White Serpent Castle by Lensey Namioka

Author:Lensey Namioka [Namioka, Lensey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

Chapter 10

“Where are we going?” asked Matsuzo.

“To Lady Tama’s rooms,” replied Zenta. He glanced back and saw that no one was watching them.

“Why did you send Jihei’s men to Lady Kaede’s apartments?” asked Matsuzo. “If they should find traces of the ‘ghost’ there, it could be very unpleasant for her.”

“They won’t find a trace,” said Zenta. “That’s why I’m sending them there. My three female warrior friends will give the searchers a stimulating reception, and keep them occupied long enough for my purposes.”

Zenta found the door that he was looking for. Without announcing himself, he swept it open and stepped into the room, signaling Matsuzo to follow and close the door.

It was Ume’s bedroom, and they found the old woman lying as if in peaceful slumber. She did not seem surprised by the arrival of the intruders, but her eyes widened when she saw who they were. “So! You have become the chamberlain’s henchmen after all,” she said bitterly.

Zenta paid no attention to this greeting, but looked slowly around the room, noting that its sparse furnishings provided no room for concealment at all. The clothes chest could be ruled out as a hiding place for the “ghost” since it would be the first place that Jihei’s men would search. Next he considered the shelves. They were standing bare. The quilts that were usually stored in them during the day were now spread out on the floor as beds for the night. Ume was lying on her bed and made no move to get up. Zenta stared down at the old woman and thought about her strange determination to stay put in her bed. She stirred uncomfortably and avoided his eyes.

“You are taking our intrusion very calmly,” he remarked. “Shouldn’t you be terribly indignant at the outrageous search taking place? It doesn’t look natural for you to be lying there so peacefully. You should jump up and clutch my arm and scream at me.”

In contrast to the calmness in Lady Tama’s apartments, screams and yells were coming from the direction of Lady Kaede’s apartments. Zenta could hear the sound of doors and shelves being slammed open and shut. That was followed by the sound of resounding slaps, and the screams this time were by no means all female. He could tell that some of them were from the throats of Jihei’s men.

Suddenly a girl burst into the room and leaned against the door. She was too overcome to speak, and when she lifted her head, Zenta saw that she was shaking with laughter. It took him a moment to recognize the little maid who had conducted them to the bath that afternoon. With the makeup washed from her face, she looked very much younger.

Finally she recovered her breath. “The searchers are all down at Lady Kaede’s apartments. You should have seen Jihei’s men trying to get past those women warriors that Lady Kaede has. One of them is almost as tall as Jihei, and when she stood breathing fire into his face, he had to back down .

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