The Amtrack Wars - Earth Thunder Part 54

'I see... Does the Shogun know she is in the Palace?"

'No, sire. The Shogun has withdrawn to his apartments and his guards have been ordered to admit no one."

'Good. Until I order otherwise, it is vital that her presence here remains a secret. Those on your staff who share your knowledge must be sworn to secrecy.

Let me explain why. We have reason to believe that Lady Mis.h.i.+ko may be involved in a plot to kill her brother - ' Tokimasa's jaw dropped. 'My lord, I had no i - I' 'I said "may", Tokimasa. We have no proof- only grounds for suspicion. I'm sure you will be the first to agree it is best not to take any chances."

'Of course!" 'That is why the Shogun must not discover she is here.

We cannot allow her to approach him until we are satisfied that she poses no threat to his safety."

'Of course, of course!" 'Good! Tell her I will send Watanabe to escort her here.

We shall need a sealed carriage-box."

'I will arrange everything!" Tokimasa made his exit, bowing each time he took four backward steps.

The guards outside slid the screen shut.

Ieyasu looked at his two crestfallen aides. 'That fool of a Captain!

You a.s.sured me the plan could not fail!" Ichiwara hung his head. 'His men must have blown up the wrong boat."

'That's not possible,' said Watanabe. 'There must be some other explanation. She must have - ' leyasu cut him off with an angry wave.

'How she escaped does not concern me! If our men are to blame they can be dealt with later. What matters is that she is here now!" He turned on Ichiwara. 'Find Mas.h.i.+matsu.

Tell him I want this meddlesome woman's quarters sealed off from the rest of the Palace by an armed guard. No one in her entourage is to be allowed out - and that includes her children."

'Yes, sire."

'When she returns after leaving here, she is to remain there. And if she demands to know why, Mas.h.i.+matsu is to say'she is being held on my orders pending a possible charge of high treason!" 'Yes, sire!" 'And you can tell the Captain he has one last chance to save his promotion and his head. When I wake up tomorrow morning, I want to be surprised and distressed to hear she and her brood have taken poison rather than face the disgrace of a trial. He is to despatch her servants as well.

That will be proof of their guilt. Go quickly - and return here as soon as it has been arranged!" Ichiwara left. Watanabe waited until the door closed again then said: 'Do you think she knows we - ?"

Ieyasu exploded again. 'You are wasting time, Watanabe!

We will know the answer to that question when we hear what she has to say! Go and fetch her!" A fleeting coolness touched Roz at the centre of her being and a vague, fuzzy image of Steve came into her mind.

Her body stiffened as she tried to seize it and bring it into sharper focus in the hope of hearing that familiar inner voice, but it eluded her like a handful of smoke.

And was gone ....

Roz tried to make contact. Nothing happened. Steve remained tantalisingly out of reach, but she was left with an extraordinary feeling of being physically close to him.

But that was impossible. How could she be? Steve was in the Federation with Clearwater. Roz opened her eyes and found Cadillac gazing at her warily.

'What happened just then?"

'Nothing, just. daydreaming."

'At a time like this?!" Roz would have loved to have told him, just to wipe that look of disdain off his face. But it would have to wait.

She had to be sure before saying anything. With their lives poised on a knife edge, Steve was the last person Cadillac wanted to hear about...

Lord Ieyasu sat alone in his study listening intently to Lady Mis.h.i.+ko.

Chief Secretary Watanabe had been instructed to wait outside and prevent anyone from entering. Ichiwara, who had been despatched to brief Captain Mas.h.i.+matsu, had not yet returned.

Considering the physical strains imposed by her recent sea-voyage and escape from death in a crowded longboat, the Shogun's sister was remarkably composed. A slight tremor in her voice told him she was extremely nervous even though he had welcomed her with his usual show of warmth and affection. As her grand-uncle, she had always remained in awe of him, but her nervousness was no doubt increased by the extraordinary nature of her story.

