Minoru recalls his hensu-jutsu lessons and rehearsals and performs his role as if he were safe back in the dojo, and not surrounded by yari and dai-kyu. The samurai nods to the ashigaru and the Shinto priest is allowed to pass through the intersection. The registrar's office is the first building to the east, with the Koshu-Kaido highway/street at its front and Kofu Castle's moat and high stone platform at its back. The sign in front of the building still reads in kanji, with katakana superscript:
NOTICE
All residents of Kofu must report any suspicious activity to the governing authorities.
Those who do not will be severely punished.
The fishermen and priest have to wait in the office while a merchant and his assistants are questioned by a Takeda samurai official.
Where are you coming from?
The merchant and assistants bow, then the merchant replies,
Negano city in Shinano province, yakucho-sama, the merchant replies.
Where are you going?
This is my destination, yakucho-sama. I'll sell my goods here and buy the goods of the honorable Takeda clan's Kai province to sell in Shinano.
Your load was of course searched at the first checkpoint into the city. But tell me, what are you selling?
Fine cherry wood, smelted iron rods, and late winter Shinano mikan tangerines.
Iron rods? You know about the prohibition against moving weapons out of Kai province, don't you?
Yes, yakucho-sama. Out of caution, I asked the allies of the honorable Takeda clan, the Ogasawara of Shinano, for a certificate to bring the iron to the capital city of the Takeda. He presents a stamped certificate document. The official reads it and grunts.
That was wise, merchant. He turns to a middle rank samurai clerk.
Issue them passes, inspect their porters, and if warranted, issue them passes as well. He turns to go, but pauses and turns back.
Do you trade with the Taira, merchant?
The merchant hesitates, then says,
Not with the corrupt and degenerate Taira, yakucho-sama. But with old trading partner merchants in Taira land.
The Takeda smiles.
In peacetime it would be your head for speaking of samurai and the grandsons of Emperors in that way, merchant. But you are correct in your assessment the clans of the Taira. Cut your ties with those merchants, merchant. You may buy goods from the Taira lands, but you may only sells goods in the lands of the Takeda and other Minamoto clans. Under penaltly of being barred from Kofu city and the entire province of Kai.
The merchant and assistants bow a crisp bow.
Hai! I understand, yakucho-sama. They receive their passes and depart the office with the samurai for the porters' inspection.
A middle rank samurai clerk looks at the fishermen and priests. He beckons them forward, priests first. He looks their passes over, then their persons over.
Don't forget that you must leave the city by the Hour of the Dog tonight. Or report here again tomorrow at the Hour of the Dragon. If you stay in the city for third night, you must report with a certification of overnight stay from an authorized inn, temple, shrine, dojo, or teahouse. If you stay in private home, you must present a certification stamped by a checkpoint captain. He stamps the four shinobi's passes.
It's the first half-- the "top"-- of the Hour of the Dog. The early morning sky at the end of the month of Shiwasu is overcast, and the rich, dark valley loam soils streets of Kofu are mud with standing puddles from yesterday's downpour and the night's rain. The branches and twigs of the maple, gingko, plum, apple, pear, and cherry trees between the commercial buildings siding the Kaisho-Kaido are covered with bright young green leaves. The Moon, with its outline of a hare standing and pounding rice in a pestle into New Year's
mochi rice cakes, will rise at almost half tonight. And at a fine straight line Half Moon tomorrow. And in five days, Winter will turn to Spring and the new year will begin. It's the beginning of the Hour of the Dog.
Shiwasu - The month of March
Hour of the Dog - 7 PM to 9 PM
Hour of the Dragon - 7 AM to 9 AM
Minoru's role of buying items in the city for the Shinto shrine fits well into the gameworld.
Actions?
The shrine seems like a good rendezvous point.
