Adventure Magazine Cover — page 154: what you’re looking at

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

148 of the lacquered hearth, the cinders of which were dyed with tea. Clark, on edge, wished the other would hurry. Gracefully, with the movement of long prac- tice, Kagamo seized a glowing ember from the tripod-supported hibacht by means of two silver sticks and fanned them with a branch of spindlewood, sprinkling the whitening coals with incense, which at once perfumed the room pungently. The coals he dropped into the floor-stove, and fanned them rapidly, until the charcoal already in the receptacle began to color rosily. He then placed a metal teapot over the fire, picked up a spatula cut from bamboo and . with it deposited tea in a porcelain bowl. Neither spoke during the ceremony, and Clark strived to make his impatience less apparent. At last the abbot poured boiling water into the bowl, and stirred the mixture until a thick sea-green froth rose to the surface; he then passed the bowl to Clark, who drank a portion, and finally gustily finished the remains himself, down to the muddy sediment. Threads of green moss clung to the inner surface, which the abbot wiped away with a wet cloth. He did the same with the other objects, put each in its proper place, covered the hearth, and sighed loudly. “Now we may talk,” he said“in a low voice. “If I could make these children of mine delve into our religion as they do into my own affairs, there would be few unknown gods. The place stinks of secrecy. Now, young fool, tell an old fool what it is all about.” “The girl came——”’ “Do I not know that? The point is this: these sons of mine itch to see her, whereas I would like to make them itch from the bamboo! Give us the girl, to whom no harm will come. Answer yes, and we will abandon this foolish subject.” ‘“‘I—I would like to.”’ “Then do it!” ‘“‘But I—I have made a promise.”’ ‘‘A rash promise is better broken,” the abbot remarked. “I am a very old man, and I have had more sorrow from promises kept than from promises forgotten.”’ “It is between the girl—and myself— and >P] “And your god?” Kagamo concluded shrewdly. ‘But there the question is, does he know about it?” Clark was silent. Adventure “Then you have mentioned the matter to hime” “T mentioned it,” the white man agreed miserably. “The affair becomes simple,” Kagamo assured him. “Ask release from your promise. Is that complicated?”’ He saw from Clark’s face that it was, and hurried on: “These priestlings can not study nor write nor pray; they read all day of the Thousand and Four Virtues, and spend the night in forgetting them. They are mad, I say. But all youth is mad—and age madder, doubtless! But, C’ark-san, if you do not give up the little pot-cleaner’s child——” “What then?” “T fear they will take her!” The abbot paused, and added— “It is that you are one, and they many.” Clark smiled, and patted his finger-tips together. “Let them! Let them try!” he whis- pered, and was sorry for that at once. The answer came immediately. “That I will never do” (and the gaunt priest, Toyotama, from his cranny without the shoji, scurried away with the news), ‘that I will never do, unless there is no other way. Return to your house and enter into meditation. Communicate with your god, and discuss the matter with him. If he asks for an offering for the broken promise, I will give it gladly. Back in a forgotten age a master distiller spent a life- time in making the essence of bamboo swinging in moonlight. I have it. A treasure. Offer that! and more, if need be! “T will also ask for guidance, and in the meantime preach a bit of wisdom to the priests, to keep them quiet while you pray. There! Do not shake your head. Does your god expect you to be infallible? There —do it for our friendship—meditate upon that which we must avoid, and the love we bear for each other. Both in danger because of that accursed daughter of a condemned pot-cleaner!”’ Clark shook his head again. ‘“‘Nothing may come of it, true,” the ab- bot said gently. “But you are at least given a morning—to make plans, upon which I can not advise you. I see no other way. Ask guidance.” Old Kagamo’s tired eyes grew brighter, and, as if Clark were already gone, the abbot (© MICLOOKS (©