“Please tell me about the two beautiful women,” she enthused. “This is rare entertainment for me.”

  “Now you are laughing at me,” Hideki complained.

  “Never, samurai-san; I am enjoying the moment with a dashing young warrior, one who happens to be close to me and very naked,” she teased.

  Hideki readjusted his towel. It was not much camouflage.

  “Well, the first truly beautiful woman I’ve ever been around wore men’s clothes,” Hideki began.

  “Oh, no,” she said. “You don’t mean to tell me she liked women and not men. I’ve heard there were such creatures.”

  “No! Amida Buddha, No!” Hideki protested.

  “Good, she said. Then this story will be more exciting. Please continue, samurai-san,” she said.

  Hideki was more exasperated than ever. He did not know whether to go over and wring her neck for proposing Naga’s future wife was a sexual deviant or get up and walk out. The condition of his towel and its enlarged contents precluded the latter. Therefore, he did neither.

  “She was a beautiful samurai woman very adept in the martial arts. When I first saw her I could not breathe, she was so pretty. Nevertheless, I was too inexperienced. Despite my trying to get her attention, she was attracted to my older brother,” Hideki said.

  “Curses on him.”

  “No, heaven forbid. They love each other. It just wasn’t meant to be for me,” Hideki said. “I was having a short daydream. Then I woke up.”

  “So you forgive your brother and the girl?” she asked.

  “There was nothing to forgive. Besides, I threatened her with my sword one day, so I am sure she had no reason to desire me. But I believe she and my brother were in love before that regrettable incident.”

  The woman clapped her hands together in glee. “Oh, samurai-san. This tale has all the trappings of a Noh play; please continue.”

  “That’s it. I will be around her as her brother-in-law and probably bounce her babies on my knee like any good uncle. And I will love her like a sister.”

  “You are too good, samurai-san. Tell me about the second.”

  “I know less about her,” Hideki began. “I only saw her once and we didn’t exchange more than ten words.”

  “But you love her?”

  “I don’t know. I know she intrigues me. I know I want to see her again. However, we may be from two different worlds. I don’t know who she is or who she likes or anything but her name.”

  “So what was her name, samurai-san,” she asked in a small voice.

  “Myo,” replied Hideki.

  “And what attracted you to her?” she asked.

  Hideki closed his eyes and tried to remember the first time he saw her. “I think it was her openness. I walked into a noodle shop last night. She stared directly into my eyes. She was unafraid and confident. She was also very beautiful. I made up my mind in that very moment that if I ever become involved with a woman, I would want someone like her. No, that is a lie. I wanted her!” Hideki said.

  “Oh, samurai-san, that is so romantic. Will you find her again?” she asked.

  “Not the way my luck has been running. I’ll probably never see her again,” he said. “Besides I’m not sure she’d want to see me again anyway.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because a trio of drunken samurai came in and were rude to a young girl, and I ended it with my sword,” he said stoically.

  “Oh, samurai-san, you don’t mean to say you killed them in front of your new love?” she asked.

  “No, I didn’t use a live blade. I just broke them up a little. Anyway, the police came and I was jailed. So I’m sure she doesn’t have the best feelings for me.”

  “You sell her too short, samurai-san. She was probably impressed with your martial skill and your protection of the girl.”

  “It was nothing so noble. I interceded because I must. Bushido demands defense of the weak,” Hideki said without guile.

  “Well samurai-san, it was nice talking to a stranger and listening to your story. My recommendation is not to give up on Myo. She may turn up sooner than you think. Do you mind if I leave first? I have some work to do.”

  Hideki bowed slightly. “No, I do not mind at all. Meeting you was most entertaining as well,” he said.

  She rose from the water and blended with the shadows. Try as he might Hideki could not make out her face. However, he saw everything else. As she rose out of the water and into the night air, the towel had disappeared. The warmth of her body gave off a slight mist as it mixed with the cooler air. Then she turned and moved to the other side of the onsen, stepped out, and was gone.

