Lian Hearn - The Harsh Cry of the Heron: The Last Tale of the Otori

The Harsh Cry of the Heron

Tales of the Otori Book 4

By Lian Hearn

For J

Otori Takeo : rulerof the Three Countries

Otori Kaede : hiswife

Shigeko : theireldest daughter, heir to Maruyama

Maya & Miki : theirtwin daughters

Arai Zenko : head ofthe Arai clan, lord of Kumamoto

Arai Hana : his wife,Kaedes sister

Sunaomi : their son

Chikara : their son

Muto Kenji : Masterof the Muto Family and the Tribe

Muto Shizuka.. Kenjisniece and successor, mother to Zenko and Taku

Muto Taku : Takeosspymaster

Sada : a member ofthe tribe, Mayas companion

Mai : Sadas sister

Yuki (Yusetsu) : Kenjisdaughter, Hisaos mother

Muto Yasu : amerchant

Imai Bunta : Shizukasinformant

Dr Ishida : Shizukashusband, Takeos physician

Sugita Hiroshi : seniorretainer of Maruyama

Miyoshi Kahei .. Takeoscommander in chief, lord of Yamagata

Miyoshi Gemba : hisbrother

Sonoda Mitsuru : lordof Inuyama

Ai : his wife, Kaedessister

Matsuda Shingen : abbotof the temple at Terayama

Kubo Makoto (laterEikan): his successor, Takeos closest friend

Minoru : Takeosscribe

Kuroda junpei : Takeosbodyguard

Kuroda Shinsaku :Takeos bodyguard

Terada Fumio : explorerand sea captain

Lord Kono : anobleman, son of Lord Fujiwara

Saga Hideki : theEmperors general, lord of the Eastern Isles

Don Joao : a foreignmerchant

Don Carlo : a foreignpriest

Madaren : theirinterpreter

Kikuta Akio : Masterof the Kikuta family

Kikuta Hisao : hisson

Kikuta Gosaburo : Akiosuncle

Horses

Tenba : a black horsegiven by Shigeko to Takeo

The two sons of Raku,both grey with black mane and tail

Ryume : Taku s horse

Keri : Hiroshishorse

Ashige : Shigekosgreyhorse

The sound of the Gion Shoja bells echoes

the impermanence of all things.

The colour of the sala flowers reveals the truth

that the prosperous must decline.

The proud do not endure, they are like a dream

on a spring night;

The mighty fall at last, they are

as dust before the wind.

The Tale of the Heike

Translated by Helen Craig McCullough

Come quickly! Fatherand Mother are fighting! Otori Takeo heard his daughters voice clearly as shecalled to her sisters from within the residence at Inuyama castle, in the sameway he heard all the mingled sounds of the castle and the town beyond. Yet heignored them, as he ignored the song of the boards of the nightingale floorbeneath his feet, concentrating only on his opponent: his wife, Kaede.

They were fightingwith wooden poles: he was taller, but she was naturally left-handed and henceas strong with either hand, whereas his right hand had been crippled by a knifecut many years ago and he had had to learn to use his left; nor was this theonly injury to slow him.

It was the last dayof the year, bitterly cold, the sky pale grey, the winter sun feeble. Often inwinter they practised this way: it warmed the body and kept the jointsflexible, and Kaede liked her daughters to see how a woman might fight like aman.

The girls camerunning: with the new year the eldest, Shigeko, would turn fifteen, the twoyounger ones thirteen. The boards sang under Shigekos tread, but the twinsstepped lightly in the way of the Tribe. They had run across the nightingalefloor since they were infants, and had learned almost unconsciously how to keepit silent.

Kaedes head wascovered with a red silk scarf wound around her face, so Takeo could only seeher eyes. They were filled with the energy of the fight, and her movements wereswift and strong. It was hard to believe she was the mother of three children:she still moved with the strength and freedom of a girl. Her attack made himall too aware of his age and his physical weaknesses. The jar of Kaedes blowon his pole set his hand aching.

I concede, he said.

Mother won! thegirls crowed.

Shigeko ran to hermother with a towel. For the victor, she said, bowing and offering the towelin both hands.

We must be thankfulwe are at peace, Kaede said, smiling and wiping her face. Your father haslearned the skills of diplomacy and no longer needs to fight for his life!

At least I am warmnow! Takeo said, beckoning to one of the guards, who had been watching fromthe garden, to take the poles.

Let us fight you,Father! Miki, the younger of the twins, pleaded. She went to the edge of theveranda and held her hands out to the guard. He was careful not to look at heror touch her as he handed over the pole.

Takeo noticed hisreluctance. Even grown men, hardened soldiers, were afraid of the twins - even,he thought with sorrow, their own mother.

Let me see whatShigeko has learned, he said. You may each have one bout with her.

For several years hiseldest daughter had spent the greater part of the year at Terayama, where underthe supervision of the old abbot, Matsuda Shingen, who had been Takeosteacher, she studied the Way of the Houou. She had arrived at Inuyama the daybefore, to celebrate the New Year with her family, and her own coming of age.Takeo watched her now as she took the pole he had used and made sure Miki hadthe lighter one. Physically she was very like her mother, with the sameslenderness and apparent fragility, but she had a character all her own,practical, good-humoured and steadfast. The Way of the Houou was rigorous inits discipline, and its teachers made no allowances for age or sex, yet she hadaccepted the teaching and training, the long days of silence and solitude, withwholehearted eagerness. She had gone to Terayama by her own choice, for the Wayof the Houou was a way of peace, and from childhood she had shared in herfathers vision of a peaceful land where violence was never allowed to spread.

Her method offighting was quite different from the way he had been taught, and he loved towatch her, appreciating how the traditional moves of attack had been turnedinto self-defence, with the aim of disarming the opponent without hurting him.

No cheating,Shigeko said to Miki, for the twins had all their fathers Tribe skills - evenmore, he suspected. Now they were turning thirteen these skills were developingrapidly, and though they were forbidden to use them in everyday life sometimesthe temptation to tease their teachers and outwit their servants became toogreat.

Why cant I showFather what I have learned? Miki said, for she had also recently returned fromtraining - in the Tribe village with the Muto family. Her sister Maya wouldreturn there after the celebrations. It was rare these days for the wholefamily to be together: the childrens different education, the parents need togive equal attention to all of the Three Countries meant constant travel andfrequent separations. The demands of government were increasing: negotiationswith the foreigners; exploration and trade; the maintenance and development ofweaponry; the supervision of local districts who organized their ownadministration; agricultural experiments; the import of foreign craftsmen andnew technologies; the tribunals that heard complaints and grievances. Takeo andKaede shared these burdens equally, she dealing mainly with the West, he withthe Middle Country and both of them jointly with the East, where Kaedes sisterAi and her husband, Sonoda Mitsuru, held the former Tohan domain, including thecastle at Inuyama, where the family were staying for the winter.

Miki was half a headshorter than her sister, but very strong and quick; Shigeko seemed hardly tomove at all in comparison, yet the younger girl could not get past her guard,and within moments Miki had lost her pole: it seemed to fly from her fingers,and as it soared upwards Shigeko caught it effortlessly.