The Way of the Traitor: A Samurai Mystery by Laura Joh Rowland Read Free Book Online Page B

aggression would be an empty one. Also, though he feared the barbarians, the ship exerted a powerful attraction on him. Once Japanese had traveled the world. Embassies had ventured to Rome and Spain to foster trade and learn about the West. Monks made pilgrimages to Russia, India, Persia, Portugal, and Jerusalem. Traders settled in China, Tonkin, and the New World. Mercenaries fought in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia; exiles were sent to Cambodia. But fifty-five years ago, the bakufu, fearing that its citizens would ally with foreigners, had forbidden them to go abroad. As a boy, Sano had yearned to sail the seas, while knowing he never could. Now, seeing the Dutch ship revived his youthful dreams and increased his resentment toward the regime that curtailed his freedom and knowledge.

oDo as I say, Iishino-san, he ordered.

Iishino conveyed the request. Captain Oss nodded, motioning for the barge to pull alongside port deck.

oSsakan-sama, please be careful, Iishino hissed.

Sano gazed in awe at the ship as they circled it. The hull bore the scars of a long journey: gouges from rocks and reefs; repaired holes; barnacles clinging near the waterline. The square stern, crowned by bulbous lanterns, was like the facade of some bizarre temple, with gilded garlands dividing two rows of mullioned glass windows. The unbleached linen sails were seamed and patched. The Dutch had come from the other side of the world, braving other dangers besides the elements. Square outlines in the hull defined the gunports: The ship was prepared to defend itself against human threats as well.

An order from the Dutch captain brought sailors swarming onto the ship's deck to help attach the barge. They seemed even more bestial than he, with shaggy fair hair on their heads, faces, and bare limbs and chests.

oWho is the leader? Sano asked Iishino urgently.

oOh, the captain rules the ship. But the officials are partners in the East India Company, which owns it.

This ambiguous reply didn't bolster Sano's confidence. He ascended a ladder attached to the ship's hull, thankful for the presence of the guards who followed. Then he stepped onto the ship's deck, and as far into the outside world as he would ever go.

The smooth planks were solidly stable under his feet, but the masts and yards creaked; the sails flapped; the rigging groaned. The ship seemed alive, like a great beast. Then Captain Oss and the two East India Company officials came to meet Sano, and their smell hit him: a foul, animal reek of sweat, urine, dirty hair, and a rancid scent he attributed to their diet of milk. From his two months at sea, he knew the discomfort of bathing on board ship, in cold salt water. Yet he'd done it daily, and so had Hirata and the crew. The barbarians stank as though they hadn't washed since leaving home! Sano's stomach roiled.

oCaptain Oss. Feeling awkward and intimidated, Sano decided to accept Iishino's statement that the Dutch disliked formality, and get straight to the point. oPermit me to explain why I'm asking you to delay landing.

As Iishino translated, at least a hundred sailors watched from the decks, the yards, and the rigging. They scratched themselves constantly. Studying the three leaders, Sano saw flea bites on their necks. Didn't the barbarians know that regular washing eliminated vermin? Oddly, their clothes seemed clean, down to their knee-length black trousers, black stockings, and shiny black leather shoes with square silver ornaments over the insteps "and high heels. To support their dog feet? They awaited Sano's explanation, regarding him with their eerie eyes, which were as clear and bright a blue as the ocean.

oI'm sorry to say that Trade Director Jan Spaen disappeared last night, Sano said. oUntil we find him, no other Dutchmen can enter the country, so you must wait here. Sano hoped that Iishino would accurately convey his direct, courteous explanation. oI apologize for the delay, but it can't be helped.

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