James Axler – Keepers of the Sun

For a moment there was silence, broken only by a burst of gunfire and the crackling of the red-orange flames that flared above the rooftops.

“Why not break out of here?” Ryan asked, surprised at the fatalistic acceptance of defeat from a man he had come to admire and like.

“How?”

“Unburned side. Into the water. Head for the gateway and jump into Deathlands. Just a few of you can’t hurt.” He didn’t mention his plan to destroy the whole mat-trans unit as soon as they’d initiated their jump out of Japan.

“Why?”

“Better than dying.”

The shogun smiled gently. “You do not understand us, my friend. If I run, then I am a dead man. Totally unworthy of respect. Better to depart from this dark world on my own terms, with honor intact. Toyotomi Hideyoshi here will aid me in my passing.”

His number three immediately bowed low. “I will so do, dear Lord Mashashige.”

“Then we might as well leave you.” Ryan looked around at the pitiful remnants of the once-powerful shogun’s forces. “If that’s truly your final decision. No point in everyone sinking with the ship.”

Mashashige nodded. He raised his voice and barked an order in Japanese. His sec men looked at him, and at one another. Then all of them bowed to the floor and scampered away in the direction of the rear of the fortress.

He looked at the pair of warriors, who were nervously shuffling their feet. “I also release you from your oath of What is word I wish, Doctor-san?”

” Fealty would do nicely,” Doc replied.

The shogun smiled at him. “Thank you for guidance. I shall miss having such teachers of the American way of speaking.” He turned to the samurai. “Leave me now. There is no dishonor in saving your lives. Take your concubines and any servants that live, and flee this place of death.” He held up a hand as they both began a halfhearted protest. “No. Do not stop for speeching. Time runs faster than a man’s hopes. Go.”

Like the sec men, the two samurai bowed their way out of the presence of the shogun.

Less than ten seconds after their departure, there was a long burst of shooting and a scream from that direction.

“Think we missed the fat lady singing after all,” J.B. said, readying the Uzi at his hip.

Ryan smiled grimly at his oldest friend. “Not over until it’s over. Well, this looks like over to me.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

Ryan felt the floor quiver as yet another tremor ran below the fortress. Unlike the others, it lasted for better than half a minute, but never developed into a serious quake. A war banner that was hung from one of the walls of the courtyard fluttered and fell down in coils of bright silk. Mashashige turned to watch its fall, his face showing no emotion.

“That was the flag of my honorable father,” he said. “I think perhaps it’s an omen.”

The shooting had been so close that Ryan realized their retreat toward the safety of the water was barred. The Trader used to say that if you could run, then you ran. If you couldn’t run, then you stood and fought.

Now they could all hear many raised voices and the tramp of heavy boots coming from the corridor to the north of the courtyard, the side of the ville farthest from the steadily advancing flames.

Mashashige steadied himself for a moment on the arm of his chair and stood, hand on the hilt of his sword. “It is my brother,” he said. “As my guests, I do not think you will be harmed. They will fear your guns. Do not interfere, whatever happens now. And all will be well for you.”

Ryan bit his lip. Now that it was all coming down to the wire, the main thing was to focus on survival. If they could all walk safe, then it was worth taking the advice of the shogun. “Yeah, all right,” he said.

“We just watch?” Jak asked disbelievingly. “Just stand and watch?”

“Right. Unless we’re threatened directly. Then we move and we all move.”

A flimsy door was flung open, and fifteen or so armed men burst into the courtyard. Ryuku Mashashige was three or four inches taller than his shogun brother, and at least a hundred and fifty pounds heavier.