Moonshadow (20 page)

'I've tried to make sense of scraps of information from useful, though expensive, informants, and also to draw conclusions from certain things witnesses – an old local watchman for example – were able to tell me. It's my unhappy duty to confirm your worst suspicions, Lord.' Katsu gave a little bow. 'I believe the nuisance who did this indeed hails from the Grey Light Order. It seems, in the end, he either somehow recruited the support of that female spy your men trailed, or possibly took her prisoner after Jiro had wounded her. Some of the accounts are conflicting, some a little confused. But the boy, the one who cut Akira quite badly, appears to be GLO. These dogs of the Shogun train in a monastery in Edo. As my Lord may have heard, they are an independent force, with, it is said, members from both Iga and Koga shadow clan training backgrounds. Like many spy groups, they accept suitable orphans for training as agents.'

'Very well!' Silver Wolf closed his fist. 'So he is a Grey Light creation!' He took a deep breath, barely hanging on to his self-control. 'Now the greatest question of all. What is the name of my
number one target
from this day on?'

Katsu gave a triumphant smile. 'The nuisance is called Moonshadow, Lord.'

'Moonshadow?' Silver Wolf raised one eyebrow. 'Like the sword move?'

'Yes, Lord. Apparently such namings are a custom among the shinobi.' Katsu took a folded page of notes from his jacket. Silver Wolf rolled his eyes as Katsu studied it at length. 'Ah, yes, here's another example, Lord: one of my informers mentioned a spy whose name was Great Downward Rushing Wind, also the name of a complex sword move.'

'Yes, yes! Fascinating!' The warlord wagged a finger irritably. 'But tell me
this
! Why was the little insect, a mere orphan boy after all, so effective?'

'I learned that, young as he is, he employs the eye of the beast, that Old Country skill, thought – until recently – to have died out forever. He can influence animals, my Lord, bend them to his will, use them as
his
spies. Or so the lost art was described to me.'

'Nnng,' Silver Wolf gave a resigned sigh. 'Good job . . . as usual.' He dipped in his lavish jacket then threw Katsu a small purse. 'That's the balance of your fees, plus the standard advance on your next assignment. I need you to return to your native Edo. Learn all you can about the Grey Light Order.' His voice thickened with hatred. 'They want a shadow war? They will get it! I'll crush them. I
swear
I will. Now, one final, tactical question. Who hates them more than anyone else? Even more than I do at this moment!'

The detective consulted his interview notes. 'Their arch enemies are the oldest shadow clan, Lord. The House of Fuma.'

Silver Wolf stood up and stared at the window, turning his back on the investigator. 'I'll be writing a sealed letter to them, seeking an alliance. Come back and collect it tomorrow before you set off. On your way to Edo, there's a certain tea-house on the highway where you need leave it.' He waved a dismissal. 'That is all!'

Katsu stood and bowed low before leaving. 'As always, it's an honour to serve you.'

As the doors closed behind his visitor, Silver Wolf snatched up his sake cup and hurled it at the window. The cup hit the sill and shattered into tiny pieces.

'
Moonshadow?'
he snarled. 'I'll break him like
that
! I will have his
head
!'

TWENTY-ONE
Oath of
loyalty

Gently rubbing his shoulder bandage, Moonshadow limped through the sunlit garden of the Edo safe house. It was hidden at the end of a quiet, leafy street, far from the fortress-like walls of the Grey Light Order's monastery.

Snowhawk sat on a flat stone bench that offered an ideal view of the large carp pond. Moon smiled as he watched her stare dreamily at the water. Maple and cherry trees ringed the deep pond. Gold and red fish bobbed to the surface, quietly hunting insects. It was a scene of peace and harmony. It was the opposite of how they lived.

She glanced up and smiled. He sat down beside her. They looked at each other and Snowhawk blushed. Moon gave a silly grin.

