You saved many here from certain death. In particular, my wife and son Itada. Because you did so at risk of your own life, I am bound to you by a debt of honour - from which I can only be released by performing similar action. You understand me?"

'Yes. What's the problem?"

'Gra.s.s-monkeys are forbidden, under pain of death, to carry arms in Ne-Issan. And it is even greater crime for slave-person to kill Iron Master - especially samurai. So there is conflict here. As long as the debt of honour remains, uhh. undischarged, I am obliged to defend your life - even at the cost of my own. But, equally, you cannot be permitted to go unpunished."

'I see what you mean,' said Steve. 'It's a tough one."

'Tough?"

'Hard. Difficult."

' 'Ahh, so ..." n.o.buro held out his cup for a refill.

'Tough for both of us, gra.s.s-monkey. It would have been better if you had let my wife and son die under sword of samurai."

'I don't understand."

'Obligation to inferior slave-person cause loss of face.

Only honourable solution for samurai family in such situation is to die by own hand."

'That's crazy,' said Steve. 'There must be some other way."

'There is,' replied n.o.buro. 'You can kill yourself." 'Kill myself...?"

'Yes, now." n.o.buro drew his short-sword, then leant forward and placed it reverently in front of Steve. 'Your death by your own hand will release me from debt of honour and lift shame from my family. Samurai of Lord Se-Iko will also be avenged. Satisfactory, uhh - solution for everyone."

Except me, thought Steve. No wonder n.o.buro's wife didn't look overjoyed. 'Loss of face'. what the effeff was all that about?

Someone reached out to give him a refill. Steve laid his right hand over the cup, pinning it to the floor as he waved n.o.buro down with his left. 'Hold on a minute. You've got this all wrong."

'Ahh, how so?"

'First, I am not a slave - second, as a warrior I could not stand by and let the sons of samurai be slaughtered and third, I venture to suggest, Captain, that killing samurai can only be considered a crime by those who live within the law."

n.o.buro nodded soberly then translated Steve's spirited reply for the benefit of his companions. It caused a great deal of laughter and slapping of thighs. When the merriment subsided, he addressed Steve with the hint of a smile. 'Well said, gra.s.s-monkey. But you now pose another problem. If you are not slave - what are you doing here?"

This was the crunch point. Steve took a deep breath and went for it.

'I came to prevent a war between our two nations. ' n.o.buro mastered his surprise and laughed. 'Between the Sons of Ne-Issan and the gra.s.s-monkeys?"

'No, Captain. Between the Sons of Ne-Issan and the Federation. The warriors from the underground world beneath the deserts of the south."

The faint smile faded from n.o.buro's face. 'The long-dogs make war on gra.s.s-monkeys. Why do they send you as peace messenger?"

Steve straightened his back and looked the head ronin right in the eye.

'I am not a Mute, Captain. I am a cloud warrior from the Amtrak Federation. One of thousands whose sky-chariots will darken the skies of Ne-Issan and rain fire upon the earth if the enemies who now shelter in your midst are not handed over to us."

n.o.buro's bewilderment appeared genuine. 'What enemies?"

'I seek the masked woman you took from the road convoy and her male companion who is to be found at a place called the Heron Pool in the lands by the Eastern Sea."

n.o.buro eyed him impa.s.sively for a while, then retrieved his short-sword and issued a lengthy order in j.a.panese.

His men got up and filed out, leaving only two guys sitting on either side of him and a third standing guard by the door-screen fitted across the mouth of the cave.

Steve smiled inwardly. His programme was up and running.

The chief ronin squared his shoulders and adopted a forbidding expression. 'You have the means to prove truth of your words?"

'Yes. But I will need the knife you took from me."

n.o.buro asked the man sitting on his right to fetch it.

Leaving the knife in the scabbard. Steve pressed the concealed catches securing the wooden side-pieces to the hilt and removed them to reveal the microcircuitry inside. He held it out for the chief ronin to see, then took out the tiny stylus, pressed the recall b.u.t.ton and placed the knife in n.o.buro's hands.

Holding the knife gingerly between his fingertips, n.o.buro reacted with wide-eyed astonishment as the eleven familiar letters marched across the liquid crystal display. The two ronin on either side of him looked equally impressed. ' Hhhaawww . . ."

'What you see there is an example of the power of my people,' said Steve. 'Those signs which appeared represent the sounds of words I speak. With that device I can send messages to my masters in the s.p.a.ce of a single heartbeat."

n.o.buro dropped the knife on the mat in front of Steve with a curious, almost involuntary gesture - as if he had suddenly received an electric shock. He muttered something to his companions. All three looked vaguely uneasy.

Steve couldn't figure it out. He clipped the wooden side-pieces back into place and laid the sheathed knife before n.o.buro. 'Let us forget the debt of honour, Captain. We both have more important matters to attend to."

His forthright manner took n.o.buro's breath away and rocked the other two back on their heels. It seemed to indicate that they also had some knowledge of Basic.

n.o.buro pointed to the knife. 'What do you wish me to do with this?"

'Show it to your masters."

'We have no masters, Barickaman." n.o.buro seemed unable to get his tongue around words with an 'r' in them.

'We are outlaws."

Steve bowed. 'With respect, Captain, in your nation and mine, there are men who a.s.sume many guises in the service of their lord. I am one of them and I believe that you too are such a man. Show your master this knife, explain what has pa.s.sed between us, and tell him that there are things he and I need to discuss."

n.o.buro roared with laughter and slapped his thigh. He quickly translated the gist of the conversation, then turned back to Steve as his companions shared his amus.e.m.e.nt.

'I never thought I should say this to outlander, but you honour us by your presence, cloud warrior! And we applaud your courage in face of death! Your message will be pa.s.sed to those who have interest in this matter. I cannot promise you, uhh. deliverance, but - if all your comrades are as valiant as you - it would be most foolish man who did not give serious consideration to the words you speak here today."

Clearwater sat up as she saw the light of the lanterns. The cloud warrior was returning. He was carrying a tray of food, and when they reached the cave his escort opened both sections of the door to his cell, allowing him to walk in upright. She glanced at Su-Shan and Nan-Khe as narrow bands of yellow light swung to and fro across their faces. Both were still fast asleep.

The cloud warrior sank down slowly with his back against the part.i.tion as the door was barred, and laid the tray across his lap. Darkness filled the cave as the lanterns receded. She heard him let out a long, heartfelt sigh.

Clearwater slipped her fingers between the plans and touched Steve's shoulder. 'Oh, cloud warrior. when I saw them beating you I feared I might never see you again. Are you hurt?"