Tuesday, August 8, 2006

Plans and Plots

It was an unusually hot June afternoon in Tokyo. Just outside the village on the Smoking Hill, an old woman sat in the shade, watching the play of light through the leaves. She had gone there, away from the village, to meet with someone.

The man stepped out from behind a tree. “Have you been waiting long, Rin?” he asked.

Rin looked up and smiled. “Not long at all, Tôshi. It's nice to see you again. How long has it been?”

Tôshi walked over to Rin and sat next to her in the shade. He was a handsome man with eyes of brilliant green and hair the same emerald color. His smile for Rin was genuinely warm. He took one of her hands in his own and kissed her on the cheek. “Too long, my dear,” he said. “You're as beautiful as ever.”

“And you're the same as always. Never changing. You're still the handsome young man I met all those years ago.” Rin squeezed his hand. “And still the flatterer.”

Tôshi laughed. “Of course I am. Now, what is this important news you have to tell me?”

“It's about our daughter.”

“What of Shizuyo? She ran off with that human against your wishes, against mine, and against his own family's. She's dead to me.” His words were cold and stung Rin's heart.

“I know,” Rin said quietly. “But she is still our daughter. The stars have brought me news.”

“Ah, yes, the stars talk to you. What did they say this time?” There was perhaps the slightest tone of mockery to his voice, but Rin paid it no mind.

Rin looked up at the sky. “They had a child.”

Tôshi furrowed his brow in confusion. “The stars?”

Rin laughed. “Not the stars, silly. Shizuyo and the human. They had a son.”

“Ah, I see. A son. Why have you told me this?”

“He needs to learn of his heritage. He needs to learn control.”

Tôshi scowled. “Why tell me? I thought by now you'd know how I feel about family... and humans. I want nothing to do with this.”

Rin looked at her hand. Despite his harsh words, Tôshi still had hold of it. “I know. Sometimes I think if you had stayed, Shizuyo would not have run off. She's much like you, but...”

“But what?” Tôshi sighed. He hated to admit it, but he was never able to resist Rin's charms. She could always get him to do what she wanted.

“The stars told me the boy is like you as well. He's going to need your guidance. For his own sake, as well as those he loves.”

Tôshi sighed again. “All right,” he said. “What do you want me to do?”

“I need you to talk to his human grandfather. You're able to blend in with the humans. Ask him to bring the boy here to the house at the bottom of the hill. Then I can teach him.”

“Very well,” Tôshi growled. “I will ask him. I will have the whelp brought to you.” He stood up to leave.

Rin stood up and caught his arm. “Thank you, my darling,” she said and kissed him. “Until we meet again.”

Tôshi smiled and said, “The centuries have been kind to you, my love. Your beauty only grows with time. You will be most radiant before long. Good bye.”

Rin watched Tôshi as he disappeared into the forest. The villagers would be wondering about her, and she knew she had to get back. With a sad smile she turned back to the village, pausing only to look over her shoulder to where she last saw Tôshi. “Flatterer,” she said half aloud, and continued home to the village.

* * *

Nakamura didn't want to be where he was that night, but due to his position in the government, he had to be at that party. He stood off to one side watching his wife make her rounds with the other wives. He sighed and took a sip of champagne, thoughts turning to the letter he had sent to Hikaru. He wondered why he hadn't received any reply.

“Nakamura-san?” someone said.

Nakamura turned and saw that it was one of the men from his office. “Yes, Sadojima-san? Is there something you need?”

Sadojima said, “Well, not really. I was just wondering if you were as bored as I am. I really hate these parties.”

Nakmura chuckled. “I'm here only because my wife insisted that I come. I have to deal with these pelpe every day. I would just like to enjoy my evenings at home with a good book.”

“I agree. Ah, no, I see our wives have found each other. Now let's guess which of us they're talking about.” Sadojima grabbed another glass of champagne from a passing waiter.

Nakamura watched the women and frowned. “My guess is they're talking about me. I just saw my wife glance over at me and start laughing.”

“Bad luck, old man,” Sadojima said with a smile. “So, how was your trip to Kamakura? Did you speak with your son?”

