Games of The Hangman

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"From the ancient times, most samurai have been of eccentric spirit, strong willed and courageous."

—Yukio Mishima, Hagakure

"Plumb hell or heaven, what's the difference?  Plumb the unknown, to find out something new."

—Charles Baudelaire

Prologue

FITZDUANE'S ISLAND OFF THE WEST OF IRELAND — 1981

When he was told he was to hang, Rudi had turned pale and swayed on his feet.

Later he was more composed, and it was clear to the others that he had accepted the inevitability of what was to come.  He was given no choice.  Either he would accept the verdict and do what was necessary or he would be killed painfully — and so would Vreni and other members of his family.  It was one life or several, and either way he would die.  There was only one decision he could make.  He was told that his hanging would be quick and painless.

He had reached a point where he couldn't take it anymore, where what they were doing and what they planned to do — however valid the reasons — were suddenly abhorrent.  He could no longer continue.  Physically his body rebelled, and he felt ill and nauseated.  His mind was a morass of terrible images and memories, and hope and belief were dead.  He had been warned when he joined that he could never leave alive.

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