The Samurai and the Long-Nosed Devils Read Free

you doing in Miyako? I thought you were more interested in the activities of the northern warlords.”
    Zenta cleaned the last grain of rice from his bowl and put down his chopsticks. “I’ve heard a lot of talk about Oda Nobunaga recently,” he replied. “It’s possible that he is the man who will finally unify the country and put an end to all these civil wars. I should like to work for him.” Hambei nodded. “I can bring you to him, of course, and give him my recommendation. But that won’t be necessary. He needs good subordinates, and he likes men who show initiative and independence.”
    From Hambei’s expression of satisfaction, Matsuzo suspected that Hambei himself was one such fast-rising subordinate.
    â€œNobunaga started as only a minor warlord,” continued Hambei. “While the great warlords were fighting with each other, Nobunaga struck here at the heart of the country with his small but well-trained force and occupied the capital.”
    â€œI heard that the reason for his success was his novel use of firearms,” said Zenta. “Didn’t that decide the outcome in several crucial battles?”
    â€œAn even more important reason for Nobunaga’s success was that he made good use of men like us that he raised from obscurity,” said Hambei.
    He smiled and added, “If you work for him you will have to watch your tongue, though. He is a bad man to cross.”
    â€œI’m not in the habit of insulting my superiors,” said Zenta mildly. “I only offer criticism when it’s really deserved.”
    â€œThat’s the kind of criticism that’s hardest to take,” said Hambei. “I’m warning you: Nobunaga has one of the most violent tempers I have ever seen.”
    Zenta did not seem alarmed. “Tell me,” he said, “why is Nobunaga waging a campaign to discredit Buddhist monks?”
    After a slight pause Hambei said, “What makes you think that?”
    â€œThe little performance that we saw by the eel vendor—that was designed to make the monks look ridiculous to the townspeople, wasn’t it?”
    Matsuzo looked at Zenta in bewilderment. “I don’t understand. Those monks were terrorizing that poor girl Chiyo. They tried to kidnap her, perhaps for an immoral purpose.” “Chiyo wasn’t terrorized in the least,” said Zenta. “She easily slipped out of the grasp of that monk. Now, if she had been a normal, frightened girl, she would have taken advantage of the distraction that you provided to escape into the crowd. Instead, she stayed and made things worse by taunting those monks.”
    Hambei was now smiling broadly. “I should have guessed that you would see through us. Chiyo is a clever girl, but she does overact.”
    â€œAnd your arrival with your men was a little too timely,” added Zenta. “But what was the reason for the performance? It looked like more than just one of your practical jokes.”
    â€œChiyo hates those monks,” explained Hambei. “Her family was from Sakamoto, at the foot of Mt. Hiei. They were forced to go and work for the monks when Chiyo was a child. Fortunately an abbot of one of the temples on Mt. Hiei felt sorry for the little girl. He took her under his protection and even gave her some education. When she grew up and became beautiful, a few of the more lecherous monks began eyeing her. Last year, after her mother had died, Chiyo felt so unsafe that she escaped from the mountain. I came upon her hiding near the Yasaka Shrine and found her a job as a serving girl in a noble household. But she never got over her hatred of the Mt. Hiei monks, and she doesn’t lose any opportunity to help undermine them.”
    â€œShe risked her safety to help with your plan!” said Matsuzo, deeply touched by Hambei’s account of Chiyo’s history.
    Zenta looked unimpressed. “I still don’t see why