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"It's true," Horibe said, his topknot trembling, "Kira is no longer in the castle!"

  He stood before a group of fifteen loyal Ako men, including Oishi and Hara and seven others from Kyoto and Osaka. The room he had rented for the occasion was over a noisy restaurant which allowed

  them to speak without fear of being overheard, and now there was a general murmur of excitement at his words.

  "Then what are we waiting for?" cried one of the Edo group. "Let's attack now!"

  Oishi's heart leaped, too, but he deliberately forced himself to think rationally. He rose before the group and they became quiet again in the face of his authority.

  "You fools," he said coldly. "What kind of fighting force do you call yourselves, ready to go off half-cocked at any new rumor! If Horibe can confirm this news it will certainly influence our plans, but don't forget that our main body of troops is faraway at the moment and we'll need every man of them if we are to succeed." He paused to take a breath, then nodded to Horibe to continue.

  "Kira," the young man said with a grimace that would have chilled the blood of the man he named, "is about to be relieved of his official duties. He was moved this morning into the suburbs on the far side of the Sumida River. I followed him there myself."

  "You have done your work well," Oishi acknowledged.

  Horibe smiled, but it was not a pleasant smile. "I can tell you many things about Kira," he said, and then set forth in detail what he had learned about Kira's treatment of Lord Asano, about his record of corruption in office and even about the system of defenses at his new home. Although he had a company of archers at his disposal and was reputedly an excellent swordsman, Kira was plainly afraid of them.

  As Horibe concluded his report with a threat to justify such fears, the grizzled Hara felt obliged to express his feelings.

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  Chapter Eight

  "There are those in Osaka who say even now that we have no real intention of doing anything about taking revenge. Hasn't the time come to show them they are wrong?" He refrained from looking at their leader and was unaware of how deeply his words hurt him, but Oishi, as always, put his personal feelings aside. He patiently explained to them all once more that the welfare of their lord's house came first and that meant waiting for a decision on the petition. He knew it was difficult for them to maintain themselves in a state of readiness for an attack which might never be made, but as their leader he had to ask it.

  "But don't you see," cried Horibe, "this is only a tactic on the part of the councilors. They have no intention of ever giving the land to Daigaku. They're deliberately stalling to lead us into the confused state in which we find ourselves. They know that waiting will lower our morale and eventually destroy us. We are only playing into their hands by doing nothing!"

  Oishi sighed and turned to confront him. "But we're under constant surveillance. At Yamashina we're spied on around the clock and we were followed all the way to Edo. You here in Edo must be under even stricter watch. Don't you realize that at the first sign of an attack, the alarm would be flashed to Kira's powerful relatives to come and save him? Would you go to the scene of a fire in a straw raincoat? Where would our men's morale be after a futile attempt on Kira's life left the streets red with their blood?"

  There was a light knock at the door and all fell silent as the man nearest the entrance admitted a servant with more tea. The man entered and moved

  so slowly that Hara growled at him until he took the hint and speeded up his action. Then they waited until he was let out the door.

  "We know there are spies," muttered Horibe with a glance after the servant, "but we can avoid them if our plans are made carefully. I'm not asking that we attack tonight or tomorrow, but I do say that a date should be set—certainly no later than next March. In case you've forgotten, that's the anniversary of our lord's death and by then Kira must certainly be dealt with in one way or another. Can anyone persuade himself that we can wait more than a year and still maintain our reputations as brave men?"

  The others agreed so vigorously that Oishi kept silent, desperately trying to think of some way to avoid committing himself. They were plainly all against him, even Hara, whom he had counted on for some support. It had probably been a mistake to send Hara here in the first place where he could be so easily inflamed by the fiery tempers of the younger men. Still, he had been successful in keeping them from acting on their own and that was something to be thankful for. Perhaps Horibe was right and there would be some decision before March. In any event he now realized that he could no longer stand against them.

  "Very well," he said, disguising his reluctance and his true intentions, "we will plan on settling this matter in March. I will return to Yamashina and begin to prepare."

  The others were overjoyed to hear this long awaited signal for action and shouted noisily and clapped one another on the back. Oishi was silent until Hara approached him, once more apologetic, to raise a cup of sake in a toast.

  Chapter Nine

  "To our success?" he said.

  "To our success," Oishi agreed and downed his cup in one swift gulp. Although he had not mentioned it to anyone, Lord Asano's last letter was heavy on his mind. He had read it the night before and it had inflamed him against Kira more than ever before. He wondered if Lady Asano had given it to him for that purpose. Was she, too, for swift revenge, regardless of the consequences? He knew he would never let her down, but he also knew that he would not move until the time was right, no matter what pressures were brought to bear.

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  The journey back to Kyoto was uneventful. Fujii and his aide followed them, but never very closely, and much of the tension which had gripped them on their ride to Edo was gone. The three travelers were deep in their own thoughts and Shindo and Koyama, as Oishi had planned, were more impressed with the implications of their commitment. They were all glad to get home.

  The year was drawing to a close and the hill colors changed from the reds of fall to the whites of winter.

