"In the year of Our Lord 1598, five trader warships left the Dutch city of Rotterdam as the first expeditionary force ever sent to ravage and plunder Spanish and Portuguese possessions in the recently discovered New World." "Protestant Holland had been at war with Catholic Spain for more than 40 years, with England her only ally in the struggle." "The Spanish had discovered the vast riches of the Americas and, legend had it, the even greater riches of mysterious Cathay." "Both Holland and England were determined to share in this wealth." "Only one Dutch ship survived the violent storms and icy seas of Cape Horn, to breach the enemy's secret of the Straits of Magellan and finally sail into American waters:" "the Erasmus." "Under the command of Pilot-Major John Blackthorne, with only 28 men of his Dutch crew still alive, the Erasmus ventured into the Pacific." "There, pursued and outnumbered by Spanish ﬂeets, her retreat cutoff, this ship turned westward and fled alone... into the unknown." "Now, almost two years outward bound from home, 133 days from her last landfall..." "Go below, pilot." "I take this watch." " Where's the mate?" " Dead." "There's the stink of death, pilot." " What's the course?" " Wherever the wind takes us!" "And where's the landfall you promised?" "Where's the Japans?" " Ahead!" " Ahead..." "Always ahead!" "Blessed Jesus..." "Damn the day I left Holland!" " Get aloft, Maetsukker." " No, I'm near death, pilot." "I'm sick." "The scurvy's taken me." "Get aloft and stay there till you're dead or we make landfall!" "How are you feeling, Johann?" "Good enough, pilot." "Perhaps I'll live." "Most men your age are already dead, so you're ahead of us." "It's the saintly life I've led." "That and the brandy..." "The boatswain's dead, pilot." "Get the body aloft." "You and Roper and Croocq." "Johann, take the dawn watch." " Ginsel, you're bow lookout." " Right." "Captain-general?" "Where...?" "Where are we?" "Still on course." "You and your damned course." "There is no Japans." "But you..." "You will kill us all." "We'll get there." "We'll make landfall." "It's a lie." "All lies from the beginning." "God rot you, pilot." "Reef!" "Reef ahead!" "All hands on deck!" "We're lost!" "Lord Jesus help us!" "Get the crew on deck!" "Go on!" "Get out on deck!" "Out!" "Get aloft!" "The forecastle's ho!" "Aloft!" "Reef!" "Reef ahead!" "Turn, you whore from hell!" "Turn, damn you!" "Turn!" "Is this the Japans?" "The Japans?" "It is the Japans." "By God, it has to be." "Sorry." "Where are my boots?" "Boots." "Feet." "Boots." "Thank you." "My name John Blackthorne." "What's your name?" "Blackthorne." "What's your name?" "Can you take me in your boat to my ship?" "You wait here for me." "Wait here for me." "But this is my ship." "There are papers in my cabin." "I need them." "I, me, want to go in there." " Who are you?" " Who are you?" "I am Father Sebastio." "And you are a heretic Dutchman pirate." "How did you get here?" "We were blown ashore." " What is this place?" "The Japans?" " Yes." "The authorities know about you." "They crucify criminals and pirates here." "You're going to die." " Where's my crew?" " They will die with you." "May God burn you in hellfire for all eternity." "Kasigi Omi-san wants to know where do you come from?" "What's your nationality?" " Who is he?" " The samurai in charge of this village." "You'd better answer quickly." "Tell him I'm English." "I'm pilot-major of the Erasmus out of Rotterdam." "Omi-san says you may walk around the village until his master comes back." "Lord Kasigi Yabu will decide your fate." "What about my crew?" "Where are they?" ""Omi-san says, "Do you understand?"" "What's "yes" in Japanese?" "By the Lord Jesus, pilot, you're alive." "Where's the ship?" "Is she safe?" "Anchored in the bay." "Where are the others?" "Dead, pilot." "The savages took them away." "Captain-general?" "He can't hear you." "All he does is lie there and moan." "He's in God's hands." "We all are." " Is it the Japans, pilot?" "Is it?" " Aye, it is." "But there's a priest here." "A Jesuit." "Where there be one priest, there's bound to be others." "Priests and papists..." "They'll burn us at the stake." "The Day of Judgment approaches." "We never should've sailed here." "Are there riches, pilot?" "Is there gold?" " There must be." "Gold and riches..." " Did you see it?" " Have you seen the gold?" " No." "Maybe Roper's right." "Maybe it's only greed that brought us here." " It's God's punishment..." " Stop it." "We're the first ones to reach Japans, and we'll be rich if we keep our wits." "How?" "By trading with the devil?" "It's always the devil with you, isn't it, Jan Roper?" "The devil lives on your lips." "Look to your soul, Johann Vinck." "Will they let us back on the ship?" "Will they let us go now?" " The ship is under guard." " Guards?" "Are the heathens aboard?" "What are we to do?" "We must get away from here." "This is the land of Satan." "Hold your tongue." "We'll do whatever we can." "Their chief is coming soon." "Then we'll settle everything." "Do you think he'll let us go?" "Why shouldn't he?" "We've done them no harm." "Look at the way they all smile and bow." "They're not bloodthirsty heathens, are they, pilot?" "Are they?" "Hmm." " It's the same swill as before." " Raw fish." "How do they expect us to cook it with no fire?" " He wants you, pilot." " Maybe the chief is here." " Tell him we come in peace." " I'll do what I can." " He wants all of us." " I'm not going with that devil." "Roper, you and Pieterzoon, bring the captain-general." " He's dying." "Let the poor man lie." " Do as I say." "I'll bring him, pilot." " Bow to him." " He's a heathen savage." "The daimyo, Kasigi Yabu, Lord of Izu, wants to know how you got here." " By Magellan's Pass." " Liar." "Magellan's Pass is secret." "You came by Africa and India." "The pass was secret." "A Portuguese sold us a rutter, a pilot's chart book from his ship." "Liar." "Soon all our ships will know the way through to the Pacific." "Heretic lies." "But you'll tell the truth soon enough." "They use torture here." "Lord Kasigi Yabu asks what acts of piracy you have committed." "None." "We are not pirates, we come in peace." " Another lie." " Give him my answer, damn you." " God curse you forever." " Tell him we're not pirates, Jesuit pig." "Lord Kasigi Yabu says your pirate ship is confiscated." "You papist liar." "You lied to him." "You filthy lying Jesuit." " God." "Sweet Jesus' death." " We should all pray." " Vinck just did." " I'm sick." " I've got to lie down." " Don't touch the captain-general." " He's dying anyway." " I said you don't touch him!" "Shut up!" "All of you, shut up!" " Get off my foot." " Are they going to kill us, pilot?" "Lord Kasigi Yabu has graciously spared all your lives." "All except one." "One of you is to die." "You are to choose who it will be." "But you, pilot, you are not to be the one chosen." "Lord Jesus help us." " What are we to do now, pilot?" " I don't know." "How?" "How are we to choose someone?" "We don't." "We fight them." "With what?" "Give them the captain-general, he's useless anyway." " You make a man sick..." " They'll take none of us without a fight." "If we fight, they'll kill us all." "You heard what he said." "All our lives are spared except one." "How do we choose?" "We don't, damn it." "Pilot, this doesn't concern you anymore." "It's between us now." "It's our decision." "Aye." "We'll draw lots." "Straws." "One shorter than the rest." "Agreed?" "What about the captain-general?" "He wasn't excluded." " Then let the last straw be for him." " Who'll be the first to pick?" "How do we know that the man who picks the short straw will go?" "Huh?" "How do we know that?" "We'll all swear to God." "A holy vow." "I swear it." " I swear." " I swear it." "I swear to God." "God be praised." " Not without a fight." " But we agreed." "I didn't." "It's all right, pilot." "We agreed." "It was fair." "It's God's will." " Nobody is going without a fight." " You'll get us all killed." "Help me!" "Come on!" "For your lives!" "No!" "No, it's not me!" "I'm not the one to go!" "Help me!" "For God's sake!" "I was going." "I swear before Christ, I was going." "Pieterzoon..." "Why did they leave him?" "They could've carried him away." " Maybe they thought he was dead." " He will be, soon enough." "Are you all right, pilot?" "Vinck," "W6 won." "Aye, we did." "It was Hans Pieterzoon they took." "No!" "No!" "Oh, my God!" "No!" "Oh, my God!" "No!" "This poxy heathen's awake." "Come on." "Get up." "Move!" "Up!" " What shall we do with him?" " Kill him." "No." "Maybe we can trade him for something." "Look at the way he's just squatting there, like he don't see nothing." "Pieterzoon..." "God in heaven." "Pilot, you are to come up alone." "What do they want with me?" "I don't know, but you must come up at once." "What happened to my man, to Pieterzoon?" "He's dead." "May God have mercy on his soul." "Pilot, you must come up." "They can have me instead." "Tell them me, not him." "Pilot." " What did he say?" " It's a saying." ""A man's fate is a man's fate, and life is but an illusion."" " What the hell do you want with me?" " Mind your manners, I warn you." "Tell this poxy bastard that I'm a lord in my own country." "Tell him." "He says he does not care if you are a king in your own country." "Here you live at Lord Yabu's whim." "You and all your men." "Tell him to go to hell." ""If you do not agree to behave, another of your men will be brought up."" "What does he mean, "behave"?" "It means to obey." "Obey totally." "Tell him I piss on him and his whole country." "And his Lord Yabu." " No, I can't." " Tell him exactly." "No, you can't." "No!" "Help, please!" "Please!" "No!" "Please!" "Tell him..." "Ask him to stop." "No!" "Please!" " Do you agree to behave?" " Yes, I agree." "He wants you to answer directly to him." "The Japanese for yes is hai." "He says, "Will you obey all orders?"" "Hai, as far as I can, hai." "Omi-san says lie down." "Immediately." "He says he did not insult you personally, and there was no cause for you to insult him." "But you must be taught manners." " Do you understand?" " Tell him I understand." "You must tell him yourself." "He says it was bad manners to say what you said." "Very bad." "Do you understand?" "Get up." "What about the boy?" "Croocq." "Croocq, lad." " Is the boy all right?" " He's alive." "Omi-san says you are to go with Muraji." "You will obey his orders." "He said that the lives of your crew depend on your behavior." "If you fail to obey, they will suffer." "Clear?" "Yes." "He says that since your name is difficult to say, from now on you will be called Anjin." "That means "pilot."" "Omi-san wants you to know that this is not meant as an insult." "If you say so." "Oh, no." "No, I don't..." "Like hell." "A bath will make you foul sick." "Get out of my way." "Sweet Jesus." "Yes." "Yes." "Lord Yabu's pleasure at having the barbarian as his prize vanished with a glance." "The galley that was rounding the headland depended on neither wind nor tide." "And on its sail was the crest of Lord Toranaga." "And Toranaga's most trusted ally," "General Toda Hiromatsu, was standing on the deck." "The barbarian ship calmly at anchor in front of him." "This was no coincidence." "Pilot." " You must wake up." " What?" "You must greet him." "Say konnichiwa and bow." "Konnichiwa, Omi." " You must say "Omi-san" " Why'?" "San means honorable." "It is an insult if you leave it off." "Say it quickly and bow." "Konnichiwa, Omi-san." "You must get dressed quickly." " Is she his wife?" " Wife?" "No." " Who is she?" " The woman is a harlot." "A common whore and damned for all eternity." "A slave ship." "You can't stop now." "Not if you want to live." "Come, pilot." "Anjin." "Anjin-san." "Anjin-san." "No, I'm not going on a slaver." "It's a damned slave ship, and I won't set foot on it." "It's a God-cursed slaver, and you'll never make me go on board!" "Madonna, leave him alone." "Did you hear what I said?" "Leave him alone." " Are you the pilot of the Dutchman?" " Aye." "Who are you?" "Good." "I'm Vasco Rodrigues, pilot of this galley, at least on this trip." "That's better." "Listen, pilot, that man is like a king." "I told him I'd be responsible for you and that I'd as soon blow your damned head off as drink with you." "Now bow to the bloody sama." "You do that like a Japper." "Are you really the pilot?" "Aye." " What's the latitude of The Lizard?" " Forty-nine degrees, 56 minutes north." "And watch out for the reefs that bear south by southwest." "Ha, ha." "You're the pilot, by God." "Come aboard." "There's food and grog and all pilots should love all pilots, amen, right?" " Right." "But where are you taking me?" " Osaka." "The Great Lord High Executioner himself wants to see you." " Who?" " Toranaga," "Lord of the Eight Provinces, whatever the hell they may be." "He's the chief daimyo of this whole bloody country." " What does he want with me?" " How the hell would I know?" "But if he wants to see you, by God he'll see you." "Now give them a nice little Japper bow and on you go." "Do it, inglés." " Your ship's confiscated, inglés." " Confiscated?" " What about my crew?" " Oh, they'll be all right." "There's nothing we can do about it now." "You'll just have to wait." "You can never tell with the Jappers." "They're all six-faced and three-hearted." "Madonna, she looks fast, your ship." " Where was she built, Rotterdam?" " Aye." "Could we go aboard her?" "I'd like to collect my gear and you could have a closer look." "I'll blow your head off, inglés, if you trick me." "I give you my word, pilot to pilot." "And I'll swear on your mother's virtue." "I'm beginning to like you, inglés." "Hey!" "Ima it is. [ma means "now, at once." We're to leave at once." " Ask him if I can go aboard my ship." " No, I won't ask him a poxy thing." " I have your word?" " You have it." "Come on." "There's a boat down there, inglés." "Don't move fast." "Don't look around." "Don't listen to anybody but me." "Go." "Don't worry, Captain-san, I am responsible." "Sit there." "Not to worry, Captain-sen." "You get ship ready." "Watch them carefully, tell me what they're doing." " The bowmen are taking out arrows." " Are they getting ready to shoot?" "Yes, they..." "No, wait." " The captain's talking to them." " Damn all samurai anyway." " Why?" " They love to kill, inglés." "They even sleep with their swords." "They fear nothing, least of all death." "If a samurai's lord says kill, he kills." "If their lord says die, he'll slit his belly open just like that." "I saw Omi-san kill a man just because the man didn't bow." "You better remember that, inglés." "The samurai rule everything here." "They have the right to kill non-samurai whenever they feel like it." "Man, woman, or child, it doesn't matter." "They all serve their master." "That's what the word means." "Samurai means "to serve."" "And if you forget your bloody manners, heh, they'll serve your head up for you." " I didn't see you bow and scrape." " Ha, ha." "That's because I'm me, Rodrigo-san." "I am important because I act important." "They understand that." "Here, you don't ask, you act." "Of course, sometimes you get killed if you act wrong." "Right." "Konnichiwa... to all sod-eating samas." "Bow like I did." "Right, let's go and get your gear." "Well, not for me, it isn't bloody kinjiru." "I am Rodrigo-san." "[chi-ban bloody pilot to Toda Hiromatsu-sama." "I'm from Toda Hiromatsu-sama, who's a bigger king than your bugger." "And Toda-sama's from Toranaga-sama, who's the biggest bugger in the world." "Get ready to abandon ship." "Toranaga-sama!" "Toranaga-sama!" "That's bloody well better." "Those sons of plague-infested lice." "They've taken everything." "God curse all Jappers." "Well, since there's nothing here, why don't you take a look at the ship?" " Where are they, inglés?" " What?" "Your charts." "You've hidden them." "That's why you came on board." "No pilot would worry about clothes." "You came for your rutters." "You want me out so you can get them." "You're right, that's why I wanted to come." "But they were in here." "Oh, I don't want to steal them." "I just want to copy a part or two." " They were in the sea chest." " Liar." "Come on, there's no time." "I took your word, now you take mine, pilot to pilot." "I won't steal them." "Damn!" "Stolen." "What?" "Do I believe you, inglés?" "Eh, I think so." "This was where you kept them?" " Yes." " Everything?" "Even your Portuguese rutter?" "Ha, ha." "Come on, it had to be Portuguese." " How else would you have got here?" " Yes, even the Portuguese rutter." "That's gone too." "Halfway around the Earth and no way to get home." "Lord give me strength!" "I know what you feel, inglés." "I feel sorry for you." "It happened to me once." "He was inglés too, the thief." "Heh." "May his ship drown and he burn in hell forever." "Come on, let's get back to my ship." "You never saw a slaver move like this." "Even with an infidel Turk whipping them to a lather." "Those are samurai rowers." "They'll stroke till they die, if Lord Toranaga wishes." "How far is this place you're taking me?" "Osaka?" "Oh." "Three hundred-odd sea miles, and we'll