He smiled to himself. The day was a false promise, a temporary illusion, but Kathleen and Boots running toward him were very real.
He swept Boots into his arms and kissed and hugged him, and son Kathleen was in his arms, too, and as he felt her body against him and her lips against his, he had a feeling of returning to normality, to values that were important and worth building on.
Boots, jumping up and down with happiness and impatience, immediately opened Chifune's gift to him, and his face shone as he beheld the cuddly sumo doll inside. It was love at first sight.
"It's a sumo, Boots," said Fitzduane. "A Japanese wrestler."
"Zoomie! Zoomie! Zoomie!" shrieked Boots, and shot around in circles, alternately hugging his new friend and then throwing him in the air.
Kathleen, alone with Fitzduane for a few seconds, put her arms around his neck and looked up at him. She had forgotten what a big man he was. He looked pale and tired and pleased to be back, and, she thought, rather magnificent. Her lover looked what he truly was, every inch the warrior.
"So, my love," she said quizzically, "how was Japan? Cherry blossoms and geisha girls?"
A thousand images flashed through Fitzduane's mind too fast to comprehend, and then they were gone and only Kathleen in his arms was real.
He laughed. It rained a lot," he said. "It was surprisingly bloody wet. I felt quite at home."
— THE END —