Twelve Hours Later by AJ Sikes BJ Sikes Dover Whitecliff Sharon E. Cathcart

Author:AJ Sikes, BJ Sikes, Dover Whitecliff, Sharon E. Cathcart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thinking Ink Press
Published: 2017-05-24T00:00:00+00:00

Twelve Hours Later

A Demon in the Noonday Sun

By Lillian Csernica

12:00 PM, Kyoto

Dr. William Harrington stood on the famous veranda of the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, Japan. Between exhaustion and the biting chill of the winter breeze, he longed for his greatcoat and a muffler. Even at noon, the gray wool of his tailcoat, waistcoat, and trousers were not enough. The Japanese had a custom of carrying their outer coats during important events. That explained a great deal about all the layering of kimono. He shivered. The study of medicine had left him unscathed, but the art of diplomacy might kill him yet.

Two of the monks of the Kiyomizu Temple helped their aged abbot cross the cypress planks one slow step at a time. All three wore what looked like a white kimono, a black kimono over that, and a golden garment wound around their torsos. The wheelchair sat waiting, its brass and copper fittings gleaming in the late December sun. Davis, the naval engineer who’d built the chair, stood behind it. The seat itself was a modified wingback, not quite as broad nor quite so high, yet well-upholstered in fine tapestry fabric. Harrington had wondered at the strange pairing of cranes and turtles until his interpreter had explained the folklore about both creatures representing longevity.

“The chair will work?” asked Alexander Thompson, Undersecretary for Technological Exchange. One could scarcely believe he was a diplomat or an engineer. Short, stout, and balding, Thompson looked like a banker facing an audit.

“Yes, Undersecretary,” Harrington said with dutiful patience.

“There’s some family connection between the Emperor and the Abbot. That makes this situation twice as delicate, twice as critical!”

“I understand, sir.” Harrington understood he was about to collapse. First Madelaine’s fever had left him in an agony of frustration and fatigue. Then came her sudden recovery, which nothing in any modern medical text could possibly explain. Now Thompson held Harrington responsible for the health and well-being of the abbot of Kiyomizudera. It was an honor, and quite a feather in his cap, but only if he succeeded in keeping the eighty-nine-year-old abbot healthy. Otherwise he’d be plucked cleaner than a Christmas goose.

“Be sure you do understand, Doctor. The New Year’s celebration is the biggest event of the Japanese year. Everything must be clean and in good working order. No dirt, no stain, and above all, no sickness.” Thompson scowled. “The Abbot must be able to preside over today’s events. Any sign of poor health would be a bad omen for the coming year.”

Harrington had been relieved to discover the Abbot was in excellent health for a man of his advanced years. Japan was full of surprises. Since the Shogunate had fallen and the old caste system had been abolished, there were so many possibilities. Japan wanted to catch up to the rest of the world. That meant good luck and prosperity for everyone. Now Harrington was on the front line of maintaining good relations between Japan and Great Britain. Any bad omens today spelled disaster for Harrington’s career as well.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.