The Tattoo (31 page)

Claudia laughed. Ken started to laugh, too. He put down the phone and waved to his son. Christian waved back. With that done, Ken turned his back and stepped to the door. He pounded on it. Claudia watched as he walked through the door without turning around one more time to say good-bye.

On the ride to the airport, Claudia wondered if Ken was going to be o.k. She ran the image of his new tattoo through her head.
The Book of the Void
in Japanese. Suddenly she realized the tattoo wasn’t about Ken, that he didn’t mean for it to represent only his life. Instead it represented the fate of the entire Hideyoshi line. Most importantly, it represented the fate of the son he would not raise. It was a fate no longer infected by a lineage of hate and pride. Ken had cut the ancesteral thread, and when she realized this, she felt an instant of complete love for the man. He had fought, and he had won. Because of his sacrifice, though unconventional and twisted, she would no longer have to strike an unbreakable blade on stone. Yes, she remembered Ken’s father’s demonstration of the sword well. She had gotten the message, but tried not to accept it.

As the car neared the airport, Claudia saw a plane shooting up above her. She wondered if Ken knew he had won. She wasn’t sure, but she thought if he didn’t, he would. She looked up again and knew that at least she and Christian would be o.k. And she knew that, at least, was enough.

glossary