The Hell Screen - [Sugawara Akitada 02] Read online

  Genba was emptying and refilling his own bowl with such speed and complete enjoyment that his lip-smacking and belching attracted the pleased attention of the cook, who promptly sent along a heaping platter of steamed eel, compliments of the house.

  “So you’re a poet?” Tora asked their companion. “I thought you just said that you manage a farm.”

  “Not a farm. An estate.” Harada looked at him blearily. “You may not be aware of it, young man,” he said with a fruity belch, “but poets have never enjoyed a regular income without a generous p-patron. P-professor Yasaburo, my old friend and classmate, is the closest I could find to a p-p ... magnanimous p-erson, and he makes use of my many other skills as he has need of them.” Taking another gulp from his cup, he belched again, and added, “At the present time, you behold in me an ambassador of good will, a bearer of happy tidings, a p-purveyor of the substance which makes even the dull p-pragmatists happy. In short, I have completed an errand of mercy.” With a great sigh, he folded his arms on the table, laid his head on them, and went to sleep.

  Tora, who had listened with only half an ear, now turned to Genba. To his surprise, Genba had stopped eating. He sat, slack-jawed, staring past Tora’s shoulder, an expression of stunned amazement on his face. The platter of eels in front of him was barely touched, and he still held his chopsticks with a juicy morsel suspended halfway to his open mouth.

  Tora looked to see what had shocked Genba into immobility. The restaurant was full of people. Behind them six men, of the ordinary riverfront variety, were exchanging stories over their wine. Near a pillar, several women were eating fish stew and chattering among themselves. Against the back wall, an old man presided over a table filled with members of his family. And near them a husband and wife were engaged in an argument. Tora could not see anything likely to cause that look in Genba’s eyes. He reached across to take the chopsticks from Genba’s rigid fingers. “What are you staring at?”

  Genba jerked. “Huh? Oh!” He blushed scarlet. “See the young lady over there? She’s the most stunning creature I’ve ever seen.”

  Tora scanned the women. Pretty girls, he thought, surprised and pleased that Genba finally seemed to take an interest in the opposite sex. He must mean the pert one with the look of a playful kitten. But the others weren’t bad, either. An older woman presided over them, their chaperone or perhaps an auntie. Tora took in her size and blinked. She was enormous, towering over the girls and taking up the space of two men. Big shoulders, a huge jutting bosom, and bulging arms, all covered in shiny black silk, and a round, red-cheeked face topped with coils of hair which were decorated with red silk ribbons dangling coyly down on either side. Tora almost laughed out loud at the sight of her. No wonder she was fat; she was eating with a speed which astonished even him, and he was familiar with Genba’s appetite. Her large fat hand holding the chopsticks darted quickly among the many bowls in front of her, picking up a tidbit here and a pickle there, the small finger extended daintily, the red lips closing with little smacking sounds around each morsel or dipping quickly toward the rim of a soup bowl to suck up broth and fish alike. He turned to Genba. “Pretty girls, but look at that madam! I’ve never seen a woman eat like that. No wonder she’s as fat as Hotei!”

  Genba stared at him. “What do you mean?” he asked, frowning. “She’s the most handsome female I ever laid eyes on. Look at that rosy skin, the pretty mouth, and that fine body! And she eats most elegantly. Daintily, like a lady! Which is more than you can say about her companions. I never could understand what you see in those bony little bits you seem to prefer.”

  Tora gaped. “Have you lost your mind?” he asked. “That’s some whore grown too fat to get customers, so now she runs the house, taking out her girls for their evening rice. Leave her alone! She’d make short work of an innocent like you and take you for every copper, having a good laugh with her girls afterward.”

  Genba got up, his face like thunder. “Good night!” he growled.

  “Where are you going?” Tora cried, pointing to the uneaten food. “We aren’t finished, and we haven’t even started asking questions.”

  “You can do your own investigating,” Genba said over his shoulder, and headed for the table of the women. Tora looked after him in stunned surprise. This was not like Genba, who was normally shy around women. But there he was, bowing to the fat woman, and then to the girls around the table. The girls wore the heavy white makeup of street women and clearly were not averse to male company, for Genba took a seat next to a slender girl whose eyebrows had been plucked and painted high on her forehead, in the manner of certain court ladies or actors playing women’s roles. Tora shook his head. Genba would be sorry. He made a move to follow, feeling it his duty to protect his companion from the wiles of the professional women of the quarter. But when he took a step toward them, Genba looked up and scowled so ferociously that Tora quickly sat back down. Very well! Let him learn his lesson, then, he thought, and turned his attention to the food.

  Harada was snoring softly. Tora caught the cook’s eye. “What will you do about him?” he asked.

  The cook gave the drunken man a glance. “Him? Nothing. He can stay. He’s not a bad sort, comes to town on business for his master, takes care of whatever it is, then comes here to drink away whatever money he brought with him. As he spends it here, I feel obliged to look out for him. In the morning I’ll put him on the road home.”

  Tora took a sip of his wine. “I’m told you see quite a few actors here when they’re in town,” he said to the cook.