'Congratulations,' he said, looking away quickly, 'I just heard the good news. They have accepted your oath of loyalty. So, having given it, you can stay.'

'I still have a final test to pass, involving an interview with someone called the White Nun. But whatever happens, to have come even this far . . . I owe it all to your support.' She bowed. 'It's the reason they've given me this chance.'

'No,' he said firmly. 'They've taken you in because of your great skills.'

'It was hard, you know, a few days back,' Snowhawk hung her head. 'As part of proving my new allegiance to the Grey Light Order, I had to divulge everything about the clan who reared me, my former clients, my missions. All of it! To speak of such things goes against a spy's nature, but I made myself tell them what they wanted to know.' She smiled coyly at him. 'As you did for me, back in that chalk cave.'

'Mantis said it was Clan Fuma who sent you to Fushimi.'

'Yes. They intended to auction the plans to the highest bidder among the rebel warlords. Silver Wolf is not the only malcontent. The Shogun has many enemies.' She looked at him with tears in her eyes. 'Fuma train suitable orphans, just as Grey Light do. But take it from me, they are nowhere near as kind to them.'

'That's all behind you now,' Moon said. 'They do things properly here. Brother Eagle will have you schooled in certain methods only
we
use, then he'll assign you to somebody. You'll work with them for a few missions, kind of as an apprentice.'

Her nose creased over a cheeky smile. 'Any idea who they might put me with?'

Moon shrugged. Then his face reddened. 'I know who I
hope
it is . . .'

The pair looked round. Heron entered the garden carrying a basket covered with a rug. Snowhawk and Moonshadow stood up and bowed to her.

Heron flashed her gentle, stately smile and patted the basket. A weak
meow
came from under the leaf-patterned rug. 'Your report mentioned a certain friendly temple cat. An ideal sight-joining subject, you wrote, with a tail its kind don't usually possess.'

She uncovered the basket and the cat sat up, mewing excitedly.

'Imagine our surprise,' Heron went on, 'when a sopping wet animal of just that description turned up at our Tokaido safe inn near Fushimi. I'm told the poor creature was badly bruised and appeared to be half-drowned.'

'Were you looking for me?' Moonshadow asked the cat. He gently took it from the basket and held it against his chest. It immediately started purring. 'I don't even know if it's a boy or a girl, but I owe this cat my life.' He looked to Snowhawk.

Snowhawk nodded. 'We both owe it a debt, for the destruction of The Deathless.'

Moon frowned at her words. Could anyone be sure The Deathless
had
been slain? He stared down at the temple cat. After all,
it
had somehow survived the river.

'It seems
she
wants to be your mascot.' Heron's fingers glided along the cat's spine. The animal arched its back against her touch and its tail gave a satisfied flick. 'Or perhaps, simply another new friend.' She smiled warmly at Snowhawk. 'Our Moonshadow seems to have a talent for bringing home great prizes and making new friends . . . in your case, one might say, both at once.'

Snowhawk beamed at Heron. 'You are too kind.'

Moon stroked the cat's neck and its purring grew louder. Suddenly he put it back into Heron's basket and folded his arms.

Heron studied him then spoke softly. 'Moon-Kun. How I know that look and stance! It means something weighs heavily on your mind.' She put down the basket.

Moonshadow slowly shrugged. 'Before I went on this mission, my first real mission, I often thought of myself as one who'd forever be alone. Fate has been kind. It has shown me that I'm not.' He glanced from Heron to Snowhawk and back. 'I have both family and friends. And you know what? It doesn't matter if one's family or friends are unusual, few, or as unique as this cat. Those who truly care for you are the great stones of your castle's wall.'

'Ever true, and well said,' Heron sounded proud of him. 'So why the storm clouds in your eyes?'

'Because now I also have an enemy.' Moonshadow glanced at Snowhawk. 'A man with ambition, wealth and power. A man who won't forget either of us.'

'A man,' Heron patted both their shoulders, 'you will never face alone.'

