the jacket (the star-rover)-第37节

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Ancient　history；　all；　told　me　by　Kim　on　the　long　ride；　and　he

struggled　with　his　face　to　hear　me　parrot　his　teaching。



〃These；〃　I　said；　when　the　Emperor　had　asked　me　about　my　company；

〃these　are　my　slaves；　all　except　that　old　churl　there〃I　indicated

Johannes　Maartens〃who　is　the　son　of　a　freed　man。〃　　I　told　Hendrik

Hamel　to　approach。　　〃This　one；〃　I　wantoned　on；　〃was　born　in　my

father's　house　of　a　seed　slave　who　was　born　there　before　him。　　He　is

very　close　to　me。　　We　are　of　an　age；　born　on　the　same　day；　and　on

that　day　my　father　gave　him　me。〃



Afterwards；　when　Hendrik　Hamel　was　eager　to　know　all　that　I　had

said；　and　when　I　told　him；　he　reproached　me　and　was　in　a　pretty

rage。



〃The　fat's　in　the　fire；　Hendrik；〃　quoth　I。　　〃What　I　have　done　has

been　out　of　witlessness　and　the　need　to　be　saying　something。　　But

done　it　is。　　Nor　you　nor　I　can　pluck　forth　the　fat。　　We　must　act　our

parts　and　make　the　best　of　it。〃



Taiwun；　the　Emperor's　brother；　was　a　sot　of　sots；　and　as　the　night

wore　on　he　challenged　me　to　a　drinking。　　The　Emperor　was　delighted；

and　commanded　a　dozen　of　the　noblest　sots　to　join　in　the　bout。　　The

women　were　dismissed；　and　we　went　to　it；　drink　for　drink；　measure

for　measure。　　Kim　I　kept　by　me；　and　midway　along；　despite　Hendrik

Hamel's　warning　scowls；　dismissed　him　and　the　company；　first

requesting；　and　obtaining；　palace　lodgment　instead　of　the　inn。



Next　day　the　palace　was　a…buzz　with　my　feast；　for　I　had　put　Taiwun

and　all　his　champions　snoring　on　the　mats　and　walked　unaided　to　my

bed。　　Never；　in　the　days　of　vicissitude　that　came　later；　did　Taiwun

doubt　my　claim　of　Korean　birth。　　Only　a　Korean；　he　averred；　could

possess　so　strong　a　head。



The　palace　was　a　city　in　itself；　and　we　were　lodged　in　a　sort　of

summer…house　that　stood　apart。　　The　princely　quarters　were　mine；　of

course；　and　Hamel　and　Maartens；　with　the　rest　of　the　grumbling

cunies；　had　to　content　themselves　with　what　remained。



I　was　summoned　before　Yunsan；　the　Buddhist　priest　I　have　mentioned。

It　was　his　first　glimpse　of　me　and　my　first　of　him。　　Even　Kim　he

dismissed　from　me；　and　we　sat　alone　on　deep　mats　in　a　twilight　room。

Lord；　Lord；　what　a　man　and　a　mind　was　Yunsan！　　He　made　to　probe　my

soul。　　He　knew　things　of　other　lands　and　places　that　no　one　in　Cho…

Sen　dreamed　to　know。　　Did　he　believe　my　fabled　birth？　　I　could　not

guess；　for　his　face　was　less　changeful　than　a　bowl　of　bronze。



What　Yunsan's　thoughts　were　only　Yunsan　knew。　　But　in　him；　this

poor…clad；　lean…bellied　priest；　I　sensed　the　power　behind　power　in

all　the　palace　and　in　all　Cho…Sen。　　I　sensed　also；　through　the　drift

of　speech；　that　he　had　use　of　me。　　Now　was　this　use　suggested　by　the

Lady　Om？a　nut　I　gave　Hendrik　Hamel　to　crack。　　I　little　knew；　and

less　I　cared；　for　I　lived　always　in　the　moment　and　let　others

forecast；　forfend；　and　travail　their　anxiety。



I　answered；　too；　the　summons　of　the　Lady　Om；　following　a　sleek…

