Female Samurai

Su Zuki by L. Gras

He reminded her of her father. More stuffy and prissy, but something about the way he expected everyone to know exactly what he wanted with a look. His robes made a shuffling sound as he walked across the room and sat down. They were so thick, he looked like a decorative pillow.
“Are we clear, Mr. Sugiro?” he said as he picked a piece of lint off his shoulder.
“I’m not an errand boy.” She said.
“The amount I’m paying you says you are whatever I ask you to be. This package is of the utmost importance and my hiring you to retrieve it shows my seriousness in acquiring it. So, are we clear?”
She bowed her head slightly, turned and walked out.
She knew she shouldn’t have taken the job. She should have stuck by what she said. She wasn’t an errand boy. She wasn’t a boy at all. But that was her secret. It was a little late now, though. The mud had seeped into her shoes over an hour ago and was squishing uncomfortably between her toes. Well, it would have been uncomfortable if she could feel her toes. The rain was making it hard to hear the sounds inside. All she could detect was the movement of the shadows. She hadn’t seen any for at least thirty minutes. It was time. Creeping close to the ground, she opened the door just a crack. She had the unpleasant surprise of inadvertently looking up into a guard’s hakama. Startled more by the view than the proximity, she quickly ducked under the floor as the guard turned around. He noticed the cracked shoji, so he opened it all the way and looked outside. His hakama draped over the edge in front of Su’s face as he leaned out and looked around. In a swift move, she grabbed the loose clothing with both hands and pulled. He fell face first to the ground two feet below. His cries of surprise were muffled by a mouthful of mud. She jumped on his back and struck him on the head, knocking him out. She flipped him over and drug him under the house. She then entered the house through the open shoji.
She had remembered the overstuffed pillow had said that the package should be in the first room she encountered. The home wasn’t very large, so if her employer was mistaken on the location of his precious package, it shouldn’t take very long to find. She entered the first room she came across and started searching. She was told to look for a box covered in blue silk, similar to one of the many layers of her employer’s clothing. Su blew out the large lantern lighting the room and lit a small one she kept in her coverings. She found the box quickly behind other similar silk covered boxes. She went to blow out her lantern but a thought occurred to her.
“I have to know what would be so important to this guy.” She said to herself.
Against her better judgment she untied the silk knot and opened the box. She expected a rare jewel, or a contract promising large amounts of goods or money. What she saw, was not that.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” she exclaimed, louder than she had meant. Voices of alarm could now be heard throughout the house heading in her direction. It was now time to go. She blew out her lantern and ran to the shoji that led outside.
“I knew this was a mistake from the beginning.” The contents of the silk box confirmed her thoughts. No amount of money was worth sitting in the freezing mud for hours and breaking into a house to steal a small glass duck.

The next morning she returned to her employer’s with his parcel. She was, needless to say, annoyed. Su didn’t consider herself prideful, but she knew that her skills were much better spent on more important things than fetching baubles for uptight overgrown children.
“Ah, hello Mr. Sugiro. I trust you had a successful evening?” If it were even possible, his robes seemed to be even brighter than they were last time. Su placed the silk wrapped box on the low table in front of him.
“How wonderful!” He said, as he clapped his hands. Then his grin faded into a suspicious sneer.
“You didn’t open it did you?”
“No sir.” Su said, trying her best not to laugh out loud.
“Very good then.” He took his box, got up and walked towards a back room. Without looking back, he waved Su away.
“My assistant will take care of your payment as you make your way out.” He disappeared behind the shoji. Su shook her head and turned to leave but stopped short. She looked back at the room and tried to determine if she was mistaken. Coming from that room, she could have sworn she heard a gleeful giggle.

To be continued...

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