SHIGEKO'S DOSSIER - He is not a social butterfly but who would expect a member of his clan to be? He is a skilled weapon smith and cares little about city politics; these two facts in concert keep him in the good graces of the nobles, even if he is taciturn by nature.
In this city of merchants, schemers and politicians, Shinya is one of the few who has known battle; he left his right leg, below the knee, in the Shadowlands. He now favors elaborate artificial legs and is rarely seen without an ornate walking stick. He honors his battle injury, and for that I should respect him. Somehow, I cannot. Kaiu Shinya has never been other than respectful and helpful to me, but I do not like him. There is something in his glance that makes my teeth ache and my fingers itch for a sword. I have not found the slightest indication that he is a criminal; but I fear in my heart that he is evil.
"MEMOIRS OF AN OPIUM EATER": Nineteenth Year in the Reign of Haniel XXXVIII, Twenty-Sixth Day, Month of the Dog Just last month, a wedding was announced between Shosuro Kimi and Ide Michikane . Today a much less important wedding has been announced, but it is still a sweet one. I had met Kaiu Shinya only once before, and he had made a singular impression. For the most part he is unremarkable; a heavy man with a red nose and a moustache whose style was much in fashion two years ago. Most remarkable was his right leg, which was apparently cutoff under the knee while he was in the Shadowlands. (No one knows just how, though there is much speculation.) He apparently amuses himself by building elaborate replacements. Not content with a simple peg. the leg he wore when first we met had an arrangement of springs to cushion his weight while he walked. Furthermore, it was elaborately decorated with a spiderweb motif, and with each step, a mechanical spider would crawl through the webs of his leg. It looked frightfully clever, but I did not want to look too closely. In any event, today he announced that he had arranged a marriage with a young woman of the Sparrow clan, who is expected in town within a week. He received many congratulations; today his leg was an elaborate birdcage with a live bird singing inside.
"MEMOIRS OF AN OPIUM EATER" : Twentieth Year in the Reign
of Hantei XXXVIII, Thirteenth Day, Month of the Ox
Kaiu Shinya has caused much comment by marrying his
intended after a courtship of not even three months. Considering
the year that Kimi and Michikane are taking, he appears
unfashionably hasty. Yet his explanation - "I feel that every day I
delay our marriage is one I regret remaining unmarried," struck
me as terribly sweet and sincere.
I must say I don't think much of her; she's named Sakyo, and
she seems as shy and timid as a little mouse. Also, sadly, as drab.
I met her only once, when she first arrived, and nothing she did
gave the impression that she would kindle such passion in the
armored breast of a Crab. But who can comprehend the mystery
of love?