"And threw the pieces into the dust," Igurashi added. "It's all a bluff, Sire. If this thing with the village dishonors him, how can he stay here when Omi-san so dishonored him by pissing on him?"
"What? I'm sorry, Sire," Mariko said, "but again I don't understand."
Yabu said to Omi, "Explain that to her."
Omi obeyed. She was disgusted by what he told her but kept it off her face.
"Afterwards the Anjin-san was completely cowed, Mariko-san." Omi finished, "Without weapons he'll always be cowed."
Yabu sipped some saké. "Say this to him, Mariko-san: suicide's not a barbarian custom. It's against his Christian God. So how can he suicide?"
Mariko translated. Yabu was watching carefully as Blackthorne replied.
"The Anjin-san apologizes with great humility, but he says, custom or not, God or not, this shame of the village is too great to bear. He says that… that he's in Japan, he's hatamoto and has the right to live according to our laws." Her hands were trembling. "That's what he said, Yabu-san. The right to live according to our customs-our law."
"Barbarians have no rights."
She said, "Lord Toranaga made him hatamoto. That gives him the right,
A breeze touched the shojis, rattling them.
"How could he commit suicide? Eh? Ask him."
Blackthorne took out the short, needle-sharp sword and placed it gently on the tatami, point facing him.
Igurashi said simply, "It's a bluff! Who ever heard of a barbarian acting like a civilized person?"
Yabu frowned, his heartbeat slowed by the excitement. "He's a brave man, Igurashi-san. No doubt about that. And strange. But this?" Yabu wanted to see the act, to witness the barbarian's measure, to see how he went into death, to experience with him the ecstasy of the going. With an effort he stopped the rising tide of his own pleasure. "What's your counsel, Omi-san?" he asked throatily.
"You said to the village, Sire, 'If the Anjin-san did not learn
"But he's not Christian. How will that oath bind him?"
"I believe he's a type of Christian, Sire. He's against the Black Robes and that's what is important. I believe swearing by his own God will be binding. And he should also swear, in this God's name, that he'll apply his mind totally to learning and totally to your service. Because he's clever he will have learned very much in five months. Thus, your honor is saved, his-if it exists or not-is also saved. You lose nothing, gain everything. Very important, you gain his allegiance of his own free will."
"You believe he'll kill himself?"
"Yes."
"Mariko-san?"
"I don't know, Yabu-san. I'm sorry, I cannot advise you. A few hours ago I would have said, no, he will not commit suicide. Now I don't know. He's… since Omi-san came for him tonight, he's been… different."
"Igurashi-san?"
"If you give in to him now and it's bluff he'll use the same trick all the time. He's cunning as a fox-
Omi leaned forward and shook his head. "Sire, please excuse me, but I must repeat, if you say no you risk a great loss. If it is a bluff-and it may well be-then as a proud man he will become hate-filled at his further humiliation and he won't help you to the limit of his being, which you need. He's asked for something as a hatamoto which he's entitled to, he says he wants to live according to our customs of his own free will. Isn't that an enormous step forward, Sire? That's marvelous for you, and for him. I counsel caution. Use him to your advantage."
"I intend to," Yabu said thickly.
Igurashi said, "Yes, he's valuable and yes, I want his knowledge. But he's got to be controlled-you've said that many times, Omi-san. He's barbarian. That's all he is. Oh, I know he's hatamoto today and yes, he can wear the two swords from today. But that doesn't make him samurai. He's not samurai and never will be."
Mariko knew that of all of them she should be able to read the Anjin-san the most clearly. But she could not. One moment she understood him, the next, he was incomprehensible again. One moment she liked him, the next she hated him. Why?
Blackthorne's haunted eyes looked into the distance. But now there were beads of sweat on his forehead. Is that from fear? thought Yabu. Fear that the bluff will be called? Is he bluffing?
"Mariko-san?"
"Yes, Lord?"
"Tell him…" Yabu's mouth was suddenly dry, his chest aching. "Tell the Anjin-san the sentence stays."
"Sire, please excuse me, but I urge you to accept Omi-san's advice."
Yabu did not look at her, only at Blackthorne. The vein in his forehead pulsed. "The Anjin-san says he's decided. So be it. Let's see if he's barbarian or hatamoto."
Mariko's voice was almost imperceptible. "Anjin-san, Yabu-san says the sentence stays. I'm sorry."
