the jacket (the star-rover)-第42章

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inlaid　with　pearl。



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

obliqueness　that　was　all　for　piquancy。



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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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



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



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

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

the　world。〃



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

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

were　twin　pools　of　roguishness　in　their　teasing　deliciousness　and　my

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

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

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

other　audiences；　there　must　be　other　audiences。



Back　to　Hamel；　my　head　awhirl。



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

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

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

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

teach　you　how。〃



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

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

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

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

not　give　him　better。



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



〃How　like　you　the　Lady　Om？〃



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



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



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



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

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

for　a　meal　of　Christian　food　again。〃



He　regarded　me　intently。



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



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



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

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

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

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

brains　of　a　dozen　philosophers。〃



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

of　the　affair　that　was　so　deep　that　alone　I　should　have　drowned。

Only　with　the　Lady　Om　was　I　man；　not　puppet　。　。　。　and　yet；　and　yet；

as　I　look　back　and　ponder　across　time；　I　have　my　doubts。　　I　think

the　Lady　Om；　too；　had　her　will　with　me；　wanting　me　for　her　heart's

desire。　　Yet　in　this　she　was　well　met；　for　it　was　not　long　ere　she

was　my　heart's　desire；　and　such　was　the　immediacy　of　my　will　that

not　her　will；　nor　Hendrik　Hamel's；　nor　Yunsan's；　could　hold　back　my

arms　from　about　her。



In　the　meantime；　however；　I　was　caught　up　in　a　palace　intrigue　I

could　not　fathom。　　I　could　catch　the　drift　of　it；　no　more；　against

Chong　Mong…ju；　the　princely　cousin　of　the　Lady　Om。　　Beyond　my

guessing　there　were　cliques　and　cliques　within　cliques　that　made　a

labyrinth　of　the　palace　and　extended　to　all　the　Seven　Coasts。　　But　I

did　not　worry。　　I　left　that　to　Hendrik　Hamel。　　To　him　I　reported

every　detail　that　occurred　when　he　was　not　with　me；　and　he；　with

furrowed　brows；　sitting　darkling　by　the　hour；　like　a　patient　spider

unravelled　the　tangle　and　spun　the　web　afresh。　　As　my　body　slave　he

insisted　upon　attending　me　everywhere；　being　only　barred　on　occasion

by　Yunsan。　　Of　course　I　barred　him　from　my　moments　with　the　Lady　Om；

but　told　him　in　general　what　passed；　with　exception　of　tenderer

incidents　that　were　not　his　business。



I　think　Hamel　was　content　to　sit　back　and　play　the　secret　part。　　He

was　too　cold…blooded　not　to　calculate　that　the　risk　was　mine。　　If　I

prospered；　he　prospered。　　If　I　crashed　to　ruin；　he　might　creep　out

like　a　ferret。　　I　am　convinced　that　he　so　reasoned；　and　yet　it　did

not　save　him　in　the　end；　as　you　shall　see。



〃Stand　by　me；〃　I　told　Kim；　〃and　whatsoever　you　wish　shall　be　yours。

Have　you　a　wish？〃



〃I　would　command　the　Tiger　Hunters　of　Pyeng…Yang；　and　so　command　the

palace　guards；〃　he　answered。



〃Wait；〃　said　I；　〃and　that　will　you　do。　　I　have　said　it。〃



The　how　of　the　matter　was　beyond　me。　　But　he　who　has　naught　can

dispense　the　world　in　largess；　and　I；　who　had　naught；　gave　Kim

captaincy　of　the　palace　guards。　　The　best　of　it　is　that　I　did　fulfil

my　promise。　　Kim　did　come　to　command　the　Tiger　Hunters；　although　it

brought　him　to　a　sad　end。



Scheming　and　intriguing　I　left　to　Hamel　and　Yunsan；　who　were　the

politicians。　　I　was　mere　man　and　lover；　and　merrier　than　theirs　was

the　time　I　had。　　Picture　it　to　yourselfa　hard…bitten；　joy…loving

sea…cuny；　irresponsible；　unaware　ever　of　past　or　future；　wining　and

dining　with　kings；　the　accepted　lover　of　a　princess；　and　with　brains

like　Hamel's　and　Yunsan's　to　do　all　planning　and　executing　for　me。



More　than　once　Yunsan　almost　divined　the　mind　behind　my　mind；　but

when　he　probed　Hamel；　Hamel　proved　a　stupid　slave；　a　thousand　times

less　interested　in　affairs　of　state　and　policy　than　was　he

interested　in　my　health　and　comfort　and　garrulously　anxious　about　my

drinking　contests　with　Taiwun。　　I　think　the　Lady　Om　guessed　the

truth　and　k