Claws of the Cat by Susan Spann

Author:Susan Spann [Spann, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Historical Mystery, Japan
ISBN: 9781250027023
Amazon: 1250027020
Goodreads: 16045114
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Published: 2013-07-16T07:00:00+00:00

The next morning Hiro woke before dawn. A gentle but unexpected weight pressed down on his feet and ankles. He raised his head and saw the tortoiseshell kitten curled in a ball at the end of the futon, directly atop his feet. She had her tail tucked under her nose and her eyes screwed shut in sleep. When Hiro stirred she raised her head and gave him a sleepy look, then closed her eyes and laid her head down with a sigh.

Hiro slipped out from under the kitten and into his practice clothes, a dark blue tunic and surcoat that belted at the waist and a pair of baggy black hakama that almost reached the ground. He slipped on a pair of socks with a separate section for the toe and special soles designed for outside wear without sandals, opened the sliding door to the garden, and knelt on the veranda.

He spent several minutes in silent meditation, eyes closed and listening to his surroundings. He heard a breeze in the cherry tree and a koi break the surface of the pond. Leaves rustled, a shutter creaked, and a bird made a sleepy chirp on the far side of the garden wall. Hiro isolated each sound and imprinted it in his memory.

When he finished Hiro went back inside and went through a series of katas. The practice forms kept his body limber and his muscles familiar with fighting stances. Most mornings he practiced in the yard or on the roof, but that morning he worked inside to practice stealth on the raised wooden floor that often creaked underfoot. Hiro completed his exercises without a sound.

He didn’t even wake the sleeping kitten.

Half an hour before sunrise Hiro changed to his usual gray kimono, fastened his swords to his obi, and left the room. He left the kitten dozing on the futon.

Candlelight flickered in Father Mateo’s room. Hiro saw the Jesuit’s shadow against the paper panels of the dividing wall. As he expected, the priest was kneeling in prayer.

Hiro slipped to the front door using nuki-ashi, a secret step that prevented floorboards from creaking. He had several errands to run that morning and intended to accomplish them alone.

He walked west to the river, crossed the bridge, and continued on toward the Nishijin district, which lay in the northwest corner of the city. He reached the silk and embroiderers’ ward as the sun began to rise.

Hiro took his time as he walked along the unpaved street. Two-story buildings rose on both sides of the narrow thoroughfare. The merchants lived on the second floor, above their street-level workshops and storefronts. Hiro often wondered if they found the close quarters stifling. He couldn’t imagine living where the neighbors could see from their windows into his own.

In an hour or two the street would bustle with shoppers and ring with merchants’ voices announcing their fabulous wares, but at dawn the road was empty and the stores were shuttered tight. Here and there turtledoves strolled in the road.

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