Tested Virtues

by Rusty Priske
Editing and Development by Fred Wan

Shiba Yoshimi stood stiffly in the courtyard, with a group of Scorpion to his right and a like group of Crane to his left. “I have agreed to adjudicate this duel, and everything is in order. Permissions have been granted and all parties have acknowledged that it shall resolve the matter. None shall gainsay the victor nor belittle the loser. This will be an honorable duel. Shall we agree that this will be to first blood?” Yoshimi spoke hopefully.

Doji Saori’s voice rang out clearly. “To the death.”

Bayushi Kaneo’s eyes gave away his surprise, but he said nothing. He merely nodded slightly.

Yoshimi did not try to hide his displeasure. “So be it.”

The Phoenix moved back, allowing Kaneo and Saori space for movement.

Once there were no ears to hear him other than his adversary’s, Kaneo spoke. “To the death, over a point of negotiation? That seems a little excessive.”

Saori said nothing.

“Oh, that is how it will be then? I am no fool. I know that I am no match for you in a duel. A lethal duel over a trade dispute? You may prevail here, daughter of Doji, but questions will be asked. The Dark Sword will demand answers.”

Kaneo was the first to move. Saori was the last.

As she flicked the blood from her katana, Saori heard Yoshimi’s pronouncement, without listening to the words. Instead, her attention was fixed on Doji Choshi, who stood near the edge of the courtyard, with a slight smile on her face.

Neither Crane saw the sparkle in the eye of the gaijin who watched from a doorway.

•

“Well done, sister. Your skills have served our clan admirably today.” Doji Choshi smiled as she spoke, but Saori’s only response was a glare. “What is this? You seem angry with me.”

“That man did not have to die. His insult was not grave enough to warrant the same.”

Choshi acted shocked. “Why, Saori, do you feel that honor is something that comes in stages? He insulted both your honor and the honor of your clan.”

“He was negotiating.” Saori shook her head. “This was a trade agreement. When he said that our offer was unfair, he was merely looking for an opening for a counter-offer.”

Choshi’s voice lowered. “Yet you took offense.”

Saori’s head lowered. “As an expediency. Once I bested him in the duel, he would have been unable to present his counter-proposal; our terms would likely have been accepted.”

“Yet you imply I asked you to do something unacceptable, when it was your idea all along.”

Saori’s eyes flashed with anger. “I would have beaten him without killing him.”

Choshi looked thoughtful. “Would you? Kaneo is a Scorpion. Do you really think he would not have found another way to twist the agreement to his benefit? Now he cannot and we will have our agreement.”

“So a man dies over rice, and I am an assassin rather than a samurai.”

“It is not the first time someone died over rice, Saori-san. It will not be the last. You did your duty as a Crane. Do not condemn yourself for that.”

Saori nodded. “Duty and honor.”

•

Saori walked through the gardens at Nikesake. They were beautiful, though not as grand as the ones near her home. Beauty helped her forget the ugliness associated with the courts. As she gazed into a still pool at the reflection of herself she realized that on this night, beauty had a tough battle.

“Ah, hello, Doji-sama.”

The voice startled her out of her reverie. She recognized the odd accent immediately, even before the handsome foreigner stepped into view.

“Good evening, Captain Garen. I did not see you there.”

“I come here often, but I usually stay out of sight. I know that many come here to think and I did not want to disturb you.”

“It is no bother, Captain. Some thoughts are better kept for different times.”

“Then come and join me. It would be my great honor to enjoy your company.” Garen motioned to where two low benches sat nestled among the flower bushes.

“Thank you for the invitation. It would be my pleasure.” Saori followed Garen’s hand and sat on one of the benches. Garen followed and sat close, though without touching.

“I saw your duel today.” Garen saw Saori turn away slightly so he continued. “You are very talented.”

“There was never any doubt that I would win. Kaneo was many things, but he was not a talented duelist.”

Garen cocked his head. “So why would he agree to the duel, if it meant his death?”

“It did not have to. The slight could have been avenged with first blood.”

Garen read Saori’s face for a moment and then said, “Bushido did not allow that, yes?”

