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seven_samcham
Chapter 20
In Which Sakami Manzou Has a Dream
There is a dimension unknown to humans in which there are various ‘lounges’ where kitsune can drop in to have a conversation with other kitsune. In one such lounge, the kitsune of Tomoe, Otane, and Hiroko are presently engaged in a discussion about Jin, Mugen, and Fuu, among other things.
Of course, kitsune do not converse as humans do. For one, they don’t have to use words, although they can if they want to. Even when they do, if humans were to be watching, they wouldn’t be able to hear them. It would appear as though the kitsune were making a strange set of sounds, or simply growling and snarling at each other. This is because their language is very different from anything that humans use.
Secondly, most of the time communication between kitsune is telepathic, so humans without such abilities wouldn’t hear anything at all. And then there is the ability to communicate feelings and emotions, and in the case of some kitsune, the ability to see scenes from the past, present, or future without being present in the time and space where such scenes are taking place.
So describing what is happening in the lounge in ‘words’ humans typically use to communicate is rather difficult; it would probably be like explaining colour to a person who has been born blind. The reason I, Sakami Manzou, know anything about this ‘conversation’ is simply because there have been some occasions in my life when I have been temporarily possessed by kitsune, and this is one of them. However, when the fox spirit that has possessed me leaves my body I shall completely forget about all this and return to being a ‘normal’ human being.
It would be a good idea, then, to attempt to convey what is going on in the lounge before the kitsune leaves my body. As I said before, what I describe will only be an approximation of what is actually happening. But please listen to me and watch what I am trying to show you.
--
Hiroko’s kitsune thumped its three tails impatiently. “So tell me kitsune-san, why do you think Mugen is depressed?”
He tried to speak respectfully as he was addressing the kyubi no kitsune of Tomoe, a magnificent nine-tailed creature with golden fur. But he was a brash and confident young kitsune who expected to grow nine-tails and golden fur in the due course of one thousand years, so he found it a bit difficult to be respectful.
“The meeting with Yatsuha reminded him of another time. On the journey to Nagasaki he met a woman called Sara he fell in love with, only to discover that she was an assassin hired to kill him. Yatsuha is another woman he is very attracted to, and has the potential to fall in love with. But he thinks that she has been hired by the bakufu to track him down, just as Sara was. He doesn’t think that she is skilled enough to have been hired to kill him, but he doesn’t trust her.”
Otane’s kitsune looked puzzled. She was older than Hiroko’s kitsune and had five tails. “But I got the impression that he was happy. He likes being around Jin and Fuu, and the chonin of Kofu have taken to him quite a bit. They refer to him as the Ryukyuan samurai.”
“Is there anything such as a Ryukyuan samurai?” asked Hiroko’s kitsune.
“There is a warrior class among the Ryukyuans called the ‘pechin’, who are often referred to as Ryukyuan samurai.”
“Is Mugen a pechin?”
Otane’s kitsune didn’t know, but Tomoe’s kitsune did. “That is an interesting question. No, I suppose not. That is, he wasn’t raised as one.”
“What do you mean?”
“It is a long story.”
“Well, summarize it for us then.”
The kyubi no kitsune sighed and assumed a story telling position. “Once upon a time there was a handsome pechin warrior by the name of Gushiken Kenji. He was in love with a beautiful woman named Namie, but she was a commoner of the heimin class. So - ”
Hiroko’s kitsune interrupted with: “Once upon a time?! It would have been only twenty-something years ago if you are talking about Mugen’s parents. And you must be, since the story is about Mugen.”
Tomoe’s kitsune was offended. He drew himself to full height and coordinated his nine tails to a beautifully choreographed sequence of movements that looked quite impressive. “When you are as old as I am, you will see time differently. I use ‘Once upon a time’ even when I am talking about something that happened in the future. And it is a nice way to tell a story.”
Otane’s kitsune attempted to pacify him. “Oh yes, kitsune-san, it is a wonderful way to tell a story. Please continue.”