Amida (as in Lord Amida)
Pronounced
'ah-me-dah'

Buddhist spiritual being revered by many in feudal Japan. Amida is known as Amita–bha in other parts of Asia.

Ashiko
Pronounced
'ah-she-koh'

Detachable foot spikes, usually used along with
shuko
(pronounced
'shoo-koh'
) or climbing claws, they helped spies climb trees, cross ice, scale walls and even defend themselves.

Bo
Pronounced 'boh'

A hard wooden quarterstaff used in both Japan and Okinawa for close combat.

Bokken
Pronounced 'boh-ken'

A Japanese training weapon, carved from heavy wood in the shape of a samurai sword. Some bokkens even come with a matching carved (or in modern times plastic) scabbard.

Ezo
Pronounced 'eh-zoh'

One of many former names for Hokkaido, the second largest and northernmost of Japan's main islands.

Furube sutra
Pronounced
'foo-roo-beh'
('The Shrugging Off' or 'Shaking Off')

An ancient saying or prayer of preparation, recited by shinobi each dawn and dusk, and just before going into action. It was intended to clear the spy's mind of distractions, calm them and ready their skills. The furube sutra's parts could be described as the Preparation Verse, the Facing Self Verse and the Verse of One Resolved. Each 'verse' translates as a single line in English. The text of the sutra can be interpreted in a number of ways when translated from Japanese. Below is one possible rendering, kindly translated by Iaido expert and scholar Yasuhisa Watanabe and reworded by the author for tonal and dramatic purposes.

See also
Sutra
.

Gather, tidy and align your doings and their karma.

Cleanse any lies made this day, scatter not one grain of life.

To end this path in happiness, make still your mind.

Go

'Five' in Japanese. Pronounced as it reads, it can also be a name, part of a name, or a nickname.

Hachiman (as in Lord Hachiman)
Pronounced
'hah-chee-maan'

Shinto god of war, divine protector of Japan and its people, whose symbolic animal and messenger, perhaps ironically from a western viewpoint, is a dove, the Biblical symbol of peace. According to legend, Emperor Ojin, a mortal, became the divine Hachiman. After Buddhism's arrival in Japan, Hachiman was also associated with the Buddhist deity Daibosatsu. Both peasants and samurai worshipped Hachiman in medieval times, and to this day there remain over 30,000 shrines to the war god throughout Japan.

Iaido
Pronounced
'ee-eye-doh'

The samurai art of sword-drawing and duelling, which features about fifty different waza (techniques) and reached the peak of its development around five hundred years ago. Different from Kendo, which is a full-contact sport. Modern students of Iaido use steel swords in wooden scabbards and wear the traditional clothing of medieval samurai. Iaido takes many years to master. To this day, the art's 'world titles' are held in Japan, on a mountain top near Kyoto, before a Japanese prince. Author Simon Higgins has competed in this event as well as in Australia's national Iaido titles. See also
Tsukikage
.

Kami
Pronounced
'car-mee'

The Japanese term for objects of awe or worship in Shintoism, Japan's oldest (and native) religion. Though sometimes translated as 'deity' or 'gods', this is not strictly accurate and 'spirits' may be a safer way of describing the Kami, who can be 'beings' but also simply forces of nature or 'living essences'.

Kan
Pronounced
'can'

A traditional Japanese unit for measuring mass. One kan equals about 3.75 kilograms.

Karma
Pronounced
'car-ma'

The Buddhist philosophy that states that deeds or actions create cycles of 'cause and effect'. Thus, good thinking and good deeds produce good outcomes, now or at some time in the future. Brother Mantis, Moonshadow's duelling coach, is particularly wary of actions which may bring 'bad karma'.

Ki
Pronounced
'kee'

The life force common to all living things. Internal or spiritual energy, which in traditional Asian martial arts is harnessed to increase a warrior's power and stamina. Using ancient sciences like sight-joining can quickly deplete a shinobi's
ki
.

