"I have a problem," Lord Eitaro said. He sat in the official reception room of the shrine with the senior Rev. Mifune, who was a tall, attenuated man with sharp features and a slightly gray complexion that bespoke of his recent ill health. His son, who ran the shrine school, sat next to him. Yuta, also a guest, sat beside Lord Eitaro.

Eitaro was a short, stocky man of muscle and action. He was quick to anger, quick to make decisions, a good military commander, and smart enough ...