be there in less than 40 hours." "Hey, Captain-san." "West-southwest." "I guess you know your compass, inglés." "These galleys normally hug the coast for safety, but that would take too much time, and time is important." "Toranaga asked me to pilot Toda to Anjiro and back quickly." " I get a bonus if we're on time." " You work for Toranaga?" "Me work for him?" "Hell, no." "I was just visiting Osaka, my captain and me." "This was just a favor." "They're not great ocean sailors, the Jap men." "Great pirates and fighters and coastal sailors, but the deep frightens them." " What are they going to do with me?" " Whatever they want to do." " What's your own ship like?" " Oh, heh." "I'm the pilot of..." "I keep forgetting that you're the enemy, inglés." " We've been allies for centuries." " But we're not now." "Go below, inglés." "Get some rest." "If you want to sleep, use my cabin." "You're tired and so am I." "Tired men make mistakes." " How do you feel, inglés?" " Rested." " What do you think?" " I think there'll be a storm." " When?" " Before the day's out." "Ha, ha." "Now, that is a safe guess." "If this were your ship, what would you do?" "How far is the nearest land?" "Oh." "Three, maybe four hours." "If we run for cover, it'll cost me my bonus." "Oh, Madonna." "I'm a tired man." "Then go sleep, I'll take the watch for you." "If the wind changes, I'll wake you." "All right, inglés." "I think I'll trust you." "God knows why." "Maintain this course." "At the next turn, go four degrees more westerly, and at the next, six more westerly." "Ha, ha, hai." "Four degrees westerly it is." "Go below." "Your bunk's comfortable." "Ah, priest, what have you given me?" "God curse me and my lack of wits." "There's a storm there, all right." "This craft won't take much water." " How was your sleep?" " Short." "But more than I would've had if you weren't here." " It can't be tai-fun." " What?" "Tai-fun, huge winds." "Worst storms you've ever seen." " We're not in the tai-fun season." " When's that?" "It's not now, enemy." "It looks rotten enough." "I'll take your advice and head for land." " Steer north by west." " North by west, aye." "Hey, Captain-san." "What's that, isogi?" ""Hurry up"?" "Ha, ha." "There's no harm in you learning a little Jap man talk." "You need about ten words and then you can make them dance." "That's if they're the right words." "And if they're in the mood." "Hey, inglés, maybe you learn too damn fast." "Go forward." "Get them to start bailing." "Make them understand." "Hurry." "Hurry." "Ship oars!" "Stop rowing!" "Stop rowing!" " What do you think, inglés?" " You'll do what you want." "But she won't take much water." "We'll go down like a stone." "Next time I go forward, tell me you're putting her into the wind." "Ah, that was the hand of God, inglés." "A wave slapped her rump around." "We'll keep her into the wind." "When the time's right, we'll make a stab for the shore." "My nose tells me if we turn and run, we'll flounder." "If we don't turn, we'll never make it." "For God's sake, what would you do?" "Wait till we're past the headland, fall off from the wind and make the rowers pull for their lives." " That's dangerous." " I know." "All right." "I'll go forward, you take the helm." "Watch me, and when I signal, go west-northwest for the shore." " Watch me very closely." " I will." "Hey" "You'll watch for my order, and obey my orders." "Do you want me to take the helm or not?" "I have to trust you again, inglés." "And I hate trusting you." "Steady as she goes." "Hard aport... now!" "Hard aport, aye!" "Pull, you buggers." "One, two, one, two." "One, two..." "Aah!" "Damn you, Rodrigues!" "Rodrigues." "Rodrigues." "Yabu-san." "Thank you for saving his life." "Thank you for your courage." "Thank you, you black-eyed son of a whore." "You may come up one by one." "You may live in the world of men again." "But break any rule, and you'll be put back." "What about the pilot?" "What's happened to him?" "If you don't come out now, you will stay down there." " Where's the other man?" " Captain-General Spillbergen's dead." "God rest his soul." "He's down there lying in the filth." "Omi-san wants you to bow to him." "He wants us to come." "Come on." "So now I owe you a life, inglés." "Oh!" "God curse you." "It was Kasigi Yabu who saved your miserable body." "Curse him." "No." "Those Jappos would never have come after me if it weren't for you." "The curse is thine." "There's a bottle of grog over there." "Here." "You make a foul nurse, inglés." "It's your black heart." "Bring the bottle over here." " How do you feel?" " Better." "Considering my head's on fire and my mouth tastes of pigswill." "Eh-eh-eh." "Just give me the bottle." "This, uh, Toranaga," " why does he want to see me?" " I don't know." "By the Blessed Virgin, I don't know." "And since I owe you something, here's some truth in part payment." "Never forget the Jap men are six-faced and have three hearts." "So be careful, inglés." "Be careful what you say." "Be careful how you move." "Even be careful how you think." "Especially with Toranaga." "Toranaga..." "What's he like?" "Same as the rest of them." "Only worse." "They had 600 years of civil war in this country, until about 35 years ago when Goroda conquered half of Japan and made himself ichi-ban lord of the country." "Know who helped him?" "Toranaga." "Then, I guess it was 16 years ago, one of his own generals killed Goroda and another stepped into his sandals." "General Nakamura." "Know who helped him?" " Toranaga." " Right, inglés." "Toranaga." "Another big monkey-same, lshido." "Toranaga in the east, lshido in the west." "Sooner or later there'll be another bloody civil war." "Madonna, I think I got drunk last night." " Where are we?" " On course, pilot." "You're the pilot now." "Ha, ha..." "Ooh." "A person could think that was funny." "You're supposed to be the prisoner." "You could be taking us anywhere." "But you, you wouldn't do that." "If they were taking me to lshido's castle," "I wouldn't sail them there." "Ishido?" "I thought they were taking me to Toranaga." "So they are." "Except that Toranaga's in Osaka Castle, and Osaka Castle belongs to lshido." "And what a butcher he is." "Hell, they all are." "Everything in this country's upside down." " What are you steering?" " South by southwest." "How did you know?" "Who told you?" " You did." " Me?" "Madonna, it's all in a haze." "You looked in my rutter!" "Ah, inglés, life is so strange." "And if I live, it is by the grace of God, helped by a heretic and a Jap man." "There's the sod-eating sama." "I'd better go and thank him." "You're a dangerous man, inglés." "Maybe we'd all be better off if they killed you." "Osaka, the white castle city of Lord lshido." "An escort of 20 samurai was on the dock, wearing the brown uniform of Toranaga's army," "under the command of Toranaga's youngest son," "Lord Naga." "Now, inglés, it's Toranaga's fifth son." "That should keep him happy." "Come on." "Now what's the matter?" "You're staying on board, inglés." " Why?" " It wouldn't do any good to ask." "When Toranaga's ready, you'll find out." "Go with God, inglés." "And you." " Good evening, pilot." " Good evening, Father." " I have a package for His Eminence." " I will see that he receives it." "Forgive me, Father, but I swore I would place it in his hands myself." "Wait here." "It's good to see you, Father Alvito." " I'm pleased your journey was safe." " By the grace of God." "You must tell me about it later." "His Eminence is waiting." "Vasco Rodrigues, Your Eminence." "You have a package for me, my son." "From Father Sebastio in Anjiro." "I swore to place it in your hands." "Would that all vows were so dutifully obeyed." "Thank you, my son." "It's the English pilot's rutter." "Yes." "I want you to read it all tonight." "If the rutter proves that they are pirates, then the man has damned himself." "Yes, Your Eminence." "Why has he come here?" "Why now, when we're almost safe again?" "As God is my judge, if I didn't know better," "I'd believe that the Spaniards or their Benedictine lackeys deliberately guided him here to plague us." "Perhaps they did, Your Eminence." "May God show them the error of their ways." "Where are we going, Toranaga-sama?" "You understand, um, uh...?" "Where?" "You're an unpleasant little bugger, aren't you, hai?" "That's what I thought." "Anjin-san..." "Yoshi Toranaga, Lord of the Kwanto." "My name is Martin Alvito of the Society of Jesus, captain-pilot." "Lord Toranaga has asked me to interpret for him." " First tell him that we are enemies." " All in good time." "Vasco Rodrigues has told me of your bravery." "Tell Lord Toranaga that I do not trust you to translate what I say." "You would be wise to reconsider." "Lord Toranaga has favored me with his confidence for many years." "Perhaps I should point out that I am quite apart from Father Sebastio, who is unfortunately overzealous and does not speak Japanese very well." "His experience here is limited, and your sudden presence took away God's grace from him." "Regrettably." " Tell him." " You may tell him yourself." "The Japanese word for enemy is teki." "If you point to me and say that word, Lord Toranaga will understand clearly." "Hmm?" "Mariko..." "Since you have objected to my translating, the Lady Toda will explain your responses." "I can have no objection to that, but since she is to convey my words," "I would like to be introduced." "Lord Toranaga has agreed." " What is your full name?" " Pilot-Major John Blackthorne." "John Blackthorne, may I present the Lady Toda Buntaro-Mariko." "I am honored, lady." "If you are English, why were you leading Dutch ships?" "That is not unusual." "Holland and England are allies." "I was glad for the opportunity to sail into these waters." "No English ships were planning to come this far." "But we're a trading fleet, though we have letters of marque to attack our enemy." "We came to Japan to trade." "What are letters of marque?" "Legal licenses issued by the Crown, our government, giving authority to war on the enemy." "And since your enemy is here, do you plan to war on them here?" "If they war on me." "What you do at sea or in your own countries is your own affair." "But here there is one law for all, and foreigners are in our land by permission only." "Any public mischief or quarrel will be dealt with immediately by death." "Our laws are clear and will be obeyed." "Do you understand?" "Yes, sire." "But we come in peace." "We came here to trade." "Could we discuss trade, sire?" "I need to careen my ship." "Then there's the question..." "When I wish to discuss trade, I will tell you." "Meanwhile, please confine yourself to answering the questions." "So you joined the expedition to trade... for profit?" "Not because of duty or loyalty, for money?" "Yes." "It is our custom to be paid, sire." "And to have a share in all goods captured from the enemy." " So you are a mercenary?" " I was hired as senior pilot, yes." "But I am not a pirate." " What is a pirate?" " An outlaw." "A man who kills, rapes and plunders for personal profit." "Isn't that the same as a mercenary?" "Aren't you a leader of pirates?" "No, sire, I am not a pirate." "The Portuguese and Spanish will tell you that because we're at war." "What did he say?" "What I said is no concern of yours." "When I wish you to know something, I will tell you." "I'm sorry, I did not mean to be rude." "Then hold your tongue until I require an answer." "Lord Toranaga says that I have told him that Holland was a vassal of the Spanish until a few years ago." "He asks you if that is true." "Yes." "Then your ally Holland is fighting against its lawful king?" "Is that true?" "They're fighting against Spain..." "Isn't that rebellion?" "Yes or no?" "Yes, but there are mitigating circumstances..." "There are no mitigating circumstances when it comes to rebellion against a sovereign lord." "Unless you win." "Yes, Mr. Foreigner- with-the-impossible-name." "Yes, you name the one mitigating factor." "Will you win?" "Yes." "Hai, we will win." "How long did it take you to travel here?" "Almost two years." "Exactly one year, 11 months and two days." "How did you come?" "By what route?" "By the Pass of Magellan." "If I had my maps I could show you clearly, but they were stolen." "They were removed from my cabin, with all my papers." " All your papers were removed?" " Yes." "You are to come over here, captain-pilot, away from the door." "If you value your life, don't move suddenly or say anything." "What's going on?" "You will be a dead man the next time you speak." "Lord lshido, master of Osaka Castle." "Lord Toranaga asks that you stand." "Move slowly and do not speak." "Lord lshido says you are a pirate." "Captain-pilot, you are to follow this man." "Where am I going?" "You are to be detained." "Where?" "For how long?" "I do not know, my son." "Until Lord Toranaga decides." " Thank you for your help, lady." " You are quite welcome, pilot-major." "Like hell I Will!" "Thank you." "Thank you." "Uh..." "Me..." "Anjin-san." "Anjin-san." "You?" " Anjin-san?" " Anjin-san." "Jirobei." " Mrobebsan." " Hai." "I don't understand." "Ah." "Mother of God!" "Art thou real?" "Yes." "Who are you?" "Oh, blessed Virgin." "Real." "Who are you?" "I..." "I am Friar Domingo of the Sacred Order of St Francis." "My prayers have been answered." "I thought I was seeing another apparition, a ghost." "The evil spirit, yes, I've seen so many, so many." " How long have you been here?" " Yesterday." "And you?" "Oh, a long time." "I don't know." "I was put here in September in the year of Our Lord 1598." "It's May now. 1600." "1600?" "Come with me, my son." "They are my flock." "They are all my sons in the blessed Lord Jesus." "I've made so many converts here." "This one's John." "That's Mark." "Methuselah, heh." "Please, sit down, my son." "You must be tired." "One of my flock says that you are a pilot, an anjin." "Is this so?" " Yes." " You came from Manila?" "No, I've never been in Asia before." "Why are you here?" "Jesuits put me here, my son." "Jesuits and their filthy lies." "You are not Spanish, no?" "Nor Portuguese?" "Was your ship Portuguese?" " Tell me the truth before God." " No, Father, it was not Portuguese, before God." "Of course, your ship was Spanish." "Spanish..." "And you were shipwrecked, like us, foully thrown into this jail." "Falsely accused by those devil Jesuits." "God curse them and show them the error of their treachery." "You said you had never been in Asia before?" "This is my first time." "You will be like a child in the wilderness, my son, yes." "Oh, there's so much to tell." "Did you know that Jesuits are merely traders?" "Gun-runners?" "Usurers?" "And that the Black Ship is worth a million in gold to them every year?" "The Black Ship?" "What is the Black Ship?" "That is why the Jesuits are here." "They control all the trade with China." "Selling silk in Japan alone is worth a fortune to them." "Once a year, the Black Ship takes their ungodly profits back to Europe." "To fill their filthy coffers ever further." "You have never heard of this, my son?" "No, never." "How did that happen?" "The Jesuits have forced the pope to grant them total power over all Asia." "Them and their dogs, the Portuguese." "Did you know other religious orders are forbidden here?" "The Jesuits deal in gold, reveling in their profits, against the direct orders of Pope Clement and our King Philip." "Even against the laws of this land." "They meddle in politics, lie and cheat." "They bear false witness against us, my son." "Their lies and poison put me here." "I must tend my flock." "There are converts here and little time." "Sit here, my son." "You will be safe here." "Shimpu-sama." "Ah, I'm sorry, my son." "I did not mean to disturb you." "We thought you might be thirsty when you awakened." "Thank you." "How do you say that in Japanese?" "Sometimes you say arigato." "A woman must always be very polite." "She says arigato gozaimashita." " What's his name?" " He is Gonzalez." " No, his Japanese name." " Ah, yes, ah..." "Kagoya." "But that just means "porter." They don't have names." " Only the samurai have names." " What do you mean?" "Only the samurai have first names and surnames." "Everyone else is known by what they do, porter, or fisherman, cook." "Only yesterday?" "You said you came here only yesterday?" " What occurred with you?" " When we landed, there was a Jesuit." "Jesuits come from hell." "God curse them." "God forgive my foolish rage." "Mobs".!" "What's going to happen to him?" "He will be executed." "Are you sure?" "His Calvary is outside the door." "May the holy Madonna take his soul swiftly and give him everlasting reward." " What did he do?" " He broke the law, my son." "Their law." "The Japanese are a simple people." "They have only one punishment." "Death." "You forget about imprisonment." "That is not one of their punishments." "To them, prison is a temporary place where they decide a man's sentence, and that sentence is always death." "No, only the guilty come here." "For just a little while." "But you've been here almost two years." "One day they will send for me like all the others." "This is a resting place between