Compromise
29 October 1998
by Jason Postma

"Will you kill me?"

The girl Reika's words began a stretch of silence in the humble dwelling of the ronin.

Jinjiro considered what should be done with the girl. She had murdered her daimyo in a cowardly, almost Scorpion-like fashion. Using poison, another man's love, and conspiring with a ronin to kill a sergeant of the guard who was only doing what his daimyo had told him to do. Takeshi had shown great weakness to let himself be used so, and had lied. The ronin Itto had lied. The entire matter stank of dishonor and treachery. Yet...

Retsu had been no honorable man. There was no doubt in Jinjiro's mind that he was guilty of what the girl accused him–the merciless destruction of her entire family. He had deprived her of her birthright and made good samurai into ronin. He had hired petty mercenaries to discomfort Jinjiro and his friends. He had planted the seeds of his own destruction, and had reaped a bitter harvest. If Reika had not killed him, Jinjiro certainly would have made the attempt, although in an honorable way. Jinjiro glanced at the girl again. She showed no fear, made no further attempt to escape. Once you knew her story it became easy to see she was born samurai. He wondered if she would commit seppuku should they order it, and an instant later knew she would. Hers was fine metal, a samurai-ko who had never been forged.

How to keep his honor? Justice was demanded, yet justice is what Reika had gained, in a dishonorable fashion. Yet what other avenue of vengeance had been open to her?

Naoki asked him a question, pulling him back. "Jinjiro. What will you say to Takeshi-sama?" Jinjiro met his friend's gaze, seeing the beginning of an idea forming.

"I am uncertain."

"As my friends and traveling companions I ask you to leave." The request caught him by surprise, but he read in Naoki's gaze what would happen, what the solution would be.

Jinjiro stood and left, and Marako shortly followed.

Jinjiro finished his report, having carefully danced around Takeshi's weakness without telling an untruth. "I will not lie, merely omit facts which Takeshi-sama already knows." he had said to his companions. He could see Takeshi digesting what had been said, and recognizing this courtesy. They were shortly dismissed. Jinjiro could not help but let Naoki know that he knew exactly what had happened.

"I hope that we are now even."

"What do you mean?" the Crab was as defensive as ever.

"I hope that the mistrust that I seemed to show you in not telling the story of my father in full has now been repaid in trust."

"What do you mean?" Naoki was not giving ground.

"I mean by my not inquiring further as to the fate of Reika."

"Do you think there is something you should ask me?"

"No, I feel no need. I never mistrusted you, I merely thought it unwise to reveal that which may condemn my friends as well as myself."

Naoki's only response was a grunt, but Jinjiro felt that what was important had been said.

Good luck, Reika, and let neither your path nor that of the ronin cross mine again, for the sake of our honor. And I wish to keep Naoki as a friend.