Session 2. (18/7/01)

Continuing from where last week's episode left off, we find the now expanded troubleshooting team still following largely independent paths (the plot threads, or Interludes, are named "The Stooge", "Trouble at t' Mill", "Happy Ninja Families" and "The Hiring Fair". See if you can work out which is which!). In Masaki village, Mariko (Paul Burton) pursued her policy of investigating new income streams. She asked the village merchant to look into new trade routes and alternative products such as flour instead of grain. He said that it would be difficult to find new markets but would think about her floury ideas. Mariko asked the village's temple abbot about upgrading the temple and making it into a pilgrim route, but he replied that temples of Zocho, the Buddhist Heavenly King who watches of the South, were fairly common here in southern Nippon so would not be a good pilgrimage. Mariko asked Kono (the foreman) and the most senior farmer to look into the building of a mill. Kono was politely negative and Mariko could sense that he thought her ideas were stupid. He said that there was no-one in the village who knew how to mill grain and it would be disruptive to bring an outsider in. He thought, "What will this mad woman suggest next - building a science park?!!!" Kono also politely told Mariko that the villagers had been promised better times by Lord Chozo and wanted a pay rise to 5 copper pieces per week (from 2). Mariko agreed to raise it to 3cp while she tried to work out how to afford a bigger rise. Kono left fairly satisfied. Finally Mariko consulted the accountant who worked out the week's accounts, which produced a profit of 1GP. Mariko also learned some calligraphy from the accountant.

Up at the ninja camp, Sugiyama (Dave Weaver) and his clan were setting up home. Several trips were made to Matsuyama for supplies, and the problem of raising money to pay for them was encountered. At one point Sugiyama was considering setting up an "Army, Navy and Ninja" shop to sell all the items picked up in various fights! One day, Suganuma (one of the Gogo ninja widows) came to Sugiyama with a plan for recruiting more ninja. She said that her husband (Imagawa) had secretly been in contact with a few freelance ninja working along the Iyo coast. They didn't trust anyone, especially the old Daimyo, but Imagawa had gained their confidence. If Sugiyama were to disguise himself as Imagawa, Suganuma would take him to see the freelancers to try to persuade them to join. After some consideration and questioning about the disguise, Sugiyama agreed to the plan. He and Suganuma set off for Hojo, a village on the coast not far from their base. They looked around the village for the contact, Tachibana, but blundered into a village farmers' meeting. Fortunately the head man was very friendly and he directed them to Tachibana's cottage. They arrived there and announced themselves. Tachibana was completely taken in by the disguise and listened to Sugiyama's offer of joining up with the "combined Gogo clan and New clan." Tachibana was initially reluctant, but when Sugiyama told him of the support for ninja from the new regime in Matsuyama (or when Suganuma smiled at him), Tachibana accepted the offer and became enthusiastic. He said that there were several ninja living along the coast, but the key man was Ishida. He would take them to see him in the morning. In the meantime, would Sugiyama (Imagawa) and his wife care to stay the night? They agreed, and that night when Suganuma snuggled up to Sugiyama he didn't object and the camera panned up to a painting on the wall...

Back in Matsuyama, Kimori (Anthony Hummerston) continued to learn iaijutsu, interspersed with light teaching duties. These mostly entailed giving demonstrations. He gave a demonstration of Kenjutsu, and while he didn't do any of his party tricks, he did manage to impress the pupils suitably.

Up at the castle, the novices, Emiko (Denzil Brown) and Komako (Jim Loder) had evidently been accepted onto the team and started receiving their pay of 5 silver pieces per week. Emiko decided to give one of her silver pieces each week to the Shrine of Shizari. The two then spent the week healing (Emiko) or recovering (Komako) from the effects of the competition to join the team. Both learn from the experience (Emiko how to heal and Komako how to say "Ow!^*").

Back with Sugiyama, we find Tachibana introducing him and Suganuma to Ishida, the leading ninja of the freelancers on the coast. He lives in a badly-kept cottage hidden among the cliffs. Sugiyama goes through the same offer as with Tachibana the day before, but Ishida is less impressed. Sugiyama waxes lyrical on this chance to share knowledge, gain stability and pass on skills to future generations of ninja, but Ishida is unmoved. Then Sugiyama points out that the clan currently has nine men and fifteen women and Ishida's eyes light up! He asks, "Are they as pretty as this one?" Sugiyama replies, "Some are," and manages both to impress Ishida and avoid insulting Suganuma. When Sugiyama said that he would set up cells and allow Ishida to run a ninja cell here on the coast, the deal was sealed.

The following week was much quieter. Kimori studied iaijutsu and demonstrated kyujutsu. Emiko studied Gnana-yoga and Prana-yoga under private tuition, and Komako studied atemi-waza, also under private tuition (with a student loan from Lord Chozo). In Masaki village, Mariko was dismayed to receive a letter from Lord Chozo asking for an extra 3GP per week in tax, but Masaki wasn't the only target. A peasant demonstration at the news was not soothed by Mariko's attempted speech, so she had to speak to the foreman privately. This had the desired effect, but the other villagers were suspicious that the foreman had been threatened. In any case, to make ends meet the village maintenance budget had to be trimmed back slightly.

Meanwhile, during a week spent training in karumijutsu, Sugiyama made a trip to Matsuyama. While walking through the backstreets a street urchin called Inoue said "Psst!" Sugiyama knew him as a runner for a yakuza gang and asked what he wanted. Inoue said that his masters had a job for him. Sugiyama went to meet the yakuza in a dark, seedy bar. They said that they wanted a certain paper merchant in the city to stop trading - permanently. The target was Hiraga Togama, an importer of low quality paper. It is cheap and threatens the paper production in Matsuyama, a small but growing industry. Contacts linked to the manager of one of the two paper manufacturers in Matsuyama are offering of 16 GP for Hiraga's head. There is also some suspicion that the cheap paper comes from Hyuga and is subsidised by Hyuga to try to destabilise the new regime in Matsuyama. Sugiyama said he would consider the offer.

To be continued...

^* In fact it was how to say "How?" - Komako studied Divination.

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