ericlustbader.the ninja-第30部分

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if　he　were　carefully　looking　out　of　a　besieged　fortress's　apertures。　'All　the　way　from　Singapore　to　Tokyo；　in　fact。　So…Peng　had　asked　us　not　to　open　the　present　until　we　had　reached　Japan　and　we　respected　this　request。
　'At　Haneda　Airport；　we　were　met　by　a　contingent　of　SCAP　personnel　…　we　had；　of　course；　flown　over　in　a　military　transport。　However；　someone　else　was　waiting　for　us　when　we　landed。　Certainly　your　mother　recognized　her　immediately　and　so　did　I；　just　by　the　description　I　had　been　given　by　Cheong　of　her　dream。　It　was　Itami　and　she　looked　precisely　as　your　mother　had　dreamed　she　did。'　He　shrugged。　'Somehow；　I　was　not　amazed。　One　grows　used　to　such　。。。　phenomena；　here；　it's　a　part　of　life　in　the　Far　East；　as　I've　no　doubt　you　will　soon　learn。
　'I　was　curious；　the　rapport　your　mother　had　with　Itami。　It　was　as　if　they　had　known　each　other　all　their　lives；　as　if　they　were　sisters；　rather　than　sisters…in…law。　There　was　absolutely　no　culture　shock　as　there　might　have　been　when　a　young　girl　brought　up　in　a　tiny　Chinese　village　meets　for　the　first　time　a　grand　lady　of　urban　Japanese　society。　Now　this　was　so　even　though　your　mother　and　Itami　are　totally　different　kinds　of　people。〃　The　Colonel　turned　around　to　face　his　son。　'AH　the　differences　you　see　in　them　…　the　warmth　in　your　mother；　the　steel…like　aloofness　of　Itami；　the　happiness　of　your　mother；　the　sadness　of　your　aunt　…　none　of　these　differences　mattered　to　either　of　them。
　'This；　too；　I　thought　about　for　some　time　and　what　I　decided　was　this：　although　So…Peng　told　me　in　so　many　words　that　he　possessed　no　knowledge　of　Cheong's　true　heritage；　yet　his　present　was　an　oblique　way　of　telling　me　otherwise。〃
　'You　mean　Mother　is　Japanese。'
　'Perhaps　part　Japanese。'　He　came　and　sat　down　next　to　his　son；　putting　one　hand　on　his　shoulder　lovingly。　'But；　Nicholas；　this　is　something　you　must　promise　never　to　discuss　with　anyone；　even　your　mother。　I　tell　you　now　because　…　well；　because　it　was　information　passed　on　to　me。　So…Peng　believed　it　was　important；　therefore　it　must　be；　though　I　myself　put　little　stock　in　that　sort　of　thing。　I　am　English　and　a　Jew；　yet　my　heart　is　with　these　people。　My　blood　sings　with　their　history；　my　soul　resonates　with　theirs。　What　use　is　my　lineage　to　me？　I　want　to　make　this　quite　clear　to　you；　Nicholas。　I　did　not　renounce　my　Jewish　name；　I　merely　dropped　it　away。　Now　I　suppose　it　can　be　argued　that　this　is　the　same　thing。　Not　so！　I　did　this　not　by　choice　but　by　necessity。　England；　as　a　rule；　does　not　like　Jews；　never　has　done　so。　I　found；　when　I　changed　my　name；　many　doors　opened　to　me　that　had　hitherto　been　quite　shut。　There's　a　moral　question　to　be　answered　here；　I　know。　Should　one　attempt　to　go　through？　Yes；　say　I；　and　devil　take　the　hindmost。　But　that's　my　view。　And　while　my　soul　is　with　the　Japanese；　I　am　neither　Buddhist　nor　Shinto。　These　religions　hold　no　particular　meaning　for　me；　save　for　scholarly　study。　In　my　heart；　I　have　never　renounced　my　Jewishness。　Six　thousand　years　of　struggle　cannot　so　easily　be　bought　out。　The　blood　of　Solomon　and　David；　of　Moses；　runs　in　your　veins；　too。　Never　forget　that。　Whether　you　choose　to　do　anything　about　it　is　purely　your　concern；　I　would　not　tamper　with　so　private　a　matter。　Yet　it　is　my　duty　to　tell　you；　to　give　you　the　facts；　as　it　were。　I　hope　you　understand　this。'　He　gazed　solemnly　at　his　son　for　a　long　moment　before　he　opened　the　tiger　and　dragon　box；　the　last　gift　of　the　enigmatic　So…Peng。
