ericlustbader.the ninja-第34节

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　'I　don't　know　…　I　only　suspect。'　She　wiped　her　hands；　dipped　them　in　a　bowl　of　cold　lemon　water；　began　to　slice　again；　swiftly　and　deftly；　this　time　it　was　cucumbers。　'I　cried　all　the　way　through　the　forest　until　we　reached　the　clearing　where　the　Jeep　was　parked。　Your　father；　of　course；　said　nothing；　though　I've　no　doubt　he　wanted　to；　he　would　not　shame　me　that　way。'
　'Did　you　have　to　leave？'　Nicholas　asked。
　'I　did；　yes；'　she　said；　for　the　first　time　looking　up　from　her　work。　'I　had　my　duty　to　your　father。　That　is　my　life。　I　knew　it　that　day　and　so　did　So…Peng。　It　would　have　been　inconceivable　to　him　that　I　should　stay　with　him；　that　I　should　abandon　my　duty。　It　could　not　happen。　To　abandon　duty　is　to　destroy　that　which　makes　any　individual　unique　and　capable　of　prodigious　feats。
　'Duty　is　the　essence　of　life；　Nicholas。　It　is　the　only　thing　over　which　death　has　no　dominion。　It　is　true　immortality。'
　As　it　turned　out；　the　Colonel　had　the　entire　day　free　and；　it　being　spring；　he　took　Nicholas　to　the　Jindaiji　Botanical　Park　in　the　city　for　the　traditional　cherry…blossom　viewing。
　On　the　way　they　dropped　Cheong　at　Itami's；　she　had　promised　her　she　would　go　with　her　to　see　her　uncle　who　was　ill。
　The　morning's　haze　had　lifted　and　a　strong　easterly　wind　had　already　banished　the　low…lying　mist；　wispy　cirrus　arced　like　a　series　of　Impressionist　paintings　newly　hung　in　a　museum's　vast　gallery。
　So；　too；　the　park　seemed　to　have　been　dropped　wholesale　from　out　of　the　heavens。　The　heavily　flowering　trees；　their　long　branches　bent　low　under　the　weight　of　the　palest　pink　blossoms；　took　on　an　ethereal　other…worldliness。　At　other　times　of　the　year　the　park　perhaps　showed　its　rather　austere　beauty。　But　this　was　April　and　the　splendor　displayed　here　was　breathtaking。
　Kimonos　and　brightly　coloured　oiled　paper　parasols　were　much　in　evidence　as　they　made　their　leisurely　way　along　the　winding　paths　beneath　the　two　skies；　one　low　and　fragrant；　the　other　far　out　of　reach。　They　stopped　by　a　vendor　selling　sweet　tofu。　The　Colonel　bought　them　each　a　portion　and　they　ate　the　confection　slowly　as　they　moved　on。　Laughing　children　passed　them；　indulged　by　their　parents；　and　young　couples；　arm　in　arm。　There　were　many　Americans。
　'Father；　will　you　tell　me　something　about　the　zaibatsu？'　Nicholas　asked。
　The　Colonel　spooned　a　bit　of　tofu　into　his　mouth；　chewed　reflectively。　'Well；　I'm　sure　you　know　quite　a　bit　already。'
　'I　know　what　the　zaibatsu　are；'　Nicholas　said。　'Four　of　the　largest　industrial　plexes　in　Japan。　And　I　know　that　for　a　brief　time　just　after　the　war　many　of　the　zaibatsu's　top　executives　were　tried　for　war　crimes。　I　don't　really　understand　that。'
　The　Colonel　was　obliged　to　stoop　slightly　as　they　passed　beneath　low…hanging　branches。　They　might　have　been　flying；　passing　through　rose…coloured　banks　of　clouds。　Modern　Tokyo　seemed　never　to　have　existed；　to　be；　rather；　a　manifestation　of　some　science　fiction　tale。　An　Easterner　walking　here　at　this　time　would　have　no　difficulty　in　understanding　this。　Symbols　abounded　in　Japan；　acquiring　their　own　potency。　For　the　Japanese　there　was　perhaps　no　more　powerful　symbol　than　the　cherry　blossom。　It　stood　variously　for　renewal；　purification；　love　and　ineffable；　timeless　beauty：　basic　concepts　to　the　Japanese　spirit。　All　this　passed　through　the　Colonel's　mind　as　he　decided　where　to　start。
　〃As　in　all　things　Japanese；'　he　said；　'the　answer　is　not　a　simple　one。　In　fact；　its　origins　lie　elsewhere：　in　Japan's　long　militaristic　history。　With　the　beginning　of　the　Meiji　Restoration　in　1868；　Japan　made　a　strong　and　concerted　effort　to　turn　away　from　both　the　isolation　and　the　feudalism　that　marked　the　two　hundred…plus　years　of　the　powerful　Tokugawa　shogunate。　This　also　meant　turning　away　from　the　traditionalism　which；　many　felt；　was　the　backbone　of　Japan's　strength。'
　They　turned　off　to　the　right；　heading　down　a　shallow　incline　towards　a　small　lake。　The　sound　of　children's　voices　drifted　up　to　them　through　the　foliage。
　'But　with　this　new　policy；'　the　Colonel　continued；　'this　Westernization；　if　you　will；　came；　quite　naturally；　the　eroding　of　the　samurai's　great　power。　After　all；　they　had　always　been　Japan's　most　stalwart　traditionalists。　Now　they　were　branded　reactionaries；　for　they　vigorously　opposed　all　that　the　Meiji　Restoration　sought　to　create。　I　know　that　you　are　well　aware　that　since　1582；　when　Toyotomi　Hideoshi　became　shogun；　only　samurai　were　allowed　to　wear　two　swords　…　the　katana　was　the　samurai's　province　alone。　Now　this　was　all　changed。　The　Military　Conscription　Act　forbade　the　wearing　of　the　katana　and；　by　creating　a　national　army　posed　of　'moners'；　effectively　did　away　with　the　class　barrier　that　had　exalted　the　samurai　since　its　inception　in　A。D。　792。'
