Shiro Gisu: Murder

Day 12, Hour of the Ox

Well before dawn, the peaceful silence of Shiro Gisu is broken by the sound of an alarm. Gaurds in the palace bolt the doors and fires on the walls are lit. Everyone is awakened by the shouts of the Asako house guards. The eight companions open their door to see orange-armored guards runnign through the halls. Trying to step outside, they are told politely but forcefully to please return to their rooms.

The samurai try to quetion the guards repeatedly as to what is going on, to no avail, but while they are trying to get answers, Matsu Ohigachu appears at the top of the stairway at the end of the hall. "Let them through," he shouts to the guards. "They will be assisting me, and acting on my authority."

The guards step aside and allow the samurai to join Ohigachu. Ohigachu begins leading them down the hallway. "There has been a murder," he begins to explain. "I don't know much about it yet, as I have just been summoned by Asako Kagetsu. Do not touch anything in the room until the shugenja can arrive and interrogate the nearby kami."

Ohigachu finishes talking as they approach the chambers of Shiba Himitsu. Phoenix guards are in the hallway, and there are two bloodstained blankets covering bodies in the hallway. Behind them, the doors to Himitsu's chamber have been opened. Asako Kagetsu and Isawa Tadaka stand inside the room. Two other shugenja investigate the room, one of whom is Isawa Uona, the winner of the competition a month ago at the Setsuban Festival.

As Ohigachu enters, the four turn to look at his entourage. "These samurai are acting as my assistants in this matter," he says. The shugenja turn back to their work and Kagetsu and Tadaka return to their conversation, with Ohigachu joining them.

The murder of Shiba Himitsu was a particularly brutal one, ad it is not at all a pleasant sight. The body lies sprawled across the floor, blood splattered outward from several wounds. A broken door marks the criminal's possible entrance, as the sliding door has been torn apart and lies in pieces, hanging from the rafters by thin threads of balsa. Nearby, a low table on which a sakizuki set once rested lise overturned, the pottery smashed and sake mixed with blood on the wooden boards of the floor. Snow has drifted in from the broken sliding door, mixing with the blood and covering one arm as it rests upon the floor.

Most gruesomely, Himitsu's head has been completely severed with one expert blow and is resting in a pool of blood several feet away. Himitsu's daisho still lies untouched on a stand near the door everyone entered. The opposite sliding door, torn from its jamb, is a testament to the strength of the person that left through it.

Isawa Roshii attempts to speak to the Kami about the room, but none of the spirits know anything. None of the kami in the room swere present at the time of the murder, only an hour past. For some reason, all of the spirits in the room at that time have left.

Looking around, the samurai find one very important clue. Pajaro, inspecting the untouched daisho next to the hall door, realizes that the person who killed Himitsu must have entered through that door, because if the criminal entered through the balcony, Himitsu would have been able to reach his sword in time.

Also, Pajaro notices a loose panel in the base of Himitsu's daisho stand. Pushing the panel aside, he finds a note. Pajaro opens the note, reads it, and walks over to hand the note to Matsu Ohigachu. Ohigachu, Kagetsu, and Tadaka all take turns reading the note before Ohigachu hands it to Aramoro. Aramoro reads the note to his companions:

Below the letter is a mark that many of the samurai recognize. It is the same mark that Niban kept on many of his belongings in the Village of Nightingale. The letter must be from him.

After Aramoro reads the letter, Ohigachu interrupts the samurai's investigation to give them another piece of bad news. "It appears," he says, "that the testimony from the witnesses to the crime all points to Hiruma Ryuden as the culprit."

The samurai are escorted to Hiruma Ryuden's chambers by the Asako house guard. While the guards at Ryuden's door have been doubled, they listen to the escort as they explain that the samurai are assisting Matsu Ohigachu in his investigation, and they are allowed to pass.

Ryuden sits on his balcony, a bowl of steaming rice gone unnoiced on his table. He does not even turn to look at the samurai entering his room. His eyes are hollowed and darkened. Ryuden listens as Katsu explains what has been found in Himitsu's room, and nods slowly when he is finished.

