Shogun_ A Novel of Japan - James Clavell [135]
Mariko laughed out loud.
Blackthorne smiled with her, feeling more confident now. “It’s true, senhora. It’s honto.”
“Sorewa honto desu ka?” Toranaga asked impatiently. What’s true?
Through more laughter, she told him what had been said. They also began to laugh.
“I lived among them for almost a year. We were trapped in the ice and had to wait for the thaw. Their food is fish, seals, occasionally polar bears, and whales, which they eat raw. Their greatest delicacy is to eat raw whale blubber.”
“Oh, come now, Anjin-san!”
“It’s true. And they live in small round houses made entirely out of snow and they never bathe.”
“What, never?” she burst out.
He shook his head, and decided not to tell her baths were rare in England, rarer even than in Portugal and Spain, which were warm countries.
She translated this. Toranaga shook his head in disbelief.
“My Master says this is too much of an exaggeration. No one could live without baths. Even uncivilized people.”
“That’s the truth—honto,” he said calmly and raised his hand. “I swear by Jesus of Nazareth and by my soul, I swear it is the truth.”
She watched him in silence. “Everything?”
“Yes. Lord Toranaga wanted the truth. Why should I lie? My life is in his hands. It is easy to prove the truth—no to be honest, it would be very hard to prove what I’ve said—you’d have to go there and see for yourself. Certainly the Portuguese and Spanish, who are my enemies, won’t support me. But Lord Toranaga asked for the truth. He can trust me to tell it to him.”
Mariko thought a moment. Then she scrupulously translated what he had said. At length:
“Lord Toranaga says, it is unbelievable that any human could live without bathing.”
“Yes. But those are the cold lands. Their habits are different from yours, and mine. For instance, in my country, everyone believes baths are dangerous for your health. My grandmother, Granny Jacoba, used to say, ‘A bath when you’re birthed and another when laid out’ll see thee through the Pearly Gates.’”
“That’s very hard to believe.”
“Some of your customs are very hard to believe. But it is true that I’ve had more baths in the short time I’ve been in your country than in as many years before. I admit freely I feel better for them.” He grinned. “I no longer believe baths are dangerous. So I’ve gained by coming here, no?”
After a pause Mariko said, “Yes,” and translated.
Kiri said, “He’s astonishing—astonishing, neh?”
“What’s your judgment of him, Mariko-san?” Toranaga asked.
“I’m convinced he’s telling the truth, or believes he’s telling it. Clearly it would seem that he could, perhaps, have a great value to you, my Lord. We have such a tiny knowledge of the outside world. Is that valuable to you? I don’t know. But it’s almost as though he’s come down from the stars, or up from under the sea. If he’s enemy to the Portuguese and the Spanish, then his information, if it can be trusted, could perhaps be vital to your interests, neh?”
“I agree,” Kiri said.
“What do you think, Yaemon-sama?”
“Me, Uncle? Oh, I think he’s ugly and I don’t like his golden hair and cat’s eyes and he doesn’t look human at all,” the boy said breathlessly. “I’m glad I wasn’t born barbarian like him but samurai like my father, can we go for another swim, please?”
“Tomorrow, Yaemon,” Toranaga said, vexed at not being able to talk directly to the pilot.
While they talked among themselves Blackthorne decided that the time had come. Then Mariko turned to him again.
“My Master asks why were you in the north?”
“I was pilot of a ship. We were trying to find a northeast passage, senhora. Many things I can tell you will sound laughable, I know,” he began. “For instance, seventy years ago the kings of Spain and Portugal signed a solemn treaty that split ownership of the New World, the undiscovered world, between them. As your country falls in the Portuguese half, officially your country belongs to Portugal—Lord Toranaga, you, everyone, this castle and everything in it were given to Portugal.”
“Oh, please, Anjin-san. Pardon me, that’s nonsense!”
“I agree