The sect was said to harbour dark designs to overthrow the government.
Its teachers used a dead language that was impenetrable to all but the
innermost circle of believers. Its priests preached love and kindness,
but helped local warlords acquire firearms. They encouraged believers
to cast aside their earthly allegiances and swear loyalty to a foreign
god-emperor, before seeking paradise in terrible martyrdoms.
The
cult was in open revolt, led, it was said, by a boy sorcerer. Farmers
claiming to have the blessing of an alien god had bested trained
samurai in combat and proclaimed that fires in the sky would soon bring
about the end of the world. The Shogun called old soldiers out of
retirement for one last battle before peace could be declared in Japan.
For there to be an end to war, he said, the Christians would have to
die.
This is a true story.