the hell of Earth and the glory of everlasting life." " But you're not guilty of anything." " Then I am the one exception." "Perhaps..." "Perhaps it is the will of God." "Perhaps those devil Jesuits are keeping me alive to torture me." "It is so hard to be patient." "So very hard." " What is it, my son?" " Nothing, Father." " Go back to sleep." " There is nothing to fear." "We are all in God's hands." "Ah, how are you today, my son?" " Fine, thank you, Father." "And you?" " Quite well, thank you." "How do you say that in Japanese?" " Has anyone ever tried to break out?" " No, no." "Heh, heh." "Why should they?" "There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide." "To help an escaped prisoner is punishable by death." "Here, if you don't report a crime, even that will take you to the cross." " Do not think of it, my son." " No." "Tell me more about the Black Ship." "Have you ever seen one?" "Yes." "They are the greatest ships in the world." "Almost 2,000 tons." "Two hundred men are needed to sail one." " How many guns do they hold?" " Sometimes 20 or 30." "Three decks." " She lumbers when the Wind's abeam." " What?" "I don't understand." " Big but slow." " The Black Ship?" "Ah, yes." "Ah." "Oh, you've remembered." "If only I had ink and paper, I could write the words down for you." "Would you teach me anyway?" "I want to learn." "Yes, of course." "Here, let us trace the words in the dirt." "Then you'll remember them." "Now..." "Dozo is "please."" "Watermmizu." ""Please wait"... matte kudasai." "Now you write." "Anjin-san!" "Your confession, my son." "Say it quickly." " I don't think I..." " Quickly, and I will give you absolution." "Be quick for your immortal soul." "Confess before God all things past and present." "Say it now." "The blessed Virgin will watch over you." "Go with God, Father." "I don't understand." "Anjin-san?" "Is that where we're going?" "The castle there?" "Sweet Jesus!" "I thought I was a dead man." "At the castle lake," "Lord Toranaga was teaching the art of fishing to Yaemon, the young son of the late Taiko and his consort, the Lady Ochiba." "Toranaga had arranged Blackthorns release from prison for the same reason he had sent him there:" "to keep him out of Lord lshidos reach and thereby save the Englishman's life." "It gives me great pleasure to see you again, my lady." "Thank you, captain." "I am pleased to see you are well." "May I present the Lady Kiri-same?" "Is she Lord Toranaga's wife?" "No." "Lord Toranaga's wife died many years ago." "The Lady Kiri-same was once his consort." "Now she is mistress of his household." "I only learned a few words." "How do you say, "I don't speak Japanese"?" "I am sure Lord Toranaga understands." "Lord Toranaga wishes to know where you learned your few words." "In prison." "There was a Franciscan monk." "He taught me." "Lord Toranaga wishes to know about you and your country." "My lord also wishes to know about your ships and weapons and how you guided your ship here." "My master wishes to understand all of this." " That's nearly everything I know." " Precisely what my master wishes." "I will tell him, but it may take time." "My master has the time." " Where shall I begin?" " At the beginning." "This is a map of the world." "The Earth is round, like an orange." "This map is like its skin, cut off and laid out flat." "This is north, south, east, west." "Japan, Nihon, is here." "My country is here." "This is Africa." "These are the Americas." "We know only the coastlines, very little else." "Lord Toranaga wishes you to show him how you came to Japan." "This way." "By Magellan's Pass, by the tip of South America." "Magellan, a Portuguese navigator, discovered it 8O years ago." "The Spanish and Portuguese have kept the way secret." "We were the first outsiders through the pass." " Aren't you going to translate?" " I will explain everything to him later." "When he wishes to know something, he will ask." "Seventy years ago, the kings of Spain and Portugal signed a treaty, dividing the ownership of the New World, the undiscovered world, between them." "Your country is in the Portuguese half and is officially Portuguese." "Lord Toranaga, you, everyone, this castle, everything in it, was given to the Portuguese." "Excuse me, but that does not make sense." "Perhaps, but it's true." "Legal documents gave each king the right to claim non-Catholic land and replace the existing government with Catholic rule." "Many lands in the Americas have had their treasures taken back to Spain." "Portugal has grown rich from gold and silver from Brazil." "If this is true, how could the kings give themselves such rights?" "They didn't." "The pope gave them the rights." "The vicar of Christ on Earth himself." "In exchange for spreading God's word." " I don't believe what you say is true." " It is true." "Pope Clement VII sanctioned the Treaty of Saragossa in 1529, giving Portugal the exclusive right to your country." "And Cathay." "My lord wishes me to explain what you have said." "You may wait over there." "Lord Toranaga will continue his discussion with you later." "I am at his service, lady." "Was the boy Lord Toranaga's son?" "Yaemon is the heir." "He is the son of the late Taiko." " And the woman who came just now?" " She is the Lady Yodo." "She is the official mother of the heir." "Lord Toranaga has instructed me to tell you that you are to be taken to your quarters." "When he wishes to see you again, he will send for you." "Please." " How bad?" " Very bad, Captain Ferriera." "Toranaga has been questioning Blackthorne." "The sooner that heretic is dead, the better." "If the Dutch and English spread their filth in Asia, we are in for trouble." "We are already in trouble, captain." "Toranaga said Blackthorne told him of the Treaty of Saragossa, and then he asked me if such a thing could be." " How did you answer?" " With the truth." "Fool." "You endanger all our profits." "A false answer would endanger very much more." "Our whole position here is based on trust." "And what else did the Jappo say?" "He requests a written explanation of our conquests in the New World." "And, "purely for my own interest," were his exact words, the amount of gold and silver taken from the Americas." "This must absolutely be refused." "You cannot refuse Toranaga." "He's just another murdering heathen." "Without my Black Ship, their economy would collapse." "We've purchased a million ducats' worth of silk at the Canton fair, and we'll have at least 100,000 ounces of Chinese gold." "Yes, captain, they need our silk to make their kimonos... but this is your first visit to Japan." "You have no idea of our problems here." "They need us, that's true, but we need them more." "You must excuse me, Your Eminence, but sometimes soldiers must do God's work." "I must ask you, captain, formally, not to even think of interfering with internal politics here." "I am captain of the Black Ship this year, therefore Governor of Macao this year with viceregal powers over these waters, and if I choose to eliminate Toranaga or anyone else," "I Will." "Then you do so over my direct orders to the contrary and risk immediate excommunication." "This is beyond your jurisdiction, Eminence." "This is a temporal matter, not a spiritual one." "Once and for all, you will not involve yourself in internal politics." "Only if the internal politics do not interfere with my plans." "By Christ's blood, my Black Ship will sail on time from Macao to Nagasaki and then, the richest treasure ship in history, she will head home." "As Christ is my judge, that is what is going to happen." " Our prayers will go with you." " So will your profits." "But if that Dutch pig, the Erasmus, with her English captain, catches us at sea, we would lose everything." "I hope you understand that." "You have made it quite clear, captain." "Yes." "I'll be getting back to my ship now." "Perhaps you'll come aboard to dine with me tomorrow night?" "Yes, some good food would be wonderful again." "Thank you." "You're very kind." "Tomorrow." "At dusk." "We must be very careful, Martin." "Painfully careful." "The more Toranaga learns from the heretic, the more perilous our situation." "Then, Your Eminence, we shall have to do something unexpected." "Anjin..." "No, no, he did not wound me." ""NARRATOR"." "The mark of the Amida Tong, the deadliest assassins in all Japan." " NARRATOR"." ""Who would know how to hire one of these men?"" "When he was summoned, Lord Yabu was certain that the moment of his destruction had arrived." "But Lord Toranaga simply invited him to watch the sunrise." "Still, the message was clear." "Yabu knew that Toranaga was not pleased." "Ah." "Good day." "Please sit down, Anjin-san." "Thank you." "Lord Toranaga has instructed me to tell you how much he regrets the incident of last night." "Your samurai have been doubled, and every effort will be made to prevent it happening again." "Please inform Lord Toranaga of my appreciation." "Lord Toranaga will send you to the provinces in the next few days so you may recuperate." "In the meantime, he asks if you would prepare a few maps showing the way you came here and showing the world as you know it." "He has provided you with these materials." "Will this be acceptable?" "Yes, this will be acceptable." "My master will meet with you soon." "He has instructed me to answer any questions you might have." "Lord Toranaga is anxious that you learn about our ways and customs as he is equally anxious to know about the outside world." "Then you will answer any question?" "As well as I am able." " What does it mean?" " That is the sign of the Amida Tong." "It is a secret society and..." " I don't know much about it." " What do you know?" "They spend their lives training to become a perfect weapon for one kill." "They swear to kill only at the order of the leader." "If they fail to kill, they must take their own life at once." "Not one of them has ever been caught alive." "Why did one of these Amida Tong attack me last night?" "That is a question Lord Toranaga is attempting to answer." "More?" "Well, why not?" "What do you call this stuff?" "Namuka, or however the hell you say it." "Very good." "More sakazuki." "No..." "To drink." "Drink." "Whatever it is..." "I think it's got me a little drunk." "Must be why I feel so damn good." "More sakazuki." "I promised her rings for her fingers" "Sparkling ﬂowers for her ﬂaxen hair" "I swore that I'd never Set sail in foul weather" "But stay by her side at the shore" "Fare-thee-well Oh, you Barbary merchants" "Fare-thee-well To the Spanish blockade" "Fare-thee-well To the Straits of Gibraltar" "And the treacherous seas of Cathay" "Konnichiwa, Toranaga-sama." "My master asks what you were doing." "Uh, it was just a dance, Mariko-san." "A sailor's dance." "My master says he would like to see your dance." " Now?" " Of course now." "I promised her rings for her fingers" "Sparkling ﬂowers for her ﬂaxen hair" "I swore that I'd never Set sail in foul weather" "But stay by her side at the shore" "Fare-thee-well Oh, you Barbary merchants" "Fare-thee-well To the Spanish blockade" "Fare-thee-well To the Straits of Gibraltar" "And the treacherous seas of Cathay" "I gave her my word to be married" "And took her sweet vow in return" "I swore that I'd never Set sail in foul weather" "But stay by her side at the shore" "Fare-thee-well To you Barbary merchants" "Fare-thee-well To the Spanish blockade" "Fare-thee-well To the Straits of Gibraltar" "And the treacherous seas of Cathay" " Lord Toranaga will dance your dance." " What?" "I promised her rings for her fingers" "Sparkling ﬂowers for her ﬂaxen hair" "I swore that I'd never Set sail in foul weather" "But stay by her side at the shore" "Fare-thee-well Oh, you Barbary merchants" "Fare-thee-well To the Spanish blockade" "Fare-thee-well To the Straits of Gibraltar" "And the treacherous seas of Cathay" "I gave her my promise to marry" "And took her sweet vow in return" "I swore that I'd never Set sail in foul weather" "But stay by her side at the shore" "Fare-thee-well Oh, you Barbary merchants" "Fare-thee-well To the Spanish blockade" "Fare-thee-well To the Straits of Gibraltar" "And the treacherous seas of Cathay" "I built her a cottage in Chatham" "Gave her children to sit by the fire" "I swore that I'd never Set sail in foul weather" "But stay by her side at the shore" "Fare-thee-well Oh, you Barbary merchants" "Fare-thee-well To the Spanish blockade" "Fare-thee-well To the Straits of Gibraltar" "And the treacherous seas of Cathay" "But a cottage is too small for a sailor" "Without the blue sea and the sky" "Though I swore that I'd never Set sail in foul weather" "I left her behind at the shore" "Take me back Oh, you Barbary merchants" "Let me risk the Spanish blockade" "Carry me to the Straits of Gibraltar" "And the treacherous seas of Cathay" "My master says that he would be pleased for you to accept this as a gift." "Arigato gozaimashita, Toranaga-sama." "Lord Toranaga has enjoyed your dance." "Maybe one day he will show you a dance of his." "My master says that you will leave at dusk." " Dusk?" " Is that not a correct expression?" "Yes, but you told me I'd be, uh, leaving in a few days." "Yes, but now he has said that you will leave this evening." "He is sending the Lady Kiri-same to Yedo to prepare for his return." "You will go with her." "Is it possible, uh...?" " Will I see Lord Toranaga before I go?" " I do not know." "I wanted to ask him, to request, if it would be possible to release Friar Domingo." "He's the monk I met in prison." "My master sent for the man yesterday after you mentioned him, but I am sorry, the man was already dead." "How?" "My master told me that he died when his name was called out." "Poor man." "Lord Toranaga will tell you that life and death are the same." "And is that what you believe as well?" "You have seen what I believe." "Rako-san says your dance was very excellent." "She'd like to ask a question." "What is it?" "Rako-san asks if your women are the same as us in body." "I assume so." "Asa-san asks, in pillowing, how do you compare your women with ours?" "Pillowing?" "I don't understand." "Pillowing is our way of referring to the physical joining of man and woman." "I have nothing to base the comparison on." "You haven't pillowed since you have been here?" "No." "You must be feeling very constricted, neh?" "One of these ladies would be delighted to pillow with you." "Or all of them, if you wish." "All?" "Certainly." "But if you don't want them, there is no need to worry." "They would not be offended." "Tell me the sort of lady you would like, we shall make all the arrangements." "Uh, thank you, but, um, uh..." "Perhaps later." "Are you sure?" "Excuse me, but my master has given specific instructions that your health is to be protected and improved." "How can you be healthy without pillowing?" "It is very important for a man." "Yes?" "Thank you, uh, but I, uh..." "Not now." "Hmm?" "Or maybe you would prefer a boy?" " A boy?" " Only if you wish it." "I do not wish it." "Do I look like a God-cursed sodomite?" "Please forgive me." "I have made a terrible mistake." "I was only trying to please, but I have never known an Englishman before, so I have no way of knowing your..." "Your intimate customs." "Well, lady, my intimate customs do not include boys." "Please forgive me for offending you." "It was entirely my fault, due to my stupidity and ignorance." "Since Blackthorne had told Lord Toranaga that his rutters, the ship's log detailing her long voyage, had been stolen," "Father Alvito knew that the continued possession of these papers could be dangerous." "There would be disadvantages in giving up the documents to Toranaga, not the {east of which was explaining how Father Sebastio in Anjiro had removed them from the Englishman's ship." "Pilot-Major Blackthorne?" "I didn't know that you were here." "Where did you think I was?" "Still in that foul prison?" " You are becoming quite Japanese." " I'm learning." "No." "I doubt you will ever learn enough to understand these people." "Do you?" "I have lived here since I was a boy." "Does that surprise you?" "Yes, I was ordained here as well." "Their language is as natural to me as my own... and still they are a mystery." " I'm pleased to hear it." " Why?" "It will not help you to be my enemy, pilot-major." " That is a fight you surely will lose." " I choose my fights carefully." "But when I do fight, I win." "Then let me tell you something, Englishman." "You will not choose your next fight." "War is coming to this country." "Toranaga's and lshido's." "If you think that kimono will keep you safe, you are sadly mistaken." "Whose side are you on, priest?" "On the side of peace." "Always on the side of peace." "Listen to me." "If you can persuade Toranaga to return your ship, leave before it's too late." "Leave as quickly as you can." "You mean leave before the Black Ship arrives, don't you?" " Who spoke to you of the Black Ship?" " Who sends hired assassins at night?" "You will burn in hell for all eternity, heretic." "You will burn in hell." "That I promise you." "Ls Lord Toranaga coming with us?" "No." "He cannot leave without Lord lshido's permission." "You