The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn by Tom Hoobler

Author:Tom Hoobler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mystery, japan, teen, samurai
Publisher: Tom Hoobler

14: A New Role

The actors had set up camp in back of a stable, for this small town had no temple offering shelter. Everyone shared a large pot of warm rice and sea bream. Seikei thought it was the best meal he had ever eaten. As soon as his bowl was empty, he lay back and listened to the actors talking and singing. He looked up and saw the stars overhead. Then his eyes closed, and the next thing he knew Kazuo was shaking him.

The stars had disappeared and the sky was now streaked pink from the rising sun. Though Seikei’s feet still pained him and his legs were stiff, he followed Kazuo to a nearby stream. Kazuo stripped off his clothes and jumped into the water. Seikei quickly joined him. The stream was freezing cold, but he washed off the dust of the road with relief.

Kazuo rinsed some of the actors’ costumes in the water and spread them on rocks to dry. “This town is too small to make it worthwhile to put on a play,” he explained. “We’re just picking up a few coins by performing tricks and such. But in a few days we’ll be in Edo, and the bon festival will be starting. Tomomi says he’ll have a brand-new play for us to perform.”

“He’s writing it?” said Seikei.

“He writes all our plays. The most popular one is The Forty-Seven Ronin, of course. Many kabuki troupes perform some version of that story. But Tomomi’s is best, don’t you think?”

“It’s the best one I’ve ever seen,” Seikei said. He didn’t mention it was the only one he’d seen. “What is the new play about?”

“Tomomi won’t tell anyone yet. He likes surprises. He’s been rehearsing the actors separately, so that nobody knows the whole play. Of course, he’ll give himself the main role. He always does.”

Seikei clambered out of the water and dried himself. As he put on his clothes, Kazuo said, “I see you got your sword back. What did you have to do for it?”

Seikei hesitated. How much did Kazuo know about the theft of the ruby? “I watched him make an offering at the shrine of Amaterasu,” he explained.

Kazuo gave him a skeptical look. “Is that all?”

Seikei shrugged.

“Well, maybe he wanted to prove he wasn’t a Kirishitan,” Kazuo suggested. “Is that why this judge, your master, has his eye on Tomomi?”

The question made Seikei uncomfortable. He remembered the reason why Judge Ooka had told him to investigate Tomomi—to see why he became a bent tree. “No,” he said. He looked at Kazuo, and decided that he was so open and honest that he could not possibly have anything to do with the theft.

“Were you with Tomomi at the checkpoint outside the town of Kameyama?” Seikei asked. “Did you see what he did?”

Kazuo wrinkled his brow. “Kameyama? How many days ago was that?”

Seikei counted. “Three.” Was it only three days ago? So much seemed to have happened since then.

“Oh, I remember,” said Kazuo. “Tomomi was in one of his crazy moods.

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