　Nicholas　looked　down；　stared　into　the　brilliant　fire　of　sixteen　half…inch　cut　emeralds。
　Nicholas　had　been　studying　bujutsu　for　nearly　seven　years　now　and　still　felt　as　if　he　knew　almost　nothing。　He　was　strong　and　his　reflexes　superb；　he　went　through　the　drills　and　exercises　with　a　great　deal　of　concentration　and　assiduousness　but　without　any　special　love　or　feeling。　This　surprised　and　concerned　him。　He　had　been　fully　prepared　for　the　hard　work；　the　difficulty；　for　it　was　exactly　this　kind　of　effort　which　interested　and　absorbed　him　the　most。　What　he　had　not　reckoned　on　was　any　indifference　on　his　part。　It　was　not；　he　reflected　one　day　during　floor　exercises　at　the　dojo；　that　he　had　in　any　way　changed　his　mind　about　wanting　to　learn　bujutsu。　In　fact；　if　anything；　this　desire　had　increased〃。　It　was　…　well；　very　difficult　to　put。　Perhaps　there　was　no　spark　there。
　Perhaps　it　was　his　instructor。　Tanka　was　a　stolid；　solidly　built　man　who　believed　a　great　deal　in　repeated　movements　and；　it　seemed；　nothing　else。　Over　and　over；　Nicholas　was　obliged　to　perform　the　same　manoeuvre。　Again　and　again　until　he　felt　that　the　sequence　had　been　engraved　upon　his　brain　and　nerves　and　muscles。　It　was　boring　work　and　he　hated　it。　Hated；　too；　the　fact　that　Tanka　treated　them　as　if　they　were　children　not　yet　ready　for　the　adult　world。
　Ever　and　again；　he　would　find　himself　looking　over　to　the　far　side　of　the　dojo　where　Kansatsu；　the　ryu's　master；　taught；　individual　classes　with　a　select　few　of　the　older　students。　He　longed　to　be　there　instead　of　here　on　the　dung…heap　of　un…specialized　exercises。
　He　had　e　to　join　the　same　ryu　as　Saigo　…　as　had　been　said；　through　Itami's　intervention　…　and　it　galled　him　further　that　his　cousin；　being　older　and　having　joined　the　ryu　earlier　than　Nicholas；　was　thus　far　ahead。　This　point　Saigo　brought　up　to　him　at　every　opportunity。　At　the　dojo　he　was　openly　contemptuous　of　Nicholas　…　as　were　many　of　the　other　students；　because　of　his　occidental　aspect；　feeling　that　bujutsu；　being　one　of　the　most　traditional　and　sacred　of　Japanese　institutions；　should　not　be　open　to　a　gaijin；　a　foreigner　…　and　never　referred　to　Nicholas　as　his　cousin。　However；　at　home　it　was　quite　another　matter。　He　was　scrupulously　careful　to　be　polite　to　Nicholas。　For　his　part；　Nicholas　had　given　up　trying　to　talk　the　matter　out　with　Saigo　after　the　third　unsuccessful　attempt。
　Truth　to　tell；　Saigo　was　a　thorn　in　Nicholas's　side　at　the　dojo。　When　he　could　have　been　so　much　help　to　the　other；　he　invariably　went　out　of　his　way　to　make　everything　more　difficult；　even　going　so　far　as　to　bee　the　unofficial　ringleader　of　the　'opposition'。
