Worth
8 February 2006
by Everett Johnson

Note: The Katai referred to throughout this travelogue is Mirumoto Katai, Tetsujin's oldest brother, not Kakita Katai.

Mirumoto Katai took the scroll, returning the barest minimum required acknowledgment to the messenger before dismissing him. The seal told him enough. Tetsujin. It had to be another of his fanciful tales, or perhaps just a new poem. He couldn't believe that his father was believing any of his brother's fabrications. Gaijin. Maho-tsukai. Oni and goblins. The Shadowlands. Tetsujin couldn't possibly have been involved in the least of it, and it was especially ridiculous to suppose that his youngest brother had even been to the Emperor's court, let alone that the Emperor himself had deigned to acknowledge his existence enough to ask him a question.

It was all rubbish, but Katai couldn't risk just discarding the missive without showing it to his father. Things were strained enough as it was. Katai reluctantly made his way toward his father's study. Steeling himself, he entered. It looked as if the old man was studying that scroll again, the one whose contents he wouldn't discuss with anybody, except perhaps Narumi. The only thing Katai knew, and that only after looking it up, was that the seal was from the Monkey clan's vassal shugenja family, the Fuzake. Hyosuke rolled the scroll up again, and looked up expectantly. His face seemed to sorten somewhat when he saw the seal on the scroll Katai was offering, though Katai supposed he could be imagining things.

The old man failed to dismiss Katai while opening the scroll. Katai gathered himself to be forced to listen to the tripe that was sure to be coming. This meant he would have to listen to it twice, since Hyosuke seemed to wand to read everything the unlucky freak sent recently in front of the assembled family at mealtimes. His father read quickly through the contents of the scroll, then looked up with a smile. "Listen to this. He must be speaking of the attack on the maho festival again."

Gentle summer rains
Wash away the blackest stains
Peace once again reigns

At least it was just another poem this time, instead of a fully embellished tale, though that meant the old fool would post it somewhere in the house. At least Tetsujin's writing had improved recently. Katai stiffened in surprise as his father's hand slammed down on the table. He must not have hidden his distaste enough this time.

"You still refuse to believe that your youngest brother is capable of anything great?"

Katai was shocked at the outrage in his father's voice. He had thought that the old man had written his youngest son off years ago, as Katai had. It looked like he was wrong. Something snapped, and he shot back a reply before thinking.

"And you continue to believe these outlandish tales! Think about it. That albino couldn't possibly have been involved in all this. We would have heard about it from reliable sources by now!"

Hyosuke stiffened and his face became as stone. "Perhaps then, son, you should start listening in the right places. Of course you won't hear of your brother's deeds in taverns and from geisha. I, however, have had a compliment relayed through our daimyo from Mirumoto Rosanjin-sama that my youngest son had brought glory and honor to our house with his actions. Does Rosanjin-sama know your name? Perhaps it is time you begin to prove your worth to the house, Katai-kun."

Katai's heart nearly stopped at the scathing tone, and his blood boiled at the words. He hadn't been called -kun by any other than his mother in years. He stopped himself from reaching for steel barely in time, nearly bringing ultimate shame to himself. It looked like he would have to prove himself better than his upstart brother. But how?