[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
not always that with snow upon the roof, Dr. Tanner."
HIDEYOSHI LED THEM eventually into a room that they hadn't seen before. From
the
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[html].html (83 of 260) [12/28/2004 1:01:18 AM]
James Axler - Death Lands - Keeper of the Sun magnificence of the wood
carvings and the decorations, this was obviously the ceremonial hub of the
entire building.
It was a hall, fully a hundred feet long and fifty feet wide, with a vaulted
roof that soared above them.
The first thing that Ryan noticed was a large rectangle of pure white cotton,
set perfectly in the center of the room, its corners tacked down with
copper-headed nails.
About a hundred men were in the room, standing in a silent row, lining the
walls beneath an array of gleaming metal lamps. The majority of them were
ordinary foot soldiers, dressed in crisp uniforms of red and white. Most
carried long-hafted pikes with hooked blades, though some had the 7.62 mm
rifles that Ryan had seen before.
Mashashige wasn't there, though there was a raised chair close to the longer
edge of the white cloth. A small group of the fortress's own samurai stood
together, all in finest dress clothes and armor, all with their swords.
There was also no sign of any prisoner.
It crossed Ryan's mind that this might be a trap for their benefit, and at any
moment there would be a signal and the men with pikes would rush at them. He
noticed J.B.'s right hand rested on the butt of the Uzi and knew that the same
thought had occurred to his oldest friend.
"Stand here with me," Hideyoshi whispered. "This is a specially honorable
position, so you may all witness everything that is to happen."
"Thanks," Ryan said.
Doc placed himself to one side, with J.B. on the other. Jak, his white hair
flaming like an incandescent candle, was next to the Armorer.
Ryan glanced at his chron as a blare of trumpets, followed by thunderous drums
and a brazen gong, shattered the stillness in the great hall.
Two large double doors at the far end swung slowly open, and in walked Lord
Mashashige. At his side, chatting to him as though they were old friends, was
the ronin, dressed entirely in black the man who was about to take his own
life in front of them
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[html].html (84 of 260) [12/28/2004 1:01:18 AM]
James Axler - Death Lands - Keeper of the Sun all.
Chapter Thirteen
The two Japanese men stood together, Mashashige slender and every inch an
athlete, and his would-be assassin, who was an inch or so taller and looked to
weigh a good fifty pounds more. The ronin looked calm and friendly, not at all
like someone about to put himself to a hideous ending.
Mashashige clasped hands with his enemy, then went to sit on his throne, the
sheath of his plain sword making a faint scraping sound on the polished floor.
The ronin walked barefoot onto the rectangle of cloth and knelt, shrugging off
his gown so that he was effectively naked from the waist up.
At a sign from the shogun, Takei Yashimoto strutted forward, holding a dagger
on a white velvet cushion, a tassel of white silk dangling from the inlaid
Page 49
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
hilt. Ryan guessed the blade was between nine and ten inches in length.
"The wakizashi
," Hideyoshi whispered. "And the lord himself is to act as his& What is the
proper word for a man who is an assistant in a duel?"
"A second?" Doc said quietly. The old man was perspiring, and his face was
parchment pale. Ryan noticed that his breathing was fast and shallow.
"Yes. Is word. The lord will be second to ronin and will perform the final
act."
The doomed man bowed to Yashimoto and took the dagger in both hands, laying it
on the cloth in front of him, where it drew the eye like a jeweled insect.
"Now he will make short speech," Hideyoshi said.
It was done in Japanese and lasted about five minutes by Ryan's reckoning.
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James Axler - Death Lands - Keeper of the Sun
Hideyoshi gave a running translation, pattering it under his breath while Ryan
and the others crowded close around him to hear what was being said.
"He say good to see many people here to witness his change from life to death&
asks for prayers for ancestors& begs forgiveness for rising against Lord
Mashashige and his house& regrets he will no more walk through mountains and
watch eagles soar and salmon leap and smell blossom on flowering cherry.... "
The ronin turned his eyes toward the little group of foreigners. "Now he say
honored that you four here to watch him&
don't know right word. Pay for his wrongdoing."
Finally the speech was done and the room was silent. One of the servants
nearly dropped a long pike and barely caught it before it crashed to the
floor.
"Now begins," Hideyoshi breathed. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
not always that with snow upon the roof, Dr. Tanner."
