Seas of Fortune(175)
Some minutes later, the brawl still going strong, the samurai arrived, and trussed up everyone still standing. Katakura Shigetsuna and David Date came and questioned everyone; Takuma and his friends were released, with warnings and fines, and Franciscus and his supporters were sent to Date Masamune for judgment.
* * *
Date Masamune cleared his throat. “Ahem. Herald, please remind everyone present of the text of clause five of the Edict of Kan’ei 11 concerning the kirishitan.”
The obugyô bowed, took a deep breath, and began reciting it from memory: “‘In order to be permitted to go to New Nippon, they must take oath, on pain of eternal punishment by the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, as well as by Saint Mary and all Angels and Saints—”
“Skip to part (c), please,” Masamune interjected.
“Ahem, ‘(c) they will not oppress the worshipers of the buddhas and kamis, or the followers of Confucius, in that land, or prevent any Christian from renouncing that faith and returning to any of the traditional religions of Nippon.’”
Masamune stared at each of the prisoners in turn. “You took that oath?”
They inclined their heads.
“Say ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ please; you were quick enough to speak earlier.”
“Yes, milord,” they chorused. Franciscus tried to justify his actions, but didn’t get far. “But—” A guardsman silenced him with a heavy slap against the side of his head. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
“And, Herald, what says clause two of the Black Seal Edict concerning New Nippon?”
“‘Within the province of New Nippon, freedom of worship is permitted, provided that it does not disturb public harmony.’”
Masamune said nothing for a whole minute. Naturally, no one else dared break the silence. Finally, he pronounced his judgment. “Prisoners, you are oath-breakers and law-breakers. I could have you beheaded here and now. I could crucify you, or burn you at the stake. I could have you bound and thrown into the sea, or left as chew toys in front of a bear den. Moreover, under the doctrine of collective responsibility, I could punish every member of your families, to the same or a lesser degree.
“However, I have decided that the most appropriate punishment for you is internal exile. Our Indian friends have shown our scholars the rock from which they make their red body paint. It’s tansha, which our Dutch call cinnabar. The Dutch are willing to pay handsomely for it, our Indians are going to lead us to the site, and you are going to do the mining.”
The cinnabar deposit he had in mind was New Almaden, in modern Santa Clara County, named by the Spanish colonists of the old time line California after the Almaden mine in Spain. One of the Spanish missionaries that once came to Japan could have warned the prisoners that this sentence wasn’t much of an improvement on beheading. The mine of old Almaden doubled as a penal institution, and one out of four of its prisoners died of mercury poisoning before their scheduled release dates.
“Assuming you cooperate with the soldiers and overseers I send along, I will permit you to worship there as you think best.
“And may your God have mercy upon you.”
Maruya/Carmel
“Well, Kanesada-dear, I have good news and bad news,” said First-to-Dance. “Which do you want first?”
He didn’t object to the familiar use of his first name. They were in private, and, the day before, he had joined First-to-Dance on one of her berry-picking expeditions. Just the two of them.
“The good news, I guess.”
“Relations with the Ixchenta couldn’t be better. They appreciated your pushing back the Achista to the far end of the cape, and they are still talking about what a powerful magician you are.
“In fact, I just found out that only a week after your scourging, a whale was stranded on the coast near their main village, and many of the Ixchenta are sure that it was the result of your magic. They called the ship that you and your colonists came in ‘the whale with wings,’ and they say ‘the blood of the Great Witch Doctor of the Waters calls to the creatures of the sea.’”
“What’s the bad news?”
“They’ve finished eating the carcass and they want you to do it again.”
The Night Heron’s Scream
November 1635 to Fall 1636
A lightning gleam:
into darkness travels
a night heron’s scream.
—Matsuo Basho5
Castle of Date Masamune, grand governor of New Nippon,
Kodachi Machi (Santa Cruz, California),
November 1635
“Then Mitsumori stabbed me,” gasped Date Masamune.
Date Chiyo-hime’s nohkan shrilled in alarm.