The Samurai's Daughter Read online

  Praise for The Samurai of Seville

  “This novel invites us to recover our history and colors the light of literary fiction.”

  —Kazuhiko Koshikawa, former Japanese ambassador to Spain

  “The stories that intertwine historical facts with adventure (sometimes with crime too) are normally excellent ones. The Samurai of Seville by John J. Healey is a clear example. Healey narrates with great care the episodes of a story that is also a romantic melodrama. The reminiscence of the traditional society and that of the old Seville, with the nobility, the villains and the passionate dames is very well described and Healey pulls it off. You just want to read it in one sitting thanks to the great rhythm and the emotions, together with the agile plot.”

  —El País

  “Using a lean, concise narrative style … this story presents an absorbing view of the society of 17th-century Spain through a number of characters’ perspectives, conveying the spirit of the land and the essence of each vivid character enmeshed within a larger web of relationships and interests.”

  —Historical Novel Society

  “An exciting summer read…. At the center of this novel are love relationships, betrayals, friendships and the appreciation of Japanese and Spanish civilizations of the early 17th century. The best and worst features of these two ancient worlds are illuminated and brought together by the advent of necessity and greater glory.”

  —Berkshire Eagle

  “A nice jumping-off point for new readers of historical fiction.”

  —Library Journal

  “The undercurrent of melancholy that permeates the novel does not derive from the author’s research but rather from his own life experience. He knows that in every coming and going there is a mixture of expectation and heartbreak, and there will arrive—on one side or the other—a point and time from which there is no return.”

  —Antonio Muñoz Molina, author of Separahad

  “Healey has created a narrative wonder mixing fictional and historical characters deeply immersed in the early years of the 17th century when Tokugawa Japan joined hands with the Spain of Philip III…. Healey offers an attractive, succinct text told with singular narrative skill. It reads effortlessly. Its immediacy and flow is absolutely cinematic.”

  —Prof. Juan Manuel Suárez Japón (direct descendant of one of the Samurais who went to Spain in 1613)

  “Around this gentle love story, Healey coveys the way in which two very different cultures seek to honor and understand each other.”

  —theidlewoman.net

  Additional Works by John J. Healey

  Emily and Herman

  The Samurai of Seville

  Copyright © 2019 by John J. Healey

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Arcade Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

  First Edition

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously.

  Arcade Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Arcade Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or [email protected].

  Arcade Publishing® is a registered trademark of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.®, a Delaware corporation.

  Visit our website at www.arcadepub.com.

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Healey, John J., author.

  Title: The Samurai’s daughter : a novel / by John J. Healey.

  Description: First Edition. | New York : Arcade Publishing, [2019]

  Identifiers: LCCN 2019016173 (print) | LCCN 2019016819 (ebook) | ISBN 9781948924313 (ebook) | ISBN 9781948924306 (hardcover : alk. paper)

  Subjects: | GSAFD: Historical fiction

  Classification: LCC PS3608.E2355 (ebook) | LCC PS3608.E2355 S26 2019 (print) | DDC 813/.6—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019016173

  Jacket design by Erin Seaward Hiatt

  Jacket illustration: iStockphoto

  Printed in the United States of America

  Translator’s Introduction

  The extraordinary manuscript that follows was discovered last year during renovations on the top floor of the palazzo Ca’ da Mosto, the oldest in Venice. Written on parchment and bound in leather, the artifact has been thoroughly tested and authenticated. The final page, signed by the author, is dated in the year 1645 CE. The text is a memoir, ostensibly penned by a woman born in Spain in 1618. Her father was a Japanese samurai and member of the esteemed Date clan of Northern Japan. Her mother was a young noblewoman from the illustrious Medinaceli family of Soria, Guadalajara, and Seville, Spain. Apart from the numerous travels and adventures depicted, the memoir largely concerns the relationship between the author and her father, who arrived in Spain in 1614, as part of the first Japanese delegation to visit Europe.

  The delegation consisted of twenty-two samurai warriors, a few Spanish naval officials, a Spanish priest, and numerous Japanese tradesmen. It left Japan in 1613 and reached southern Spain a year later. The idea, formed during the first years of the Edo period (1603–1868), was to speak directly with King Philip III of Spain and with Pope Paul V to try to establish trade with the territories of New Spain. In exchange, the Japanese were willing to admit additional missionaries into their kingdom. Though the Japanese emissaries were greeted in Madrid and in Rome with pomp and circumstance, the mission was a failure. Due to a conflagration that took place in Osaka during the delegation’s absence, the shogun decided to ban all Christians from Japan, without exception. The delegation began their return journey in 1616. Six of the samurai warriors remained in Spain, settling in a small fishing village south of Seville, Coria del Río. Their descendants live and prosper there to this day. A seventh samurai, known simply as Shiro, became romantically involved with a Medinaceli heiress, who died giving birth to the author of this memoir.

  Dedicato alla mia prozia, Soledad

  “There is nothing, other than the present moment.”