The Crane looked back at Garen for the first time since he mentioned the duel. “Bushido does not allow many things. Yet other things it demands of you. What do you know of bushido?”

“Only what I have learned. I know of the virtues, which are also considered virtues where I come from. The difference is, they are not the only virtues I was taught. Still, they are good ones, if not somewhat awkward at times.”

“What do you mean by awkward?”

Garen shrugged. “You are told to live by all the tenants all the time, but sometimes they contradict each other. There isn’t anything unusual in that. Those are the decisions that make us who we are. It is just that you samurai claim that you must follow all of bushido all of the time. I just don’t see how that is possible,”

Saori stiffened slightly. “That is because you are not samurai.”

“True. I’m not. Still, though, could you explain honesty and sincerity to me? How can you have one rule that tells you that you must always be sincere, no matter what you are saying, while another one tells you to always tell the truth? If you always tell the truth, why do you need to worry about sincerity? The truth is always sincere, no?”

“That is a simplistic way of looking at things.”

“Well, I am a simple man. Living for so long on a ship leads a body to look at things it a straightforward fashion.”

The corners of Saori’s mouth turned up a bit. “Living as a samurai is not so simple.”

Garen laughed. “There is an understatement. But it is sure interesting to learn. You see, one of the other things we value where I come from is knowledge. The more information you have, the more reasoned and reasonable your choices will be. Knowledge is the key to wisdom, I was always taught.”

“There is merit in that. Knowledge is the basis of right thinking. Actions that are taken in ignorance can be very destructive, even if well intentioned.”

“Exactly.” Garen leaned forward. “Would Kaneo have acted differently if he knew that you were going to ask for his head? That is knowledge that he didn’t have, and he clearly needed.”

Saori’s smile vanished. “He is not the only one who would have acted differently if…” she trailed off. “Knowledge does you no good if what you know conflicts with your duty.”

“Ah, but it does. You did your duty today, but that duty only reared its head because you allowed it to, no? If you had handled the incident with Kaneo differently, you would not have been asked to take the actions you clearly did not agree with.”

Saori’s eyes widened. “You show great presumption, Captain.”

“But am I wrong?”

Saori thought for a moment before her mien softened. “You are not wrong. You are quite observant, Garen-san. You managed to see the situation and correctly read my thoughts. I see why you claim knowledge is so important.”

“Forewarned and forearmed and all that. That is more than just knowledge, though. I was also taught that being insightful is a great virtue. Knowledge is just the facts. Being able to see the truth behind the facts is a whole different thing.”

“So I see. Still these skills cannot trump bushido. I cannot fall back on knowledge and insight in the face of honor and duty. There are certain things that a samurai cannot ignore.”

Garen looked straight into her eyes. “Like compassion? Courtesy?”

She met his stare unflinchingly. “These things are part of bushido.”

“Yet you showed little courtesy when you did not give him advance warning so he could prepare himself before the duel.”

“You insult me, captain. I don’t think you want to do that.”

“That is the last thing I want to do, believe me. I am no samurai. I am just pointing out that there was a conflict between courtesy and duty. You had to make a choice and you did so. There is no shame in that. You are struggling to adhere to a code rife with contradictions. Just like the problem with honesty and sincerity, there are conflicts inherent in bushido and you must realize that or go mad. I am convinced that these conflicts are what lead to some samurai turning to darkness. They became lost because they could find no answers within bushido.”

“I was taught all answers could be found in bushido.” Saori looked at Garen but he just looked a little sad at her pronouncement. “But you have raised some interesting questions.”

“I would love to talk further, if you permit it.”

Saori smiled. “I may happen to find myself walking here tomorrow night at this time.”

Garen positively beamed.

•

Saori’s face brightened when she saw Garen waiting for her. He smiled and led her to the same benches from the previous night. “I understand that your negotiations went well today.”

She nodded. “Kaneo’s replacement had his hands tied. He could not say that our offer was not fair without disputing the results of the duel yesterday. So he was courteous and sincere, as he agreed to a deal that he did not want.”

“So your clan got its way, using honor as a tool.”

Saori nodded. “When honor is just a tool, I wonder whether it is still honor.”

