Adventure Magazine Cover — page 153: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

More than Half a King Many of the younger priests were kan- nushi; they were not celibates, and might return to their homes when they pleased. Some were of rich families, and Kagamo desired that they remain in the temple. All wore the loose black kimono fastened at the waist with a black rope girdle, and their caps were bound about with a white silk fillet. “T must furnish them with entertain- ment,’”’ the abbot muttered. ‘The temple is a theater now. All because of this pot- cleaner’s daughter. In the old days I might have beaten them, but now . He stepped where all might see him. The abbot was never one to dissemble. “You are talking of the girl?’ he asked, and a long, exhaled breath was agreement enough. “I was thinking of her,” he said, and stopped. A tall gaunt priest bowed. ‘“‘We were all thinking of her,” he said with gravity, although his voice was shaken. The abbot smiled. “It might be better if you thought of your caligraphy, Toyotama,”’ he said mildly. “‘The last scrolls were imperfectly done.”’ Toyotama bowed as if this were rare praise, and smiled all over his face. ‘“‘I see only Yoshi-Ko as I write,” he protested. ‘““Good! Seeing her when absent, you will not need her about.” The priests moved uneasily now, and Kagamo sighed. “Well?” he added. “She has gone to the sezyo-jin’s house,” Toyotama said. “Is it permitted that we summon her?” Kagamo. blinked, and recovered himself: so that was it. “Summon away,” he said almost in- stantly. ‘But will she come?” “Is there question of that?”’ “No, no. The question is, will C’ark-san be willing?” “What has that to do with it?” blurted a novice, newly come. The abbot smiled at him sleekly. “For speaking out of turn you will nng the great bell at four in the morning for one week, and spend the time between the ringing and the second prayer-hour in meditation on the fact that a tree lives thrice three hundred years because it is silent. Well, Toyotama, the child is silent; speak.” 147 Sullenly: “C’ark-san took her through incantation and magic. He lit millet-stalk, poured pure rice wine on the flames, and the smoke made her image. She must stay with him, until taken by force. We will take her!’ A glimpse about him, at the agreeing priests, and Kagamo sighed again. He thought of his quiet room, and the fokonoma he had been contemplating; thought of the peace of the picture’s sweep of green water. “T have had my last discussion with C’ark-san,”’ he decided, “‘just as they were becoming interesting. “Well,” he said aloud, abruptly, “you, Toyotama, being the eldest after myself, go to C’ark-san, and ask him if he will visit an old man, and that I will honor him in return by preparing the ceremonial tea with my own hands. And, O, Toyotama my son, I will be gazing on you as you return with him—the proper three paces in his rear, for he is a great priest—and if you mumble under your breath—as you were doing!—I will possibly think of a penance or so, at a time you will not care to be isolated. There—now go for him.” Toyotama went. He found Clark asleep in his chair, although it was well toward nine, with a cup of cold coffee beside him: the house-boy had his orders that coffee was to be brought at eight, and at eight he brought it. Clark woke with a start. Toyotama delivered his message, none the more graciously for the sound of a soft giggle above. “T had better get it over with,” Clark said aloud, and, in Japanese, added, “‘I am ready.” For all his vigil, for all his intense think- ing now, as they walked toward the temple Clark was utterly unable to plan nor de- cide. He was uneasily aware of the priest’s angry eyes at his back, and felt instinctively that only the abbot’s orders had made the fellow simulate courtesy. Toyotama, at the temple gate, led the way past the blind beggar, who mumbled for alms, and added something beneath his breath which Toyo- tama must have caught, for he kicked sud- denly at the mendicant when Clark was not looking. The abbot greeted Clark cheerfully, bowed Toyotama out of the room and calmly closed every panel. He then un- covered a narrow rectangle cut in the floor, and with a goose feather flicked the edges COmiclboolks CO