A maid came to summon her to Shūzen's presence. Knowing her position, her feelings, the solidarity of sex had veered to kindliness for this unwilling rival. The girl was shocked at sight of her. "O'Kiku Dono! Tis but for the counting of the plates—as usual." She aided her to don the ceremonial costume. In all the magnificence of her apparel, with hair dressed high, she followed after the girl. In her beauty a splendid sight, in her heart "she was as the sheep going to the butcher." Her ladyship sat close beside Shūzen. Other koshimoto, with Chūdayu and several retainers, were present. Despite the customary nature of this vicarious reverence to the spirit of the Tōshō Shinkun (Iyeyasu) there was an oppression, a suppressed interest, which seemed to fasten every eye on O'Kiku as slowly and gracefully she bore the box before her lord, made salutation. "Open;" the word from Shūzen's lips came dry and harsh—"One"—"Um"—"Two"—"Um"—"Three, four"—"Um"—"Five"—"Um"—"Six, seven"—"Um"—"Eight"—"Um"—"Nine.... Oya! Oya!" Then in fright—"What shall I do!" With horror O'Kiku gazed at the fragments of the tenth plate lying at the bottom. Shūzen, all moved by his wrath and excitement, leaned forward. The holly hock crest ground to powder was almost indistinguishable. Hardly able to believe her eyes O'Kiku mechanically began to finger the pile of porcelain—One, two, three ... they followed up to nine.... "What shall I do!"
The malice and ferocity of Shūzen's tone sent a thrill through those present—"Vicious jade! This is a sample of Kiku's hatred to this Shūzen, through him of her disloyalty to the revered House. What explanation can be offered? What expiation?" Slowly and in despair O'Kiku raised her head. She caught the triumphant glance passed between the okugata and Chūdayu. All was illuminated. This was Chūdayu's threatened vengeance. As of one dying her voice—"This is not the deed of Kiku. Daughter of the criminal Jinnai she holds no grudge against lord or suzerain; would but pray in this world for oblivion of those offences in a future existence. Deign, my lord to believe this Kiku. Malice acts here. But a short time ago Chūdayu...." The man sprang forward—"Lying hussy!... Tono Sama, this woman would save herself by slander. Plain has been her ill feeling against the honoured lord in refusal to obey his summons. Here lies the proof of ill intent and rebellion against the suzerain's House. Surely there is no punishment for such but death!"—"Surely there is no punishment for this but death!" The harsh voice of the okugata was heard in repetition.
Shūzen spoke—"'A twig broken on the flowering branch of plum, and the whole is to be cut off.' Such the words of Kurō Hangwan Yoshitsuné. Kiku, you are a vile, treacherous woman; undeserving of Heaven's favour and the kindness shown by Shūzen. Now you lie—with the fancy tale of child and husband, in order to escape the bed of Shūzen; with slanderous insinuation to throw your crime against others.... Here!" At the command the kerai came forward and dragged her within reach. Shūzen seized a hand. "Ten the plates: one broken, the tale destroyed. Apology is to be made. Make full confession. No? For the one, ten are due." There was a hibachi close by his side. He dragged her arm over the brazier, drew his dagger—"One." At the middle joint the finger fell severed into the ashes. "Two"—"Two," faintly answered O'Kiku. "Three"—"Three"—"Four"—"Four"—"Five"—"Five." Shūzen laughed. "Kiku cannot hold grudge as being maimed. The stumps remain." Chūdayu sprang forward at Shūzen's sign. Roughly holding the bleeding stumps he pressed them into the harsh cautery of living coals. A suppressed wailing cry from Kiku, a shuddering and turning away of the frightened women; her ladyship laughed out loud. Kiku raised her head and gave her a long look. Shūzen grasped the other arm. The punishment went on. "Six.... No confession?" One by one the remaining joints fell. Only the thumb remained. Like a demon the okugata sprang forward. She snatched away the keen weapon, and pressing down the edge of the blade triumphant raised the severed digit torn away to the wrist. Shūzen himself rose in astonishment at the act. All were in a wild excitement. The violent woman strove to shriek, but choked in her rage and utterance. They surrounded her and bore her off to her own apartment.
