el.the miko-第32部分

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　a　space　between　them　that　might　as　well　have　been　a　wall。
　Several　times　Nicholas　was　about　to　say　something；　then　seeing　the　look　of　concentration　on　her　face；　thought　better　of　it。　At　last　Miss　Yoshida　settled　her　shoulders　and　turned　to　him。　Her　eyes　were　very　large。　She　had　chosen　to　wear　traditional　Japanese　attire；　and　somehow　the　formal　kimono；　obi；　and　geta　served　to　further　transform　her；　peeling　back　the　years。
　〃Linnear…san；〃　she　began；　then；　apparently　overe；　closed　her　mouth。　He　saw　her　take　a　deep　breath；　as　if　screwing　up　her　courage；　in　preparation　to　begin　again。
　〃Linnear…san；　please　forgive　what　I　am　about　to　say；　but　it　is　disturbing　to　me　that　you　use　anata　when　you　speak　to　me。　I　entreat　you　to　use　what　is　proper；　omae。〃
　Nicholas　considered　this。　What　she　meant　was　that　no　matter　how　far　the　emancipation　of　women　had　e　in　Japan…and　there　was　certainly　a　good　degree　of　lip　service；　at　least；　paid　to　this　concession　to　the　changing　ways　of　the　modern　world…women　and　men　still　used　different　forms　when　speaking。　In　effect；　men　ordered　when　they　spoke；　women　pleaded。
　Anata　and　omae　meant　the　same　thing；　you。　Men　used　omae　when　speaking　to　those　on　their　level　or　below。　Naturally　women　fell　into　that　category。　Women　always　used　anata；　the　more　polite　form；　when　speaking　to　men。　If　they　were　ever　allowed　to　use　the　less　polite　form　it　was　invariably　the　omae…san　version。
　And　no　matter　what　anyone　said；　Nicholas　knew；　this　divergence　engendered　in　women　a　certain　subservient　way　of　thinking。
　〃It　would　make　me　happy；　Yoshida…san；〃　he　said　now；　〃if　we　were　to　both　use　the　same　form。　Can　you　deny　that　you　as　well　as　I　deserve　the　same　politeness　in　conversation？〃
　Miss　Yoshida's　head　was　down；　her　liquid　eyes　in　her　lap。　The　only　outward　sign　of　her　agitation　was　the　constant　twisting　of　her　fingers。
　〃I　beg　you；　Linnear…san；　to　reconsider。　If　you　ask　this　of　me　I　cannot　of　course　refuse。　But　consider　the　ramifications。　How　could　I　ever　explain　such　an　egregious　social　breach　to　Sato…san。〃
　〃This　isn't　the　feudal　past；　Yoshida…san；〃　Nicholas　said　as　gently　as　he　could。　〃Surely　Sato…san　is　enlightened　enough　to　understand。〃
　Her　head　came　up　and　he　saw　the　tiny　sparks　that　might　have　been　incipient　tears　at　the　outside　edges　of　her　eyes。　〃When　1　joined　Sato　Petrochemicals；　Linnear…san；　I　was　the　Office　Lady。　That　was　my　title；　no　matter　my　functions。　One　of　the　requirements　for　Office　Lady　was　that　I　possess　yoshitanrei。〃
　〃A　beautiful　appearance？　But　that　was　ten　years　ago。　These　days　I　cannot　imagine　that　the　same　holds　true。〃
　〃As　you　say；　Linnear…san；〃　she　said　softly；　bobbing　her　head　in　obvious　acquiescence。　She　could　not　have　made　her　point　more　forcefully。
　〃All　right；〃　Nicholas　said；　after　a　time。　〃We'll　settle　on　a　promise。　The　anata　form　will　just　be　between　us；　when　we　are　alone　together。　No　one　need　hear　this　blasphemy　but　us。〃
　A　small　smile　curled　at　Miss　Yoshida's　lips　and　her　head　bobbed　again。　〃Hai。　I　accept。〃
　After　a　time；　her　head　turned　away；　her　gaze　stretching　out　to
　enpass　the　dimly　flowing　countryside　beyond　them。　〃You　are　very　kind。〃　Her　whispered　voice　was　very　soft。
　Miss　Yoshida　was　a　barely　seen　stick　figure　in　the　misty　distance。