　For　a　time　they　strolled　by　the　side　of　the　lake；　its　pure　chill　blue　contrasting　with　the　pink…white　of　the　blossoms。　Toy　sailboats　drifted　across　the　water；　their　white　sails　billowing；　their　tiny　captains　running　gleefully　at　the　verge　of　the　land　to　keep　up　with　their　progress。
　'However；　the　samurai　were　not　so　easily　beaten；'　the　Colonel　said。　The　miniature　sails；　moving　so　steadfastly　over　the　water；　recalled　to　him　perfect　prints　out　of　Japan's　internecine　past。　'A　great　majority　of　them　fought　back　directly　and；　when　they　were　defeated；　they　formed　societies。　The　main　one　was　called　the　Genyosha　…　the　Dark　Ocean　Society　…　but　there　were　others　such　as　the　Kokuryukai　…　the　Black　Dragon
　Society。　These　societies；　which　are　quite　active　today；　are　reactionary　organizations　that　believe　strongly　in　imperialism　and　a　manifest　destiny　for　Japan　upon　the　Asian　shore。
　'Now　the　Genyosha　was　born　in　Fukuoka　and　is　based　there　still。　But　since　that　part　of　Kyushu　is　this　country's　closest　approach　to　the　continent；　it's　not　very　surprising　that　the　Genyosha　should　be　most　virulent　there。'
　Nicholas　thought　of　the　Mongol　invasions；　of　the　violently　nationalistic　feelings　that　must　have　been　nurtured　there　by　such　precipitous　incursions。　And　this　led　him　back　to　thoughts　of　Satsugai。
　They　found　a　bench　beside　the　water；　sat　down。　On　the　far　side　of　the　lake　a　child　held　a　bunch　of　colourful　balloons　and；　farther　away；　over　the　massive　treetops；　he　could　see　plastered　against　the　sky　the　quivering　fragile　presence　of　a　box　kite；　it　was　painted　in　the　image　of　a　fire…breathing　dragon。
　'Having　failed　in　their　bid　to　overthrow　the　Meiji　regime　overtly；　the　members　of　the　Genyosha　next　set　about　subverting　the　Restoration　covertly；　from　within。　They　were　clever　men。　They　knew　that　the　Meiji　oligarchy；　which　propounded　industrialization；　would　need　economic　expansion　in　order　to　fuel　this。　To　them；　this　must　involve　the　exploitation　and　eventual　subjugation　of　China。
　'Working　within　the　prescribed　political　framework　of　the　new　Japanese　society；　the　men　of　the　Genyosha　sought　to　make　allies　in　the　highest　levels　of　government。　They　made　their　intensive　target　the　members　of　the　General　Staff；　where　a　reactionary　philosophy　was　the　norm　rather　than　the　exception。
　'They　were　aided　in　this　by　the　uping　general　election　of　1882。　The　Genyosha　made　deals　with　the　incumbents。　In　return　for　their　seeing　that　these　politicians　were　returned　to　office；　the　society　was　assured　that　this　regime　would　follow　a　vigorously　imperialistic　foreign　policy。　Accordingly；　the　Genyosha　hired　toughs；　importing　them　into　each　district　of　the　country。　Beatings　were　not　unmon。　It　was　an　election　of　fear。'
　Two　American　Army　officers　passed　by　with　their　families　in　tow；　they　wore　their　uniforms　like　a　badge　of　honour；　treading　the　ground　like　the　conquering　heroes　they　were。　Perhaps　they　saw　where　they　were；　what　went　on　around　them；　but　surely　they　understood　none　of　it。
　'With　the　implementation　of　this　policy　and　the　success　of　Japanese　expansion　into　Manchuria　and　Shanghai　came　the　vested　interests　of　the　Japanese　businessman　abroad。　A　growing　economy　was　now　crucial　to　Japan　and　its　rate　of　growth　was　prodigious。　Out　of　this　cauldron　rose　the　four　enormous　industrial　bines　prising　the　zaibatsu。'
　'Then　Kansatsu　was　right　when　he　said　that　economics　must　take　as　much　responsibility　as　militarism　for　Japan's　road　to　the　war；'　Nicholas　observed　thoughtfully。
　The　Colonel　nodded。　'In　many　ways；　Japan　was　a　primitive　nation　by　world　standards；　the　Tokugawas　had　seen　to　that。　But；　on　the　other　hand；　they　understood　perhaps　better　than　any　others　the　purity　of　their　country。　But　I'm　very　much　afraid　it's　one　of　the　things　that　MacArthur　missed。　Oh；　he　knew　enough　about　the　culture　to　leave　the　Emperor　just　where　he　had　always　been　despite　the　hue　and　cry　that　he　be　tried　and　executed　as　a　war　criminal。　You　see；　quite　apart　from　the　fact　that；　from　the　first；　the　Emperor　had　done　all　in　his　power　to　aid　the　Americans　after　the　war；　MacArthur　was　well　aware　that　any　attempt　to　dethrone　him　would　throw　Japan　into　utter　chaos；　it　was　a　tradition　that　even　the　mighty　shoguns　dared　not　tamper　with。
　'Yet　also　from　the　first　the　Americans　propounded　the　myth　that　the　'guiding　force　behind　the　Japanese　war　effort　came　entirely　from　the　military。'　He　licked　at　his　sticky　fingers；　took　out　his　pipe。　'Nothing　could　have　been　further　from　the　truth。