A fisherman perhaps, washed from his boat. He ran quickly ta was the man, and behind her, Hannah came. Dr. Sadao Hoki's house was built on a spot of the Japanese coast, where, as a little boy, he had often played.
The square stone house was set upon rocks, well above a narrow beach, that was outlined with bent pines. As a boy, Sadao had climbed the pines, supporting himself on his bare feet, as he had seen men do, in the South Seas, when they climbed for coconut. His father had taken him often to the islands of South Seas, and always had said, Those islands there, they are the stepping stones to the future of Japan.
Where shall we step from them? Who knows? Who can limit our future?
It depends on what we make it. Sadao had taken this into his mind as he did what his father said. His father, who never joked or played with him, but who underwent infinite pains for him.
Who was his only son? Sadao knew? that his education was his father's main concern.
For this reason, at 22, he had been sent to America to learn all about surgery and medicine. At 30, he had come back. His father had seen Sadao become famous, not only as a surgeon, but as a scientist. Sadao was being kept in Japan.
Why? Why was he not sent abroad with the military? One reason was that he was perfecting a discovery. that would make wounds entirely clean. Also, the old general was being treated medically.
Sadao knew that the general might need an operation. For these reasons, Sadao was being kept in Japan. Clouds were rising from the ocean now. There was heavy fog from the cold waves.
The fog hid the outline of the island near, and after some time, the fog would surround Sadao's house. At this moment, the door opened, and Hana, Sadao's wife, Wearing a dark blue hair over her kimono, looked out. Hey, Ari, is a loose outer garment, worn over a kimono. She came to Sadao affectionately, as he smiled, and said nothing. He had met Hana in America, but he had waited to fall in love with her, until he was sure she was Japanese.
His father would never have received her, unless she had been pure Japanese. He had met Hana, by chance, literally, at an American professor's house. The professor and his wife had been kind people, who wanted to do something for their few foreign students. And the students, though bored, had accepted the kindness.
Sadow had no guts of going to Professor Harley's house, the room so small, the food so bad, the professor's wife so talkative. But he went there one night, and found Hannah, a new student, and felt, he would love her. Now, he felt her hand on his arm.
They had been married years enough to have the two children. They hadn't married in America. They had finished their work in America, and had come to Japan, and when his father had seen her, the marriage had been arranged in the old Japanese way. They were perfectly happy. It was this moment.
When both of them saw something black, coming out of the mists. It was a man. He was flung up out of the ocean. He staggered a few steps.
Then the mists hit him again. Who is that? The man was crawling on his hands and knees.
Then he fell on his face and lie there. A fisherman perhaps. Washed from his boat. He ran quickly towards the man and behind her, Hannah came.
The coast was dangerous. It was spiked with sharp rocks. The man managed to come through them. So, he must be badly torn. When they approached him, they saw, he was really injured.
The sand beside him, had a red stain of his blood. He is wounded. An old cap stuck to his head.
Hannah turned the man's head. They saw the face. A white man.
Yes, it was a white man. There was his wet yellow hair, long, as though it had not been cut for weeks. And upon his young and tortured face, was a rough yellow beard.
He was unconscious, and knew nothing that they did for him. What did they do for him? Sadow examined the wound, and with his expert fingers, he began to search for the wound.
On the right side of the wound, there was a red-colored wound. With his lower back, Sadow saw that a gun wound had been reopened. The man had been shot some days ago.
And unfortunately, a rock struck exactly at the wound. Oh, how he is bleeding. At this time, no one came by. The fishermen had gone home, and beachcombers would not come at this time.
What shall we do with this man? But Sadow's trained hands wanted to stop the insane bleeding. He packed the wound with sea moss. The bleeding was stopped. The best thing we could do would be to put him back in the sea.
Yes, undoubtedly, that would be the best. If we shelter a white man in our house, we will be arrested. And if we turn him over to execution as a prisoner, he will certainly die. The kindest thing would be to put him back into the sea. But neither of them moved.
They stared at the man. What is he? There is something about him that looks American. Sadow took up the cap.
And it was faint lettering. A sailor from an American warship. US Navy. The man is a prisoner of war.
Our army had imprisoned him. He has escaped. And that is why he is wounded.
In the back. Come, are we able to put him back into the sea? If I am able, are you? No. But if you can do it alone.
The strange thing is that if the man were whole, I could turn him over to the police without difficulty. I care nothing of him. He is my enemy. All Americans are my enemy. And he is only a common fellow.