"Last night," he begins, "after the poetry competition, I came here and spoke with you, Katsu, for nearly an hour. Afterwards, I decided to visit Himitsu, to see if I could talk the boy out of the duel. There was just no reason for him to throw his life away like that. Himitsu didn't agree, so I came back here, disgusted by that boy's desire to kill himself on my blade. After that, I went to bed and slept soundly until just a little while ago, when an unusually large number of guards asked me to remain here.

"I did not do this horrible thing. I was willing to give Himitsu an honorable death." Ryuden looks at the guards standing just outside his door. "I have been asked to remain in my rooms, and out of honor to our host, I must do so. You must be the one to clear our clan's name, Katsu.

Katsu looks at his daimyo. "Ryuden-sama, we have been asked to gather evidence on your behalf, and we will, but it will be difficult. The witnesses say they saw you commit this crime, and the investigators believe that you may have done this because you were afraid of losing to Himitsu."

"Bah!" Ryuden yells. "That whelp was no match for me! And even if he was, Yoroshiku is the niece of the Emperor. Any stain on her honor is a stain on the Emperor's name. I would gladly die before I allowed any dishonor to be placed at the feet of the Hantei family.

"I would gladly have died to protect her."

The samurai next decide to speak to the only witness to the actual murder, an elderly Dragonfly courtier named Tonbo Jhenko. Jhenko's room is right next to Himitsu's, so the Dragonfly heard everything that happened.

"Himitsu-sama had three visits last night," she says. "The first was Hiruma Ryuden-sama. Ryuden was drunk and angry, and he shouted a lot. Himitsu let him in, there was a lot of yelling, and Ryuden left after throwing over Himitsu's sakizuki table. Or at least, that's how it sounded to me. A piece of it actually tore the wall between us," she says, pointing at a slit in the rice paper wall.

"After him, the ronin shugenja - Koan, I believe is his name - came to visit. It was so shortly after Ryuden that the two must have passed in the hallway. Koan was much more quiet, and while he was there, I finally fell asleep.

"But then, very early in the morning, perhaps around the beginning of the hour of the Ox, I was woken by more shouting from Himitsu's room, and a crash, as if the balcony doors had been broken. I got up and looked through the hole in the wall to see what was going on. I saw Himitsu fighting with a small woman whom I've never seen before. The two shifted out of my view, and then a second later, Himitsu rolled back, but now Ryuden was choking him.

"To my shame, after that, I was too afraid to look anymore. After a few minutes, everything had become quiet, so I went to find help. I ran into Isawa Tadaka-sama in the hall, and after I told him what I saw, he sent me to Kagetsu-sama to inform him."

"The woman," Otomo Jin asked, "you are sure you have never seen her before?"

"I am not a brave samurai, Otomo-sama," Jhenko replies, "but I am a good courtier. I have not seen the woman before, and she is not a guest at this Winter Court."

Leaving Jhenko's rooms, Roshi begins thinking out loud, "It definitely sounds as if this was done by some sort of shape-shifter, not by your daimyo."

"True," says Katsu, "but I cann't think of any Shadowlands spawn that could fit that description."

"And I can think of no magics that would, either."

Day 13, Hour of the Hare

Next, the samurai naturally decide to find Koan and ask him about both his visit to Himitsu and Niban's letter. They find him in the castle gardens, meditating at the sunrise. At first, he claims that his visit was a private matter of no importance, but when Aramoro presents him the letter, Koan sighs deeply.

"I don't know much about it," he begins. "It's betwen Niban and Himitsu, really. But Niban has had something against Yoroshiku since he first saw her. But Niban's like that. He has something against the Crane, the Unicorn, and for all I know the Phoenix. He doesn't forgive past insults.

"But I know he wouldn't lie. If he says he has somethign to say about the girl, then he's telling the truth. I trust Niban, and I trust his word." Koan shakes his head and plucks a brown blade of grass from the ground.

"Niban was supposed to arrive this evening with information he wanted to bring forward. Himitsu was supposed to sponsor that information so the Phoenix would have to accept it as valid. They needed another witness, but I never learned that person's name.

