He walked to the top of the dais and waved at the soldiers.
‘You may all return to your posts…these two are guests, and I shall look after them. Make sure preparations are in order…tomorrow shall be kichu-fuda, as rites and the gods demand. I shall make certain our guests are clothed properly for mourning. In three days’ time, we may be seating a new king, but Eisō must be shown proper respect.’
Tsugu turned to the other elder, who had remained silent since his outburst earlier.
‘Shunji, you will begin arrangements for the ascension. The eyes of all Ryūkyū will be on your work, so do not fail. Taisei will know if there is but a single flower out of place, and I can assure you he will not be as forgiving as I would be in his place.’
Shunji bowed, turned, and quickly left the hall. The Doctor and Vastra found themselves alone with Tsugu, who smiled as he slowly walked down the steps of the dais to them. He walked over to the Doctor and embraced him tightly, surprising him momentarily. He soon returned the hug in kind.
‘It is good to see you again, old friend. I thought my time would pass before you returned.’
The Doctor smiled and patted him on the back. ‘Do you honestly think I would neglect to come back and continue my music lessons, my friend?’
Tsugu laughed. ‘If even half the tales you tell me are true, then you know my answer.’
Vastra looked on in silence, confusion clearly evident on her face. Tsugu walked over to her and offered his hand. Cautiously she took it, feeling its warmth in her cool, scaly hand.
‘Come, my new friend. While we must make sure both you and Kyoujyu have appropriate dress for tomorrow’s mourning, I can see you and I have much to discuss about our friend here.’
He guided Vastra toward a door at the back of the hall. She followed, cautiously but willingly. The Doctor trailed behind, hands in pockets as they walked through the curtained doorway. Beyond was a suite of rooms, richly decorated without being overly ostentatious.
The Doctor looked around and whistled quietly. ‘You have gone up in the world, haven’t you, Tsugu sensei?’
Tsugu smiled and laughed warmly. ‘Being the King’s closest advisor does have some small privileges, old friend.’ He slowly made his way to a low table and lowered himself to sit at it. He motioned for Vastra to join him, and she did so, sitting across from the old man. The Doctor was about to join them when Tsugu held up a finger.
‘You are forgetting something.’
Confusion clouded the Doctor’s face, and Tsugu smiled.
‘Your friend and I are certain to be thirsty, and there is much talking to do. Go fetch some fresh water from the well, and then we can sit and become reacquainted…or acquainted, as the case may be.’
Shoulders slumped, the Doctor trudged outside, picked up a bucket, and began the long walk to the central well.
The Doctor returned a few minutes later, a bucket of water weighing heavily in one hand, slowing his usually energetic gait down significantly. When he re-entered the room, he found Tsugu and Vastra laughing over some joke he had missed, a half-filled glass of wine within easy reach for Tsugu.
‘You may all return to your posts…these two are guests, and I shall look after them. Make sure preparations are in order…tomorrow shall be kichu-fuda, as rites and the gods demand. I shall make certain our guests are clothed properly for mourning. In three days’ time, we may be seating a new king, but Eisō must be shown proper respect.’
Tsugu turned to the other elder, who had remained silent since his outburst earlier.
‘Shunji, you will begin arrangements for the ascension. The eyes of all Ryūkyū will be on your work, so do not fail. Taisei will know if there is but a single flower out of place, and I can assure you he will not be as forgiving as I would be in his place.’
Shunji bowed, turned, and quickly left the hall. The Doctor and Vastra found themselves alone with Tsugu, who smiled as he slowly walked down the steps of the dais to them. He walked over to the Doctor and embraced him tightly, surprising him momentarily. He soon returned the hug in kind.
‘It is good to see you again, old friend. I thought my time would pass before you returned.’
The Doctor smiled and patted him on the back. ‘Do you honestly think I would neglect to come back and continue my music lessons, my friend?’
Tsugu laughed. ‘If even half the tales you tell me are true, then you know my answer.’
Vastra looked on in silence, confusion clearly evident on her face. Tsugu walked over to her and offered his hand. Cautiously she took it, feeling its warmth in her cool, scaly hand.
‘Come, my new friend. While we must make sure both you and Kyoujyu have appropriate dress for tomorrow’s mourning, I can see you and I have much to discuss about our friend here.’
