Read The Way of the Traitor: A Samurai Mystery Online
Authors: Laura Joh Rowland
Tags: #General, #Fiction
The Way of the Traitor: A Samurai Mystery (19 page)
BOOK: The Way of the Traitor: A Samurai Mystery
3.38Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads
oJust get it over with as fast as you can, Sano said, turning his face to the wall.
The servant touched the arrow, and the pain flared. Sano jumped. oLie still, please, Old Carp said.
Sano gritted his teeth, holding himself rigid while the knife sawed through the cords that bound the arrows shaft and head. Involuntary tears leaked from his closed eyes.
oBe careful, he heard Hirata say.
oSorry, sorry, Old Carp soothed. oAlmost done. Aha! Here we go.
A bolt of pure agony coursed through Sano as the arrowhead slid forward and broke through tissue and skin. Sano jerked violently. The pain tore a yell from his throat, then subsided. He opened his eyes to Hirata's relieved face, and Old Carp triumphantly holding up the arrowhead.
oWorst is over, the servant said. He pressed the wound with a cloth, stanching the flow of blood. oNow I make you feel better. Drink this, please.
Hirata lifted Sano's head, and Old Carp held a bowl of steaming liquid to his mouth. Sano swallowed, tasting spicy ginseng to calm the nerves, prolong life, and combat weakness; bitter honeysuckle to detoxify his system; musty turmeric to relieve pain and inflammation; the subtle flavor of saffron, used to prevent shock. He lay back and rested while Old Carp washed the blood off him and bathed the wound with a pungent extract of green onion, a remedy against festering and fever. His strength was returning, but melancholy dimmed his spirits. He remembered the night when soldiers had chased him through Edo Castle and beaten him, and Aoi treating his wounds with these same medicines. She had spread the cooked onion leaves over his skin, as Old Carp was doing now. That night, they'd loved for the first time.
To banish the familiar stab of longing, Sano addressed Hirata more sharply than he'd intended.
oYou have my order. Can I trust you to obey this time?
Hirata stood by the door, giving Old Carp room to work. oSumimasen "excuse me, but you need my help. If I'd been with you, we might have caught the lights. And I could have protected you.
Old Carp, recognizing their need for privacy, said, oYoung master, if you would please press your hand against the onion leaves like so, I will return soon.
Sano said, oTell the groom to bring my horse. I have to go to the governor's mansion.
Old Carp sucked in his cheeks, increasing his resemblance to his namesake. oMust advise against riding in your condition, master. Bleeding has stopped, but will start again if you move around too much.
oGet me a palanquin, then.
oBut... All right, master. Bowing, the servant withdrew.
Hirata pressed his palm gently against the onion leaves on Sano's wound. Sano felt warmth and concern flowing from his retainer's square, blunt-fingered hand. He resisted the urge to accept the implicit offer of comradeship, because it also carried the threat of pain and loss.
oIf you'd been with me tonight, it might be you lying here instead of me, Sano said. oThis investigation is dangerous. I don't want you involved. He paused, then added the selfish reason that was as important to him as Hirata's safety. oAnd I can't bear your death or disgrace, even if you can.
Above him, Hirata's face was an image of troubled uncertainty, though his hand maintained a steady pressure against Sano's shoulder. oI "please understand, but "I must...
While he blushed and stammered, Sano waited, hoping to hear why he was so persistent in his disobedience. But Hirata, not given to personal revelations, finally shook his head and blurted, oIt's my duty to face danger with you, or die in your place. If I don't, then I'm already in disgrace. I might as well be dead. A detective who doesn't detect is worthless. This obviously wasn't what he'd started to say, but he just as obviously meant every word. oAnd a samurai who doesn't serve and protect is no samurai at all.
Pinned under Hirata's hand, Sano stifled a sigh. Here in Nagasaki, all the buried tensions of the past year had surfaced. Hirata had placed him in an untenable position. He didn't want to deny another samurai the right to follow Bushido, but now his own role of master was at stake: He couldn't back down without losing face. Yet if he didn't offer a compromise, he would alienate Hirata even if they both survived this investigation. The dependable Hirata wouldn't leave him, but would serve without the spirit that made him a valuable second-in-command.
oTomorrow you can verify Abbot Liu Yun's whereabouts the night of Spaen's murder, Sano said after telling Hirata about his interview with the Chinese man, oand also where he was tonight. Find out if he has, or ever had, a gun. He paused, then added with quiet emphasis, oAnd don't even think about going to Deshima, because if I catch you there, you leave Nagasaki.
oYes, ssakan-sama. Bitterness shaded Hirata's voice and expression: He recognized Sano's ploy to shield him by assigning him a suspect who was neither Dutch nor Japanese.