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  New Year's Day came and with it the seasonal celebrations, although Oishi did not think it fitting for his house to participate. Looking out through the gate the children could see the men in their pleated skirts and crested coats making calls at friends' homes and the women in elaborate kimono welcoming their guests. The boys in the neighborhood flew kites with knives fastened to the pulling cords to cut their opponents' strings in aerial battle and the girls in new sashes played with the traditional shuttlecocks.

  It was the time for old retainers and servants to call and pay their respects and be treated for once like any other guest, but this year the house in Yamashina knew none of these pleasures. Oishi let it be known that his family was still in mourning for the death of Lord Asano and prohibited his children from leaving the grounds. His excuse was partially true, but he also wanted them kept close for their own safety. He would not put it past Chisaka to try to take a child as hostage to keep Oishi from causing trouble for his master.

  Later in January there was an urgent message from Horibe, and Hara came in a rush from Osaka when he heard about it. Kira was now officially retired and the rumor was that he was going to be invited to live at Yonezawa, in the fief of the Lord of Uesugi. In view of the strength of Uesugi's troops, this would put Kira in as safe a place as the Shogun's castle and Horibe was determined that they must act before such a move could be made.

  Hara, too, urged Oishi to attack or forever regret this missed opportunity. The time to act was now and they should all be readying their weapons and preparing for the march to Edo.

  Oishi, however, still convinced that they must wait

  Chapter Nine

  for action on the petition, did not agree that this was the time. Horibe had to be stalled again somehow, but he knew that if he went to Edo himself he might be pressured into unwise decisions. As a substitute, he decided to
send Yoshida, the elder statesman of the group, who agreed with his views and whose voice would carry the most weight next to his own. The point of the stratagem was that Oishi was the only one who could legitimately make a final decision and, if he were not there, perhaps Horibe could again be curbed.

  At Hara's insistence, he was allowed to accompany Yoshida as his "bodyguard," although Oishi would rather he had remained at the archery school. There was always the danger that the rubbing together of two firebrands like Horibe and Hara would strike a flame that would be inextinguishable, but Oishi kept this fear to himself.

  After they had gone, Kataoka prepared to leave for Osaka to take Hara's place, but delayed his departure when he sensed that Oishi needed his ear as a sounding board.

  Oishi was not only concerned about what was going on in Edo, but for some reason the surveillance of the house seemed to be stricter than ever and shadowy figures followed everyone who left the house on no matter how trivial an errand. This activity both troubled and puzzled Oishi. Why at this late date should the spy forces be reinforced unless they were expecting an attack? And why should Oishi and his men plan to attack at this time? There was only one answer: Kira's move to the relatively unprotected suburbs. The obvious thing for Kira's protectors to do then was to move him without delay into a safer place, such as the castle at Yonezawa. But the fact

  that they only sent more spies instead of taking such an obvious move signaled something of their strategy to Oishi and he called on Kataoka to listen to his reasoning.

  "Kira would be safe from any attack we might mount if he were living at Yonezawa, wouldn't you say so?" he asked.

  "Yes, I suppose so," answered the somewhat mystified Kataoka.

  "Therefore, if Chisaka was planning to move Kira there, there would be no reason for all this spying, would there?"

  "No—I suppose not."

  "Then doesn't it stand to reason," said Oishi triumphantly, "that he's not planning to move Kira at all!"

  Kataoka looked at him blankly as Oishi went on to explain.

  "It would be just like a schemer like Chisaka to do something like this. Of course he must protect Kira if he's obviously in danger, but to take him under his master's roof would be against his principles of caution in keeping out of harm's way. In other words, to take Kira in would be to directly involve the Lord of Uesugi in the Asano matter and that's just what Chisaka is trying to avoid."

  Kataoka looked dubious for a moment, then slowly smiled and nodded his head. "You just may be right," he admitted.

  "I know I am," said Oishi enthusiastically, and he went to write out his ideas for Yoshida in Edo to give him ammunition for what he knew must be a ticklish debate. The letter was never sent, however, as a message arrived from Yoshida that changed all plans.

  The first part of Yoshida's letter was analytical; it

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  Chapter Nine

  described the factions represented in Edo with such acumen that Oishi was glad he had sent the old man in his place. One faction, represented primarily by Yoshida himself, supported Oishi's view that they should wait for a decision on the restoral of the house before taking any other action. Horibe's faction, of course, was for immediate action regardless of the consequences. A third group consisted of those apparently willing to wait with Oishi, but in Yoshida's eyes these men had no real stomach for revenge, whether Daigaku became heir or not. This group would stand by Oishi now, but should the petition be denied Yoshida felt they would fall away like the leaves from a tree in a frost. Oishi had to admit to himself that there probably were such men, and Yoshida was in a better position to smell them out than he was.

  The second part of the letter was more upsetting, especially in view of the increased spy activity around the house. Because of the deadlock the latest series of meetings in Edo had produced, and because Oishi could not or would not come to Edo himself to resolve them, Horibe's group proposed to come to Yamashina instead. Oishi was angry about the implied snub to his chosen spokesman, Yoshida, but there was nothing to be done as the men were already on their way. As a final gesture of disrespect, Yoshida reported that Horibe had announced that he could not leave the responsibility of watching Kira to anyone else, and was sending Hara to speak for him.

