Musashi - Eiji Yoshikawa [52]
The wind was beating at the tree’s branches violently, and the voice came through broken and disjointed. Leaves swirled around the tree and onto Takuan’s upturned face.
The monk laughed. “I see you’re still full of life. That’s okay; that suits me fine. I hope it’s not just the false vitality that comes from the knowledge that you’re soon going to die.”
“Shut up!” cried Takezō, who was not so much full of life as full of anger. “If I were afraid to die, why would I have just kept still while you tied me up?”
“You did that because I am strong and you are weak!”
“That’s a lie, and you know it!”
“Then I’ll put it another way. I’m clever, and you are unspeakably stupid!” “You might be right. It was certainly stupid of me to let you catch me.” “Don’t squirm so much, monkey in the tree! It won’t do you any good, it’ll
make you bleed if you’ve any blood left, and frankly, it’s quite unbecoming.” “Listen, Takuan!”
“I’m listening.”
“If I had wanted to fight you on the mountain, I could’ve easily squashed you under one foot like a cucumber.”
“That’s not a very flattering analogy. In any case you didn’t, so you’d be better off leaving that line of thought. Forget about what happened. It’s too late for regrets.”
“You tricked me with your high-sounding priest talk. That was pretty mean, you bastard. You got me to trust you and you betrayed me. I let you capture me, yes, but only because I thought you were different from the others. I never thought I’d be humiliated like this.”
“Get to the point, Takezō,” Takuan said impatiently.
“Why are you doing this to me?” the straw bundle shrieked. “Why don’t you just cut off my head and get it over with! I thought that if I had to die, it’d be better to let you choose how to execute me than let that bloodthirsty mob do it. Although you are a monk, you also claim to understand the Way of the Samurai.”
“Oh, I do, you poor misguided boy. Much better than you!”
“I would’ve been better off letting the villagers catch up with me. At least they’re human.”
“Was that your only mistake, Takezō? Hasn’t just about everything you’ve ever done been some kind of mistake? While you’re resting up there, why don’t you try thinking about the past a little.”
“Oh, shut up, you hypocrite! I’m not ashamed! Matahachi’s mother can call me anything she wants, but he is my friend, my best friend. I considered it my responsibility to come and tell the old hag what happened to him and what does she do? She tries to incite that mob to torture me! Bringing her news of her precious son was the only reason I broke through the barrier and came here. Is that a violation of the warrior’s code?”
“That’s not the point, you imbecile! The trouble with you is that you don’t even know how to think. You seem to be under the misconception that if you perform one brave deed, that alone makes you a samurai. Well, it doesn’t! You let that one act of loyalty convince you of your righteousness. The more convinced you became, the more harm you caused yourself and everyone else. And now where are you? Caught in a trap you set for yourself, that’s where!” He paused. “By the way, how’s the view from up there, Takezō?”
“You pig! I won’t forget this!”
“You’ll forget everything soon. Before you turn into dried meat, Takezō, take a good look at the wide world around you. Gaze out onto the world of human beings, and change your selfish way of thinking. And then, when you arrive in that other world beyond and are reunited with your ancestors, tell them that just before you died a man named Takuan Sōhō told you this. They’ll be overjoyed to learn you had such excellent guidance, even if you did learn what life was all about too late to bring anything but shame to your family name.”
Otsū, who had been standing transfixed some distance away, came running forward and attacked Takuan in shrill tones.
“You’re carrying this too far, Takuan! I’ve been listening. I heard everything. How can you be so cruel to someone