You see how foolish his face is? But since he is wounded... You also cannot throw him back to the sea.
Then... There is only one thing to do. We must carry him to the house.
But the servants? We must simply tell them that we will give him to the police, and indeed we must, Sato. We must think of the children and your position.
It would endanger all of us if we did not give this man over as a prisoner of war. Certainly, I would not think of doing anything else. Thus agreed.
They together lifted the man. He was very light, like a fowl. that had been half-starved for a long time.
Fowl is a bird. They carried him up the steps, and into the side door of the house. They carried him to an empty bedroom.
It had been the bedroom of Sadao's father, and since his death, it had not been used. Everything here had been Japanese, to please the old man, who would never sit on a chair, or sleep on a foreign bed. The floor was deeply matted.
They laid the man on it. Hana went to the wall cupboards. and took out a soft quilt.
Quilt means warm bed cover. The quilt was covered with flowered silk, and the lining was pure white silk. She didn't want to make it dirty. He is so dirty.
Yes, he had better be washed. If you'll fetch hot water, I will wash him. I can't bear for you to touch him. We shall have to tell the servants that he is here. I will tell Yummy now.
She can leave the children for a few minutes, and she'll wash him. Let it be so. You tell Yummy, and I will tell the others.
But the poutiness of the man's unconscious face made Sadao to feel his pulse. It was faint, but it was there. The heart too, was yet alive.
He will die, unless he us operated on. The question is, whether he will not die anyway. Don't try to save him. What if he should live? What if he should die?
You mean, die from operation? Yes. The man must have extraordinary vitality. Otherwise, he would have been dead by now.
But then, he was very young, perhaps not yet 25. At any rate, something must be done with him. And first, he must be washed. Sada went out of the room, and Hana came behind him. She didn't want to be left alone with the white man.
She went to the nursery, and called Yumi. Yumi. She had to go in for a moment. and smile at her children and play with the baby boy, three months old. Yummy, come with me.
I will put the baby to bed. He is ready. She went with Yummy into the bedroom and stood with the boy in her arms while Yummy spread the sleeping quilts on the floor and laid the baby. Then, Hannah went quickly to the kitchen.
There, she told about the wounded man to the two servants, the cook and the old gardener. The old gardener pulled the few hairs on his upper lip. The master should not heal the wound of this white man. He ought to die.
First, he was shot, then the sea caught him, and wounded him with the rocks. If the master heals what the gun did, and what the sea did, the gun and the sea, will take revenge on us. I will tell him what you say.
Although Hannah was not superstitious as the old man was, but she was frightened. Could it ever be well, to help an enemy? Yummy. Fetch the hot water, and bring it to the room, where the white man is. I have never washed a white man, and I will not wash so dirty a one, now.
You will do, what your master commands you. After all, if the servants report something, very well. You understand, we only want to bring him to his senses, so that we can turn him over as a prisoner. I will have nothing to do with it.
I am a poor person, and it is not my business. Then please, return to your own work. At once, Yummy left the room. Hannah was left alone, with a white man. Stupid Yummy.
Is this anything, but man? And a wounded, helpless man. Hannah herself bent down, and untied the knotted rugs, that covered the white man.
When she had his chest bare, she dipped the towel, that Yummy had brought into the hot water, and washed his face. She kept on washing him. until his upper body was clean. But she dared not to turn him over. Where is Sato, Sato?
She saw that Sato had brought his surgeon's emergency bag, and also that he wore his surgeon's coat. You have decided to operate? Yes. He put his instruments upon the floor of Tokonama.
Fetch towels. She went obediently. She thought there must be an old piece of matting. So that the blood would not ruin the fine floor covering. She went out to the back veranda, where the gardener kept strips of matting, to protect soft shrubs.
She took some of the strips. But when she returned to the room, she saw, the blood had already ruined the mat. Oh, the mat.
Yes, it is ruined. Help me to turn him. She obeyed him. Sadow began to wash the man's back. Yummy would not wash him.
Did you wash him, then? Yes. He did not seem to hear her, but she was used to his focus to his work.
You will have to give the anesthetic if he needs it. I? But never have I. It's easy enough.
As he was taking out the anesthetic packing, blood began to flow more quickly. He looked into the wound, with a surgeon's light tied on his head. The bullet is still there.
Now I wonder how deep the rock wound is. If it's not too deep, I may get the bullet. But the bleeding is not deep.
