Session 25. (18/01/08)

Emiko stands at the temple doors, three monks looking at her inquisitively, and is momentarily tongue-tied (must have been a strong rope - Ed.). Behind, Mariko shoves Komako, as the lay Buddhist, to the front. Komako takes in the surroundings and figures out that it is a temple of normal orientation run by a middle-ranking abbot and two monks. He starts clearing his throat to explain their presence when Emiko's flow of words returns and she tells the abbot that they are taking the Buddha statues to a temple out of town but got delayed, clearing her thoughts to explain their lack of presents. She makes an incredible rhetoric roll, but the abbot sees a Shinto shrine maiden accompanied by heavily-armed and blood-spattered warriors and takes an instant dislike. He reacts in an openly hostile manner to Emiko's speech and shouts, "What are you fighters doing in this temple?! Get out!" Mariko joins Emiko in apologising, and both make fantastic rolls, but the abbot doesn't like her either. He turns to his monks and says, "Escort them from the grounds!" The monks would be no opposition for the Troubleshooters, but Komako fears for his karma and the bushi are concerned about being seen fighting with monks by the policemen outside. They prevaricate a little to delay their unceremonious exit, and by the time the monks have evicted our heroes, the policemen have wandered off and are nearly out of sight. They seem to have got away this time!

The Troubleshooters walk to the south gate and ponder how to get through. Lots of people are entering and leaving, and the gate guards are only glancing at their papers. The party is queuing to leave when one of the policemen (Korunbo) appears from nowhere and says, "Just one more thing..." However, before he gets past "Jus", Komako is through the gate and off down the road. The guards in the gate tower let off some arrows and one catches him for 6 damage, but it doesn't slow him. The policemen and a couple of guards set off in pursuit and soon they are lost in a cloud of dust. As the dust settles, the rest of the Troubleshooters just stroll through the gate and head for the stables to retrieve their horses. They wait for the troops that dash in to get their horses and set off after Komako, then get their horses (and Komako's) and set off after Komako.

They all meet up again at the once-haunted inn, with the exception of Koei, of whom there is no sign, and debate long and hard whether to press on as quickly as possible or lie low hoping that the chase won't find the inn, and by dawn they have agreed to stay the night. Sugiyama wipes out their tracks, Emiko heals the injured and Sung bathes in the pool of Amida Buddha. The others plan strategy. They decide to head towards Nara but bypass the town, then go to find Mariko's brother in Izumi province before crossing back to Shikoku and on to Matsuyama to report their failure to Lord Chozo. They also decide to take the Buddha statues with them, hidden in a barrel of sake; there is no difficulty finding volunteers to help empty the barrel. They also give Koei some time to join them, but eventually they leave without her, Sung following behind and sweeping their tracks.

On the road to Nara the Troubleshooters spot a small party of warriors heading towards them. Too late to hide, they decide to act normal, as if there is no massive search looking for them. The party of three shogunate troops rides up and the leader asks for news from Kyoto. Komako speaks up and says it was all quiet when they left a few days ago. The trooper says, "But it's only a day's ride away - what have you been doing for a few days?" "Patrolling the road." "But you don't look like shogunate troops - you look more like imperials." - the Troubleshooters start feeling a bit nervous - "Well you'd better get down to Osaka. They need lots of troops down there." And with that, the troops ride off. And before the trooper can say "Just one more thing", the Troubleshooters have drawn a cloud of dust in the direction of Nara.

Just short of Nara the heroes head across country to avoid the town. Among the wooded hills they find a clearing and set up camp for the night. As they work they wonder if there really is a major search out for them. Night falls and Mariko sets up watches. She takes first watch with Komako; Sugiyama and Kimori get the middle watch, and Emiko and Sung get the small hours to dawn. During this last watch Sung hears a faint noise from the woods, different from the usual animal noises. He nudges Emiko but she has fallen asleep. Just then a young and extremely pretty woman comes running up a track and into the camp. Sung kicks Mariko, but she doesn't even stir. "W-w-what do you want?" he asks the girl. "I need a man!" she replies breathlessly. Sung, always one to look a gift horse in the mouth, stammers, panics and shakes Emiko. She stirs, blinks and sees a pretty girl in the camp. Picking up on Sung's nervousness, Emiko uses her Perceive Truth power and spots that the young lady has a most un-ladylike bushy tail. Ramping her rhetoric up to 11 she says, "Good morning, young kitsune." The girl/kitsune replies, "Aw, you spoiled my fun." "Fun? You have turned Sung here into a drooling fool." "All men are fools," she says, turns into a fox and runs off into the trees. Emiko, generous as ever, calls out a blessing after her. Later on they hear the sound of laughter echo across the hills, but whether from a human or a vulpine mouth they can't tell. None of the sleeping forms so much as stirs.

In the morning, Emiko makes a surreptitious tour of the camp and determines that the kitsune did not steal anything. She feels ashamed for falling asleep, though only Sung knows. As everyone leaves camp, Emiko hangs back and leaves a silver piece as thanks to the kitsune, and this salves her conscience somewhat.

As the Troubleshooters skirt round Nara they stop and send Komako into the town to gather news. Before he leaves he divines the i-ching and learns that his mission will be successful. And so it is: he returns with news that a huge shogunate army, at least 20,000 men, has passed through Nara just the day before, heading for Himeji to join up with the army there to cross to Shikoku and wipe out the upstart, their boss, Lord Chozo.

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