Old Carp returned, applied several more onion treatments to Sano's wound, then nodded in approval. oIt should heal perfectly, he said, binding Sano's shoulder with white cotton pads and strips. oAre you feeling better?
oYes, thank you, Sano answered.
And for this he was glad. Because now he must deliver to Governor Nagai the news of the Dutch military threat. And tomorrow he must hurry to solve the murder case in time to save the city and his life, and prevent the rift between him and Hirata from becoming permanent.
Chapter 15
AS NIGHT CREPT past the hour of the boar, Nagasaki's pleasure quarter sparkled with its usual gaiety. Parties adorned terraces and balconies; music and laughter floated from doorways. Through streets bright with lanterns, samurai, peasants, and merchants strolled past the window cages from which gaudily dressed women called and flirted. Boisterous drinkers filled every teahouse.
Like the other brothels, the Half Moon boasted a noisy gala of courtesans and clients. Peony could hear the music from her room, a tiny chamber at the rear of the second floor. Wringing her hands, she paced before the open window. The odors of liquor, cooking, and urine tainted the breeze that cooled her flushed cheeks. The lamp on the low table cast her restless shadow against bare walls. Peony prayed that her visitor would come before Minami noticed she wasn't serving drinks at the party and sent someone to fetch her.
All day she'd slaved in the house, hoping he would reward her obedience by not sending her to the Arab settlement. Fortune had favored her: Two maids had fallen ill, and Minami had kept her home to do their work. But if she didn't win her freedom tonight, she might suffer days of pain and degradation before another opportunity arose. The shogun's ssakan might discover the truth about Deshima and Spaen-san's murder before she could profit from the use of the evidence she possessed.
A sound outside halted Peony's nervous steps. Face pressed against the window bars, she peered down into the alley. She'd left the back door open and a lantern burning there for her visitor. Now her pulse fluttered as someone moved into the dim light. A man in a hooded cloak, coughing "the sound she'd heard. Stopping beside the door. Looking around to see if anyone was near. Lifting his garments, urinating against the wall...
... and walking away.
Clutching the bars, Peony sank to her knees and shut her eyes. Maybe he hadn't gotten her message. Maybe he couldn't get the money. Disappointment crushed Peony's heart. Rising, she looked out the window again.
The alley remained empty, enlivened only by noise from the streets beyond. Peony lumbered to the cabinet where she and her two roommates kept their possessions. She needed something to occupy her, to make the agonizing wait bearable. Among her bedding, clothes, and other personal articles, she found her comb and mirror. After a moment's hesitation, she took out the lacquer box containing her treasure. She'd meant to keep it safely hidden until she got the money, but she needed the hope it represented. She knelt and set the box on the table beside the lamp, then unpinned her hair. The gleaming mass cascaded around her shoulders. Holding the mirror before her face, she began to comb. The rhythmic motion and the sensuous feel of her hair lifted Peony's spirits. In the mirror's clouded glass, her ugly reflection smiled as she fantasized about the future.
She saw herself, money in hand, striding into the reception room. The crowd would jeer; Minami would scowl and say, oWhere have you been, Peony? The guests want you to dance ~Rising River.'
Peony would answer, oI'll never dance for you or anyone else again. Then she would throw the money in Minami's face and walk right out the door.
She imagined buying a house and hiring a maid; riding through the merchant district in a palanquin, shopping.
oI'll have this, and this, and this, she would say to the clerks as she selected the finest hair ornaments, clothes and food, household furnishings. Spending money would give her the power she'd once derived from stealing. But Peony knew that wealth alone wasn't enough. She also needed the kind of companionship she'd enjoyed with Spaen-san.
Her new bedchamber would be furnished with lacquer chests and tables, gilt murals, painted screens. Upon silk cushions she would recline, dressed in a lavish red satin kimono, watching a shy young man enter the room.
oWelcome, she would murmur.
The youth, chosen not only for his handsomeness but for his poverty and compliant nature, would gaze in awe at the luxurious surroundings. oI'm honored, my lady, he would say, kneeling and bowing as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world.
