the jacket (the star-rover)-第40章

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cramp…knots　in　my　hams　for　the　thousandth　time。　　And　again　all

muttered　〃Yi　Yong…ik；〃　and　the　word　of　my　prowess　passed　on　before

even　to　Keijo　and　the　Emperor's　Court。



I　was　more　an　honoured　guest　than　a　prisoner；　and　invariably　I　rode

by　Kim's　side；　my　long　legs　near　reaching　the　ground；　and；　where　the

going　was　deep；　my　feet　scraping　the　muck。　　Kim　was　young。　　Kim　was

human。　　Kim　was　universal。　　He　was　a　man　anywhere　in　any　country。

He　and　I　talked　and　laughed　and　joked　the　day　long　and　half　the

night。　　And　I　verify　ate　up　the　language。　　I　had　a　gift　that　way

anyway。　　Even　Kim　marvelled　at　the　way　I　mastered　the　idiom。　　And　I

learned　the　Korean　points　of　view；　the　Korean　humour；　the　Korean

soft　places；　weak　places；　touchy　places。　　Kim　taught　me　flower

songs；　love　songs；　drinking　songs。　　One　of　the　latter　was　his　own；

of　the　end　of　which　I　shall　give　you　a　crude　attempt　at　translation。

Kim　and　Pak；　in　their　youth；　swore　a　pact　to　abstain　from　drinking；

which　pact　was　speedily　broken。　　In　old　age　Kim　and　Pak　sing：





〃No；　no；　begone！　　The　merry　bowl

Again　shall　bolster　up　my　soul

Against　itself。　　What；　good　man；　hold！

Canst　tell　me　where　red　wine　is　sold？

Nay；　just　beyond　yon　peach…tree？　　There？

Good　luck　be　thine；　I'll　thither　fare。〃





Hendrik　Hamel；　scheming　and　crafty；　ever　encouraged　and　urged　me　in

my　antic　course　that　brought　Kim's　favour；　not　alone　to　me；　but

through　me　to　Hendrik　Hamel　and　all　our　company。　　I　here　mention

Hendrik　Hamel　as　my　adviser；　for　it　has　a　bearing　on　much　that

followed　at　Keijo　in　the　winning　of　Yunsan's　favour；　the　Lady　Om's

heart；　and　the　Emperor's　tolerance。　　I　had　the　will　and　the

fearlessness　for　the　game　I　played；　and　some　of　the　wit；　but　most　of

the　wit　I　freely　admit　was　supplied　me　by　Hendrik　Hamel。



And　so　we　journeyed　up　to　Keijo；　from　walled　city　to　walled　city

across　a　snowy　mountain　land　that　was　hollowed　with　innumerable　fat

farming　valleys。　　And　every　evening；　at　fall　of　day；　beacon　fires

sprang　from　peak　to　peak　and　ran　along　the　land。　　Always　Kim　watched

for　this　nightly　display。　　From　all　the　coasts　of　Cho…Sen；　Kim　told

me；　these　chains　of　fire…speech　ran　to　Keijo　to　carry　their　message

to　the　Emperor。　　One　beacon　meant　the　land　was　in　peace。　　Two

beacons　meant　revolt　or　invasion。　　We　never　saw　but　one　beacon。　　And

ever；　as　we　rode；　Vandervoot　brought　up　the　rear；　wondering；　〃God　in

heaven；　what　now？〃



Keijo　we　found　a　vast　city　where　all　the　population；　with　the

exception　of　the　nobles　or　yang…bans；　dressed　in　the　eternal　white。

This；　Kim　explained；　was　an　automatic　determination　and

advertisement　of　caste。　　Thus；　at　a　glance；　could　one　tell；　the

status　of　an　individual　by　the　degrees　of　cleanness　or　of　filthiness

of　his　garments。　　It　stood　to　reason　that　a　coolie；　possessing　but

the　clothes　he　stood　up　in；　must　be　extremely　dirty。　　And　to　reason

it　stood　that　the　individual　in　immaculate　white　must　possess　many

changes　and　command　the　labour　of　laundresses　to　keep　his　changes

immaculate。　　As　for　the　yang…bans　who　wore　the　pale；　vari…coloured

silks；　they　were　beyond　such　common　yardstick　of　place。



After　resting　in　an　inn　for　several　days；　during　which　time　we

washed　our　garments　and　repaired　the　ravages　of　shipwreck　and

travel；　we　were　summoned　before　the　Emperor。　　In　the　great　open

space　before　the　palace　wall　were　colossal　stone　dogs　that　looked

more　like　tortoises。　　They　crouched　on　massive　stone　pedestals　of

twice　the　height　of　a　tall　man。　　The　walls　of　the　palace　were　huge

and　of　dressed　stone。　　So　thick　were　these　walls　that　they　could

defy　a　breach　from　the　mightiest　of　cannon　in　a　year…long　siege。

The　mere　gateway　was　of　the　size　of　a　palace　in　itself；　rising

pagoda…like；　in　many　retreating　stories；　each　story　fringed　with

tile…roofing。　　A　smart　guard　of　soldiers　turned　out　at　the　gateway。

These；　Kim　told　me；　were　the　Tiger　Hunters　of　Pyeng…yang；　the

