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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
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    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