And she would bring out the ropes, the chains, the knives, the whip, the gun. oDon't be afraid, she would say as she initiated him into the way of love that she'd learned from her Dutch barbarian.
In the corridor outside Peony's room, the floor creaked under the pressure of footsteps that came from the stairs leading up from the reception room. Peony's fantasy evaporated; she dropped the comb and mirror, dismayed.
Minami!
Peony had to hide. She couldn't let him drag her back to the party, not now, when her visitor might still come. She leapt to her feet. In her awkward haste, she bumped the box on the table. Its loose lid popped off. Caught in a flurry of panic, Peony moaned. She must put out the lamp and get out, now. But she couldn't let Minami find the box and punish her for stealing it. She couldn't leave the treasure lying in plain sight. She couldn't think what to do first.
Her indecision doomed her. The door slid open. Helplessly Peony watched, wringing her hands. Then, when she saw him, a huge wave of relief broke over her.
oOh, it's you! she cried.
Her eagerly awaited visitor carried a cloth bundle under his arm. He entered the room and closed the door. Involuntarily she glanced at the open box on the table. His gaze followed hers; he saw. Quickly Peony stepped between him and his property.
oGive me the money, and you can have it back, she blurted, uneasy because things weren't going the way she'd planned. She'd wanted to tease him by withholding the property at first. She wanted to enjoy her power over him, but had lost the advantage.
Moving closer, he began unwrapping the bundle. He must have been at the party downstairs; Peony could smell liquor and tobacco smoke on him. Now a gleeful anticipation dispelled her uneasiness. She smiled and held out her hands. She started to thank him.
Then he flung the cloth aside. Instead of the money she'd expected, Peony saw a knife in his hand, and read the evil intent in his eyes. A gasp sucked the words back into her throat. Triumph turned to horror. She stumbled backward, raising her clasped hands in a plea for mercy.
oNo, please, just take it and go, she babbled.
Unspeaking, he advanced until her back hit the wall. Then he lashed out at her.
The knife's long, gleaming blade slashed Peony's throat. Pain seared her vision. She tried to scream for help, but managed only a gurgle. A warm, salty liquid filled her mouth. She clutched at the wound; blood poured over her hands. A dizzying weakness flooded her muscles. She slid down the wall and landed in a crumpled heap. Through her terror, she saw him turning away, crouching to reach inside the box.
Then darkness obliterated external sights and sounds. Peony could hear the relentless thud of her heart, pumping blood out of her body. She was eight years old again, running down an alley with a stolen doll in her arms. She'd gotten away safely, then. But this time, a horde of furious soldiers, police, and townspeople pounded after her. She ran faster. Then strong hands grabbed her, pulling her deeper into darkness. She heard her heartbeat fading.
She, the nimble, clever thief, could not escape death.
Chapter 16
SEDATED BY THE medicine Old Carp had given him, Sano slept until late afternoon the next day. Recalling the Dutch captain's ultimatum, he dressed hastily and ordered his horse saddled, anxious to make up for lost time. Then he rode out the gate, into a vastly altered climate.
The wind had died; the sun glared from a hazy sky. Upon the ocean's flat metallic expanse, anchored ships sat motionless, sails limp, while barges and fishing boats moved sluggishly. Moisture saturated the warm air, muting the street noises and enriching the odors of sea, fish, and sewage. The hills closed in on the city, shutting out fresh breezes. Yet more than the weather had changed for Sano. Overnight, Nagasaki had turned hostile. Someone had tried to kill him. Now Sano warily scanned the crowds as he rode, ready to draw his sword or dodge arrows. Beneath the bandages, his injured shoulder was sore, stiff, and incapable of maneuvering a sword with his usual expertise. Blood loss had drained his strength. And Nagasaki's administration had turned against him.
In response to Captain Oss's message, Governor Nagai had convened a meeting of top officials in his office last night. oDouble the number of troops on duty, he told the harbor patrol commander. oPut everyone on extra shifts and draft more men from the daimyo estates. I want two barges watching the Dutch ship, and messengers to report to me every hour. Ready the warships. Build bonfires on the hills, and be prepared to light them and summon troops from other provinces.
The servant touched the arrow, and the pain flared. Sano jumped. oLie still, please, Old Carp said.
