Shōgun

“My religion is Christian. There are two main Christian religions, Protestant and Catholic. Most English are Protestant.”

“You worship the same God, the Madonna and Child?”

“No, Sire. Not the way the Catholics do.” What does he want to know? Blackthorne was asking himself. Is he a Catholic? Should you answer what you think he wants to know, or what you think is the truth? Is he anti-Christian? Didn’t he call the Jesuit “my friend”? Is Toranaga a Catholic sympathizer, or is he going to become a Catholic?

“Do you believe the Jesus is God?”

“I believe in God,” he said carefully.

“Do not evade a direct question! Do you believe the Jesus is God? Yes or no?”

Blackthorne knew that in any Catholic court in the world he would have been damned long since for heresy. And in most, if not all, Protestant courts. Even to hesitate before answering such a question was an admission of doubt. Doubt was heresy. “You can’t answer questions about God with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ There have to be shades of ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ You don’t know for certain about God until you’re dead. Yes, I believe Jesus was God, but no, I don’t know for certain until I’m dead.”

“Why did you smash the priest’s cross when you first arrived in Japan?”

Blackthorne had not been expecting this question. Does Toranaga know everything that’s happened since I arrived? “I—I wanted to show the daimyo Yabu that the Jesuit, Father Sebastio—the only interpreter there—that he was my enemy, that he wasn’t to be trusted, at least, in my opinion. Because I was sure he wouldn’t necessarily translate accurately, not as Father Alvito is doing now. He accused us of being pirates, for instance. We’re not pirates, we come in peace.”

“Ah yes! Pirates. I’ll come back to piracy in a moment. You say both your sects are Christian, both venerate Jesus the Christ? Isn’t the essence of his teaching ‘to love one another’?”

“Yes.”

“Then how can you be enemies?”

“Their faith—their version of Christianity is a false interpretation of the Scriptures.”

“Ah! At last we’re getting somewhere. So you’re at war through a difference of opinion about what is God or not God?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a very stupid reason to go to war.”

Blackthorne said, “I agree.” He looked at the priest. “I agree with all my heart.”

“How many ships are in your fleet?”

“Five.”

“And you were the senior pilot?”

“Yes.”

“Where are the others?”

“Out to sea,” Blackthorne said carefully, continuing his lie, presuming that Toranaga had been primed to ask certain questions by Alvito. “We were split up in a storm and scattered. Where exactly I don’t know, Sire.”

“Your ships were English?”

“No, Sire. Dutch. From Holland.”

“Why is an Englishman in charge of Dutch ships?”

“That’s not unusual, Sire. We’re allies—Portuguese pilots sometimes lead Spanish ships and fleets. I understand Portuguese pilots con some of your oceangoing ships by law.”

“There are no Dutch pilots?”

“Many, Sire. But for such a long voyage English are more experienced.”

“But why you? Why did they want you to lead their ships?”

“Probably because my mother was Dutch and I speak the language fluently and I’m experienced. I was glad of the opportunity.”

“Why?”

“This was my first opportunity to sail into these waters. No English ships were planning to come so far. This was a chance to circumnavigate.”

“You yourself, Pilot, you joined the fleet because of your religion and to war against your enemies Spain and Portugal?”

“I’m a pilot, Sire, first and foremost. No one English or Dutch has been in these seas before. We’re primarily a trading fleet, though we’ve letters of marque to attack the enemy in the New World. We came to Japan to trade.”

“What are letters of marque?”

“Legal licenses issued by the Crown—or government—giving authority to war on the enemy.”

“Ah, and your enemies are here. Do you plan to war on them here?”

“We did not know what to expect when we got here, Sire. We came here only to trade. Your country’s almost unknown—it’s legend. The Portuguese and Spanish are very closemouthed about this area.”

“Answer the question: Your enemies are here. Do you plan to war on them here?”

“If they war on me. Yes.”

Toranaga shifted irritably. “What you do at sea or in your own countries is your own affair. But here there is one law for all and foreigners are in our land by permission only. Any public mischief or quarrel is dealt with immediately by death. Our laws are clear and will be obeyed. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sire. But we come in peace. We came here to trade. Could we discuss trade, Sire? I need to careen my ship and make repairs—we can pay for everything. Then there’s the ques—”

“When I wish to discuss trade or anything else I will tell you. Meanwhile please confine yourself to answering the questions. So you joined the expedition to trade, for profit, not because of duty or loyalty? For money?”

“Yes. It’s our custom, Sire. To be paid and to have a share of all plun—of all trade and all enemy goods captured.”

“So you’re a mercenary?”