Across the Nightingale Floor

"In his black-walled fortress at Inuyama, the warlord Iida Sadamu surveys his famous nightingale floor. Constructed with exquisite skill, it sings at the tread of each human foot. No assassin can cross it unheard. Raised in a remote mountain village, Takeo is one of the hidden, a reclusive and peaceful people who know nothing of war. But the community's tranquil existence is shattered by a brutal and boody massacre. Takeo, rescued by the mysterious Lord Otori Shigeru, is the only survivor. Takeo's quest for revenge takes him to places he has never imagined. His voyage is one of treachery of honour and loyalty, of beauty and magic. It is also a journey of self-discovery, as he learns of talents he did not know he had: preternatural hearing, invisibility and the ability to be in two places at once. Ultimately, it is a journey theat will lead Takeo to hos hidden destiny, within the walls of Inuyama." (4e de couv.) (résumé).