Sano gritted his teeth, holding himself rigid while the knife sawed through the cords that bound the arrows shaft and head. Involuntary tears leaked from his closed eyes.
oBe careful, he heard Hirata say.
oSorry, sorry, Old Carp soothed. oAlmost done. Aha! Here we go.
A bolt of pure agony coursed through Sano as the arrowhead slid forward and broke through tissue and skin. Sano jerked violently. The pain tore a yell from his throat, then subsided. He opened his eyes to Hirata's relieved face, and Old Carp triumphantly holding up the arrowhead.
oWorst is over, the servant said. He pressed the wound with a cloth, stanching the flow of blood. oNow I make you feel better. Drink this, please.
Hirata lifted Sano's head, and Old Carp held a bowl of steaming liquid to his mouth. Sano swallowed, tasting spicy ginseng to calm the nerves, prolong life, and combat weakness; bitter honeysuckle to detoxify his system; musty turmeric to relieve pain and inflammation; the subtle flavor of saffron, used to prevent shock. He lay back and rested while Old Carp washed the blood off him and bathed the wound with a pungent extract of green onion, a remedy against festering and fever. His strength was returning, but melancholy dimmed his spirits. He remembered the night when soldiers had chased him through Edo Castle and beaten him, and Aoi treating his wounds with these same medicines. She had spread the cooked onion leaves over his skin, as Old Carp was doing now. That night, they'd loved for the first time.
To banish the familiar stab of longing, Sano addressed Hirata more sharply than he'd intended.
oYou have my order. Can I trust you to obey this time?
Hirata stood by the door, giving Old Carp room to work. oSumimasen "excuse me, but you need my help. If I'd been with you, we might have caught the lights. And I could have protected you.
Old Carp, recognizing their need for privacy, said, oYoung master, if you would please press your hand against the onion leaves like so, I will return soon.
Sano said, oTell the groom to bring my horse. I have to go to the governor's mansion.
Old Carp sucked in his cheeks, increasing his resemblance to his namesake. oMust advise against riding in your condition, master. Bleeding has stopped, but will start again if you move around too much.
oGet me a palanquin, then.
oBut... All right, master. Bowing, the servant withdrew.
Hirata pressed his palm gently against the onion leaves on Sano's wound. Sano felt warmth and concern flowing from his retainer's square, blunt-fingered hand. He resisted the urge to accept the implicit offer of comradeship, because it also carried the threat of pain and loss.
oIf you'd been with me tonight, it might be you lying here instead of me, Sano said. oThis investigation is dangerous. I don't want you involved. He paused, then added the selfish reason that was as important to him as Hirata's safety. oAnd I can't bear your death or disgrace, even if you can.
Above him, Hirata's face was an image of troubled uncertainty, though his hand maintained a steady pressure against Sano's shoulder. oI "please understand, but "I must...
While he blushed and stammered, Sano waited, hoping to hear why he was so persistent in his disobedience. But Hirata, not given to personal revelations, finally shook his head and blurted, oIt's my duty to face danger with you, or die in your place. If I don't, then I'm already in disgrace. I might as well be dead. A detective who doesn't detect is worthless. This obviously wasn't what he'd started to say, but he just as obviously meant every word. oAnd a samurai who doesn't serve and protect is no samurai at all.
Pinned under Hirata's hand, Sano stifled a sigh. Here in Nagasaki, all the buried tensions of the past year had surfaced. Hirata had placed him in an untenable position. He didn't want to deny another samurai the right to follow Bushido, but now his own role of master was at stake: He couldn't back down without losing face. Yet if he didn't offer a compromise, he would alienate Hirata even if they both survived this investigation. The dependable Hirata wouldn't leave him, but would serve without the spirit that made him a valuable second-in-command.
oTomorrow you can verify Abbot Liu Yun's whereabouts the night of Spaen's murder, Sano said after telling Hirata about his interview with the Chinese man, oand also where he was tonight. Find out if he has, or ever had, a gun. He paused, then added with quiet emphasis, oAnd don't even think about going to Deshima, because if I catch you there, you leave Nagasaki.
oYes, ssakan-sama. Bitterness shaded Hirata's voice and expression: He recognized Sano's ploy to shield him by assigning him a suspect who was neither Dutch nor Japanese.
Old Carp returned, applied several more onion treatments to Sano's wound, then nodded in approval. oIt should heal perfectly, he said, binding Sano's shoulder with white cotton pads and strips. oAre you feeling better?
oYes, thank you, Sano answered.