He has lost much blood. At this moment, Hannah choked. Because she had never seen an operation before.
Don't faint. If I stop now, the man will surely die. Hannah covered her mouth with hands and ran out of the room. Outside the garden, she was retching.
Wretching means trying to vomit. But Sadao didn't stop his work. It will be better for her to empty her stomach.
I had forgotten that she had never seen an operation. This man, there's no reason why he should live. Sadao was dreaming, then the man cried in pain.
Grown, grown if you like. I'm not doing this for my pleasure. I don't even know why I'm doing it. Where is the anesthetic? Sadow indicated with his chin.
It is good that you come back. This man is beginning to move. But how shall I do it?
Simply saturate the cotton with the anesthetic and hold it near his nostrils. When he breathes badly, move it away. She sat near the sleeping face of the young American.
It was a piteously thin face. He was suffering, whether he knew or not. Watching him, she wondered if the stories they heard. of the sufferings of prisoners, were true.
In the newspapers, the reports were always, that wherever the Japanese armies went, the people received them happily. But you remembered men like General Takuma, who would beat his wife at home. But no one mentioned it. As he had fought a victorious battle in Manchuria.
If a man like that could be cruel to a woman, would not he be cruel to his enemy, like this for instance? Thinking all this. Hannah hoped that this man had not been tortured.
At this moment, she saw deep red scars on his neck, just under the ear. She murmured, those scars. But Sadao didn't answer. At this moment, his instrument striked against something hard, near the kidney.
He felt only the purest pleasure. He examined with his fingers softly, familiar with every atom of the body. His old American professor of anatomy had always said, Ignorance of the human body. Is the surgeon's cardinal sin, sirs, to operate without his complete knowledge of the The body as if you had made it is murder.
It's not quite at the kidney, my friend. It was his habit to murmur to his patient when operating. He always called his patient, my friend. So he called the man my friend, forgetting that this was his enemy. Then quickly, the bullet was out.
The man trembled, but he was still unconscious. He muttered, Guys, They got my guts, Sato. Hush. Sado took up his wrist, hating the touch. Yes, there was still a pulse.
It was faint, but enough, if he wanted to live. But certainly, I do not want this man to live. No more anesthetic.
Sado took a small vial, and from it, filled a hypodermic, and injected it into the patient's left arm. The pulse under his fingers fluttered once, twice, and then grew stronger. This man will live.
In spite of all, the young man woke, so weak, his blue eyes, so terrified, when he saw where he was. Hannah herself served him, because none of the servants would enter the room. When she entered, the man was frightened.
Don't be afraid. How come? You speak English. I've been a long time in America.
She knelt, and gently fed him with a spoon. He ate unwillingly, but he ate. Now, you'll soon be strong.
After 3 days, when Sadow came in, he found the young man was sitting up, his face bloodless. Lie down, do you want to die? He forced the man down, and examined the wound.
You may kill yourself, if you do this sort of thing. What are you doing with me? Are you going to hand me over?
I do not know myself what I shall do with you. I should of course give you to the police. You are a prisoner of war. No, don't tell me anything.
Do not even tell me your name, unless I ask it. The young man turned his face to the wall, and whispered, OK. When Sadow went out, he found, Hannah was waiting at the door. She was in trouble.
Sadow, yummy tells me, the servants feel, they can't stay with us, if we hide this man here anymore. They are saying, that you and I, were so long in America. That we've forgotten to think of our own country first. They think we like Americans. It is not true.
Americans are our enemies. But I have been trained not to let a man die if I can help it. The servants cannot understand that.
No. Now, the servants became more watchful. They were as polite to their masters as ever.
But their eyes were upon them. It is clear what our master ought to do. The old gardener had worked with flowers all his life.
For Sadao's father, he had made one of the finest moss gardens in Japan, the old gardener. My old master's son knows what he ought to do. When the man was so near death, why didn't he let him bleed? The cook.
The young man is so proud of his skill to save life, that he saves any life. The cook cut a fowl's neck skillfully, and held the bird, and let its blood flow, into the roots of a wisteria vine. Blood is the best of fertilizers, and the old gardener wouldn't let her waste a drop of it.
Yummy. We must think of the children. What will be their fate if their father is condemned as a traitor?
Traitor means who is disloyal to his country. All of the them did not try to hide their sayings from Hannah's ears as she stood arranging the flowers in the veranda. Hannah knew that they were saying with intention that their master might change their decision. And she knew they were right. But there was another part, which she herself couldn't understand.
