Shogun - Clavell James (бесплатные полные книги .TXT) 📗

"But if he does, Eminence?"

"It's not possible just now, even if it was planned. Now they need each other."

"Until the demise of Lord Toranaga...."

"You don't have to remind me about the enmity of those two, or the lengths they'll go to - God forgive both of them." He walked on again.

Soldi caught up with him. "Should I send this information to Father Alvito?"

"No. Not yet. First I have to decide what to do. Toranaga will learn of it soon enough from his own sources. God take this land into His keeping and have mercy on all of us."

Soldi opened the door for the Father-Visitor. "The only other matter of importance is that the Council has formally refused to let us have the Lady Maria's body. She's to have a state funeral tomorrow and we are not invited."

"That's to be expected, but it's splendid that they want to honor her like that. Send one of our people to fetch part of her ashes - that will be allowed. The ashes will be buried in hallowed ground at Nagasaki." He straightened a picture automatically and sat behind his desk. "I'll say a Requiem for her here - the full Requiem there with all the pomp and ceremony we can muster when her remains are formally interred. She'll be buried in cathedral grounds as a most blessed daughter of the Church. Arrange a plaque, employ the finest artists, calligrapher - everything must be perfect."

"Yes, Eminence."

"Her blessed courage and self-sacrifice will be an enormous encouragement to our flock. Very important, Soldi."

"And Kiyama's granddaughter, Sire? The authorities will let us have her body. He insisted."

"Good. Then her remains should be sent to Nagasaki at once. I'll consult Kiyama about how important he wishes to make her funeral."

"You will conduct the service, Eminence?"

"Yes, providing it's possible for me to leave here."

"Lord Kiyama would be very pleased with that honor."

"Yes - but we must make sure her service doesn't detract from the Lady Maria's. Maria's is politically very, very important."

"Of course, Eminence. I quite understand."

Dell'Aqua studied his secretary. "Why don't you trust Onoshi?"

"Sorry, Eminence - probably it's because he's a leper and petrifies me. I apologize."

"Apologize to him, Soldi, he's not to blame for his disease," dell'Aqua said. "We've no proof about the plot."

"The other things the Lady said were true. Why not this?"

"We have no proof. It's all surmise."

"Yes, surmise."

Dell'Aqua moved the glass decanter, watching the refracting light. "At my prayers I smelled the orange blossoms and new breads and, oh, how I wanted to go home."

Soldi sighed. "I dream of abbacchio, Eminence, and of meats pizzaiola and a flagon of Lacrima Christi and . . . God forgive me the hungers of hunger! Soon we can go home, Eminence. Next year. By next year everything will be settled here."

"Nothing will be settled by next year. This war will hurt us. It will hurt the Church and the faithful terribly."

"No, Eminence. Kyushu will be Christian whoever wins," Soldi said confidently, wanting to cheer up his superior. "This island can wait for God's good time. There's more than enough to do in Kyushu, Eminence, isn't there? Three million souls to convert, half a million of the faithful to minister to. Then there's Nagasaki and trade. They must have trade. Ishido and Toranaga will tear themselves to pieces. What does that matter? They're both anti-Christ, pagans and murderers. " "Yes. But unfortunately what happens in Osaka and Yedo controls Kyushu. What to do, what to do?" Dell'Aqua pushed his melancholy away. "What about the Ingeles? Where's he now?"

"Still, under guard in the donjon."

"Leave me for a while, old friend, I have to think. I have to decide what to do. Finally. The Church is in great danger." Dell'Aqua looked out the windows into the forecourt. Then he saw Friar Perez approaching.

Soldi went to the door to intercept the monk. "No," the FatherVisitor said. "I'll see him now."

"Ah, Eminence, good afternoon," Friar Perez said, scratching unconsciously. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. Please fetch the letter, Soldi."

"I heard your chapel was destroyed," the monk said.

"Damaged. Please sit down." Dell'Aqua sat in his high-backed chair behind the desk, the monk opposite him. "No one was hurt, thanks be to God. Within a few days it'll be new again. What about your Mission?"

"Untouched," the monk said with open satisfaction. "There were fires all around us after the tremors and many died but we weren't touched. The Eye of God watches over us." Then he added cryptically, "I hear heathens were murdering heathens in the castle last night."

"Yes. One of our most important converts, the Lady Maria, was killed in the melee."

"Ah yes, I got reports too. 'Kill him, Yoshinaka,' the Lady Maria said, and started the bloodbath. I heard she even tried to kill a few herself, before she committed suicide."

Dell'Aqua flushed. "You don't understand anything about the Japanese after all this time, and you even speak a little of their language."

"I understand heresy, stupidity, killing, and political interference, and I speak the pagan tongue very well. I understand a lot about these heathens."

"But not about manners."

"The Word of God requires none. It is the Word. Oh, yes. I also understand about adultery. What do you think of adultery - and harlots, Eminence?"

The door opened. Soldi offered dell'Aqua the Pope's letter, then left them.

The Father-Visitor gave the paper to the monk, savoring his victory. "This is from His Holiness. It arrived yesterday by special messenger from Macao."

The monk took the Papal Order and read it. This commanded, with the formal agreement of the King of Spain, that all priests of all religious orders were in future to travel to Japan only via Lisbon, Goa, and Macao, that all were forbidden on pain of immediate excommunication to go from Manila direct to Japan, and that lastly, all priests, other than Jesuits, were to leave Japan at once for Manila whence they could, if their superiors wished, return to Japan, but only via Lisbon, Goa, and Macao.

Friar Perez scrutinized the seal and the signature and the date, reread the Order carefully, then laughed derisively and shoved the letter on the desk. "I don't believe it!"

"That's an Order from His Holiness the-"

"It's another heresy against the Brethren of God, against us, or any mendicants who carry the Word to the heathen. With this device we're forbidden Japan forever, because the Portuguese, abetted by certain people, will prevaricate forever and never grant us passage or visas. If this is genuine it only proves what we've been saying for years: Jesuits can subvert even the Vicar of Christ in Rome!"

Dell'Aqua held onto his temper. "You're ordered to leave. Or you will be excommunicated."

"Jesuit threats are meaningless, Eminence. You don't speak with the Tongue of God, you never have, you never will. You're not soldiers of Christ. You serve a Pope, Eminence, a man. You're politicians, men of the earth, men of the fleshpots with your pagan silks and lands and power and riches and influence. The Lord Jesus Christ came to earth in the guise of a simple man who scratched and went barefoot and stank. I will never leave - nor will my Brothers!"

Dell'Aqua had never been so angry in his life. "You-will-leave-Japan!"

"Before God, I won't! But this is the last time I'll come here. If you want me in future, come to our Holy Mission, come and minister to the poor and the sick and the unwanted, like Christ did. Wash their feet like Christ did, and save your own soul before it's too late."

"You are commanded on pain of excommunication to leave Japan at once."

"Come now, Eminence, I'm not excommunicated and never will be. Of course I accept the document, unless it's out of date. This is dated September 16, 1598, almost two years ago. It must be checked, it's far too important to accept at once - and that will take four years at least."