Chapter 12

Romance: Another country heard from:12.

Rather than spend hours hoping to sell another knife, Kevin Pipes and John Parker loaded everything back up into their old U Haul van and followed us back to Frogmorton.

"I had no idea this place was here," Kevin said. "I've seen the house on the hill when I was hiking the Trail ... but ... never ... I mean never knew there was a village here ... and there's a bank. You mean your check would have been good?"

Sultry nodded.

John added, as he was walking on the ... road, trail, two track path to the house, "The army is visiting? Holy Shit! Is that a cannon? What's with all the the trucks? That's a pretty stained glass window. Pretty big house for just the two of you."

We marched into the armory just like it was home. Parker and Pipes suddenly suffered from a severe case of the stutters.

"I got just one question," Kevin blurted out, "Are those for real?"

He was looking at the swords. John was looking at them too ... but he was crying.

"Kevin, if we live to be a thousand years old ... we'll never see the like again." He started touching, "Amakuni Yasutsuna," He pointed, " ... and that's one of his too.

"Hikoshirō Sadamune." That sword was in a completely different direction. " ... his student, goshu takaki ju Sadamune. I'd know his work anywhere."

He touched another and quickly found it's partners, "Sōshū. This set is worth at least 12 million. It's complete ... never happened before."

He touched another on a chair, "This one is Toshiro Yoshimitsu, that's a Chokuto by Go Yoshihiro, Bizen Nagamitsu made that Tsurugi/Ken, and Ike Muramasa forged that Kodachi."

Pretty soon, there was a sergeant following along with a brass tag maker, making tags as fast as he could. The only difference in the tags was probable provenience by John Parker 1969

John was sorting them into sets and singles. A few pairs, but mostly sets and singles.

"This is in the wrong saya. That's a scabbard for you barbarians." He started scanning the hilts, "Suka," he called them. He reached the end of his search and started over again.

"Got it ... the suka's been retied. That's a very old style ... maybe someone was trying a scam. But the blade is a Kanenobu, a samurai blade. It's much more rare than the fake. Somebody didn't know what he had."

Parker picked out two different sheaths.

He proceeded to lean a butt cheek on the edge of the table and lectured, "The sheaths themselves are not an easy task. There are two types of sheaths, both of which require exacting work to create.

"One is the shirasaya," he waved it, "Which is generally made of wood and considered the "resting" sheath, used as a storage sheath.

"The other sheath is the more decorative or battle-worthy sheath which is usually called either a jindachi-zukuri, if suspended from the obi (belt) by straps (tachi-style), or a buke-zukuri sheath if thrust through the obi (katana-style)."

He was pointing at each difference as he covered them. "Most swordsmiths sold the finished blade and it was up to the purchaser to commission a Saya."

The army was practically drooling. They were seated in a semi circle at his feet.

"Oh," John said, "You're interested." He picked out a sword and started in. Applause when he was finished. He blushed. "Blades have been my life's work."

Major Austin pulled Jack aside, "There's another crate of watches on the bedroom. They are all in watch boxes."

The Flintkote's snuck up the stairs and locked themselves in the Watch room. Indeed ... there were maybe two hundred and fifty quality watches in padded boxes. As each one was tried and failed, Jack replaced it in its box. They were about to use the bed for something more fun when Jack flickered.