ericlustbader.the ninja-第19部分

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　'But　I　may　tell　you　with　all　candour　that　among　all　my　progeny　Cheong　has　a　special　place。　She　is　not　the　fruit　of　my　loins　but　she　most　assuredly　is　the　fruit　of　my　mind；　do　you　follow　me？　This　is　where　she　es　from　and　you　must　know　this；　e　to　understand　it　for　what　it　is　and　what　it　portends　before　you　leave　Singapore。'
　He　was　silent　for　a　time　now　as　if　he　were　dreaming　of　a　far…off　land　or；　perhaps；　a　time　long　gone。　The　air　seemed　to　split　open　and　rain　slanted　down　out　of　the　charcoal　sky；　pattering　against　the　small　square　roof　of　the　garret；　dripping　from　the　diminutive　eaves。　The　green　leaves　of　the　trees　dipped　and　shivered　under　the　downpour　until；　hissing；　the　world　was　obliterated　as　if　by　a　solid　wall　of　water。　Leaning　slightly　over　the　side；　the　Colonel　could　not　even　make　out　the　lower　roof　of　So…Peng's　house。　Mist；　heavily　laden　as　smoke；　drifted　up　to　them。　The　world　was　now　a　grey…green　pointillist　painting　from　which　only　brief　shadows　emerged　as　if　they　were　watching　the　visualization　of　still…forming　thoughts　within　some　godlike　brain。
　'We　seem　very　alone　up　here　now；'　the　Colonel　said。
　So…Peng　smiled。　'One　is　never　truly　alone　in　Asia；　is　that　not　so？'　He　stood　as　still　as　a　statue　and　it　seemed　odd　to　the　Colonel　that　this　should　be　so；　primarily　because　the　background　was　in　such　violent　motion。　Spray　bouncing　up　off　the　sill　showered　him　with　a　fine　mist　and　he　stepped　back　from　the　verge　a　pace；　reminded　of　standing　at　the　bow　of　a　fast　cutter　on　the　open　seas。　'The　world　is　different　here；'　So…Peng　continued。　'Our　world　is　different。　We　are　born　with；　grow　up　with；　indeed　live　our　entire　lives　with　the　concept　of　eternalness　always　close　to　us。　This　…　shall　we　say　intimacy　…　I　have　often　thought　is　a　two…edged　sword。　It　is　indubitably　our　great　strength　in　life　but　also　…　this　is　another　confidence　…　it　is　our　weakness；　I　fear；　our　Achilles'　heel　when　it　es　to　dealing　with　the　West。　I　am　much　afraid　that　too　many　of　my　countrymen　underestimate　Westerners　precisely　because　they　think　of　them　as　barbarians；　unable　to　grasp　fully　the　Eastern　concepts　of　man；　honour　and　the　nature　of　time。　This　can　be　lethal。　Witness　the　Japanese。　Idiotic；　what　they　attempted！　Glorious　but　idiotic。　But　the　Japanese　know　well　the　nobility　of　failure。
　A　majority　of　their　national　folk　heroes　would　be　considered　dismal　failures　by　Western　standards。　It　is　the　nature　of　their　being；　the　quality　of　their　thoughts　that　are　revered；　deeds　count　for　all；　in　the　West。　The　Protestant　ethic；　I　believe　it　is　called；　eh？　Well；　it　is　nothing　to　scoff　at；　as　any　Japanese　would　tell　you　now。　The　Protestant　ethic　is　what　defeated　Japan。　It　was　made　to　pay　dearly　for　the　miscalculation　of　Pearl　Harbor。　The　United　States　was　truly　the　sleeping　giant；　its　wrath　awesome　to　behold。'　He　gazed　out　upon　the　frantic　rain。　The　air　was　heavy　with　moisture。　'We　as　yet　lack　the　necessary　understanding　of　the　nature　of　time。　We　still　look　to　yesterday　when　its　eternal…ness　was　all；　we　have　not　yet　caught　up　with　the　present。'　He　laughed。　'But　give　us　time。　We　are　most　ingenious　people。　Once　show　us　the　way　and　there　is　our　salvation。　We　are　an　extremely　flexible　people。　Watch　out　that　we　do　not　catch　you　and　overtake　you！'