“I am not in the mood now. Basically, they were not able to get together because of opposition from Kenji’s family, and later there was an accident in which Kenji died.”
“Now, at that time, the Ryukyu Kingdom had been a colony of the Shimazu clan of the Satsuma domain for about forty seven years. Taxes imposed on the southern islands of Sakashima were very high. The economic conditions were so extreme that the islanders frequently used infanticide as a method of population control.[1] Namie, who had fallen pregnant, and was financially dependent on her family, feared that this would eventually be the fate of her unborn child. In her desperation, she escaped to Miyako, another island in the same region. As fate would have it, Miyako-shima was some sort of penal colony, and life for Namie was very difficult. She died when Mugen was quite young, and never told him about his father.”
“Mugen’s memories of his mother are very vague. But he does remember her death. It happened during the ninth month of the year, at the time of the Pantu festival of Miyako-shima.[2] In one of the rituals of this festival three men posing as ‘Pantu’, dressed entirely in grass, holding a mask in one hand and a stick in the other, go around throwing mud everywhere. It is a belief of the islanders that people who have been dirtied by the Pantu in this manner will have a year of protection. Namie was extremely ill at that time and young Mugen ran all over the island in search of the Pantu, in order to invite them to throw mud at her. However, she died before they arrived.”
There was a pause in the conversation, one that is appropriate when a poignant tale has been told. After a few minutes, however, Hiroko’s kitsune said, “So in a way, Mugen is a samurai of some sort, although he gets quite annoyed by the soubriquet. How ironic.”
Otane’s kitsune shook her head. “The irritation is for show. He doesn’t really mind that much – on a subconscious level he believes that it enhances his affinity with Jin. And he certainly enjoys wearing the garb of a samurai. He is still wearing the outfit he wore during the Ko-Kwai, and plans to buy a pair of kimono and hakama for himself.”
Hiroko’s kitsune addressed Tomoe’s kitsune. “So is the Mugen-Yatsuha story going to end with ‘And they lived happily ever after’? And what about Jin and Fuu?”
“As a rule, I don’t like to talk about the future. When your abilities have developed to the extent mine have, you will understand why. There is a grand scheme of things that is not to be interfered with. But somehow, knowledge of the future changes things. For example, if I tell you something about the future, it might not happen simply because I told you about it.”
“How convenient for you! You are obviously making that up to cover up for not being able to predict the future.”
“No, I am not. But since you are not going to rest unless I tell you something, I will give you a few hints by showing you some scenes from the present and the immediate past. After all, the future is, in some sense, determined by what happens in the past. Well, at least if one subscribes to a linear concept of time. I - ”
Hiroko’s kitsune interrupted again. “Oh please, just tell us already! Cut out those philosophical discussions about the concept of time.”
The kyubi no kitsune said, “All right, although I am not going to tell you anything directly. But please listen to me and watch what I am trying to show you.”
--
Scene I: At the Kofu Castle
The young daimyo of Kofu, Tokugawa Ienobu sits at the writing desk of what appears to be a moderately sized but sparsely furnished study. He is practising calligraphy. His tutor Arai Hakuseki kneels beside him and examines his latest effort. Ienobu puts down his brush with an exasperated and impatient sigh. He gets up and starts pacing up and down the room as Hakuseki watches in amusement.[3]
Ienobu: So again we hear about Jin, Mugen, and Fuu. Apparently they cannot keep out of trouble.
Hakuseki: Why do you say that my Lord? These new developments cannot be their fault. They are the outcome of initiatives taken by a friend of Kariya Kagetoki, the Edo councillor who had been manipulated by Kariya to order the assassination of Kasumi Seizo, and that of Jin, Mugen, and Fuu.
Ienobu: Yes, this councillor must be obsessed with them. It is three years since that time, and two years since my uncle the shogun Ietsuna rescinded those orders. And yet this man has hired another assassin to kill Jin, Mugen, and Fuu. He has some nerve to be going against the wishes of the shogun.