　One　evening；　the　work　over　with　and　the　showers　taken；　Nicholas　was　dressing　when　five　or　six　of　the　boys　came　up　in　ones　and　twos　until　they　had　surrounded　him。
　'What　are　you　doing　here？'　said　one　of　the　largest　boys。　'This　is　where　we　sit。'
　Nicholas　said　nothing；　continuing　to　dress。　Outwardly　he　took　no　notice；　but　inwardly　his　heart　was　beating　like　a　triphammer。
　'Don't　you　have　anything　to　say？'　said　another　boy。　He　was　small　and　younger　than　the　others　but　was　seemingly　emboldened　by　their　surrounding　presence。　He　laughed　derisively。　'Maybe　he　doesn't　understand　Japanese。　Do　you　think　we'll　have　to　speak　to　him　in　English　like　they　do　with　the　apes　in　the　zoo？'　Everyone　laughed。
　'That's　right；'　the　big　boy　said；　picking　up　the　cue。　'I　want　an　answer；　ape。　Tell　us　why　you're　here　in　our　spot；　stinking　it　up　like　a　spot　of　venereal　disease。'
　Nicholas　stood　up。　'Why　don't　you　go　off　and　play　somewhere　where　your　jokes　will　be　appreciated。'
　'Look；　look　I'　cried　the　small　boy。　〃The　ape　speaks　I〃
　'Shut　up！'　said　the　big　boy；　and　then　to　Nicholas：　'I　don't　much　care　for　your　tone；　ape。　I　think　you've　just　said　something　you're　going　to　regret。'　His　right　hand　chopped　downward　towards　Nicholas's　exposed　neck　without　warning。　Nicholas　blocked　it　and　then　they　were　all　crowding　into　him。
　Through　the　melee　he　caught　a　glimpse　of　Saigo　on　his　way　out；　oblivious　to　the　raucous　disturbance。　He　called　out　his　name。
　Saigo　checked　and　came　over。　'Hold　on　1'　he　yelled；　shouldering　his　way　through　the　crowd。　He　shoved　them　back　against　the　wall；　giving　Nicholas　some　breathing　space。　'What's　going　on　here？'
　'It's　the　gaijin；'　the　big　boy　said；　his　fists　still　clenched。　'Making　trouble　again。'
　'Oho；　is　that　so？〃　Saigo　said。　'One　against　six？　Hard　to　believe。'　He　shrugged；　slammed　the　edge　of　his　hand　into　Nicholas's　stomach。
　Nicholas　pitched　forward　onto　his　knees；　his　forehead　touching　the　floor　as　if　in　prayer。　He　retched；　tried　to　fill　his　bursting　lungs　with　air。　He　gasped　like　a　fish　out　of　water。
　'Don't　bother　these　people　any　more；　Nicholas；'　Saigo　said；　standing　over　him。　'Where　are　your　manners？　But　what　can　you　expect；　fellows。　His　father's　a　barbarian　and　his　mother's　a　Chinese。　C'mon。'　He　led　them　away；　leaving　Nicholas　alone　on　the　floor　with　his　pain。
　She　had　e　with　her　attenuated　procession　quite　unexpectedly　during　the　middle　of　the　week；　throwing　the　entire　household　into　a　state　of　unmitigated　panic；　initiated；　of　course；　by　Cheong；　who　felt　that　the　house　was　never　clean　enough；　the　food　never　fine　enough；　her　family　never　well　dressed　enough　to　suit　Itami。
　She　looked　like　a　tiny　doll；　Nicholas　thought；　a　perfect　porcelain　thing　to　be　put　on　a　pedestal　inside　a　glass　case；　protected　from　the　elements。　In　fact；　Itami　needed　no　such　exterior　protection；　she　had　a　will　of　iron　and　the　power　to　promote　it；　even　with　her　husband；　Satsugai。
　Nicholas　watched　clandestinely　from　another　room　as　Cheong　herself　performed　the　elaborate　tea　ceremony　for　Itami；　kneeling　on　the　tatamis　before　a　green　lacquered　table。　She　wore　a　traditional　Japanese　robe　and　he