Part 5 (1/2)

Iis.h.i.+no gasped. oSsakan-sama, you can't. The barbarians are dangerous, very dangerous. Just tell the captain that if he doesn't obey, we'll sink his s.h.i.+p.

Sano saw no reason for hostility, and with the harbor security forces out searching for Director Spaen, any threat of military aggression would be an empty one. Also, though he feared the barbarians, the s.h.i.+p exerted a powerful attraction on him. Once j.a.panese had traveled the world. Emba.s.sies had ventured to Rome and Spain to foster trade and learn about the West. Monks made pilgrimages to Russia, India, Persia, Portugal, and Jerusalem. Traders settled in China, Tonkin, and the New World. Mercenaries fought in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia; exiles were sent to Cambodia. But fifty-five years ago, the bakufu, fearing that its citizens would ally with foreigners, had forbidden them to go abroad. As a boy, Sano had yearned to sail the seas, while knowing he never could. Now, seeing the Dutch s.h.i.+p revived his youthful dreams and increased his resentment toward the regime that curtailed his freedom and knowledge.

oDo as I say, Iis.h.i.+no-san, he ordered.

Iis.h.i.+no conveyed the request. Captain Oss nodded, motioning for the barge to pull alongside port deck.

oSsakan-sama, please be careful, Iis.h.i.+no hissed.

Sano gazed in awe at the s.h.i.+p as they circled it. The hull bore the scars of a long journey: gouges from rocks and reefs; repaired holes; barnacles clinging near the waterline. The square stern, crowned by bulbous lanterns, was like the facade of some bizarre temple, with gilded garlands dividing two rows of mullioned gla.s.s windows. The unbleached linen sails were seamed and patched. The Dutch had come from the other side of the world, braving other dangers besides the elements. Square outlines in the hull defined the gunports: The s.h.i.+p was prepared to defend itself against human threats as well.

An order from the Dutch captain brought sailors swarming onto the s.h.i.+p's deck to help attach the barge. They seemed even more b.e.s.t.i.a.l than he, with s.h.a.ggy fair hair on their heads, faces, and bare limbs and chests.

oWho is the leader? Sano asked Iis.h.i.+no urgently.

oOh, the captain rules the s.h.i.+p. But the officials are partners in the East India Company, which owns it.

This ambiguous reply didn't bolster Sano's confidence. He ascended a ladder attached to the s.h.i.+p's hull, thankful for the presence of the guards who followed. Then he stepped onto the s.h.i.+p's deck, and as far into the outside world as he would ever go.

The smooth planks were solidly stable under his feet, but the masts and yards creaked; the sails flapped; the rigging groaned. The s.h.i.+p seemed alive, like a great beast. Then Captain Oss and the two East India Company officials came to meet Sano, and their smell hit him: a foul, animal reek of sweat, urine, dirty hair, and a rancid scent he attributed to their diet of milk. From his two months at sea, he knew the discomfort of bathing on board s.h.i.+p, in cold salt water. Yet he'd done it daily, and so had Hirata and the crew. The barbarians stank as though they hadn't washed since leaving home! Sano's stomach roiled.

oCaptain Oss. Feeling awkward and intimidated, Sano decided to accept Iis.h.i.+no's statement that the Dutch disliked formality, and get straight to the point. oPermit me to explain why I'm asking you to delay landing.

As Iis.h.i.+no translated, at least a hundred sailors watched from the decks, the yards, and the rigging. They scratched themselves constantly. Studying the three leaders, Sano saw flea bites on their necks. Didn't the barbarians know that regular was.h.i.+ng eliminated vermin? Oddly, their clothes seemed clean, down to their knee-length black trousers, black stockings, and s.h.i.+ny black leather shoes with square silver ornaments over the insteps ”and high heels. To support their dog feet? They awaited Sano's explanation, regarding him with their eerie eyes, which were as clear and bright a blue as the ocean.

oI'm sorry to say that Trade Director Jan Spaen disappeared last night, Sano said. oUntil we find him, no other Dutchmen can enter the country, so you must wait here. Sano hoped that Iis.h.i.+no would accurately convey his direct, courteous explanation. oI apologize for the delay, but it can't be helped.

An immediate outcry greeted Iis.h.i.+no's translation. Shouting sailors waved their fists and bared broken teeth. A thrill of fear clenched Sano's spine as he remembered that these dirty, b.e.s.t.i.a.l creatures were fierce warriors. The Dutch had resisted Spanish takeover of their homeland, then replaced the Spanish Empire as the world's greatest maritime power. More recently, he'd heard rumors that they'd scored victories over the English, who were challenging their trade monopoly. They had quelled native rebellions in the Banda Islands and now ruled the world's sole source of nutmeg. They'd secured the pepper monopoly by battling and defeating tribal kings and English rivals on Java. By seizing the colonies of Malacca and Ceylon, they'd ended Portuguese domination of the East Indies trade. Dutch relations with j.a.pan had so far been peaceful ”but the past guaranteed nothing.

Now Captain Oss quieted the crew with angry commands. He and his companions stood a head higher than Sano, who nervously eyed the long-barreled pistols at their waists. Knowing the s.h.i.+p's lower decks contained cannon and more guns ”all powerfully superior to any j.a.pan possessed ”Sano felt tiny and vulnerable; his sword wouldn't protect him now. Again he longed for Hirata's company. But he'd made the right decision to face terror alone, with a clear conscience.

Iis.h.i.+no translated as fast as the barbarians spoke. oThe captain says the s.h.i.+p has been at sea for a year, a whole year. They've braved storms and drifted for months without wind. They're out of food and water. The crew is desperate to go ash.o.r.e.

Captain Oss's pointed incisors flashed. Combined with his red hair, these gave him the look of a fox ”the animal reviled by j.a.panese as an evil prankster.

oThe officials say this delay is a violation of the Dutch-j.a.panese trade agreement, Iis.h.i.+no continued. oThey insist that the s.h.i.+p be allowed to proceed to Takayama, and the crew and cargo conveyed to Des.h.i.+ma immediately. He wrung his hands. oOh, Ssakan-sama, they're angry, very angry that their colleague is missing. But you must tell them that your word is the law, and they have no choice but to obey!

The sea spread around Sano; Nagasaki and its troops seemed very far away. Twelve thousand Dutch in the East Indies, Sano thought, with at least twenty s.h.i.+ps like this. Even one could ruin Nagasaki before he could mount a defense. He must placate the Dutch ”fast. And beneath his revulsion, Sano felt a tinge of respectful sympathy for the barbarians who had sailed for an entire year to reach j.a.pan.

oCaptain Oss, he said, oI shall order provisions sent aboard, compliments of Nagasaki.

Iis.h.i.+no hissed, oThat's against the rules, the rules! The Dutch receive nothing until their goods are inventoried and unladed. And they must pay for all their supplies.

Sano silenced him with a glance. Shrugging helplessly, Iis.h.i.+no spoke in Dutch. To Sano's relief, the captain and merchants nodded; conciliatory mutters rose from the crew.

oAs soon as we find Trade Director Spaen, you may enter the harbor, Sano said, bowing.

The barbarians bowed, too, watching him warily through their strange, light eyes. Sano headed for the ladder, trying not to run like a coward. But Interpreter Iis.h.i.+no tugged his sleeve.