Nakamura took another sip of champagne before answering. “I hate champagne,” he started. “No, unfortunately I wasn't able to speak with him. He was killed in the Seinan War before I had a chance.”

“Killed? How awful,” Sadojima said. “I apologize if I offended you, Nakamura-san.”

Nakamura smiled sadly. “Don't worry about it. I've done my mourning. I may have had an idea that I wouldn't see him when I went there.”

Sadojima didn't quite know what to say to that, so he watched people mingle for a bit before continuing. “Did he have any family?”

“Yes,” Nakamura said, and let it go at that, hoping Sadojima would not press the issue. No such luck.

“Really? That's wonderful! Did you meet them?”

Nakamura was beginning to get irritated. He would have said something about it, but Sadojima worked directly with the head of the department and therefore outranked him. “I didn't have a chance. I arrived there in time for the funeral, and was unable to speak to them.”

Sadojima shook his head. “Such a shame. You should go back now and meet them. No, on second thought, bring them here. Show them Tokyo. You have that beautiful estate. I'm sure they'd be impressed by that.”

“Perhaps,” was all Nakamura said. Sadojima continued about the wonders of Tokyo, but Nakamura paid it no mind. Sadojima was a little on the drunk side and had a tendency to talk on end in such a state.

Nakamura was trying to figure out some excuse to get away from Sadojima when a man he did not know approached him.

“Excuse me, you are Nakamura Takeshi-san?” the man asked. He was a tall man, dressed simply in the Western style. He had approached quietly with eyes downcast, yet something about his bearing made Nakamura uncomfortable.

“Yes, I am Nakamura. How can I help you?”

“I need to speak with you. In private.” The man then looked Nakamura in the eye.

Nakamura was surprised by the man's eyes. They were a brilliant green, appearing as if lit by fire. “Of course,” he said. He turned to excuse himself from Sadojima, but found his coworker had already found someone else to bother.

The man smirked as he watched Nakamura. “It is about your grandson,” he said.

That gained Nakamura's full attention. “What about my grandson?” he asked, concerned about what this mysterious man had in mind.

“Bring him to this city.”

“I beg your pardon.”

“The grandson. Bring him here to this city. Rin will educate him. This is not a request.” He turned and walked away.

It took a moment for Nakamura to fully comprehend what he just heard. “Excuse me,” he said. “Who are you? What do you mean it's not a request?”

“Takeshi, who are you talking to?”

Nakamura turned to see his wife standing behind him. “Ah, Michiko,” he said. “I don't know who that was, but...”

“There's something else?”

“Not here. I don't wish to discuss it here. Let us go home now. I'm becoming tired.”

Michiko looked up at her husband and could see the strain on his face. “Of course, I wil say our farewells to our hosts and meet you at the carriage.”

The ride back to the mansion was spent in silence. Michiko knew not to ask Nakamura about the man at the party until they were home. Once at the mansion, she could no longer hold back her curiosity. “Takeshi, who was that man? What did he want?”

Nakamura sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I don't know who he was,” he said, “but his business I do know. It seemed a veiled threat.”

“A threat? You must tell someone at the office about this.”

“No, I cannot. The threat was behind a... request. A request to bring someone to Tokyo. To the family estate.”

“Bring someone? Who?”

“Our grandson. He said I need to take Hikaru to the estate. But I agreed to let the boy make the first move.”

“But the threat?”

“I don't know. He didn't say what whould happen if Hikaru doesn't go there.”

Michiko seized on this opportunity to make a suggestion to her husband. “Takeshi, you're the head of the family. Our son is dead, and the woman ran off years ago. All that is left is our grandson. Send a carriage to Kamakura and bring him here. It's only right that Hikaru is here with us. He is family.”

Nakamura said nothing, but went upstairs to bed. He would think more about it in the morning when his head was clear. Too many thoughts were swirling around in his brain.

Michiko was upset by her husband's lack of action and took it upon herself to get her grandson to Tokyo. She would see to it that the boy was brought there by any means possible. And Nakamura knew nothing of her plans until the day it all came together.

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