The Brazen Shark

by David Lee Summers

  * * *

  Upon arrival in Tokyo, Captain Cisneros summoned a carriage. Imagawa and Hoshi appeared on deck.

  Hoshi took Imagawa’s hands. “It nearly destroyed me to see you fallen on the battlefield. I hope you can find a good path in this Meiji Era.”

  “I knew you would not give up as long as I lived, Sensei. I pretended to be dead so you would flee and have a new life. You always had a more rounded picture of Bushido than I did. I wish you well in America.”

  Captain Cisneros and Fatemeh escorted her to the Tokyo Prefectural Office where she turned herself in to Lord Ōkubo. She gave him a full confession under the condition the men who returned to Tokyo with her would be spared. He agreed and his secretary drafted memoranda to that effect.

  As their business concluded, Fatemeh approached Lord Ōkubo. “I hope your wife is well and I hope you would present this note to her.” She handed him a sealed envelope.

  He nodded and said he’d give it to her.

  On the ride back to the Ballena, Captain Cisneros looked into Fatemeh’s eyes. “I’m sorry you had such a poor honeymoon. Here we are, almost six-thousand miles from your home and you’re separated from your husband…”

  She placed her hand on his forearm and shook her head. “Ramon does what he must and I still have one more job to finish.” She laughed and looked out the window at the buildings they passed. “In many ways, this honeymoon turned out far better than I would have imagined.”

  Cisneros caught his breath. “Better than you imagined? You nearly broke your neck in an airship wreck, samurai bandits kidnapped you, and a new war almost started.”

  “I also got to swim in Hawaiian waters, spend many wonderful days with my new husband and perhaps even play a small part in improving the world. What’s more, once Ramon returns, our honeymoon will continue another week as we voyage to America. How many couples are allowed six weeks together before circumstances pull them into day-to-day routines?”

  “I hope your day-to-day routine is a little less exciting than the last six weeks! For that matter, I fear your day-to-day routine may involve some time in jail when you return.”

  Fatemeh frowned and nodded. “I know and although prison time scares me a little, it’s a small sacrifice for the good we’ve accomplished.”

  The captain leaned forward. “Do you think the good will be permanent?”

  “Without change, an organism stagnates and dies.” Fatemeh smiled. “The world will change and shift. People will try things which will prove wrong and some will do things which will make the world better. It’s our nature.”

  The carriage pulled up beside the ship. Cisneros and Fatemeh boarded and went their separate ways.

  The next morning, another carriage pulled up on the dock next to the Ballena. The driver sent a note aboard for Fatemeh, who appeared five minutes later. The carriage from the day before had hard wooden seats and bounced the riders over ruts and cobbles. This new carriage had red velvet seats and springs, providing a comfortable ride. The carriage took Fatemeh across town to Lord Ōkubo’s house. Lady Hayasaki met her at the door.

  “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me,” said Fatemeh.

  “I am delighted to see you again.” Lady Hayasaki invited Fatemeh inside and led her to the dining table where a tea service awaited. A servant appeared, poured tea, and then departed again leaving the two women to speak. Fatemeh wondered how many state secrets the servants knew just from waiting in the wings for the opportunity to serve.

  “I presume you are here on the behalf of Imagawa Masako, who surrendered herself to my husband, yesterday,” said Lady Hayasaki.

  Fatemeh sipped her tea, then set the cup down. “Actually, I’m here on behalf of the Ainu.”

  Lady Hayasaki narrowed her gaze but remained silent.

  “The Ainu are a proud people and I believe Japan would benefit by embracing their differences rather than forcing them to assimilate into your culture.”

  “Do you presume to critique Japan?” Lady Hayasaki lifted an eyebrow.

  “Not at all,” said Fatemeh, “but the Ainu have experiences which would disappear if they assimilated. For example, I met a woman named Ipokash who spoke both Japanese and Russian. She got to know the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev quite well and now has experience with life aboard airships.” Fatemeh leaned forward. “I propose Japan finds a place where the Ainu are welcomed, but retain their identity.”

