The New Winds

But of course he did. He was a member of the Underhand, a rather highly placed member at that, and there was a conspiracy afoot. There were certain expectations, certain duties to consider in these situations. It was clear that this was no longer a matter of one clan disliking a particular individual, and to identify what was truly going on, Bayushi Jiro resolved to interview the first cog in the machine that wore colors other than blue and white. With fine tea steeping, Bayushi Jiro waited patiently for Ikoma Eiko.

The Lion General arrives after a time and gives a bow to Jiro.

“Good to see you again, Bayushi-San. How have you been since Hirosaka?”

Jiro rose to return the bow with respect. "My life begins to take on new dimensions almost daily, Akodo-sama, which honor and accolades I attribute in part to your teaching and that of the other sensei at Hirosaka." He gestured to the teapot. "Would you care to take tea with me? I have chosen a Yasuki blend. The richer blends are such a delight, are they not?"

The general gives a bow and looks at the teapot.

"If I can be frank, I never quite cared for tea, but it's expected of us all to partake. I thank you for the invitation. Now, what is this about?"

Bayushi Jiro tilted his head.

"I appreciate your candor, Akodo-sama, and I will do my best to return it in kind. I have been authorized by my superiors to ferret out the conspirators who are tormenting you and Doji Murashige, and perhaps others, and to destroy them in the furtherance of my clan's solemn duty to the Emperor. In normal circumstances, we would do this without troubling you in the slightest, but these are not normal circumstances. You are a man of public honor, Akodo-sama, and a true servant of the Emperor of long standing. My lord will not have you suffer in this way."

The general narrows his eyes and studies Jiro for a few moments.

"I would be careful how you proceed, Bayushi-san. What you are suggesting assumes that the Lion cannot handle this matter ourselves"

"It is not only a Lion matter, Akodo-sama." Bayushi Jiro said simply. "This matter touches you, yes, but you alone among the honored leaders in your clan. It also touches the Mantis, and the Crane, and every competitor who has, through misadventure, chosen to involve themselves. All of which is to say that this has affected the Topaz Championship, which generates an Imperial Office. Therefore it is an Imperial Matter, and well within our jurisdiction. If the Lion clan wishes to pursue its own justice, we have no complaints. We are not a jealous people. But I am certain that the Emperor would appreciate the servants he has chosen to destroy his enemies in the shadows to act as he has commanded. Indeed, we can do nothing else and call ourselves samurai. This investigation will be proceeding, Akodo-sama. There is nothing you can do to stop it, even if you truly wished to. The best thing now is for you to support both efforts, so that you can allow assurance to make doubly sure that this matter ends here, in the Emperor's name."

The general thinks for a moment and then nods in agreement.

"Very well. What is it you needed from me, then?"

Jiro asked plainly: "Do you know the identity of the person who requested you alter your judging of the Mantis boy?"

"No. If I did, they would face me in the streets."

Jiro nodded once. That was as expected. "How did you expect to recognize them yesterday, when you were scanning the crowd?"

"Certain signs, Bayushi-san, one learns to look out for. Unfortunately, I did not find anyone that would have met what I was looking for. Either they were not in the crowd, or their ability to be unseen under such a close gaze as mine is extraordinary."

Jiro bowed his head in respect to the man's abilities.

"How did this person communicate with you? If it was written correspondence, how did it come to you?"

"Written, always by night, and my own countermeasures have yet to catch them"

"They just appear in your chambers?" Jiro frowned. Not entirely unexpected, of course. Kaidan had proven that the estate was porous. But still, troubling.

"Was there anything distinctive about the message? I don't suppose I could see one, to get a sense of the calligraphy?"

He nods and pulls a document from within his kimono's obi pouch.

The only thing distinctive is the signature: "Webs within webs"

Jiro frowns, trying to place that phrase...

[D5, LA] Lore: Underworld to see if I've heard of this web motif phrase before. 1 raise called.: 6d10o10k4 55

It is not a bad grade that Jiro has ever heard before

Momentarily stymied by that, Jiro turned back to his questions.

"When were you first contacted by this person?"

“A month or so ago, as I was traveling to Tsuma”