Mis.h.i.+ko, her heart pounding, continued to relate at breakneck speed how Lord Kiyomori Min-Orota, acting as a double-agent for the Toh-Yota, had accepted the invitation to meet with other 'progressive' domain-lords at Sarakusa '... and when they were all a.s.sembled, he learned - to his amazement that the Yama-s.h.i.+ta family had discovered an alien device hidden beneath the table in their conference chamber. A device the size of a go stone which acted like a servant's ear at his master's door - which they claim your agents placed there!" Ieyasu laughed. 'I know nothing of such devices, nor do I seek to! Is this the charge Lord Min-Orota feared the Yama-s.h.i.+ta would lay at my door? He is even more gullible than I thought!

'As chief counsel to your ill.u.s.trious brother, it is my business to discover the strength of our enemies in the outlands. I know, for instance, that the long-dogs whose cities are hidden deep in the ground are masters of what is known as the High Craft. They have machines of unimaginable complexity which are filled with the Dark Light, but in capturing it they have become enslaved by its power.

'They cannot exist without it. It makes their false sun rise and their underground rivers flow! But we, who are strong, have no need of such devilish devices. If there is such an object, as Kiyo has described, then it must have been made by long-dogs. Ask yourself this - if the Yama-s.h.i.+ta claim to be the innocents in this affair, how was it they knew what this device was and how it functioned?!" 'I also asked that question, mi'lord. The stone ear was not all they found.

The Yama-s.h.i.+ta family have also apprehended two individuals with another larger device.

A black box which speaks with two voices - in our own sacred mother tongue."

Ieyasu's face betrayed nothing, but this piece of news was not to his liking. If two of his agents had allowed themselves to be captured with an incriminating piece of hardware, it was not only the most reprehensible form of negligence, it was a breach of trust. All the men selected to operate such devices were equipped with fast-acting poison pills for use on such occasions to ensure the secret they had sworn to keep died with them.

'This all sounds rather far-fetched. If there's such a box, and there are two such men, it is probably a clumsy attempt on the part of the Yama-s.h.i.+ta to discredit me. I repeat - the objects you describe can only have been made by the long-dogs and obtained from them! The Yama-s.h.i.+ta have already paid dearly for attempting to resurrect the Dark Light - and now, barely a year later, they are in league with our enemies again!

'Mark my words, they will pay dearly for this treachery.

And it greatly saddens me, my lady, that you should wish to help spread such vicious lies about someone who had always done his best to ensure your health and happiness and. protect you from harm."

Mis.h.i.+ko matched his honeyed insincerity: 'I have never doubted your good intentions, great-uncle which is why I am not spreading "vicious lies". Since Kiyo expressed his deep concern to me, you are the first and only person I have spoken to about this matter."

Ieyasu inclined his head. 'I am greatly relieved to hear it."

Mis.h.i.+ko continued: 'Like Kiyo, my first concern is to preserve the supremacy of the Toh-Yota - by whatever means and at any cost. Neither of us wish to do anything which might cause a rift between you and my brother, but Kiyo and I felt it was our duty to alert you to the allegations the Yama-s.h.i.+ta seem intent on laying before the Shogun."

Ieyasu accepted this with a grateful bow. 'I never realised such a wise head rested on such beautiful shoulders."

Etiquette required Mis.h.i.+ko to respond in a similar fas.h.i.+on. 'I was fortunate to inherit my mother's good sense instead of the madness that ran in my father's blood."

'It is we who are fortunate, my dear Mis.h.i.+ko. Is that the end of your strange tale?"

'I wish it was." Mis.h.i.+ko smiled inwardly, savouring the information she was about to reveal; information that would wipe the disdainful expression from her great-uncle's face. 'The two individuals captured by the Yama-s.h.i.+ta were outlanders - long-dogs who had disguised themselves as Mute slaves by growing their hair and painting their skins - and who spoke our mother tongue! In the hope of saving their lives, they confessed all they knew."

She paused and gestured helplessly. 'Their story is so unbelievable, I hardly dare repeat it for fear you will think I have lost my senses!'

'I a.s.sure you I will think nothing of the kind,' said Ieyasu. 'Hold nothing back, my dear Mis.h.i.+ko. And above all do not be frightened.

You have my word that nothing you say will go beyond these four walls."

He looked at her expectantly.