The Samurai and the Long-Nosed Devils by Lensey Namioka

that the Portuguese are no longer under suspicion,” said Hambei. “What does the shogun’s deputy think?”
    â€œKagemasa? Naturally he wants to make a quick arrest for his master. Lord Fujikawa was a close friend of the shogun.”
    â€œDoes he suspect anyone in particular?” asked Hambei.
    â€œAt the moment he suspects Kotaro, the leader of the household samurai,” replied Zenta. “The man is certainly missing.”
    â€œWhat is Kotaro’s motive for murdering his master?”
    â€œHe’s in love with Lady Yuki,” said Matsuzo. “Perhaps Lord Fujikawa caught him in her room.”
    Zenta sighed, without even bothering to point out all the flaws in Matsuzo’s theory. His young friend had a romantic nature and an overactive imagination. Nevertheless, Kotaro’s infatuation with his mistress was not imaginary. Zenta told Hambei about Kotaro’s angry reaction to Lord Fujikawa at Kiyomizu Temple. He gave a full account of the morning’s events, beginning with the discovery of the murder and ending with the footprint demonstration which had finally convinced Kagemasa.
    Hambei’s clever face was serious for once as he listened to the recital. In the end he said, “What do you personally believe?”
    Zenta hesitated. “Everything would be simple if Kotaro turned out to be the murderer,” he said finally. “But I can’t bring myself to believe it.”
    â€œWhy not?” demanded Matsuzo. “What’s wrong with a theory that’s simple?”
    â€œThe first thing wrong with the theory is the use of the gun,” replied Zenta. “I can picture Kotaro killing his master in a burst of anger, but I don’t think he had enough time to master the technique of loading, priming, and firing a gun.”
    â€œThe gun isn’t like the sword, which takes years to master,” said Matsuzo. “Even the lowest foot soldier can fire the gun in a very short time. That’s why so many warlords are eager to possess the weapon.”
    â€œBut it still takes a few weeks of training to fire a gun with accuracy,” said Zenta. “Between the time that the gun was stolen and the time of the murder, Kotaro had only one day, and part of the day he had to accompany his master to Kiyomizu. No, I don’t think the murderer was Kotaro.”
    â€œPerhaps he already knew how to use a gun,” muttered Matsuzo.
    Zenta looked at his young friend with exasperation. Matsuzo was far from stupid, but he was stubborn. He had taken a dislike to Kotaro and wanted to believe the man guilty.
    â€œYou are forgetting our first meeting with Kotaro, when Pedro bumped into Lady Yuki’s sedan chair,” Zenta said. “At that time Pedro threatened the Fujikawa men with his gun. The weapon was not loaded or primed. If Kotaro was familiar with guns, he would have known that the threat was an empty gesture, and he would have pointed this out immediately to his men.”
    Hambei had been silent so far during the exchange, but now he said, “I agree with Zenta. Kotaro did not kill his master. From what Chiyo tells me, he goes into a rage easily, but he doesn’t have the cunning or foresight to plan the murder.”
    â€œThen the murderer could be anyone in Miyako!” cried Matsuzo. “We may never find out who he is!”
    Hambei was looking intently at Zenta. “Lord Fujikawa’s murder creates an atmosphere of suspicion against my master, since the two of them were known to be enemies. If you succeed in discovering the real murderer and convincing Kagemasa of the man’s guilt, Nobunaga will be grateful.”
    Zenta knew that Hambei’s words contained a promise. If he solved the murder, he could expect a high appointment on Nobunaga’s staff. The years of wandering and poverty would be over, and he could look forward to a brilliant career under a brilliant man. But curiously enough, he felt