Sengoku - Swords, Scrolls, and Sake! It was the Fall of 1592, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had sent his troops off to conquer Korea. Toyotomi also celebrated his tenth year as ruler of all Japan, since the death of his lord Oda Nobunaga. In Himeji city a festival was being thrown to comemorate the ten years of Toyotomi's nominally peaceful reign. Monks were building a new pagoda inside the city to be opened on the first day of the festival, and two of Toyotomi's samurai were going to miss the whole thing. "How many more miles to Kumachi Toshiro?" Ota grew weary of the saddle, for two days he'd ridden with Toshiro, and cursed every wretched bump on the road from Himeji, every pebble taking him further from the wine, and women of the great city. "Just a little further I think" Toshiro was one of the Daimyo's cavalrymen, at home in the saddle, and one of Toyotomi's deadly shock troops. The two men were sent off to Kumachi to collect taxes, apparently the local headman was unable to get his taxes collected on time, and although the roads were being patrolled regularly, he claimed that all his men had been acosted by bandits, and the taxes taken. Toshiro, and Ota were to find out what happened to the taxes, and aid in their collection if necessary. Ota rode his horse behind Toshiro's and eyed another one of his Sukebe scrolls, it was a painting of a young maiden in some improbable position, he'd picked it up in one of Himeji's seedier quarters, it was not one of his best, but for now it would have to do. Itoh sat across from the village headman, they had talked about the taxes, and bandits at length for all of the week he had been here, Itoh was supposed to be taking in the peaceful sea air, and composing a new poem for Lord Toyotomi dedicating it to all the years of his peaceful reign. "So you're the lord's favorite poet, its not often we have such honored guests" "Maybe if I talked to the Ashigaru, their tales of bravery would inspire me" Itoh had heard the story many times from the headman, but maybe talking to the men would reveal some new insight, that their elder had left out. "Ah yes... I'll take you to them, but I fear you won't find them very brave" The village elder lead Itoh out to the servants quarters, when he opened the screen, what looked like an infirmary, for all the men laying bandaged, and wounded in there, you would think Kumachi was at war. "Innkeeper another barrel" Ginju had already had five barrels with his tiny friend Yoshi, but his immense frame demanded more Sake... Ginju's pouch was heavy with gold and silver, so barrels of Sake he would have. By now Yoshi was asleep, his friend had gotten him the job, and after it was all said and done, Yoshi was told to look after Ginju, and keep him out of trouble, since Ginju was known far a wide as an angry drunk. If he was arrested this soon after the job it might ruin everything. "That ship has sailed my friend... come back in a few weeks" That was what Yabu had heard from the art dealer in Kobe. The art dealer was a fence, and often found work for thieves and bandits like Yabu. With all the taxes already collected, and guards on every major road, work was hard to find, and the art dealer was Yabu's last hope for a big score before winter. He had heard about some really big job that needed dozens of men, but by the time he reached Kobe, the ship had apparently left port. Yabu headed for the festival, anything with that many people had to mean some kind of work. On the way to Himeji was a little bump in the road called Kumachi, Yabu stopped there for a drink, and saw Ginju drinking in the far corner of the Inn, Ginju was a small time thug, and didn't seem very bright, but here he was on the backside of nowhere spending gold on Sake like there was no tomorrow. At least he ought to be good for a couple of free drinks. "Are the no fighting men left in Kumachi?" A town guard had come into the servant's quarters at the headman's house, he was looking for any Ashigaru able to hold a spear, Ginju was in the Inn drinking Sake and talking about all the men he had killed last night. "Really?" Itoh's interest was piqued, could Ginju be one of the bandits stealing the Lord's taxes, or better yet, would this lout's drunken boasting inspire sonnets, and Haiku. Itoh left for the Inn, leaving the poor town guard to his unenviable task. "Another cup for drinking, and some rice for my friend here" Ginju was pleased to have a new drinking partner, and someone to talk to, these farmers were too afraid of him, and kept to the far side of the Inn just in case something happened. The serving girl that brought out Yabu's cup, and rice bowls, was no less afraid of Ginju, but knew he'd only get angrier if she didn't bring him what he wanted. The best thing to do was get him drunk, and let him sleep it off in the barn. "Are you the Great Ginju, the one who's tales of battle I hear so much about?" This was Itoh's lilting voice, the poet had made it ot the Inn, and immediately made for the other available seat near the giant braggart. Yabu winced at the thought of any possible competition, but didn't say so openly, whomever this newcomer was, he had a fine kimono, and might be taken for a coin or two as well. "Yes this is my great lord Ginju" Yabu went on "he killed twelve men yesterday with his bare hands, and another four men with his mighty axe" Yabu pointed to the Ono leaning on the wall behind Ginju, a truly tremendous weapon, most men couldn't even lift, much less use one in battle. "Innkeeper, more Sake, and more rice for my other new friend" Ginju reached deep into his pouch as the girl ducked into the kitchens for their new order, he plucked form all the coins therin an assortment of Gold and Silver including an Oval-shaped "Ryo" a five Koku coin usually only traded between the great clans, a Ryo was enough to feed five men for a year, far more than even Ginju's bar tab could possibly be worth. He slammed the fistful of coins onto the table with a mighty swing of his thickly corded right arm. "Great Lords, the blessings of Bhudda upon you" The gateguard called out to Toshiro and Ota, "We have great trouble at the Inn, a criminal sits there boasting, and drinking" The guard paused for breath "I'm afraid he'll hurt someone, he's a terribly mean drunk" the guard motioned to a local boy and sent him to find the headman, and tell him the Samurai had arrived. "I cannot leave my post, and there are no other guards left in town to arrest him" Toshiro wondered if they were doing the right thing, they hadn't even seen the headman yet, and already they were getting involved in local village disputes. "Have no fear" Ota was finally in this Bhudda's armpit of a town, and after two days of hard riding he was ready to get off his horse, if that was to deal with the headman, or the town drunk, he didn't care, but he climbed out of his saddle, and back onto the stillness of the earth below. The guard got another local child to take Ota and Toshiro to the Inn. Hmmm... enough gold to feed five men for a year, or feed me for the next five years... Yabu leaned over the assorted coins to get a closer look, then almost angrily he exclaimed "where's the damn serving girl?" and while Itoh and Ginju looked intently for the serving girl, Yabu slipped the big coin into his belt. After a few moments the girl hadn't surfaced, and so Yabu got up, and went to the kitchens to see what was taking so long. Itoh a long time favorite at the Imperial court had seen a few Ryo in his time, but he couldn't believe his eyes, here he was in the middle of nowhere, and this street-thug was paying for Sake with an Oda clan Ryo. Or maybe he wasn't, Itoh didn't see the coin anymore, maybe Ginju had realized his mistake and put away the coin, it certainly wasn't on the table anymore. Yabu was off shouting at the keeper of the Inn, and about that time two Samurai walked in the front door. Itoh had seen all the guards in the village, and these men weren't locals, they must be from Himeji or Kobe... hmmm... Toyotomi said he was sending two men to look into the tax problem, these must be them. Maybe he ought to see how Yabu's doing with the Innkeeper, it certainly won't help him in court to be seen in the company of criminals like Ginju. Itoh got up, and walked over to the kitchens. That's it so far...