Denjiro’s initial pleasure at a speedy trial turned sour at the mention of him replacing the prisoner.

  “Yuki, tend him until the doctor arrives, please.”

  “Hai,” she replied and stooped to turn the man on his back. “Yoriki, get four men and move him carefully to the cleanest room available and have two buckets of clean, fresh water and one pot of boiling water brought there. I also want a supply of fresh cloth for bandages.”

  Denjiro thought to decline but saw Jii move his hand toward his sword.

  “Hai,” he replied and shuffled away.

  When they were alone in the cell, Naga turned to Jii. “He has the wrong man.”

  “Is it any wonder? That dunce is no more a policeman than I am,” Jii said.

  “Whoever is pulling the strings in the castle has put me in a box. I have the chosin rioting for an execution, and I have got an innocent man almost beaten to death. If I give in to the crowd and execute the innocent, I will be playing by the corrupt rules that seem to permeate Edo. I will show that I am weak and cannot abide by the Bushido I espouse. On the other hand, if I set the innocent man free, I could still have the rioting and the castle will take the action I am sure they are preparing for, and I look incompetent. Either way, our enemy wins.”

  Yuki stood beside them. “What will you do?” she asked.

  “He will do the unexpected, Yuki-san. He will do the right thing,” Jii said.

  Naga smiled. “I have the beginning of a plan cooking in my mind, but I’ll need help from both of you to flesh it out,” he said. “What were the names of those two doshin that Hideki said were young but honest?”

  By the hour of the boar, between nine o’clock and eleven o’clock in the evening, the rioters had gone home, the prisoner had been moved to a clean cell, and a doctor and a nurse had been brought in to tend him. Naga had given instructions for them to stay with the prisoner all night and to accompany him to the trial tomorrow. The yoriki’s instructions were to gather all of his doshin and to bring writing materials to make flyers announcing the trial of the alleged leader of the Fox Gang tomorrow in the hour of the snake, approximately nine o’clock until eleven o’clock in the morning.

  It was to be an open trial and the flyers were invitations to all townspeople. A separate mission sent Hideki’s two doshin into the night. Naga left two of his samurai guards with the doctor and nurse with strict instructions that no one was to come into the cell. Then Naga, Jii, and Yuki departed for the Yoshinobu mansion.

  By the hour of the dragon, somewhere between seven o’clock and nine o’clock in the morning, Edo was buzzing. Everyone was talking about the trial and preparing to attend. The Yoshinbu had had an early breakfast and arrived with an armed escort early at the Hatchobori. Naga had staged the drama in a manner that would have made a kabuki production manager proud. The Hatchobori had a huge courtyard. It was surrounded on three sides by the building itself. On the fourth side, a large gate opened into the main street.

  Like most Japanese buildings, the Hatchobori was built on pilings so the main floor was three steps above the courtyard’s grass, sand, and gravel. The hardwood floors of the building extended out to the courtyard with an occasional vertical beam supporting the stories above. The interior rooms’ outer walls consisted of sliding paper screens. When left in place, they created a veranda effect along the three sides of the courtyard. In the section at the head of the courtyard, the screens creating the wall were left open so the great room of the Hatchobori would give Naga the backdrop of the huge golden hollyhock mon of the Tokugawa. Those in the courtyard would look up to Naga and see the symbol of the Tokugawa behind him.

  On the edge of the veranda Naga would sit on a three-legged camp chair where he could look out upon the entire courtyard. Below and to his left on the courtyard level would be the accused, lying on a stretcher and attended by the doctor and his nurse, both in white coats. Surrounding the accused would be his family and friends. To Naga’s right and at courtyard level would be the accusing yoriki, Denjiro, and any witnesses he had present. Behind both them, all the way to the end of the courtyard and gate opening onto the street, would be the citizens of Edo, the chosin, eager to view the proceedings first hand and to judge the new magistrate. Between the accused and the yoriki would be Jii, Musashi, and Jubei. Hideki and Yoshi were to be in the crowd somewhere to warn of any potential trouble.