　The　faraway；　dreaming　look　left　So…Peng's　eyes　as　he　turned　to　the　Colonel　and　said；　'But　my　personal　views　of　philosophy　are　no　doubt　of　little　interest　to　you。　Words　of　wisdom　…　I　do　not　believe　in　that　phrase。　One　cannot　learn　wisdom　by　sitting　at　another's　feet。　One　must　live　one's　own　life；　make　one's　own　mistakes；　feel　one's　own　ecstasy　to　learn　the　true　meaning　of　existence；　for　it　is　different　in　each　individual。　Fall　down；　get　up；　do　it　all　over　again　in　another　context。　Experience。　And　learn。　That　is　the　only　way。
　'So。　Enough　of　prattle。　I　am　like　an　old　woman　today。　Perhaps　it　is　the　weather　that　has　made　me　so。　I　am　loquacious　in　storms；　perhaps　it　aids　my　uneasiness。　Monsoon　season　was　always　a　time　of　terror　for　me　when　I　was　a　child。
　'A　fair　enough　introduction。　You　may　wonder；　Colonel；　as　to　my　cultural　origins。　Well；　my　father　was　Chinese。　Not　a　Manchu；　thank　heaven；　but　a　cultured；　quiet　mandarin。　He　was；　originally；　a　merchant；　but　because　of　a　shrewd　mind　he　soon　became　an　important　businessman；　emigrating　to　Singapore　when　he　was　thirty…three。　Oh；　I　am　from　the　mainland；　certainly；　not　from　here。　My　mother　was　a　Japanese。'　His　eyes　opened　wide。　'Oh；　now；　Colonel；　you　needn't　look　so　surprised。　Those　things　happened　from　time　to　time。　Not；　I　admit；　with　any　degree　of　regularity。　No；　no。　And　the　true　nature　of　my　mother's　origin　was　scrupulously　concealed　for　obvious　reasons。　Her　differing　features　my　father　explained　away　by　claiming　she　came　from　the　North　of　China；　near　the　Russian　border　where　there　is　much　mixed　blood；　Mongol　and　Manchu　and　heaven　knows　what　else。
　'However；　of　Cheong's　origins　I　have　no　specific　information。　Perhaps　she　knows　or　then　again　perhaps　not。　It　was　never　discussed　between　us。　Perhaps；　one　day；　she　will　tell　you。　But　that；　of　course；　is　between　the　two　of　you。　For　myself；　I　believe　it　matters　little；　if　at　all；　for　her　matrix　is　here。　It　is　where　she　grew　up；　it　is　what　fixed　her。
　'When　one　is　able　to　see　the　matrix　from　which　a　precious　stone　is　taken；　one　is　invariably　better　able　to　judge　the　quality　of　that　stone。'　He　shook　his　head。　'But　this　is　a。　somewhat　cold　example。　Let　me　give　you　another。　One　meets　an　extraordinarily　beautiful　woman　but；　in　spending　time　with　her；　one　gradually　finds　her　behaviour　somewhat　erratic；　confusing　…　in　short；　inprehensible。　Now；　perhaps；　one　learns；　subsequently；　that　this　same　woman　was　the　middle　daughter　of　three。　It　is　now　possible　that　one　has　taken　the　first　step　in　unravelling　the　mystery　of　this　beautiful　woman's　strange　behaviour。　And；　of　course；　the　more　one　learns；　the　less　odd　her　behaviour　bees　until；　at　length；　it　is　perfectly　understandable。'　He　sniffed　once　at　the　air。　'It　will　be　over　soon；'　he　said。　'e。　Let　us　descend。'
