Shogun (The Asian Saga Chronology) (4 page)

The children flurried past, chasing one another, and he was embarrassed for them at the gardener's nakedness, for when the man bent over or stooped you could see everything and he was astounded that the children appeared not to notice.  He saw tiled and thatched roofs of other buildings over the wall and, far off, high mountains.  A crisp wind broomed the sky and kept the cumulus advancing.  Bees were foraging and it was a lovely spring day.  His body begged for more sleep but he pushed himself erect and went to the garden door.  The gardener smiled and bowed and ran to open the door and bowed and closed it after him.

The village was set around the crescent harbor that faced east, perhaps two hundred houses unlike any he'd ever seen nestling at the beginning of the mountain which spilled down to the shore.  Above were terraced fields and dirt roads that led north and south.  Below, the waterfront was cobbled and a stone launching ramp went from the shore into the sea.  A good safe harbor and a stone jetty, and men and women cleaning fish and making nets, a uniquely designed boat being built at the northern side.  There were islands far out to sea, to the east and to the south.  The reefs would be there or beyond the horizon.

In the harbor were many other quaintly shaped boats, mostly fishing craft, some with one large sail, several being sculled—the oarsmen standing and pushing against the sea, not sitting and pulling as he would have done.  A few of the boats were heading out to sea, others were nosing at the wooden dock, and
Erasmus
was anchored neatly, fifty yards from shore, in good water, with three bow cables.  Who did that? he asked himself.  There were boats alongside her and he could see native men aboard.  But none of his.  Where could they be?

He looked around the village and became conscious of the many people watching him.  When they saw that he had noticed them they all bowed and, still uncomfortable, he bowed back.  Once more there was happy activity and they passed to and fro, stopping, bargaining, bowing to each other, seemingly oblivious of him, like so many multicolored butterflies.  But he felt eyes studying him from every window and doorway as he walked toward the shore.

What is it about them that's so weird? he asked himself.  It's not just their clothes and behavior.  It's—
they've no weapons
, he thought, astounded.  No swords or guns!  Why is that?

Open shops filled with odd goods and bales lined the small street.  The floors of the shops were raised and the sellers and the buyers knelt or squatted on the clean wooden floors.  He saw that most had clogs or rush sandals, some with the same white socks with the thick sole that were split between the big toe and the next to hold the thongs, but they left the clogs and sandals outside in the dirt.  Those who were barefoot cleansed their feet and slipped on clean, indoor sandals that were waiting for them.  That's very sensible if you think about it, he told himself, awed.

Then he saw the tonsured man approaching and fear swept sickeningly from his testicles into his stomach.  The priest was obviously Portuguese or Spanish, and, though his flowing robe was orange, there was no mistaking the rosary and crucifix at his belt, or the cold hostility on his face.  His robe was travel stained and his European style boots besmirched with mud.  He was looking out into the harbor at
Erasmus
, and Blackthorne knew that he must recognize her as Dutch or English, new to most seas, leaner, faster, a merchant fighting ship, patterned and improved on the English privateers that had wreaked so much havoc on the Spanish Main.  With the priest were ten natives, blackhaired and black-eyed, one dressed like him except that he had thong slippers.  The others wore varicolored robes or loose trousers, or simply loincloths.  But none was armed.

Blackthorne wanted to run while there was time but he knew he did not have the strength and there was nowhere to hide.  His height and size and the color of his eyes made him alien in this world.  He put his back against the wall.

"Who are you?" the priest said in Portuguese.  He was a thick, dark, well-fed man in his middle twenties, with a long beard.

"Who are you?"  Blackthorne stared back at him.

"That's a Netherlander privateer.  You're a heretic Dutchman.  You're pirates.  God have mercy on you!"

"We're not pirates.  We're peaceful merchants, except to our enemies.  I'm pilot of that ship.  Who are you?"

"Father Sebastio.  How did you get here?  How?"

"We were blown ashore.  What is this place?  Is it the Japans?"

"Yes.  Japan.  Nippon," the priest said impatiently.  He turned to one of the men, older than the rest, small and lean with strong arms and calloused hands, his pate shaved and his hair drawn into a thin queue as gray as his eyebrows.  The priest spoke haltingly to him in Japanese, pointing at Blackthorne.  All of them were shocked and one made the sign of the cross protectively.