　Nicholas　turned　and　confronted　the　gravestones　of　his　parents。　So　many　memories；　so　many　terrible　deaths。　The　quick；　hard　jerk　of　his　mother's　shoulders　men　the　short　seppuku　sword　did　its　work。　And　Itami；　Cheong's　sister…in…law；　dutifully　wielding　the　Itatana　that　would　end　his　mother's　pain　forever。
　〃She　was　a　child　of　honor；〃　Itami　had　told　him。
　Nicholas　knelt　and　began　to　light　the　joss　sticks；　but　no　prayer　came　to　his　mind。　He　thought　he　would　remember　it　all　against　his　will　and　for　no　discernable　purpose。　Instead；　he　was　overwhelmed　by　another　set　of　memories。
　As　a　teenager　he　walked　the　steep　forested　hillside　of　Yoshino；　beloved　of　all　the　Tenshin　Shoden　Katori　ruy'sjonin。　There　was；　he　had　e　to　understand；　a　mystical　connection　between　this　land　and　the　men　of　arcane　profession　who　had　made　it　their　home。
　Blue　mist　drifted　off　the　cypress　and　cryptomeria　like　veils；　the　colors　of　dawn　shading　in　pastels　of　green；　blue；　pink；　and　white　like　chrysanthemum　blossoms　dissolving　in　the　distance。　A　sharp…eyed　thrush　followed　them　in　intervals；　the　white　blobs　on　its　wingtips　flashing　now　and　again　like　the　swift　opening　and　dosing　of　a　fan　as　it　flitted　from　tree　to　tree；　twittering　at　them。
　Nicholas　and　Akutagawa…san　strode　side　by　side；　the　one　in　the　simple　black　gi　of　the　student；　the　other　the　pearlescent　gray　cotton　kimono　edged　in　earth　brown　of　the　jonin　sensei。　At　their　backs；　the　stone　walls　and　green　tiled　roofs　of　the　Tenshin　Shoden　Katori　ryu　sprang　into　light　as　the　slowly　rising　sun　broke　the　plane　of　the　horizon。
　Oblique　strokes　of　new　sunlight　broke　through　the　branches；　picking　out　pinecones　and　brown　needles　with　the　delicacy　of　a　master's　brushstroke。
　Akutagawa…san　was　still　in　shadow　when　he　said；　〃The　mistake　we　all　make　before　we　enter　here　is　the　notion　of　civilization。　History；　ethics；　the　very　concept　of　law　itself　depend　for　their　existence　on　this　one　crucial　underpinning。〃
　Akutagawa…san's　long；　melancholy　face　with　its　wide　lips；　rather　sharp　nose；　and　Mandarinesque　eyes；　was　even　more　serious　than　usual。　Among　the　students…who；　in　the　tradition　of　students　the　world　over；　had　created　nicknames　for　their　sensei　in　order　to　regain　at　least　a　semblance　of　the　control　that　the　ryu　took　from　them…he　was　known　as　〃the　smileless　man。〃　Perhaps　it　was　not　so　unusual　then　for　these　two　to　have　recognized　in　one　another　an　aspect　of　themselves　and　be　thus　drawn　together。
　Both　in　their　own　way　were　outcasts　in　a　ryu　of　outcasts；　for　the　legend　of　the　ninja　had　it　that　they　had　evolved　from　the　hinin；　the　basest　level　of　Japanese　society。　And；　as　in　many　levels　of　Japanese　society；　legend　often　became　history。　Whether　or　not　those　origins　were　true　now　seemed　irrelevant；　since　existing　ninja　had　taken　that　legend　and　turned　it　to　their　advantage；　using　it　to　further　their　mystique　among　people　already　steeped　in　mysticism。
　Akutagawa…san　was　half　Chinese；　it　was　rumored　among　the　boys；　the　initiates　always　curious　about　why　he　was　allowed　to　be　a　part　of　such　a　secret　society　within　a　society。　Their　question　was　answered　when　they　found　out　the　origins　of　aka…i…ninjutsu　were　to　be　found　in　China。
　〃The　fact　is；〃　Nicholas　remembered　Akutagawa…san　saying；　emerging　into　the　light；　〃there　is　no　such　thing　as　civilization。　It　is　a　concept　the　Chinese　confected…or；　if　you　prefer　the　Western　mode；　the　Greeks…simply　in　order　to　give　a　certain　moral　credence　to　their　attempts　at　dominion　over　the　other　peoples　of　the　world。〃