  Hideki ducked his head under water for the next several moments. He tried to think about the census back in Kii, Musashi’s treatise on the five spheres of kenjitsu, and Yoshi’s combinations of gunpowder in proportion to the damage required. He tried to think of anything that would take his mind off the beautiful creature he had just seen and heard. He tried to think of anything that would stop the throbbing in his loins.

  When Hideki returned to his room, there were clean and dry clothes laid out for him. He dressed quickly, belted the obi around his waist and thrust his kodachi swords into place, then moved to the lobby.

  Sasuke led him to the opposite wing of the hotel and into a grand room of fifty tatami or more and cedar posts, a high ornate wooden ceiling, and large paintings of sumo hanging on the walls. The wall on one end was made of sliding doors of rice paper and lightwood and opened onto a peaceful garden scene. Throughout the room there were lanterns with candles burning. The abundance of light was not unusual, but the fact that the shades were silk instead of the normal paper variety surprised him. Silk was expensive.

  Placed on the floor in a horseshoe shape were lacquer ware trays with short legs. In between the trays were lacquer ware bowls, presumably filled with rice. On the trays were small portions of vegetables, gyoza, nori, and slices of fish. Many of the Gumsumgumi were already filing in and finding seats. They looked and smelled much better after a bath and clean clothes. Some nodded to Hideki; others addressed him as “Yojimbo” and bowed slightly as they went by. Sasuke directed Hideki to the head of the horseshoe and indicated a seat to the left of the seat of honor.

  “Dozo,” Sasuke said, bowing slightly and indicating Hideki’s seat.

  Hideki pulled his katana from his obi with his left hand and kneeled down in the Japanese sitting fashion behind his tray. Instantly a young maid appeared and offered to pour Hideki sake. Hideki declined and asked for ocha instead. The girl gracefully stood and departed. When she returned and poured Hideki a cup of tea, only a few seats remained empty. The one on Hideki’s left was an exception. Then Goro strode in without acknowledging Hideki’s bow and took a seat two places to Hideki’s right. At last, Nichi waddled in and took a seat on Hideki’s right, at the top of the horseshoe. Hideki bowed a greeting to the Oyabun, as did all gathered.

  “Eat and drink up my children. After a month in the Hatchobori jail, I felt we deserved a banquet,” Nichi said, evoking cheers and clapping from the appreciative diners. Then reaching for his full sake cup, he raised it and presented a toast. “To my sempai, Goro, who kept me alive the entire time.”

  Goro raised his cup and beamed. He was getting his due. All joined in with congratulations, “Omedato gozaimus, Goro!”

  When the cups were full again, Nichi hoisted his cup. “To our new yojimbo,” Nichi toasted. “He saved me twice tonight. He protected me once from assassins and a second time from the guards. Domo Yojimbo,” Nichi said as he downed the liquid. Hideki bowed and drained his teacup.

  “Now eat up and put the unpleasantness of the last month from your mind,” Nichi said. They did.

  Hideki returned his cup to his tray and noticed the adjoining tray was now occupied.

  “Myo–san,” Hideki grinned. “What are you doing here?”

  “I am happy to see you as well, Takezo,” Myo said, bowing.

  “I was afraid I would not find you again,” Hideki said.

  “Why were you afraid of that?” she asked.

  “Well, I know so little about you. I didn’t know where to start looking.”

  “If you are to be around the Gumsumgumi, we will find each other. Nichi and I do business together from time to time. He lets me keep a room in the hotel and I am a regular in his gambling hall,” she admitted.

  “You are a gambler?”

  “I earn my own money, and occasionally, I like to increase it the easy way,” Myo said. “Besides, knowing gamblers and how they do business helps my own business.”

  “Which is what?” Hideki asked.

  “I own a courier service. Well, my father owns it, but it is mine. I run it from top to bottom. In Nichi’s world, knowledge is power. My couriers crisscross the country, and I am in a position to see that he gets the latest gossip. He pays well for it,” Myo said.

  Hideki sighed. “I am relieved. I was afraid you were going to tell me you made your living as a gambler.”

