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"Thank you, you're so kind and thoughtful. Yes, times are hard." Mariko sipped her wine demurely. "The Anjin-san and I will be at the Tea House shortly."

"Eh? Whatwasthatyousaid?"

"That the Anjin-san and I will be at the Tea House shortly. I am to interpret for him."

"The barbarian?" Kiku gasped.

"The barbarian. And he'll be here any moment unless we stop him - with her, the cruelest, most grasping harpy I've ever met, may she be reborn a back-passage whore of the Fifteenth Rank."

In spite of her fear, Kiku laughed outright. "Oh, Mama-san, please don't fret so! She seemed such a lovely lady and one whole koban - you really made a marvelous arrangement! There, there, we've lots of time. First some sake will take away all your heartburn. Ako, quick as a hummingbird!"

Ako vanished.

"Yes, the client's the Anjin-san." Gyoko almost choked again.

Kiku fanned her and Hana, the little apprentice, fanned her and held sweet-smelling herbs near her nose. "I thought she was negotiating for Lord Buntaro - or Lord Toranaga himself. Of course when she said the Anjin-san I asked her at once why didn't his own consort, Lady Fujiko, negotiate as correct manners insisted, but all she said was that his Lady was badly sick with burns and she herself had been ordered to talk to me by Lord Toranaga himself."

"Oh! Oh, that I should be so fortunate to serve the great Lord!"

"You will, child, you will if we scheme. But the barbarian! What will all your other customers think? What will they say? Of course I left it undecided, telling Lady Toda that I didn't know if you were free, so you can still refuse if you wish, without offense."

"What can other customers say? Lord Toranaga ordered this. There's nothing to be done, neh?" Kiku concealed her apprehension.

"Oh, you can easily refuse. But you must be quick, Kiku-chan. Oh ko, I should have been more clever - I should have."

"Don't worry, Gyoko-sama. Everything will be all right. But we must think clearly. It's a big risk, neh?"

"Yes. Very."

"We can never turn back if we accept."

"Yes. I know."

"Advise me."

"I cannot, Kiku-chan. I feel I was trapped by kami. This must be your decision."

Kiku weighed all the horrors. Then weighed the good. "Let us gamble. Let us accept him. After all he is samurai, and hatamoto, and Lord Toranaga's favored vassal. Don't forget what the fortune teller said: that I would help you to become rich and famous forever. I pray I may be allowed to do that to repay all your kindnesses."

Gyoko stroked Kiku's lovely hair. "Oh, child, you're so good, thank you, thank you. Yes, I think you're wise. I agree. Let him visit us." She pinched her cheek affectionately. "You always were my favorite! But I would have demanded double for the barbarian admiral if I'd known."

"But we got double, Mama-san."

"We should have had triple!"

Kiku patted Gyoko's hand. "Don't worry - this is the beginning of your good fortune."

"Yes, and it's true the Anjin-san is no ordinary barbarian but a samurai and hatamoto barbarian. Lady Toda told me he's been given a fief of two thousand koku and made Admiral of all Toranaga's ships and he bathes like a civilized person and no longer stinks...."

Ako arrived breathlessly and poured the wine without spilling a drop. Four cups disappeared in quick succession. Gyoko began to feel better. "Tonight must be perfect. Yes. If Lord Toranaga ordered it, of course it has to be. He wouldn't order it personally unless it was important to him personally, neh? And the Anjin-san's really like a daimyo. Two thousand koku yearly - by all kami, we should have so much good fortune! Kiku-san, listen!" She leaned closer and Ako leaned closer, all eyes. "I asked the Lady Toda, seeing that she spoke their vile language, if she knew of any strange customs or ways, stories or dances or positions or songs or instruments or potents that the Anjin-san would prefer."

"Ah, that would be very helpful, very," Kiku said, frightened that she had agreed, wishing that she had had the wisdom to refuse.

"She told me nothing! She speaks their language but knows nothing about their pillow habits. I asked her if she'd ever asked him about that and she said yes, but with disastrous results." Gyoko related the occurrence in Osaka Castle. "Can you imagine how embarrassing that must have been!"

"At least, we know not to suggest boys to him - that's something. "

"Apart from that, there's only the maid in his household to go by!"

"Do we have time to send for the maid?"

"I went there myself. Straight from the fortress. Not even a month's salary opened the girl's mouth, stupid little weevil!"

"Was she presentable?"

"Oh yes, for an untrained servant amateur. All she would add was that the Master was virile and not heavy, that he pillowed most abundantly in the most ordinary position. And that he was generously endowed."

"That doesn't help much, Mama-san."

"I know. Perhaps the best thing to do is to have everything ready, just in case, neh? Everything."