will be safer in Yedo." " When will Lord Toranaga come?" " I do not know." "Whenever he can." " How do we get to Yedo?" " On the galley." "And then what will happen to me?" "That is for Lord Toranaga to decide." "Now we will be leaving." "Why 'vs Lady Km crying'?" "She is unhappy to be separated from Sazuko-san, even for this short time." " Is that her daughter?" " Daughter?" "No." "The Lady Sazuko is the youngest of Lord Toranaga's consorts." "Lord Buntaro requests that you walk beside my palanquin." "Who is he?" "Lord Buntaro, Lord of Sakura." "He is the son of Hiromatsu-sama." "He is my husband." "Lord lshido!" " What does he want?" " I don't know." "Lord lshido has a message for his niece in Yedo." "He asks if Lady Kiri-sama will take it." "Ah-ha-ha, ah-ha-ha..." "It's bad luck in my country for a prince to give a message like a commoner." "You cannot touch a prince." "Very bad luck!" "The worst luck there is." "Thy master is in here!" "Help me!" "No." "Please." "Tell them to follow me!" "Tell them I've gone mad!" "Out of my way!" "Out of my way!" " Are they coming?" "I can't keep this up." " Yes!" "Yes, Anjin-san." "Our people are coming." "You can stop dancing now." "You are a brave man, Anjin-san." "I thank you for saving him." "Why didn't Lord Toranaga leave the castle openly?" "Why the masquerade?" "No one leaves Osaka Castle without Lord lshido's permission." "Not even my master." " Did you know he was there?" " No, not until you told me." " But you saw earlier." " Yes." "And I saw what you did, putting yourself between lshido's arrow and my back." " Your bravery is greater than mine." " No, please." "You must not say that." "That is the truth." "How do you say "truth" in Japanese?" "Then it is honto that you are braver than I." "You are brave and you are beautiful." "You have a honeyed tongue." "That you are beautiful is honto as well." "Here it is not wise to notice another man's woman." "Our customs are very strong." "For example, if a married woman is found alone with a man, by law her husband or his brother or his father has a right to put her to death." "That's not even civilized." "We find ourselves quite civilized, Anjin-san." "You must remember our culture is a thousand years old." "We are ancient people." "Our emperor is the 107th of his unbroken line, right back to the celestial spirits." "If you believe that, how can you also say you're a Catholic?" "I am only a ten-year Christian, and though I believe in the Christian God with all my soul, our emperor is without question." "Yes, I am a Christian, but first I am Japanese." "Get down!" "Stay down!" "Lord Toranaga wishes us to go with him." "My husband will take a separate route." " If we separate..." " Do not argue, please." "Who were they?" "Who attacked us?" "Lord lshido's men?" "Bandits or..." "I do not know." " Who are they?" " Lord Toranaga's samurai." "In Osaka Castle at the appointed hour," "General Hiromatsu followed Lord Toranaga's instructions." "He requested an immediate interview with Lord ishido." ""What could be so urgent?"" "demanded the master of Osaka Castle." "Lord Toranaga's letter was his resignation from the Council of Regents." "How can we reach the galley?" "Lord Toranaga will find a way." "The odds are not exactly in our favor." "He has asked me to explain to you what he has done." "My master has resigned from the Council of Regents." "Now there are only four of them, and five are needed to make any decision." " Ishido will appoint another one." " No, he cannot." "The four will have to agree, and they will argue." " Sooner or later they'll decide." " By then my master will be safe." "Marko ." "Lord Toranaga says you and I will go to the galley and tell them we have been attacked by bandits." " Will they believe you?" " Whatever they do, we are to go on to the galley at once." "Then I'll want a knife." "Better give me two." "You go over there!" "Hurry!" " Konbanwa, Anjin-san." " Konbanwa, Captain-San." "The captain says you saved his ship during the storm on your trip here." "Ask him if the ship is ready to sail as soon as the others arrive." "He says the ship is ready to leave on your command." "The castle alarm." "Lord lshido knows." "Look at him." "As if he had all the time in the world." "I..." "I thank you for my life, Anjin-san." "Anjin-san!" "Hai, Captain-sen." "Cast off." "Any closer and I will blow her out of the water." " No." " We risk nothing and gain everything." "We pretend we didn't know Toranaga was aboard." "We thought the bandits, led by the heretic, were going to attack us." "The galley is flying Toranaga's flag." "False colors." "That's the oldest trick in the world." "With Toranaga dead, that would make things simple for us." "Hmm?" "We will not interfere in their politics." "But you interfere all the time." "The Society of Jesus is famous for interfering." "Don't talk to me as if I'm some thick-headed peasant." "While I'm aboard, you will not sink that ship." "Then kindly go ashore." "They could blow us to hell." "No Portuguese ship would fire on us." "Marko ." "My master asks what you would do to break through." "Cannon would be best, but there aren't any and this ship couldn't hold them." "You could put 20 men with muskets on the bow and simply blast through." "Santiago!" "Sight for the quarterdeck!" "Aye, sir, she's an easy target." "It's a waste to kill a pilot like that." "We should use him." "Ready, sir." "I say thou shalt not kill." "But we kill all the time, Father." "While I am here, there will be no killing." "Ahoy, frigate!" "Ahoy, inglés!" " That you, Rodrigues?" " Aye!" "Permission to come aboard?" "Who, inglés?" "Lord Toranaga, his interpreter and guards." "I don't want samurai aboard." "Lord Toranaga must bring some." "It's a matter of face." "Settle on five." "Five." "But tell the heretic he must come as well." " Why?" " For my amusement, Eminence." "For my amusement." "Tell him." "Five guards only, inglés." "But you come too." "Why me?" "Tell him something, pilot." "Convince him." "Hmm?" "There's grog on the table, inglés." "There's a fine roast capon with greens and gravy." "There's new golden bread and a side of beef." "There's fresh oranges from Goa, and there's even a gallon of Madeira wine to wash it all down." "Damn you to hell, Rodrigues!" "He's coming." "Permission to come aboard!" "Well, look who's gone Jappo." " You didn't say there were priests." " You didn't ask, inglés." " Where's the food?" " In my cabin." "Come on, I'll show you." " I'll give you some decent clothes." " The food first, Spaniard." "A Spaniard would let you starve, Jappo." "In there." "Listen, you whore-gutted, pox-marked motherless scum." "I need a favor." " Slowly, inglés." "Slowly." " Ha, ha!" "Which do you prefer, brandy or grog?" "Both." "Mm, mm, mm." "Lord Toranaga says Lord lshido is trying to kill him." "So are many other lords." "They have done so in the past and they will do so in the future." "He says if he is killed, it will simplify things for the moment." "He is in lshido's trap now." "If the trap is successful, it will produce a temporary advantage." "If Lord Toranaga escapes, then there never was a trap." "Enough, enough, enough." "Ask him what he wants." "Lord Toranaga said he was considering asking you to build a large temple, a cathedral in Yedo, as a measure of his confidence in our interests." "I thank you, Lord Toranaga." "I have yearned for many years to hear that news." "We will always endeavor to assist you." "He says since there are pirates at the mouth of the harbor..." "Pirates?" "Hell." "He requires 2O muskets and enough shot to deal with it." "You're always selling arms." "This should be no problem." "Not for you." "You've made your deal." "What's he offering me?" "Please, captain, you must help us." "Please." "I beg you on behalf of the Church." "Since you ask help in the Church's name, of course I will do what you ask." "But in return, I want the captain-generalship of next year's Black Ship, whether this year is successful or not." "You dare ransom me and the Church?" "This is merely a business arrangement between you, me and this monkey." "He is no monkey." "Remember that." "What next?" "Surely there's something else." "I want the heretic." "I want the Englishman." "Hmm?" "Lord Toranaga says that you can have the Englishman." "Madonna, what a pig." "Get him up onto the quarterdeck." "Get someone to clean this cabin up." "Come on, you drunken piece of English filth." "Wake up!" " Listen, inglés." " Leave me alone." "I owed you a life." "Now that's settled." "Throw him overboard." "And stay the hell off my ship!" "What have you done?" "The inglés offended me, so I threw him overboard." " I want this man aboard." " You'll have to swim after him." "Damn your soul, Rodrigues." "You know what you've cost me?" "I'm sorry, captain." "How was I to know you wanted him?" "Put the priests ashore." "We are sailing for Macao." "Yes, captain." "Whatever you say." "Thy mouth in the devil's ear, inglés!" "Thy mother was there first, Rodrigues!" "NOW!" "Why are we stopped at Anjiro?" "The Erasmus." "Where's my ship?" "Lord Toranaga had it moved to Yedo for safety." "Yedo?" "What about my crew?" "They are under Lord Toranaga's protection in Yedo." "Yabu-sama!" "Yabu-sama!" "Yabu-sama!" "What's he doing?" "He's inspecting Lord Yabu's troops." " And then what?" " He will let us know." "NARRATOR ". " Samurai of Izu, vassals of my friend Kasigi Yabu..." "I am honored to be here." "I am honored to see part of the strength of Izu, the forces of my great ally." "Today, dark clouds are gathering over the empire to threaten the Taikos peace." "Let every samurai be prepared." "Let every weapon be sharp." "Together we will defend our country." ""Together we will prevail."" "Toranaga-sama!" "The sound of his personal samurai celebrating Lord Toranaga's name caused Kasigi Yabu's pride to vanish with his honor." "But Toranaga understood Yabu's potential for treachery." "Yabu's troops had responded as Toranaga knew they would." "Now that he had diminished Yabu, he would raise him up again." ""I have carried this sword for 15 years."" "We've gone through many battles together, and it has never failed me," ""as 8 know you, Kasigi Yabu, wit!" "never fail me."" "This is Lord Toranaga's gift for you." "Domo, Toranaga-sama." "Aren't we going with him?" " No." " Then how do we get to Yedo?" "Lord Toranaga said we were going to Yedo." "My ship is there." " We are to stay here." " Why here?" "You expressed an interest in learning our language." "That is what my master wishes you to do." "But why here?" "Why not in Yedo?" "I'm sorry, Anjin-san, but I do not know." "I can only tell you that Lord Toranaga is very wise." "Whatever his reason, it must be very good." "Aren't you going to open your present?" "Lord Yabu says that you are welcome in this village." "This paper is under Lord Toranaga's seal, Anjin-san." "You are to keep it." "He has given you a great honor." "Lord Toranaga has made you hatamoto." "This is the position of special retainer on his personal staff." "That house is to be provided for you." "Lord Yabu says that you will please learn our language as quickly as possible." "And tonight you will go to his house." "Wakarimasu ka, Anjin-san'?" "Domo, Yabu-sama." "Hai, Yabu-sama." "What did he say?" "He..." "Lord Yabu told them that you are his honored guest here." "He said that you are also Lord Toranaga's very honored retainer." "That you are here to learn our language." "This whole village has the honor and responsibility of teaching you." "What else?" "The village is responsible, Anjin-san." "If you have not learned to speak our language well enough within six months, the village will be burned." "But before that, every man, woman and child will be crucified." " Crucified?" " Those are Lord Yabu's orders." "And there is nothing anyone can do to stop him." "There must be some way." "In Japan, Anjin-san, there are only Japanese ways." "Konbanwa, Anjin-san." "Good evening." "Did you enjoy your walk?" "I walked through the village." "Looked at their faces." "I know that Lord Yabu's orders distressed you, but you must learn to be patient with us." "Patient?" "Please sit down." "You must be tired." "Thank you." "Would you like some sake?" "Or a bath, maybe." " The water is hot." " Some sake, please." "Thank you." "I'm honored to tell you that Usaki Fujiko is given to you as consort." "What?" "Lord Toranaga asked her if she would be your consort, and she said she would be honored and she has agreed." " But I haven't agreed." " But, Anjin-san, you cannot refuse." "The Lady Fujiko would be considered a great honor." "She is recently widowed." "She is only 19, but she has lost her husband and her son and is filled with remorse." "What happened to her husband and son?" "They were put to death." "Her husband foolishly put Lord Toranaga's life in danger." "Lord Toranaga had an infant put to death for something the father did?" "Yes." "Our customs are different from yours." "You see, by law, we belong to our liege lord." "By law, a father possesses the lives of his wife, children and consorts." "Your husband could put you to death?" "Yes, that is his right." "If you accept the Lady Fujiko, she will look after your house and servants." "Or, if you prefer, simply ignore her." "Think of her as nothing, but allow her to stay." "Accept her and then, if she offends you, you will have the right to kill her." "That's the only answer you have, isn't it?" "Kill?" "No, Anjin-san." "But life and death are the same." "Who knows?" "Maybe you will do Fujiko-san a greater service by taking her life." "So I'm trapped again." "If I don't accept her, she will die." "If I don't learn your language, a whole village will be butchered." "If I don't do whatever you want, some innocent will always be killed." "There's no way out, is there?" "Anjin-san... forget the village." "A million things can happen before those six months are up." "You must leave karma to karma." "Today you are here, and nothing you can do will change that." "Tomorrow does not exist." "There is only now." "There is only this moment." "Nothing else." "Nothing." "Omi-san has been ordered to escort you to Lord Yabu's house." "I'm sorry, Anjin-san, but Omi-san orders you to give him your pistol." "Tell him this weapon is a gift from Lord Toranaga." "He already knows that, Anjin-san." "Please, Anjin-san." "This is very dangerous." "You must see Lord Yabu, and you may not take your pistol." "Tell him I'll blow his head off if he comes any nearer." "You can leave the pistol here or give it to Fujiko-san." "What could she do?" "He'll just take it from her." "Listen to me." "Fujiko-san is your consort." "If you order it, she will protect the pistol with her life." "I'm sorry, Anjin-san, but you must do something." "I want you to say this to Fujiko-san exactly." ""I'm going to give you my pistol." "You are to guard it." "No one but me is to touch it."" "Shall we go?" " What did he say?" " He will report this to Lord Yabu." "Anjin-sama..." "Your consort rightly points out that a hatamoto has to wear the two swords of a samurai." "She asked if you would consider using these." "What did he say?" "Lord Yabu received a message from Osaka saying Ito Teruzumi has been chosen for the Council of Regents." "He has already taken his place and Lord lshido is the new president." "Lord Yabu says they are going to impeach Lord Toranaga in 2O days." "Lord Toranaga was wrong." "They did agree on someone." "I have told you, Anjin-san, Lord Toranaga is very wise." "He is seldom wrong." "But if this time he is wrong, what will happen?" "Tomorrow does not exist." "Twenty tomorrows is a long time." "Lord Yabu asks if you have ever been part of any battles on land." "Yes, in Holland and once in France." "As a favor, he would like to know European strategy." "He would like to know how battles are fought in your country." "I would be happy to grant Lord Yabu's favor." "Even more." "If he wishes, I will train his men to fight." "To fight so that they are unbeatable." "But in return I would also ask a favor." "I would ask Lord Yabu as a humble favor to rescind his decree about the village." "Lord Yabu says the village is unimportant." "The villagers are nothing for you to be concerned about." "Please apologize to Lord Yabu, but I must ask him to rescind the decree tonight." "He just said no, Anjin-san." "It would not be polite." "Yes, I understand." "But please ask him again." "It is very important to me." "Please, Mariko-san." "He says the village means nothing, but his decree cannot be changed." "Thank you." "Yes, I understand." "Please thank Yabu-san, but tell him that I cannot live with this shame." "What?" "I cannot live with the shame of having the village on my conscience." "I am dishonored." "This is more than I can bear." "It is against my Christian beliefs." "I will have to commit suicide at once." "Suicide?" "Lord Yabu says that suicide is not a foreign custom." "It is against the Christian God." "How can you kill yourself?" "I am very sorry, but custom or not, God or not, the shame of the village is greater than I can bear." "I am in Japan." "I am hatamoto." "I have a right to live