"They were also very worried about one of the daimyo here at Shiro Gisu. Niban never told me the name, but I heard enough to know that 'the daimyo' was going to be ready to kill them when this information was released."

"Unfortunately," Shitasu says, "we do not have time to go and ask Niban about this, or to wait for him to come here. If we do not have evidence to support Ryuden's testimony by this evening, he will certainly be performing the Three Cuts."

"That is true," Koan says, "and I wish there was some way I could help you more."

Hour of the Dragon

The samurai decide to return to Isawa Tadaka and Asako Kagetsu to present what they have found so far. Tadaka is very critical of their information, believing that the mysterious woman Jhenko saw must be an accomplice of Ryuden's, and asking for the daimyo to turn her over for seppukku as well. Kagetsu, however, is slightly more concerned with the samurai's ideas, and agrees that at least, Ryuden's seppukku will be put off until the following day, giving the samurai more time to clear his name.

Hour of the Goat

In the early afternoon, Agasha Nyoko finds Isawa Uona in one of the castle's hallways. Uona seems to have been searching for the other woman.

"Have you ever served anyone other than your own daimyo?" Uona smiles in a friendly manner. "I have. it is a difficult decision, when one loyalty comes in conflict with another.

"I once heard a fable about a dove in the same situation. The dove believed in the Law above all else. When the Lord of Birds was accused of stealing from a farmer's garden, the dove would have done anything to have cleared his master's name. But in doing so, he discovered that the young son of the Master of All Animals had been the one to steal the seed. But if this were discovered, all the animals would surely revolt against their leader.

"So the dove was forced to decide. Where was his loyalty? To the Master or to the Law?"

Uona amiles and bows. "Ah, but I must go. There is still testimony to collect, and you have no time for silly fables. Good day, my friend."

At his first opportunity, Otomo Jin finds the Princess to inquire on her well being, with Akodo Aramoro accompanying him. The Princess assures Jin that she is somewhat shaken by the news, but that she is fine.

After speaking with Yoroshiku, Aramoro leans over to Jin as they are walking away. "Did you notice, Jin-sama, that the Princess has only two of her three maids with her today? I believe I heard mention that the Crane girl is feeling unwell because of last night's excitement."

Hour of the Dog

Because of the events of the previous evening, there is no great feast for the 13th day. Instead, the samurai are invited to dine with Matsu Ohigachu. The dinner is served by Matsu Awara, Ohigachu's personal attendant, who is often in his company. After Awara serves the meal, he leaves the room, and the look on Ohigachu's face grows serious.

"I found this earlier today among my writing utensils," he says, pulling a piece of parchment from his kimono. "I did not write it, and I do not recognize the handwriting. Awara could not have written it, because he does not know how to read."

Ohigachu passes the paper around the samurai. It reads:

Three little kittens
And the Enmperor's Cat
Stares in the mirror
And sees two

I do not know what it means," he continues. "This morning, I oversaw the cleaning of Himitsu's room, then I had lunch with Asako Kagetsu. After that, I spent the afternoon with Kagetsu and Isawa Tadaka discussing this terrible series of events. The note was there when I returned. It could have been placed at any time during the day.

The samurai and Ohigachu begin to discuss the possible meaning of the note, but Ohigachu begins to act more and more distant. His words come slowly, and he seems to not be listening to the suggestions of the samurai. Finally, he slumps to the floor, dead.

"Poison!" Jin yells.

"It must be," Nyoko replies. "But it must have been his cup that was poisoned, because none of us seem affected."

Shitasu asnd Katsu jump up and runs to the adjoining room, but Matsu Awara is nowhere to be seen.

Asako Kagetsu arrives quickly once the guard has been alerted. "This is a very bad omen," he says, surveying the room. "Please, do not speak of this to the other guests. There has been enough... excitement in my home for one day. Let us investigate the matter before an announcement is made."

"Kagetsu-sama," Roshii says, "the killer must have been Matsu Awara. He served Ohigachu the tea, and now he is nowhere to be found."