  “Sure. Some are back already. Getting ready to put on shows for the winter festivals and the driving out of the evil spirits at the end of the year.”

  “Ever hear of a troupe called Uemon’s Players?”

  “Uemon? Sure. Everybody knows of him. Mind you, he’s getting old, but his people are good. They even get asked to perform for the good people.” He scanned the room. “Danjuro, his lead actor, is really good. He used to come, but I haven’t laid eyes on him since they got back from their tour. I guess him and his girl Ohisa got married at last and set up house.”

  “Would you know where I might find this Uemon?”

  The cook hesitated, looking Tora over. “Why are you looking for him?”

  Tora said, “Personal interest, you might say.” He stroked his mustache and winked. “There’s a very pretty girl in that troupe.”

  The cook suddenly became distant. “If you’re after one of Uemon’s girls, you can forget it. He’s a respectable man and his people are strictly class. Better go talk to one of the aunties in the quarter.”

  Tora smirked. “Come, now! Maybe he doesn’t know everything the youngsters get up to. I happen to know better. You ever meet any of them?”

  The cook grinned. “Sure. They come in pretty regular for a meal or some wine. In fact, since you’ve met them before, you must’ve seen the girls with Miss Plumblossom. They were here when you came in.”

  Tora cursed himself for having missed his chance. Now he would have to follow them. “Well, where do they live when they’re in town?”

  “You’re pretty persistent, aren’t you?” said the cook, narrowing his eyes. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but you’re lying. Maybe you’re a rapist or the slasher. Maybe you’re a constable. Come to think, there’s something official-looking about you. Anyway, I can’t help you.”

  Won’t is more likely, Tora thought. He wanted to deny being either a rapist or a constable, but knew it was too late to come up with another convincing tale. Places like the Abode of the River Fairies, though not precisely hangouts for criminals, were sensitive about protecting their clientele. He sighed and looked around for Genba, but the table where he had sat was now empty. Genba had left him stuck with the bill for their meal and Harada’s.

  Outside, night had fallen with the abruptness of the season. Tora pulled up his collar and looked up and down the street. There was no sign of Genba. The wind still blew from the dark mountains and whistled th
rough the alleys which led away from the river. The lanterns in front of the businesses swayed and bobbed with every gust. Their feeble lights were reflected in the dark, slow-moving waters of the Kamo and resembled madly dancing fireflies. A few customers hurried past, their collars raised around their ears and their arms buried in their deep sleeves.

  Tora shrugged resignedly. He had little choice but to try his luck in some of the other eateries and wineshops.

  An hour later, half-frozen and discouraged, he entered a ramshackle dive near the end of the quarter, and here his luck changed. The host of this dubious establishment was Tora’s age, but unlike Tora incredibly ill-kempt. His long hair and beard were matted with dirt, and he wore nothing but a pair of stained cotton pants, held precariously in place by a knotted rope tied below his hairy paunch, and a dingy cotton shirt which was too small for him and hung open in front. He looked more like a street ruffian than a legitimate innkeeper. And apparently he was not only careless about his appearance, but also foulmouthed.

  When Tora heard the first string of colorful curses, his face lit up. He joined the three barefooted laborers who were leaning on the counter and cried, “By the bare ass of a monkey! A man from Tsukuba!”

  His host eyed Tora’s neat blue robe. “Yeah?” he said. “And who are you, then?”

  “Why, you filthy piece of ox dung, you pail of cat’s piss, you dog’s turd, you stinking pile of bear’s vomit! Are you too stupid to recognize your neighbors?”

  The host’s dirty face relaxed. “Well, fry my balls!” he grunted. “You do sound like it. What village?”

  “Ohori.”

  “No!” the host cried with delighted surprise. “I was raised across the river from Ohori. My old man and me fished the river and sold the catch in your village. You bastards used to throw rocks at us from the shore. Me and my buddy came across one night and let the water out of all your cisterns.”

  Tora guffawed. “You missed us. Half the village had to squeeze into our bath the next day. Say, what brought you here?”

  “The cursed army. I was a kid when they grabbed me, the filthy bastards. I ended up here. How about you?”

  Tora’s smile faded. He did not like to remember the day when the soldiers had come to their farm. He had never seen his parents again. “Me, too,” he said casually.

  His host gave a knowing nod. “Hard times, but you look prosperous enough now. Lucky devil! The gods’ve been good to you. Me, I’m slowly starving.” He slapped his bare belly and chuckled.

  Tora laughed. “I’ve had some fighting, a little trouble, and a lot of luck. The name’s Tora, by the way.”

  “Hah! The tiger, eh?” The fat man nodded sagely. Everyone knew the value of a pseudonym when you had to leave the military service abruptly. “Me, I’m not so fierce. They call me Ushi because I look like a big old clumsy bull.” He reached under the counter and brought up a pitcher, poured two cups of wine, and pushed one toward Tora. The three laborers looked sadly into their empty cups and swallowed. “All right! All right!” the Bull said, and refilled their cups from an open barrel. “There. It’s on the house! To celebrate this auspicious meeting with my countryman.”