  Naga could hear the commotion in the courtyard as people filed in and took positions on the grass, sand, and gravel.

  “How do I look?” Naga asked Yuki.

  “Like a most honorable magistrate,” she said smiling. Then she frowned. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “So do I,” agreed Naga. Tucking his fan into his obi, beside the short sword, he moved through the large room toward the courtyard. Someone announced his arrival and everyone bowed. Naga moved to the backless war stool in the center of the makeshift stage and sat down. He looked into the courtyard and was amazed. He had not thought it could hold so many people. “A cat could not slip through,” he thought. There was not an open space available.

  “Rise,” Naga ordered, and a sea of bodies straightened up with all eyes on him. He looked over the edge of his stage and saw a litter with a bandaged man on it. Beside him were a white-coated doctor and his nurse. Next to them was an old gray-haired woman in a very plain kimono. Beside the old woman were an old man and the two honest doshin who had been sent on the separate mission to retrieve family and friends of the accused. To the right was Denjiro the yoriki, with one doshin at his side. Between the two was Jii’s familiar face along with Musashi and Jubei. Naga drew strength from their presence.

  Naga took out his fan and pointed at Denjiro. “Yoriki Denjiro, what are the charges?”

  Denjiro pointed to the young man on a stretcher. “Magistrate, Yashino the wood carver is accused of being the leader of the Fox Gang, and I request the death penalty.”

  Naga turned to the doctor. “Can he speak for himself?”

  The doctor shook his head in the negative. “No Lord, he speaks in a whisper as the police have bruised his voice box.”

  “Can anyone speak for him?” Naga asked.

  The gray-haired old woman bowed. “Yes Lord, I will speak for my son.”

  “Very well. What does your son say to these charges?” Naga asked.

  The old woman did not confer with her son and spoke instead. “Ridiculous! Yashi has always been a good boy. When my husband died a year ago, Yashi took over the business, and he works night and day to feed my daughter and myself. He has no time for gangs.”

  “Yes good mother, I’m sure what you say is true. But for the scribes,” Naga pointed to two doshin at small tables taking notes, “could you ask your son and give me his response?”

  The old mother shook her head at the thought of such foolishness but moved to her son’s head and bent down to his ear. When finished, she raised up and looked at Naga. “He says I’m right!”

  There was sporadic laughter in the crowd, which stopped as soon as the yoriki turned to face them.

  “For the scribes, Yashino denies the allegations,” Naga said.

  Naga turned back to the yoriki Denjiro. “What evidence do you have that Yashino is the leader of the Fox Gang?”

  The yoriki turned to his doshin, who handed him a rough, wooden Fox mask. “We took this from him the night we arrested him,” Denjiro said.

  There was a murmur throughout the crowd as Denjiro held up the mask.

  “Is that all?” Naga asked.

  Denjiro looked a little unsure of himself. “What do you mean Magistrate?” he asked.

  “I mean did you find any of the stolen items the Fox Gang is alleged to have taken? Did you find any other gang members? Did you find anything other than this mask to link Yashino to the Fox Gang?” Naga asked.

  The murmuring in the crowd stopped as soon as Naga raised his voice to ask the questions.

  “No Magistrate, nothing else.”

  “And what made you suspect Yashino?” Naga asked.

  Again, the yoriki looked unsure. “We received information from a reliable source.”

  “Who was the source?” Naga asked.

  “I cannot tell you Magistrate,” Denjiro said.

  “Why not?”

  Denjiro looked very uncomfortable. He could not reveal his source for fear of causing them embarrassment.

  Naga enjoyed the yoriki’s discomfort. This was going to be a good day.

  “I’m waiting Yoriki, as are the citizens of Edo. Who accused Yashino the woodcarver of being the leader of the Fox Gang?” Naga demanded.

  “Magistrate, we get much information every day, some from paid informants and some from passersby. This allegation was from a passerby,” Denjiro said.

  “So you should have a record of who the accuser was,” Naga said.

  “No, Lord,” Denjiro said.

  “How unusual,” Naga stated. “Did Yashino confess to being the leader of the Fox Gang?” Naga asked.