He guided Vastra toward a door at the back of the hall. She followed, cautiously but willingly. The Doctor trailed behind, hands in pockets as they walked through the curtained doorway. Beyond was a suite of rooms, richly decorated without being overly ostentatious.
The Doctor looked around and whistled quietly. ‘You have gone up in the world, haven’t you, Tsugu sensei?’
Tsugu smiled and laughed warmly. ‘Being the King’s closest advisor does have some small privileges, old friend.’ He slowly made his way to a low table and lowered himself to sit at it. He motioned for Vastra to join him, and she did so, sitting across from the old man. The Doctor was about to join them when Tsugu held up a finger.
‘You are forgetting something.’
Confusion clouded the Doctor’s face, and Tsugu smiled.
‘Your friend and I are certain to be thirsty, and there is much talking to do. Go fetch some fresh water from the well, and then we can sit and become reacquainted…or acquainted, as the case may be.’
Shoulders slumped, the Doctor trudged outside, picked up a bucket, and began the long walk to the central well.
~~~
The Doctor returned a few minutes later, a bucket of water weighing heavily in one hand, slowing his usually energetic gait down significantly. When he re-entered the room, he found Tsugu and Vastra laughing over some joke he had missed, a half-filled glass of wine within easy reach for Tsugu.
‘But…I thought…the water…?’
Tsugu smiled. ‘And had I not at least asked you to do one task for me, would you have remembered how important timeliness is? Even for you?’
The Doctor’s eyes widened as he replied, aghast at the implication. ‘Of course I would!’
‘Would you really?’ Tsugu’s eyes narrowed in return.
‘Well…’
Tsugu clapped his hands briefly and laughed. ‘I thought as much, my friend. Set that down by the door, and join us. While tomorrow will be a day of silence, tonight I am certain we have many tales to tell.’
The Doctor set the bucket down beside the doorframe, turned, and kneeled at the table alongside Vastra and Tsugu. There was a moment’s silence before the old man spoke.
‘I was just telling our friend here about our very first meeting. Do you remember that day, Kyoujyu?’
The Doctor smiled. ‘I’m actually rather surprised you do, Tsugu. It’s been, what…50 years now?’
‘Closer to 70, actually,’ Tsugu replied in a quiet voice, a smile deepening the wrinkles in his skin. ‘I know my youthful appearance belies that fact, but a fact it is nonetheless. My dear friend Eisō had just been named Sessei by King Gihon. Those were far more troubling times, were they not?’
The Doctor nodded slowly. ‘Your people were in terrible shape. Famine, disease, typhoons and storms wrecking the villages. It’s a wonder the kingdom survived.’
‘Gihon was a fool,’ spat Tsugu. ‘He was truly never fit to rule. Even from his first day as Sessei, Eisō showed a firm hand and a keen mind. He held the people together. He gave them hope.’
Tsusu paused, sipping from his wine.
‘It is never a good day when a King abdicates…but I can tell you this, friends…when Gihon stepped down and withdrew to the forest, there were celebrations the likes of which we had never seen. Of course,’ continued Tsugu, deep in thought, bringing the memories back before his eyes, ‘they did pale in comparison to the celebration when Eisō took the throne.’
Vastra spoke. ‘This Eisō sounds like a mighty warrior indeed.’
Tsugu nodded. ‘He was, to be certain. Twice the Mongols came to him, demanding fealty and our subjugation as they prepared an invasion of the main islands. The first time he laughed them out of the great hall. When they returned, 4 years later, the King himself and a handpicked group of samurai made certain in every way that the Mongols knew they would receive no assistance from us.’
He chuckled.
‘There may have been one or more who returned with slightly less than they arrived with.’
The Doctor spit a mouthful of water across the table. ‘No! He didn’t!’
Vastra laughed, as much at the Doctor’s reaction as to Tsugu’s story. ‘Quite the warrior indeed!’
Tsugu nodded. ‘There were costs, sadly. While we slept that night, the Mongols returned, cowardly, and under cover of night. They captured nearly 130 of our men.’
He paused, pursing his lips for a moment before continuing.
‘I’m sure you can presume they did not remain captive for long.’
Vastra nodded her head. ‘It is a shame I will never meet your King. Despite being a human, he seems more than worthy of my respect.’
