MERCILESS ONO

by Charlie Kondek

     From the annals of the shogun’s detective, Inspector Nishimura, a perplexing encounter from the Kyoho period (1716–1736).

        Inspector Nishimura’s staff received a tip from an informant on the location of an outlaw they’d been trying to apprehend, a man called Merciless Ono.

     The trail led to a farming village, and when the inspector and his samurai arrived there, they assembled its inhabitants and those of the outlying houses in the village square. Neither Inspector Nishimura nor his men had ever seen Merciless Ono, but they had his description: a man of average height with a wide, sturdy build, and tattoos on his chest and arms. Also, he was missing a finger, the pinky of his left hand, which was not uncommon for a yakuza bandit like Ono. Sometimes, a yakuza’s digit is severed ceremoniously and offered to his boss, the oyabun, to atone for a mistake. Merciless Ono must have done this at some point in his career and was an oyabun now, himself.

      So they were looking for a strong man with tattoos and a missing finger. The problem was, as they surveyed the assembled villagers, there were three such men, each of about the same age and build, each with a missing finger. To confound matters, these three were taken to a barn and stripped of their jackets, where it was discovered that all had the same tattoos, a pattern of carp, tigers, goddesses, and demons that spread from each man’s pectoral region to his wrists. “What’s the meaning of this?” barked the inspector’s assistant angrily. “Which one of you is Merciless Ono?” None of the men would speak. 

       Inspector Nishimura remarked calmly, “A clever ruse, elaborate and costly. Meant, no doubt, to throw us off the scent or buy time for the real Ono to escape. Hold these men. Let’s think about this.”

     He withdrew to the village headman’s house to drink tea while his staff watered their horses and guarded the three Onos.

     What else did they know about Ono, the inspector wondered, that might help them separate the imposters from the original? That he had earned the nickname “merciless” for the savagery with which he dealt with his enemies. That he, like most of his ilk, loved gambling and women. That a big reason for his success as a gangster was his mastery of the martial arts. “Let’s just torture all three until they confess,” grumbled the inspector’s assistant. The inspector replied, “I think I have a better idea.”

     Inspector Nishimura moved to an isolated corner of the village, a clearing in the surrounding forest beside a tranquil stream and ordered the three Merciless Onos brought to him one by one. When the first was before him, the inspector stood for a time holding his clasped fan and observing the man. Then, suddenly and without telegraphing the movement, he thrust the fan into the stomach of this Merciless Ono, who flinched, yelped, and attempted to cover the spot with his hands. Uselessly, as it turned out, for the thrust struck home and knocked the wind out of the man, bending him double.

     When the second man was brought to Nishimura, he repeated this performance. This Merciless Ono twisted his body just enough to avoid the worst of the blow, still enough to sink him to one knee.

     When the third Merciless Ono was brought to Nishimura, he regarded the inspector warily, perhaps suspicious of what had happened to the other two, which was unknown to him. As before, they watched each other for a time. When Inspector Nishimura attacked, this Merciless Ono was caught completely by surprise. Struck by the fan in his diaphragm, he crumpled to the ground.

     Withdrawing, Inspector Nishimura said to his assistant, “I think we’ve found our Ono.”

*   *   *

      It was the third man, whom Nishimura was able to attack without meeting any form of defense. Merciless Ono knew that the inspector knew he was a martial arts master, so he tried to disguise the fact that he could have dodged or blocked Nishimura’s fan. However, in doing so he neglected to act like a normal person, which can’t help covering up or flinching when struck. Only a trained fighter could have anticipated the blow and accepted it completely as Ono did. After interrogating all three separately, Inspector Nishimura confirmed his theory.

     All three were decapitated.

Charlie Kondek is a marketing professional, student of the Japanese arts of kendo and iaido, and short story writer from metro Detroit. His work has previously appeared at Yellow Mama, and such places as Dark Yonder, Black Cat Weekly, and Hoosier Noir. More at CharlieKondekWrites.com.