fiercest　and　most　terrible　fighting　men　of　which　Cho…Sen　could

boast。



But　enough。　　On　mere　description　of　the　Emperor's　palace　a　thousand

pages　of　my　narrative　could　be　worthily　expended。　　Let　it　suffice

that　here　we　knew　power　in　all　its　material　expression。　　Only　a

civilization　deep　and　wide　and　old　and　strong　could　produce　this

far…walled；　many…gabled　roof　of　kings。



To　no　audience…hall　were　we　sea…cunies　led；　but；　as　we　took　it；　to　a

feasting…hall。　　The　feasting　was　at　its　end；　and　all　the　throng　was

in　a　merry　mood。　　And　such　a　throng！　　High　dignitaries；　princes　of

the　blood；　sworded　nobles；　pale　priests；　weather…tanned　officers　of

high　command；　court　ladies　with　faces　exposed；　painted　KI…SANG　or

dancing　girls　who　rested　from　entertaining；　and　duennas；　waiting

women；　eunuchs；　lackeys；　and　palace　slaves　a　myriad　of　them。



All　fell　away　from　us；　however；　when　the　Emperor；　with　a　following

of　intimates；　advanced　to　look　us　over。　　He　was　a　merry　monarch；

especially　so　for　an　Asiatic。　　Not　more　than　forty；　with　a　clear；

pallid　skin　that　had　never　known　the　sun；　he　was　paunched　and　weak…

legged。　　Yet　he　had　once　been　a　fine　man。　　The　noble　forehead

attested　that。　　But　the　eyes　were　bleared　and　weak…lidded；　the　lips

twitching　and　trembling　from　the　various　excesses　in　which　he

indulged；　which　excesses；　as　I　was　to　learn；　were　largely　devised

and　pandered　by　Yunsan；　the　Buddhist　priest；　of　whom　more　anon。



In　our　sea…garments　we　mariners　were　a　motley　crew；　and　motley　was

the　cue　of　our　reception。　　Exclamations　of　wonder　at　our　strangeness

gave　way　to　laughter。　　The　ki…sang　invaded　us；　dragging　us　about；

making　prisoners　of　us；　two　or　three　of　them　to　one　of　us；　leading

us　about　like　go　many　dancing　boars　and　putting　us　through　our

antics。　　It　was　offensive；　true；　but　what　could　poor　sea…cunies　do？

What　could　old　Johannes　Maartens　do；　with　a　bevy　of　laughing　girls

about　him；　tweaking　his　nose；　pinching　his　arms；　tickling　his　ribs

till　he　pranced？　　To　escape　such　torment　Hans　Amden　cleared　a　space

and　gave　a　clumsy…footed　Hollandish　breakdown　till　all　the　Court

roared　its　laughter。



It　was　offensive　to　me　who　had　been　equal　and　boon　companion　of　Kim

for　many　days。　　I　resisted　the　laughing　ki…sang。　　I　braced　my　legs

and　stood　upright　with　folded　arms；　nor　could　pinch　or　tickle　bring

a　quiver　from　me。　　Thus　they　abandoned　me　for　easier　prey。



〃For　God's　sake；　man；　make　an　impression；〃　Hendrik　Hamel；　who　had

struggled　to　me　with　three　ki…sang　dragging　behind；　mumbled。



Well　might　he　mumble；　for　whenever　he　opened　his　mouth　to　speak　they

crammed　it　with　sweets。



〃Save　us　from　this　folly；〃　he　persisted；　ducking　his　head　about　to

avoid　their　sweet…filled　palms。　　〃We　must　have　dignity；　understand；

dignity。　　This　will　ruin　us。　　They　are　making　tame　animals　of　us；

playthings。　　When　they　grow　tired　of　us　they　will　throw　us　out。

You're　doing　the　right　thing。　　Stick　to　it。　　Stand　them　off。

Command　respect；　respect　for　all　of　us〃



The　last　was　barely　audible；　for　by　this　time　the　ki…sang　had

stuffed　his　mouth　to　speechlessness。



As　I　have　said；　I　had　the　will　and　the　fearlessness；　and　I　racked　my

sea…cuny　brains　for　the　wit。　　A　palace　eunuch；　tickling　my　neck　with

a　feather　from　behind；　gave　me　my　start。　　I　had　already　drawn

attention　by　my　aloofness　and　imperviousness　to　the　attacks　of　the

ki…sang；　so　that　many　were　looking　on　at　the　eunuch's　baiting　of　me。

I　gave　no　sign；　made　no　move；　until　I　had　located　him　and　distanced

him。　　Then；　like　a　shot；　without　turning　head　or　body；　merely　by　my

arm　I　fetched　him　an　open；　back…handed　slap。　　My　knuckles　landed

flat　on　his　cheek　and　jaw。　　There　was　a　crack　like　a　spar　parting　in

a　gale。　　He　was　bowled　clean　over；　landing　in　a　heap　on　the　floor　a

dozen　feet　away。



There　was　no　laughter；　only　cries　of　surprise　and　murmurings　and

whisperings　of　〃Yi　Yong…ik。〃　　Again　I　folded　my　arms　and　stood　with

a　fine　assumption　of　haughtiness。　　I　do　believe　that　I；　Adam　Strang；

had　am