according to your laws." "Lord Yabu asks how you would commit suicide." "Anjin-san..." "Lord Yabu says the decree will not be changed." "I'm..." "I am very sorry." "Anjin-san..." "Lord Yabu says that whatever you learn will be enough." "The village will not be burned." "Do you hear me, Anjin-san?" "The rain is fine, isn't it?" "You should rest now, Anjin-san." "Yes." "I would like to go home." "Sorry to be so slow." "You must not be sorry, Anjin-san." "Tonight you are reborn." "This is another life." "A new life." "I slept very well." "How do you say it?" "And your language, all European languages, are much more difficult than Japanese." "Japanese is really very simple." "Look how much you have learned already." "Most Japanese verbs end in "masu."" "To make it a question, you just add "ka."" ""Do you understand?"" ""I understand."" "To make it negative, you just change "masu" to "masen."" """I do not understand."" ""To eat" 'vs tabemasu." "Ask me if I have eaten." "Or if I have not eaten, what do I say?" "Ikimasu, "to go."" " Are they all that way?" " Almost." "Write them down." "Yomimasu, "to read."" "Kimasu, "to come."" "Kirimasu, "to cut."" "Narimasu, "to become."" "How do you say "there is"?" "Arimasu, "there is" or "there are."" "They are both the same." "Ikimasu means "I go,"" "but also you, he, she, they and we go." "It is very simple." "But how do you tell the difference between "I go" and "they go"?" "By inflection, Anjin-san." "And by tone." "Listen." "Sounds exactly the same." "That is because you are still thinking in your own language." "To understand Japanese, you have to think Japanese." "Our language is the language of the infinite." "It is all so simple, Anjin-san." " I've never seen you do that before." " What?" "Laugh." "Really laugh, as though you were happy." "Right now, I am happy." "Tomorrow does not exist." "Only now." "Only this moment, Anjin-san." "I wish this moment could last forever." " I wish..." " What do you wish?" "I wish you were to be my consort." "I belong to Lord Buntaro, and until he is dead," "I cannot think or say what might be thought or said." "Please, Anjin-san, do not say any more." "Watakushi wa is II I II 5 and anata wa is "you."" "To make it possessive, you change "wa" to "no."" "Possessive?" "Very good." "Kore wa means "this is."" "Kore wa nan desu ka means "What is this?"" """Paper" is kami." "Where in God's name did she find that?" "Fujiko-san says one of the servants caught this pheasant." "She understands that you eat meat, so she sent them to hunt for you." "Now I want to hang that pheasant." "I'll need some rope." "What are you going to do?" "I'm going to hang the pheasant there." "But..." "But it will go rotten." "It should be prepared at once." "Pheasant meat is dry, so you hang it for a few days." " It matures the meat." " Anjin-san..." "Some people think you should hang a pheasant by the tail feathers until it drops off, but that's an old wives' tale." "The neck's the place." "The juices stay where they belong." "Some people let it hang till it falls off the neck, but I don't like my meat quite that gamey." "There." "No one is to touch it but me." "Mariko, explain." "No one but me." "Now that is going to be a royal feast." "Please do not let me disturb you." "No, I was just, uh..." "Uh, I'm almost finished." " I can come back later if you wish." " No, no, no, I, uh..." "You're not disturbing me." "Did your training go well, Anjin-san?" "Yes, very well." "Lord Yabu's men are learning very quickly." "Is this usual?" "I mean, uh, for you to be, uh..." "To be..." " To be sharing your bath?" " Mm." "In Japan, Anjin-san, we have no shame of our bodies." "Everything is natural and normal." "And because there are so many of us, that is also necessary." "The one thing we do not have is privacy." "So we must learn to create our own." "We are taught from childhood to disappear within ourselves, to grow impenetrable walls behind which we live." "What walls?" "Oh, we have an endless maze to hide in, Anjin-san." "Rituals and customs." "Even our language has nuances, which allow us to avoid any question we do not want to answer." " May I share your bath?" " Uh..." "Yes." "Dozo, please." "I will tell you a secret." "Do not be fooled by our bows and smiles, our gentleness and attentions." "Beneath them all we can be far away, safe and alone." "That is what we seek." "Oblivion." "Someday you will understand." "I'm sure someday you will understand." "Marks'?" "In fact, I slept marvelously well." "Someday perhaps you will." "Is something wrong?" "Nothing's wrong." "At this moment, nothing in the whole world." "Then shall we begin our lesson?" "Thou art beautiful and I love thee." "Love is a Christian word." "Thou art beautiful and Christian and I love thee." "I will take that as a compliment." "Take it as I meant it." "You seem very happy today." "You know why." "I know nothing, Anjin-san." "Nothing?" "Why have you lost your smile?" "Because I don't understand." "There is nothing to understand." "What passed in the night, then?" "I passed your door in the night when my maid was with you." "What?" "Fujiko-san and I, we thought she would be a pleasing gift for you." "And she pleased you, did she not?" " It was no maid." " It was." "We anointed her with my perfume and instructed her not to speak, only to touch." "A joke concerning things of great importance is sometimes without humor." "Things of great import will always be treated with great import." "But a maid in the night with a man is without import." "It is only a gift from her to him and sometimes from him to her." "Nothing more." "Never?" "Only when the woman and the man join together against the law." "If a woman who belonged to a man, as I belong to Lord Buntaro..." "If she joined with another man, that would be a serious crime." "A crime punishable by death." "Forgive me." "I am a fool." "How do I tell this maid that I love her?" "That would not be seemly." "It is our custom to make life simple." "We admire simplicity, so men and women can take pillowing for what it is." "Then nothing is to be said between us?" "Nothing." "That is wise." "And if I don't agree?" "You must." "You are here." "This is your home." "This interests you, does it?" "Pistol." "Go on, hold it." "Go on." "Oh." "Ah-ah-ah-ah!" ""NARRATOR"." "Lord Buntaro rode at Toranagas side, a position of great honor, as they entered Anjiro." "That Toranaga had ordered his wife to become Blackthorns teacher did not please Lord Buntaro." "The thought of Mariko atone with a barbarian was insult enough." "To think beyond that could only produce an unspeakable fury." "Even the barbarian's house had a foul smell." "For Lord Buntaro, the loathsome sight of the hanging pheasant was not as distasteful as the sight of the barbarian himself." "Please bow, Anjin-san." "Please." "My husband says that he was told what you said to Lord Yabu, that 100 men with muskets could defeat his 500." "My husband said that his bow and arrow can kill at a much greater range, with greater accuracy and faster than the musket." "Tomorrow I'll shoot against him, if he likes, and we will see." "You will lose, Anjin-san." "I'm sorry." "May I caution you not to attempt it." "Tell him, uh..." "I would like to see him shoot tomorrow." "Tell Buntaro-sama, in my country a host always toasts his honored guest." "Long life and happiness." "Health." "Health and wealth." "Health, wealth, and a steady hand." "My husband says you wanted to see him shoot, Anjin-san." "He thinks tomorrow is too far away." "Now is a good time." "The gateway of your house, he asks which post do you choose." "The right post." "He..." "My husband would like you to go look." "There's no need." "I believe he hit the target." "Please, Anjin-san." "Marko-san, please tell my consort I would like the arrows left in the post forever." "All of them." "To remind me of a master archer." "Sake." "I am sorry, Anjin-san... but my husband orders me to tell..." "To tell you about myself, about my family." "He commands me." "My maiden name is Akechi." "I am the daughter of General Lord Akechi Jinsai, the assassin." "My father assassinated the dictator Lord Goroda." "My father committed the worst crime there is." "My blood is tainted." "But how...?" "I've heard..." "How were you left alive?" "My husband honored me." "He honored me by sending me away." "I begged to be allowed to commit seppuku, to kill myself." "But he has denied me that privilege." "I have told you that I belong to him." "Instead of divorcing or casting me out, as he should have done, he sent me away to Shonai Province in the north." "It was very cold there." "My husband says that it is enough for me to tell you that I am the daughter of a traitor." "Long explanations are unnecessary." "He orders me to leave now." "Sake." "What the hell is going on?" "Go away, Anjin-san." "Please go away!" " How bad are you?" " Please go away." "Your presence here takes away my face and gives me no peace or comfort." "You shame me." "I want to help you." "You have no right in this." "This is between husband and wife." "That's no excuse to beat you." "Listen to me, Anjin-san." "He can beat me to death if he wishes." "He has the right." "Tonight is my fault." "If I would weep as he wants, beg forgiveness as he wants, spread myself in pretended fear as he wants... then he would be like a child in my hand." "But I will not." "Why?" "Because that is my revenge, to repay him for leaving me alive after the treachery." "From that moment..." "I have never given myself to him freely." "And I never will." "I detested him from the first moment I saw him." "Now, please go, please." "If he comes back..." "I'm not afraid of him." "But you should be." "Get up, you bastard." "I said get up." "It was inconceivable that Lord Buntaros honor could allow him to apologize." "But Blackthorne realized that was exactly what Marikos husband was doing, bowing low, abjectly." "Lord Buntaro had disturbed the harmony of Blackthorns house." "An apology was required, whether he meant it or not." "Face had to be saved for both of them." "Sake." "Too much sake." "Fujiko-san." "That was supposed to be my dinner." "What happened?" "I see." "Who was it?" "Oh." "Where is he?" "Dead?" "What for?" "For taking that damn bird away?" "What the hell are you talking about?" "You killed that old man for a God-cursed, stinking bird?" "You murdering bitch!" "That won't bring him back to life." "It is not your fault." "It is my fault for giving that foolish, God-cursed order." "I wish I could explain that to you now." "It is not you." "The old man's death is on my head, not yours." "My master says that he is pleased to see you, but that you are looking troubled." "He wishes to know why." "The old man, the old gardener." "I am responsible for his death." "It was all officially dealt with." "There is no need to be troubled." " You knew?" " Yes." "The stench of decay is revolting to us, so something had to be done." "Why not come to me?" "That pheasant was meaningless." "You are head of the house, you had given an order." "Fujiko-san, as your consort, was duty-bound to see it carried out." "There was only one solution." "One of the servants had to take it away." " And die for it?" " The gardener asked for the privilege." "He was very happy to die honorably." "Believe me, Anjin-san, there is nothing for you to be troubled about." "My master says what had to be done was done." "He asks me to tell you the news from Osaka." "What news?" "Lord Sugiyama has resigned from the Council of Regents." "Now there are only four again, and again they cannot act." "Lord lshido was very angry." "Lord Sugiyama, his wife, his consort and his children have all been killed." "By lshido?" " Can he do that?" " It was done." "The deaths were very bad." "The Council of Regents may never meet again." "What will happen?" "War." "Along war which will destroy the empire." " Unless..." " What?" "Unless Lord Toranaga petitions the emperor to make him Shogun." " Do you understand what that means?" " No." "Shogun." "Shogun is the military ruler of the whole country." "Anjin..." "My master says that the time has come to prepare your ship for war." "Toranaga-sama!" "Toranaga-sama!" "Climb!" "Is it over?" "Until the next time." "It is over until it begins again." "Karma, neh?" "Karma." "Hmm." "Toranaga-sama." "Fujiko-san." "Can I see?" "I don't want her to die." "Anjin-sama..." "Fujiko-san." "Lord Toranaga wishes to know how long will it take for your ship to be ready for war?" "On whom do I war, Mariko-san?" "On whom do you wish to war?" "On the Black Ship." "On this year's Black Ship." "What?" "With Lord Toranaga's permission, and with my ship and a little help, we can split the cargo, all silks and bullion." "My master says that will be making war against a friendly nation." "It could not be forgiven." "The Portuguese are essential to Japan." "The Portuguese are less his friends than he may think." "Portugal's finances depend upon the Black Ship." "There's the balance of power, right in Lord Toranaga's hand." "He says that he is not at war with the Portuguese." "He will not attack the Black Ship." "I could do it." "With the Erasmus, my ship, I could out-sail and sink her." "But you have no ship, Anjin-san." "Whose ship am I outfitting for war?" "Preparing a ship for war is not the same as having it returned to you." "He reminds me that my opinions have no value and that interpreters should only interpret." "My master says that the Black Ship will arrive soon, but under no circumstances can you consider attacking the Black Ship here." "This is not anywhere." "This is the land of the gods." ""The time has come when war can no longer be avoided,"" "a war against me." "Rather than wait for the battle to begin," ""who will join me in attacking first?"" "Ho!" "Anjin." "Lord Toranaga says, "Today I was almost killed." "Today the Anjin-san pulled me out of the ground." "That is the second, maybe even the third time that he has saved my life." "Although it is bushido that samurai should never expect a reward for any service," ""it is the duty of a liege lord to grant favors from time to time."" "Ho!" "The Anjin-san is given a fishing village south of Yedo, the right to recruit 200 samurai retainers, ten horses and 20 kimonos." "Naga!" "To be a samurai is the highest honor a man can hope to attain." "To accept the duty of a samurai is the greatest oath a man can make." "The obedience of a samurai is without question." "Lord Toranaga presents this katana to you in return for the one you gave him." "They were made by the master craftsman Yori-ya." "The sword is the soul of a samurai." "If he forgets it or loses it, he will never be excused." "Because from this moment on, you, Anjin-san, you are now samurai." "Ho!" "Ho!" ""You, Anjin-san, you are now samurai."" "Part of my reward?" "What part of my reward?" "You will see." "Lord Toranaga has ordered her for you." " He's ordered a woman for me?" " Yes." "Kiku-san." "You cannot refuse." "It would be terribly impolite after so many honors." "And it will be interesting for me." "Why?" "I have never met a lady from the Willow World." " The Willow World?" " Yes, that is what it is called." "Because the ladies are supposed to be as graceful as willows." "You must agree to go, Anjin-san." "You know I can't refuse you anything." "Good." "It is all very official, and, for tonight, you must be very Japanese." "What do I have to do?" "You must forget what you have to do and remember that this night is only for your pleasure." "Gyoko-san welcomes you to her house." "Her house?" "She's not...?" "I mean..." "Is she the reward?" "Heh." "Oh, no." "She is the Mama-sen here." "I have always wanted to look inside one of these houses." "Even in a small village, just look at it." "Everything is beautiful." " Thou art beautiful." " And you." "I am so proud of you, proud to be with you here." "Tonight there are no cares." "Tonight there is only magic for you." "Thou art magic for me." "When a lady who belongs to someone else cares for another man, and wishes to give him something of consequence that is forbidden to give, then she will arrange for another to take her place." "A gift, the most beautiful gift that she can find." "Anjin-sama..." "Kiku-san is honored to have your company." "Tell her I remember the first time we met." "The first time?" "Just tell her." "Kiku-san is honored that you remember." "She says you are very different now than you were then." "When was that?" "The day I left for Osaka." "I saw her in the street." "That seems very far away." "It is, Anjin-san." "Tonight everything is far away." "Kiku-san asks if you would like her to play or dance for you." "What is your preference?" "This lady is here for your pleasure, samurai, not mine." "And you?" "Are you also here for my pleasure?" "Yes, in a way, in a very private way." "Please ask her to play." "My God, that's wonderful." "Now I must leave thee." " Let us leave together." " I beg thee, stay." "For thy honor and hers." "And mine, Anjin-san." "I do not desire thy gift." "I desire thee." "I am thine, Anjin-san." "Please stay and know that tonight I am thine." "Then be with me." "I am." "Speak no