Dendera (15 page)

“Didn’t you investigate any further?” Kayu Saitoh asked.

“Please don’t assume everyone is like yourself, Kayu Saitoh. I’m not you. I obeyed Mei Mitsuya’s suggestion, and I decided to forget about the matter. I know it was a dishonest thing to do, but I didn’t want life to become any more difficult.”

“Please tell me what you heard. I don’t care if it was only a rumor. What was this Incident?”

“Sixteen years ago,” the woman whispered, “a woman was killed.”

“Sixteen years ago …”

Despite the darkness, Kayu Saitoh squinted her eyes in thought as she performed the calculation. Any woman older than eighty-six would know what had happened. Of those who had survived, that was Mei Mitsuya, Itsuru Obuchi, Masari Shiina, Makura Katsuragawa, Naki Sokabe, Nokobi Hidaka, Shigi Yamamoto, Kyu Hoshina, Hotori Oze, Ire Tachibana, Kushi Tachibana, and Hono Ishizuka. Setting Shigi Yamamoto aside, due to her mental state, and Kyu Hoshina, who hadn’t arrived in Dendera until fourteen years ago, that still left ten who had either witnessed or taken part in the Incident.

Kayu Saitoh cursed. “Something really did happen, didn’t it? And they hid it from me, those half-baked bastards.”

“You’re getting loud again,” the woman cautioned. “It seems like all talk of the Incident was made taboo. Most of the women don’t know a thing about it. I have to admit I understand why the older ones don’t want talk of it to spread.”

“Well, I admit no such thing,” Kayu Saitoh remarked.

“You know, you haven’t even been here one month. How did you come across this knowledge so quickly?”

“I found the ribcage in the burial grounds. One of the bones had been gouged by a knife.”

“That’s solid proof,” the voice said.

“Those thugs have probably crushed the bones into powder by now.”

“I wish I could have seen the bones first.”

“Huh?”

“I’m going to help you, Kayu Saitoh,” came the voice in the darkness. “I’m going to look into what happened sixteen years ago.”

“If you do that,” Kayu Saitoh replied, “you’ll get tossed in here with me.”

“Dendera won’t be around much longer. With the bear gone, Mei Mitsuya will raid the Village soon. Win or lose, the Village will learn of Dendera’s existence.”

“Are you … a Dove?”

“I’m a Hawk. I’m not doing this because I want to stir up trouble.”

“If not that, then why? You forgot about the matter once already.”

After a brief silence, the darkness spoke. “The woman who was killed sixteen years ago … was my sister.”

Kayu Saitoh’s first thought was of the twins, Ire Tachibana and Kushi Tachibana. Over many years, Kayu Saitoh had taken care of her younger brother, and she understood all too easily what it would be like for a close relative to be killed not by beast but by another human being. Amid an upswell of sympathy, she tried to think of who in Dendera would have had an older sister. But she hadn’t been close to many in the Village, and no one came to mind.

The voice spoke again. “I bear no grudges against my sister’s killers, not after so much time. I just want to know what happened. I want to know what happened sixteen years ago and why my sister was killed.”

“And yet you gave in to your fears and pretended to forget about it all this while.”

“That won’t happen again. Kayu Saitoh, I couldn’t ignore what they’re doing to you. That proves that I still care deeply about my sister—and the Incident.”

“All right. So what?”

“You’ve given me another chance to take a stand. I won’t let you die.”

Kayu Saitoh didn’t completely trust the voice in the shadows, but neither did she detect in it any hint of dishonesty, but rather a deep-rooted desire to reclaim lost honor.

“I understand,” Kayu Saitoh said, nodding. “I can appreciate your way of thinking. I generally wouldn’t fancy anyone who’s too afraid to show herself, but since you have honor, I’ll make an exception.”

“Good.” The woman sighed with what sounded like relief. “Thank you.”

“May I ask you one thing?” Kayu Saitoh said.

“What?”

“Why do you keep on living?”

“Why I keep on living?” the voice repeated. “I’d have to say … to strike a blow.”

“Against whom?” Kayu Saitoh asked.

“Against one and all,” the voice said, adding that she would return when she knew something. The shadowy presence went away.

Kayu Saitoh ruminated on this new thought—to strike a blow. The idea wasn’t a perfect match for her current outlook or emotional state, but it permeated her thoughts with no particular sense of incongruity. Free from depression, Kayu Saitoh was able to find sleep.