"Perhaps if your house guard could search for him, he could be found easily," Jin suggests.

"Yes, Jin-san. That is a good idea."

With the Asako all searching for Awara, it is not long before he is found. His body is lying in a firepit in the lower levels of the castle's kitchen. Awara was killed with a garotte several hours before. There is no way that he possibly could have been the person that seved the dinner.

"It is a shape-shifter," says Roshii.

"Yes," says Jin, "and I just realized that there are those within the castle that fit that description. Follow me."

Arriving at the Scorpions' chambers, the samurai are escorted inside to wait for Shosuro Tage. When Tage arrives, she offers tha samurai sake, and then sits on a cushion next to the room's fire, staring into the fire, and not even turing to face her guests.

The samurai explain their mission and relate the details of Ohigachu's recent murder, carefully leaving out any reference to Awara or their theory that the murder is a shape-shifter. Tage, however is a briliant courtier, and easily sees the parts they are omitting. She continually talks around the mysterious and unnamed assialant of Matsu Ohigachu until Hida Katsu finally tells her what happened and wat they suspect.

"I see," Tage murmurs, lifting her sake to her lips, and finally turning to face her guests. "So yo think that one of my actors may have killed Matsu-sama?" She sips from the cup again. "You would be wrong. Thjey say the Scorpion use ninja - the object of many children's tales - to gather information. What they do not say is that sometimes, even the finest actors lose themselves in their role. A pity.

"All of the troupe has been here today, readying their costumes for tonight's performance. We can all speak for each other in this. no one was missing at any time.

"No, my friends, we did not kill Matsu Ohigachu or Shiba Himitsu. But I can show you who did. I know where they are hiding.

"But first, please, some sake," she says, as she motions for her assistant to pour cups for the samurai. "Such a pleasant day for walking in the garden. The Princess herself spent the morning beneath the willows. She has three maids, yes? Three lovely attendants. but only two today. Only two."

Tage pauses. "You must be certain, friends, that you know whose name you must kill in order to save your lord's. I cannot help you with the decision. I can only tell you this: your lord's name can be cleared, but at great cost. An innocent must be sacrificed. Are you prepared to pay the price?"

Tage sips her sake again. "The killer is in the lowest level of the castle. It is a room below the kitchen that the Asako use as a supplementary pantry. There, you will find the true killer. But be wary. It has many faces, and some of them may be your own."

Tage sets down her sake cup with a trebmling hand and rises. "If any one asks, of course, I did not see you this evening. now, if you will excuse me," she says, and walks out of the room, leaving her assistant to show the samurai out.

Outside, the samurai finally realize the task that lies before them. "Himitsu and Ohigachu were both killed by Kakita Nantoko," Jin says. "And as a member of Yoroshiku's retinue, that will be a stain on her honor, and on the Emperor's as well."

"Ryuden is your daimyo," Otaku Ku Shi says to Hida Katsu, "you tell us what you want done."

Katsu thinks for a moment. "We go to Ryuden," he finally says. "It is his life. It will be his decision."

The samurai are shown in to see Hiruma Ryuden again, and tell him what they have discovered. Ryuden's face is grim, but determined as he asks the Asako guarding his room to summon Kagetsu.

"It was me," Ryuden says to Kagetsu when he arrives. "I went to Himitsu's room, cut down his guard and then killed him. I ask only to be allowed seppukku to cleanse my family's name."

Kagetsu's face turns somewhat more melancholy than usual. "Very well," he says. "Tomorrow morning. For now, prepare yourself."

Day 14, Hour of the Hare

The following morning, Hiruma Ryuden rises early and prepares himself for the ceremony. Wearing a fine white kimono, Ryuden pens his final haiku, then performs the Three Cuts.

Blossom of summer
Pruned down quickly and closely
For my master's name

The same day, whispers begin circulating around the court about Kakita Nantoko - the maid of the Princess. Apparently, one of Yoroshiku's suitors became enthralled with the maid over the Princess, and the two ran off together, getting married by a travelling shugenja and heading for the south.

No one seems to know which of the suitors it was, however.