‘I am certain you will be allowed an opportunity to offer that respect during the ceremony. Already there are those who feel your presence is a sign from the gods that Eisō has been blessed and will ascend to the heavens. Were you not to attend, it would bode ill for our people.’ Tsugu paused, his eyes closed, and after several moments both the Doctor and Vastra thought he had fallen asleep. The Doctor was about to nudge him lightly when his eyelids fluttered open, surprising the Doctor and Vastra both.
‘You will attend? Both of you?’
The Doctor nodded, and watched as Vastra did as well.
Tsusu clapped his hands together twice and stood. ‘Then it is settled. I will show both of you to your chambers for the evening. In the morning you will be seen by members of the court, who will assure that you are both appropriately clothed for kichu-fuda. While we will not be able to speak tomorrow, I am sure we will find time before Taisei’s ascension to continue your sanshin lessons.’
He paused, peering directly at the Doctor.
‘I trust you have been practicing, Kyoujyu?’
‘Practicing? Of course I’ve been practicing! I’ve been practicing like a…like…like a really practicing thing!’
Tsugu shook his head. ‘Not at all then. Just as I expected.’
He chuckled, taking obvious pleasure in the Doctor’s discomfort and embarrassment.
‘You know, my friend…there are 7 and 10 year olds in this very town who can play the entire written works of the Uzakagu canon. You, a grown man, can barely make a passable attempt at “Tinsagu nu hana!”'
The Doctor looked down at his feet, scuffing one shoe lightly against the floor. Tsugu walked over to him and put an arm around his shoulder. ‘’Do not worry, my friend…it is a skill that will come in time. For now though…the hour grows late, and tomorrow shall surely be a trying day for us all.’
He motioned to Vastra, who stood and walked over to their side.
‘You will find your rooms to either side at the end of the hall. They may be simple, but I do hope you find them comfortable. I fear you may be somewhat lacking in assistance should you find yourself wanting anything of substance this night…as I am sure you might assume, we are quite preoccupied. But your beds will be soft and warm, and I hope you will find sleep will come easily.’
Tsugu turned and walked back to the end of the hall. Before stepping through the curtained partition, he turned back to the pair. ‘I am glad you have returned, Kyoujyu,’ Tsugu spoke, the weight of his years evident in his voice.
‘I am too, old friend,’ replied the Doctor, his own voice sounding every bit as aged. He started to raise his hand, but dropped it as Tsugu turned and left the chambers for the night.
The Doctor turned and looked beyond the curtains to his chamber. ‘Looks comfy enough…bed, oh, a window! I love windows! Bright sunshine in the morning, the breeze blowing in…oh, but this one’s pointed to the west…no morning sunshine for me, it seems.’
He turned to Vastra. ‘How about your room?'
‘How should I know?’ she questioned, the look on her face implying that the Doctor should have known better than to ask the question. ‘It is a room…a human room. I have never slept in a human room before, so how should I know what to expect?’
The Doctor nodded. ‘Fair enough, I suppose.’ He held his arms out slightly, in a ‘who knew’ pose. ‘I know this is uncomfortable for you, but you do seem to be enjoying it somewhat. I told you they weren’t all bad, these humans.’
Vastra made a quiet, derisive hissing noise. ‘Perhaps not. It still does not excuse what happened to my sisters!’
‘I never intended to say it did, Vastra,’ the Doctor replied. He looked down at the watch on his arm, tapped it a few times, and then shook his head. ‘I really must get his replaced one of these days. There’s just never enough…time.'
He stretched, yawned, and turned to enter his room. ‘It seems like tomorrow will be a very busy day, Vastra. I’d suggest we both try to get some sleep.’
He paused and turned back to face Vastra, still standing in the hallway.
‘You can trust these people. They will make sure no harm comes to you. And while I know you don’t trust me, if you need me, all you need to do is knock on the wall. I’m a very light sleeper.’
With that, he entered his room. Vastra could hear a strange creaking noise, followed by the sound of cloth sliding against cloth. The flickering light that had illuminated the Doctor’s chambers went dark, yet she could still detect the faint glow as whatever was burning faded from flame, to orange, to red, to dark.
