Yoritomo looked thoughtfully at the Herald, then turned to his uncle.

'Didn't Lord Yama-s.h.i.ta regale us some years ago with tales about gra.s.s-monkeys with so-called magic powers?"

'He did,' said Ieyasu. 'But he didn't believe them either."

Yoritomo laughed drily. 'A big mistake." He turned his attention back to Toshiro. 'It was only natural he should underrate their abilities, but it's now. clear he knew far less about them than a man in his position, and with his experience, should have done.

'For instance, the Lord Chamberlain had recently discovered that not all Mutes have deformed, multicoloured skins and lumps on their skulls.

Some of them are smooth-skinned - like Trackers. I thought the two individuals the "mexican" was sent to recapture were long-dogs but I was wrong. They were Mutes!" The Shogun threw up his hands. 'What a strange state of affairs! On the one hand we have this "mexican" who claims to be a long-dog - but comes here disguised as a gra.s.s-monkey and on the other, we have two gra.s.s-monkeys pretending to be long-dogs!" Toshiro said nothing. The bottom seemed to have dropped out of his stomach.

'Were you aware of this deception?" asked Ieyasu, the spider, slowly weaving his silken net.

The Herald bowed. 'Yes, sire. I did finally discover their ident.i.ties a few weeks ago, but I said nothing because ' 'You thought :it might confuse me,' suggested Yoritomo.

'No, sire - because it did not change the overall situation.

Lord Yama-s.h.i.ta was engaged in a conspiracy with Lord Min-Orota to recapture the Dark Light, and the threat of an attack by the Federation if these individuals were not returned still hung over us."

'And my dear brother-in-law was coupling with a gra.s.s-monkey.

But you sought to protect my feelings and the honour of my sister by not telling me the whole truth..."

'I did take that into consideration, sire, yes."

'I respect you for that. And that is no doubt one of the reasons why the Lady Mishiko holds you in such high regard."

Once again, Toshiro said nothing.

Yoritomo turned to the Lord Chamberlain. 'I have something of a personal nature to discuss with this Herald who has rendered us such sterling service. If there are no further matters you wish to raise .

Toshiro uncrossed his legs and knelt with his forehead almost touching the floor as the Lord Chamberlain took formal leave of the Shogun and then rose and silently backed out of the study. The only sound was the swish of the door screen sliding shut behind him.

Now only the five blank-faced bodyguards remained.

Unable to speak or understand a word of Basic, they were regarded as being part of the furniture. For all practical purposes, he and the Shogun were alone.

Yoritomo motioned the Herald to sit as before.

Toshiro placed the palms of his hands on his knees and held his back erect. The day could end well or badly. He would accept whatever lay in store in the same calm fashion.

The Shogun gave him a long, thoughtful look. The sigh that followed was tinged with regret. 'I understand why you acted as you did. And had I been in your...

situation, I would have probably done the same. But there is a greater issue at stake. You knew what my aims were when I got rid of the riff-raft who were working hand in glove with Ieyasu and set up a new College with direct access to me.

'The bond that exists between the Shogun and his Heralds is one based on absolute trust. You are my eyes and ears. The senses we possess are not infallible. Our eyes sometimes see less clearly than they should, but when the true nature of an object becomes apparent, the eye instantly corrects the faulty information it has fed to the brain. For reasons best known to yourself, you failed to do that."

Toshiro hung his head. Protest was useless.

'I'm sure you can appreciate the difficulty this places me in. If I am unable to rely on the information my eyes and ears are sending to my brain, then I can no longer feel secure. The world suddenly becomes a dangerous place - full of strange sounds and lurking shadows."

'Sire, you have nothing to fear from any man in this realm. My loyalty and devotion to your person, and your house, remains undimmed. I cannot, therefore, do other than confess to having kept the truth from you. Through my ignorance of the ways of the Plainfolk, I allowed myself to be misled. By saying nothing I compounded my original error.

In that sense I am doubly guilty. I fell victim to false pride."

Toshiro hesitated for a moment, then added: 'I did not wish to appear foolish in your eyes."

'A fool can be forgiven, but not someone who betrays a trust."

It was at that moment Toshiro realised that everything was slipping away from him. The Shogun was playing a cat-and-mouse game from which there was no escape.

He a.s.sumed a kneeling position and bowed again, this time from the waist. 'Sire, I did everything in my power to ensure your objectives were achieved."

'Everything and more,' replied Yoritomo. 'But in doing so you kept vital information from me. Look at it from my point of view. From now on I can never be sure, can I?"

Toshiro straightened his back, but kept looking at the floor.

'On the other hand there is someone - whose word I'm prepared to accept without question - who trusts you absolutely. With her life even."

Toshiro raised his eyes to meet Yoritomo's.

'My sister, the Lady Mishiko - whose tiresome husband you so obligingly removed. In fact, I believe you were the one who suggested the idea."

The Herald gazed steadily at the Shogun. Bowing wouldn't make any difference now.

'It came as something of a surprise to learn that Ieyasu has had several of his own men working on this case.

And it appears they crossed your path on more than one occasion..."

Toshiro waited for the next blow to fall.

'I don't know how true it is, but he claims that my sister was your princ.i.p.al informant regarding the extramural activities of her husband.

In particular, his relations with the female long-dog. Or Mute, as the case may be."

When no reply was forthcoming, Yoritomo said: 'And she has informed me of her wish to marry you." He raised his eyebrows - perhaps in the hope of eliciting a reply.

Once again, Toshiro said nothing.

'I know just what you're thinking and I agree,' said Yoritomo. 'It was rather impetuous of her. But then you know what women are like.

Please - don't misunderstand me. You come from a good family. I don't need to enumerate your qualities. From the moment you joined the College I've looked upon you as one of the family. And now my sister wants to make it official."

'S-sire,' stammered Toshiro. 'I - I never once entertained the idea that -' Yoritomo silenced him. 'My dear friend, I can't think of anyone I would rather have as a brother-in-law. I really mean that. I can overlook that mix-up over the Mute. But your pride led you to commit an even greater act of folly." Opening a small lacquered cabinet that stood beside him, the Shogun drew out a neatly folded piece of paper and tossed it on to the mat between them.