The 47 Ronin Story Read online

  They proceeded at a measured walk, in accordance with security regulations, and next came to an outer castle where the nobles and their families lived, surrounded by the palaces and courts of lesser ranking officials in a square that constituted a small town in itself. There was little activity in the streets, however, as most of the nobles were inside preparing for the events of the day.

  Past this, on higher ground, was the inner castle and official residence of the Shogun himself. It was surrounded by another moat and a thick wall of freestone like the granite one below. A drawbridge was positioned over the moat and Lord Asano's party moved even more slowly across it, their pace fixed by the court's immutable rules.

  Inside the wall, wide ramparts of earth supported guardhouses several stories high at each corner of the enclosure. Above the castle itself a white tower rose aloft above all the other buildings, and at sight of this Lord Asano exchanged a quick understanding glance with Kataoka. It was this which reminded them both of home. It was a great square mass of stone and

  '31'

  plaster with narrow white-barred windows and tiers of curving roofs zigzagging over one another to a high ridge on each end of which was a bronze fish with an uplifted tail. Although the castle in Ako was not this large or ornate, the tower design was similar and stirred both their memories.

  At the entrance to the castle, the palanquin stopped and Lord Asano got out. He stepped directly onto a low wooden porch so there was no need for him to be Hfted out by his bearers. His costume was brilHant green, and he made an expression of distaste as he looked down at himself. Outfits like this were one of his biggest problems in life at the capita!. Besides a ridiculous hat that flopped over on one side and threatened to fall off" if he inclined his head, he v/as strapped into a broad-shouldered kamishimo jacket that constricted his arm movements. But worst of all were the cumbersome trousers which Kataoka now hastened to adjust for Lord Asano's entrance into the castle.

  The voluminous legs were overlong by several feet and were supposed to stretch out flatly behind the wearer for aesthetic eff'ect. This required great care in walking and Lord Asano, naturally impatient, felt hemmed in and vulnerable. He had a constant urge to kick holes in the legs and strut in his normal manner instead of mincing along like a woman in a tight kimono. Kataoka finished laying out the cloth so that his master was pointed in the right direction, then bowed deeply and withdrew. He would wait in the vicinity of the guard shack with the bearers until the ceremonies were over. He was not, of course, allowed to enter the castle under any circumstances. No one below the rank of daimyo was invited to the annual reception for the Emperor's envoys.

  '32'

  Chapter Two

  Lord Asano braced himself and started the walk to the door. Although it was only a short distance, it seemed to him interminable as he carefully lifted each foot, kicked it slightly forward, and took a step down onto the trouser legs themselves. There were only a couple of guards watching him at the moment, but Lord Asano walked as carefully for their benefit as he would have before the Shogun himself. He knew that Kira would goad him unmercifully if he made even one false step, and he was determined to show these Edoites that a samurai from the country could play their game.

  As one of the guards held the door open, he entered the waiting room outside the enormous Hall of the Thousand Mats where the official ceremonies would be held. Inside he paused to let his eyes become accustomed to the dimmer light.

  The waiting room was spacious and high ceiHnged with gilded beams and carved pillars. As he stepped onto the gold-bordered mats. Lord Asano noticed that, even though he was early, there were several lords there ahead of him. All were dressed in court costume similar to his, differing in detail only to denote rank. One, in an outfit identical to his except that it was golden brown, looked pointedly at him and it was in this man's direction that he made his way.

  Lord Date of Yoshida, a trim athletic-looking fellow in his thirties, was Lord Asano's counterpart in rank and assignment. Both their names had been drawn by lot to be official representatives of the Shogun at this reception of the Emperor's envoys from Kyoto, an annual affair that represented one of the few contacts between the Emperor, who was ruler in name only, and the Shogun, whose recent ancestors

  '33'

  had unified the country by mililary action and who was the actual head of the government.

