Steam
13 October 1998
by Ed Rubin

A servant entered the room carrying a bucket from which there issued as much steam as Naoki would expect if a weaponsmith had just quenched a newly forged no-dachi in it. Angrily, Naoki waved him away, his glowering eyes causing the little man unintended and unnoticed fear. Naoki's smoldering temper kept the water roiling at a fevered pitch, and he felt that any more heat would cause either the tub or him to burst in a fiery conflagration of action that he knew he would regret. His will hardened, and Naoki returned to his beloved mantra, silently mouthing for twentieth time in as many minutes, balance, balance, balance.

Naoki called up in his mind his sensei's sage advice, "List the tactical factors involved in the current situation." He was almost overwhelmed by factors that clamored for primary position in his tactical overview, but he controlled them, he knew, and he WOULD now lay them before his mind's eye, without any initial ranking of importance–that would arrive after they were listed.

Jinjiro. He finally had admitted something of what had brought them here: his father's murder in a geisha house of this town. Extracting that information had been almost as difficult as a direct assault on the festering pit of the one who remains unnamed, though Ishi's constant pressure had succeeded in the end.

Naoki admitted to himself that he could not understand Jinjiro's reluctance to speak with them about the affair. Was it embarrassment? No, for Naoki could see nothing wrong with Jinjiro's behavior, of which he might feel shame – certainly it was not he who had murdered his father. Was it honor? But how could it be that? A speculation, or even an accusation, made in private to them, his friends, would never go beyond them, and they would never look down on him for showing interest in avenging his father's loss.

Did the sharing of two major battles, the shared struggle against, in Jadoma's terms, "potentially the greatest threat of evil to face Rokugan ever", count for nothing at all in Jinjiro's eyes? Did he count his precious, though often contradictory, honor as his one and only friend in the world?

Trust. Yes, it must be a lack of trust, or an active mistrust, that kept him from speaking. And the volumes he had hidden! He had said, "Takiro might be involved." That had interested Naoki, for sure, but what a monumental understatement! "Takiro might be involved in the murder of my father together with the Daimyo of the land to which I am asking you to accompany me," he should have said. Naoki liked a good challenge, but FORTUNES! The man hated Naoki already, or if not hated, at the very least had vowed to see him dead to avenge his own son's death at the hands of Naoki's father. And Naoki had now walked into the situation of investigating an event that Takiro probably wouldn't want exposed.

What more reasons could Naoki give to Takiro for arranging his quiet, but quick, assassination, in addition to the ones that his lack of being fully informed had led him into? Perhaps he should go and loudly make passes at Tomoe during the opening of the festival tomorrow? That would surely further ingratiate him to Takiro! The man uses black-clad and stealthy poisoners! Damn Jinjiro and his honor! Damn his pride, that is! His honor is merely a cover for his overdeveloped hubris, conveniently taken out of his wallet, like the overabundant koku accorded him by a convenient birth rather than any personal virtue, whenever he feels the desire to lord it over the people who are, in his view, 'beneath him.' Namely everyone.

Well, Naoki had agreed to come, had actually been interested, and he, unlike many, would follow through on his given word. But the lack of respect he had been shown, the lack of trust, those would not be easily forgotten nor forgiven. Shared battles weighed mightily in Naoki's opinion, and he felt that, after the current situation was resolved, if it was resolved favorably for them, then in honor of those past shared times, he would prefer to leave Jinjiro living, but certainly also to leave. Of course, perhaps Jinjiro might become human, and learn to respect others as he obviously respects himself. Then, and only then, could Naoki stomach the thought of continuing to travel with him.

Marako. That duplicitous... No word would come to mind. If Jinjiro didn't respect others, it could be explained easily by the fact that he was too blinded by his own Crane glow, but in Marako's case it seemed to have no explanation. Just a basic lack of tolerance for others, perhaps, or for difference. Whatever it was, she had the nasty habit of implying stupidity in others. Naoki had suggested asking about murders in general, but she had heard something fundamentally stupid, implying that he had suggested something like asking the Daimyo's retainers if their boss had killed any more foreign dignitaries lately. Not that she seemed to have an alternative plan of action, sensible or not. Naoki actually expected the two of them, her and Jinjiro, who were much more at home in this sort of fortunes-forsaken morass of courtly oni excrem... ah, intrigue, than any of the others in the group, to have some sort of plan, but Jinjiro wasn't divulging what he had in mind to do, and all Marako would say was the obvious: It's a difficult situation.