Kimono
Pronounced
'kee-mo-no'

Literally means 'something worn'. T-shaped, ankle-length robes worn by men, women and children of all classes. Recognisably the traditional clothing of the Japanese.

Kirishima
Pronounced
'ki-ri-shee-mah
'

The Japanese name by which the country's colourful native azaleas were first known. It derives from the flowering plant's home locality: Kirishima is a mountain in Kagoshima Prefecture in Southern Kyushu.

Koga
Pronounced
'koh-gah'

Like Iga (pronounced
'ee-gah'
), a name associated with a mountain region of Japan in which 'shadow clans' trained highly skilled contract spies and assassins whose powers of stealth and disguise became legendary. Author Simon Higgins visited a preserved three-hundred-year-old Koga ninja house that features a display of weapons and tools and, beneath a trap door, an underground escape passage. It stands near Konan railway station in farming country outside Kyoto.

-Kun

When pronounced, the u takes on an
'oo'
sound. An honorific used by seniors when addressing their juniors. Also used as a term of affection. See also
-San
.

Mochi
Pronounced
'mo-chee'

Traditional Japanese sweets. Attractively wrapped in special paper, mochi vary in size, colour and style throughout Japan. They may contain unusual textures and flavours derived from plums, chestnuts or various vegetables. Author Simon Higgins became addicted to
mochi
on his first trip to Japan in 1982.

Moonshadow
See
Tsukikage

Naginata
Pronounced
'na-gi-nah-ta'

A weapon consisting of a long pole fitted with a curved, single-edged blade. Sometimes used by spies, the short naginata was also a favourite weapon of high-born samurai women, being ideally suited for self-defence indoors.

Ronin
Pronounced
'ro-nin'

Literally 'wave men' – unemployed samurai, warriors who had lost their ruling lord through military defeat, death or some other disbandment of his fiefdom. Many roamed the country, duelling or taking work as bodyguards, mercenaries or assassins.

Sake
Pronounced '
sah-kay'

Japanese for 'alcoholic beverage', it can refer to alcoholic drinks in general, but usually refers to the traditional Japanese drink made by fermenting polished rice. Though often called 'rice wine' sake is actually brewed, so is really more like beer than wine.

Samurai
Pronounced
'sa-moo-rye'

A member of the ruling warrior class; a warrior in a warlord's service.

-San
The a is pronounced with a slight
'u'
sound as in
'sun'
. An honorific attached to a person's name to show one is addressing them with respect. It can be taken to mean 'Mr', 'Mrs', 'Miss' or, nowadays, 'Ms'.

Shinobi
Pronounced '
shi-no-bee'

Also known as ninja. Those adept at spying or covert scouting. Some shinobi were also hired killers. They were trained in a wide variety of secret and martial arts, said to include combat with and without weapons, acrobatics, the use of explosives, poisons, traps, hypnotism and numerous forms of disguise. Some of the most effective historical
ninja
were women who went 'undercover' inside well-guarded fortresses, successfully stealing information or carrying out assassinations.

Shogun
Pronounced 's
how-gun'

Abbreviated form of Sei-I-Tai Shogun ('barbarian-subduing general'). The ultimate commander of the Japanese warrior class who, prior to 1867, exercised virtually absolute rule (officially) under the leadership of the Emperor, who was in fact a figurehead only. Most warlords aspired to seize or earn this auspicious rank.

Shuko
Pronounced
'shoo-koh'

Iron claws worn on the hands to assist climbing. Shuko were used, usually along with
ashiko
(foot spikes) to scale walls and climb up trees, cross icy surfaces and even during combat.

Shuriken
Pronounced '
shoo-ri-ken'

Circular or star-shaped throwing knives, usually black and made in ingots or from thin sheets of iron. They could have four, eight, twelve or more points. Each 'shadow clan' or spy group used their own distinctive style or styles of shuriken. Thrown overarm, they were aimed for soft points such as the throat, eyes or temple. Their tips could be poisoned or flecked with a powerful sedative if the target was to be taken alive. Any shuriken wound disrupted and weakened an enemy.