  Both Lord Asano and Lord Date had tried to decline the honor on the grounds that they were unfamiliar with court etiquette, but neither had been successful. They had been put under Kira's wing to learn the protocol for the occasion and were completely dependent on him to coach them through their various functions. Date had little trouble with Kira, however, while Lord Asano was constantly being ridiculed about his "country manners." Now, at the start of the final day. Lord Date looked cool and complacent while his fellow participant was noticeably apprehensive.

  "Good morning," Lord Asano said, with a perfunctory bow.

  "Good morning. Lord Asano," smiled Date. "You're early, aren't you?"

  "So are you," retorted Lord Asano. "Maybe you're more nervous than you appear."

  Date laughed. "You're the nervous one. Anyone would think you were going into battle."

  "I wish it were a battle," Lord Asano said testily. "I'm a country boy with no talent for getting along with these fancy-pants courtiers. Men like Kira," and he spoke the name distastefully, "are of lower rank than we, yet we are supposed to jump when they give the word." He shook his head. "I just don't seem to know my place here."

  "I don't know why you should have so much trouble with Kira," said Date with a sly smile. "He's treated me with respect, even though I'm as clumsy as you about the ceremonies."

  Lord Asano looked at him warily. "Don't think I don't know your secret, Lord Date. You knuckled

  Chapter Two

  under to his demands and have paid him off. ..."

  "I did no such thing!" Date interrupted angrily.

  "Then your councilors did it for you and that doesn't reflect credit on you either—not to know what's going on in your own house!"

  Date's face reddened and he was about to respond in kind when the sliding doors to the hall within opened and Lord Kira himself stepped ponderously out. He smiled condescendingly at the group in the waiting room, revealing his fashionably blackened teeth, and Lord Asano shuddered as he always did at such signs of decadence. The nuts chewed to achieve such an effect were expensive and he considered such practice the height of vulgarity, quite contrary to the tenets of frugality taught by Buddha and Confucius ahke. In his view, Kira represented the epitome of all that was wrong with the court. He was corrupt, vain, and self-important—about as far from the traditional ideal of a samurai as it was possible to be.

  Kira looked pointedly at Lord Asano after the customary bows of greeting had been exchanged, hoping for some sign of a change in attitude. Surely, he thought, there must be some way to get to this noble idiot. Perhaps stronger insults would be more effective with such a proud young man. At least it was worth one more try and there was no better time than the present. He knew he was safe; drawing a sword in the castle, no matter what the circumstances, was a capital offense.

  As Kira started to move toward him. Lord Asano instinctively turned away in what could only be interpreted as a gesture of disdain. The black-clad Master of Ceremonies halted in surprise then angrily changed his course to approach Lord Date instead.

  '35 '

  This rude act was the last straw and Kira, his blood rising, knew now that it was useless to go on trying to collect his bribe. He resolved that Lord Asano would pay for his incorruptibihty—and his rudeness.

  As Kira's instructions to Lord Date went on, Lord Asano felt a tremendous depression settle over him. He knew that his own self-indulgence had once again cost him Kira's good will. If Kira neglected him now, he would be at a complete loss to know what to do during the ceremony. He felt a moment of panic as he anticipated the disgrace he would bring
on his family name if he should commit some terrible breach of etiquette. After all, Kira was the recognized expert on such matters and the least he could do was be civil to the man, even if he despised him.

  He was trying to compose some statement of apology when the outside door opened. His pulse quickened at the thought that it might be the Imperial envoys, but he breathed easier when he saw that it was only an attendant of the Shogun's mother who entered. He was a pop-eyed, plump little man named Kajikawa whom Lord Asano would ordinarily have ignored, but on this occasion he was astute enough not to reveal his true feelings. As Kajikawa looked timidly around the room. Lord Asano smiled encouragingly.

  The smile worked and Kajikawa scurried over, sinking into an exaggerated bow of respect as he arrived. Then he lifted his head with a froggy smile

  "Lord Asano," he said in a lisping rush of words, "I have heard that there's been a change in the time schedule and I would like to know what it is so that I can tell our exalted Shogun's mother. If it wouldn't be too much trouble . . ."he finished on the correct note of uncertainty.

