by Susan Spann
“We’re going today? I thought you would want to stay for Neko’s—”
“You thought incorrectly.” Hiro did not want to hear the Jesuit say funeral.
“Where, precisely, are we going?”
Before Hiro could answer, Hanzō appeared on the path with Kiku at his side. She held the reins of a dark brown horse that Hiro recognized as one of Hanzō’s.
They approached the house and exchanged bows with Hiro and the priest, who stepped out onto the veranda and closed the door to prevent the conversation from waking Ana.
“I wanted to say farewell in person,” Kiku said, “and to thank you again for avenging Yajiro’s death.” She raised a leather-bound scroll. “Hanzō and I have signed a provisional treaty, which I’m certain the Koga ryu will ratify. Hattori-san has loaned me a horse, and I ride for Koga immediately.”
Hiro noted her use of the honorific -san, which implied that Hanzō was closer to her equal. Apparently, even her rank was now in the open, at least where Hanzō was concerned.
“Alone?” Father Mateo asked.
“Carting the bodies to Koga would take too long. Hattori-san has agreed to arrange the proper funeral rites for Yajiro and Fuyu. As for the traitor”—Kiku wrinkled her nose at Hanzō—“I hope you feed that coward to the crows.”
She tucked the scroll into her kimono and mounted the horse with experienced grace. The animal snorted and tossed its head as if equally eager to depart.
Father Mateo made the sign of the cross in the air between them. “May God watch over your journey and bring a lasting peace between Iga and Koga.”
“Safe travels to you as well.” She looked at Hiro. “Perhaps, in time, we will meet again.”
She turned the horse and cantered away through the trees.
When Kiku had disappeared from view, Hanzō said, “I assume you plan to leave for Yokoseura as soon as possible.”
“Who is arranging Neko’s . . . funeral?” Hiro asked.
“Midori has requested that responsibility,” Hanzō replied. “Iga will cover the expense, of course.”
Hiro nodded but did not answer.
After an awkward silence, Hanzō said, “I have a mission for you to complete on your way to Yokoseura.”
Hiro’s senses sharpened. A new assignment meant that all his actions were forgiven, without reprimand. He wondered just how dangerous this task was going to be.
“I need you to travel south, to Mount Koya, and deliver a message to a spy who’s stationed there. With Neko gone, I need someone I can trust to warn our agents along the Tōkaidō of Oda’s treachery, and to tell them of our new alliance with the Koga ryu. After you deliver the message, take the priest and hide in the Portuguese settlement until the emperor names a new shogun.”
“You want me to take a priest of the foreign god to Koya-san, a Buddhist mountain?” Hiro asked.
“Which part of that order was not sufficiently clear?”
“What of his housekeeper?” Hiro continued. “Women cannot enter the holy city on Koya’s summit.”
“She can stay at the women’s sanctuary—the nyonindo. As for the priest”—Hanzō steepled his hands as if in prayer—“everyone knows the foreigners are curious about Japan and love to see our holy sites. No one will suspect you carry a message for the Iga ryu.”
“Will the spy know who to warn along the Tōkaidō?” Hiro asked.
“You can memorize the list of names before you leave. It is not long.”
“We’ll do it.” Father Mateo sounded far too enthusiastic for Hiro’s taste.
“We will not!” He frowned at the priest. “You’re not a spy.”
“Saving lives and stopping wars is every bit as much God’s work as preaching the Gospel,” Father Mateo said. “And Hattori-sama is right—I have always wanted to see a sacred mountain.”
“A shinobi, a priest, and an elderly maid went off to visit Koya-san.” Hanzō laughed. “It sounds like the start of quite a tale.”
“Or a terrible joke,” Hiro grumbled. Not to mention, you forgot the cat.
“Stop worrying.” Father Mateo grinned. “We’re just delivering a message.”
“Indeed,” Hiro said, with irony. “I see no way it could possibly go wrong.”
CAST OF CHARACTERS
(IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
Where present, Japanese characters’ surnames precede their given names, in the Japanese style. Western surnames follow the characters’ given names, in accordance with Western conventions.
Ana – Father Mateo’s housekeeper
Father Mateo Ávila de Santos – a Christian priest from Portugal
Fuyu – an assassin (and emissary) from the Koga ryu
Gato – Hiro’s cat
Hattori Akiko – an Iga assassin; Hiro and Hanzō’s grandmother
Hattori Hanzō* – one of Japan’s most famous ninja commanders, and leader of the Iga ryu; born Hattori Masanari, also known as “Devil Hanzō”
Hattori Hiro – a shinobi (ninja) assassin from the Iga ryu, hired by an anonymous benefactor to guard Father Mateo; at times, he uses the alias Matsui Hiro
Hattori Midori – an Iga assassin and Hiro’s mother
Kiku – a female assassin (and emissary) from the Koga ryu
Koga Yajiro – leader of the emissaries sent by the Koga ryu to negotiate with Hattori Hanzō
Matsunaga Hisahide* – a samurai warlord who seized Kyoto in June 1565
Neko – a female assassin from the Iga ryu who is also Hiro’s former lover
Oda Nobunaga* – a samurai warlord who wanted to become the shogun and rule Japan
Tane – an orphaned girl, discovered in a burned-out ninja village, currently in the care of Hattori Akiko
Toshi – an assassin (and emissary) from the Koga ryu
* Designates a character who, though fictionally represented, is based upon a historical figure. [All other characters are entirely fictitious.]