"Dutchmen are heretics, rebels, and pirates.  What's your name?"

"Is this a Portuguese settlement?"

The priest's eyes were hard and bloodshot.  "The village headman says he's told the authorities about you.  Your sins have caught up with you.  Where's the rest of your crew?"

"We were blown off course.  We just need food and water and time to repair our ship.  Then we'll be off.  We can pay for every—"

"Where's the rest of your crew?"

"I don't know.  Aboard.  I suppose they're aboard."

Again the priest questioned the headman, who replied and motioned to the other end of the village, explaining at length.  The priest turned back to Blackthorne.  "They crucify criminals here, Pilot.  You're going to die.  The
daimyo's
coming with his samurai.  God have mercy on you."

"What's a
daimyo?
"

"A feudal lord.  He owns this whole province.  How did you get here?"

"And
samurai?
"

"Warriors—soldiers—members of the warrior caste," the priest said with growing irritation.  "Where did you come from and who are you?"

"I don't recognize your accent," Blackthorne said, to throw him off balance.  "You're a Spaniard?"

"I'm Portuguese," the priest flared, taking the bait.  "I told you, I'm Father Sebastio from Portugal.  Where did you learn such good Portuguese.  Eh?"

"But Portugal and Spain are the same country now," Blackthorne said, taunting.  "You've the same king."

"We're a separate country.  We're a different people.  We have been forever.  We fly our own flag.  Our overseas possessions are separate, yes, separate.  King Philip agreed when he stole my country."  Father Sebastio controlled his temper with an effort, his fingers trembling.  "He took my country by force of arms twenty years ago!  His soldiers and that devil-spawned Spaniard tyrant, the Duke of Alva, they crushed our real king. 
Que va!
  Now Philip's son rules but he's not our real king either.  Soon we'll have our own king back again."  Then he added with venom, "You know it's the truth.  What devil Alva did to your country he did to mine."

"That's a lie.  Alva was a plague in the Netherlands, but he never conquered them.  They're still free.  Always will be.  But in Portugal he smashed one small army and the whole country gave in.  No courage.  You could throw the Spaniard out if you wanted to, but you'll never do it.  No honor.  No
cojones.
  Except to burn innocents in the name of God."

"May God burn you in hellfire for all eternity," the priest flared.  "Satan walks abroad and will be stamped out.  Heretics will be stamped out.  You're cursed before God!"

In spite of himself Blackthorne felt the religious terror begin to rise within him.  "Priests don't have the ear of God, or speak with His voice.  We're free of your stinking yoke and we're going to stay free!"

It was only forty years ago that Bloody Mary Tudor was Queen of England and the Spaniard Philip II, Philip the Cruel, her husband.  This deeply religious daughter of Henry VIII had brought back Catholic priests and inquisitors and heresy trials and the dominance of the foreign Pope again to England and had reversed her father's curbs and historic changes to the Church of Rome in England, against the will of the majority.  She had ruled for five years and the realm was torn asunder with hatred and fear and bloodshed.  But she had died and Elizabeth became queen at twenty-four.

Blackthorne was filled with wonder, and deep filial love, when he thought of Elizabeth.  For forty years she's battled with the world.  She's outfoxed and outfought Popes, the Holy Roman Empire, France and Spain combined.  Excommunicated, spat on, reviled abroad, she's led us into harbor—safe, strong, separate.

"We're free," Blackthorne said to the priest.  "You're broken.  We've our own schools now, our own books, our own Bible, our own Church.  You Spaniards are all the same.  Offal!  You monks are all the same.  Idol worshipers!"

The priest lifted his crucifix and held it between Blackthorne and himself as a shield.  "Oh, God, protect us from this evil!  I'm not Spanish, I tell you!  I'm Portuguese.  And I'm not a monk.  I'm a brother of the Society of Jesus!"

"Ah, one of them.  A Jesuit!"

"Yes.  May God have mercy on your soul!"  Father Sebastio snapped something in Japanese and the men surged toward Blackthorne.  He backed against the wall and hit one man hard but the others swarmed over him and he felt himself choking.