The next morning, Hono Ishizuka and Makura Katsuragawa came with water and a potato, which Kayu Saitoh received without giving resistance. She ate the potato with only her saliva to soften it. Apparently finding her obedience suspect, Hono Ishizuka asked what was with her, but Kayu Saitoh ignored the comment and continued eating her potato. In doing so, she learned that silence could make a more efficient and effective statement than words.

Nothing happened that night or the night after, but late the following one, the mysterious presence returned. Kayu Saitoh peered into the darkness but still couldn’t perceive even a silhouette.

“It took you a while,” Kayu Saitoh said gruffly, feeling peevish even if she didn’t know why. “I was wondering if you’d been caught and killed.”

“I wouldn’t be so careless as that,” the voice said. “So how’s life in jail?”

“I’m here, as if I have any other choice.”

“Keep your voice down.”

“As if I have any other choice,” Kayu Saitoh repeated in a whisper. “Nothing changes. Only my thoughts are free to roam.”

“And have you thought of anything?”

“I think I want something to believe in—a creed.”

“A creed, huh?” the voice said, but didn’t inquire any further. “Mei Mitsuya made an announcement this morning. The raid against the Village will take place the day after tomorrow.”

“The day after tomorrow? Foolishness.” Kayu Saitoh regarded it too much of a rush, even for them. “They have no chance of winning.”

“The Hawks would disagree with you. They’re full of confidence, having chased off the bear. And they have new weapons too.”

“What weapons?”

“The cub’s bones,” the voice replied. “They’re sharpening the bones into daggers and spearheads.”

“That seems crude, but I suppose it’s a fair bit better than wooden spears alone.” Kayu Saitoh snorted. “What about Hono Ishizuka and Masari Shiina? Have the Doves lost their power?”

“With the Hawks full of confidence, the Doves are incapable of stopping them now.”

“Then what good are they?” Kayu Saitoh sneered. She changed the subject. “What about our main concern? What about the Incident sixteen years back?”

“I can’t do anything that would draw attention, so I haven’t been able to come up with much. But I was able to make contact with someone who’s still bothered about the Incident—though she’s the one who told me about it in the first place.”

“Who is it?”

“I can’t tell you that, but have no fear. She can be trusted. And I was able to get new information out of her. It turns out that my sister wasn’t the only one who died.”

“Was it a mass killing?” Kayu Saitoh asked.

“I don’t know,” the voice replied.

Kayu Saitoh was getting frustrated. “Damn it, come back when you have the rest of the story.”

“Do you think it was easy for me to find out that much?”

“We don’t have enough even to speculate what happened sixteen years ago.” Kayu Saitoh folded her arms in the dark. “Wait a minute, do you think it could have been a struggle between the Hawks and the Doves?”

“If that were the case, then Masari Shiina and Hono Ishizuka would be proclaiming themselves victims. Besides, there’s no evidence of any internal struggle.”

“Go find the evidence.”

“If I do anything more, I’ll be noticed for sure.”

Feeling irritation at being stuck in the jail, Kayu Saitoh said, “If Dendera will come to its end in two days, you can act freely. That’s what I’d be doing.”

“Not everyone can do what you can,” the woman said. “Anyway, I have my own plan.”

“What’s your plan?”

“I’m going to use the raid. During the confusion of battle, someone might talk.”

Disappointed, Kayu Saitoh said, “That’s too hopeful.”

“Too hopeful? No, I just haven’t abandoned all hope yet.”

Something clattered against the cage’s floor. The other woman had tossed in something solid. Kayu Saitoh groped about for the object, and her fingers touched something cold. “What is this?” she asked.

“It’s a sign of my appreciation. A spoon, actually. It’s made from the cub’s bones, so it’s large and durable.”

“A spoon?”

“Kayu Saitoh, there’s something I need to tell you before I go.” The woman’s already serious tone became solemn. “It seems that Dendera has decided to leave you in that cage.”

“And abandon me to die?”

“Seems so.”

Words of disgust came from deep in her throat. “Those bastards will do anything, no matter how shameful, as long as it’ll keep me quiet.”

“For now,” the voice said, “use what I gave you to free yourself. What’ll happen next is up to you. You have your own way of living; do as you will.”

Instead of responding, Kayu Saitoh bit her lower lip as she gripped the spoon.

