O-shawa on Lake Onataryo.

Sakimoto had already despatched a wheel-boat to await their arrival.

Once safely aboard, they would cross to the small port of Osa-wego on

the eastern shore of the lake, some thirty miles from their final

destination - the palace at Sarakusa.

At Osa-wego, the returning samurai would be received with the honour

due to their rank by two junior members of the Yama-Shita family

council and the usual clutch of local dignitaries, before proceeding

along the river and canal system to the Yama-Shita's palace-fortress on

the shores of Lake Oneida.

And then the questioning would begin ....

As Cadillac and Roz watched the small house-boat turn about and start

its 250 mile trip back to Cheboygan, they knew that Shigari had

arranged for a second pick-up-boat at Oshawa.

Using the hand-drawn route map he had provided, they encountered no

major difficulty in finding their way to the western edge of Lake

Ona-taryo. The horses had been fed and rested while on the boat, but

it still took three days to travel the eighty odd miles from shore to

shore. Riders and mounts had already come a hell of a long way - seven

hundred pain-filled miles; far enough to convince Cadillac and Roz that

they might die from saddle-soreness before reaching Ne-Issan. When

they boarded Shigari's house-boat and fell prey to motion-sickness,

there were times they wished they had.

Cadillac had tried to plan for every eventuality but he was not

prepared for the extent of the reception that awaited them at

Osa-wego.

As the pick-up-boat came alongside the jetty and a gangway was

manoeuvred into place, a number of well-dressed men and women - about

fifteen or so - came aboard, accompanied by six men-at-arms, two of

whom carried long poles bearing the black and silver house-flag of the

YamaShita.

Cadillac, watching the scene below through the side window of the

wheel-house, said: 'I think we may be in trouble."

Roz peeked round his shoulder. 'Is that a reception committee?

Heavens! Do you think they might know us?

I mean, Shinoda and Mitsunari?"

'They're bound to, this close to. home." Cadillac frowned. 'A couple

of those women are little more than girls and see - there's a boy

amongst them." He slapped the hilt of his sword. 'Sweet Sky Mother!

Do you think they could be our wives?!" 'Don't ask me. You're the one

who "read" their clothes."

'I just got a feel for the man, not his date of birth and the details

of his domestic life!" 'You got the names..."

'The names were painted inside the rim of their helmets!" 'And here

was I thinking how amazingly gifted you were..."

'Look! Another time, okay?!" Cadillac broke off and paced about the

empty wheel-house. 'What a pill! It didn't matter with that crew from

Cheboygan and these guys. As long as we looked the part it was good

enough.

What the hell are we going to do?!" 'The first thing we're going to do

is calm down,' said Roz. 'If I can get inside their heads fast enough,

there shouldn't be a problem. They're all expecting to see Shinoda

,and Mitsunari, so their mental image of them should be at the

forefront of their minds. There may be a slight hiccup, but once I get

a grip on 'em we'll be ' 'Sure. And don't forget to make them think

this junk I'm wearing is a perfect fit. You look pretty good, but I

must be almost a head taller than Shinoda."

The sudden return of Cadillac's confidence made Roz smile. He loved

giving orders. 'You're probably bigger all round. His wife might like

that."

'Roz! Be serious!" He motioned her to silence as he heard footsteps

on the stairs.

It was the captain of the pick-up-boat. Roz trapped his mind as he

came into view. Bowing from the waist, he begged leave to inform them

that Tojo and Akori YamaShita were waiting to greet them in the small

stateroom below. Would they be gracious enough to descend...?