The Samurai and the Long-Nosed Devils by Lensey Namioka Page A

he felt a deep embarrassment. He could sense Zenta growing tense with anger.
    Lady Yuki, however, exhibited a superb self-control, so lacking in her father and her household samurai. Her only response was a cold stare. She climbed into her sedan chair and lowered the blinds with a sharp snap.
    One person, however, showed a more violent reaction to Lord Fujikawa’s words. The samurai at the head of the file clenched his fist and his hand went halfway to his sword before it fell back. Since the man wore a hat, Matsuzo could not see the upper part of his face, but he recognized the flaring nostrils and the grinding teeth. This was Kotaro, the involuntary recipient of a haircut and Lady Yuki’s devoted slave.
    After Lord Fujikawa’s party had left, the two ronin also prepared to descend. Zenta looked up for a moment at the gathering clouds. “We can expect a stormy night ahead of us.”

Chapter 7
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    â€œHambei,” said Nobunaga, “are you sure that Zenta will be able to protect the Portuguese with only the help of his young assistant? The safety of these foreigners is important to me.” “Zenta is a superb swordsman, my lord.
    He is more than a match for Lord Fujikawa’s bullies.”
    â€œYour story about the shorn topknot is all very well, but we need more than a trick swordsman. Shouldn’t we send some of our own men also?”
    â€œWe can’t afford to have our men come into open conflict with Lord Fujikawa, my lord. It’s better to use these two ronin, since they have no known allegiance. Zenta is experienced as a commander, and he will be able to organize the defense of the Portuguese.”
    â€œHm . . . I think I should like to have this ronin as a staff officer eventually,” said Nobunaga thoughtfully. “But Hambei, if any harm comes to the Portuguese, I will have your head.”
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    Waiting for the storm to break seemed to take an eternity. What Pedro needed this evening was company, but Father Luis was probably praying in his study, and most of the other staff had already retired for the night. Pedro found sleep to be impossible in the sultry heat. As he squirmed in his tight-fitting doublet and hose, he envied the Japanese in their loose cotton kimonos. Once he had even asked Maria to get him a kimono. But when he tried it on, his long legs had extended so far beyond the bottom of the hem that the sight had sent her into a fit of giggling.
    Pedro still remembered the first time he had ever seen Maria. She stood weeping outside their gate. When he had appeared, she ran to him and asked him to take her in, declaring herself willing to become a Christian convert. Pedro learned that her family were poor relations of Lord Fujikawa’s wife. After the girl had been left orphaned, she entered Lord Fujikawa’s household as an attendant. She soon found her master pursuing her with unwelcome attention, and she escaped to the Portuguese for refuge. To Pedro’s surprise, Maria showed a quiet courage totally unexpected in someone of her meek appearance. She held stubbornly to her Christian faith in spite of the fact that all of Lord Fujikawa’s people, except Chiyo, jeered at her whenever they had a chance.
    Lately Pedro found his thoughts turning more and more often to Maria. When he had jokingly spoken to Father Luis about marrying a Japanese wife, Maria had been in the back of his mind. But he knew that Father Luis would not approve. He would say that Pedro was taking advantage of Maria’s helpless and dependent situation.
    Pedro sighed and looked wistfully at his guitar. He had an absurd desire to play sentimental songs on it. He had bought the instrument from a Portuguese merchant and he used to play his favorite songs, much to the fascination of the Japanese. Unfortunately the damp weather had ruined the strings and he had not been able to replace them. Once he had seen a blind Japanese musician using a plucked instrument