faced；　cat…footed　eunuch　through　quiet　palace　byways　to　her

apartments。　　She　lodged　as　a　princess　of　the　blood　should　lodge。

She；　too；　had　a　palace　to　herself；　among　lotus　ponds　where　grow

forests　of　trees　centuries　old　but　so　dwarfed　that　they　reached　no

higher　than　my　middle。　　Bronze　bridges；　so　delicate　and　rare　that

they　looked　as　if　fashioned　by　jewel…smiths；　spanned　her　lily　ponds；

and　a　bamboo　grove　screened　her　palace　apart　from　all　the　palace。



My　head　was　awhirl。　　Sea…cuny　that　I　was；　I　was　no　dolt　with　women；

and　I　sensed　more　than　idle　curiosity　in　her　sending　for　me。　　I　had

heard　love…tales　of　common　men　and　queens；　and　was　a…wondering　if

now　it　was　my　fortune　to　prove　such　tales　true。



The　Lady　Om　wasted　little　time。　　There　were　women　about　her；　but　she

regarded　their　presence　no　more　than　a　carter　his　horses。　　I　sat

beside　her　on　deep　mats　that　made　the　room　half　a　couch；　and　wine

was　given　me　and　sweets　to　nibble；　served　on　tiny；　foot…high　tables

inlaid　with　pearl。



Lord；　Lord；　I　had　but　to　look　into　her　eyesBut　wait。　　Make　no

mistake。　　The　Lady　Om　was　no　fool。　　I　have　said　she　was　of　my　own

age。　　All　of　thirty　she　was；　with　the　poise　of　her　years。　　She　knew

what　she　wanted。　　She　knew　what　she　did　not　want。　　It　was　because　of

this　she　had　never　married；　although　all　pressure　that　an　Asiatic

court　could　put　upon　a　woman　had　been　vainly　put　upon　her　to　compel

her　to　marry　Chong　Mong…ju。　　He　was　a　lesser　cousin　of　the　great　Min

family；　himself　no　fool；　and　grasping　so　greedily　for　power　as　to

perturb　Yunsan；　who　strove　to　retain　all　power　himself　and　keep　the

palace　and　Cho…Sen　in　ordered　balance。　　Thus　Yunsan　it　was　who　in

secret　allied　himself　with　the　Lady　Om；　saved　her　from　her　cousin；

used　her　to　trim　her　cousin's　wings。　　But　enough　of　intrigue。　　It

was　long　before　I　guessed　a　tithe　of　it；　and　then　largely　through

the　Lady　Om's　confidences　and　Hendrik　Hamel's　conclusions。



The　Lady　Om　was　a　very　flower　of　woman。　　Women　such　as　she　are　born

rarely；　scarce　twice　a　century　the　whole　world　over。　　She　was

unhampered　by　rule　or　convention。　　Religion；　with　her；　was　a　series

of　abstractions；　partly　learned　from　Yunsan；　partly　worked　out　for

herself。　　Vulgar　religion；　the　public　religion；　she　held；　was　a

device　to　keep　the　toiling　millions　to　their　toil。　　She　had　a　will

of　her　own；　and　she　had　a　heart　all　womanly。　　She　was　a　beautyyes；

a　beauty　by　any　set　rule　of　the　world。　　Her　large　black　eyes　were

neither　slitted　nor　slanted　in　the　Asiatic　way。　　They　were　long；

true；　but　set　squarely；　and　with　just　the　slightest　hint　of

obliqueness　that　was　all　for　piquancy。



I　have　said　she　was　no　fool。　　Behold！　　As　I　palpitated　to　the

situation；　princess　and　sea…cuny　and　love　not　a　little　that

threatened　big；　I　racked　my　cuny's　brains　for　wit　to　carry　the　thing

off　with　manhood　credit。　　It　chanced；　early　in　this　first　meeting；

that　I　mentioned　what　I　had　told　all　the　Court；　that　I　was　in　truth