Garen shook his head. “The real point is, was it honor that won the day? Or was it strength? In any conflict there is a strong side and a weak side. You took the knowledge that you had, knowing that the Scorpion could not use their one bargaining chip, and then used your position of strength to force them into an agreement.”

“I did not force them into anything.”

“You arranged for them to only have one choice. How is that not forcing them? Now don’t think that I am claiming you did anything wrong. Strength is an asset. You are better off being the strong party than the weak one, no? Strength is every bit a virtue as knowledge or insight. Or honor or duty, for that matter.”

“So the strong must always triumph? What of compassion for the weak?”

“The strong can afford compassion. The reason you could not show compassion for Kaneo yesterday is that you were not strong enough, or he was not weak enough. It is easy to show compassion to those who cannot hurt you. Showing compassion to those who could defeat you? That is just madness.”

“That is bushido.”

“Except when it is not. That is what I am getting at.” Garen looked around at his surroundings, trying to find a good example. “Here, look at this flower. Apply bushido to it.”

Saori crinkled her forehead. “What do you mean? It is just a thing.”

“Yet bushido is supposed to rule your every action. Tell me what bushido says about this flower.”

“It says… nothing.”

Garen shook his head. “It has to say something. What can you tell me about it?”

“It is, uh, it is red. It has three leaves coming from beneath its petals.”

“Is it pretty?”

“Yes.”

“I agree. I like this flower very much. Is it perfect?”

“I suppose so. Why?”

Garen smiled. “You just answered your own question. You answered with sincerity, since you knew that is what I wanted to hear. You did not answer honestly, however.”

Saori frowned. “Always back to honesty and sincerity. I acknowledge that they are hard to reconcile. But…”

Garen cut her off. “Not hard. Impossible. Still, that is not the point I want to make here. I want to show you that there are other virtues that are equally valuable as those of bushido. Look at this flower again. As you know, it is not perfect. There is an imperfection on one of the petals. It is not so large as to stop it from being pretty, but it is not perfect. Now look at this flower, next to it. Which is better?”

Saori examined both flowers. “This second one. It has all the same features, without the imperfections.”

“So, it is perfect, and perfect is better.”

“Yes.”

“So you acknowledge that perfection is better than merely good. Does that not make perfection a virtue to be striven for?”

Saori smiled. “You are speaking to a Crane. We already know the value of perfection.”

“Really? I thought you lived by bushido. Where in its tenants do you strive for and demand perfection?”

“In all of them.”

“And Crane does this better than all others?”

“We believe so, yes.”

Garen pursed his lips. “So you would tell the Lion that the bushido they practice is imperfect and they are not following the way of the samurai?”

“No, I would never do that. Their ways are different than ours, but they are not intrinsically wrong.”

“But, if they are different, how can both be perfect.”

Saori did not answer.

“I do not ask you to question anyone’s ability to follow bushido, just that perfection is a virtue on its own, completely separate from the others, even as it works its way through them all. Perfection is an encompassing goal that surrounds and envelops all other actions.”

Saori smiled. “Now you sound like a samurai.”

Garen returned her smile. “Thank you for the compliment. So, you have finished your negotiations with the scorpion. Will you be heading home? I know that your lands face war.”

Saori’s face darkened. “Yes. The Dragon continue their dishonorable assault.”

“Maybe it is isn’t honor that they were thinking of when they attacked. I cannot speak for them, and I have no idea their true motivations, but I know what most war is about.”

“What is that?”

“Land. He who controls the land, controls the world. Even a sea born person like me knows that. We just express it differently.”

Saori shrugged. “I am not so sure.”

Garen stared intently. “But you do know. Whether the war is on the fields or in the court, it is still a war. When you have to negotiate, what are you trying to do? Control the battlefield. Once you have that, the war is practically won.”

“Of course. Every skilled courtier knows of the parallels between war and the court.”

“Right. So, what is the most important part of the battle?”

Saori’s eyes narrowed as she tried to see where Garen was leading her. “Before the battle starts. Ensuring the setting suits your purpose.”

Garen nodded. “Control. It is all control. You need to control the setting. You need to control your opponent. You need to control yourself.”

