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Gai-Jin

Page 155

by James Clavell


  For Nippon nothing had been solved. Nor had Sanjiro been killed—more disinformation spread by Yoshi’s spies. But that did not matter, Yoshi knew he had made a giant step forward towards capturing the future: now he had sole though tenuous possession of the Gates, Ogama was banished, Kagoshima destroyed, Shōgun Nobusada returning to Yedo, without his Princess, convinced that Kyōto was unsafe for his person, shishi were almost exterminated, Anjo not long for this earth—and, temporarily, the gai-jin tamed.

  But a month or so later, Sanjiro’s emissaries came from Satsuma to Sir William in Yokohama and sued for peace. Sanjiro admitted he was in the wrong, paid the indemnity, named the killers, swore to be friends to gai-jin, blamed the decadent Shōgunate for all problems, and invited gai-jin to his rebuilt Kagoshima to trade, to discuss modernization in all its facets and, amongst other matters, “Lord Sanjiro wants you to know Satsuma is an ancient sea power and should have a navy such as yours. He is rich and can pay in gold or silver or coal what is necessary for Ing’erish ships and Ing’erish instructors …”

  To his chagrin Yoshi heard about the offer almost at once from his spy Inejin and was utterly displeased. This was not planned for, never conceived and changed the balance of power.

  Never mind, he thought grimly, that particular sunset. He was in his eyrie in Yedo Castle’s keep, looking out over the city, the sky streaked blood-red, fires here and there lighting the coming of night. Never mind, gods play tricks on us, if there are gods. Gods or no gods, do not matter, that is what makes life what it is. Perhaps I will win, perhaps not. Karma. I will remember the Legacy. And have patience. That is enough.

  No, never enough!

  Deliberately he opened the compartment and recalled Koiko in all her beauty, all the good times they had had and all the laughter. This gladdened him and calmed him and the thought of her led at length to Meikin and her death wish: “A bath and clean clothes. Please.” He smiled, happy that he had granted it—but only because of her good manners.

  “In this life,” he said with a chuckle to the evening air, “in this World of Tears, you need a sense of humor, neh?”

  PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS

  THE GAI-JIN

  MALCOLM STRUAN, 20, eldest son and heir apparent of

  CULUM STRUAN, 42, present taipan of STRUAN’S, the Noble House, son of

  DIRK STRUAN, founder of the company, and

  TESS STRUAN, 37, his wife, daughter of TYLER BROCK

  GORDON CHEN, 48, “Illustrious Chen,” compradore of STRUAN’S in Hong Kong, an illegitimate son of DIRK STRUAN

  JAMIE MCFAY, 39, manager of STRUAN’S in the Japans

  MAUREEN ROSS, 28, his fiancée

  DR. RONALD HOAG, 50, the STRUAN family physician

  TYLER BROCK, 72, tai-pan and founder of Brock and Sons

  SIR MORGAN BROCK, 48, his son, TESS STRUAN’S stepbrother

  NORBERT GREYFORTH, 30, head of BROCK’S in the Japans

  SIR WILLIAM AYLESBURY, 47, British Minister to the Japans

  DR. GEORGE BABCOTT, 28, Deputy Minister and surgeon

  PHILLIP TYRER, 21, diplomat and apprentice Japanese interpreter

  ADMIRAL CHARLES KETTERER, 46, commander of the British Fleet

  LT. JOHN MARLOWE, 28, captain of the 21-gun steam frigate, H.M.S. Pearl, presently aide-de-camp to KETTERER

  SETTRY PA LLIDAR, 24, Captain of the Dragoons

  DMITRI SYBORODIN, 38, American trader of Cossack descent

  EDWARD GORNT, 27, gentleman, Shanghai trader, from Virginia

  HEATHERLY (“HEAVENLY”) SKYE, 41, the only solicitor in the Japans

  HENRI BONAPARTE SERATARD, 41, French Minister to the Japans

  ANDRÉ EDOUARD PONCIN, 38, trader, secret spy for the French Legation

  COUNT ALEXI ZERGEYEV, 35, Tsarist Minister to the Japans

  ANGELIQUE RICHAUD, 18, beloved of MALCOLM STRUAN, daughter of

  GUY RICHAUD, French China trader, ward of the French Minister

  THE JAPANESE

  LORD TORANAGA YOSHI, 26, descendant of SHōGUN TORANAGA, member of the Council of Elders, Guardian of the Heir, the boy Shogun

  KOIKO, 22, Tayu, the highest possible rank of geisha, his ai-jin (love person)

  LADY HOSAKI, 29, his wife

  INEJIN, 42, innkeeper and his spymaster

  MISAMOTO, 33, fisherman, convict, a make-believe samurai, a secret American-speaking interpreter

  SHŌGUN NOBUSADA, 16, the 14th Toranaga Shogun

  PRINCESS YAZU, 16, his wife, stepsister of Emperor Komei

  LORD AN JO, 46, daimyo of Kii, head of the Council of Elders

  LORD SANJIRO, 42, daimyo of Satsuma

  KATSUMATA, 36, his most trusted advisor, also called the Raven, and secret head of the shishi

  LORD OGAMA, 28, daimyo of Choshu

  LORD HIRO, 28, daimyo of Tosa

  WAKURA, 46, Lord Chancellor to the Imperial Court in Kyōto

  MEIKIN, 44, KOIKO’S mama-san of the Yedo’s House of Wisteria

  RAIKO, 42, mama-san of Yokohama’s House of Three Carp

  FUJIKO, 31, courtesan, sought by PHILLIP TYRER

  NEMI, 23, courtesan, JAMIE MCFAY’S ai-jin

  HINODEH, 22, courtesan, ANDRÉ PONCIN’S ai-jin

  the shishi (persons of courage), cells of revolutionary samurai idealists, fanatically xenophobic and anti—gai-jin:

  HIRAGA, 22, leader of all Choshu shishi, also called UKIYA, NAKAMA, OTAMI

  AKIMOTO, 24, of Choshu, his cousin

  ORÍ, 17, leader of a Satsuma cell

  SHORIN, 19, of Satsuma, his deputy

  SUMOMO, 16, SHORIN’S sister, also shishi, HIRAGA’S wife-to-be

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  The novels of James Clavell’s world-famous Asian Saga (Shogun, Tai-Pan, Gai-Jin, King Rat, Noble House, and Whirlwind) were each critically acclaimed major bestsellers and have been adapted into phenomenally successful award-winning television events and feature films. James Clavell died in 1994.

  GAI-JIN

  A Delta Book

  PUBLISHING HISTORY

  Delacorte Press hardcover edition published May 1993

  Dell mass market edition published May 1994

  Delta trade paperback edition / June 2009

  Published by

  Bantam Dell

  A Division of Random House, Inc.

  New York, New York

  All rights reserved

  Copyright © 1993 by James Clavell

  Getty Images and ICHIRO/Alamy Images

  Part title calligraphy by Soo Jin Kang

  Delta is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., and the colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

  eISBN: 978-0-307-48533-5

  www.bantamdell.com

  v3.0_r2

 

 

 


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