el.angeleyes-第77部分

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hat　overspread　nine…tenths　of　the　island。
　Having　made　the　journey　south　with　Honno；　Noboru　had　hired　a　small　boat；　which　had　deposited　them　on　the　rock…strewn　beach　of　the　Man　of　One　Tree's　island。
　The　Man　of　One　Tree　was　a　hunchback　with　a　head　far　too　large　for　the　rest　of　his　monkeylike　body；　and　his　appearance　frightened　Honno。　She　hid　behind　her　father's　legs　while　he　addressed　the　Man　of　One　Tree。
　〃My　daughter；〃　Noboru　said；　〃is　hinoeuma；　having　had　the　misfortune　to　be　born　in　the　sixtieth　cycle　of　the　year　of　the　horse。　My　wife　and　I　fear　that　she　is　destined　to　murder　her　husband。〃
　The　Man　of　One　Tree　peered　at　Honno　with　his　frightful；　opaque　pitch…black　eyes。　It　was　said　that　he　was　Indonesian　or；　in　any　event；　had　emigrated　many　years　ago　from　that　mysterious　archipelago。　Now　he　produced　five　shards　of　half…blackened　tortoiseshell。　He　threw　them　onto　the　ground　three　times；　after　which　he　squatted　down；　his　thick　brows　knit　tight　as　he　read　the　runes　inscribed　on　the　insides　of　the　shells。
　He　looked　up　at　Noboru；　his　wrists　on　his　knees；　accentuating　even　further　his　simian　aspect。　〃You　could　kill　her；〃　he　said　in　a　high；　quavery　voice。
　Honno　whimpered；　and　Noboru　put　a　protective　arm　around　her；　holding　her　tight　to　him。　〃Are　you　mad？〃　he　said。　〃This　is　my　flesh　and　blood。　Whatever　she　may　be；　she　is　my　child。　I　would　not　have　her　harmed。''
　The　Mail　of　One　Tree　nodded　sagely；　as　if　he　had　been　presented　with　the　correct　response。　〃Or；〃　he　said；　''you　can　leave　her　with　me。〃
　〃For　how　long？〃　Noboru　asked。
　The　Man　of　One　Tree　stood。　〃When　she　is　ready；　she　will　e　to　you。〃
　〃But　my　wife…I　must　be　able　to　tell　her　when　she　can　see　Honno…〃
　〃Tell　your　wife；〃　the　Man　of　One　Tree　said；　〃to　forget　she　has　a　daughter。　Tell　her　to　turn　her　mind　to　other　matters。　She　will　not　survive　the　separation；　otherwise。〃
　Honno　had　cried　bitterly　when　her　father　had　left。　She　had　run　onto　the　beach；　the　sharp　rocks　slashing　through　her　thin…soled　shoes；　cutting　the　bottoms　of　her　feet。
　〃Daddy！〃　she　had　wailed。　〃Daddy！〃
　But　Noboru　had　already　turned　resolutely　away　as　the　boat　took　him　out　over　the　gray　sea　toward　home。
　Honno　collapsed　at　the　edge　of　the　water；　weeping　uncontrollably。　Then　she　was　aware　of　being　lifted　into　the　air；　and　opening　her　eyes；　saw　to　her　utter　astonishment　that　the　Man　of　One　Tree　had　hefted　her　in　his　arms　as　easily　as　if　she　were　a　sack　of　rice。
　〃Why　do　you　cry；　little　one？〃　he　said。　〃This　is　a　new　beginning　for　you；　a　chance　for　life　instead　of　death。''
　〃I　want　to　go　home！〃　Honno　had　cried。
　〃I　understand；〃　the　Man　of　One　Tree　had　said。　〃Home　is　where　I　am　taking　you。''
　It　took　Honno　less　than　a　year　to　think　of　the　island　as　home；　but　then　children　are　so　much　more　adaptable　than　adults。　No…boru；　for　instance；　would　never　have　been　able　to　make　the　adjustment。
　The　thing　about　the　Man　of　One　Tree　was　that　he　was　so　interesting。　Even　when　Honno　could　not　quite　grasp　everything　he　said；　she　filed　it　away；　to　ponder　over　late　at　night　when　she　was　alone；　staring　up　at　the　stars　glittering　through　the　overarching　branches　of　the　One　Tree。
　And　that　was　another　thing　that　surprised　her。　She　enjoyed　being　alone；　having　time　to　listen　to　the　rhythm　of　the　surf　on　the　rocks；　the　crying　of　the　terns　and　gulls；　the　rising　and　falling　whisper　of　the　sea　wind　through　the　tangle　of　the　One　Tree；　the　ticking　of　her　own　mind。
　〃Thought　takes　time；〃　the　Man　of　One　Tree　had　told　her　early　on　in　her　stay。　〃And　it　takes　effort；　because　you　must　decide　which　thoughts　will　improve　you；　which　will　impair　you。　You　must　think　of　your　mind　as　a　garden　that　needs　constant　attention。　You　must　study　and　discuss　your　studies　to　feed　it；　you　must　regularly　seek　the　silence　and　isolation　essential　for　periodic　weeding。〃
　Honno　used　the　stars　as　her　focus。　They　were　so　far　away　that　even　her　wa；　which　each　day　she　and　the　Man　of　One　Tree　worked　to　expand；　could　never　reach　them。　But　stretching　over　such　a　distance　allowed　for　the　deepest　weeding。