Hakuseki: Yes, indeed.
Ienobu: Is this assassin any good?
Hakuseki: Inuyama? He is one of the best assassins for hire in Japan. Interestingly, he had a brief encounter with Jin, during that trip the trio took to Nagasaki. A man called Sasaki Ryujiro hired him to kill Jin, but for some reason he didn’t finish the job. Probably because Ryujiro was killed, and therefore unable to pay him.
Ienobu: So this Inuyama is in Kofu for the purpose of killing Jin, Mugen, and Fuu. But I still don’t see why a metsuke agent came all the way from Edo to brief me about this. Yes, the order to kill them is one that has not been authorized by the shogun. But why should the bakufu care one way or another? It might, in fact, be quite convenient to have them dead. That way the metsuke wouldn’t have to keep a watch on them
Hakuseki: My Lord, I can only speculate on what their motives might be. It may have something to do with the fact that the councillor is a supporter of former regent Sakai Tadakiyo. Now Sakai Tadakiyo has fallen out of favour with the shogun and his current set of advisors because he suggested that a son of Emperor Go-Sai be chosen as the next shogun, rather than your uncle Tokugawa Tsunayoshi.[4] So in that sense the councillor is regarded as a man from a faction that doesn’t support continuation of the Tokugawa line for the position of shogun. And activities of this faction would have to be watched, particularly if they are of the type that involve assassinations.
Ienobu: But what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to try and prevent the assassinations from happening?
Hakuseki: I don’t think that you are supposed to do anything that indicates active involvement on your part. But you can send an indirect order to keep a watch on the activities of Inuyama. Perhaps one can also find a way of warning Jin, Mugen, and Fuu.
There is a pause as Ienobu ponders the advice of his tutor. He looks a little puzzled as he continues to pace up and down the room.
Ienobu: Do you know what motivated my uncle to rescind the order to kill Jin, Mugen, and Fuu?
Hakuseki: As you know, the shogun’s network of spies, the metsuke, keeps a watch on everything. They would have decided that Jin, Mugen, and Fuu were not really a threat as far as a potential Shimabara-style uprising was concerned. And they also knew Kariya’s history – how he had wanted to turn Mariya Enshiro’s school into a band of assassins, and how he had ordered him to kill Jin. So they would have perceived that Kariya had used the idea of a potential Shimabara-style uprising to manipulate the assassination orders from the bakufu. After all, Kasumi Seizo was dying, and they knew Fuu’s quest was a personal one.
Ienobu: I think it was a wise decision. We need to be a little less militaristic in our approach, and the rights of ordinary citizens need to be protected.[5]
Hakuseki: Very well said, my Lord.
--
Scene II: At the Town Magistrate Takeda Yoshinori’s Residence
Takeda Hitomi, the wife of the town magistrate is in a room that belonged to her deceased son. The room has a small alcove in which a pair of katana and wakizashi rest on a wooden stand. On one side of the room there is a lacquer chest of drawers. In the centre of the room there is a small table with freshly burned incense and flowers placed on it.
Hitomi is wearing a black funeral kimono crested with the Takeda mon, a rhombus shaped pattern of four diamonds. Her face is without expression, but she has dark circles under her eyes, and her hair is slightly dishevelled.
Enter Takeda Yoshinori, also dressed in mourning garb. He puts his hands on Hitomi’s shoulders, in an effort to console her.
Yoshinori: Hitomi-san, you must pull yourself together.
Hitomi: They are saying our son has kitsunetsuki. But kitsune are only supposed to possess women. Why did a kitsune possess my son? I will go to the Inari shrine and ask the priest. Yes, that is what I will do, I’ll ask the priest. He will be able to exorcise the spirit.
