Shogun - Clavell James - Страница 94
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Mariko did not answer. She was remembering this morning and all the evil words and evil thoughts. How can a man be so brave and so stupid, so gentle and so cruel, so warming and so detestable - all at the same time? The Anjin-san was limitlessly brave to take Ishido's attention off the litter, and completely clever to feign madness and so lead Toranaga out of the trap. How wise of Toranaga to escape this way! But be cautious, Mariko, she warned herself. Think about Toranaga and not about this stranger. Remember his evil and stop the moist warmth in your loins that you have never had before, the warmth courtesans talk about and storybooks and pillowbooks describe.
"Aye," she said. "Courage is beautiful and thou hast it in abundance." Then she turned to Portuguese once more. "Latin is such a tiring language."
"You learned it in school?"
"No, Anjin-san, it was later. After I was married I lived in the far north for quite a long time. I was alone, except for servants and villagers, and the only books I had were Portuguese and Latin - some grammars and religious books, and a Bible. Learning the languages passed the time very well, and occupied my mind. I was very fortunate. "
"Where was your husband?"
"At war."
"How long were you alone?"
"We have a saying that time has no single measure, that time can be like frost or lightning or a tear or siege or storm or sunset, or even like a rock."
"That's a wise saying," he told her. Then added, "Your Portuguese is very good, senhora. And your Latin: Better than mine."
"You have a honeyed tongue, Anjin-san!"
"It's honto!"
"Honto is a good word. The honto is that one day a Christian Father came to the village. We were like two lost souls. He stayed for four years and helped me immensely. I'm glad I can speak well," she said, without vanity. "My father wanted me to learn the languages."
"Why?"
"He thought we should know the devil with which we had to deal. "
"He was a wise man."
"No. Not wise."
"Why?"
"One day I will tell you the story. It's a sadness."
"Why were you alone for a rock of time?"
"Why don't you rest? We have a long way to go yet."
"Do you want to ride?" Again he began to get up but she shook her head.
"No, thank you. Please stay where you are. I enjoy walking."
"All right. But you don't want to talk anymore?"
"If it pleases you we can talk. What do you want to know?"
"Why were you alone for a rock of time?"
"My husband sent me away. My presence had offended him. He was perfectly correct to do this. He honored me by not divorcing me. Then he honored me even more by accepting me and our son back again." Mariko looked at him. "My son is fifteen now. I'm really an old lady."
"I don't believe you, senhora."
"It's honto."
"How old were you when you were married?"
"Old, Anjin-san. Very old."
"We have a saying: Age is like frost or siege or sunset, even sometimes like a rock." She laughed. Everything about her is so graceful, he thought, mesmerized by her. "On you, Venerable Lady, old age sits prettily."
"For a woman, Anjin-san, old age is never pretty."
"Thou art wise as thou art beautiful." The Latin came too easily and though it sounded more formal and more regal, it was more intimate. Watch yourself, he thought.
No one has ever called me beautiful before, she repeated to herself. I wish it were true. "Here it is not wise to notice another man's woman," she said. "Our customs are quite severe. For example, if a married woman is found alone with a man in a room with the door closed just if they are alone and talking privately - by law her husband or his brother or his father has the right to put her to death instantly. If the girl is unmarried, the father can, of course, always do with her as he pleases."
"That's not fair or civilized." He regretted the slip instantly.
"We find ourselves quite civilized, Anjin-san." Mariko was glad to be insulted again, for it had broken the spell and dispelled the warmth. "Our laws are very wise. There are far too many women, free and unattached, for a man to take one who belongs elsewhere. It's a protection for women, in truth. A wife's duty is solely to her husband. Be patient. You'll see how civilized, how advanced we are. Women have a place, men have a place. A man may have only one official wife at one time - but of course, many consorts - but women here have much more freedom than Spanish or Portuguese ladies, from what I've been told. We can go freely where we please, when we please. We may leave our husbands, if we wish, divorce them. We may refuse to marry in the first place, if we wish. We own our own wealth and property, our bodies and our spirits. We have tremendous powers if we wish. Who looks after all your wealth, your money, in your household?"
"I do, naturally."
"Here the wife looks after everything. Money is nothing to a samurai. It's beneath contempt to a real man. I manage all my husband's affairs. He makes all the decisions. I merely carry out his wishes and pay his bills. This leaves him totally free to do his duty to his lord, which is his sole duty. Oh, yes, Anjin-san, you must be patient before you criticize."
"It wasn't meant as a criticism, senhora. It's just that we believe in the sanctity of life, that no one can lightly be put to death unless a law court - the Queen's law court - agrees."
She refused to allow herself to be soothed. "You say a lot of things I don't understand, Anjin-san. But didn't you say 'not fair and not civilized'?"
"Yes."
"That then is a criticism, neh? Lord Toranaga asked me to point out it's unseemly to criticize without knowledge. You must remember our civilization, our culture, is thousands of years old. Three thousand of these are documented. Oh yes, we are an ancient people. As ancient as China. How many years does your culture go back?"
"Not long, senhora."
"Our Emperor, Go-Nijo, is the one hundred and seventh of his unbroken line, right back to Jimmu-tenno, the first earthling, who was descended from the five generations of terrestrial spirits and, before them, the seven generations of celestial spirits who came from Kuni-toko-tachi-noh-Mikoto the first spirit who appeared when the earth was split from the heavens. Not even China can claim such a history. How many generations have your kings ruled your land?"
"Our Queen's the third of the Tudor line, senhora. But she's old now and childless so she's the last."
"One hundred and seven generations, Anjin-san, back to divinity," she repeated proudly.
"If you believe that, senhora, how can you also say you're Catholic?" He saw her bridle, then shrug.
"I am only a ten-year Christian and therefore a novice, and though I believe in the Christian God, in God the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, with all my heart, our Emperor is directly descended from the gods or from God. He is divine. There are a lot of things I cannot explain or understand. But the divinity of my Emperor is without question. Yes, I am Christian, but first I am a Japanese."
Is this the key to all of you? That first you are Japanese? he asked himself. He had watched her, astonished by what she was saying. Their customs are insane! Money means nothing to a real man? That explains why Toranaga was so contemptuous when I mentioned money at the first meeting. One hundred and seven generations? Impossible! Instant death just for being innocently in a closed room with a woman? That's barbarism - an open invitation to murder. They advocate and admire murder! Isn't that what Rodrigues said? Isn't that what Omi-san did? Didn't he just murder that peasant? By Christ's blood, I haven't thought of Omi-san for days. Or the village. Or the pit or being on my knees in front of him. Forget him, listen to her, be patient as she says, ask her questions because she'll supply the means to bend Toranaga to your plan. Now Toranaga is absolutely in your debt. You saved him. He knows it, everyone knows it. Didn't she thank you, not for saving her but for saving him?
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