GLOSSARY OF JAPANESE TERMS
D
daimyō: a samurai lord, usually the ruler of a province and/or the head of a samurai clan
F
futon: a thin padded mattress, small and pliable enough to be folded and stored out of sight during the day
H
hakama: loose, pleated pants worn over kimono or beneath a tunic or surcoat
I
ichibancha: “first picked tea”—tea leaves picked in April or early May, during the first picking of the season; Ichibancha is considered the highest quality, and most flavorful, kind of tea
J
jisei: “death poem”—a special, stylized poem written by samurai just prior to death, including (but not limited to) deliberate death by seppuku
K
kami: the Japanese word for “god” or “divine spirit”; used to describe gods, the spirits inhabiting natural objects, and certain natural forces of divine origin
kanzashi: a type of hairpin worn by women in medieval Japan
katana: the longer of the two swords worn by a samurai (the shorter one is the wakizashi)
kimono: literally, “a thing to wear”; a full-length wraparound robe traditionally worn by Japanese people of all ages and genders
kunoichi: a female shinobi
M
miso: a traditional Japanese food paste made from fermented soybeans (or, sometimes, rice or barley)
mon: a traditional Japanese family crest; the symbol of a samurai clan
N
neko-te: literally “cat’s claws,” a weapon consisting of metal or leather finger sheaths tipped with sharpened metal blades; the sheaths slipped over the ends of the wearer’s finger, allowing the blades to protrude like the claws of a cat
noren: a traditional Japanese doorway hanging, with a slit cut up the center to permit passage
nyonindo: the “women’s hall” on Mount Koya where women stayed to pray and meditate during the feudal era, when women were not allowed on the summit of the sacred mountain
O
&
nbsp; obi: a wide sash wrapped around the waist to hold a kimono closed, worn by people of all ages and genders
oe: the large central living space in a Japanese home, which featured a sunken hearth and often served as a combination of kitchen, reception room, and living area
R
ronin: a masterless samurai
ryu: literally, “school”; shinobi clans used this term as a combination identifier and association name (Hiro is a member of the Iga ryu)
S
sake (also “saké”): an alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice
-sama: a suffix used to show even higher respect than -san
samurai: a member of the medieval Japanese nobility, the warrior caste that formed the highest-ranking social class
-san: a suffix used to show respect
sencha: a type of Japanese green tea, prepared by steeping whole tea leaves in water
seppuku: a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment, originally used only by samurai
shinobi: literally, “shadowed person”; shinobi is the Japanese pronunciation of the characters that many Westerners pronounce “ninja,” which is based on a Chinese pronunciation
shogun: the military dictator and commander who acted as de facto ruler of medieval Japan
shogunate: a name for the shogun’s government and/or the compound where the shogun lived
shoji: a sliding door, usually consisting of a wooden frame with oiled paper panels
shuriken: an easily concealed, palm-sized weapon made of metal and often shaped like a cross or star, which shinobi used for throwing or as a handheld weapon in close combat
T
tanto: a fixed-blade dagger with a single- or double-edged blade measuring six to twelve inches (15–30 cm) in length
tanuki: the Japanese “raccoon dog” (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus), which, though neither a raccoon nor a dog, has been present in Japan—and in Japanese folklore—since ancient times
tatami: a traditional Japanese mat-style floor covering made in standard sizes, with the length measuring exactly twice its width; tatami usually contained a straw core covered with grass or rushes
tokonoma: a decorative alcove or recessed space set into the wall of a Japanese room; the tokonoma typically held a piece of art, a flower arrangement, or a hanging scroll
torikabuto: the Japanese name for Aconitum sp., a highly poisonous plant also known in English as aconite, wolfsbane, and monk-shood; the leaves, stems, and roots are highly toxic, causing death within one to four hours after ingestion
torikatsu: fried chicken (in modern Japan, pounded, breaded, and normally deep-fried)
W
wakizashi: the shorter of the two swords worn by a samurai (the longer one is the katana)
For additional cultural information, expanded definitions, and author’s notes, visit http://www.susanspann.com
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Most people don’t bother to read the acknowledgments section—so if you’re reading this, I appreciate you “listening” as I thank the people who helped me make this book a reality.
First and foremost: thank you, the reader, for choosing this book from the millions of others clamoring for your attention. I deeply appreciate you spending your valuable time with Hiro and Father Mateo, and with me.
Thanks to my agent, Sandra Bond, for your eagle-eyed editing, thoughtful comments, and hours of work on my behalf. You are the best business partner, and friend, an author could hope to have.
Thanks to Dan Mayer, my editor; your input made this novel stronger and prevented both Father Mateo and me from wandering off with egg—and worse—on our faces. And thanks to Jill Maxick, Jeff Curry, Nicole Sommer-Lecht, Lisa Michalski, Hanna Etu, and everyone else at Seventh Street Books who contributed to making this book a reality. I am truly blessed and honored to work with each and every one of you.
Thank you to Heather, Kerry, Julianne, Chuck, and Rae for your help, support, and constant reinforcement. To Steve, Wing, Peter, and the rest of Blood Vigil of Feathermoon—thank you for helping me escape to the World of Warcraft. To each of you, and to all of my friends: I love you and could not do this—or anything else—without you.
To Michael and Christopher: thank you for helping me keep my dreams in the air, my feet on the ground, and my butt in the chair. And to Paula, Spencer, Robert, Lola, Spencer (III), Gene, Marcie, Bob, Anna, and Matteo: words alone are not enough to thank you for all you are and do.
If you’ve made it this far, I thank you again for reading this page—and this book—to the end. If you like this novel, or any other, I hope you’ll consider telling a friend. Your praise and your recommendation are the greatest rewards an author can receive.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Spann is the author of four previous novels in the Shinobi Mystery series: Claws of the Cat, Blade of the Samurai, Flask of the Drunken Master, and The Ninja’s Daughter. She has a degree in Asian studies and a lifelong love of Japanese history and culture. When not writing or practicing law, she raises seahorses and rare corals in her marine aquarium.
