Read Online The Spaces in Between by Chase Henderson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Chase Henderson
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the Boshin War as the last samurai.
The bloodless revolution he brought about was vilified on screen by the corrupt senators manipulating Emperor Meiji. The samurai way of life was praised. Ryoma could remember the samurai way of life – pure bureaucracy. The men with two swords bullying townspeople, killing on a whim, and raping on less- all out of frustration of no longer being needed ever since the clans had stopped warring.
***
“You’re shit Sakamoto-chan!” one of the older boys in Tosa delivered another kick to Ryoma’s ribs and spat on him.
“Sakamoto-chan! Sakamoto-chan! Yellow trash samurai!” the other boys chanted. Their leader was thirteen not quite a man but old enough to know better. The others were Ryoma’s age – eleven. The older one was son of the Daimyo and the others were sons of local lords. Heirs to their families and in other words could do whatever they damned well pleased.
“Don’t show yourself around here again Sakamoto-chan!” the oldest yelled. “Just because your family bribed some officials for a title doesn’t make it a real clan.”
Bruised, beaten, and with blood flaking under his nose Ryoma slipped through the backdoor of his parent’s home. His sister was waiting there for him.
“Those other kids beat you again, didn’t they?”
“They say our family isn’t a true samurai family.”
“Why? Because we had to work to get where we are and not have it handed to us by the Bakufu?” In retrospect the new Japanese government probably reclaimed those families’ lands, but money retains its value afterwards. Most likely those boys were beggars now unless they were fortunate enough to get killed in the Bakumatsu .
“They’re still stronger than me.”
“Well…” his sister said, “How about tomorrow we enroll you in a Kendo school? It won’t matter if those boys wear two swords if they can’t swing the one.”
At his sister’s urging Ryoma did study to become a sword master and after seeing the black ships he resolved to us those skills to assassinate the high ranking official Katsu Kaishu. Instead he found Kaishu to be an incredibly persuasive man.
“Heaven’s justice is upon you, Katsu Kaishu!” Ryoma announced with sword drawn.
“A revolutionary?” Kaishu inquired, “ Nihon will not change at the point of a sword. She has already changed at the barrel of a gun. The only true path to Sonno-joi is to evolve. When Nihon can stand-up to the Western military only then can the barbarians truly be expelled.”
So instead of killing him, Ryoma fell to his knees and swore allegiance to Katsu Kaishu. Together they founded the Japanese naval academy.
***
Modern times came back into focus for Sakamoto Ryoma. The movie was over and the whether or not he caught the ending didn’t matter much to him. He left the body of the man behind and walked the Tokyo streets. Lights buzzed around him in the night as far as the eye can see. He was a mere ethereal droplet in this ocean of a city.
Leaning against a nearby lamppost was a man made of glowing white light. He made a “come here” gesture with his fingers. Ryoma peered at the man since ghosts rarely ever noticed him. He approached the man, and the man took off into the sky. Ryoma gave chase. This was the first interesting thing he had seen in a century and didn’t want to lose it now.
He chased after the white creature for what felt like days, weeks, and years. Japan was far behind him as well as Earth. Darkness was all that lay before him and all that lay behind him. Ryoma had no choice now but to catch this creature or be stranded in the black. Suddenly a bright light pierced through the black. Far brighter than the flash over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Is this paradise?
The white light was surrounding a European sailing ship, but not one of the modern ones. One of the far older models that he had read about while creating the naval academy with Kaishu. The deck of the ship was encased in a glass bubble,
The bloodless revolution he brought about was vilified on screen by the corrupt senators manipulating Emperor Meiji. The samurai way of life was praised. Ryoma could remember the samurai way of life – pure bureaucracy. The men with two swords bullying townspeople, killing on a whim, and raping on less- all out of frustration of no longer being needed ever since the clans had stopped warring.
***
“You’re shit Sakamoto-chan!” one of the older boys in Tosa delivered another kick to Ryoma’s ribs and spat on him.
“Sakamoto-chan! Sakamoto-chan! Yellow trash samurai!” the other boys chanted. Their leader was thirteen not quite a man but old enough to know better. The others were Ryoma’s age – eleven. The older one was son of the Daimyo and the others were sons of local lords. Heirs to their families and in other words could do whatever they damned well pleased.
“Don’t show yourself around here again Sakamoto-chan!” the oldest yelled. “Just because your family bribed some officials for a title doesn’t make it a real clan.”
Bruised, beaten, and with blood flaking under his nose Ryoma slipped through the backdoor of his parent’s home. His sister was waiting there for him.
“Those other kids beat you again, didn’t they?”
“They say our family isn’t a true samurai family.”
“Why? Because we had to work to get where we are and not have it handed to us by the Bakufu?” In retrospect the new Japanese government probably reclaimed those families’ lands, but money retains its value afterwards. Most likely those boys were beggars now unless they were fortunate enough to get killed in the Bakumatsu .
“They’re still stronger than me.”
“Well…” his sister said, “How about tomorrow we enroll you in a Kendo school? It won’t matter if those boys wear two swords if they can’t swing the one.”
At his sister’s urging Ryoma did study to become a sword master and after seeing the black ships he resolved to us those skills to assassinate the high ranking official Katsu Kaishu. Instead he found Kaishu to be an incredibly persuasive man.
“Heaven’s justice is upon you, Katsu Kaishu!” Ryoma announced with sword drawn.
“A revolutionary?” Kaishu inquired, “ Nihon will not change at the point of a sword. She has already changed at the barrel of a gun. The only true path to Sonno-joi is to evolve. When Nihon can stand-up to the Western military only then can the barbarians truly be expelled.”
So instead of killing him, Ryoma fell to his knees and swore allegiance to Katsu Kaishu. Together they founded the Japanese naval academy.
***
Modern times came back into focus for Sakamoto Ryoma. The movie was over and the whether or not he caught the ending didn’t matter much to him. He left the body of the man behind and walked the Tokyo streets. Lights buzzed around him in the night as far as the eye can see. He was a mere ethereal droplet in this ocean of a city.
Leaning against a nearby lamppost was a man made of glowing white light. He made a “come here” gesture with his fingers. Ryoma peered at the man since ghosts rarely ever noticed him. He approached the man, and the man took off into the sky. Ryoma gave chase. This was the first interesting thing he had seen in a century and didn’t want to lose it now.
He chased after the white creature for what felt like days, weeks, and years. Japan was far behind him as well as Earth. Darkness was all that lay before him and all that lay behind him. Ryoma had no choice now but to catch this creature or be stranded in the black. Suddenly a bright light pierced through the black. Far brighter than the flash over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Is this paradise?
The white light was surrounding a European sailing ship, but not one of the modern ones. One of the far older models that he had read about while creating the naval academy with Kaishu. The deck of the ship was encased in a glass bubble,
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