　Nicholas　shook　his　head。　〃I　don't　understand。　What　about　all　the　minute　aspects　of　Japanese　life　that　set　us　apart　from　everyone　else：　the　plexity　of　the　tea　ceremony；　the　arts　of　ukiyo…e；　ikebana；　haiku；　the　concepts　of　honor；　filial　duty；　bushido；　giri。　All　the　things　we　are。〃
　Akutagawa…san　looked　in　that　young　open　face　and　sighed。　He　had　had　a　son　once　who　had　died　in　Manchuria　at　the　hands　of　the　Russians。　Every　year　he　made　a　pilgrimage　to　China　to　be　closer。　To　what　or　to　whom　he　had　never　been　sure。　But　now　he　thought　he　knew。
　〃What　you　speak　of；　Nicholas。。　。'all　these　things　are　an　accretion　of　a　culture。　They　have　no　relation　to　the　word　civilization　save　what　today's　conditioning　superimposes　on　them。〃
　They　moved　out　along　the　hillside；　the　thrush　keeping　a　stuttering　pace；　expecting　perhaps　that　his　breakfast　might　be　strewn　in　the　wake　of　these　mighty　shadows。
　〃If　a　society　were　truly　civilized；〃　Akutagawa…san　continued；　〃there　would　be　no　need　for　the　samurai；　and　it　would　surely　not　abide　warriors　such　as　we。　There　would　simply　be　no　need；　do　you　see？　But　the　concept　of　civilization　is　like　that　of　munism。　Pure　in　the　mind；　it　nevertheless　cannot　exist　in　reality。　It　is　too　absolute　a　concept　for　man。　Like　the　theory　of　relativity　it　is　best　thought　of；　food　for　contemplation；　for　a　civilized　man　would
　harbor　no　warlike　tendencies。　He　would　not　spy　on　another；　he　would　not　be　an　adulterer；　a　slanderer；　a　destroyer。〃
　Akutagawa…san　put　his　hand　on　Nicholas'　arm　to　stop　him。　Together　they　stared　out　at　the　partially　hidden　valley；　the　tops　of　trees　protruding　through　the　sinuously　winding　mist　like　the　stones　on　a　Go　board。
　〃For　most　people；　Nicholas；　this　is　what　life　consists　of：　the　clear　and　the　hidden；　the　knowable　and　the　arcane。　But　for　us　here；　it　is　different。　When　we　set　the　concept　of　civilization　aside；　we　free　ourselves。
　〃And　in　plunging　into　the　mist；　we　learn　to　ride　the　wind；　to　walk　on　water；　to　hide　where　there　is　no　hiding　place；　to　see　where　there　is　no　light　and　hear　when　our　ears　are　bound。　You　will　learn　that　one　breath　may　sustain　you　for　hours；　and　you　will　learn　how　to　deal　with　your　enemies。
　〃None　of　this　is　to　be　taken　lightly。　You　understand　this；　I　know。　Yet　it　must　be　repeated。　For　with　the　knowledge　of　how　to　take　life　es　the　responsibility　of　a　god。　Control　is　the　essence　of　it　all。　Without　it　there　is　only　chaos；　and　given　a　chance；　that　kind　of　malignant　anarchy　will　voraciously　engulf　our　culture。　。　。all　culture。〃
　Nicholas　was　silent；　his　body　still　and　attuned　in　his　attempt　to　understand　all　that　Akutagawa…san　was　saying。　Much　of　it　seemed　beyond　his　ken　for　the　moment；　larger　than　life　and　thus　unknowable。　But　he　stored　it　all　in　his　memory；　understanding　that　if　he　showed　patience　all　would　be　made　clear　to　him。
　Akutagawa…san　stared　out　at　the　ancient　countryside；　inhaling　its　sharp；　clean　odors　as　if　they　were　the　mingled　perfumes　of　the　country's　most　acplished　courtesans。
　〃What　you　must　understand　now…now　before　it　is　too　late；　while　you　still　have　time　to　make　the　decision…is　that　aka…i…ninjutsu　is　just　one　form　of　an　entire　discipline。　And　as　in　all　such　disciplines；　there　are　the　negative　aspects。〃　His　head　turned　and　his　black　stone　eyes　gripped　Nicholas'。　〃In　donning　our　mantle　you　may　also　bee　a　target　for　these　negative。。。　forces。
　〃One　of　the　reasons　I　am　here　is　that　I　am　sennin　in　a　number　of　these。　Have　you　heard　of　Kuji…kiri；　the　nine…hands　cutting？〃
　Nicholas