the jacket (the star-rover)-第44章

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Now　I　did　not　care　to　depart　from　Cho…Sen　except　with　the　Lady　Om。

When　I　broached　the　possibility　of　it　she　told　me；　warm　in　my　arms；

that　I　was　her　king　and　that　wherever　I　led　she　would　follow。　　As

you　shall　see　it　was　truth；　full　truth；　that　she　uttered。



It　was　Yunsan's　fault　for　letting　Chong　Mong…ju　live。　　And　yet　it

was　not　Yunsan's　fault。　　He　had　not　dared　otherwise。　　Disgraced　at

Court；　nevertheless　Chong　Mong…ju　had　been　too　popular　with　the

provincial　priesthood。　　Yunsan　had　been　compelled　to　hold　his　hand；

and　Chong　Mong…ju；　apparently　sulking　on　the　north…east　coast；　had

been　anything　but　idle。　　His　emissaries；　chiefly　Buddhist　priests；

were　everywhere；　went　everywhere；　gathering　in　even　the　least　of　the

provincial　magistrates　to　allegiance　to　him。　　It　takes　the　cold

patience　of　the　Asiatic　to　conceive　and　execute　huge　and　complicated

conspiracies。　　The　strength　of　Chong　Mong…ju's　palace　clique　grew

beyond　Yunsan's　wildest　dreaming。　　Chong　Mong…ju　corrupted　the　very

palace　guards；　the　Tiger　Hunters　of　Pyeng…Yang　whom　Kim　commanded。

And　while　Yunsan　nodded；　while　I　devoted　myself　to　sport　and　to　the

Lady　Om；　while　Hendrik　Hamel　perfected　plans　for　the　looting　of　the

Imperial　treasury；　and　while　Johannes　Maartens　schemed　his　own

scheme　among　the　tombs　of　Tabong　Mountain；　the　volcano　of　Chong

Mong…ju's　devising　gave　no　warning　beneath　us。



Lord；　Lord；　when　the　storm　broke！　　It　was　stand　out　from　under；　all

hands；　and　save　your　necks。　　And　there　were　necks　that　were　not

saved。　　The　springing　of　the　conspiracy　was　premature。　　Johannes

Maartens　really　precipitated　the　catastrophe；　and　what　he　did　was

too　favourable　for　Chong　Mong…ju　not　to　advantage　by。



For；　see。　　The　people　of　Cho…Sen　are　fanatical　ancestor…worshippers；

and　that　old　pirate　of　a　booty…lusting　Dutchman；　with　his　four

cunies；　in　far　Kyong…ju；　did　no　less　a　thing　than　raid　the　tombs　of

the　gold…coffined；　long…buried　kings　of　ancient　Silla。　　The　work　was

done　in　the　night；　and　for　the　rest　of　the　night　they　travelled　for

the　sea…coast。　　But　the　following　day　a　dense　fog　lay　over　the　land

and　they　lost　their　way　to　the　waiting　junk　which　Johannes　Maartens

had　privily　outfitted。　　He　and　the　cunies　were　rounded　in　by　Yi　Sun…

sin；　the　local　magistrate；　one　of　Chong　Mong…ju's　adherents。　　Only

Herman　Tromp　escaped　in　the　fog；　and　was　able；　long　after；　to　tell

me　of　the　adventure。



That　night；　although　news　of　the　sacrilege　was　spreading　through

Cho…Sen　and　half　the　northern　provinces　had　risen　on　their

officials；　Keijo　and　the　Court　slept　in　ignorance。　　By　Chong　Mong…

ju's　orders　the　beacons　flared　their　nightly　message　of　peace。　　And

night　by　night　the　peace…beacons　flared；　while　day　and　night　Chong

Mong…ju's　messengers　killed　horses　on　all　the　roads　of　Cho…Sen。　　It

was　my　luck　to　see　his　messenger　arrive　at　Keijo。　　At　twilight；　as　I

rode　out　through　the　great　gate　of　the　capital；　I　saw　the　jaded

horse　fall　and　the　exhausted　rider　stagger　in　on　foot；　and　I　little

dreamed　that　that　man　carried　my　destiny　with　him　into　Keijo。



His　message　sprang　the　palace　revolution。　　I　was　not　due　to　return

until　midnight；　and　by　midnight　all　was　over。　　At　nine　in　the

evening　the　conspirators　secured　possession　of　the　Emperor　in　his

own　apartments。　　They　compelled　him　to　order　the　immediate

attendance　of　the　heads　of　all　departments；　and　as　they　presented

themselves；　one　by　one；　before　his　eyes；　they　were　cut　down。

Meantime　the　Tiger　Hunters　were　up　and　out　of　hand。　　Yunsan　and

Hendrik　Hamel　were　badly　beaten　with　the　flats　of　swords　and　made

prisoners。　　The　seven　other　cunies　escaped　from　the　palace　along

with　the　Lady　Om。　　They　were　enabled　to　do　this　by　Kim；　who　held　the

way；　sword　in　hand；　against　his　own　Tiger　Hunters。　　They　cut　him

down　and　trod　over　him。　　Unfortunately　he　did　not　die　of　his　wounds。



Like　a　flaw　of　wind　on　a　summer　night　the　revolution；　a　palace