　They　sat；　the　three　of　them　…　the　Colonel；　Cheong　and　So…Peng　…　around　the　red　lacquered　table　in　the　room　of　screens　while　Chia　Sheng　silently　served　them　course　after　course　of　food。　The　Colonel　had　not　in　three　years　seen　so　much　food　at　once；　nor　tasted　one　dish　after　another　so　delicious　or　so　exquisitely　presented。　There　was；　firstly；　every　manner　of　dim　sum　…　tiny　delicate　rice…dough　dumplings；　filled　with　a　variety　of　stuffings。　Then　there　was　fish　soup；　hot　and　spicy　without　being　in　the　least　heavy。　Thirdly；　there　were　six　kinds　of　rice；　from　the　simply　boiled　white　to　a　kind　of　double…fried　version　with　minced　seafood　and　cooked　egg　yolk。　The　fourth　course　consisted　of　a　cold　salad　spiced　with　white　horseradish　and　cucumber。　Then　came　the　main　courses：　cut　fowl；　golden　brown；　crisped；　rubbed　with　coarse　salt　and　herbs；　broiled　shrimps；　hardy　langoustes；　cracked　crabs；　their　shining　carapaces　blue　and　red；　fresh　from　the　boiling　water。　And　lastly；　great　crescent　slices　of　melon；　the　juice　already　running　down　along　the　sloping　sides；　onto　the　clay　plates；　like　the　rivulets　of　an　icy　stream。
　At　last　they　were　through　and　So…Peng；　pushing　his　rind…garlanded　plate　from　him；　heaved　a　deep　sigh　and　patted　his　stomach。　'Tell　me　about　your　matrix；　Colonel；'　he　said。
　And　the　Colonel　told　him　all　about　his　father；　all　he　had　been　told　about　the　mother　he　hardly　knew；　struck　down　by　diphtheria　when　he　was　only　two。　All　about　his　stepmother；　whom　he　despised　for　no　one　particular　reason　but　rather　for　many　diffuse　ones。　He　told　So…Peng　about　his　feelings　at　being　an　only　child；　a　concept　that　the　other　found　as　fascinating　and　absorbing　as　he　found　it　strange。　About　his　boyhood　in　rural　Sussex　and　the　road　to　school　which　eventually　brought　him；　as　it　did　to　most；　to　London。　Of　his　burgeoning　interest　in　the　Far　East；　his　studies　and　his　eventual　enlistment。
　'And　now；'　said　So…Peng；　'you　are　to　embark　upon　a　new　chapter　of　your　life。　You　are　about　to　bee　a　politician　and　more；　a　maker　of　history。　Very　good。　Very　good。　Soon　I；　too；　must　leave　Singapore　for　a　time。　My　services　are　needed　elsewhere。　Thus　this　bees；　truly；　a　farewell　party。'　He　paused　now；　as　if　waiting　for　something　to　occur。　Long　moments　passed　in　silence　with　just　the　lentitudinous　dripping　from　the　last　of　the　rain　leaving　the　lush　loquat　trees　that　surrounded　the　house。
　Presently　Chia　Sheng　appeared；　holding　a　shadowed　object　close　to　her。　When　she　reached　the　table；　she　lowered　the　object　into　So…Peng's　hands。　This　time　she　did　not　leave　them　but　stood　silently　at　his　side。
　So…Peng　held　the　object　before　him；　chest　high；　and　the　Colonel　saw　that　it　was　a　copper　box　perhaps　ten　inches　by　eight　across；　enamelled　and　elaborately　lacquered。　On　its　top　was　exquisitely　painted　a　fiery；　scaled　dragon；　entwined　with　an　enormous；　powerful　tiger。
　Still　holding　the　box；　So…Peng　said；　'It　is　now　my　duty　to　apologize　to　you；　dearest　Cheong；　for　being　away　from　Singapore　on　the　day　of　your　marriage　to　Colonel　Linnear。　I　have　thought　upon　this　for　many　months；　deciding　what　would　be　most　appropriate；　for；　as　you　know；　everything　that　is　mine　is　yours　also。　As　it　is　with　all　my　children。'　The　box　was　now　lowered　slowly