Yoshinori: Pull yourself together, Hitomi-san. Our son is dead, nothing can bring him back. Yes, he died of a strange illness, but he was not possessed by a kitsune. You know that is superstition.
Hitomi: But I had a dream that our son would come back to us. And there was a sign. Didn’t you say there was a young man coming to see you – a young man whose name is also Takeda?
Yoshinori: You are saying irrational things Hitomi-san – you are not well. Please have something to eat. You haven’t eaten in days, and you haven’t been sleeping much either. And you spend too much time in this room.
Hitomi: I hear this young man is about the same age as our son. Could he be related to us?
Yoshinori: Well, there is always the possibility that he could be a very distant relative. But I don’t think so – even if there is a remote connection it would be difficult to trace it. After all, there are many Takeda lines.
Hitomi: I have a feeling that he is related to us.
Yoshinori looks very worried. He sighs and tries to lead Hitomi out of the room.
Yoshinori: Perhaps. But you must rest now Hitomi-san. Please come with me.
--
Scene III: At the Zenkoji Temple
Fuu is strolling in a garden inside the Zenkoji temple grounds, looking at a rose bush. Hideo and Ayako are further away resting under a tree. They are within sight but not within hearing distance of Fuu. An old samurai, with partly-cropped gray hair and a top knot approaches her. He is Inuyama, the assassin Jin, Mugen, and Fuu encountered on their trip to Nagasaki. Fuu does not recognize him immediately, but his half closed eyes and mild mannered personality are vaguely familiar to her.
Inuyama: Ah, the rose is a beautiful flower is it not?
Fuu: Yes, indeed.
Inuyama: And it is one of those unique flowers that are surrounded by thorns. To cut such a flower one has to cut the thorns that are in the way.
Fuu has recognized him by now and looks worried. She knows that his remark has a double meaning but pretends otherwise.
Fuu: Er, yes, I suppose so.
Inuyama: But wouldn’t it be convenient if one didn’t have to deal with the thorns? One could then cut the flower without having to destroy the thorns surrounding it.
Fuu: What do you mean?
Inuyama: For example, it would be convenient if one could just kill the daughter of Kasumi Seizo without having to kill her bodyguards, and her aunt and uncle.
Fuu glares angrily at Inuyama. She takes a deep breath and looks him in the eye.
Fuu: Are you saying that you would leave her family and friends alone if you had the opportunity to kill her first?
Inuyama: Yes, indeed. I am only here to do my job, and my job is to kill the daughter of Kasumi Seizo. I will leave once I get that job done. In that case there would be no need for any unnecessary bloodshed.
Fuu (in a proud, spirited voice): In that case, the daughter of Kasumi Seizo will meet you tomorrow morning at the hour of the hare, just outside the ruins of the Tsutsujigasaki mansion of Takeda Shingen.
Inuyama: I promise a quick and painless death. She may commit seppuku if she wishes. I will act as her kaishaku – her head will be severed before she feels any pain.
Fuu(in a trembling but strong voice): Make no mistake – I am not going there to commit seppuku. I will fight you in a duel.
Inuyama (smiling): Spoken like the daughter of a samurai. I will see you tomorrow then.
--
Hiroko’s kitsune said, “Now that is an interesting turn of events. But what was Fuu thinking? She has no chance against this man! She should have let Jin or Mugen deal with him.”
“Yes, that would have been the rational thing to do,” said Otane’s kitsune. “But she is definitely not under the illusion that she can survive a duel with Inuyama. She expects to die tomorrow. She just doesn’t want to risk the lives of the people she loves. And she knows that there is such a risk – Jin had spoken to her very briefly about Inuyama, but it was obvious that he thought highly of Inuyama’s skills as a swordsman.”
Tomoe’s kitsune appeared to be quite moved. “Ah, sometimes these human beings are capable of great acts of love and loyalty.”
“But wasn’t it naïve to believe that Inuyama would leave Jin and Mugen alone after having killed her? Besides, she knows that Jin and Mugen would want revenge, so they would eventually fight Inuyama in either case.”