She entered her own chamber and cautiously climbed onto a strange piece of furnishing. Obviously this was what the humans used to sleep on. She found it pleasingly soft, supporting her lightly as he rested her weight against it. She pulled a long sheet of light silken cloth over her, marvelling at its coolness even against her own scaled skin. She rested her head against an overstuffed cushion, turned to her left, and blew lightly on a candle. Its flame died out quickly and her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness in her room.
‘Good night, Vastra,’ came a voice from across the hall.
She paused, still taking in the vast variety of new sensations…tactile, visual, and olfactory.‘Good night, Doctor,’ she replied, as the darkness took her and carried her off to sleep.
~~~
Morning came, and with it a loud female scream from the room opposite the Doctor’s.
He jumped up, still dressed, almost fearful of what he would encounter. He ran across the hall, nearly falling over a terrified female court assistant who stood, paralyzed, in the doorway. Across the room, lightly balanced on the balls of her feet as if about to pounce, stood Vastra, eyes wide and teeth slightly bared.
‘What’s going on here?’ the Doctor spoke in a voice that was loud yet not quite a yell.
‘I heard something, Doctor, and when I opened my eyes, this woman was standing in the room with me! She had not even the common decency to ask admittance…how was I to know if she were friend or foe?’
The Doctor wrapped an arm gently around the woman. ‘It’s alright…what was your name?’
The woman looked up at him, fear still darkening her face. ‘M-Miku, sensei Kyoujyu. My name is Miku. I was only…’
The Doctor placed one finger over her lips, shushing her. ‘I know...just doing as the court expects. Let them know that it’s all taken care of. I will assist Vastra with her preparations. Please let Tsugu know we will be with them shortly.’
Miku bowed, grateful to be released from what was most certainly a life threatening situation. And, oh, the tales she would be able to tell of how this strange man came in and quelled the mighty dragon with just a few words.
Vastra looked at him with exasperation. ‘How was I to know?’
The Doctor smiled. ‘You didn’t. I forget that this is all new to you, and you are not at all familiar with their ways. That’s why I sent her off, so we could talk about today, and what is expected of us, and make sure no other…’
He coughed nervously.
‘…no other ‘incidents’ occur.’
Vastra huffed, stomped over to the bed and sat, facing away from the Doctor.
Sighing, the Doctor stood and walked around the bed.
He leaned up against the wall as casually as possible. ‘I don’t know
how your people handle the death, Vastra…despite having spent time among
them, I never had the sad opportunity to witness your death rites. But
these people have very serious rituals to ensure that their dead are
honoured properly. There are certain things we must do, and they must
be done in a certain way. Today is perhaps the most important of them,
and Miku was simply here to assist in preparing you for this day.’
Vastra looked up at him, her eyes softening a little. ‘We too treat our dead with respect, Doctor. So I understand. Still, some warning that I’d be woken up in such a way would have been appreciated.’
The Doctor smiled, his face softening. ‘Can you accept my apology for not letting you know.’
‘Yes,’ Vastra replied, as her posture mirrored her increased relaxation. ‘Now please explain to me what is going on today.’
The Doctor pushed himself off the wall and began to talk. He paced as he did so, taking on the air of a professor who loved his subject so much that his excitement came out not only in every word but every wave of the hand, every gesture of his arms.
‘The people of this Kingdom are Shinto. It’s not a religion as such, but it’s a way of doing things, a set of beliefs and customs and folklore and mythology. It’s a way of life. By comparison, death is instead normally handled in a Buddhist manner. And again, there are a whole set of rituals and customs which must be followed. The King has decreed that in his case he wished to be treated in death as he was in life, and so his wishes will be carried out according to Shinto custom.’
The Doctor paused, gathering his thoughts lest they get ahead of them.
‘In any family, when a member dies, they are expected to do certain things. There are a great many steps to this custom, but the ones which will affect us most, as we are outsiders, are much less. The first of these is called kichu-fuda. The members of the family join together to begin their mourning and certain rituals are presided over by a Shinto priest. As this is the King, all of his people are expected to follow this demand. Therefore, for the next full day, all people in the kingdom will dress in black, to signify their mourning as a single family, a single people. Even though we are not part of the kingdom, we are their guests, and it is customary for us to act according to those wishes. After all, when in Rome and all that…’
Vastra looked at him, confused. ‘What?’
The Doctor waved his hand. ‘Never mind. Mixed metaphor.'