  Lady Hayasaki considered this for a moment. “Some would see that as a threat to their livelihood. What if the Ainu settled on land someone wants to develop?”

  “The Ainu would require a strong person on the Lord of Home Affair’s staff to work with them and the Japanese government.”

  Lady Hayasaki gave a shrewd grin. “You did come to speak about Imagawa.”

  “I can think of no one better for the job.”

  “I shall consider it and we shall see what happens during her trial.” Lady Hayasaki sipped her tea. “If Imagawa is exonerated, I shall speak to my husband.”

  “Thank you, Lady Hayasaki.” Fatemeh put her hands together and bowed from her seat.

  “Your Japanese has improved since we last met,” said Lady Hayasaki. “I’m impressed.”

  * * *

  Ramon watched distant storm clouds from the Bonchō’s catwalk. He reflected on the visit to St. Petersburg and knew his success relied more on luck than skill. Despite Imagawa’s attempts and some tensions, Japan and Russia didn’t want to go to war. However, Ramon wanted to go beyond a simple cease-fire and encourage the two countries to work together. He hoped a cooperative spirit would spread beyond those two countries.

  As he watched the storm clouds, Ramon wondered how many troubles between nations came from selfishness and pride. Nations went to war when one had something another wanted. They also went to war when people within the borders had conflicted interests. It’s what drove the American Civil War and what he feared could start a war within Russia’s borders. Would automata solve Russia’s class inequities? Ramon suspected the answer wasn’t so simple, but he hoped they might relieve the pressures for a while.

  The sun drifted toward the horizon, streaking the sky in orange rays. Ramon shivered, wishing Fatemeh accompanied him. He’d be in Japan soon, then they’d make the trip back across the ocean to the United States where they’d face their next challenges.

  Ramon entered the airship, ate a simple meal in the crew mess, then went to his cabin. He added another blanket to those stacked on the bed, undressed and crawled in.

  His eyes drifted closed and he saw himself standing on a vast plain. An undulating, buzzing black cloud approached. Ramon retreated several steps and threw up his arms, fearing bees. As they drew closer, he realized millions of tiny clockwork machines composed the cloud. The buzzing came from their whirring gears.

  “Legion?”

  “Yes, we’re here” The voice came from the entire clockwork swarm. “We wanted to say goodbye.”

  Ramon sought the right words. “Goodbye? As in goodbye for good?”

  “Goodbye as in we are taking leave of your world for a time. We wanted to unify humanity, but we see you accomplished more in one afternoon’s efforts than we did in a year. Perhaps we have lived so long we can no longer see simple solutions.”

  Ramon shrugged. “I’m not sure if my simple solution would have worked if not for the inspiration you’ve given people over the last year or so. Would we have airships, submersibles, and automata without you?”

  “It’s impossible to say,” said Legion. “We merely unlocked those dreams within a few skeptics and showed them the dreams’ worthiness. Lord Katsu’s automaton, Professor Maravilla’s wolf and ornithopters, the lightning gun—humans developed all these things without our intervention.”

  “You’re referring to yourself in the plural again,” mused Ramon.

  “We are many and one, just as humans are many and one. We are kindred and we hope to meet again.”

  “Is this your true a
ppearance?”

  The swarm vibrated with laughter. “No, this is still just the way you picture us, but the image amuses us. We may build a new generation which looks like this just to honor you.”

  “Will I ever see you again?”

  Legion remained silent for some time. Ramon sensed the swarm’s members communicated among themselves, calculating an answer. “Human life is brief. You as an individual might not see us again, but your children or your children’s children might. Many individuals who comprise my being have died, many have been born in my brief time on Earth. The same will happen to you. You may not see us Ramon Morales, but you will almost assuredly see us.”

  Ramon thought he must be growing used to Legion. That last statement almost made sense to him. “I’ll be sorry to see you go. I look forward to the day when humans will see you on more equal terms.”

  “Continue to encourage humans to cooperate, Ramon Morales,” said Legion. “We impart one last gift before we go. It is perhaps the single best thing we can do to see our experiment grow and thrive. Until we meet again. Adieu.”

