Страница 22 из 24
‘More O-bon parties, in… in how-to-say? Place where bury corpses.’
‘Graveyards? You never hold parties in graveyards?’ Jacob thinks of gavottes in Domburg’s graveyard and almost laughs.
‘Graveyard is gate of dead,’ says Ogawa, ‘so good place to call souls to world of life. Tomorrow night, small fire-boats float on sea to guide souls home.’
On the Shenandoah, the officer of the watch strikes four bells.
‘You truly,’ Jacob asks, ‘believe souls migrate in such a ma
‘Mr de Zoet not believe what he is told when boy?’
But mine is the true faith, Jacob pities Ogawa, whilst yours is idolatry.
Down at the Land-Gate, an officer is barking at an inferior.
I am a Company employee, he reminds himself, not a missionary.
‘Anyway.’ Ogawa produces a porcelain flask from his sleeve.
Jacob is already a little drunk. ‘How many of those are you hiding?’
‘I am not on duty…’ Ogawa refills their cups ‘… so drink to your good profit today.’
Jacob is warmed by the thought of his money and by the sake roaring down his gullet. ‘Is there anyone in Nagasaki who doesn’t know how much profit my mercury yielded?’
Firecrackers explode in the Chinese factory across the harbour.
‘There is one monk in very very very highest cave,’ Ogawa points up the mountainside, ‘who has not heard, not yet. To speak with sobriety, however. Price goes higher, this is good, but sell last mercury to Lord Abbot Enomoto, not another. Please. He is dangerous enemy.’
‘Arie Grote has the same fearful opinion of His Grace.’
The breeze carries over the smell of the Chinamen’s gunpowder.
‘Mr Grote is wise. Abbot’s domain is small, but he is…’ Ogawa hesitates ‘… he is much power. Besides shrine in Kyôga, he has residence here in Nagasaki, house in Miyako. In Edo, he is guest of Matsudaira Sadanobu. Sadanobu-sama is much power… “Kingmaker”, you say? Any close friend such as Enomoto is also power. Is bad enemy. Please, remember.’
‘Surely,’ Jacob drinks, ‘as a Dutchman, I have safety from “bad enemies”.’
When Ogawa makes no reply, the Dutchman feels a degree less secure.
Beach fires dot the shoreline, all the way to the bay’s mouth.
Jacob wonders what Miss Aibagawa thinks of her illustrated fan.
Cats tryst on Deputy van Cleef’s roof, below the platform.
Jacob surveys the hillsides of roofs and wonders which is hers.
‘Mr Ogawa: in Japan, how does a gentleman propose to a lady?’
The interpreter decodes. ‘Mr de Zoet want to “butter your artichoke”?’
Jacob loses half a mouthful of sake in spectacular fashion.
Ogawa is very concerned. ‘I make mistake with Dutch?’
‘Captain Lacy has been enriching your vocabulary again?’
‘He give tuition for I and Interpreter Iwase on “Gentlemanly Dutch”.’
Jacob lets it pass for now. ‘When you asked for your wife’s hand in marriage, did you first approach her father? Or give her a ring? Or flowers? Or…?’
Ogawa fills their cups. ‘I not see wife before wedding day. Our nakôdo made match. How to say nakôdo? Woman who knows families who want marriage…’
‘An interfering busybody? No, forgive me: a go-between.’
‘ “Go-between”? Fu
The buoyant moon has freed itself from Mount Inasa.
‘What about,’ Jacob speaks with sake-inspired frankness, ‘what about love?’
‘We say, “When husband love wife, mother-in-law loses best servant.” ’
‘What a joyless proverb! Don’t you yearn for love, in your hearts?’
‘Yes, Mr de Zoet say truth: love is thing of heart. Or love is like this sake: drink, night of joy, yes, but in cold morning, headache, sick stomach. A man should love concubine so when love dies he say, “Goodbye,” easy and no injury. Marriage is different: marriage is matter of head… rank… business… bloodline. Holland families are not same?’
Jacob recalls A
A shooting star lives and dies in an instant.
‘Do I not keep you from welcoming your own ancestors, Mr Ogawa?’
‘My father performs rituals at family residence tonight.’
The cow lows in the Pine Tree Corner, upset by the firecrackers.
‘To speak with sincerity,’ says Ogawa, ‘my blood ancestors is not here: I was borned at Tosa Domain, on Shikoku. Shikoku is big island…’ Ogawa points east ‘… that way, to father of low retainer of Lord Yamanouchi of Tosa. Lord gave my schooling, and sent me in Nagasaki for learn Dutch under Ogawa Mimasaku’s house to make bridge between his Tosa and Dejima. But then old Lord Yamanouchi died. His son has no interest in Dutch studies. So I was “marooned”, you say? But then Ogawa Mimasaku’s two sons died in cholera, ten years ago. Much, much death in city that year. So Ogawa Mimasaku adopted me, to continue family name…’
‘What about your own mother and father back on Shikoku?’
‘Tradition says, “After adoption, do not go back”. So, I not go back.’
‘Didn’t you…’ Jacob recalls his own bereavement ‘… miss them?’
‘I had new name, new life, new father, new mother, new ancestors.’
Does the Japanese race, wonders Jacob, derive gratification from self-inflicted misery?
‘My study of Dutch,’ says Ogawa, ‘is great – solace. Is correct word?’
‘Yes, and your fluency,’ the clerk is quite sincere, ‘shows how hard you work.’
‘To progress is difficult. Merchants, officials, guards not understand how hard. They think, My work I do: why lazy and foolish interpreter ca
‘During my apprenticeship,’ Jacob unfolds his stiff legs, ‘to a timber company, I worked at the ports of not only Rotterdam but also London, Paris, Copenhagen and Gothenburg. I know the vexations of foreign languages: but unlike you, I had the advantages of dictionaries and an education populated by French schoolmasters.’
Ogawa’s ‘Ah…’ is full of longing. ‘So many places, you can go…’
‘In Europe, yes, but not one toe can I put past the Land-Gate.’
‘But Mr de Zoet may pass through Sea-Gate and away, over ocean. But I – all Japanese…’ Ogawa listens to Hanzaburo and his friend’s conspiratorial grumbles ‘… prisoners all life. Who plot to leave is executed. Who leave and return from abroad is executed. My precious wish is one year in Batavia, to speak Dutch… to eat Dutch, to drink Dutch, to sleep Dutch. One year, just one year…’
These are new thoughts for Jacob. ‘Do you recall your first visit to Dejima?’
‘Very well I recall! Before Ogawa Mimasaku adopt me as son. One day, master a