  .56*

  Chapter Two

  Lord Asano's eyes went involuntarily to Kira as the only one who could answer and was discomfited to find that Kira was smiling blackly back at him and had obviously heard the question.

  "Don't bother to ask that dolt anything," Kira said loudly and in his grandest manner. "If it's a question about the ceremony, ask me or Lord Date, or one of the servants—even they know more about what's going on than Lord Asano!"

  Kajikawa's face turned red and his eyes popped wider than ever as he bowed uncertainly, then stood in indecision. Lord Asano had gone dead white and stood as stiffly as if he had been turned to stone. Kajikawa felt a sudden twinge of dread and moved away toward the sliding doors to the assembly hall. He did not want to humiliate Lord Asano any further by going to anyone else in the room, and decided to ask his question of one of the courtiers inside. He had started to open the door when he saw Lord Kira move majestically across the room to stop in front of Lord Asano and say something to him in low tones. He could not be sure but it sounded like Kira was making some reference to Lord Asano's wife.

  Lord Asano, too, had trouble believing his ears as Kira spoke.

  "You could have saved yourself all this trouble, you know," he said insinuatingly. "If your money means so much to you, there are other ways to satisfy my taste for delicacies. I hear you have a pretty wife with a round moonlike face ..."

  Lord Asano could take no more. The blood drained from his face and pounded in his chest, and his sword arm jerked to the hilt of his weapon. Kira's hand went instinctively to his own sword, although he had no intention of drawing it, but this was a tragic

  .i7.

  mistake. Lord Asano saw the move as an acceptance of his challenge and his sword blade flashed naked as he raised it high and slashed down in blind fury. Kira, struck high on the shoulder, stumbled and fell. Lord Asano raised his arm to strike again but Lord Date and some of the others rushed forward to seize him. There was a second's stillness, broken only when Kajikawa gulped loudly and hurried away into the inner room.

  Lord Asano went slack with a shudder as he looked down at the still figure of Kira and then at the men who took both his swords from him. He was still standing motionless, a glazed look in his eyes, when the sliding doors opened again and the Shogun Tsunayoshi himself stepped into the room. Behind him could be seen a group of boys in dance costume, all strangely silent and grotesquely frozen in position.

  Tsunayoshi, more feminine appearing than ever in his dance costume, was not prepared for the sight which greeted him. He caught his breath sharply, then staggered back as though he might fall. Some of those present could guess what was going through his mind.

  It was just seventeen years ago that a similar incident had taken place in this very room, and during all these years Tsunayoshi had been haunted by it. It had been his own prime minister who had been struck down at that time, instantly killed by a junior member of the court, who, it was said, resented the prime minister's taking over too many powers that rightly belonged to the Shogun. It was also said, behind closed doors, that Tsunayoshi himself was responsible for the attack, although this was never proved. The assassin was executed on the spot by the assembled lords, and his motives remained a secret.

  Now it was as though the whole scene was being

  • 55-

  Chapter Two

  played out again before his eyes and he was plainly unnerved by the sight. A sudden rage took hold of him and the blood rushed to his face as he stamped forward to stand by Kira's motionless body. With a grimace of distaste, the Shogun ordered two servants to carry his no longer impeccable Master of Ceremonies into an anteroom, then turned to the others.

  "What's happened here?" he demanded to know, but there was no immediate reply. "You, there," he said to Lord Date. "Tell me what happened."

  Date released Lord Asano's arm and bowed, swallowing hard as he did so. Then he straightened and spoke briefly and formally, as though reporting to a superior on the field of battle.

  "Lord Asano evidently took offense at something Lord Kira said. We saw that he was shocked. We saw that he drew his sword and struck Lord Kira. It was as though something beyond him was forcing ..."

  "He drew his sword and struck Kira?" interrupted the Shogun. "Does anyone know what Kira said to him to cause him to behave in such a lawless manner?"

