Eric van Lustbader - China Maroc 01, page 66
huo yan—literally, “the movable eye.” An “eye” is formed in wei qi in order to prevent your stone from being surrounded. Huo yan is a defensive strategy in which the player forms two “eyes” adjacent to one another. C
h’yeung yau—literally, “fragrant grease.” A bribe. C
irezumi—the ancient art of Japanese tattooing. J
iteki—a barbarian; a derogatory term. J
janomegusa—an umbrella of oiled rice paper. J
jian—in Mandarin, this word has many meanings, among them, “general of the army,” “grand champion of wei qi,” “creator.” C
jo-waza—in aikido, performed while holding a stave, various methods of defense. J
jodan-uke—in aikido, a high-handed attacking motion. J
joss—the Chinese concept of luck or destiny. C
kami—a spirit, familial or otherwise. The Shintoist believes that kami can, and often do, affect the lives of the living. J
kamon—a family crest. J
kanji—Chinese characters as used in Japanese writing. J
karma—the Buddhist concept of destiny. See joss. J
katana—a traditional samurai’s long sword. J
keibatsu—the traditional bond between blood relations or those marrying with that family. J
kenjutsu—the martial art of swordsmanship. J kiai —a scream used to startle and terrify the enemy. C kimono—a traditional Japanese robe, usually of silk or cotton. J
koinobori—Boys’ Day Festival. J
kumi-uchi—a kind of battlefield sumo based on offensive throws mainly involving legs and hips. One of the most ancient methods of hand-to-hand combat. J
kyujutsu—the martial art of archery. J
lou-sin—Mandarin for “mouse.” C
lu—one of the three hundred sixty-one intersections on a wei qi board. C
manrikigusari—a weapon consisting of a length of heavy chain weighted at either end. J
marumono—tanned hide over cotton batting wrapped around a thick wooden dowel. One of the three traditional targets in kyujutsu. J
meinichi—although its two ideograms form “life day,” it is known among Japanese as “death day.” On the anniversary of the ancestor’s death, the family assembles at the burial site and by thought and deed “brings the ancestor back to life” through memories. J
nawanoren—a neighborhood pub. J
nunchaku—a weapon consisting of a short length of heavy chain with metal bars attached to each end. J
o-nigiri—rice balls. J
oyabun—chief of a yakuza clan. J
qi—in wei qi, each player’s stone has four qi, or breaths. When it is surrounded, it is deprived of all qi and is taken off the board. Also, the driving force of will combined with intrinsic energy. The essence of power. C
qun—in Mandarin, “the group.” C
ren—literally, Mandarin for “harvest.” Here, it is used colloquially for “master plan.” C
sake—traditional Japanese rice wine. J
samurai—member of the highest level of the Japanese caste system. J
sarakin—a moneylender, especially one catering to wage earners, usually at high interest rates. J
sensei—a master; usually, although not always, limited to the martial arts. J
sento—a public bath. J
shioyaki—roasted fish coated with salt. J
shoji—sliding door, made of translucent rice-paper panels stretched across a wooden screen. J
sluzhba—“the service.” Used internally by its members as shorthand for the KGB. R
sumi—colored ink made from pressed charcoal. See irezumi. J
sumi otoshi—in aikido, a projection technique known as the “corner drop.” J
sumo—Japanese wrestling or a practitioner of the sport. J
sushi—raw fish wrapped around sticky rice and a dab of hot green horseradish. J
Ta Chiu—the Spirit-Placating Festival. C
tabi—Japanese socks, usually made of fine cotton or, sometimes, silk, with a separation between the big toe and the others. J
Tai He Dian—in Mandarin, the “Hall of Supreme Harmony.” C
tai pan—the head of any of the large trading houses in Hong Kong. C
tat tai—a tai pan’s wife. C
tansu—wooden chests originally used by merchants in the Edo (1603-1867) and Meiji (1868-1912) periods. J
tatami—a straw mat used as flooring in traditional Japanese rooms. J
tetsu no kokoro—an iron spirit. J
tianyuan—a section in the middle of the wei qi board known as “the belly.” A most strategic area to occupy. C
ting—a summer pavilion in a yuan, a garden. C
tokonoma—an alcove with a raised platform in a traditional Japanese room. During the Kamakura (1185-1392) and the Muromachi (1392-1568) periods, art works— especially hanging scrolls, imported from China—became popular in Japanese households. At first, mobil displays, including a low table and a vase, they soon became fixed features. Thus the tokonoma was born. J
tong zhi —Mandarin honorific meaning “comrade,” used in speech after the family name. C
tsuyu—literally, “the plum rains.” Heavy rains in late spring and early summer. J
umeboshi—fermented pickled plums. J
usagigoya—literally, “rabbit hutch.” A tiny apartment in modern Tokyo. J
wakizashi—the shorter of the two traditional samurai swords. See katana. J
walla-walla—small, engine-driven vessel plying the harbors around Hong Kong to transport people from place to place. C
wei qi—literally, “to surround.” A Chinese game of military strategy, identical to go. The object of the game is to surround your opponent’s stones. It is played on a board with nineteen vertical and nineteen horizontal lines. Stones are placed on any of the three hundred sixty-one intersections. It has a heavy philosophical bent. As in the martial arts, a player’s wei qi strategy is an extension of his view of life. C
xing—literally, “stars.” Nine strategic In on the wei qi board. C yaba —an archery range. J
yakuza—members of the Japanese underworld bound by a strict moral code. See girt. J
yan—in wei qi, “eye.” When a player surrounds an intersection with his stones, this prevents the opponent from taking certain key pieces. C
yin-yang—the Buddhist concept of the duality of nature. Everything, everyone requires two sides to be whole. The darkness and the light, combining to achieve a perfect harmony. C
yuan—a formal contemplation garden built in harmony with the tenets of Buddhism. C
yuan Iin—a Chinese villa surrounded by an ornate garden. See yuan. C
yuhn-hyun—Cantonese for “ring” or “circle.” Here used as the secret ring of people in Hong Kong involved in Zilin’s master plan. C
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ERIC VAN LUSTBADER WAS BORN, RAISED, AND EDUCATED IN GREENWICH VILLAGE. HE WAS GRADUATED FROM COLUMBIA COLLEGE IN 1968, HAVING MAJORED IN SOCIOLOGY. WHILE THERE, HE FOUNDED AN INDEPENDENT MUSIC PRODUCTION COMPANY, A MOVE THAT LED TO A FIFTEEN-YEAR INVOLVEMENT IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. THAT INVOLVEMENT ENCOMPASSED WORK IN JOURNALISM, MARKETING, SEEKING OUT NEW TALENT, GRAPHIC DESIGN, AND PUBLICITY. HE HAS WORKED FOR CASH BOX MAGAZINE, ELEKTRA RECORDS, CBS RECORDS, DICK JAMES MUSIC, USA, AND HAS WRITTEN AND FIELD-PRODUCED A PROFILE ON ROCK STAR ELTON JOHN FOR “NBC NIGHTLY NEWS.”
Since 1979 Mr. Lustbader has devoted his full time to writing. He is the author of four previous internationally best-selling novels, The Miko, The Ninja, Sirens, and Black Heart.
He lives in New York City and Southampton with his wife, freelance editor Victoria Schochet Lustbader.
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
Book One
Book Three
Book Four
Jian, Eric van Lustbader - China Maroc 01