Naoki was too action-oriented to tolerate this piddling around much longer. Either he had to know what was planned by those who could plan for this sort of situation, or he was going to implement his sort of plan, with or without concern for the danger that everyone could readily recognize all around them. Waiting around to be murdered, while doing nothing but worrying about danger, is no plan at all!

And another thing, why should she get the favor for informing Rei about Junzo? Because she has the fastest horse? We all could have told the Scorpions about Junzo when passing through their lands. But no, she wants it all for herself, apparently: "I don't want to call in MY favor from Rei." And why does she feel it is her right to make promises to Rei on our behalf not to speak about Junzo? Does she believe she is our daimyo?

And then, to top it all off, she deigns to tells us that we've been bankrolled by some Shosuro or other. Excuse me, What? Holding that information secret is, well, very Scorpion of her, if not just plain evil, in so many ways. We're carrying around a Shosuro mon, through four or five Clan's territories, and the rest of us don't even know about it? What if someone finds out? Someone who takes us for an ally of the Shosuro? Someone who we don't want to think of us in that way? What do we say when someone confronts us? 'I really don't know where that Scorpion money came from?' Very, very believable, very, very sincere. This is a massive danger that we should have immediately been told of! We should have returned to Usagi Castle right away, or at least buried the container somewhere on the border. The money too, for that matter! And thinking of the money, where in the festering pit of the one who remains unnamed does she get off keeping it to herself and leading the rest of us to believe that she herself is graciously picking up our tabs for us? What unbridled ego and greed! And how should we now respond when the person who put it in our supplies says, 'Now that you've been living so well off my money, I'd like to accept the repayment you have implicitly agreed to.' What a scathing lack of respect she shows for us! What a phenomenal dishonor!

"How that daughter of a lame donkey can live with herself is beyond me," Naoki swore out loud, then decided to move his thoughts elsewhere, before the water he was soaking in could turn entirely to steam.

Tsume Retsu and Shosuro Takiro. Both knew that Jinjiro was not an ardent admirer of them, and that his companions were equally unlikely to be looking to do them any favors with regard to the event that took place involving Jinjiro's father. Takiro wanted to kill Naoki anyway, so having a local ally in that pursuit would simply be sweet red bean curd to add to the feast of whatever schemes he might already be putting together. Naoki reflexively put his hand on his sword, Shonsu Nanji, lying on the narrow shelf next to the tub. None of us might survive this night, if we are not constantly vigilant, Naoki thought.

"Balance, balance, balance," Naoki muttered, "How do I balance these issues?" He felt he could trust Ishi. In fact, Ishi seemed to be finding a purpose in his life that could both end his own nightmares and troubles and do the empire a world of good as well. He was proud of his cousin in many ways, of the honor he showed, of the duty he performed even when verbally protesting it, though as always, Naoki would have to continue to look out for him, in fact, just as he had promised Ishi that he would do.

Takehai remained a mystery, no clearer now than when they had first met, over a year ago, at the Emerald Championship. He hardly says anything, and when he does, it is obscure. That is typical of an ise zumi, perhaps, but one should not be able to travel and fight and adventure with a human being for so long and still know nothing of him! So he was an unknown figure, and Naoki resignedly accepted that he would have to live with that.

After several minutes, and with a deep sigh of regret, Naoki concluded that he couldn't resolve anything about the others in the group until the current crisis with Retsu and Takiro was over. They all would be harmed now if they diminished their strength in the middle of an engagement by splitting up their band, even if staying together could be seen as another form of risk, given Naoki's analysis. The end of the current crisis could, in theory, be achieved by immediately leaving Courtiers Are Dishonorable City to find a location of their own choice for confronting Retsu and/or Takiro, but that wouldn't happen unless Jinjiro agreed to leave, which he wouldn't. And Naoki wouldn't leave without him, because he had foolishly given his trusting word to a man who clearly didn't return either trust or respect. That would not happen again, for sure, but Naoki's word was inviolate, so he would stay, at least until Jinjiro died. Then, if possible, Naoki would avenge Jinjiro's death, and retreat to formulate a tactically sound plan for dealing with Takiro, if necessary. Hopefully, Ishi would stay that long as well. If not, Naoki didn't even want to think about the joy of remaining practically alone in this enemy-laden den of offal, let alone of partying with the three smiling others.

Naoki rose, and started to dress, preparing for the planned meeting with Taketoshi-san at the Pine House. What had started out as a simple search for relaxation had turned into the first, and only, planned step in Jinjiro's "errand".

"I pray to the fortunes," Naoki muttered, "that it is not the last one as well."