  No one answered, least of all Kajikawa, who was peeking through the sliding doors to the inner room and who knew when to keep his mouth shut.

  "Very well, then, hold him here," said Tsunayoshi icily. He turned to Lord Asano. "You have no regard, sir, for the propriety of this court?"

  "I'm sorry," said Lord Asano as he knelt and bowed his head to the floor. "I have no excuse."

  "There are rules for every occasion," Tsunayoshi went on, "carefully thought out rules which everyone must obey. 1 make no exceptions in this regard—not even of my own kinsmen. Ignorance of the rules might make some diff'erence, but I'm sure that you, sir, after

  so many years as a daimyo cannot claim such an exemption."

  "No . . . no," murmured Lord Asano, feeling sure he must be having a bad dream from which he would soon wake.

  Tsunayoshi turned to the others. "The crime is clear enough. So is the penalty. You will please keep this man in custody while I confer with my councilors. In the meantime the ceremony will have to be delayed."

  He made an expression of distaste at the bloodstains on the floor, then turned away and started to go back through the sliding doors to the large hall beyond. One of his retinue of courtiers appeared in the doorway, but stepped back obsequiously to make way for the Shogun.

  "It's terrible," said the Shogun to the courtier. "All our plans upset because of one irresponsible samurai who never learned how to behave in the castle. It may even mean canceling our dance performance."

  Then they were gone and Lord Asano was left alone with his captors. He continued to kneel and look steadfastly at the floor while the rest of those present watched him in awed silence. His face maintained a stony calm, but inside his stomach was churning so that it was difficult to think straight. He felt close to being sick but took a firmer grip on himself, resolving to show nothing of weakness. His only thought was that he must prove to all that he did know his place.

  An hour passed in silence before the sound of marching men was heard from outside. Lord Tamura, the red-faced and bustling Daimyo of Ichinoseki burst in a side entrance with a squad of samurai and then stood indecisively when he saw Lord Asano's rigid pose. Lord Tamura had been a former high

  '40-

  Chapter Two

  constable, which was presumably why Tsunayoshi had summoned him, but in this assignment he felt at a loss. It was easy to be commanding when dealing with the thieves and pickpockets of Edo, but to arrest a fellow daimyo was something else again. He approached the kneeling man with reluctance and placed his hand on his shoulder.
/>
  "By our Shogun's order," he said, and Lord Asano obediently got up to follow him out. There was a palanquin waiting outside along with a dozen samurai and more than thirty servants, but none of the faces were familiar and he looked around in vain for Kataoka. He was about to step into the palanquin when he was stopped by a word from Tamura who, in some embarrassment, handed him a cheap servant's dress and asked him to put it on over his court robes. Lord Asano was astounded by this effrontery until he realized that it was for his own benefit. In this garb he would not be recognized as he rode through the streets of Edo and would be spared public humiliation. With an expression of distaste he put it on and got in the palanquin, after which Lord Tamura had a large net thrown over it and the whole rig tied around with rope so there could be no chance of his prisoner escaping and bringing disgrace on his keeper. Then the order was given to move out and the procession set off for Lord Tamura's mansion. As they rounded the corner at the guard shack they passed close by the waiting Kataoka, who knew nothing of what had happened in the castle and had no idea that it was Lord Asano who passed by him as a prisoner.

  It was afternoon before Kataoka really began to worry about his master. The ceremonies appeared to be over and the various lords summoned their palanquins and departed, but there was still no sign of

  .41 .

  Lord Asano. Finally he recognized Lord Date's palanquin and hurried forward to intercept him.

  Lord Date was still stunned by the events of the morning and for a moment did not understand Kataoka's polite question. As to what had happened to Lord Asano he had no clear idea himself except that he had been taken away by Lord Tamura. Then he realized that Kataoka knew nothing of the attack on Kira, and tried to think of some diplomatic way of-telling him and in effect breaking the news to all of Lord Asano's followers and family.