Ketterer claimed it a victory, the city had been burned, Sanjiro humbled and, most important, the fleet was unharmed--weather had made his decision necessary, he maintained.

In Kyoto, the moment Ogama of Choshu heard that Kagoshima was destroyed--with Sanjiro reported killed--he launched a surprise night coup, code name Crimson Sky, to regain total control of the Gates, lured into another trap of Yoshi's design. At once Yodo of Tosa and all fence-sitting daimyos joined with the Shogunate against Ogama --better a weak Shogunate guarding the Gates than a single, all-powerful Ogama.

So the coup was put down, Ogama forced out of Kyoto to retreat to Shimonoseki and his Straits, there to lick his wounds, swearing vengeance, particularly on his er/while ally Yoshi. And to prepare for war.

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, Shogun Nobusada returning to Yedo, without his Princess, convinced that Kyoto 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 Shogunate 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

PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS The Gai-jin MALCOLM STRUAN, 20, eldest son and heir apparent of CULUM STRUAN, 42, present tai-pan 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 fiancee 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, 39, 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 PALLIDAR, 24, Captain of the Dragoons DMITRI SYBORODIN, 38, American trader of Cossack descent EDWARD GORNT, 27, gentleman, Shanghai trader, from Virginia HEATHERLY SKYE, 41, the only solicitor in the Japans HENRI BONAPARTE SERATARD, 41, French Minister to the Japans ANDR`E 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, descendent of SHOGUN 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 HISAKO, 29, his wife INEJIN, 42, innkeeper and his spymaster MISAMOTO, 31, fisherman, convict, his make-believe samurai, a secret American-speaking interpreter SHOGUN NOBUSADA, 16, the 14th Toranaga Shogun PRINCESS YAZU, 16, his wife, stepsister of Emperor Komei LORD ANJO, 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 Kyoto MEIKIN, 44, KOIKO'S mama-san of Yedo's House of Wisteria RAIKO, 42, mama-san of Yokohama's House of Three Carp FUJIKO, 17, courtesan, sought by PHILLIP TYRER NEMI, 23, courtesan, JAMIE MCFAY'S ai-jin HINODEH, 24, courtesan, ANDR`E 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 ORI, 17, leader of a Satsuma cell SHORIN, 19, of Satsuma, his deputy SUMOMO, 16, SHORIN'S sister, also shishi, HIRAGA'S wife-to-be The End