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Selena studied the characters on the five levers projecting from the wall.
"I think these are place names," she said. "This one says Yamazaki."
"Yamazaki is in Kyoto," Nobuyasu said. "It is the site of a famous battle during the reign of Hideyoshi."
"The next one reads Anegawa."
"Another battle where Hideyoshi led troops."
She pointed to another one. "Shizugatake?"
"That is one of the greatest battles in our history. It was magnificent. Hideyoshi emerged victorious and consolidated his power."
"What about this one? Takamatsu?"
"That too is a battle where Hideyoshi was victorious, early in his career. He laid siege to a castle controlled by a rival clan."
"This last one says Odawara."
"That is the final battle Hideyoshi fought," Nobuyasu said. "After that, he established his rule and began the invasions of Korea."
"It's a pattern," Selena said. "Each one of these is a battle where Hideyoshi fought and won. The puzzle is a monument to his ego."
"Hideyoshi became a great general. All of these are from different stages in his military career," Nobuyasu said. "He was a true samurai, even though he came from common stock."
"I'm sure these levers have to be used in a correct sequence. What was the first battle he fought in, among the ones listed here?"
"Anegawa. He had not yet achieved great fame and was still known as Hashiba Hideyoshi."
The lever marked Anegawa was in the middle of the row.
"Which battle came next?"
"Takamatsu."
That lever was on the end.
"And then?"
"Then Yamazaki, Shizugutake, and Odawara, in that order."
She'd get one chance. If she didn't use those levers in the right order, she was certain the roof would collapse and kill her. What was the right combination? Should she enter the battles in the order they took place? Or should she start with Hideyoshi's last, great, success and work backwards? Or was there some other possible combination? Whatever it was, Nobuyasu was getting impatient.
"Make up your mind, Doctor Connor. We are running out of time. I want to leave here before dawn and I can always come back at a future date. Decide."
She thought about what kind of man Hideyoshi had been. An alpha male, for sure. In the culture of the time, he would've been arrogant and conceited, a man who would want people to remember his victories and successes, to admire his progression through life until he became all-powerful.
I'm Hideyoshi and I'm a product of my time, she thought. I want people to see how I earned my high rank through courage and valor. I want them to remember how I fought my way to the top. How I defeated my enemies.
She pulled down the lever marked with the first of Hideyoshi's victories.
Anegawa.
Something moved behind the wall. A stream of dust fell from the ceiling above her. She looked up and took a breath.
Takamatsu.
More dust.
Yamazaki. Shizugutake.
She got ready to make a run for it. Maybe she could make it to where Nobuyasu stood with Hachiro if the roof started to come down.
Odawara.
She pulled down the final lever.