Gai-Jin 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
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James Clavell, Gai-Jin
(Series: Asian Saga # 3)