SHIGEKO'S DOSSIER: Yogo Osako is the first and most trusted of Hyobu's (G9, P1) magistrates. This means, of course, that she applies the laws of the city and the country in a very selective and arbitrary fashion.
Although I worked with her on occasion and saw her almost every day, I find it hard to describe any feelings I might have had for her. She seems to be an honorable samurai-ko, and I cannot say I have ever seen her drunk or known her to shame her duty. We worked together on some non-political cases, and she was a competent and dedicated investigator; yet I never felt close to her. She never gave me the impression that I was anything but a tool to her when useful, and a hindrance when we were at odds. I suppose I feel the same way about her; it is difficult to even think of her as having a human heart.
"MEMOIRS OF AN OPIUM EATER": Twentieth Year in the Reign of Hantei XXXVIII, Thirteenth Day, Month of the Dragon
A strange but amusing thing happened this evening at the House of Foreign Stories. I was drunk of course, but not so drunk that I might have imagined it. Besides, drink dulls my mind, and it would have taken all my mental might to lift the weight of a concept as unlikely as Yogo Osako in love.
I had stepped away from my table and was proceeding towards the necessary room when Yogo Osako emerged from the shadows and gripped my arm. At first I thought she was holding me steady (I was stumbling a bit) and thanked her, but then her face showed that her interest certainly was not my aid.
"Can I help you, magistrate?" I said at last.
"You can help yourself, Phoenix. You're out of your depth; best swim to shore before you drown."
"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about. Is this a criminal matter?"
"If it is, you will be the victim."
"Huh?" I must confess that since coming to Ryoko Owari, I have become much more open about confessing confusion in conversations. Nothing seems to exasperate extremely clever and subtle people as when you simply fail to understand. Then they're forced to say what they were trying to hide with all their cleverness. (Though I never thought of Osako as particularly clever.)
In any event instead of speaking she grabbed my instrument (G1) and held it under my face.
"This," she said. "I could ruin you with this. Humiliate your family, sully your name, get you cuffed for a month..."
"So? You could do the same to almost everyone here. Why me?"
And then her eyes flicked to Jocho (P3).
I couldn't help but laugh. Having been the victim of hopeless love for so long, it was easy to see it on the face of another.
"Jocho? You want me stay away fro m Jocho?"
Even in the shadows, I could see her blush.
"A Scorpion and a Phoenix... it's no good. He'll only toy with you and leave you a dead, heartless husk."
"So you're threatening to have me cuffed because you're concerned that he'll break my heart? How strange... Perhaps it's because you want him for yourself?"
Her hand was tightening on my arm, but I was too drunk to do more than notice. I'm sure it will hurt tomorrow.
"Why don't you just tell him?" 1 asked. I'll admit it I was taunting her - I liked knowing this dangerous, powerful woman was as much of a fool over love as 1had been. Perhaps I should have shown that Phoenix kindness Jocho talks about,but all I had to offer her was venom. "You're afraid, aren't you? You don't know what he sees in me, and you're afraid to have him tell you. You're afraid he'll laugh. Aren't you? And even if you were brave enough, you couldn't come out and say it because that's so obvious. So plain. So crude and unsophisticated. Not like a Scorpion at all, is it, to love someone and just tell them?"
She said nothing. Her breath was harsh and ragged, and I could see her veil shake.
"So why not arrest me?" I asked. "It would be the perfect way to show your love, Scorpion style, right? Affection through aggression? 'I love you, so I'll destroy what you love? Then maybe you'll love me instead?' Is that how courtship works in your clan?"
"Be quiet" she whispered.
"But why? I'm just trying to figure out Scorpion love. As you know, I'm involved with it... intimately."
"You Phoenix and your 'understanding," she hissed. "You're not nearly as clever as you think." Then she let go and slunk away.
I had to laugh. Apparently I'm 'clever' now.
After being accused of being behind the assassination of Ashidaka Naritoki, she has been removed from her position as city magistrate by the Emerald Champion and placed under house arrest, pending further action.