  Oishi was furious at this disregard of his own authority but there was nothing he could do. He could not repudiate Horibe's standing as a member of the band because of his following of young, eager fighters who might make the difference between

  eventual success and failure. So, although he shook his head privately, he behaved before the others as though Horibe had acted in the best interests of all.

  The group arrived in February and at the first meeting at the house in Yamashina, Hara, with the bit in his teeth, wasted no time in asking why equipment was not being procured for the attack. Oishi calmly replied that he would do nothing until there was some final word about Daigaku and admitted that he had never had any serious intention of launching a March attack—he had only gone along with the others in order to stall Horibe and the other fanatics. Hara flushed to hear himself described in such terms but he pressed a fresh argument that Horibe had formulated. Suppose Daigaku was named heir and the house of Asano restored, could they then raid and kill without again bringing ruin on the very name they had waited to restore? Would there then be no revenge?

  Oishi sighed and thought carefully about his answer before he spoke.

  "In my mind," he finally said, "the restoration of the house and the revenge are two separate things. You are right, Hara, that if the house is restored it would be an ungrateful act for the men of Ako to go ahead and attack one of the Shogun's officials, or ex-officials, in force."

  Hara's eyebrows raised at this unexpected frankness but he kept silent to hear what Oishi's solution was.

  "Therefore I have resolved that if that time ever comes, I personally will take revenge on behalf of us all."

  There was a pause while his words sunk in and then Hara raised his voice in a howl of frustration. "Don't you see, Oishi, that if you do that, the rest of us will

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  Chapter Nine

  be branded as cowards?" There was a loud murmur of approval of Hara's words. "Everyone knows that a samurai cannot live under the same sky as the slayer of his lord. We must all be given the chance to attack, whatever the consequences are."

  There were loud cries of agreement from all sides and only Yoshida and Onodera, another elder statesman, stood by Oishi. They tried to tell the others that sword rattling was not the only way to play the part of a loyal samurai and that Oishi's plan had the virtue of getting them everything they said they wanted, but such rational arguments were not heeded in the charged atmosphere of this gathering.

  Oishi could see that the situation was out of control and likely to remain that way unless one side or the other gave in. It was plain to see that the others would not so he resolved to defer to their wishes as gracefully as possible in the interests of unity.

  "All right," he said, raising his hand for silence, "all right. I cannot stand against so many. I agree that we will all share our fortunes together, but I still insist we must wait for the outcome of the petition. If we do not hear by March, we must wait another year. If there is no decision by then, we will assume that hope is lost forever and attack in a body. Do you understand? 1 promise you that at that time, or sooner, we will attack!"

  The men cheered and began an excited discussion. Oishi advanced his views about Chisaka's probable attitude toward Kira, and they agreed that his analysis made sense. This information would help placate Horibe along with the news that there would be definite action forthcoming. They all renewed their pledge to stand together as a loyal band and Yoshida was sent back to Edo with instructions to stay there

  with Horibe until further notice. Hara returned to Osaka while Onodera, a quick, wiry old campaigner, stayed at Yamashina with Oishi as chief of staff. The men drifted away in twos and threes to make matters more dif
ficult for the spies waiting outside^ but many of them were followed and their actions reported promptly to Chisaka, and through him to Kira. When he heard about the meeting, Kira insisted that the spy force be even further augmented and Chisaka finally agreed. But he said nothing that could be construed by Kira as an invitation to move into the castle at Yonezawa.

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  Spring came*wetly to the Kyoto area with heavy rainfall and repeated flood conditions. Oishi was confined closely to the house at Yamashina with plenty of time to think and consequently to brood. He felt hemmed in and on the defensive because of the continued presence of Chisaka's spies. He could well sympathize with Horibe and the others in Edo who kept close watch on Kira and were therefore tempted beyond the bounds of reason to strike out against him. Here in Yamashina, Oishi had no more formid-

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  Chapter Ten

  able opponents to face than shadowy spies, but by the time the weather had cleared and the flood damage was repaired, he had decided on an unusual plan. Although not as dangerous as physical combat, it entailed risks of a different sort which Oishi felt were worth taking. A sword is not always required in order to do battle.

  During the first week in April he stayed late in Kyoto for several nights without explanation, but on the occasion of Kataoka's next visit in May his motives began to become apparent.

  "Fm glad to see you," he greeted his old friend, with an expression more intense than usual.

  "No word from Edo about the petition yet?" the monkey-faced man asked as they entered the house.

  "No," Oishi growled, "and it doesn't look like there's going to be. Horibe and the others were right— the councilors are only stalling."

  "You don't know that ..." Kataoka began, but Oishi interrupted him.

  "Don't try to salve my vanity. 1 admit I was wrong. I was so hopeful of saving something of what was dear to us that I blinded myself to the real truth."

  "There may still be a chance. Araki said ..." But again Kataoka was cut short.