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“SHOGUN” © 2003. Okihei Enterprise, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Tribute to Richard Chamberlain |
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| The enormous room is empty now except for Lady Ochiba and Ishido, standing by a window, staring out. Ishido turns and looks at Lady Ochiba. She is already staring at him. |
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| Followed by Sono, Mariko enters the garden
- wearing a brilliant white formal death kimono and obi. As they approach,
Yoshinaka signals and everyone bows. Mariko bows back to them.
Mariko looks back at her knife resting on the white cushion. Blackthorne stands there rigidly, the tension turning to fury in his eyes. Mariko sits motionlessly. |
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| Mariko's eyes are on the knife. With her right
hand she makes the Sign of the Cross over her breast -- then she leans
forward and takes the knife, her hands steady, touching it to her lips
as though to taste the polished steel. Then she changes her grip and holds
the knife firmly with her right hand under the left side of her throat.
A Gray retinue enters the garden -- Ishido in the lead. Mariko does not move the knife -- but her eyes have seen Ishida approaching. Yabu is like a coiled spring, concentrating on the mark. Then he senses something -- looking up and seeing Ishido. Mariko forces herself back from the brink, then lowers the knife, her hand shaking now. Slowly, Yabu releases himself. His sword hisses back into the scabbard and he wipes his hands on his sides. |
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| Blackthorne's face is pale now, drained --
his eyes on Ishido.
Ishido strides to the edge of the crimson, square -staring down at Mariko. Mariko holds her hands together to stop their shaking. Disdainfully Ishida tosses a handful of folded papers onto the crimson square, then he turns and strides away -- the retinue moving off after him. |
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| Yabu stares at the scattered papers, shaking his head with disbelief. |
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| Mariko's hands move to the knots of the white
cord, but she does not have the strength to untie them. Sana comes forward
and undoes the knots, then carries the white blanket away. Slowly, Mariko
tries to push herself to her feet -but there is no strength in her body.
Blackthorne's body and his mind struggle to move forward, but he holds himself back. Again she tries -- and this time she forces herself to her feet, standing there, wavering. Suddenly Blackthorne is moving fonward. He steps onto the crimson square and reaches Mariko just as she faints. Blackthorne catches her in his arms and lifts her -- standing there for a moment before he carries her toward the castle entranceway. No one else moves. The last rays of the sun are gene. |
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