HIDEYOSHI LED THEM eventually into a room that they hadn't seen before. From
the
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20...per%20of%20the%20Sun%20(v1.0)%20
[html].html (83 of 260) [12/28/2004 1:01:18 AM]
James Axler - Death Lands - Keeper of the Sun magnificence of the wood
carvings and the decorations, this was obviously the ceremonial hub of the
entire building.
It was a hall, fully a hundred feet long and fifty feet wide, with a vaulted
roof that soared above them.
The first thing that Ryan noticed was a large rectangle of pure white cotton,
set perfectly in the center of the room, its corners tacked down with
copper-headed nails.
About a hundred men were in the room, standing in a silent row, lining the
walls beneath an array of gleaming metal lamps. The majority of them were
ordinary foot soldiers, dressed in crisp uniforms of red and white. Most
carried long-hafted pikes with hooked blades, though some had the 7.62 mm
rifles that Ryan had seen before.
Mashashige wasn't there, though there was a raised chair close to the longer
edge of the white cloth. A small group of the fortress's own samurai stood
together, all in finest dress clothes and armor, all with their swords.
There was also no sign of any prisoner.
It crossed Ryan's mind that this might be a trap for their benefit, and at any
moment there would be a signal and the men with pikes would rush at them. He
noticed J.B.'s right hand rested on the butt of the Uzi and knew that the same
thought had occurred to his oldest friend.
"Stand here with me," Hideyoshi whispered. "This is a specially honorable
position, so you may all witness everything that is to happen."
"Thanks," Ryan said.
Doc placed himself to one side, with J.B. on the other. Jak, his white hair
flaming like an incandescent candle, was next to the Armorer.
Ryan glanced at his chron as a blare of trumpets, followed by thunderous drums
and a brazen gong, shattered the stillness in the great hall.
Two large double doors at the far end swung slowly open, and in walked Lord
Mashashige. At his side, chatting to him as though they were old friends, was
the ronin, dressed entirely in black the man who was about to take his own
life in front of them
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20...per%20of%20the%20Sun%20(v1.0)%20
[html].html (84 of 260) [12/28/2004 1:01:18 AM]
James Axler - Death Lands - Keeper of the Sun all.
Chapter Thirteen
The two Japanese men stood together, Mashashige slender and every inch an
athlete, and his would-be assassin, who was an inch or so taller and looked to
weigh a good fifty pounds more. The ronin looked calm and friendly, not at all
like someone about to put himself to a hideous ending.
Mashashige clasped hands with his enemy, then went to sit on his throne, the
sheath of his plain sword making a faint scraping sound on the polished floor.
The ronin walked barefoot onto the rectangle of cloth and knelt, shrugging off
his gown so that he was effectively naked from the waist up.
At a sign from the shogun, Takei Yashimoto strutted forward, holding a dagger
on a white velvet cushion, a tassel of white silk dangling from the inlaid
Page 49
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
hilt. Ryan guessed the blade was between nine and ten inches in length.
"The wakizashi
," Hideyoshi whispered. "And the lord himself is to act as his& What is the
proper word for a man who is an assistant in a duel?"
"A second?" Doc said quietly. The old man was perspiring, and his face was
parchment pale. Ryan noticed that his breathing was fast and shallow.
"Yes. Is word. The lord will be second to ronin and will perform the final
act."
The doomed man bowed to Yashimoto and took the dagger in both hands, laying it
on the cloth in front of him, where it drew the eye like a jeweled insect.
"Now he will make short speech," Hideyoshi said.
It was done in Japanese and lasted about five minutes by Ryan's reckoning.
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20...per%20of%20the%20Sun%20(v1.0)%20
[html].html (85 of 260) [12/28/2004 1:01:18 AM]
James Axler - Death Lands - Keeper of the Sun
Hideyoshi gave a running translation, pattering it under his breath while Ryan
and the others crowded close around him to hear what was being said.
"He say good to see many people here to witness his change from life to death&
asks for prayers for ancestors& begs forgiveness for rising against Lord
Mashashige and his house& regrets he will no more walk through mountains and
watch eagles soar and salmon leap and smell blossom on flowering cherry.... "
The ronin turned his eyes toward the little group of foreigners. "Now he say
honored that you four here to watch him&
don't know right word. Pay for his wrongdoing."
Finally the speech was done and the room was silent. One of the servants
nearly dropped a long pike and barely caught it before it crashed to the
floor.
"Now begins," Hideyoshi breathed. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]