  “No, Lord,” Denjiro said. “You interrupted my interrogation.”

  “Yes I did Yoriki. I was afraid if I didn’t, you might execute the boy yourself, and we both know you do not have that authority,” Naga said.

  Denjiro was looking at the ground and sweating.

  Naga turned back to the accused. “Good mother, has Yashino been away from home for any length of time?” Naga asked.

  “Where would he go Lord? He must work from sunup till sundown just to feed us,” she said.

  “So you have been with him all the time?” Naga asked.

  “Every day of his life,” the mother said.

  “Is there anyone else here who can speak for the boy?” Naga asked.

  “Yes, Lord,” an old man near the mother, responded. He bowed deeply.

  “And who might you be?” Naga asked.

  The old man bowed again, “I am Ittobori, Lord, the leader of the woodcarving guild.”

  “And have you known Yashino long?”

  “I have known him since he was born. But I’ve watched him daily for four years now,” Ittobori replied.

  “Ever since he joined the guild?” Naga asked.

  “Yes, Lord.”

  “And has he ever disappeared for several days in those four years?” Naga asked.

  “Lord, we in the guild live together, work together, eat together, and we share houses in the same cho. It is a true community, and it has to be that way. If one is ill and cannot work, someone else covers for him. If one takes on a project he cannot complete, others help. It is the chosin way,” Ittobori said.

  There was a murmur of approval from the crowd. Naga let it go.

  “So Yashino has not disappeared from the cho for several days at a time?” Naga asked the old man.

  “No, Lord. Everyone would have noticed such a skilled carver missing.”

  Naga turned back to the yoriki Denjiro. “Let me understand this. Someone accuses a citizen of the crime, and you bring him to the Hatchobori for questioning. If he admits his guilt, you turn him over to me for sentencing. If he denies his guilt, you torture him until he confesses or dies at your hand. How is that justice?”

  “Magistrate, that is the system,” Denjiro said.

  “How do you determine if the man who accuses isn’t the criminal?” Naga asked.

  “We would know,” Denjiro protested.

  “If I were a robber, all I need to do is commit a robbery and come to you and accuse someone else. You take that someone else into custody. If he confesses, he dies. If he doesn’t confess, you torture him until he dies; then I’m free to rob again and blame some other innocent,” Naga said.

  “No, Lord, we would know,” Denjiro insisted.

  “Just like you know that this young man is the leader of the Fox Gang?”

  “Yes, Lord.”

  Naga turned his gaze to Jii but he pointed to Musashi. “Samurai-sama, please tell us your name.”

  Once Musashi knew he was the subject of Naga’s question, he bowed slightly and said, “My name is Myamoto Musashi.”

  Now the murmuring really increased as most in the crowd strained their necks to get a glimpse of the famous swordsman.

  “I think we can all attest to your prowess as a skilled swordsman and superior tactician. I understand you’ve had the opportunity to fight members of the Fox Gang.”

  Now the murmuring intensified.

  “Yes, Lord. In Kyoto, I and a couple of friends were attacked by them,” Musashi said.

  “And was it your impression that this gang is made up of thieves and cutthroats?”

  “No, Lord,” Musashi said.

  “Why not?” Naga asked. “The yoriki here has sent those reports to the shogun.”

  “Then the yoriki has fought few battles. Anyone who has engaged the Fox Gang in combat knows that they are not thieves and cutthroats.”

  “What are they then?”

  “They are ninja,” Musashi said.

  There were loud gasps in the crowd at this revelation.

  “And how do you know this, Musashi?” Naga asked.

  “The tactics they employed, their weapons, and the way they fought,” Musashi said.

  “I see.” Then Naga stood and addressed the crowd. “Is there anyone here who would dispute the fact that Musashi-sama is an expert with a sword and has superior knowledge in matters of the sword?” No one answered. Naga called into the crowd. “Yagyu Jubei, are you in the crowd?”

  The man next to Musashi bowed at the waist and said, “Here, Lord.”