a　Korean　of　the　blood　of　the　ancient　house　of　Koryu。



〃Let　be；〃　she　said；　tapping　my　lips　with　her　peacock　fan。　　〃No

child's　tales　here。　　Know　that　with　me　you　are　better　and　greater

than　of　any　house　of　Koryu。　　You　are　。　。　。〃



She　paused；　and　I　waited；　watching　the　daring　grow　in　her　eyes。



〃You　are　a　man；〃　she　completed。　　〃Not　even　in　my　sleep　have　I　ever

dreamed　there　was　such　a　man　as　you　on　his　two　legs　upstanding　in

the　world。〃



Lord；　Lord！　and　what　could　a　poor　sea…cuny　do？　　This　particular　sea…

cuny；　I　admit；　blushed　through　his　sea　tan　till　the　Lady　Om's　eyes

were　twin　pools　of　roguishness　in　their　teasing　deliciousness　and　my

arms　were　all　but　about　her。　　And　she　laughed　tantalizingly　and

alluringly；　and　clapped　her　hands　for　her　women；　and　I　knew　that　the

audience；　for　this　once；　was　over。　　I　knew；　also；　there　would　be

other　audiences；　there　must　be　other　audiences。



Back　to　Hamel；　my　head　awhirl。



〃The　woman；〃　said　he；　after　deep　cogitation。　　He　looked　at　me　and

sighed　an　envy　I　could　not　mistake。　　〃It　is　your　brawn；　Adam　Strang；

that　bull　throat　of　yours；　your　yellow　hair。　　Well；　it's　the　game；

man。　　Play　her；　and　all　will　be　well　with　us。　　Play　her；　and　I　shall

teach　you　how。〃



I　bristled。　　Sea…cuny　I　was；　but　I　was　man；　and　to　no　man　would　I　be

beholden　in　my　way　with　women。　　Hendrik　Hamel　might　be　one　time

part…owner　of　the　old　Sparwehr；　with　a　navigator's　knowledge　of　the

stars　and　deep　versed　in　books；　but　with　women；　no；　there　I　would

not　give　him　better。



He　smiled　that　thin…lipped　smile　of　his；　and　queried：



〃How　like　you　the　Lady　Om？〃



〃In　such　matters　a　cuny　is　naught　particular；〃　I　temporized。



〃How　like　you　her？〃　he　repeated；　his　beady　eyes　boring　into　me。



〃Passing　well；　ay；　and　more　than　passing　well；　if　you　will　have　it。〃



〃Then　win　to　her；〃　he　commanded；　〃and　some　day　we　will　get　ship　and

escape　from　this　cursed　land。　　I'd　give　half　the　silks　of　the　Indies

for　a　meal　of　Christian　food　again。〃



He　regarded　me　intently。



〃Do　you　think　you　can　win　to　her？〃　he　questioned。



I　was　half　in　the　air　at　the　challenge。　　He　smiled　his　satisfaction。



〃But　not　too　quickly；〃　he　advised。　　〃Quick　things　are　cheap　things。

Put　a　prize　upon　yourself。　　Be　chary　of　your　kindnesses。　　Make　a

value　of　your　bull　throat　and　yellow　hair；　and　thank　God　you　have

them；　for　they　are　of　more　worth　in　a　woman's　eyes　than　are　the

brains　of　a　dozen　philosophers。〃



Strange　whirling　days　were　those　that　followed；　what　of　my　audiences

with　the　Emperor；　my　drinking　bouts　with　Taiwun；　my　conferences　with

Yunsan；　and　my　hours　with　the　Lady　Om。　　Besides；　I　sat　up　half　the

nights；　by　Hamel's　command；　learning　from　Kim　all　the　minutiae　of

court　etiquette　and　manners；　the　history　of　Korea　and　of　gods　old

and　new；　and　the　forms　of　polite　speech；　noble　speech；　and　coolie

speech。　　Never　was　sea…cuny　worked　so　hard。　　I　was　a　puppetpuppet

to　Yunsan；　who　had　need　of　me；　puppet　to　Hamel；　who　schemed　the　wit

of　the