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The Choshu Chronicles: Chapter Seven

by Omasu Oniwabanshi ::: 10.Jan.2005

It was October now. Katsura divided his time between the administration building in Yamaguchi, and traveling to Shimonoseki to make deals with the rice merchants to purchase rice to send to Kyoto for the Satsuma soldiers stationed there.

Nakamura made sure to be unavailable for the trips to Shimonoseki. He began spending more time with Murata, learning to use guns. Takahata went with him as much as possible, so that left Kenshin, Shunme, Oshio and Hojo to accompany Katsura on the rice buying trips.

On one occasion, Katsura was an hour early for his appointment with a rice merchant. The man worked out of his home, so Katsura was allowed to wait in the family's common room, a vast square chamber with a sunken area in the middle where the fire pit sent plumes of smoke up to the opening in the ceiling. Suspended by a long chain over the fire was the family's metal cooking pot.

Since the house was set right on the street, there was no porch for Kenshin to wait on, and Katsura motioned to him to come inside and sit by him on the floor.

An elderly woman brought them tea, then left them alone, retreating to the family chambers to the left of the common room.

"Do you resent giving rice to Satsuma as Nakamura does?" Katsura asked Kenshin suddenly.

Kenshin finished his sip from the ceramic cup and answered. "Not really. If it helps topple the Bakufu it should be done."

"I wish Nakamura could see it that way." Katsura set his tea down on the tatami mat and folded his arms, sticking his hands in his kimono sleeves. A serious expression crossed his face. "I understand Nakamura's feelings. Choshu will fight the bakufu to the last man, and to fight effectively we need weapons, but I will not be beholden to those Satsuma dogs. Once this rice is shipped, our obligation to them is over."

"Yes." Kenshin said in agreement, and continued to sip his tea until the merchant come in muttering apologies as though he'd been late when actually Katsura had been early.

Later that afternoon Shunme went with Katsura on other business while Kenshin delivered a message from Katsura to one of the ships' captains down at the docks.

Mission accomplished, Kenshin took a moment to stand back and watch the bustle of docks without having to be on the watch for possible threats. Foreign ships, with their distinctive size and triple masts anchored off shore. Closer in, the long, low Japanese vessels crowded in by the docks. Peasant class dockworkers loaded and unloaded the vessels amid curses and shouted orders.

Gradually, Kenshin became aware of someone watching him from behind. He turned and saw Sakamoto Ryoma, sun browned, his eyes squinting as if he'd been staring at the horizon from the deck of a ship. Those narrow eyes widened in recognition as Kenshin turned.

"You! I know you. You're Katsura's bodyguard!" Ryoma yelled and pointed. He stepped up and asked, "Is Katsura in town? I want to talk to him."

Kenshin nodded, ducking slightly as a man walked by with a long rolled carpet balanced on his shoulder.

Ryoma grimaced. "Let's get out of here. I know a good tavern." Without bothering to wait for Kenshin's agreement, he wheeled around and stalked away.

In a short while they were sitting on the floor at a low table in the tavern Ryoma favored, a bottle of sake and two shallow drinking bowls in front of them. Ryoma was already on his second bowl, lifting it to his lips and downing it in one gulp.

Kenshin sipped his sake slowly, emulating his master, Hiko's, way of drinking. Hiko Seijuro loved sake, and savored every mouthful. To him, gulping down sake would have been like sacrilege.

Ryoma wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "So what's Katsura doing in Shimonoseki? Buying rice, huh?"

If Ryoma already knew, why did he ask? Kenshin merely nodded.

"Isn't it great that Satsuma and Choshu are finally starting to get along?"

Kenshin's hand, drawing the drinking bowl up to his mouth, froze for a second, then continued on its journey. He took a sip and set the bowl down again without answering.

Ryoma's eyes sharpened. "What? You don't approve?"

"No, it's not that."

"Well what then?" Ryoma leaned on the table. "Don't you want Choshu and Satsuma to work together against the Bakufu?"

"Choshu and Satsuma…together?" Ryoma must be insane. Not too long ago Satsuma men had fought and killed Choshu soldiers at the battle of the Forbidden Gates.

"They must forget their differences and band together." Ryoma hit the table and leaned in closer. "They must do it for Japan."

"I don't care about Japan. I just want to get rid of the Bakufu." Kenshin spoke low, and with his eyes he sent another message, ‘I thought you did too.'

Ryoma stared at him and sighed, disappointed. "You're young. Your vision is too small. You want to topple the Bakufu? Fine, but what about after that? What about the future of Japan?"

"I don't know." Kenshin hadn't thought that far ahead. He hadn't wanted to think about the years stretching ahead without Tomoe. It was enough to fulfill his obligation to Katsura. The future, the years of atoning for his crimes, could wait.

Ryoma's eyes gleamed. "Then let me tell you what I think should be the future of our country."

Kenshin sipped and listened as the impassioned samurai told him about a Japan where all men were equal, where the great clans worked together for the good of the whole country, and not their individual provinces. He told Kenshin of a new type of government, a democracy, which worked in America and would, if Ryoma had anything to say about it, become the new government of Japan once the Tokugawa shogunate was gone.

When he was done speaking, he looked at Kenshin expectantly.

"I'm just a bodyguard. I don't know much about government."

"NO!" Again Ryoma's hand came down on the table. "That's the whole point. Everyone will know about government. Everyone will have a say in the government, from peasants to samurai. The new Japan will only work if we all work together, like a family, with give and take. Like Choshu and Satsuma are doing now."

Kenshin thought of Nakamura, his hatred for Satsuma, and Katsura's desire to pay back Satsuma's favor to be rid of any obligation to them. He got to his feet and stared down at Ryoma. "It is a good vision, if you can get it to work."

"It will work." said Ryoma, with the air of one giving a solemn vow. "It has to."

"I'll tell Katsura you want to speak to him."

Ryoma waved his hand. "I have to leave tonight, but tell him I'll be back in mid-October. By then we may have more news of the sale of the Union."

Kenshin nodded, and left Ryoma staring moodily at the empty sake bowl in front of him.