  Ramon watched the swarm fly away. As he did, the view cleared and he stared up at the Bonchō’s ceiling. Light streamed in from outside. He couldn’t tell whether the entire night passed in conversation with Legion or if he’d spoken to Legion for a brief time and then slept until dawn. For all he knew, it could have just been a strange dream.

  He pushed the blankets aside and looked around the cabin. Everything appeared as it did the night before. He peered out the window and saw a vast body of water. They must have reached the Sea of Japan. He would hold Fatemeh before long.

  As Ramon dressed, he considered humans and their struggles. He recalled the Buddhist teachings about self being an illusion and the Shinto teachings about people having multiple souls. He shuddered as he buttoned his waistcoat. Walking to the window, he looked out and considered the future.

  Humanity is Legion, he thought.

  * * *

  Fatemeh read in her cabin when Captain Cisneros knocked on the door. “Mr. Gonzalez has just sighted the Bonchō. I suspect it will land soon.”

  “I’d like to go meet it.” She put on her shoes and the captain sent word for a coach. None were available, but a rickshaw driver offered to take Fatemeh to the palace grounds for a nominal fee. She paid him and he ran off through the streets. The journey proved less harrowing than when Lord Katsu’s automaton pulled a rickshaw. Even so, she worried he might take too long and she’d pass Ramon somewhere in the streets.

  As she arrived at the palace grounds, the Bonchō descended into the hangar. She paid the driver another coin and asked him to wait. She walked to the hangar and showed the guard her letter of introduction from Lord Ōkubo. He gave her a strange glance, but allowed her to pass.

  Inside, the ground crew tied off the tether ropes and the gondola door flew open. Ramon jumped to the ground and he ran into Fatemeh’s arms. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  She returned the embrace. “I’m glad to see you. How are you?”

  “I think I stopped a war… and Legion’s gone.”

  Fatemeh nodded. “Imagawa faces trial soon, but I suspect her sentence will be light. If so, Japan may face some challenges in the coming years. I think it’ll do the country good.”

  “How soon before we leave for America?” Ramon’s question was soft, almost hesitant.

  “I think Captain Cisneros plans to depart as soon as you’re aboard.”

  “I thought that might be the case. Wait here.” He climbed back into the gondola. A few minutes later he arrived with his bags and Lord Katsu’s automaton. Ramon hopped out and the automaton followed, landing on the ground with a thud.

  “He’s coming with us? Won’t the Bonchō’s captain return him to Lord Katsu?”

  “I’m certain he would, but I’m not quite ready to leave Tokyo.”

  “I already have a rickshaw driver waiting.”

  “So much the better.”

  They walked outside to where the driver shuffled from one foot to the other.

  “How much would it cost to rent your rickshaw for the evening? We have our own driver.”

  The driver blinked, did some mental arithmetic, then named a price. Ramon handed the driver a few coins. “We’ll be back in an hour or two,” said Ramon.

  He programmed the automaton and they climbed in the rickshaw. “You understand that thing pretty well, don’t you?” asked Fatemeh.

  “I think I’m getting the hang of it.”

  The automaton zoomed off through Tokyo’s streets. It circled around the palace and went toward the university. As the sun approached the horizon, the automaton stopped near the botanical gardens. Hand in hand, Ramon and Fatemeh walked to Sanchiro Pond. They found their way to the bridge.

  “Will Legion interrupt this time?” Fatemeh winked at Ramon.

  “I think Legion’s gone for good. He said farewell during the return journey. I think he meant it.”

  Fatmeh’s brow creased. “I’ll kind of miss him. He caused trouble, but he made the world an interesting place.”

  “I think humans make the world interesting.” Ramon leaned in and kissed Fatemeh. The kiss lingered and she pressed into him, pleased with his confidence and his gentle strength which sought justice without bullying others. She had no doubts he was the right man for her.

  “Love. So many different ways to have been in love,” she mused when they separated.

  “A haiku?”

  “One of Bonchō’s. It seems appropriate.”

  “There may be many ways to be in love, but in truth, I love just one woman.” He leaned over and kissed her again.