  “Would it be so bad if I did?”

  “Yes. Gambling is part of mizu shobei. It is part of the water world and unstable. It is contrary to harmony, or so my grandfather says. But since coming to Edo, I’ve found a great many things contrary to my teachings,” he explained.

  She looked Hideki in the eye. “Well, it is no matter. I do not make my living as a gambler.” She poured Hideki more tea. “Tell me of your family. Where do you come from? What are your prospects? Will you be with the Gumsumgumi long?” They talked and talked, and Hideki was not aware of anything else going on around him. His world was Myo. She was talking to him as if she were interested in what he had to say. It made him feel worthy, and more importantly, desired. She could have any man in the place, and she chose him. He was dreaming again.

  “I see you two are getting along,” Nichi said.

  They both bowed to the leader. “Hai, Oyabun,” Hideki said. “Myo is delightful.”

  “Is she indoctrinating you on the ways of the Gumsumgumi?” Nichi asked.

  “No, Nichi-san,” she replied. “I thought it best that he experienced that himself.”

  “You are probably right, Myo. But he is departing in the morning and I do not know when he will have that experience. Why don’t you tell him about the Gumsumgumi,” he suggested.

  Myo placed delicate fingers beside her jawline. “Where to begin?” she said to herself.

  “Begin anywhere you wish, Myo-san. I love to hear your voice,” Hideki said.

  “Gumsumgumi is almost a mini government. In the country, you have gonin who are responsible for the village. They provide guidance and ensure that everyday life is in balance so that all live in harmony,” Myo began.

  “Yes, I am very familiar with village life,” Hideki said.

  “The lord of the castle is responsible for the same thing throughout his domain. The same is true for the daimyo. The shogun is in charge of the government and he is responsible for the daimyo. Here in the city, there are guilds banded together to protect the interests of the tradesmen. But the townspeople have nothing.”

  “They have the police and the government,” Hideki protested.

  “You have seen how that works, firsthand.”

  “It is not supposed to be corrupt,” Hideki said.

  “It is not supposed to be, Takezo. But it is,” she said. “So the Gumsumgumi has grown up as the shadow government to protect the interests of the townspeople.”

  “But they are involved in dealings like prostitution, loan sharking, gambling, and protection schemes that hurt the people and undermine the local government,” Hideki stated.

  “It is true, the Gumsumgumi deal in all those things. Nevertheless, it is a lot like the government. If the man at the top of the government is corrupt or allows corruption to exist, those below him will be corrupt. It is the same with the shadow government. Nichi does not allow corruption. The prostitutes in the government-condoned and sponsored yoshiwara are sexual slaves. They lose their earning power in a couple of years. Once older or sick, the street becomes their home. There is no profit in feeding a non-earning prostitute. Once on the street, they die early. They are killed, either by a customer or disease or starvation. With the Gumsumgumi, a prostitute has meals to eat, free medical care, and gets to decide who her customers are. The group protects her. When she decides to retire, she does so and moves onto other jobs in the restaurant, hotel, onsen, etc. Which is the better for her?” Myo asked.

  “What about loans with exorbitant interest rates?” asked Hideki.

  “Well, a borrower would receive the same rates or higher if he went to the merchants, and if they couldn’t pay, the merchants would go to the magistrate who would seize all the man’s property to help pay the balance, leaving the man homeless and without any means to make a living for his family. When the Gumsumgumi have a delinquent debt, they step in and help the man get back on his feet so they will continue to have money paid on the debt. Which system is better?” Myo posed.

  “You’ve already given me your views on gambling, so defend the protection schemes, if you can,” Hideki said.

  “That’s easy to explain. The merchants in the Gumsumgumi territory pay the group protection money. It is never more than they can pay and never enough to hurt the business. For the money, the Gumsumgumi mark the business with their mon or emblem. Everyone knows not to trouble the owner or incur the wrath of the Gumsumgumi. If the Gumsumgumi mark was not on the business, every out-of-work ronin and highwayman in the city would be trying to beat the police to the business to charge unreasonable protection money. It is a price of doing business in Edo, and it is much better to pay the Gumsumgumi for an actual benefit than any of the others for no benefit at all, and that includes the police.”

