Yamada Monogatori: The Emperor in Shadow by Richard Parks Page B

grunted. “The thought did occur to me, but who was it after?”
    Kenji looked at me. “We know it wasn’t after either of us, or it would have attacked us in this pavilion. Instead it tried to get away.”
    “Through the courtyard,” Morofusa said. “In the general direction of the audience hall. I’ll wager the intended victim was Princess Tagako. We interrupted it before its chosen moment.”
    “Also likely, as she is of the royal family and thus certainly the most important person in our company. Yet that alone is not a reason for such an extraordinary step,” I said.
    Morofusa looked thoughtful. “Banditry I understand, but this would be simple murder. Why would anyone wish to harm the princess?”
    Morofusa had just cut to the heart of the matter. “Indeed, that is almost certainly the key question. Assuming she was the target, why? What possible reason could anyone have?”
    None of us had an answer to that. Me, least of all.
    “Lord Yamada, do you take me for an idiot?”
    I had been wondering how to broach the subject of the assassination attempt, but apparently I was taking too long on it, because Princess Tagako ended my hesitation by summoning me to a private audience. We were never really alone, of course, but her attendants again kept just out of earshot, and Tagako spoke from behind a kicho so that I only saw her in silhouette.
    “I gather you heard the . . . disturbance?”
    “Everyone heard it. Especially that howling, which clearly wasn’t human, so please don’t insult me by pretending nothing happened. If there’s a danger to those around me, I need to know of it.”
    “Master Kenji, Morofusa-san, and I discovered an inugami lurking in the pavilion.”
    Princess Tagako didn’t speak for several long moments. “An inugami ? Are you certain?”
    “There’s no question of it. If you understand what an inugami is, then you must realize they are often created as instruments of revenge, or assassination.”
    “Of course, but Lord Yamada, look around you. This is an old temple, decrepit and barely used. Did it not occur to you that what you found was simply some leftover product of some ancient dark summoning, remaining here long after the one who called it perished?”
    I bowed. “I admit the possibility. However, I do not believe this to be the case. An abandoned inugami would not have lived in peaceful contemplation in its old haunts for any length of time. They are vicious creatures by design, and someone would have died long before now. Probably several someones. I think it more likely the creature hadn’t been here any longer than we have.”
    “I am very grateful to all of you for dealing with the creature,” she said. “Nor do I mean to sound harsh, but if what you say is correct, we need to know why the thing was here in the first place.”
    Princess Tagako’s grasp of the situation, as I expected, was excellent.
    “Your Highness, I am in agreement—we need to know who the intended target was. We might presume it would be you.”
    “Me?” I didn’t need to see her face to register her surprise. It was clear in her voice. “Who would wish to harm me? I am nothing.”
    “You are far from nothing, Highness,” I said softly.
    I heard her sigh. “That is kind of you, Lord Yamada, but in an important respect I am worse than nothing—an excess princess. I am not needed for any important dynastic marriages or key alliances. Why else would I have spent eighteen years in Saiku? I have harmed no one I am aware of, save some at court who seemed to believe my very existence was a personal annoyance, but even that was a long time ago.”
    “Perhaps there was an indirect target. For example, if someone wished to embarrass the governor of this province,” I said, though I didn’t sound or feel very convincing. “The loss of an imperial princess who was technically under his protection would be very serious.”
    “True enough,” she said but then immediately countered.