  Epilogue

  The Jackalope

  Ramon and Fatemeh rested and enjoyed each other’s company during the week-long voyage to Ensenada, expecting to be apart for thirty days once they arrived home.

  They often took their evening meals with Hoshi and Captain Cisneros. Ramon sensed a certain tension between Hoshi and Fatemeh. When he asked about it one night, she waved it off and said, “Some people react to things based on old ideals. Hoshi is a just man, but he still believes it’s okay for some to die to fulfill justice. That makes me uncomfortable.”

  Hoshi had offered to let them stay at his farmhouse in Las Cruces on their return trip to central New Mexico. “Do you want to decline Hoshi’s invitation?”

  Fatemeh shook her head. “What’s important is Hoshi’s working to find his way in this new world. It’s just taking me a while to learn different people adapt in different ways.”

  “Like Imagawa?”

  Fatemeh fell silent and stared off into space for a while. Just as Ramon thought she’d chosen not to answer, she nodded. “Yes, like Imagawa. I admire her strength, but I worry about those who might use strength to hold power over others.”

  Ramon didn’t pursue the conversation further. They could not resolve the complex topic through discussion. They would just have to see how things developed in Japan.

  Ramon considered the marvels he’d seen in the last year: airships, mechanical wolves and men, owl ornithopters people could ride around in, and submersible vessels. He knew men developed most of those things on their own, but he wondered if any would have happened if Legion had not been involved. If not for Legion, Maravilla’s experiments with owl ornithopters might have been a brief footnote in history. Airships and submersibles might be relegated to Jules Verne’s Voyages Extraordinaire. Would anyone see the need for mechanical men if human labor remained cheap?

  The Ballena arrived in Ensenada during the second week of November, 1877. Ramon realized they’d missed Dia de los Muertos—the Day of the Dead celebration he loved so much. He first encountered Legion as it passed through Mesilla, New Mexico on the Day of the Dead. Soon afterward, the swarm encountered General Gorloff and the war with Russia began.

  Captain Cisneros arranged for a coach to carry Hoshi, Ramon, and Fatemeh across the border to Los Angeles. From there, they would take the train to
Mesilla. Captain Cisneros presented them with tickets, which included a stable for Hoshi’s horse aboard the train.

  Fatemeh embraced Captain Cisneros. “Thank you for the wonderful honeymoon.”

  Ramon lifted an eyebrow at that, but the captain didn’t say anything. Instead, he returned the embrace and helped Ramon and Fatemeh load the coach. Hoshi left to retrieve the horse he’d stabled.

  When the samurai returned, Cisneros shook Hoshi’s hand. “Thank you for joining us. Please give my regards to Professor Maravilla. If he’s willing to return to Mexico, I’d be happy to offer him a job.”

  “I’ll let him know.” He frowned, but sounded more thoughtful than angry. “We have all spent much time in the last few months confronting our demons. Some of us might find solace at home. Others may be at a point to start new lives elsewhere.”

  Hoshi rode behind the coach as it pulled out, giving the newlyweds a little more privacy. The driver snapped the reins and they began the long overland journey up into California. Cisneros waved until they disappeared from view.

  * * *

  After crossing the ocean and continents with ease via airship and Cisneros’s Ballena, the ten-day overland journey to Mesilla wore on their nerves. They all sighed relief when the conductor came down the train’s aisle and announced they approached the Mesilla Park station.

  They picked up their baggage and Hoshi retrieved his horse. Hoshi waited with the bags while Ramon and Fatemeh went to a livery stable and found horses to buy for the trip north to Estancia. An hour later, they rode up the small road to Hoshi’s farm. The former samurai gnashed his teeth. All the chile plants remained, but had grown brown and withered. What’s more, all the pods had vanished.

  “Someone must have harvested them for you.” Fatemeh shrugged.

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  Two people lounged in chairs on the porch. As Ramon, Fatmeh, and Hoshi rode closer, they discovered Professor Maravilla and Marshal Larissa Seaton. “It’s about time you got here,” said Larissa.

  “You expected us?” asked Ramon as he dismounted.