Sutra
Pronounced '
soo-tra'

A 'scripture' of the Buddhist faith; teachings which were sometimes chanted or recited to focus and empower the devotee. See also
Furube sutra
.

Temple cat
(also called
Kimono cat
)

A patterned cat, respected in Japan for centuries, whose back markings are said to resemble a woman in a kimono, hence their other name. Considered sacred, these cats usually have a stumpy, triangular tail. They are still found in many parts of Japan. Author Simon Higgins has photographed Kimono cats in the temples of central Tokyo (known in Moonshadow's time as Edo).

Tengu
Pronounced
'teng-goo'

According to the superstitions of Old Japan, a long-nosed, tree-dwelling mountain devil, fond of lurking in the canopies of cryptomeria (Japanese cedar) trees. Tengu were often blamed for missing travellers, who were more likely the victims of bandits.

Tetsubishi
Pronounced '
tet-soo-bi-she'

Also known as makibishi or (in Europe) caltrops. Sharp, usually triple-spiked foot jacks made from iron or twisted wire. The jack's tips were sometimes flecked with poison. They could be painted to blend in with reed matting or a polished wooden floor. Able to penetrate sandals, tetsubishi caused unexpected injuries, stopping or slowing a pursuer.

Tori (gate)
Pronounced
'tor-ree'

A simple, usually three-beamed, wooden archway found at the entrance to a Shinto shrine. Often painted red, a tori gate signified entering a place visited by both spirits and the living. Throughout medieval times, Shinto, the native religion of Japan, and Buddhism, which had more recently spread to Japan from China, existed peacefully side by side.

Travel Guidebooks (in Old Japan)

Even in medieval times, the Japanese, despite the many dangers their land frequently presented, were enthusiastic tourists, and an entire industry developed around publishing travel guidebooks, some of them illustrated. But as a reference in
Moonshadow
(concerning Snowhawk's thoughts) implies, the guidebooks were not always reliable, some containing sensational, convenient or misleading information.

Tsukikage
Pronounced
'skee-car-geh'

A 470-year-old sword 'waza' (technique) of the Musou Jikiden Eishin-Ryu school of Iaido, the art of the samurai sword. The Moonshadow technique employs a low, delayed turn, then rising at the attacking foe and executing a crescent strike at their raised forearms. This combination block-and-cut is followed by a push then a step, after which a fatal single vertical cut is unleashed. The characters making up the technique's name can be translated as 'moonshadow'. See also
Iaido
.

Water spiders (mizu gumo)
Pronounced
'mi-zoogoo-mo'

Circular foot floats on which a spy balanced in order to cross a moat, pond or still river. Only those of very light build could operate them. Festival sideshows in modern Japan still tempt contestants to take the 'mizu gumo challenge' and try to cross a shallow 'moat' with round floats on their feet. The rare successes (usually children) take home prizes. The rest get a free bath. Some historians believe that the mizu gumo design used by Koga shinobi was actually a single wooden lifebuoy or flotation ring, inside which the spy was suspended, submerged to the chest. Below the ring, small foot-mounted paddles helped propel him forward.

Yojimbo
Pronounced '
yoh-jim-bo
'

A bodyguard or security officer. Most yojimbo in historical Japan were either trusted samurai retainers assigned to guard their lord's life and family, or were hirelings, ronin (see above) whose need for income and evident sword skills made them a reliable choice of protector, say for a travelling merchant or performer forced to enter a war zone or a region plagued by bandits. In reality, many so-called yojimbo were really little more than hired assassins or, at the other end of the scale, the equivalent of modern western 'bouncers' or security guards, keeping the peace outside a tavern or guarding a vulnerable warehouse.