more." "I would put my fingers to thy lips to silence thee, but I cannot." "Gyoko-san." "Hmm." "My master says that you are to leave with him in the morning." " For Yedo?" " First you will go to Yokose, then to Yedo." "I thought he wanted me to prepare my ship for war." " Why send me to Yokose?" " It is between here and Mishima." "It is on the way to Yedo." "Lord Toranaga will be stopping there." "He wishes you to write down everything about your family." "Why?" "A samurai has to have his birth and death recorded." "How else can a liege lord keep everything balanced?" "I would like to thank Lord Toranaga for his favor and his many gifts." "If he would choose my 200 retainers, his guidance would be worth anything." "Hmm." "Is it worth 1,000 koku?" "He says that you are generous and he accepts your offer." "Your men will be waiting for you in Yedo." "I've never seen countryside like this in Europe." "Yes, it is beautiful." "What happens when we get to Yokose?" "I do not know, Anjin-san, but Lord Toranaga is meeting his half-brother," "Lord Saigawa Zataki, Lord of Shinano." "Lord Zataki has been appointed to the Council of Regents." "Now there are five again." "But you said..." "If he's Lord Toranaga's half-brother, then it's all right." "No, Anjin-san, Lord Zataki is a traitor." "He has allied himself with Lord lshido." "Ishido?" "Then what will happen?" "We will wait and see." "Lord Toranaga is very wise." "His karma is great." "Thy beauty is greater." "Heh." "And thy patience is small." "My husband asks you to excuse him, but he must talk to me in private." "Lord Zataki, the newest member of the Council of Regents, and now Lord lshido's ally." "Toranaga greeted his half-brother politely, apologizing for the informal setting, allowing neither his inner feelings nor his thoughts to be read, even by this man he had known since childhood." ""NARRATOR"." "Whatever message Zataki carried, first their individual honor had to be protected." "For a moment I did not recognize you, pilot-major." "God curse you and all priests." " May God forgive your blasphemy." " What are you doing here?" "I might ask you the same." "You'll get no answers from me, priest." "I pray God will open your eyes to his infinite mercy." "Mine are open." "Yours are fogged." "The sword suits you, pilot." "I heard that you saved Lord Toranaga's life, and I thank you for that." "Wait." "Lord Toranaga has been ordered to Osaka by the Council of Regents." "When?" "Now, pilot." "Now." "Lord Zataki said that if Lord Toranaga does not agree to go to Osaka, he has an official order from the Council of Regents instructing Lord Toranaga to commit suicide." "Lord Toranaga would have to obey." "Father Alvito." "I did not know that you were in Yokose." "It is always a pleasure to see you, Lady Toda, no matter where." "He's leaving." "Lord Toranaga said that he would give his answer tomorrow." "I hope to see you again." "Please do not look at me like that." "I cannot help it." "Lord Toranaga has ordered my husband to make peace with me." "My husband is preparing a cha no yu, a tea ceremony." "What are you going to do?" "I shall try, try with all my heart to obey." "Having been commanded by Toranaga to make peace with his wife," "Lord Buntaro began to prepare the ancient ritual of the cha no yu, the tea ceremony." "The first required perfection was absolute cleanliness." "The second, complete simplicity." "In her heart," "Mariko felt unworthy of such a beautiful ceremony." "But there was more." ""Can we be together once more as husband and wife?"" "Lord Buntaro knew the reason for his wife's refusal to live in harmony with him." "Anjin." "Listen, brothers." "We are in judgment over Brother Joseph, who went with a whore of this town last night, breaking his holy oath of obedience, desecrating his immortal soul, his position as a Jesuit, his place in the Church" "and all that that stands for." "You, sinner." "Before God, you admit your sin?" "It was the first time, Father." "I have been sinless all my life, until last night." "I was tempted." "Blessed Madonna, forgive me." "I failed." "I beg forgiveness, Father." "As initial penance, you are forbidden to talk." "You will have only rice and water for the next 30 days." "You will spend the next 30 nights on your knees in prayer for forgiveness for your hideous sins." "And further, you will be scourged." "Thirty lashes." "Take off your cassock." "I accept my punishment, Father, but I will not be lashed like a common criminal." "You will be scourged!" "Please, excuse me." "In the name of the Madonna, it is not the pain." "Pain is nothing to me." "Death is nothing to me." "That I am damned and will burn in hell for all eternity may be my karma." "And I will endure it, but I am samurai and I will not be scourged." "Keep silent and obey, or you are excommunicated." "Seize him and strip him." "Please, brother, give me the knife." "No!" "Then pray for me, brother, as I pray for you." "Stop!" " Michael." " Yes." "Leave him alone." "God have mercy on you, Joseph." "You are excommunicated." "I renounce the Christian God." "I am Japanese." "My soul is my own now." "I am not afraid." "Satan has possessed your soul on Earth, as he will possess it after death." "Get thee gone." "Lord Toranaga has agreed." "He is going to Osaka." "Do you know what that means, pilot?" "For you, now that you are samurai, samurai and hatamoto." "Now you will be ordered to commit seppuku." "Suicide." "That's karma, in the hands of God." "Call it what you will." "May God have mercy on you." "For as God is my judge," "I believe you will never leave these islands." "Lord Toranaga is returning to Anjiro." "He is going to Yedo by galley, so he will be there when we arrive." "My husband will accompany him." "May God bless you and keep you in his hands forever." "Thank you, Father." "Good morning, pilot." "How are you today?" "Well, thank you." "And you?" "We are travelers on the same road." "You won't object if we ride with you?" "Not at all, Father." "I'm sure these ladies won't object either." "Have you noticed, pilot, there are no carriages in Japan?" "Nothing with wheels." "They are of no use here." "The roads are too steep, criss-crossed with rivers and streams." "Wheels would ruin the road, so they are forbidden to everyone except the emperor." "He travels only a few ceremonial ri in Kyoto on a special road." "Look at this road we're traveling on." "I was wondering when you'd notice." "You knew?" "I would like to speak with him." "That's not possible." "Lord Toranaga's ordered that no one speak to him." "I shall report this incident to the Father-Visitor." "You excommunicated the man, priest." "You cast him out." "He has nothing to do with you or your church anymore." "He's back where he belongs." "And you, samurai, where do you belong?" "If thou knewest how I love thee." "I love thee more." "Thou art my first love." "My only love." "But now I tremble with fear for thee." "There is no fear." "There is only now." "I fear that I have destroyed thee, my love." "By this beginning, we are doomed, you and I." "I have destroyed thee." "I am not easily destroyed." "Karma is karma." "Thou art strong and thou art samurai, and I love thy touch." "And yet," "I am still afraid for thee." "And yet there is nothing to fear as long as thou art in my arms." "I wish to be nowhere else." "Whatever else happens on this journey is not important." "We will live this moment until Yedo's first bridge." "There our journey must end." "No." "There must be an ending, my love." "The first bridge." "Our journey together ends." " Swear it." " I cannot." "Swear to me, I beg you." "The first bridge is but a dream." "I ask you with my heart." "Swear to me." "I swear I love thee." "The first bridge... at Yedo." "I swear." "We shall be leaving you now." "Our road leads to the port of Numazu." " But our paths shall cross again." " Not willingly, priest." "I bear you no malice, pilot." "I come now to bring you a gift." "Yes, a gift from God." "It is a Portuguese-Japanese dictionary and grammar." "Three of our brethren spent 27 years preparing it." "Why are you giving this to me?" "Knowledge belongs to God, not to man." "This is much too valuable simply to give away." "What do you want in return?" "Only that God may open your eyes." "Was it not Lord Toranaga's request, Father?" "Yes, which I passed on to the Father-Visitor." "It was he that agreed." "I am only the messenger." "Cherish the gift, samurai." "It merits being treated well." "With this I'll learn the language in six months." "Yes, perhaps you will... if you have six months." "I hope to see you in Yedo, Lady Toda." "Lord Toranaga has invited me there to see the site of our new cathedral." "Until then, may God keep you safe in his mercy." "Go with God, Father." "And you, my child." "What is it?" "Nothing, my love, nothing." "Come back to sleep." "No, I want to be with thee." "Asleep or awake, thou art with me constantly." "Yes." "Would we could live here forever." "Where is the inglés now, Father?" "At one of the inns, south of Mishima." "They should reach the city tomorrow, even at their leisurely pace." "Is he fit, the inglés?" "Mm." "More than fit." "You will be surprised to see him." "Surprised he's still alive." "Listen, Father, I know the inglés is an enemy and a heretic, but he saved my life, and he's a pilot before he's anything else." "One of the best that there's ever been." "It's not wrong to respect an enemy, even to like one." "The Lord Jesus forgave his enemies." "Still they crucified him, if you remember." "Yes." "Still, the man's a pilot and, well, pilots have a feeling for each other." "Pilot-Major Blackthorne is a samurai." " What?" " And hatamoto." "He wears the swords." "The inglés?" "And worse, he's becoming Toranaga's confidant." "Madonna." "That's hard to believe." "At this moment, he may be the most dangerous man in all Japan." "Why?" " I didn't know I was so hungry." " Oh, uh, have some more, Father." "Capon?" "Bread?" "Thank you." "The inglés, why is he so dangerous?" "Toranaga is planning to give him back his ship and his men." "And his cannon." "Blessed virgin, no." " You find that serious?" " Serious?" "The Erasmus would blast us if she caught us twixt here and Macao, or anywhere else, for that matter!" "We're no match." "She'd dance round us and we'd have to strike our colors." " Are you certain?" " Before God." "The inglés loose in Asian waters..." "But you knew that." "You said he was dangerous." "Yes." "I still wanted to hear it from you." "What is it?" "Nothing." "Nothing." "I just thought I felt the tide change." "Listen, Father, hear my confession." "The first night..." "The very first time the inglés stood beside me on the galley out to sea when we were going from Anjiro, my heart told me to kill him." "Lord Jesus help me, but I sent him forward during the storm without a lifeline," "and I deliberately swerved into the wind." "But he didn't go overboard as anyone else would have." "I thought that was the hand of God." "Later, when he saved my ship and saved my life," "I was so ashamed, Father, that I secretly begged God's forgiveness and I swore a holy oath to try to make it up to him." "That man saved my life though he knew I tried to murder him." "I saw it in his eyes." "He saved me and helped me live." "And now," "I've got to kill him." " How many people live in Mishima?" " Sixty thousand." "It is only a small city." "Small?" "In Europe, 60,000 would not be considered small." "Would you prefer to be in Europe at this moment?" "I am exactly where I choose to be." "By your side, in our world." "Yes." "This is the only world that exists for me." "How far is Yedo?" "Only a matter of time." " How much time?" " Not enough." "You're wrong, my love." "We have all the time in the world." "I'll be damned." "It worked." """Nothing more."" "I love to touch thee." "I love thy touch." "I have never known the feeling." "My body and my soul have learned so much from thee." "Then let me touch thee more, beyond the first bridge at Yedo." "No, my love." "But do not speak of that now." "Tonight, the first bridge does not exist." "It is ten million times ten million sticks away." "Reality is only here." "I'm trying." "I'm trying." "But how do you keep a thought from coming into your head?" "Sometimes the dark mist creeps into my brain like a night fog, and then there is no peace within me." "Yes." "You must know, my love, how to drink tea from an empty cup." "Inglés, where the hell are you?" "Rodrigues." "Go quickly, my love, before Captain Yoshinaka comes." "Tell these monkeys to let me pass!" "Rodrigues, I'm coming!" "He is my friend." "Oh, Madonna, you look good to me, inglés." "Where did you come from?" "How did you find me?" "I'm anchored at Numazu." "Father Alvito told me you'd be here, so I took a horse and rode as if the devil was after me." "This is the fifth inn I've been to, asking where the great Anjin-san was." " Big barbarian bandit." " Ha, ha." "Come on." "Listen to you." "Just like a Japper." "What the hell is this?" "You tell him." "I'm not giving up my arms." "Like hell!" "Let them have your arms." "It's not me." "It's Lady Toda." "She's in the house." "You know how touchy they are about weapons around their lords and ladies." "Nothing I can do." "Why not?" "After all, I'm among friends." "Now what the hell is this?" "Searched?" "No, by God!" "Is this the way you usually visit your friends?" "The land's hostile, you know that." "Tell them to let me go." " Is that the lot?" "Everything?" " Of course." "I told you." "And these?" "Answer me honestly, or I'll have them search the way a Spaniard would." "My hat band." "You would, wouldn't you?" "Before God, is this all?" " I told you!" " Swear it!" "By the Blessed virgin, I swear!" "Is it all right to sit down, inglés?" "Of course." " Searched like a common criminal." " You lied about your weapons." "Yes, well, I was wrong." "You were right." " Even so, it's good to see you." " And you." "The world is a foul place when you can't trust anyone." "Tonight I came in friendship, now there's a hole in the world." " Armed in friendship?" " Being friends with thee complicated my life extraordinarily." "Thou art too dangerous, inglés." "So you came here to kill me?" "My people and my country would both be better off if you were dead." "Sad, but true." "How foolish life is, inglés." "I don't want you dead, pilot." "Just your Black Ship." "Yes, I know." "Listen, inglés, if we meet at sea, you in your ship, armed, me in mine, then look to your life." "That's all I came to promise you." "Only that." "I hope to catch your Black Ship at sea, Rodrigo-sen." "And when I do, I will still think kindly of you." "Then it's all said." "Except for one thing." "That night on the frigate when I threw you overboard, that night your Lord Toranaga sold you to Ferriera." "Who are your friends now?" "That night on the galley when you swerved into the wind, that night you tried to put me overboard." "Yes." "Yes, it's true." "And I don't ask for forgiveness." "Not anymore." "With thee, heresy has come to Eden." "Captain Yoshinaka was right to search him." "Was that your idea?" "Please excuse me, but I was afraid for you." "Sad, isn't it?" "Not being able to trust anyone." "It is not sad, Anjin-san, it is just one of life's most important rules." "No more, no less." "We must cross the bridge now." "Now it exists, the first bridge." "We must go across." "It's only a bridge." "One of many." "It is the first bridge, Anjin-san, and the last for us." "Yedo Castle, the home of Lord Toranaga." ""Alvito is coming to Yedo."" ""I wish to..."" "I want to..." "I want..." ""I want Alvito to translate..."" "I am to tell you that you will have your samurai in a day or two." "When may I see my ship and my crew?" "My master says you may see your men tonight." "He will decide about your ship later." "Please ask him if I might speak to him privately." " Privately?" " By myself." "Why?" "What are you going to say?" "Hmm?" "I am frightened, blessed Madonna, and I am betrayed." "I know that suicide is mortal sin, but what else can I do?" "To live with this shame is more than I can bear." "The sight of the barbarian with his wife had dishonored Lord Buntaro once more." "Now his heart filled with rage." "For the first time, Mariko did not fear his anger." "I'm drunker than I thought." " I'm going to be sick." " Then use a bucket." "Is that you?" "For the love of God, pilot, is it truly you?" "Of course it's me." "We gave you up for dead long ago." "My prayers are answered, for the love of Jesus." "Where've you been?" "Where've you come from?" "Come on." "Tell us all." "Lads, look what Father Christmas has brought us." " I thought you were a samurai!" " Foul heathen!" "Where's Captain-General Spillbergen?" "Dead." "He never come out of the pit." "Maetsukker too." "Little rat face, he just rotted to death." "I wanted to bleed him, but nothing to cut him with." "I couldn't make these yellow heathen understand." "He went raving." "We had to tie him down." "The man was nothing but a foul stench." "God rest his soul." "You haven't tried the grog yet, pilot." "We make it ourselves." "By the barrel." "Heh." "Rice, fruit, water, then