“She suspects that Inuyama might be deceiving her, but is holding on to the hope that he will leave once he has killed her. And after the encounter at the Zenkoji temple she has started to believe that as long as she is with Jin, Mugen, or her aunt and uncle their lives will always be in danger. She thinks that this would be one way of removing that danger from their lives, once and for all.”
“And in the event that Jin and Mugen have to fight Inuyama, she hopes she will have done some damage to Inuyama, so that it will be relatively easy for them to kill him.”
Hiroko’s kitsune addressed Tomoe’s kyubi no kitsune. “Is Ienobu going to send a warning to Jin and Mugen?”
“That remains to be seen,” said the kyubi no kitsune evasively. “And please don’t ask me what is going to happen in the duel tomorrow.”
--
And that is all I, Sakami Manzou, can show you, as the kitsune conversation has come to an end. I must admit, I am just as moved as the kyubi no kitsune was. Yes, it was very naïve of Fuu-san, but it was the act of a bushi – she is certainly deserving of the soubriquet of onna bugeisha. I admire her courage and her loyalty.
As far as these ‘visions’ are concerned, they are a blessing and a curse. Sometimes, I am shown glimpses of strange and wonderful places in the past, present, or future and it is a great experience. At other times, however, I am shown things similar to what we were shown today. In such cases, I am left with a feeling of frustration. For example, I would like to be able to help Fuu-san and somehow prevent tomorrow’s duel from taking place. But I know that once I have woken from this ‘dream state’ of kitsune possession, I will have forgotten everything.
So I am hoping and praying that Lord Ienobu’s agents are able to do something before the duel takes place. Or perhaps someone wakes up and follows Fuu-san as she sneaks out of the Sekisuiji onsen inn early in the morning. Of course, one can also take an optimistic view and hope that Fuu-san wins the duel. She has no experience with actual fighting, but there is always a first time.
[1] All of the historical details in relation to Ryukyu are based on Wikipedia articles and other internet sources. I am choosing to be a little lazy this week, but I will update this chapter later with better historical notes. However, I couldn’t find any reference to a Ryukyu island that fits the description of the island described in Samurai Champloo - i.e in the sense of being an island full of criminals. The Miyako island did become a penal colony, but that was during the nineteenth century. But I think that in SC the island referred to is Miyako, mainly because of the 'Pantu' figures that appear in Mugen's visions.
[2] There is a succinct description of the beliefs regarding the mythological figures of the Pantu in the AMALGAM site I have mentioned frequently in this novel. Note that the Pantu appear for the first time in Episode 14 of Samurai Champloo, titled Misguided Miscreants Part II.
[3] This is a deliberate anachronism. The ronin Arai Hakuseki was indeed a tutor to Ienobu, but he was appointed as tutor in 1694, at Ienobu’s Edo residence. He continued to serve as an advisor to Ienobu when he became shogun.
[4] It is a historical fact that Sakai Tadakiyo made this suggestion. However I have taken some license with interpreting what the bakufu reaction to the suggestion might have been.
[5] During Ienobu’s reign as shogun there were significant reforms in the direction of transforming the bakufu to a civilian rather than a militaristic institution. Ienobu is only 16 in this novel, but I have taken the license of endowing him with some forward looking ideas.
Author's note: This chapter was probably a bit weird in terms of the style, but I hope you liked it. It provides some kind of rationale for Manzou's commentary in episode 5, where he talks about events that are 200 years in the future.
The way Manzou describes the nature of kitsune conversations is, in part, inspired by Isaac Asimov's description of the 'second foundation' in his foundation series. (The second foundation in his novels is a society of 'mentalics' who communicate telepathically without words).
I thought that the novel was in need of some Samurai Champloo style fight scenes, hence the Inuyama twist. I am sure most readers will recall the 'Firefly Samurai' from Episode 2.