She returned his nod. “All this is true.”

“Then is not control one of those virtues we were speaking of? Isn’t it something to strive for? Strength and control together can nearly assure your victory, no?”

Saori shook her head. “There is more to it than that.”

Garen nodded vigorously. “Of course there is. You also need the knowledge and understanding of the situation to make sure the victory you are achieving is actually the one you want. If you know what is needed, know what the outcome is going to be, know how it will benefit you, have the strength to overcome your opponent and control of the situation you can overcome any obstacle. You will find the perfection that you have achieved in iaijutsu, in all parts of life.”

Saori looked at him and wonder. “And that is all there is? You make it sound so easy.”

“It is, as long as you are blessed with two other virtues.”

Saori leaned forward eagerly. “And they are?”

“The will to act and the determination to see it through.”

“So, if I acknowledged these other virtues, outside of bushido,” Saori mulled, “how differently would things have gone with Kaneo yesterday.”

Garen shook his head. “No differently at all, except that you wouldn’t have needed Choshi to tell you what needed to be done.”

Saori stared. “So what is changed? What is so special about these virtues if things don’t change?”

Garen smiled. “I didn’t say things wouldn’t change. I said things would have gone no differently with Kaneo. Choshi was right to ask you to kill him. You were right to do so; it was claiming that bushido allowed it that was the mistake. Let us look at the situation again. By demanding the duel you showed the will to divert proceedings to your own way. This gave you control over the negotiations. You had the knowledge of Kaneo’s abilities and insight into how he and the Scorpion would react to the challenge.

You had the strength to defeat him and the determination to follow through with the plan. Perfect planning, perfect execution, perfect results. The only thing that wasn’t perfect-“

Saori cut him off. “Was me being upset by the whole thing.”

Garen smiled grimly. “You are only human, after all. Still, you showed weakness that the Scorpion could have exploited. You are lucky that it was me who found you here, and not them. As it stands, the only people who know your weakness are me and…” he trailed off and let Saori finish the thought.

“And Choshi.”

“Correct.”

“So what should I do about that?”

“You have the answers. The question is what do they tell you?”

•

“Yes Saori-san? Can I help you?” Doji Choshi looked up from the scrolls she was perusing.

“If I can have just a moment of your time, Choshi-san.” Choshi’s eyebrow shot up at Saori’s tone, but she said nothing.

Saori pulled up a chair opposite Choshi and sat before continuing. “The negotiations were successful.”

“Of course. You played your part well, Saori-san. You should leave your reservations behind you.”

Saori smirked. “I have no reservations. I did the right thing. Kaneo was nothing more than an obstacle that needed to be dealt with. It is something else that I am unhappy with.”

Choshi cocked her eyebrow again. “Which is?”

“You planned this and did not let me in on your plans. I was your tool. Nothing more.”

“I planned nothing until you challenged that fool Kaneo to a duel. I just took advantage of the opportunity.”

“While making sure that you were not exposed. If anything went wrong, I would have been the one who looked impetuous and incompetent. You would have been free of any accusations.”

“Maybe so, but you now get the credit.”

“Credit for what?” Saori snapped. “No one considers me a skilled negotiator after this. They just think I am dangerous with a blade.”

Choshi smiled slightly. “Is that such a bad reputation? We can make use of that.”

“Not we. I. I can make use of that. Starting now. From now on, you will not arrange for me to kill anyone. I am not your personal assassin. If there is a reason to arrange someone’s death, you will bring the reasoning before me. I will not act unless I know why I am acting. Do you understand?”

Now Choshi’s voice hardened and raised in anger. “You will do your duty, samurai!”

“Not as defined by you.”

“I am your superior!”

“You are no such thing. You are an equal who has used manipulation to get a good posting. I will not be manipulated by you or anyone else. From now on, we are equals. If I agree that someone needs to be killed, I will do it. You will do nothing to undermine my will. We will work together, under my terms, or our association will end.”

Choshi scrambled for words, but the fear behind her eyes left no doubt that she did not have faith that such an ending would go well for her.

“Now that the matter has been cleared up, I think we will make a good team, Choshi-san. Do you not agree?”