And for this he was glad. Because now he must deliver to Governor Nagai the news of the Dutch military threat. And tomorrow he must hurry to solve the murder case in time to save the city and his life, and prevent the rift between him and Hirata from becoming permanent.
Chapter 15
AS NIGHT CREPT past the hour of the boar, Nagasaki's pleasure quarter sparkled with its usual gaiety. Parties adorned terraces and balconies; music and laughter floated from doorways. Through streets bright with lanterns, samurai, peasants, and merchants strolled past the window cages from which gaudily dressed women called and flirted. Boisterous drinkers filled every teahouse.
Like the other brothels, the Half Moon boasted a noisy gala of courtesans and clients. Peony could hear the music from her room, a tiny chamber at the rear of the second floor. Wringing her hands, she paced before the open window. The odors of liquor, cooking, and urine tainted the breeze that cooled her flushed cheeks. The lamp on the low table cast her restless shadow against bare walls. Peony prayed that her visitor would come before Minami noticed she wasn't serving drinks at the party and sent someone to fetch her.
All day she'd slaved in the house, hoping he would reward her obedience by not sending her to the Arab settlement. Fortune had favored her: Two maids had fallen ill, and Minami had kept her home to do their work. But if she didn't win her freedom tonight, she might suffer days of pain and degradation before another opportunity arose. The shogun's ssakan might discover the truth about Deshima and Spaen-san's murder before she could profit from the use of the evidence she possessed.
A sound outside halted Peony's nervous steps. Face pressed against the window bars, she peered down into the alley. She'd left the back door open and a lantern burning there for her visitor. Now her pulse fluttered as someone moved into the dim light. A man in a hooded cloak, coughing "the sound she'd heard. Stopping beside the door. Looking around to see if anyone was near. Lifting his garments, urinating against the wall...
... and walking away.
Clutching the bars, Peony sank to her knees and shut her eyes. Maybe he hadn't gotten her message. Maybe he couldn't get the money. Disappointment crushed Peony's heart. Rising, she looked out the window again.
The alley remained empty, enlivened only by noise from the streets beyond. Peony lumbered to the cabinet where she and her two roommates kept their possessions. She needed something to occupy her, to make the agonizing wait bearable. Among her bedding, clothes, and other personal articles, she found her comb and mirror. After a moment's hesitation, she took out the lacquer box containing her treasure. She'd meant to keep it safely hidden until she got the money, but she needed the hope it represented. She knelt and set the box on the table beside the lamp, then unpinned her hair. The gleaming mass cascaded around her shoulders. Holding the mirror before her face, she began to comb. The rhythmic motion and the sensuous feel of her hair lifted Peony's spirits. In the mirror's clouded glass, her ugly reflection smiled as she fantasized about the future.
She saw herself, money in hand, striding into the reception room. The crowd would jeer; Minami would scowl and say, oWhere have you been, Peony? The guests want you to dance ~Rising River.'
Peony would answer, oI'll never dance for you or anyone else again. Then she would throw the money in Minami's face and walk right out the door.
She imagined buying a house and hiring a maid; riding through the merchant district in a palanquin, shopping.
oI'll have this, and this, and this, she would say to the clerks as she selected the finest hair ornaments, clothes and food, household furnishings. Spending money would give her the power she'd once derived from stealing. But Peony knew that wealth alone wasn't enough. She also needed the kind of companionship she'd enjoyed with Spaen-san.
Her new bedchamber would be furnished with lacquer chests and tables, gilt murals, painted screens. Upon silk cushions she would recline, dressed in a lavish red satin kimono, watching a shy young man enter the room.
oWelcome, she would murmur.
The youth, chosen not only for his handsomeness but for his poverty and compliant nature, would gaze in awe at the luxurious surroundings. oI'm honored, my lady, he would say, kneeling and bowing as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world.
And she would bring out the ropes, the chains, the knives, the whip, the gun. oDon't be afraid, she would say as she initiated him into the way of love that she'd learned from her Dutch barbarian.
In the corridor outside Peony's room, the floor creaked under the pressure of footsteps that came from the stairs leading up from the reception room. Peony's fantasy evaporated; she dropped the comb and mirror, dismayed.
Minami!