we let it ferment." "Then we put it in this still we made." "It would be better if we let it mellow." "But as fast as we make it, we drink it!" "Ah, let the pilot talk." "Yes, you talk, pilot." "When I saw him, I thought he was one of the monkeys!" "Perhaps you prefer heathen ways now." "Are those real swords?" "Yes, they're real enough." "We're not allowed weapons." "How do you get to carry swords?" "You haven't changed, Jan Roper, have you?" " Who are they'?" " Them's our domes." " Cost a button a week." " They rattle like stoats and no pox!" " Do you want one, pilot?" "Heh." " Take your choice and use my bunk." "Pilot doesn't want one of our harlots." "He's got his own, eh, pilot?" "Listen, has anyone seen the ship?" "Aye." "She's in the harbor, careened and scraped as if she were just built." "The rigging's perfect, and the sails..." "Pilot, you should see the sails." " What about them?" " They've made them out of silk." "Strong as canvas." "She's ready to sail on the tide." "Tonight, if need be." "Are we leaving, pilot?" "Is there any enemy shipping in the waters?" "Are there any prizes to be taken?" " There's a prize beyond your dreams." " Prize?" "What prize, pilot?" "The Jesuits' Black Ship." "She's worth millions in gold." " Gold?" "Then we'll be rich!" " Plenty of papists to kill!" "Very good!" "How can we sail her?" "There's six of us." "There will be a way." "Do you want to eat?" "We've got some lovely roast." " You staying with us?" "There's room." " Have some more grog." "You're home again." "Now you're back, our prayers are answered." " Three cheers for the pilot!" "Hip, hip..." " Hooray!" " Hip, hip..." " Hooray!" "I promised her rings for her fingers" "I swore that I'd never Set sail in foul weather" "But stay by her side at the shore" "Fare-thee-well Oh, you Barbary merchants" "Those God-cursed, filthy...!" "Fare-thee-well To the Straits of Gibraltar" "And took her sweet vow in return" "I swore that..." " It gladdens my heart to see thee." " Lord Toranaga has sent for us." "I know." "When can I speak to thee?" "That is very difficult now, Anjin-san." " It was difficult before, but we did." " I'm sorry, but we must go now." "My master asks if you saw your men." "There are only five now." "Two have died." "My master has sent for his son, Lord Suga, and his wife, Lady Genjiko." "My master orders me to translate everything that is said." "You must not speak at all." "Lord Suga asks if he has offended my master." "My master asks if treason is cause to be offended." "Lady Genjiko says that whoever accused her husband is a liar." "My master asks if Lord Suga always obeys orders." "Lord Suga said always." "My master has ordered them to put their children to death." "Lord Suga says that his children are gone." "Lord Toranaga says that the children are safe." "My master needed to be sure of both Lord Suga and Lady Genjiko." "My master says that foul times require foul tests." "Marko." "My master orders me to leave." "You are to remain here, Anjin-san." "Ah. "Open it."" "I understand you wanted to see me." "Yes." "I want your holy oath, priest, that what you hear will never be repeated." "Qr?" "Or nothing will be said." "Perhaps that might be better," " but you have my oath." " Then let me hear it before God." "I solemnly swear before God that what I hear now shall never pass my lips again." "Nor shall you write it, nor convey it in any fashion." "Swear to that." "As you have just spoken, so do I swear." "I humbly ask that you grant a divorce to the Lady Toda." "I humbly ask for her hand in marriage." "You can't be serious." "Ask him." "In my words." """That is a very presumptuous request."" "And Lord Toranaga forbids you to ever speak of it again." "That is all." "Forbidden by Lord Toranaga to even speak of taking Marikos hand in marriage," "Blackthorne's world diminished into a sadness he had never known, lost in this foreign land, and only days before Lord Toranaga had to appear before the Council of Regents." "Fujiko-san." "How did you get here?" "Ah." "But your legs..." "Show me." "That's incredible, for burns to heal so quickly." "How...?" "No tears." "But Fujiko wept from shame, the shame that she had not served him as her duty required." "Oh, how I have missed thee." "And I have missed thee." "There is much to say." "No." "Only that I love thee with all my heart, and I fear for thee still." "Do not be afraid." "Everything is going to be all right." "That is what I tell myself." "But today, it is impossible to accept karma and the will of God." "You've been so distant." "This is Yedo, my love, and beyond the first bridge." "And more?" "Yes." "And more." "Lord Toranaga's decision to surrender is so dishonorable and useless." "I never thought I could say that out loud." "But I have to say it." "Forgive my weakness." "And when he goes to Osaka, what will happen to you?" "It will be over." "For me." "For all of us." "If Lord Toranaga dies, we cannot be left alive." "Then you must come with me." "We must escape." "There is no escape." "You must accept that." " There is, if Lord Toranaga allows it." " Why should he allow it?" "Because if I capture the Black Ship and threaten next year's as well," "Lord Toranaga can force the priests to make all the Christian lords come to his side." "That will make him more powerful than lshido and the Council of Regents." "That will make him Shogun." " I don't understand." " It all comes down to money." "The Jesuits must have money." "Spain and Portugal must have money." "Taking the Black Ship will prove I can do it." "There's only one man who can stop me from taking every Black Ship." "Lord Toranaga." "They'll have to support him in exchange for safe passage." " Do you really believe that?" " I know it." " Will you help me?" " I cannot betray the Church." "I only ask that you talk to Lord Toranaga, or help me talk to him." "I know he understands this." "I know I can convince him." "Lord Toranaga is waiting." "Then we must go quickly." "No matter what happens, remember only this:" "I love thee." "The first bridge cannot change that." "Nothing can change that." "Lord Yabu says that my master is not feeling well, so he has come in his place." "Those are the first of your samurai." "Lord Yabu asks if you accept them." " What happens if I don't accept them?" " They will lose their heads." "But Lord Yabu says that has nothing to do with it." "I accept them all." "On my honor as a samurai, I swear, your enemies are my enemies, and total obedience." "Lord Yabu suggests you reject this man." "Do you think I should reject you?" "I beg you to accept me, Anjin-san." "I will do anything you ask." "Or anything Father Alvito asks." "Please kill me the moment you even question my absolute loyalty." "You wish to keep your head a little bit longer?" "I wish to serve you, Anjin-san." "I accept you, Urano-san." "She says Lord Onoshi will poison Lord Kiyama during the Feast of the Blessed St. Bernard this year." "They are both Christian lords, both members of the Council of Regents." "And she said" "Lord lshido knows and agrees to it, providing my master is already dead." "But if that's true..." "Where did Kiku-san get this information?" "She says that men need to tell secrets in the night." "Yabu-sama says my master has given your ship back to you." "My ship?" "Now?" "Yes, now." "Yabu-sama says you must go with him." "My master has ordered you to take your ship to Anjiro immediately." "What was that?" "Osaka?" " I am to leave tomorrow." " Why?" "I do not know, Anjin-san." "Until Osaka." "Until then." "Until then." " Thank God, it's you." " What's happening, pilot?" "We was asleep, then the door burst open and they brought us here." "I thought they were going to kill us." "We're taking the Erasmus back to Anjiro." " We've not enough men to set sail." " We'll be towed by that galley." "If that's all it is, then what's the hurry?" "We've got our ship back." "Don't argue, just do as I say." "Ginsel, go forward, you'll swing the lead." "Vinck, take the helm." "Jan Roper, stand by the forewinch." "Salamon and Croocq, aft." "May God curse her and all who sail in her." "Except one, Father." "One of our people sails with this ship." "Yes, a soldier of God." "I fear the heretic will wound us terribly, Michael." "Perhaps not, Father." "Why else has Lord Toranaga given him back his ship?" "To harry us and to attack the Black Ship." "God help us, Lord Toranaga has forsaken us too." "We have forsaken him, Father." "But he still has promised us the cathedral." "Yes, the cathedral." "The work has begun." "Mariko-san?" "It's me, Father Alvito." "I was just coming to see you." "What can I do for you?" "I wish to be confessed." "Then let it be here." "Let your confession be the first in this place, though the ground is barely hallowed." " Before God..." " Before I begin, Father, I beg a favor." "Of me or of God?" "I beg a favor before God." "What is thy favor?" "The Anjin-san's life in return for knowledge." "I cannot grant such a favor." "It is nof mine to give." "You cannot barter with God." "Very well." "Then please excuse me." "I will put the request before the Father-Visitor." "That is not enough." "I will put it before him, and I will beg him in God's name to consider your petition." "Lord Onoshi will poison Lord Kiyama during the Feast of the Blessed St. Bernard." "Lord Onoshi's son will take over all of Lord Kiyama's lands." "Lord lshido has agreed to this, providing my master has already gone into the Great Void." "That's not possible." "Besides, who could ever find out such information?" "Urano..." "Urano was Lord Onoshi's confessor." "Oh, mother of God." "Urano has broken the sanctity of the confessional." "And the Englishman... the heretic is now his lord." "But you must keep your promise before God." "Let me hear thy confession." "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned." "But I can only confess that I am not worthy to confess." "Daughter of God, let me beg God's forgiveness for thy sins," "and let me, in his name, absolve thee and make thee whole in his sight." "May I speak to you, Anjin-san?" "Not now, Urano." " But this cannot wait." " What is it?" "I think it is possible that there are Christians among your samurai." "It is important you find out at once." "You are their enemy." "With your permission, Anjin-san." "What's that for?" "Please, Anjin-san." " Make every samurai do the same." " Why?" "If they are Christians, you will find them." "All right, order it done." " You do the same." " What for?" "To show them." "Come on, before I put my foot on your backs." "We're not stinking pagan wogs." "They're not stinking pagan wogs." "They're samurai, by God!" "I'll be the first." "Anjin." " Vinck and Urano, come with me." " What about us?" "You'll leave for Yedo in the morning." "The ship's to stay here until my return." " How do we get to Yedo?" " By land." " And when is your return?" " After Osaka and Nagasaki." " After I've bought a crew." " What about them?" "They're not sailors." "But I should be able to find 2O men." "And after you've found them, how do we know you'll send for us?" "One more word and you're dead." "Hold your tongue or they'll take your head just for your bad manners." "Open the gate." " How soon can we sail for Macao?" " An hour." "What happened?" " The worst thing you can imagine." " The inglés?" "He's put to sea?" "But he has no crew, he can do nothing without trained men." "He can speak their gibberish now." "Why can't he use monkeys?" " There are enough Jappo pirates." " No, captain." "He's got to get his men from Nagasaki." "He's got to buy his crew there." "With the promise of the Black Ship, he can buy all the men he needs." " Perhaps he can buy you too!" " Watch your words." "You motherless, milkless Spaniard." "It's your fault he's still alive." "Twice you let him escape." "You should have killed him when he was at your power." "Perhaps." "That's froth on my life's wake." "I went to kill him when I could." "Did you?" "That's easy to say." "I've told you 20 times." "Have you no ears?" "Or is it Spanish dung in your ears as well as in your mouth?" "I tell you before God, the inglés must be devil-spawned." "You see what he's done?" "He has put a spell on all of us." "Yes." "It would seem so." "Sail, Rodrigues." "Sail for Macao." "What's the castle like, pilot?" "Like nothing you've ever seen before." "Just pray you don't see it any closer than you have to." "Right here's close enough." " How long do we stay here?" " A day or two." "With our heads down." "Long enough for Yabu-san to arrange for safe conducts to Nagasaki." " This cursed country's no good for us." " Aye." "We'll be home again some day, Vinck." "Whenever that day is." "Aye." "And rich too, pilot, eh?" "Isn't that what you said?" "Aye." "Ask who it is." "I do not have to ask, sire." "That is Prince Ogaki from the court of His Imperial Highness." " What the hell is he doing here?" " I do not know, but it is a great honor." " Lord Ishido knows we're here." " Yes, sire, it appears that way." "Lord Yabu has been ordered to the castle immediately." "He says that you have been invited to the formal reception given by Lord lshido to honor the birthday of Lady Ochiba." "An escort will come for you tomorrow." "By God, I'll not walk in that castle again!" "Who is this Lady Ochiba?" "She is the most powerful lady in all Japan." "To be invited to her birthday reception is truly an honor, sire." "An honor?" "Wearing the hat and robe of a Buddhist priest as disguise," "Urano spent the day outside Osaka Castle observing everyone who entered." "Then, at nightfall, he passed through Lord lshido's guards and returned to the galley." "Pilot." "Look there, by the warehouse." "I tried to be most careful." "Please excuse me for not seeing him." "There's nothing to be done about it now." "I'll finish this watch and wake you at dawn." "Aye, pilot, if that's what you want." "I was beginning to worry." "What happened?" "I waited outside the castle until just after dark." " Doing what?" " Watching, sire." "Many passers-by put coins into my begging bowl." "I saw Lady Toda arrive." " Yoshinaka was leading the escort." " Go on." "They say that the Council of Regents is to be convened in 19 days." "And that His Imperial Majesty, the emperor, will be there." "Lord Toranaga has no choice but to appear before him." "It will be Lord Toranaga's death day, sire." "And on that day, we will all die." "But before that day, I'll buy a crew in Nagasaki and my ship will sail." "The Erasmus at sea can change everything." "Everything but one thing, sire." "It cannot change karma." "Aye, karma." "Urano!" " What the hell's going on, pilot?" " Watch out!" "Urano..." "Or death." "If I was you, pilot, I wouldn't go." "I have no choice, Vinck." " What am I supposed to do?" " Wait." "If it was up to me, I'd get us the hell out of here right now." "We stay." "Can't you understand?" "We stay until we're allowed to leave." "We stay until lshido says we can go." "Do you understand that now?" "I understand it, but I'll be poxed if I like it." "By God, you better come back for me." "I'm like a moth in a bottle here." "Like a moth in a bottle." "This day is beautiful because of thy presence." "Please tell the Lady Ochiba that in my land it is our custom always to give a gift to a lady on her birthday." "Even a queen." "Just tell her, please." "The Lady Ochiba says she's not a queen, only the mother of the heir and the widow of the Lord Taiko." "But as a lady on her birthday," "Lady Ochiba asks permission to accept your present." "I am not a barbarian." "I am samurai." "Following Lord Toranagas instructions," "Mariko told them that she'd been ordered to escort Lady Kiri and Lady Sazuko from the castle." ""Impossible!" "You may not leave!" Lord lshido answered." ""Then you are preventing me from doing my duty," Mariko said." ""And I cannot live with this shame."" "What the hell is going on?" "Please listen and do not ask questions for the moment." "Lord Toranaga ordered me to escort" "Lady Kiri and Lady Sazuko to meet him." "His order was that we leave tomorrow." "Yes, then what happened?" "Lord lshido refuses to give his permission." "He says that we cannot leave, therefore he is preventing me from doing my duty to my liege lord." "I cannot live with that shame." "And unless Lord lshido changes his mind," "I am bound by my honor to commit seppuku before sunset." "No." " You must understand, my love." " What?" "That you will die?" " No." " Hear me, my love." "I will tell you." "Shall we go sit there, Anjin-san?" " They can hear us." " Yes." "Keep thy voice soft and tell me that you love me." "I love thee, and I cannot bear the thought of thy death." "My heart is filled with joy, joy and love for thee." "Then why?" "Was this planned?" "Was your threat given on Lord Toranaga's orders?" "It was not a threat, but the order was his." "Then he has betrayed you." "You're only bait for his trap." "You and I and Lord Yabu, we've been sent here as a sacrifice." "You are wrong." "I am sorry." "I tell thee thou art beautiful and I love thee, but thou art a liar." "Are we going to quarrel about things that cannot be changed?" "They can be changed." "I