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When the Emperor Was Divine is a historical fiction novel written

ENGL100 English — exam and revision material · Other

Updated today

English book material, 43 pages. Originally published on StudyMerit.

Pages
43
Academic year
2025/2026
Language
English

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Preview 3 of 43 pages

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W H E N T H E E M P E R O R W A S D I V I N E I n t h e be g i n n i n g t h e boy t h ou g h t h e s a w h i s f a t h e r e ve r y w h e r e . O u t s i de t h e l a t r i n e s . U n de r n e a t h t h e s h ow e r s . L e a n i n g a g a i n s t ba r r a c k door w a y s . P l a y i n g g o w i t h t h e ot h e r m e n i n t h e i r f l oppy s t r a w h a t s on t h e n a r r ow w oode n be n c h e s a f t e r l u n c h . A bove t h e m bl u e s k i e s . T h e h ot m i dda y s u n . N o t r e e s . N o s h a de . B i r ds . I t w a s 1942. U t a h . L a t e s u m m e r . A c i t y of t a r - pa pe r ba r r a c k s be h i n d a ba r be d- w i r e f e n c e on a du s t y a l k a l i n e pl a i n h i g h u p i n t h e de s e r t . T h e w i n d w a s h ot a n d dr y a n d t h e r a i n r a r e l y f e l l a n d w h e r e ve r t h e boy l ook e d h e s a w h i m : D a ddy , P a pa , F a t h e r , O t o- s an. F or i t w a s t r u e , t h e y a l l l ook e d a l i k e . B l a c k h a i r . S l a n t e d e y e s . H i g h c h e e k bon e s . T h i c k g l a s s e s . T h i n l i ps . B a d t e e t h . U n k n ow a bl e . I n s c r u t a bl e . T h a t w a s h i m , ove r t h e r e . T h e l i t t l e y e l l ow m a n . T H R E E T I M E S A D A Y t h e c l a n g i n g of be l l s . E n dl e s s l i n e s . T h e s m e l l of l i ve r dr i f t i n g ou t a c r os s t h e bl a c k ba r r a c k r oof s . T h e s m e l l of c a t f i s h . F r om t i m e t o t i m e , t h e s m e l l of h or s e m e a t . O n m e a t l e s s da y s , t h e s m e l l of be a n s . I n s i de t h e m e s s h a l l , t h e c l a t t e r of f or k s a n d s poon s a n d k n i ve s . N o c h ops t i c k s . A n e n dl e s s s e a of bobbi n g bl a c k h e a ds . H u n dr e ds of m ou t h s c h e w i n g . S l u r pi n g . S u c k i n g . S w a l l ow i n g . A n d ove r t h e r e , i n t h e c or n e r , be n e a t h t h e f l a g , a f a m i l i a r f a c e . T h e boy c a l l e d ou t , “ P a pa ,” a n d t h r e e m e n w i t h t h i c k m e t a l - r i m m e d g l a s s e s l ook e d u p f r om t h e i r pl a t e s a n d s a i d, “ N an de s u k a?” W h a t i s i t ? B u t t h e boy c ou l d n ot s a y w h a t i t w a s .

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H e l ow e r e d h i s h e a d a n d s k e w e r e d a s m a l l V i e n n a s a u s a g e . H i s m ot h e r r e m i n de d h i m , on c e a g a i n , n ot t o s h ou t ou t i n pu bl i c . A n d n e ve r t o s pe a k w i t h h i s m ou t h f u l l . H a r r y Y a m a g u c h i t a ppe d a s poon on a g l a s s a n d a n n ou n c e d t h a t t h e h e a d c ou n t w ou l d be t a k e n on M on da y e ve n i n g . T h e boy ’ s s i s t e r n u dg e d h i m u n de r t h e t a bl e , h a r d, w i t h t h e s c u f f e d t o e of h e r M a r y J a n e . “ P a pa ’ s g on e ,” s h e s a i d. T H E Y H A D B E E N A S S I G N E D t o a r oom i n a ba r r a c k i n a bl oc k n ot f a r f r om t h e f e n c e . T h e boy . T h e g i r l . T h e i r m ot h e r . I n s i de t h e r e w e r e t h r e e i r on c ot s a n d a pot be l l i e d s t ove a n d a s i n g l e ba r e bu l b t h a t h u n g dow n f r om t h e c e i l i n g . A t a bl e m a de ou t of c r a t e w ood. O n t op of a r ou g h w ood e n s h e l f , a n ol d Z e n i t h r a di o t h e y h a d br ou g h t w i t h t h e m on t h e t r a i n f r om C a l i f or n i a . A t i n c l oc k . A j a r of pa pe r f l ow e r s . A box of s a l t . T a c k e d t o t h e w a l l be s i de a s m a l l w i n dow , a pi c t u r e of J oe D i M a g g i o t or n f r om a m a g a z i n e . T h e r e w a s n o r u n n i n g w a t e r a n d t h e t oi l e t s w e r e a h a l f bl oc k a w a y . F a r a w a y , on t h e ot h e r s i de of t h e oc e a n , t h e r e w a s f i g h t i n g , a n d a t n i g h t t h e boy l a y a w a k e on h i s s t r a w m a t t r e s s a n d l i s t e n e d t o t h e bu l l e t i n s on t h e r a di o. S om e t i m e s , i n t h e da r k n e s s , h e h e a r d n oi s e s dr i f t i n g f r om ot h e r r oom s . T h e h e a v y t h u d of f oot s t e ps . T h e s h u f f l i n g of c a r ds . O ve r a n d ove r a g a i n , t h e c r e a k i n g of s pr i n g s . H e h e a r d a w om a n w h i s pe r i n g , “ L ow e r , l ow e r , t he r e , ” a n d a m a n w i t h a h i g h voi c e s i n g i n g , “ A uf w i e de r s e h’ n, s w e e t he ar t , auf w i e de r s e h’ n.” S om e on e s a i d, “ J u s t s a y s ay onar a, F r a n k .” S om e on e s a i d, “ B on s oi r ! ” S om e on e s a i d, “ P l e a s e s h u t u p, pl e a s e .” S om e on e e l s e be l c h e d. T h e r e w a s a w i n dow a bove t h e boy ’ s be d, a n d ou t s i de w e r e t h e s t a r s a n d t h e m oon a n d t h e e n dl e s s r ow s o f bl a c k ba r r a c k s a l l l i n e d u p i n t h e s a n d. I n t h e d i s t a n c e , a w i de e m pt y f i e l d w h e r e n ot h i n g bu t s a g e br u s h g r e w , t h e n t h e f e n c e a n d t h e h i g h w oode n t ow e r s . T h e r e w a s a g u a r d i n e a c h t ow e r , a n d h e c a r r i e d a m a c h i n e g u n a n d bi n oc u l a r s a n d a t n i g h t h e m a n n e d t h e s e a r c h l i g h t .

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