　In　the　night；　Honno　recalled　her　lessons　for　the　day；　turning　them　over　and　over；　as　if　they　were　jewels　of　great　value　which　she　must　observe　from　every　facet。
　In　this　manner　she　absorbed　everything　she　was　taught。　She　proved　to　be　an　extraordinary　pupil。　Her　memory　was　prodigious；　and　as　long　as　her　interest　was　piqued；　she　never　grew　tired　or　unresponsive。
　The　Man　of　One　Tree　instructed　her　in　the　basics　of　Zen　and　Shinto；　for　he　felt　strongly　that　religion　was　the　backbone　of　any　successful　education。　From　there　he　moved　outward　in　what　he　saw　as　concentric　circles　to　the　Tao　and　the　philosophy　of　Lao…tse。　Now　came　the　warlike；　more　secular　philosophies　of　the　master　strategist；　Sun　Tzu；　and　the　master　swordsman；　Miya…moto　Musashi。　Concurrent　with　these　mental　studies　were　the　physical　exercises：　tai　chi；　jiujutsu；　aikido；　karate；　kenjutsu。
　One　might　think　of　this　as　a　rather　traditional　curriculum；　and　it　was：　for　a　young　boy　studying　the　martial　arts。　It　was　totally　unconventional　for　a　female。　In　addition；　the　Man　of　One　Tree　added　to　Honno's　studies　the　somewhat　more　esoteric　philosophies　and　physical　disciplines　he　had　acquired　during　his　years　crisscrossing　the　Indonesian　archipelago。
　〃You　will　never　be　a　woman　in　the　traditional　sense；〃　the　Man　of　One　Tree　said　to　Honno　one　night。　It　was　six　years　since　she　had　e　to　live　with　him。　She　had　breasts　now；　and　the　place　between　her　thighs　was　covered　with　fine　black　hair。　She　had　bled　for　the　first　time　that　evening；　just　as　the　sun　was　sinking　with　the　colors　of　a　peacock　into　the　turbulent　ocean。
　She　had　known　what　the　blood　flow　was；　and　what　it　meant。　But　some　other　part　of　her；　the　hinoeuma　child　hanging　on；　had　remembered　the　horror　of　her　mother's　dream；　how　she　had　squatted　in　the　snow　and；　under　the　baleful　gaze　of　the　starving　stoat；　had　squirted　blood。
　〃I　am　still　hinoeuma；〃　she　had　said　in　despair　to　the　Man　of　One　Tree。　She　was　trembling；　and　her　callused　hands　were　rough　and　red　from　scrubbing　herself。　〃I　am　still　unclean。〃
　To　which　he　had　replied；　〃You　will　never　be　a　woman　in　the　traditional　sense。''　He　took　her　to　the　center　of　the　One　Tree；　where　its　trunk　was　as　large　as　a　house；　where　even　the　stars　could　not　be　seen；　and　sat　her　down　with　her　back　to　the　rough　bark。　''But　that　is　all　to　the　good。　I　have　done　my　best　to　cleanse　your　spirit。　Never　mind　your　body；　it　will　only　betray　you。''
　〃It　will　never　betray　me；〃　Honno　had　said　naively。
　He　spread　his　arms　wide。　''When　you　return　to　the　mainland；　all　this　will　fade　in　time。〃
　〃No；　no！〃
　〃It　will　e　to　seem　as　a　dream；〃　the　Man　of　One　Tree　persisted。　〃That　is　only　natural；　it　is　the　way　of　life。　You　will　continue　to　mature　until　you　bee　a　woman。　Then　will　your　body　betray　you；　and　you　will　want　what　every　woman　wants：　a　husband；　a　family；　a　home。
　〃But　your　path　leads　in　other　directions。　For　you；　normality　will　bring　to　the　fore　your　hinoeuma；　and　only　evil　can　ensue。　Therefore；　I　counsel　you　to　be　strong　within　yourself。　When　you　feel　the　urge　to　fall　in　love；　to　marry；　return　to　that　place　in　your　spirit　I　have　taught　you　to　find；　for　only　this　will　nurture　you；　and　protect　you　from　the　fate　of　the　hinoeuma；　the　husband　killer。〃
　Honno；　opening　her　eyes　in　the　present；　stared　out　into　pale　sunlight；　except　she　was　still　seeing　the　body　of　the　young　man　whose　larynx　she　had　crushed。　Had　it　been　only　hours　ago？　It　felt　like　years。
　But；　yes；　it　must　be　only　hours。　In　her　mind's　eye　she　could　still　see　his　blood　fresh　on　her　hands；　and　behind　her　Big　Ezoe　saying；　almost　gently；　〃Mrs。　Kansei；　I　have　the　Sakata　ledgers　and　their　decoded　pages。　It's　time　to　go。〃
　Now　Irina　and　Natasha　Mayakova　went　to　dinner　almost　every　night。　Even　on　those　days　when　she　wasn't　attending　Natasha's　acting　classes　in　the　back　of　the　new　Moscow　Arts　Theater；　Irina　met　Natasha　after　her　performance　of　Three　Sisters。
　Often；　in　fact；　they　did　not　have　a　proper　dinner；　they　preferred　to　stroll　through　the　streets　and　parks；　talking；　endlessly　talking。　They　would　stop；　eventually；　for　a　bowl　of　cabbage　soup　in　some　tiny　neighborhood　shop　filled　with　steam　and　gossip；　then　move　on；　drifting　through　th