  There were more gasps from the crowd as many recognized the name of the shogun’s former fencing master.

  “Jubei, I understand that you are familiar with ninja training,” Naga stated.

  “Yes, Lord. I have trained with both Iga and Koga.”

  One man standing next to Hideki turned to his friend. “This is better than the Bunraku puppet show.”

  “Jubei, how long does it take to become a ninja?” Naga asked.

  Jubei looked confused for a moment. “It takes all your life, Lord. Ninja children are born into the ninja clan and are taught from the time that they are two, and the training never stops.”

  “So you cannot go to a ninja training camp and pick up skills in a short period?”

  “No, Lord. Training for a Shinobi no mono, or ninja as they are known to outsiders, is a lifetime commitment,” Jubei explained.

  “Please look at the youth on the litter and tell me whether you think he is ninja or not,” Naga requested.

  Jubei moved to the litter and knelt beside Yashino. “Show me your hands,” he demanded.

  Yashino had difficulty raising them, so his mother helped. After an examination Jubei rose. “This boy is no ninja.”

  “And how can you be so sure?” Naga asked.

  “His calluses are indicative of a man who works with tools, but not ninja tools,” Jubei said.

  “I see,” Naga said. “Thank you.”

  Jubei bowed and returned to Musashi’s side.

  Naga looked directly at the boy on the litter. “Good mother, ask your son why he had the Fox mask?” Naga said.

  “He had it because he’d been commissioned to make it,” she said.

  “What do you mean?” Naga asked.

  “Like I said, a man came to our home and commissioned a Fox mask,” she said.

  “How long ago?” Naga asked.

  “Two days ago,” she said.

  “Do you remember what he looked like?” Naga asked.

  “Sure do,” she said.

  “Could you describe him?” Naga asked.

  “Why should I describe him?” she asked.

  “So that we can arrest him and get to the bottom of this accusation,” Naga said.

  “No Lord, I mean why describe him, when he is standing in front of you?” she said.

  “What do you mean?” Naga asked.

  The old woman then pointed at Denjiro the yoriki. “He is standing next to the yoriki,” she said.

  “She is out of her mind, Magistrate,” Denjiro said.

  “Perhaps,” Naga answered. “Does your doshin deny the allegation?”

  The doshin in a brown kimono answered for himself. “Yes Lord, the old woman is crazy.”

  Naga addressed the left side of the courtyard. “Did anyone else see the doshin at Yashino’s home in the last few days?”

  A young girl near the old mother bowed deeply. “I did, Lord.”

  “And who are you?” Naga asked.

  “She is my daughter and Yashino’s younger sister,” the gray-haired mother answered.

  “Why are you certain it was this doshin?” Naga asked.

  The girl bowed her head as she spoke and stole sideways glances at the police officer. “Because he said foul things to me and said he would enjoy me later.”

  The leader of the woodcarver’s guild spoke again. “I did not see him yesterday, Lord, but Yashi told me of the mask commissioned by a policeman, if that helps,” Ittobori said.

  “I believe it helps Yashino’s story and hurts the Hatchobori’s,” Naga said.

  In the crowd, Hideki was beaming with pride. He knew his brother was smart, but even the slowest in the crowd could see that the new magistrate was dismantling the yoriki’s concocted story step by step using his own words against him. The large man next to Hideki elbowed his arm. “Why did you insist I attend the spectacle?” he asked.

  “I thought it might be illuminating,” Hideki said. “I understand this is the first of its kind.”

  “If I want to see new and exciting things, I’ll go to the kabuki,” Nichi said.

  “This is better than the kabuki,” a man in front of them said over his shoulder. “When did you ever see Myamoto Musashi and Yagyu Jubei together at the kabuki?” “Even stranger than that,” his friend said, “when have you ever seen a magistrate with an open court who takes the side of the accused?”

  Hideki leaned next to Nichi’s ear. “The chosin seem to like it.”

  “Oh, I’m sure they do, but what’s this mean to the Gumsumgumi?”

  “I do not know yet,” Hideki replied. “But it’s better to see things firsthand is it not?”