revolution　of　course；　blew　and　was　past。　　Chong　Mong…ju　was　in　the

saddle。　　The　Emperor　ratified　whatever　Chong　Mong…ju　willed。　　Beyond

gasping　at　the　sacrilege　of　the　king's　tombs　and　applauding　Chong

Mong…ju；　Cho…Sen　was　unperturbed。　　Heads　of　officials　fell

everywhere；　being　replaced　by　Chong　Mong…ju's　appointees；　but　there

were　no　risings　against　the　dynasty。



And　now　to　what　befell　us。　　Johannes　Maartens　and　his　three　cunies；

after　being　exhibited　to　be　spat　upon　by　the　rabble　of　half　the

villages　and　walled　cities　of　Cho…Sen；　were　buried　to　their　necks　in

the　ground　of　the　open　space　before　the　palace　gate。　　Water　was

given　them　that　they　might　live　longer　to　yearn　for　the　food；

steaming　hot　and　savoury　and　changed　hourly；　that　was　place

temptingly　before　them。　　They　say　old　Johannes　Maartens　lived

longest；　not　giving　up　the　ghost　for　a　full　fifteen　days。



Kim　was　slowly　crushed　to　death；　bone　by　bone　and　joint　by　joint；　by

the　torturers；　and　was　a　long　time　in　dying。　　Hamel；　whom　Chong

Mong…ju　divined　as　my　brains；　was　executed　by　the　paddlein　short；

was　promptly　and　expeditiously　beaten　to　death　to　the　delighted

shouts　of　the　Keijo　populace。　　Yunsan　was　given　a　brave　death。　　He

was　playing　a　game　of　chess　with　the　jailer；　when　the　Emperor's；　or；

rather；　Chong　Mong…ju's；　messenger　arrived　with　the　poison…cup。

〃Wait　a　moment；〃　said　Yunsan。　　〃You　should　be　better…mannered　than

to　disturb　a　man　in　the　midst　of　a　game　of　chess。　　I　shall　drink

directly　the　game　is　over。〃　　And　while　the　messenger　waited　Yunsan

finished　the　game；　winning　it；　then　drained　the　cup。



It　takes　an　Asiatic　to　temper　his　spleen　to　steady；　persistent；

life…long　revenge。　　This　Chong　Mong…ju　did　with　the　Lady　Om　and　me。

He　did　not　destroy　us。　　We　were　not　even　imprisoned。　　The　Lady　Om

was　degraded　of　all　rank　and　divested　of　all　possessions。　　An

imperial　decree　was　promulgated　and　posted　in　the　last　least　village

of　Cho…Sen　to　the　effect　that　I　was　of　the　house　of　Koryu　and　that

no　man　might　kill　me。　　It　was　further　declared　that　the　eight　sea…

cunies　who　survived　must　not　be　killed。　　Neither　were　they　to　be

favoured。　　They　were　to　be　outcasts；　beggars　on　the　highways。　　And

that　is　what　the　Lady　Om　and　I　became；　beggars　on　the　highways。



Forty　long　years　of　persecution　followed；　for　Chong　Mong…ju's　hatred

of　the　Lady　Om　and　me　was　deathless。　　Worse　luck；　he　was　favoured

with　long　life　as　well　as　were　we　cursed　with　it。　　I　have　said　the

Lady　Om　was　a　wonder　of　a　woman。　　Beyond　endlessly　repeating　that

statement；　words　fail　me；　with　which　to　give　her　just　appreciation。

Somewhere　I　have　heard　that　a　great　lady　once　said　to　her　lover：　　〃A

tent　and　a　crust　of　bread　with　you。〃　　In　effect　that　is　what　the

Lady　Om　said　to　me。　　More　than　to　say　it；　she　lived　the　last　letter

of　it；　when　more　often　than　not　crusts　were　not　plentiful　and　the

sky　itself　was　our　tent。



Every　effort　I　made　to　escape　beggary　was　in　the　end　frustrated　by

Chong　Mong…ju。　　In　Song…do　I　became　a　fuel…carrier；　and　the　Lady　Om

and　I　shared　a　hut　that　was　vastly　more　comfortable　than　the　open

road　in　bitter　winter　weather。　　But　Chong　Mong…ju　found　me　out；　and

I　was　beaten　and　planked　and　put　out　upon　the　road。　　That　was　a

terrible　winter；　the　winter　poor　〃What…Now〃　Vandervoot　froze　to

death　on　the　streets　of　Keijo。



In　Pyeng…yang　I　became　a　water…carrier；　for　know　that　that　old　city；

whose　walls　were　ancient　even　in　the　time　of　David；　was　considered

by　the　people　to　be　a　canoe；　and　that；　therefore；　to　sink　a　well

inside　the　walls　would　be　to　scupper　the　city。　　So　all　day　long

thousands　of　coolies；　water…jars　yoked　to　their　shoulders；　tramp　out

the　river　gate　and　back。　　I　became　one　of　these；　until　Chong　Mong…ju

sought　me　out；　and　I　was　beaten　and　planked　and　set　upon　the

highway。



Ever　it　was　the　same。　　In　far　Wiju　I　became　a　dog…butcher；　killing

the　brutes　publicly　before　my　open　stall；　cutting　and　hanging　the

caresses　for　sale；　tanning　the　hides　under　the　filth　of　the　feet　of

the