White Serpent Castle by Lensey Namioka Page A

she sobbed. “We have lost!”
    Looking at her, Matsuzo thought, “This is not just regret for losing a promising ally. This looks like the grief of a heartbroken girl.”
    In the pool of blood, the profile of the dead man was haughty even in death. Matsuzo could not picture the envoy in the role of an ardent lover, but he wouldn’t understand the heart of a girl like Lady Tama anyway.
    Saemon guided Lady Tama to some cushions and made her sit down. Going over to the body of his master, he carefully pulled apart the bloody kimono to expose the chest. They all saw the wound. It had obviously stopped bleeding some time ago.
    Saemon looked up. “Matsuzo was right. Our master was dead long before they arrived. Neither he nor Zenta is the murderer.”
    â€œBut these men could have killed him and then returned later,” said one of the guards weakly. He was unwilling to give up the idea that the culprits were here in their hands.
    Saemon examined the wound with a trained eye. “No, I don’t think so. He was not killed by a sword. It’s clear that a dagger thrust made the wound.” His eyes went involuntarily to Lady Tama’s dagger which lay on the floor, but it was bright and spotless.
    A commotion was heard. The chamberlain and his men pushed themselves unceremoniously into the room. The tall figure of Jihei stood aside to reveal the tubby chamberlain, who looked like an untidy peacock in his hastily donned kimono.
    â€œI rushed over as soon as I heard about the murder,” cried the chamberlain.
    His eyes fell on Zenta and Matsuzo, still held by the envoy’s men. He smiled, and the thoughts that passed through his mind were plain on his face. Things couldn’t be better. The unfriendly envoy was dead, and there were two perfect scapegoats to take the blame for the murder. “Very good!” he said happily. “I see that you have already caught the foul murderers. We’ll take them and see that they pay for their crime.”
    â€œJust a moment,” said Saemon, blocking the way as Jihei and his men came forward to take the prisoners. “It’s not proven that these two men are the guilty ones.”
    The chamberlain’s air of astonishment was a masterpiece. “But who else is there? Surely you don’t think that one of your own men committed the murder?”
    â€œThere is another possibility,” said Saemon grimly.
    â€œWe are wasting time,” said Jihei. “These two men are violent and desperate. We saw that by their behavior in the courtyard this afternoon. For the safety of the castle, they should be immediately locked up.”
    This brought Zenta’s head up. The arrival of the chamberlain and his men seemed to have roused him from his state of shock. “In the murder of the daimyo’s own envoy, all suspects should be reserved for questioning by the daimyo himself,” he said, looking very deliberately at Jihei. “Anyone tampering with the suspects would come under suspicion.”
    Jihei reddened furiously, but before he could reply, Saemon said, “That is true. The daimyo would not thank you for administering his justice!”
    â€œThat was not my intention!” protested Jihei angrily. “I merely wanted to take these dangerous men into custody. You’re not suggesting that we allow them to remain free?”
    â€œWhat proof do you have that they are dangerous?” demanded Saemon. “So far as we know, their only connection with the crime is that they discovered the body. I know that my master was dead long before they came.”
    â€œHow could you know what was happening in your master’s room?” retorted Jihei. “You and your men were busy distracting us during the ghost hunt. Don’t think that we didn’t notice.”
    â€œThe ghost hunt was a perfect cover for many other activities,” said Saemon. “I’m not overlooking the fact that your