The Golden Country by Shusaku Endo Read Free Book Online Page B

samurai of the clan came secretly to consult Inoue about Lord Omura Suminaga.
    TOMONAGA: Is that so?
    HIRATA: Lord Omura lost his first wife last year and is greatly disadvantaged without her. He asked Inoue to find someone to take her place.
    TOMONAGA: You can't mean that Yuki...
    HIRATA: Exactly. Inoue feels that you cannot be happy giving your daughter to a house of as low a rank as Gennosuke's and that you wouldn't decline to send her to Omura Castle, since you were once a retainer there. He spoke of this to me this morning.
    TOMONAGA: I could never accept.
    HIRATA: Why do you say that?
    TOMONAGA: Yuki... is still a young girl. She could never fill such an important position.
    HIRATA: Do you mean to say that you find it distasteful to send your daughter to the house of your former lord? Do you reject Inoue's plans?
    TOMONAGA: To take care of Lord Omura, you say? In other words, to do him service in the night. Isn't that it? More properly called, a concubine. That's against the proper way of man and woman.
    HIRATA: Aren't you somewhat exaggerating? What you're saying, then, as I understand it, is that unless your daughter becomes Omura's legal wife, you will not give her to him. You'd better consider your social standing.
Gennosuke, who has overheard the conversation, hurries out of the room.
    HIRATA: The way of man and woman, you say. This sounds like Christian talk to me.
    TOMONAGA: Hirata.
Without reflection he lays his hand on his sword.
    TOMONAGA: What are you saying? Are you in your right mind?
Inoue enters, pretending not to see what is happening.
    INOUE: Is it you, Tomonaga? I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Hirata, I've something personal to discuss with Tomonaga.
    HIRATA: Excuse me.
He bows and leaves.
    INOUE: How are you?
    TOMONAGA: The fact is that Hirata. ...No, it's nothing.
    INOUE (looking closely at Tomonaga): Are you sure?
    TOMONAGA (trying to change the subject): Is this an hourglass?
    INOUE: Yes. I received it from the Dutch tradesman, Luhmer. Is this the first time you've seen one?
    TOMONAGA: No. I saw one once in Hirado.
    INOUE: I have something still more interesting.
He brings out a telescope, a pistol, and other objects, and shows them to him.
    INOUE (claps his hands, and Gennosuke appears): Gennosuke, bring the cakes from Portugal.
    GENNOSUKE: Yes, sir.
    INOUE: This is a telescope. It's the best one I've ever had in my hands.
Tomonaga looks at it.
    INOUE: No, the other way. From that end everything looks smaller.
Gennosuke brings in tea and castella.
    INOUE: Gennosuke, what's wrong? Your hand is shaking.
Gennosuke doesn't answer.
    INOUE: (laughing): You may go. Today, strangely enough, everyone seems to be on edge.... This is what is called castella. Try it. Please help yourself.
Tomonaga pulls off the paper wrapper and takes a bite.
    TOMONAGA: So this is castella.
Inoue brings out a large painting of Christ.
    TOMONAGA: Oh, are there still things like this around?
    INOUE: This is a fine piece of work. It's a European painting which several generations of Christians in Yamaguchi have kept in secret. It's irreplaceable as far as they're concerned. The story is that Francis Xavier gave it to them as a keepsake when he left Japan. Take it in your hands. It's rather heavy.
Tomonaga takes it. Inoue keeps his eyes fixed on him.
    INOUE: Isn't it heavy?
    TOMONAGA: What did you say?
    INOUE: I asked if it was heavy.
    TOMONAGA: No, not in the least.
    INOUE: Is that right? You were once a Christian. Isn't this Christ heavy to your hands and to your heart?
    TOMONAGA: I've forgotten it long ago—that heaviness you mention.
    INOUE: Of course, of course. Were it otherwise, you'd hardly be able to work here to persecute the Christians, would you?
    TOMONAGA: You were also a Christian. And your knowledge of Christianity has stood you in good stead. You've been able to make the Christians reject their faith one by one. Until you came they'd been able to withstand all torture.
    INOUE: But there are still priests at