Hour of the Boar

The Hour of the Boar gives a precise temporal boundary to Mariko’s evening visit to Blackthorne: she is asked to come after the hour, and later arrives as its bells end. The passage uses the hour to shape the timing of a private meeting that turns from intimacy to urgent warning.

Scheduling the Visit

Mariko agrees to come after the Hour of the Boar and asks that Fujiko send for her then. The reference makes the hour a practical point of coordination, fixing when the visit should begin without specifying a clock time.

The Hour’s End

In Blackthorne’s recollection of the previous evening, the bells mark the end of the Hour of the Boar just as Mariko arrives punctually. The hour’s close thus serves as the threshold between the evening’s earlier merriment and saké and Mariko’s warning that Blackthorne is in danger. Its recurrence links an arranged appointment to the scene that follows, where private affection gives way to caution.