  —The Book of the Samurai (Hagakure) Tsunetomo Yamamoto

  “… my lord, you have begot me, bred me, lov’d me …”

  —Cordelia, King Lear William Shakespeare

  LIST OF MAIN CHARACTERS

  THE DATE FAMILY:

  Shiro, a samurai and the illegitimate son of a close advisor to Date Masamune, Katakura Kojuro, and Mizuki, Date Masamune’s only sister.

  Date Masamune, the fierce and wealthy, one-eyed, high lord and daimyo of Sendai, Japan, the city he founded; builder of Sendai Castle; and key councilor to the shogun. He is Shiro’s uncle and protector.

  Megohime Masamune, called Megohime. Date Masamune’s wife.

  Date Tadamune, Date Masamune’s oldest son.

  Mizuki, Shiro’s mother and Date Masamune’s only sister; a great beauty who first married a samurai warrior who was killed in battle before beginning an affair with Katakura Kojuro.

  Soledad María Masako Date Benavides y de la Cerda, called Soledad María or Masako. She is the young woman who narrates this book, the daughter of Shiro and Guada.

  THE MEDINACELI FAMILY:

  María Luisa Benavides Fernández de Córdoba y de la Cerda, called Guada, the only daughter of Don Rodrigo and Doña Inmaculada. She married Julian of Denia, had a child with him—Rodriguito—after being rape
d by him. She subsequently had a grand love affair with Shiro the samurai and died giving birth to Soledad María Masako.

  Soledad Medina y Pérez de Guzmán de la Cerda, called Doña Soledad Medina. The matriarch and wealthiest member of the family, Guada’s aunt and protector, Soledad María Masako’s great-aunt.

  Carlos Bernal Fernández de Córdoba y de la Cerda, called Carlos. Guada’s older brother and Soledad María Masako’s uncle.

  Rodrigo de la Cerda y Dávila, called Don Rodrigo. Guada and Carlos’ father.

  María Inmaculada Benavides Spínola, called Doña Inmaculada. Guada and Carlos’ mother. She and her husband are also related to Doña Soledad Medina.

  THE MEDINA SIDONIA FAMILY:

  Rosario Martínez Gonzalez de Pérez de Gúzman, called Rosario. She is the last wife of Alonso Pérez de Gúzman, Seventh Duke of Medina Sidonia, a simple village girl the elderly duke fell in love with shortly before his death.

  Francisco Alonso Pérez de Gúzman Conde de Bolonia, called Francisco. He is the son of Rosario and Alonso Pérez de Gúzman, Seventh Duke of Medina Sidonia.

  THE O’SHEA FAMILY:

  Charlotte O’Shea, called Charlotte. Born in Galway, Ireland to a successful whiskey trader with business in Spain.

  Patrick Shiro Date O’Shea, called Patrick. Charlotte and Shiro’s son.

  María Carlota Fernández de Córdoba y de la Cerda y O’Shea, called Carlota. She is the daughter of Charlotte and Carlos.

  Contents

  Part One

  I

  II

  III

  IV

  V

  VI

  VII

  VIII

  Part Two

  IX

  X

  XI

  XII

  XIII

  XIV

  XV

  XVI

  XVII

  XVIII

  Part Three

  XIX

  XX

  XXI

  XXII

  XXIII

  Part Four

  XXIV

  XXV

  XXVI

  XXVII

  XXVIII

  Part Five

  XXIX

  XXX

  XXXI

  XXXII

  XXXIII

  XXXIV

  XXXV

  XXXVI

  XXXVII

  XXXVIII

  XXXIX

  XL

  Afterword

  – PART ONE –

  – I –

  I never knew my mother. When I imagine my birth, I see my wrinkly flesh covered in slime. I sense the ebbing darkness of dawn, and the sobbing of my great-aunt. I hear the wailing of the midwife, and a priest’s mumbled prayers. My father’s stoic silence. I can sniff the metallic scent of my mother’s blood. My tiny ears register her last breath as a gravelly whisper. Our massive Moratalla estate surrounds us. The mansion and the gardens. The pebbled paths. The statues of Roman gods. The edges of the lawns sprinkled with orange blossoms. The Guadalquivir flowing beyond the gates.

  The first two years of my life were lived between the Moratalla estate and my great-aunt’s palace in Sevilla. Two years during which my father tried to recover from his loss, and for him to decide what to do with me. My great-aunt, Doña Soledad Medina, a noblewoman of great means, wished for me to stay with her, to grow up under her protection, to take my place in Sevilla society and be received at court in Madrid. But Father was a samurai, a princely member of the powerful Date clan that ruled the north of Japan. Years before, he had sworn allegiance to his uncle, the one-eyed warlord Date Masamune, and felt obliged to return. Despite Doña Soledad’s protests, he refused to leave me behind. After much discussion and many tears, he promised her that when I attained the age of reason, he would bring me to Spain again, so that I might decide to which culture I wished to belong.

  And thus it came to pass that in the spring of 1620, our ship set sail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, the same port where Father and his samurai brethren had arrived six years earlier. He held me in his arms, waving my little hand in farewell to my great-aunt. She stood immobile on the wharf, dressed in black, flanked by her blue and gold carriage and her liveried coachmen. Father wore his finest samurai robe. The rigid hilts of his long and short swords pushed against my limbs. I was swathed in one of my mother’s shawls. Gulls circled overhead. Everything was bathed in Andalusian afternoon light as the sails billowed and the ship came about into the currents of the estuary.

