Category Novel

CHAPTER 16 : Part 2 – Shogun   “I’ll visit Lord Kiyama the day after tomorrow,” he said, naming a deadline.   “But the contagion? I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to you while you’re here in Osaka, my…

CHAPTER 16 : Part 1 – Shogun   “Perhaps it would have been better to consult me before removing my prisoner from my jurisdiction, Lord Ishido,” Toranaga was saying.   “The barbarian was in the common prison with common people.…

CHAPTER 15 : Part 2 – Shogun All the swords of his men sang out of their scabbards. At his order one of the bandits stationed himself behind Blackthorne, his sword raised and readied, and again the leader harangued the…

CHAPTER 15 : Part 1 – Shogun   In the utter silence, Blackthorne got to his feet.   “Thy confession, my son, say it quickly.”   “I—I don’t think—I—” Blackthorne realized through his dulled mind that he was speaking English,…

CHAPTER 14 : Part 3 – Shogun The old monk closed his eyes, prayed, and cried himself to sleep.   Much as he wished it, Blackthorne could not sleep though night had come. His flesh crawled from the lice bites.…

CHAPTER 14 : Part 2 – Shogun “Come with me, my son.”   Without waiting, the monk hobbled down the cage, through the mass of men, into the gloom. Blackthorne hesitated, not wanting to leave his place. Then he got…

CHAPTER 14 : Part 1 – Shogun For Blackthorne it was a hellish dawn. He was locked in a death battle with a fellow convict. The prize was a cup of gruel. Both men were naked. Whenever a convict was…

CHAPTER 13 : Part 2 – Shogun  “Good night, Tora-sama. Sweet dreamlessness.” She bowed to him and to Hiro-matsu and then she was gone.   They sipped their tea appreciatively.   Toranaga said, “I’m always sorry we never had a…

CHAPTER 13 : Part 1 – Shogun That night Toranaga could not sleep. This was rare for him because normally he could defer the most pressing problem until the next day, knowing that if he was alive the next day…

CHAPTER 12 – Shogun As Toranaga watched the barbarian leave the room, he took his mind regretfully off the startling interview and came to grips with the more immediate problem of Ishido.   Toranaga had decided not to dismiss the…

CHAPTER 11 : Part 2 – Shogun   “Yes. It’s our custom, Sire. To be paid and to have a share of all plun—of all trade and all enemy goods captured.”   “So you’re a mercenary?”   “I was hired…

CHAPTER 11 : Part 1 – Shogun Yoshi Naga, officer of the watch, was a mean-tempered, dangerous youth of seventeen. “Good morning, Sire. Welcome back.”   “Thank you. Lord Toranaga’s expecting me.”   “Yes.” Even if Hiro-matsu had not been…

CHAPTER 10 : Part 2 – Shogun   “Do you want to rest now?”   “No, Ingeles. Talking’s better. Talking helps to take the pain away. Madonna, my head hurts! I can’t think clearly. Let’s talk until you go ashore.…

CHAPTER 10 : Part 1 – Shogun  Their journey from the bay to Osaka was uneventful. Rodrigues’ rutters were explicit and very accurate. During the first night Rodrigues regained consciousness. In the beginning he thought he was dead but the…

CHAPTER 9 : Part 2 – Shogun You will be my vassal, Anjin-san!   He went down the side of the cliff with great skill. When he was halfway down he slipped. His left hand held onto an outcrop. This…

CHAPTER 9 : Part 1 – Shogun  They were quickly on land. Blackthorne intended to lead but Yabu usurped that position and set a strong pace, which he was hard put to keep up with. The other six samurai were…

CHAPTER 8 : Part 3 – Shogun   “Hai, Anjin-san?” the mate asked. He was a middle-aged man with strong white teeth and a broad, weatherbeaten face. A livid bruise marked his cheek where the sea had battered him against…

CHAPTER 8 : Part 2 – Shogun   He opened the well-oiled lock and took out his private rutter to check some bearings for the nearest haven and his eyes saw the sealed packet the priest, Father Sebastio, had given…

CHAPTER 8 : Part 1 – Shogun   “What do you think, Ingeles?”   “I think there’ll be a storm.”   “When?”   “Before sunset.”   It was near noon and they were standing on the quarterdeck of the galley…

CHAPTER 7 : Part 5 – Shogun   “Iyé,” the samurai said, shaking his head. “Kasigi Yabu-sama!”   “IYÉ?” Rodrigues said. “Kasigi Yabu-sama? I’m from Toda Hiro-matsu-sama, who’s a bigger king than your bugger and Toady-sama’s from Toranaga-sama, who’s the…