Hoshina.
"What was Left Minister Konoe doing out here so late?"
"No one admits to knowing."
"You've questioned the palace residents, then?"
"Yes, I conducted a preliminary investigation," Hoshina said, "to save you some trouble. The results are detailed in a report which I'll give you later, but I'll summarize them now. All the guards, servants, attendants, and courtiers were elsewhere at the time of Left Minister Konoe's death. He'd ordered everyone to stay out of the garden."
"Excellent work," Sano said, noting the raw edge of pride and ambition behind the yoriki's modest demeanor: Hoshina enjoyed showing off, and he anticipated rewards for pleasing the shogun's sosakan-sama. That their interests coincided inclined Sano to trust the helpful Hoshina.
"Were there any visitors or other outsiders present in the compound that night?" Sano asked.
"No," Hoshina said, "and there was no sign of forced entry, so it's unlikely that an intruder killed Left Minister Konoe."
Sano said, "Was everyone else in the court accounted for around the time of the murder?"
"I thought it best to wait until your arrival before questioning the imperial family," Hoshina said. "However, I've made discreet inquiries. There are some people whose whereabouts I haven't been able to establish. Emperor Tomohito and Prince Momozono weren't in their quarters as usual. Neither were the emperor's chief consort, Lady Asagao, or his mother, Lady Jokyoden."
Four potential murder suspects; all members of Japan's sacred imperial family. Sano contemplated the politically volatile nature of the case. By probing into palace affairs, he was bound to violate social and religious convention, thereby damaging relations between the bakufu and the institution that sanctioned its right to rule. Nevertheless, the killer must be caught, or others might die.
Looking upward, Sano saw the hills darkening in murky twilight. He couldn't call on the imperial family so late, on such short notice, without offending them. "I'll interview the emperor, his mother, cousin, and consort tomorrow morning."
"Of course," Yoriki Hoshina said. "I'll arrange appointments for you. Shall I take you to your lodgings at Nijo Manor now?"
The offer tempted Sano, who was hungry and tired, caked with sweat and grime; he needed food, a bath, and sleep. He also wanted to discuss the case with Reiko, but he hadn't finished the day's work at the palace. "Before we go, I'd like to inspect Left Minister Konoe's residence and question the household."
3
Sano, Yoriki Hoshina, Marume, and Fukida walked west along a passage that bisected the palace compound, through the district of the kuge, court nobles who were hereditary retainers to the imperial family. Fences bounded some hundred estates packed side by side, where buildings clustered with scarcely a gap between roofs. As the dinner hour approached, charcoal smoke billowed from many chimneys; the noise of activity and conversation made a constant, muted din. Through the passages strolled courtiers dressed in the old-fashioned short jackets and black hats of imperial tradition. Everyone bowed to Sano and his party.
At the Konoe estate, near the northern wall of the imperial enclosure, black mourning drapery decorated the lattice fence and double-roofed gate. Hoshina rang a bell that dangled from the portal. After a moment, the gate swung open to reveal a courtier, who looked startled by the unexpected arrival of four samurai, then bowed politely.
"Greetings, Honorable Masters. How may I serve you?"
Hoshina introduced Sano and said, "The sosakan-sama is investigating the death of Left Minister Konoe. You shall assemble the family for questioning and show us the left minister's quarters."
The courtier led Sano's party along a flagstone path through a garden landscaped with pines. Within a gravel courtyard stood a
"What was Left Minister Konoe doing out here so late?"
"No one admits to knowing."
"You've questioned the palace residents, then?"
"Yes, I conducted a preliminary investigation," Hoshina said, "to save you some trouble. The results are detailed in a report which I'll give you later, but I'll summarize them now. All the guards, servants, attendants, and courtiers were elsewhere at the time of Left Minister Konoe's death. He'd ordered everyone to stay out of the garden."
"Excellent work," Sano said, noting the raw edge of pride and ambition behind the yoriki's modest demeanor: Hoshina enjoyed showing off, and he anticipated rewards for pleasing the shogun's sosakan-sama. That their interests coincided inclined Sano to trust the helpful Hoshina.
"Were there any visitors or other outsiders present in the compound that night?" Sano asked.
"No," Hoshina said, "and there was no sign of forced entry, so it's unlikely that an intruder killed Left Minister Konoe."
Sano said, "Was everyone else in the court accounted for around the time of the murder?"
"I thought it best to wait until your arrival before questioning the imperial family," Hoshina said. "However, I've made discreet inquiries. There are some people whose whereabouts I haven't been able to establish. Emperor Tomohito and Prince Momozono weren't in their quarters as usual. Neither were the emperor's chief consort, Lady Asagao, or his mother, Lady Jokyoden."
Four potential murder suspects; all members of Japan's sacred imperial family. Sano contemplated the politically volatile nature of the case. By probing into palace affairs, he was bound to violate social and religious convention, thereby damaging relations between the bakufu and the institution that sanctioned its right to rule. Nevertheless, the killer must be caught, or others might die.
Looking upward, Sano saw the hills darkening in murky twilight. He couldn't call on the imperial family so late, on such short notice, without offending them. "I'll interview the emperor, his mother, cousin, and consort tomorrow morning."
"Of course," Yoriki Hoshina said. "I'll arrange appointments for you. Shall I take you to your lodgings at Nijo Manor now?"
The offer tempted Sano, who was hungry and tired, caked with sweat and grime; he needed food, a bath, and sleep. He also wanted to discuss the case with Reiko, but he hadn't finished the day's work at the palace. "Before we go, I'd like to inspect Left Minister Konoe's residence and question the household."
3
Sano, Yoriki Hoshina, Marume, and Fukida walked west along a passage that bisected the palace compound, through the district of the kuge, court nobles who were hereditary retainers to the imperial family. Fences bounded some hundred estates packed side by side, where buildings clustered with scarcely a gap between roofs. As the dinner hour approached, charcoal smoke billowed from many chimneys; the noise of activity and conversation made a constant, muted din. Through the passages strolled courtiers dressed in the old-fashioned short jackets and black hats of imperial tradition. Everyone bowed to Sano and his party.
At the Konoe estate, near the northern wall of the imperial enclosure, black mourning drapery decorated the lattice fence and double-roofed gate. Hoshina rang a bell that dangled from the portal. After a moment, the gate swung open to reveal a courtier, who looked startled by the unexpected arrival of four samurai, then bowed politely.
"Greetings, Honorable Masters. How may I serve you?"
Hoshina introduced Sano and said, "The sosakan-sama is investigating the death of Left Minister Konoe. You shall assemble the family for questioning and show us the left minister's quarters."
The courtier led Sano's party along a flagstone path through a garden landscaped with pines. Within a gravel courtyard stood a
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