  Hideki laughed. “Okay, I surrender. Your point is that the government or the group is only as honest and ethical as the leadership.”

  “Excellent, Takezo. I will make an Edoko out of you yet,” she teased.

  “Let’s get back to a more pleasant subject, Myo,” Hideki recommended. “Let’s talk about you.”

  “I’m flattered Takezo, but you already know everything about me,” she said.

  “I know almost nothing,” Hideki complained. “Why does such a beautiful woman not have a husband or fiancée?”

  “There could be many reasons. But the truth for me is choice,” she said.

  “Choice?” Hideki asked.

  “Yes, I may find a husband or I may not. I may settle for a lover and not a husband. I may never have children. That is okay with me as well. I have been raised by my father to be independent. Our family business requires I go where I am needed. I find I enjoy this freedom. If I find the right man, I will give my heart. However, I will never give myself. I belong to no one and refuse to be defined by another person.”

  Hideki had a hard time hiding his surprise. “You are just like Edo herself. Here everything I have been taught to be true, isn’t. Good is bad, bad is good and you come along and say ‘to the lowest level of hell’ with convention and travel your own path.” Then remembering something, he added, “My teacher says each must find their own path and have the courage to walk it. I think my teacher would approve of you.”

  Myo smiled. “I am glad, Takezo.”

  Sometime later, Nichi and then Goro rose and bid the banquet guests goodnight. He stopped between Hideki and Myo. “It is too late for you to be walking home tonight, Myo. Stay here in your room. I’ll have someone walk you back to your father’s in the morning.”

  “Hai, Oyabun. I was thinking the same thing,” she said. Everyone bowed to each other, and the large men departed.

  “Takezo, it has been wonderful getting to know you, but I must retire now as I have many things to do tomorrow,” she said.

  Hideki bowed as well. “I understand. I wish this evening could go on longer, but I suppose we both have obligations.” He started to rise. She waved him back down.

  “No need,” she said. “I can manage. You finish your drink. We will talk again soon.” She rose as only a Japanese woman in a kimono can. It was a type of uncoiling motion from kneeling to a re-positioning of her toes underneath her body followed by rotation upward and forward until she was standing. It was graceful, almost to the point of being sensual. She bowed and departed with a swish of silk upon silk as she performed the toed-in walk needed to navigate in a lengthy kimono. Then she was gone.

  “By the Buddha, that woman makes me ache all over,” Hideki thought. Then he rose, bowed to the remaining celebrants, and returned to his room. In the center of his spacious room, a summer futon lay on the floor along with a summer kimono. He disrobed and placed his kodachi on the horizontal, two-tiered sword stand and blew out the candle in the lantern. He lay on the futon and pulled the silk sheet up to cover himself, resting his head on the wooden makura that supported his neck. He found himself very tired. He went to sleep thinking of Myo.

  Sometime later, the sound of the fusama door being slid quietly back awakened Hideki. He reached into the darkness and grasped his wakazashi and removed the saya with his left hand.

  “Do you plan to kill me samurai-san?” a feminine voice asked.

  Hideki shoved the blade back into the saya and replaced it on the stand. The woman knelt beside Hideki and placed her fingers on Hideki’s lips. “No names, samurai-san. It will be just like the bath earlier. Then standing up she disrobed. Next, she pulled the covers back and lay down next to Hideki. “You do not have to do anything samurai-san. And have no fear, you could have no better teacher,” she whispered.

  Hideki had meant to protest until her smooth body touched his. Then his body had a mind of its own. With great difficulty, he separated himself from her embrace. “My heart belongs to another,” he said softly.

  “I know,” she said in between soft kisses to his neck and chest. “You told me in the bath.”

  “Then how can you come to me like this,” Hideki managed.

  “Because it is your first time and you need a new teacher,” she laughed. “Call me Myo if you wish, Takezo. It will make no difference.”