The Disfavored Hero (49 page)

“You mean Tomoe,” said Kiso Yoshinake. “It is a fair request, since you so abhor my philosophy. Your wish is granted!” Yoshinake sheathed his sword and said to his wife, “Tomoe! Kill him.”

Tomoe wavered. Shindo said to her, “Please grant this favor.” He bowed with forehead to ground.

“As you desire,” said Tomoe, but could not disguise her sorrow. She looked from bonze to Yoshinake and to Shindo once again. She drew her sword and raised it.

“One more thing,” said Shindo calmly, groping for the shaku which Yoshinake had cut from the head of the staff. “If it is no burden, it would be kind of you to return this to my fight-instructor in the yamahoshi retreat. Tell him for me that I apologize for not returning as I promised.”

“I will,” said Tomoe, her eyes filled with tears. The bonze set the shaku down near Tomoe's feet. Then he bent his head to make his neck accessible. Tomoe took a half-step backward and said, “Human lives are too long,” meaning she would rather not have lived to see this day. Then she brought her sword down swiftly. Shindo's torso slumped forward. His head with its pill-box hat was attached by the thinnest section of skin. Kiso Yoshinake's severity softened and he said to his wife, “You are stronger than I guessed! Together, we will someday rule Naipon.”

Tomoe sheathed her sword and bent to take up Shindo's shaku and placed it in her obi. “I believe you,” she said to her husband. She believed him, but was not certain that she cared.

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About the Author

Jessica Amanda Salmonson lives in the Pacific Northwest. She loves rats and Chihuahuas and has a big collection of gray-market samurai movies. Salmonson is a recipient of the World Fantasy Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and the ReaderCon Certificate. She is a biblical scholar, atheist, vegetarian, progressive, and often annoyed.

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 1981, 1997 by Jessica Amanda Salmonson

Illustrations copyright © 1981, 1998 by Wendy Adrian Wess

Cover design by Andy Ross

ISBN: 978-1-4532-9346-1

This edition published in 2015 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.

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