Shogun_ A Novel of Japan - James Clavell [437]
“I did everything the best I could against the day…. Jesus, Pilot, you really think we can get away?”
“Yes, if we’re patient and if we—”
“If God wills it, Pilot. Only then.”
“Yes. Perhaps you’re right,” Blackthorne replied, thinking, what’s it matter that Roper’s a fanatic? I need him—all of them. And the help of God. “Yes. We need the help of God,” he said and turned back to Vinck. “How’s her keel?”
“Clean and sound, Pilot. They’ve done her better’n I’d’ve thought possible. Those bastards are as clever as any carpenters, shipwrights, and ropemakers in all Holland. Rigging’s perfect—everything.”
“Sails?”
“They made a set out of silk—tough as canvas. With a spare set. They took ours down and copied ’em exact, Pilot. Cannon are perfect as possible—all back aboard and there’s powder and shot a-plenty. She’s ready to sail on the tide, tonight if need be. ’Course she hasn’t been to sea so we won’t know about the sails till we’re in a gale, but I’ll bet my life her seams’re as tight as when she was first slipped into the Zuider Zee—better ’cause the timbers’re seasoned now, thanks be to God!” Vinck paused for breath. “When are we off?”
“A month. About.”
They nudged each other, brimming with elation, and loudly toasted the Pilot and the ship.
“How about enemy shipping? There any hereabouts? What about prizes, Pilot?” Ginsel asked.
“Plenty—beyond your dreams. We’re all rich.”
Another shout of glee. “It’s about time.”
“Rich, eh? I’ll buy me a castle.”
“Lord God Almighty, when I get home …”
“Rich! Hurrah for the Pilot!”
“Plenty of Papists to kill? Good,” Jan Roper said softly. “Very good.”
“What’s the plan, Pilot?” van Nekk asked, and they all stopped talking.
“I’ll come to that in a minute. Do you have guards? Can you move around freely, when you want? How often—”
Vinck said quickly, “We can move anywheres in the village area, perhaps as much as half a league around here. But we’re not allowed in Yedo and not—”
“Not across the bridge,” Sonk broke in happily. “Tell him about the bridge, Johann!”
“Oh, for the love of God, I was coming to the bridge, Sonk. For God’s sake, don’t keep interrupting. Pilot, there’s a bridge about half a mile southwest. There’re a lot of signs on it. That’s as far as we’re allowed. We’re not to go over that. ‘Kinjiru,’ by God, the samurai say. You understand kinjiru, Pilot?”
Blackthorne nodded and said nothing.
“Apart from that we can go where we like. But only up to the barriers. There’s barriers all around about half a league away. Lord God … can you believe it, home soon!”
“Tell him about the doc, eh, and about the—”
“The samurai send a doctor once in a while, Pilot, and we have to take our clothes off and he looks at us….”
“Yes. Enough to make a man shit to have a bastard heathen monkey look at you naked like that.”
“Apart from that, Pilot, they don’t bother us except—”
“Hey, don’t forget the doc gives us some God-rotting filthy powdered ‘char’ herbs we’re supposed to steep in hot water but we toss ’em out. When we’re sick, good old Johann bleeds us and we’re fit.”
“Yes,” Sonk said. “We throw the char out.”
“Apart from that, except for—”
“We’re lucky here, Pilot, not like at first.”
“That’s right. At first—”
“Tell him about the inspection, Baccus!”
“I was coming to that—for God’s sake, be patient—give a fellow a chance. How can I tell him anything with you all gabbing. Pour me a drink!” van Nekk said thirstily and continued. “Every ten days a few samurai come here and we line up outside and he counts us. Then they give us sacks of rice and cash, copper cash. It’s plenty for everything, Pilot. We swap rice for meat and stuff—fruit or whatever. There’s plenty of everything and the women do whatever we want. At first we—”
“But it wasn’t like that at first. Tell him about that, Baccus!”
Van Nekk sat on the floor. “God give me strength!”
“You feeling sick, poor old lad?” Sonk asked solicitously. “Best not drink any more or you’ll get the devils back, hey? He gets the devils, Pilot, once a week. We all do.”
“Are you going to keep quiet while I tell the Pilot?