Peony had to hide. She couldn't let him drag her back to the party, not now, when her visitor might still come. She leapt to her feet. In her awkward haste, she bumped the box on the table. Its loose lid popped off. Caught in a flurry of panic, Peony moaned. She must put out the lamp and get out, now. But she couldn't let Minami find the box and punish her for stealing it. She couldn't leave the treasure lying in plain sight. She couldn't think what to do first.
Her indecision doomed her. The door slid open. Helplessly Peony watched, wringing her hands. Then, when she saw him, a huge wave of relief broke over her.
oOh, it's you! she cried.
Her eagerly awaited visitor carried a cloth bundle under his arm. He entered the room and closed the door. Involuntarily she glanced at the open box on the table. His gaze followed hers; he saw. Quickly Peony stepped between him and his property.
oGive me the money, and you can have it back, she blurted, uneasy because things weren't going the way she'd planned. She'd wanted to tease him by withholding the property at first. She wanted to enjoy her power over him, but had lost the advantage.
Moving closer, he began unwrapping the bundle. He must have been at the party downstairs; Peony could smell liquor and tobacco smoke on him. Now a gleeful anticipation dispelled her uneasiness. She smiled and held out her hands. She started to thank him.
Then he flung the cloth aside. Instead of the money she'd expected, Peony saw a knife in his hand, and read the evil intent in his eyes. A gasp sucked the words back into her throat. Triumph turned to horror. She stumbled backward, raising her clasped hands in a plea for mercy.
oNo, please, just take it and go, she babbled.
Unspeaking, he advanced until her back hit the wall. Then he lashed out at her.
The knife's long, gleaming blade slashed Peony's throat. Pain seared her vision. She tried to scream for help, but managed only a gurgle. A warm, salty liquid filled her mouth. She clutched at the wound; blood poured over her hands. A dizzying weakness flooded her muscles. She slid down the wall and landed in a crumpled heap. Through her terror, she saw him turning away, crouching to reach inside the box.
Then darkness obliterated external sights and sounds. Peony could hear the relentless thud of her heart, pumping blood out of her body. She was eight years old again, running down an alley with a stolen doll in her arms. She'd gotten away safely, then. But this time, a horde of furious soldiers, police, and townspeople pounded after her. She ran faster. Then strong hands grabbed her, pulling her deeper into darkness. She heard her heartbeat fading.
She, the nimble, clever thief, could not escape death.
Chapter 16
SEDATED BY THE medicine Old Carp had given him, Sano slept until late afternoon the next day. Recalling the Dutch captain's ultimatum, he dressed hastily and ordered his horse saddled, anxious to make up for lost time. Then he rode out the gate, into a vastly altered climate.
The wind had died; the sun glared from a hazy sky. Upon the ocean's flat metallic expanse, anchored ships sat motionless, sails limp, while barges and fishing boats moved sluggishly. Moisture saturated the warm air, muting the street noises and enriching the odors of sea, fish, and sewage. The hills closed in on the city, shutting out fresh breezes. Yet more than the weather had changed for Sano. Overnight, Nagasaki had turned hostile. Someone had tried to kill him. Now Sano warily scanned the crowds as he rode, ready to draw his sword or dodge arrows. Beneath the bandages, his injured shoulder was sore, stiff, and incapable of maneuvering a sword with his usual expertise. Blood loss had drained his strength. And Nagasaki's administration had turned against him.
In response to Captain Oss's message, Governor Nagai had convened a meeting of top officials in his office last night. oDouble the number of troops on duty, he told the harbor patrol commander. oPut everyone on extra shifts and draft more men from the daimyo estates. I want two barges watching the Dutch ship, and messengers to report to me every hour. Ready the warships. Build bonfires on the hills, and be prepared to light them and summon troops from other provinces.
BOOK: The Way of the Traitor: A Samurai Mystery
3.38Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads
Other books
Leaving Independence by Leanne W. Smith
Politician by Anthony, Piers
Their Finest Hour and a Half by Lissa Evans
Stepping Up by Culp, Robert
Obsession (A Bad Boy's Secret Baby) by Nora Flite, Adair Rymer
Masters of the Planet by Ian Tattersall
Tested by Zion by Elliott Abrams
Fair Game by Malek, Doreen Owens
Bound by Chris Michaels, Reema Farra
Don Quixote [Trans. by Edith Grossman] by Miguel de Cervantes
