Musashi - Eiji Yoshikawa [298]
“Is he trying to make asses of us? Or was our poem too clever for him and he’s raising the white flag of surrender?” Shōyū had a way of interpreting things to suit his own convenience, but this time he appeared uncertain. He handed the paper to Kōetsu and asked, “What do you make of it?”
“I think he intends us to read it.”
“Read a blank piece of paper?”
“I should think it can be construed somehow.”
“Do you? What could it possibly mean?”
Kōetsu thought for a moment. “Snow … snow covering everything.” “Hmm. Maybe you’re right.”
“In answer to our request for a cherry tree from Yoshino, it could mean:
If you gaze at snow
And fill your cup with sake,
Even without flowers …
In other words, he’s telling us that since it’s snowing tonight, we should forget about love, open the doors and admire the snow as we drink. Or at least, that’s my impression.”
“How annoying!” exclaimed Shōyū with distaste. “I have no intention of drinking in such a heartless fashion. Not going to sit here and be silent either. One way or another, we’ll transplant the Yoshino tree to our room and admire her blossoms.” Excited now, he moistened his lips with his tongue.
Kōetsu humored him, hoping he would calm down, but Shōyū kept after the girls to bring Yoshino and refused to allow the subject to be changed for very long. Though his persistence did not secure his wish, it eventually became comical, and the girls rolled on the floor with laughter.
Musashi quietly left his seat. He had chosen the right time. No one noticed his departure.
Reverberations in the Snow
Musashi wandered about the many hallways, avoiding the brightly lit front parlors. He came upon one dark room where bedding was kept and another full of tools and implements. The walls seemed to exude the warmish odor of food being prepared, but still he could not find the kitchen.
An attendant came out of one room and held out her arms to block his way.
“Sir, guests aren’t supposed to come back here,” she said firmly, with none of the childish cuteness she might have affected in the guest rooms. “Oh! Shouldn’t I be here?”
“Certainly not!” She gave him a shove toward the front and walked in the same direction herself.
“Aren’t you the girl who fell in the snow a while ago? Rin’ya, isn’t it?” “Yes, I’m Rin’ya. I suppose you got lost trying to find the toilet. I’ll show you where it is.” She took his hand and pulled.
“That’s not it. I’m not drunk. I’d like you to do me a favor. Take me to an empty room and bring me some food.”
“Food? If that’s what you want, I’ll take it to your parlor.”
“No, not there. Everybody’s having a good time. They don’t want to be reminded of dinner yet.”
Rin’ya cocked her head. “I suppose you’re right. I’ll bring you something here. What would you like?”
“Nothing special; two large rice balls will do.”
She returned in a few minutes with the rice balls and served them to him in an unlit room.
When he had finished, he said, “I guess I can get out of the house through the inner garden there.” Without waiting for a reply, he stood up and walked to the veranda.
“Where are you going, sir?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”
“Why are you leaving by the back way?”
“People would make a fuss if I went out the front way. And if my hosts saw me, it would upset them and spoil their fun.”
“I’ll open the gate for you, but be sure to come back right away. If you don’t, they’ll blame me.”
“I understand. If Mr. Mizuochi should ask about me, tell him I went to the neighborhood of the Rengeōin to see a man I know. I intend to return shortly.”
“You must come back soon. Your companion for the evening is to be Yoshino Dayū.” She opened the snow-laden folding wooden gate and let him out.
Directly opposite the main entrance to the gay quarter was a tea shop called the Amigasa-jaya. Musashi stopped and asked for a pair of straw sandals, but they had none. As the name implied, their chief business was selling basket hats to men who wished to conceal their identity when entering the quarter.