  The three grinned, bowed, and tossed back the raw liquor.

  Tora tasted. Ushi’s private brew was strong but excellent; the fire it lit in his belly was welcome after the cold night outside. He raised the cup again and emptied it in one slow smooth gulp. “You live better than you think, Bull,” he said with a grin, and belched.

  Ushi’s laugh rumbled and shook his belly like jellied bean curd. “So what sort of work do you do? You got your own business?”

  “No. I’m in service, but my master appreciates my talents and treats me well.”

  “Ah! Lucky dog! A roof over your head, fancy clothes, three squares guaranteed, and money to spend.” Ushi shook his head in envy, and returned to the past. “Say, speaking of strong wine, you ever get a taste of that stuff the monks used to brew in the temple on the Tone River? They called it mountain berry juice or some such and sold it in all the villages up and down the river. Strongest berries I ever tasted!”

  Tora remembered it, and much more besides. After an exchange of reminiscences, he managed to ask about Uemon.

  “Uemon? Too proud to set foot in my place,” said the host, making a face. “I hear they go to Miss Plumblossom to practice. You after some girl? Better watch your step with the lady, my friend, and keep your hands to yourself. Miss Plumblossom don’t tolerate low manners. She’s a famous acrobat and served at court.”

  Tora did not believe that for a moment. Females in the theatrical profession had a very poor reputation. Many made their living with prostitution between engagements. He could well imagine what passed in Miss Plumblossom’s establishment.

  The Bull reached for the pitcher again.

  “No, thanks,” said Tora. “I’ve got to go. It’s getting late, and I’ve got my bowl of rice to earn like the rest of you. Just tell me how to find this Plumblossom’s place, and I’ll be off.”

  The Bull frowned. “Say, you’re not on the lookout for a bed partner for your master, by any chance? You’d better try the Willow Quarter. Or does he prefer men?”

  Tora’s arm shot out, grabbed the rope holding up Ushi’s pants, and jerked forward hard. The fat belly hit the counter, and Ushi gasped and cursed. Still holding the man by his belt, Tora put his face next to Ushi’s and snarled, “You filthy-minded piece of offal! What do you think I am, a pimp for a pervert?”

  “Sorry, brother,” whined the fat man. “I didn’t mean it. Let go!”

  Tora slowly released his hold. “Well, you’ve got your nerve,” he grumbled, “assuming such a thing of a fellow countryman. I’d rather bite my tongue than ask you how you got out of the army.”

  The host blanched a little and said nervously, “No need to explain, brother. Whatever it is you’re doing, I wish you luck! We all have our secrets. Just remember not to offend Miss Plumblossom. She’s been keeping her eyes open since the trouble and will have your balls if you so much as smile at her girls. Her place is behind the Temple of the War God, two streets back from the river. You can’t miss it.”

  “What trouble?” Tora asked.

  “You haven’t heard? Some bastard’s been cutting up whores. Miss Plumblossom took one of ‘em in. They say she looks worse than a monkey, now her nose is gone and her mouth’s been rearranged. What a woman that Miss Plumblossom is! What a soft heart!” The Bull cast up his eyes and sighed in admiration. Tora thought it more likely that the lady needed a cheap maid.

  One of the laborers suddenly found his tongue and cried, “A devil did that! The devils are loose at night. One of ‘em tried to do the same thing to me. I only got away because I have an amulet and called on the Buddha.” He reached into his ragged jacket and pulled out a filthy, odorous bag which was tied around his neck.

  Tora suppressed a shudder. “Thanks for the wine, Bull, but I’d better go. Looks like the streets aren’t too safe after dark.”

  Outside, the wind caught at his robe, and something moist and soft touched his face. He blinked against the light of a swinging lantern. In its golden aura danced the first snowflakes of the year.

  He found Miss Plumblossom’s establishment easily enough, though it did not look much like a brothel. The building was a long, low structure like a warehouse. It had solid plaster walls and a wooden roof held in place with large rocks. He stood for a few minutes deciphering the sign above the door. Even his untutored eye saw that the lettering was elegant. “Training Hall of Celestial Grace. Miss Plumblossom, Proprietess.” What a joke! It certainly sounded like no brothel he had ever visited. Light came from behind the bars of two small windows high up, and he could hear muffled thumps, shouts, and grunts. Perhaps the place offered some novel sexual pleasures, and he was definitely not averse to learning new things.

  Tora grinned and applied the wooden clapper vigorously to the brass gong which swung from a hook next to the door. It emitted a pleasan
t clear sound, and the door was flung open from inside.

  He stepped into a dim entry. Through a half-open inner door, he could see a segment of a brightly lit room which had a wooden floor with some thick grass mats on it. Suddenly some female flitted past the opening. She seemed to be naked. Then another girl passed and the first one returned with a bounce. Tora swallowed hard. He was by no means easily impressed by the sexual pleasures normally available in the capital, but now he wondered what services these two might be expected to render and felt warm under the collar.