A wave of the hand and all but Chūdayu had departed. Shūzen was divided between his hate and the certainty of having been deceived. Besides, only the body was maimed, and in the malice of his heart he would soil this woman's soul. He leaned over the helpless figure. "Your own deed, Kiku: make confession and submission. There is yet life to plead for. Ha! 'Tis true. Vicious wench, you would seek the destruction of Shūzen by temptation; the grudge is to be carried to the end." From far off came the answer—"Alas! To this Kiku are imputed the wet garments. A lie destroys her to whom life is displeasing. Aye! The grudge is to be carried to the end. Against this treacherous Chūdayu, against Aoyama and his House the grudge. Remember well!" In fury Shūzen sprang to his feet—"Chuūdayu, take hold of this woman. Out with her to the garden!" With practised hand the chamberlain bound hands and feet. Then following after Shūzen he dragged her through the snow to the old well. "'Tis here," said Shūzen briefly. Removing the bucket the rope was tied under the arms of O'Kiku. "Your own act and deed, Kiku. In your punishment apology is made to the suzerain House. Go join your father Jinnai at the Yellow Fountain (Kwōsen) in Hell.... Chūdayu, kill her by inches." Seeing the chamberlain's hesitation Shūzen gave the body a push. Swift the descent. The splash of the water was heard. "Heave up!" With eager energy Chūdayu brought O'Kiku to the curb. "No confession yet?"—"Aye! Grudge the last thought; grudge against Chūdayu; against this Aoyama, him and his." The long wet hair hanging about the chalk white face, the bulging glaring eyes, the disordered saturated garments of the half drowned girl, were too much for Chūdayu. The man now was struck with fright. He sought to save her. "Tono Sama, is not the purpose satisfied? A request...."—"Coward! Are you afraid of the ghost? Surely Kiku will visit the couch of Chūdayu—as perhaps to his desire." But Chūdayu now openly was afraid and not ashamed. "Deign to spare her, Tono Sama.... O'Kiku Dono, this is no affair of Chūdayu. As ghost deign to haunt the Tono Sama. 'Tis the Tono Sama who kills you." He plead; but inexorable the whispering voice—"The grudge! Against Chūdayu...." Then in terror Chūdayu sought the end—"Ah! Vile bitch!... Tono Sama, deign to cut short the curse, and with it the breath of this hussy."—"Your act and deed, Chūdayu...." Shūzen took up the rest of the sentence. "Pass your sword into her belly, Chūdayu; the lord's order." Chūdayu hesitated. Then looking away he thrust—once, twice. There was a squishing sound, as of steel entering something soft. A heart rending scream rang through the air. It was like the ripping apart of silk. Shūzen stepped to the curb, looked into the agonized staring eyes. Then he gave the final thrust of his dagger into the windpipe, and cast the weapon to Chūdayu to cleanse. As if an automaton the man went through his task: brought the heavy stone to bind into the long trailing garment. Seeing his helplessness Shūzen shrugged his shoulders with contempt. With his dagger he severed the rope. Dobun! A final splash of water at the end.
CHAPTER XXV
Chūdayu wins his Suit
Chūdayu's legs bent under him. "Ah! My lord! O'Kiku grasps my neck!" A cold hand laid upon him he shrieked in fear. Shūzen turned—"Fool! 'Tis a clod of snow from the tree above, fallen on your collar. Off with you to bed. Truly in these days such fellows are good for nothing." Off he strode to the rōka. For a moment he looked out—on the heavy flakes coming down like cotton wadding, at the figure of Chūdayu staggering like a drunken man to his quarters. With a laugh he closed the amado, seated himself before the heated wine. Yet the woman would not get out of his thoughts. "What a fool! A matter of no import would have given her position with others and influence with this Shūzen.... Ha! Ha! How frightened was Chūdayu! It is not the shadowy fingers of the dead which do good or ill, but the flesh clad muscles of the living. As to your ghosts...." He snapped his fingers and drank wine in derision. Thus he spent the early hours of the night.
