Emperor of the Eight Islands: Book 1 in the Tale of Shikanoko (The Tale of Shikanoko series)
Authors: Lian Hearn
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Frail indeed must be
Cross threads of frost and drawn threads
Fashioned of dewdrops
For brocades in the mountains
Are woven only to scatter
—
from
Kokin Wakashū: The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry
, translated by Helen Craig McCullough
THE TALE OF SHIKANOKO LIST OF CHARACTERS
MAIN CHARACTERS
Kumayama no Kazumaru, later known as Shikanoko or
Shika
Nishimi no Akihime, the Autumn Princess,
Aki
Kuromori no
Kiyoyori
, the Kuromori lord
Lady
Tama
, his wife, the Matsutani lady
Masachika
, Kiyoyori’s younger brother
Hina
, sometimes known as Yayoi, his daughter
Tsumaru
, his son
Bara
or Ibara, Hina’s servant
Yoshimori, also Yoshimaru, the Hidden Emperor,
Yoshi
Takeyoshi, also Takemaru, son of Shikanoko and Akihime,
Take
Lady
Tora
Shisoku
, the mountain sorcerer
Sesshin
, an old wise man
The
Prince Abbot
Akuzenji
, King of the Mountain, a bandit
Hisoku
, Lady Tama’s retainer
THE MIBOSHI CLAN
Lord
Aritomo
, head of the clan, also known as the Minatogura lord
Yukikuni no
Takaakira
The
Yukikuni lady
, his wife
Takauji
, their son
Arinori
, lord of the Aomizu area, a sea captain
Yamada Keisaku
, Masachika’s adoptive father
Gensaku
, one of Takaakira’s retinue
Yasuie
, one of Masachika’s men
Yasunobu
, his brother
THE KAKIZUKI CLAN
Lord
Keita
, head of the clan
Hosokawa no
Masafusa
, a kinsman of Kiyoyori
Tsuneto
, one of Kiyoyori’s warriors
Sadaike
, one of Kiyoyori’s warriors
Tachiyama no
Enryo
, one of Kiyoyori’s warriors
Hatsu
, his wife
Kongyo
, Kiyoyori’s senior retainer
Haru
, his wife
Chikamaru, later Motochika,
Chika
, his son
Kaze
, his daughter
Hironaga
, a retainer at Kuromori
Tsunesada
, a retainer at Kuromori
Taro
, a servant in Kiyoyori’s household in Miyako
THE IMPERIAL COURT
The
Emperor
Prince Momozono
, the Crown Prince
Lady Shinmei’in
, his wife, Yoshimori’s mother
Daigen
, his younger brother, later Emperor
Lady Natsue
, Daigen’s mother, sister of the Prince Abbot
Yoriie
, an attendant
Nishimi no
Hidetake
, Aki’s father, foster father to Yoshimori
Kai
, his adopted daughter
AT THE TEMPLE OF RYUSONJI
Gessho
, a warrior monk
Eisei
, a young monk, later one of the
Burnt Twins
AT KUMAYAMA
Shigetomo
, Shikanoko’s father
Sademasa
, his brother, Shikanoko’s uncle, now lord of the estate
Nobuto
, one of his warriors
Tsunemasa
, one of his warriors
Naganori
, one of his warriors
Nagatomo
, Naganori’s son, Shika’s childhood friend, later one of the
Burnt Twins
AT NISHIMI
Lady Sadako
and
Lady Masako
, Hina’s teachers
Saburo
, a groom
THE RIVERBANK PEOPLE
Lady Fuji
, the mistress of the pleasure boats
Asagao
, a musician and entertainer
Yuri
,
Sen
,
Sada
, and
Teru
, young girls at the convent
Sarumaru,
Saru
, an acrobat and monkey trainer
Kinmaru
and
Monmaru
, acrobats and monkey trainers
THE SPIDER TRIBE
Kiku
, later Master Kikuta, Lady Tora’s oldest son
Mu
, her second son
Kuro
, her third son
Ima
, her fourth son
Ku
, her fifth son
Tsunetomo
, a warrior, Kiku’s retainer
Shida
, Mu’s wife, a fox woman
Kinpoge
, their daughter
Unagi
, a merchant in Kitakami
SUPERNATURAL BEINGS
Tadashii
, a tengu
Hidari
and
Migi
, guardian spirits of Matsutani
The dragon child
Ban
, a flying horse
Gen
, a fake wolf
Kon
and
Zen
, werehawks
HORSES
Nyorin
, Akuzenji’s white stallion, later Shikanoko’s
Risu
, a bad-tempered brown mare
Tan
, their foal
WEAPONS
Jato
, Snake Sword
Jinan
, Second Son
Ameyumi
, Rain Bow
Kodama
, Echo
“Did you see what happened?”
“Where is your father?” Two men were standing above him, their shapes dark against the evening sky. One was his uncle, Sademasa, the other Nobuto, whom he didn’t like.
Kazumaru said, “We heard a funny noise,” and he mimed placing stones on a board. “Clack, clack, clack. Father told me to wait here.”
The men had come upon the seven-year-old hidden in the long grass, in the sort of form deer stamp out for their fawns. The horses had nearly stepped on him. When his uncle lifted him up the grass had printed deep lines on his cheek. He must have been there for hours.
“Who brings a child on a scouting mission?” Nobuto said quietly.
“He can’t be separated from him.”
“I’ve never seen a father so besotted!”
“Or a child so spoiled,” Sademasa replied. “If he were mine…”
Kazumaru did not like their tone. He sensed their mockery. He said nothing but resolved to tell his father when he saw him.
“Any sign of his horse?” Sademasa asked Nobuto.
The older man looked toward the trees. “The tracks lead up there.”
A small group of stunted trees clung to the side of the volcanic mountain. Some were dying, some already stumps. The air smelled of sulfur, and steam hissed from vents in the ground. The men went warily forward, their bows in their hands. Kazumaru followed them.
“Cursed-looking place,” Nobuto said.
The larger tree stumps were crisscrossed with faint lines. A few black stones, a handful of white shells were scattered on the ground.
“Something bled here.” Nobuto pointed at a splash on a pale rock. He crouched and touched it with his finger. “Still wet.”
The blood was dark, almost purple.
“Is it his?” Sademasa whispered.
“Doesn’t look human to me,” Nobuto replied. He sniffed his finger. “Doesn’t smell human either.” He wiped his hand on the rock and stood, looked around, then suddenly shouted, “Lord Shigetomo! Where are you?”
You, you, you
, came back the echo from the mountain, and behind the echo another sound, like a flock of birds beating their wings.
Kazumaru looked up as the flock passed overhead. He saw it was made up of strange-looking beings, with wings and beaks and talons like birds, but wearing clothes of a sort, red jackets, blue leggings. They looked down on him and pointed and laughed. One of them brandished a sword in one hand, a bow in the other.