Capital,’ Tokikazu whispered in my ear, as if not to invoke some angry ghost.

The journey to my new home continued in uncomfortable silence.

IV. Temporary Home

We stopped at the gate of a vast village of estates and mansions, its walls three times as high as those that surrounded Chiba’s
sh
ō
en
. The many guards scrutinised everything from our horses to our helmets. After we had passed through the gate, Sadakokai spread an arm wide. ‘There are more than f-f-five thousand f-f-families and homes here.’

Most of the houses looked more magnificent than Big House at Chiba’s – imposing. Less land, surrounded them, but each had more complicated buildings: the roofs over the
watadono
were substantial and ornate with carvings and statuary similar to those at Byōdōin. Hordes of servants scurried from the huts surrounding each mansion, back and forth, and herds of hooded priests pushed along the roads. I was reminded of Uji, and wondered which one could be Goro. I shivered, recalling his eyes.

Mokuhasa rode close to me. ‘We live differently here. When we Taira in Rokuhara marry, the wife lives with the husband’s family.’

‘Where does a man’s other wives live?’

Mokuhasa chuckled.

Sadakokai had pulled up on the other side of me. ‘Oh, w-we just b-b-build another wing on to the house. For those with many w-wives, it can be – interesting, but that is why there is extra l-l-land with every estate.’ He laughed. ‘P-p-probably why I have n-no w-w-wives.’

‘Nor does Michimori, but he still has a large estate.’ Mokuhasa slapped his thigh and snorted.

‘T-T-Tokikazu has enough w-w-wings on his house, I am surprised it does not f-f-fly!’ Sadakokai laughed even more.

Mokuhasa chuckled. ‘At Tokikazu’s rate of additions, he may have to find yet another house outside Rokuhara.’

I did not find this amusing, but smiled, regardless. I pondered how many wives Tokikazu might have and what shape his home could take.

Tokikazu made a gestural bow. ‘Lady Kozaishō, we have arrived at Taira quarters, Rokuhara. My lady, inside Main Gate you will see the home of the governer’s father. We call it “Gateside”, because it sits directly by Main Gate. The governor wishes me to escort you and your servants to your quarters.’

I studied the magnificent structure, the mansion of Michimori’s father. I returned to my horse next to the ox cart where Misuki and Emi sat. Before I mounted to enter Main Gate, I bowed to Tokikazu. ‘You greatly honour me with the governor’s consideration.’ I hoped to see more of Tokikazu, an odd but interesting man.

I had only a little understanding of Governor Michimori, but I thought he had shown a true face to me. He might wish to remove this vulnerability, me, from his sight. Yet there was the poem he had sent me. Misuki and I had read it. Could I believe what Tokikazu had told me? ‘Commander Michimori ordered me and others to protect you in battle. He has never done this before.’ I recalled that Tokikazu placed his open hand over his chest as he said this. I could hardly think of that possibility. Perhaps I was for the Echizen governor’s samurai, or some courtiers, or perhaps to teach songs and dances to his wives and concubines. What if he wanted me for himself?

I had no answers to these questions, only excitement and fear. I was excited because this situation would be different from the old one. I was afraid: political leaders exerted their power over life and death as often as they feigned smiles.

‘You may gather your belongings,’ Tokikazu said, his face brightening. I longed to ask permission to arrange them so that I could check on my secret papers, but I knew that would bring suspicion.

‘Thank you, honourable Captain Tokikazu.’ Surreptitiously, I scrutinised my bundles, my multi-coloured
furoshiki
. Secret paper scraps (all logs of my customers, their habits and businesses) were sewn into the middle parts of my kimonos, hidden inside.

Tokikazu said, ‘I will assign several men to carry them to your residence.’

My head felt like the inside of a temple bell. My residence! My entire wardrobe, makeup, livelihood and secrets, lay in front of the palanquin, like silk-wrapped gifts for giants. The caravan of our
furoshiki
marched by: red with peacocks, grey, blue, brown ships fighting dark blue waves, blue and green birds squawking on brocade, gold and brown tigers, and one small black dog playing among green bushes.

Misuki, Emi and I stood in front of Tokikazu. I informed him we were ready to go to our new quarters. At his request, we followed him, others carrying our bundles in a procession. I was careful not to smile, but the thought of the serious foot soldiers officially carrying our rainbow
furoshiki
was amusing.

To maintain my composure, I drank in each tiny detail of our new surroundings. Abruptly I saw my life as a tiny island – so remote – an implicit imprisonment. I noticed everything: samurai guarding the passageways, bemused expressions in their eyes, their shoes, the soldiers’ uniforms with the governor’s crest – the closed-wing butterfly. I had seen it on his sword earlier.