"What's that!" He put the bottle down at the sound of voices in excitement, of running feet. Soon an officer appeared. The okugata was threatened with premature delivery. A physician was to be had at once. Shūzen shrugged his shoulders with indifference. Five months—seven months—nine months—what a matter to trouble a man with! So angry was he that they dared not tell him more. Matters were going very badly with her ladyship. In her delirium she raved over the past scene of the punishment. The tortures of this present delivery were added to an hundred fold by the disorders of the over-wrought brain. Then the child was born. The assembled women whispered to each other. A very monster had seen light: perfect in its main parts, but with the face of Emma Dai-Ō as a foetus—with the fingers lacking on the hands. They dared not let the sick woman see it. She detected their confusion, asked to see the child. She grew more and more excited with refusal, and they were at a loss what to do. Finally the child was brought, to her distress and confusion. Then—as from the ceiling—"Shame on the House of Aoyama Shūzen. A maimed child, a monster is born as its issue." And the voice began to count, followed by the moving lips of her ladyship—"One"—"One"—"Two"—"Two"—"Three"—"Three"—monotonously it went on to—"Nine.... Ah! What shall I do! One is missing. Wa! Wa!" So lamentable the crying voice that a chill went to the hearts of all. Again the count went on; again the failure and the lamentable cry and weeping. Her ladyship sat up. They strove to restrain her, but in her madness she shouted back in answer to the counting—"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.... Ha! One is missing! Vile slut! Thus to maim the child in malice." She raved and tore at the covering. From the disordered hair streaming around face and bust looked out at them the wan face of O'Kiku. In disorder the women fled. Driven back by the necessity of their duty they found her lying dead in a pool of blood. As for the maimed and deformed monster, he took well to the nurse's breast. Such they always do.
Where was Chūdayu in all this confusion? Shūzen had men hunting him high and low. Angered at his absence, his own dislike and suspicion of him as possible rival grew with the night and the hours, rendered bitter by these household scenes. He would settle matters with Chūdayu. "Yokubei" he had heard him called; and covetousness turns not only to gold and such like. As fact Chūdayu had good excuse for absence. Much out of sorts he had betaken himself to his own rooms and the care of the old woman in charge, his only female companion in lieu of wife. Ah! What weather! The snow changed to sleet and rain drove into and chilled to the marrow those out in the storm. The baya (old woman) at his entrance was all astonishment—"Danna Sama! The garments are wet through. Condescend at once to make a change." Gruffly Chūdayu accepted her aid. Stripping off first one and then another of the outer garments he too grumbled in his turn—"What a fool the woman was! To lose life against the sacrifice of such a trifling thing. Ah! She was a maddening beauty; of the kind to drive the blood to boiling heat. Never again.... What's that?" Pon-pon: the sound of someone knocking ashes from a pipe into the receiver came from the inner room. The baya was laughing—"Ha! Ah! The Danna Sama is a sly one. He is the one to make friends with the beauties. The lady regretted the Danna's absence, said that she would wait the honoured return.... Who? 'Tis she so sought by the Tono Sama himself; and who instead favours the Danna. O'Kiku Dono...." Before the wild stare of Chūdayu, the clutch on her wrist, the old woman stopped in fright. Then from within came the counting—"One, two, three, four, five"—"Six," Chūdayu mechanically joined in. "Seven"—"Seven"—"Eight"—"Eight"—"Nine"—"Nine"—the words were followed by the chilling lamentable wail of a soul in agony. "What shall I do! What shall I do!" With a yell Chūdayu dashed to the shōji and threw them back. No one! With astonishment and terror the old woman gazed at him as seeking an explanation which did not come. "The lights in the Butsudan! Namu Amida Butsu! Namu Amida Butsu! Praise to Amida, the Lord Buddha!... Wine! Wine, and much of it; very hot!"