Beasts of a Little Land(52)
“Yes, that is exciting,” Yamada said, affecting approval. Only the flicker of his eyes and the deliberately careful way he set down his glass betrayed him.
“And you’ll love this,” Ito said, leading the way to the next room. On the floor there was a giant yellow-and-black tiger that, at a glance, looked like a live animal. Upon closer inspection it turned out to be only a skin.
“Do you know how much I paid for this?” Ito said with an unusual frankness, and revealed a sum that exceeded their yearly salaries as colonels. “They’re getting absurdly expensive nowadays. But that’s precisely why I bought one. Once the beasts are truly well and gone, I could sell this for twenty times what I paid.”
“I went tiger hunting once,” Yamada said with a distant look in his eyes. “They are the strongest and the most clever beasts you’ll ever see.”
“You don’t say! They’re becoming so rare these days in the wild. I haven’t heard one has been caught in the last three, four years. Within the next few years, we’ll only catch sight of them at the ChangGyeong Palace Zoo.”
At that moment, Ito turned his head to the door, where his sister was standing and casting shy glances.
“Come in, Mineko,” Ito said warmly, and the young woman quietly entered. Yamada rose, and the two of them exchanged bows. Unlike her handsome brother, she was plain and even unattractive. But her eyes were pretty and kind, whereas her brother’s fine eyes were cold and selfish. Like the two men and other members of the highest Japanese nobility, she was dressed in Western clothes—a loosely fitting dress of pale pink satin that made her look even whiter. She stood next to Yamada, smiling self-consciously.
“So you were saying?” Ito turned back to Yamada, who was registering then that the meeting was devised for him to meet this young woman. “Did you kill it?”
“No, I aimed and shot at it, along with everyone else. It was injured in the leg, but it fled,” Yamada said, noticing for the first time that he hoped the tiger had survived.
“Ah, pity. Don’t feel bad. It probably died in the woods anyway, and that’s the same thing as killing it. Which is more worthy than just buying a skin with money,” Ito assured him. Mineko nodded in agreement, and then politely left the room.
A SERVANT CAME to put away the antiques one by one, and the men poured and drank more cognac.
“I was by far my father’s favorite child,” Ito said, taking a sip of his drink. “I always pitied Mineko that she didn’t get any of his affections. I felt very protective of her.”
“She seems nice.”
“Really? Glad to hear she made a good impression on you.” Ito smiled. “What else?”
Yamada shrugged. “I don’t know her very well, I only just met her.”
“Genzo, you know I don’t care that much for women,” Ito said, switching to a very candid, heart-to-heart tone. “I like the beautiful ones, yes. I appreciate their looks, even their individual qualities. They’re like antiques, you know? But unlike antiques, their value goes down with time, at least from my point of view. It happens without fail. And yet, you see how I’m submitting to the ways of the world.” Ito leaned back in his chair and took another swig from his glass. “I’m getting married to the daughter of Count H. I’ve met her only twice.”
“Shall I congratulate you?” Yamada asked ironically, and Ito laughed.
“Yes, I suppose. It’s a great alliance. Father would have been very pleased. But this is about you, Genzo. What do you think of my sister? You have to marry at some point. Your father probably told you as much. And Mineko, she’s educated and pleasant, not to mention wealthy. She’s going to be a good, obedient wife, and I’d like to see her marry someone like you.”
Yamada made no reply, choosing to observe the inside of his cup instead. Indeed, Ito Mineko was at least as good as the other matches his father had brought up, if not better. In recent years, Colonel Yamada had discovered that how he should feel often differed from how he did feel. He worried that this was holding him back and making him weak. As a test of his strength of will, he thus made it a habit to do what didn’t appeal to him in the least. He applied himself in the jail cells, personally administering lashes to the most insidious rebels, with the conviction of an athlete who exercises vigorously, believing it will eventually become easier while leaving his body stronger. Therefore, despite not being at all interested in Mineko as a woman or even a person, Yamada answered without emotion, “Fine, I will marry her.”
“Excellent! A toast then. To our families,” Ito said and they clinked their glasses. Yamada wasn’t smiling, however.
“Genzo, don’t look so tense. You know what marriage is like?” Ito lowered his glass and smacked his lips. “Marriage is a house. You build it so you can raise your children. But a man isn’t locked up inside it. He can come and go as he pleases. It’s as impossible for a man to be confined in his marriage as it is for him to never leave his house.” He leaned back in his chair, basking in its softness and the hazy glow of the liquor.
13
Left and Right
1925
JUNGHO STARTED VISITING JADE AT HOME NEARLY EVERY DAY, EVEN IF for just ten minutes. He didn’t want her to get tired of him, and tried a few times to stay away for a while. When he returned, however, Jade always asked where he’d been as keenly as when they were little playmates. With relief, JungHo would then feel permitted to visit regularly once more.