  There were many passengers on board. Some were bound for Africa. Most were headed to the Spanish colonies in the New World. The voyage was unfolding smoothly until pirates appeared. Their captain was an Englishman who lived in Venice. He and his crew worked for a sultan that ruled Algiers. They piled aboard like ravenous beasts. Father swung his sword, protecting me, until they subdued him, beat him, and bound him. Another passenger, Caitríona, exquisite and barely fifteen, was grabbed by the captain and forced to watch as her Irish father was run through with an English cutlass. In dreams sometimes I hear her screams, along with the cheering of the men at the sight of the women being herded on deck to be abused for sport. All of them, including Caitríona’s mother, were roped together to be sold as slaves.

  I have been told that Caitríona was sent to the captain’s cabin, holding me in her arms. He came down behind us, drunk and unwashed. He tried to force himself on her but was incapable. Livid with frustration, he began to slap her. He threatened to kill her. She swore to the heavens that she would never reveal his impotence and begged him to allow her to take care of me in his household. Then another ship arrived, and it distracted him. A representative of the sultan came on board, paid for the women, and bought Father as well, to use him as a warrior in some hellish arena. As Father was being shoved onto the other ship, he looked at the pirate captain and swore vengeance. The captain laughed and bellowed, “If you survive, and you won’t, come to Venice to mete it out.”

  Caitríona and I were left in peace for the rest of the voyage. We arrived in Venice some days later. I retain glimmerings from the year we spent there. There was the captain’s barren mistress, Maria Elena, in her gloomy palace. She clasped me to her breast, willing to excuse the captain’s many vices for the enormity of the gift. There was a sour smell coming off the canal along the Giudecca, and the tolling bells of the Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore. I have vague memories of baths with Caitríona, surrounded by chatty maids. Our new clothes. The food and the feather beds. Maria Elena spoiled me. Caitríona never left me. A little dog slept next to me.

  – II –

  Father was put in an Algerian prison. They kept him in the same cell where, years before, the Spanish writer Cervantes had languished. With summer their games began, a vestige of the Roman conquest from centuries ago. Slaves and prisoners fought to the death against seasoned soldiers looking to impress their lords. The bloodthirsty public were frenzied bettors. Father made money for his captor, and during the first week the crowd would often turn against him, outraged that a foreigner could humiliate and murder so many soldiers of their faith. Rules were bent to his disadvantage. He was pitted against pairs of professional killers, and once he confronted a trio. But on each occasion, he prevailed, and following his warrior’s code, he would bow to the remains of the men in a manner that even the least educated brute could see was genuine.

  Then they unleashed beasts against him. An old bear, huge, disoriented, and fixed with a metal burr to make it angry. The cruelty of it caused Father to despise those who thought so little of such a noble creature. He gave it a death so swift it was painless. On the following day two razorback gorillas entered the ring. One of them succeeded in grabbing Father and hurling him to the ground. It knocked the wind from him. Wild cheers rose up from the amphitheater. But their massive heads soon rolled, infuriating their owner, and goading the crowds into louder cheering still. Father said he had never seen such creatures, and upon examining their corpses, he found them
virtually human.

  On the last day a woman charged with adultery was tied to a post with only Father to save her from three starved lions. Though he suffered a claw wound on his back that bled profusely, he killed all three before a multitude insane with excitement. He had been led to believe a victory would secure the woman a pardon, but on the following morning he was forced to witness her death by stoning. This so enraged him that en route back to the prison, he subdued his jailers, stole a skiff, and sailed for two days across the Mediterranean. Almost dead from thirst, he landed in Sicily near Akragas, and from there made his way north.

  In Rome, he sought out Galileo Galilei, the scientist he had befriended on a former trip. Galileo took him in, fed him, and listened to all that had happened since they had last been together. He was appalled to learn what the pirates had done, and eager to help Father recover me. He provided Father with funds, a tailor to mend his garments and to make him new ones. A letter of introduction was written to a valuable contact in Venice, a man named Paolo Sarpi, an esteemed cleric and lawyer who, like Galileo, had run afoul of the pope and barely escaped with his life because of it.

  In early autumn, Father arrived in the Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia. Paolo Sarpi took him in. They played chess together, and Sarpi learned about the pirate’s whereabouts. Well-known and respected in the city, Sarpi got himself invited to the masked ball that Maria Elena held each year, and handed the invitation to Father.

  Since no one in Venice knew what a samurai was, Father attended the ball as himself. His kamishimo outer jacket magnified the breadth of his shoulders. His weapons were polished to a blinding shine. His hair was pulled back and held in a black bow. His outer robe was black as well with gold threads that depicted the symbols of Date Masamune’s household—the castle at Sendai, a sword, a rising crane. The only Venetian elements in his attire were a pair of velvet slippers and a black velvet mask, of the Arlecchino type, with a devil’s bump. He traversed the canal in a sàndolo da barcariòl steered by one of Paolo Sarpi’s boatmen.