"
Nanigoto da?
"

Abruptly the melee ceased.

The young man was ten paces away.  He wore breeches and clogs and a light kimono and two scabbarded swords were stuck into his belt.  One was daggerlike.  The other, a two-handed killing sword, was long and slightly curved.  His right hand was casually on the hilt.

"
Nanigoto da?
" he asked harshly and when no one answered instantly, "
NANIGOTO DA?
"

The Japanese fell to their knees, their heads bowed into the dirt.  Only the priest stayed on his feet.  He bowed and began to explain haltingly, but the man contemptuously cut him short and pointed at, the headman.  "Mura!"

Mura, the headman, kept his head bowed and began explaining rapidly.  Several times he pointed at Blackthorne, once at the ship, and twice at the priest.  Now there was no movement on the street.  All who were visible were on their knees and bowing low.  The headman finished.  The armed man arrogantly questioned him for a moment and he was answered deferentially and quickly.  Then the soldier said something to the headman and waved with open contempt at the priest, then at Blackthorne, and the gray-haired man put it more simply to the priest, who flushed.

The man, who was a head shorter and much younger than Blackthorne, his handsome face slightly pock-marked, stared at the stranger.  "
Onushi ittai doko kara kitanoda? Doko no kuni no monoda?
"

The priest said nervously, "Kasigi Omi-san says, 'Where do you come from and what's your nationality?' "

"Is Mr. Omisan the
daimyo?
" Blackthorne asked, afraid of the swords in spite of himself.

"No.  He's a samurai, the samurai in charge of the village.  His surname's Kasigi, Omi's his given name.  Here they always put their surnames first.  'San' means 'honorable,' and you add it to all names as a politeness.  You'd better learn to be polite—and find some manners quickly.  Here they don't tolerate lack of manners."  His voice edged.  "Hurry up and answer!"

"Amsterdam.  I'm English."

Father Sebastio's shock was open.  He said, "English.  England," to the samurai and began an explanation but Omi impatiently cut him short and rapped out a flurry of words.

"Omi-san asks if you're the leader.  The headman says there are only a few of you heretics alive and most are sick.  Is there a Captain-General?"

"I'm the leader," Blackthorne answered even though, truly, now that they were ashore, the Captain-General was in command.  "I'm in command," he added, knowing that Captain-General Spillbergen could command nothing, ashore or afloat, even when he was fit and well.

Another spate of words from the samurai.  "Omi-san says, because you are the leader you are allowed to walk around the village freely, wherever you want, until his master comes.  His master, the
daimyo
, will decide your fate.  Until then, you are permitted to live as a guest in the headman's house and come and go as you please.  But you are not to leave the village.  Your crew are confined to their house and are not allowed to leave it.  Do you understand?"

"Yes.  Where are my crew?"

Father Sebastio pointed vaguely at a cluster of houses near a wharf, obviously distressed by Omi's decision and impatience.  "There!  Enjoy your freedom, pirate.  Your evil's caught up with—"

"
Wakarimasu ka?
" Omi said directly to Blackthorne.

"He says, 'Do you understand?' "

"What's 'yes' in Japanese?"

Father Sebastio said to the samurai, "
Wakarimasu.
"

Omi disdainfully waved them away.  They all bowed low.  Except one man who rose deliberately, without bowing.

With blinding speed the killing sword made a hissing silver arc and the man's head toppled off his shoulders and a fountain of blood sprayed the earth.  The body rippled a few times and was still.  Involuntarily, the priest had backed off a pace.  No one else in the street had moved a muscle.  Their heads remained low and motionless.  Blackthorne was rigid, in shock.

Omi put his foot carelessly on the corpse.

"
Ikinasai!
" he said, motioning them away.

The men in front of him bowed again, to the earth.  Then they got up and went away impassively.  The street began to empty.  And the shops.

Father Sebastio looked down at the body.  Gravely he made the sign of the cross over him and said, "
In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.
"  He stared back at the samurai without fear now.

"
Ikinasai!
"  The tip of the gleaming sword rested on the body.

After a long moment the priest turned and walked away.  With dignity.  Omi watched him narrowly, then glanced at Blackthorne.  Blackthorne backed away and then, when safely distant, he quickly turned a corner and vanished.