"Marquis Matsugae absorbed his son's brilliant appearance in his beautiful ceremonial costume, and savored the complacency of a man who sees a lifelong dream fulfilled. This triumph dispelled completely his lingering fears of still seeming an impostor, for all his attempts to establish himself as someone fit to receive the emperor in his own home. For now, in the person of his own son [Kiyoaki}, the Marquis had seen the ultimate fusion of the aristocratic and the samurai traditions, a perfect congruence between the old court nobles and the new nobility." (Chapter 1, p. 10)

"[Kiyoaki's] conviction of having no purpose in life other than to act as a distillation of poison was part of the ego of an 18-year-old. He had resolved that his beautiful white hands would never be soiled or calloused. He wanted to be like a pennant, dependent on each gusting wind. The only thing that...