can change them." "No, my love." "Then death is thy aim." "The life of my master is my aim." " And thy life." " Is there no escape?" "Be patient." "The sun has not yet set." "I have no confidence in the sun." "Believe, my love." "Believe there is a tomorrow." ""Are you so eager to die?"" ""Here are the permits for you to leave at dawn tomorrow." "Al!" "of you."" "Despite their love, Kiku wept." "Lord Toranaga had bought her contract." "She belonged to him." "Now she and Omi could never be together." "Never." ""Lord Yabu, do you wish to live until tomorrow?"" ""Now, perhaps, you would care to listen."" "Sleep again, my love." "No." "I would rather be with thee." "I am glad thou art alive." "I saw thee dead." "Before, I thought I'd never see thee asleep again." "I saw only death." "Yours, mine, everyone's." "But then I saw into your plan." "It was very long in the making." "Yes." "Since the day of the earthquake." "Please forgive me." "I was afraid you wouldn't understand." "It was my karma to bring the hostages out of Osaka Castle." "And now it is done." "The victory is thine." "Ya bu-sa ma?" "Pretending for the guards that Captain Yoshinaka was going to sleep," "Yabu followed the instructions Lord lshido had given him." ""NARRATOR"." "Yabu could not prevent what was about to happen." "If he had any chance to survive the night it would be on the side of strength." "And Lord Ishido was master of Osaka Castle." "This day more than anything had convinced Yabu that his karma was to live, no matter what it might cost." "Any fife was less valuable than his own." "Keep running!" "Sono!" "What the hell is going on?" "This..." "This is Lord Toranaga's secret room." " What did he say?" " Open the door or they'll blow it open." "He says they only want you as a hostage." "Everyone else will go free." "No!" "It's a trick!" "Don't believe them." "They don't want you, they want me." " Why?" " Don't you understand?" "It's me." "Then it will be all for nothing." "Lord Toranaga will have to come." "Get back!" "Try to delay them." "Keep talking!" "I, Toda Mariko... protest this shameful attack..." " ...by my death." " No!" "Mark)'.!" "Mark)'.!" "Oh, God." "Is she here?" "Who is it?" "I am Brother Michael, Anjin-san." "I was with Father Alvito at Yokose." "We traveled together." "Brother Joseph, Urano Tadamasa was my friend." "What do you want?" "I am your guide, Anjin-san." "I have been sent to guide you back to the ship." "We are to leave as soon as you are able." "Who sent you?" "Lord lshido made the request of His Eminence, the Father-Visitor." "The doctor says your eyes are healing very well." "Soon you will be able to see again little by little." "He says that you must be patient." " I'll see again?" " Yes, Anjin-san." " May I help you up, Anjin-san?" " No, thank you." "I can do it." "My swords." "I will get them for you." " Is that right?" " Yes, Anjin-san." "If you put your hand on my shoulder, I will guide you." " You're taking me to the galley?" " Yes." "Those were my instructions." "Nowhere else?" "You can trust me, Anjin-san." "I don't seem to have much choice." " Are we going alone?" " There will be a samurai escort." " Brown or gray?" " Neither." "They are Lord Kiyama's samurai." "Christian samurai." " What are they doing here?" " My father is cousin to Lord Kiyama." " We are all Christians." " Christians killed your friend Urano." "Murderers did that, Anjin-san." "They will be judged." "But it is true that great evil happens on Earth in God's name." "What will happen on the galley, Brother Michael?" "I don't know, Anjin-san." "You already know so much, and in such a short time." "Marko-sama was a great teacher." "You are a worthy samurai, Anjin-san." "Unpredictability." "The Taiko had it, Toranaga-sama has it too." "You see, we are usually a very predictable people." " Are you?" " Yes." " Predict a way I can escape this trap." " There is no way, Anjin-san." "Where are you taking me?" "As I told you, to the galley." "But first, we will stop at the Jesuit mission." "I was told to inform His Eminence, the Father-Visitor, as we passed." "You said before that you had little choice." "It is even less than that." "Please." "Anjin-san, take my shoulder." "I am pleased to see you, Captain-Pilot Blackthorne." "Yes, I can imagine." "Brother Michael has informed me that your eyes are healing well and that soon you will see again." "If I live long enough." " When does the Inquisition begin?" " Inquisition?" " Is that what you are thinking?" " What else was there to think?" "Only that I wish to assure your safety personally." " Why?" " The Black Ship is here in Osaka." " You're not putting me on board." " Certainly not." "I simply want to see you safely back aboard the galley." "Shall we go?" " Blessed mother of God." " What is it?" "I'm afraid that you are right." "It is the Inquisition." " Who?" " Captain Ferriera and his men." "There is a stake for burning, and his men are all armed." " Brother Michael, are you here?" " Yes, Anjin-san, I am here." "Listen, brother, before you said I was a worthy samurai." " Did you mean it?" " Yes." "That and everything else." " Then I beg a favor as a samurai." " What favor?" "To die as a samurai." "Your death isn't in my hands." "It is in the hands of God, Anjin-san." " What are you going to do?" " There is no other way to pass." "Come, Captain Blackthorne." "Good evening, Eminence." " Is this your idea?" " Yes, Eminence." " Go back aboard the ship." " This is a military decision, Eminence." " Go aboard your ship!" " No!" "I have been waiting for you, inglés." "That pleases me not at all." "Tonight, you will be pleased in hell, heretic." "You motherless coward!" " Disarm him." " Put down your guns." "Before God, I order you to stop." "Get back, all of you." "Get back." " I want that man." " You can't have him." "Order your men aboard." "I order you to turn around and go away." " You order me?" " Yes, I order you." "I am captain of the Black Ship, governor of Macao, chief officer of Portugal in Asia." "And that man is a threat to the state, the Church, the Black Ship and Macao." "This man is blind." "Stand aside!" "Stand aside!" "Before God, I shall excommunicate you and all your crew, if this man is harmed." "Do you understand?" "I am military commander in Asia, and I say he's a threat!" "This is a Church matter, not a military one." "I caution you again." "As God is my judge, I shall inform Lisbon." "If you don't order your men aboard ship now," "I will remove you as captain of the Black Ship." "You don't have that power." "I have the power to excommunicate you and curse you and everyone who serves you in the name of God." "He can do it, captain." "And, Madonna, he will." "Order the men aboard." "Captain, do you hear?" "God curse you, inglés!" "What happened?" "Who's dead?" "The captain, inglés." "It's the captain." "You've got the devil's luck on your back." "Brother Michael." "It was my duty, Eminence, to protect you." "My duty." "Yes, Michael, yes." "What about the Black Ship?" "We were sailing on the tide." " Then sail." " With no captain?" "You shall be captain, Rodrigues." "I will do the necessary letters." "The captain's share will be yours." "Captain?" "Me?" " And governor of Macao?" " Yes, and governor of Macao." "Well, the devil's luck is on your back as well, but it won't be enough." " What do you mean, inglés?" " I'll sail after you and the Black Ship." "With what?" "You have no ship, inglés." "At Anjiro." "And my eyes are healing." "I'll catch you at sea." "No, inglés." "The Erasmus is dead." "Burned to her spine." "Heh." "A Spaniard's wish." "It's true." "It was the hand of God." " You lie." " No, captain, he speaks the truth." "A tidal wave heeled your ship." "The oil lamps on deck spread fire..." " I don't believe you." " Before God." "You're beached, inglés." "You're marooned." "You're here forever." "Beached." "Forever." "May the winds carry you to hell, Rodrigues!" "They may, inglés, they may." "But you will never sail again." "Jesus, pilot, what happened to you?" "Where's the captain?" "Tell him to set sail now, we're going back to Anjiro." " But you said Nagasaki." " Now, Vinck, damn you." "Now!" "You are safe here, Captain Blackthorne." "I will leave you now." "Why?" "Why did you save me?" " For your soul and mine and..." " And what?" "That is reason enough." "Goodbye, Anjin-san." "Go with God." "I told him, pilot." "Anjiro it is." "For the love of Christ, pilot." "What's amiss?" "They told me..." "They told me the Erasmus is lost." "Our ship is lost." "Fired." "Oh, God, let it be a lie." " Can you see her yet?" " No, pilot." "We're still not at the point." "What is it?" "Can you see, Vinck?" "Tell me." "Tell me, damn you." "Is it true?" "Aye, pilot." "Even more true than that." "Tell me what you see." "She's just lying there, what's left of her." "Aground." "Masts gone, decks gone." "Everything." "Dear God." "What about the keel?" "Can you see it?" "Aye." "Looks like they beached her." "The monkeys." "If you've a God-cursed fire and you're by a God-cursed shore, you beach her to fight it there." "Even these heathens know that." "You should never have left her to them." "What are we going to do now?" "How are we going to get home?" "You should have left her at Yedo." " Maybe they did beach her." " Yes." "But the muck-eaters didn't put out the fire." "God curse them all to hell." "You should never have let Jappos on her." "We're helpless now." "We're dead." "The ship is dead." "The Erasmus, that was Alvito's curse." "What?" "The priest, Father Alvito, he said the die was cast." "What are you talking about?" "He said I'd never leave these islands." "Marooned for the rest of our lives, aren't we, pilot?" "Groveling to these God-cursed heathens for the rest of our muck-eating lives!" "And how long will that be, when all they talk about is war?" "War, war!" "Answer me, pilot." "Yes, Vinck." "Now shut up!" ""Shut up," is it?" "No." "I speak when I damn choose and I say what I damn please!" "It's your fault!" "Yours!" "You brought us to this stinking place!" "You said, "Come to the Japans."" "How many died coming?" "Answer me that, if you can." " God rot you!" "You're to blame!" " Yes!" "The blame is mine." "Does that make you feel better?" "What do you want me to tell you?" "I'm sorry, Vinck." "I'm sorry." "Sorry"?" "Is that all you are?" " How are we going to get home?" " I don't know." "But you've got to know." "Damn you, you're the pilot!" "What do you expect me to do?" "Change what's happened?" "If I could..." "My heart's been torn out, Vinck." "Can't you understand that?" "The ship is lost, my dreams lost with her." "Everything." "They've taken everything of value from my life." "She's gone, Vinck, and I can't change that." "Gone." "Another of our ships will come here some day." "We'll just have to wait." "Wait?" "How long are we going to wait?" "Five muck-plagued years?" "Twenty?" "The rest of our rotten, miserable lives?" "With these black-eyed monkeys?" "That's what they are!" "Monkeys!" "Always gibbering and staring at you." "I can't stand to look at them anymore!" "Dear Jesus!" "Jesus!" "Now they're at war." "That's what you said, isn't it?" "All of them running around with their damned swords!" "They're going to kill us!" "Kill us!" "We're dead, pilot!" "Dead!" "Hold yourself, Vinck!" "The monkeys are coming for us!" "They're going to chop off our heads and stick them up for the birds to eat!" "The birds will pluck out our eyes!" "They're coming!" "They're coming!" "Vinck!" "Vinck!" "Vinck." "Vinck, where are you?" "Vinck!" "Vinck." " Toranaga-sama!" " Toranaga-sama!" "Anjin." "Alvito." "Priest!" "He burned my ship!" "Anjin." "Anjin-sama." "Marks'?" "Lord Toranaga has questioned me about the burning of your ship." "I told him neither I nor anyone I know of ordered or assisted in the sabotage of your ship." "He may believe you, I don't." "Lord Toranaga requests that I swear a holy oath to you and to him that I am speaking the truth." "He demands it." "Or he says that he will withdraw all his support forever from me and my Church." "Then swear, priest." "Swear your holiest oath." "And then will you believe me?" "Will you?" "I swear solemnly before God the father, the son and the Holy Ghost," "before all things sacred and holy, that I speak the truth." "Neither I nor anyone I know of ordered or assisted in the burning of your ship." "This I swear before God." "Lord Toranaga asks if you believe me now." "I am not your enemy, pilot." "In fact, I'm a better friend than you suspect." "Omi." "Kiku." "Lord Toranaga has just given you this lady's contract." " She now belongs to you." " "Belongs"?" "Lord Toranaga said that you may do with her as you wish." "What did he mean, "belongs"?" "She is yours." "You own this lady." "Omi-san." "Lord Toranaga's request was a simple one." "Would Lord Yabu please explain why he kilted Captain Yoshinaka?" ""Who dares to accuse me?" Yabu demanded." "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." "I shall be leaving in the morning." "I don't know if we'll ever talk again, and there are things I'd like to say." "Then say them." "I wanted you to know before I go, that I know what the loss of Mariko-san means to you." "And I wanted you to know that..." "That I know what you meant to her." "How could you know that?" "She came to me the night you left Yedo." "I'm afraid our destinies are interlocked, pilot." "Did Mariko-san ever tell you that?" "She told me." "What else did she tell you?" "She asked me to be your friend." "To protect you if I could." "And I will try." "You see, you will never leave here, Anjin-san." "I told you that before, and I say it again with no malice, truly." "You're a brave man, a fine adversary, one to respect, and I do." "There should be peace between us." "How can there be?" "Lord Yabu says that he gives you his sword to commemorate your arrival, and as a thank-you for the pleasure..." "For the pleasure that boiling that barbarian gave him." "Lord Yabu says that none of these... manure-eaters deserves the blade." "You do." "Take it, please." "He asks you to be his witness." "Lord Yabu says that now you will see how a real samurai dies." "That was Lord Yabu's death poem." "It goes:" "The blue sky above the Earth" "White clouds rise towards heaven" "Life is only a butterfly's dream" "Death the way to eternal life" "Omi." "Anjin." "Lord Toranaga is changing your fief." "He is giving you Anjiro." "Lord Toranaga has made you samurai and hatamoto." "He asks why you are standing here so stupid and weak." "Anjin." "Before Mariko left Yedo, she gave this to Lord Toranaga." "She said if you were still alive after Osaka you were to have it." "Lord Toranaga asks if you are still alive." "Lord Toranaga said, "Then act alive."" ""Thou, I love thee."" "If this is read by thee, then I am dead in Osaka, and perhaps because of me, thy ship is dead too." "I may sacrifice this most prized part of thy life because of my faith, to safeguard my Church." "But more to save thy life, which is more precious to me than anything," "even the interest of my Lord Toranaga." "Thee or thy ship." "I am sorry, but I choose life for thee." "Thy ship is doomed anyway, with or without thee." "I will concede thy ship to thine enemy so that thou may live." "This ship is nothing." "Build another." "This thou can do." "Lord Toranaga will give thee all the craftsmen necessary." "He needs you and your ships." "And from my personal estate," "I have willed to thee ail the money necessary." "Build another ship and build another fife, my love." "Take next year's Black Ship and live forever." "Listen, my dear one, my Christian soul prays to see thee again in a Christian heaven." "My Japanese hara prays that, in the next fife," "I will be whatever is necessary to bring thee joy and to be with thee wherever thou art." "Forgive me, but thy life is all important." ""I love thee."" "Yoshi Toranaga, Lord of the Kwanto, told himself," ""Yes, build your ship, Anjin-san,"" "and I shall destroy her as I destroyed the other one." "And when the time is right, I shall tell you why." "It was your ship or your life." "I, too, choose your fife." "You have much to teach me, Anjin-san, once I have won, if I win, when I win, when the real prize will be won." "Mariko, it was your karma to die gloriously and five forever." "Anjin-san, my friend, it is your karma never to leave this land." "And my karma, my karma, which I did not choose," ""my karma is to be Shogun."" "That year, at dawn on the 21 st day of the 10th month," ""the Month without Gods," the main armies clashed." "It was in the mountains near Sekigahara astride the North Road." "By late afternoon, Toranaga had won the battle, and the slaughter began." "Forty thousand heads were taken." "Three days later, lshido was captured alive." "Toranaga sent him in chains to Osaka for public viewing, ordering him planted in the earth with only his head showing." "Passers-by were invited to saw at the most famous neck in the realm with a bamboo saw." "Lshido lingered three days and died very old." "Within the year, the emperor invited Yoshi Toranaga," "Lord of the Kwanto, to become Shogun." "And, reluctantly, Toranaga agreed."