“What’s wrong?” said the voice on the other side of the bars. “Why so quiet all of a sudden? You can leave Dendera and go on to reach the Paradise you so desire. You can confront the women here. You can do whatever you like. You’re completely free now. Goodbye. May we meet again if circumstances allow.”

“Wait,” Kayu Saitoh called out.

“I thought I told you to keep your voice down. What’s wrong? Are you frightened now that you’re suddenly free?”

“Who are you? Tell me already. It’s not fair to put me in your debt and then disappear.”

“Not fair? Don’t try to trick me into telling you.”

“Just tell me already.”

The voice replied without hesitation. “I’m your supporter. I want you to live. When you get out of here, I don’t want you to Climb the Mountain. I want you to go on living. Goodbye—I mean it this time. If we both live, I hope we can meet again. I’m grateful to you, Kayu Saitoh.”

The unseen presence moved, melting into the darkness, and then was gone.

As Kayu Saitoh considered what she should do next, a part of her knew that she mustn’t betray her supporter’s entreaty, even if she didn’t understand exactly what that meant. She stuck her spoon into the dirt floor. The utensil made less noise and moved the earth more easily than she had expected. She chipped away at the dirt ceiling too, then grabbed one of the wooden bars and gave it a solid yank. It came out with ease. Having gained her freedom, Kayu Saitoh wrapped the fur around her shoulders, gripped her spoon, and slipped from the cage.

Joints long idle now protested her movement, but Kayu Saitoh ignored the pain as she emerged from the manor’s ground level. Shadows loomed over Dendera, yet the outside was far brighter than underground, and Kayu Saitoh’s eyes took in the scene with ease. Several fire baskets had been lit; even though the bear hadn’t returned, the women were without proof of its death and remained on the lookout. Kayu Saitoh scurried from the doorway and leaned herself against the manor’s outer wall as she considered her next course of action.
Run. Fight. Hide.
Several options presented themselves in her thoughts, but none stood above the rest. She surveyed her surroundings. The moonlight reflected on snowy ground, which joined into the Mountain looming in the distance.

She could go anywhere.

The notion granted her courage. Vitality filled her to overflowing, her mind was refreshed, and warmth coursed through her body. Her thoughts lagged behind this impulsive notion, but mindful of the white robe cloth wrapped around her head, she took in a deep breath and made her decision. She would go as far as she could go. If forced to strike down anything that came to stand in her path, she could do so with the bear-bone spoon. This was her decision.

Kayu Saitoh took her first step with this new resolve at almost exactly the same time she heard the scream. A small group of women appeared in the far-off firelight at the edge of the settlement. Squinting, she could see five women: Mei Mitsuya, Nokobi Hidaka, Tsugu Ohi, Kan Tominaga, and Tsusa Hiiragi. They seemed to be chasing something.

Kayu Saitoh recognized the feeble screams and concluded that the women must be chasing Makura Katsuragawa.

Quickly surrounded, Makura Katsuragawa dropped to the ground. Cautiously, Kayu Saitoh approached the group. The circle of five trained their spears on the blubbering woman. With their focus entirely upon Makura Katsuragawa, Kayu Saitoh was able to approach the small group until she was almost upon them.

The moon’s light sent a pale cast over Makura Katsuragawa’s already pale features. “Please don’t, please don’t,” she begged again and again. Her frail voice seemed to disappear as soon as it passed her lips. The circled women offered no response to her cries, instead talking among themselves as they kept their speartips aimed at the woman.

Then Mei Mitsuya stepped forward and said, “Makura Katsuragawa, listen to what I have to say. You’ll be all right. I can help you.”

“You can help me?” Makura Katsuragawa said, her voice still feeble. “You’re lying. You can’t help—”

Her words cut off mid-sentence as she began to cough fiercely. She spasmed and writhed in the snow, as the women who surrounded her began to panic. Tsusa Hiiragi whispered, horror in her voice, “What is this?”

Only the chief remained unperturbed. “Makura Katsuragawa, return to Dendera,” she said. “There’s nowhere else for you to go.”

“I—I,” Makura Katsuragawa said, having to squeeze out each word. “I want to go to the Mountain. I want to finish my Climb. I want to go to Paradise.”

As she spoke, her voice gradually weakened, until she suddenly made a strange retching sound, and her back shook with violent, periodic jolts. Kayu Saitoh cried out by reflex, but no one noticed, as her sound had been swallowed by the far louder cries of the ring of women as they leaped backward.