She had not liked the man even yesterday, when he had said her. Anyway, let me tell you, that my name is, Tom. She only bowed a little.
As for Sadow, every day he examined the wound. The last stitches, had been pulled out this morning. And the young would, in a fortnight, be well.
Sadow went back to his office, and typed a letter to the chief of police, reporting the whole matter. On the 21st day of February, an escaped prisoner was washed up on the shore, in front of my house. He typed this much, and opened a secret drawer of his desk, and put the unfinished report into it. On the seventh day after that, two things happened. In the morning, the servants left, their belongings, tied in large square cotton kerchiefs.
When Hannah got up in the morning, nothing was done, the house not cleaned, and the food not prepared. And she knew what it meant. She was terrified. But her pride as a mistress would not let her show up to them.
She paid them off in the kitchen. I thank you all for all that you have done for me. I had served Sir Dow since he was a child. Me too.
I will miss the children. Yemi was so grieving that after she had gone, she ran back to Hannah. If the baby misses me too much tonight, call me.
I am going to my own house, and you know where it is. Thank you. Hannah made the breakfast, and Sadao helped with the children.
Neither of them talked to the servants. But after giving morning food to the prisoner, Hana came to sit down. Why is it we cannot see clearly what we ought to do?
Even the servants see more clearly than we do. Why are we different from other Japanese? A little later, he went to the room where the prisoner was.
Today, you may get up to your feet. I want you to stay up only 5 minutes at a time. Tomorrow.
You may try it twice as long. It would be well that you get back your strength quickly. Okay. I'll be loud to thank you, Doctor, for having saved my life.
Don't thank me too early. He saw a flicker of terror again in the boy's eyes. Those scars on the neck? What are they? Sadow did not ask.
In the afternoon, the second thing happened. Hannah, working hard, saw a messenger come to the door in official uniform. She could not breath.
The servants must have told about the prisoner. She ran to sit down in his office, gasping, unable to speak. The messenger followed her. What is it? You are to come to the palace.
The old general is in pain again. All. Is that all?
All. Is it not enough? Indeed it is.
I am very sorry. After some time... When Sadao came to her to say goodbye, she was in kitchen, resting for a moment. More tired from her fright, than from work. I'm going to see the general.
He might need an operation. I thought, they had come to arrest you. Sadao gazed into her anxious eyes.
I must get rid of this man for your sake. Somehow, I must get rid of him. Sadao told the general all about the prisoner. Of course. I understand fully.
But I understand, because, I once took a degree in Princeton. So few Japanese have. I care nothing for the man, Excellency. But having operated on him with such success... It makes me feel you more unavoidable to me.
It is a proof, that you can save anyone. You are so skilled. You say... You think I can stand one more such attack, as I have had today?
Not more than one. Then certainly, I cannot allow anything to happen to you. You cannot be arrested.
Suppose, you were condemned to death, and the next day I had to have my operation, then what? There are other surgeons, Excellency. None I trust. The best ones have been trained by Germans. and would consider the operation successful, even if I died.
I do not care of their point of view. It is a pity that we cannot combine the German ruthlessness with the American sentimentality. Ruthlessness means heartlessness, sentimentality means emotion.
Then, you could turn your prisoner over to the execution, and yet, I could be sure you would not murder me while I were unconscious. He had an unusual sense of humor. As a Japanese, could you not combine these two foreign elements? I am not quite sure, but for your sake, I would be willing to try.
I had rather not be the test case. It is very unfortunate that this man washed up on your doorstep. I feel it so myself.
It would be better if he could quietly be killed. Not by you, but by someone. Who does not know him?
I have my own private assassins. Suppose I send two of them to your house tonight, or better, any night. You need know nothing about it.
It is now warm, you should leave the outer partition of the white man's room, open to the garden, while he sleeps. Certainly. In fact, it is so left open every night.
Good. They are very capable assassins. They make no noise, and they know the trick of inward bleeding. If you like, I can even have them remove the body.
That perhaps would be the best, Excellency. Hooray! In this way, the whole things will be taken out of my hands. I will tell Hannah nothing about it, since she would be scared at the idea of assassins in our house.
Yet, such persons are essential in our country. How else could rulers deal with those who oppose them? As he opened the door of the room where the prisoner was, he found... The young man was out of bed and preparing to go into the garden.
What is this? Who gave you the permission to leave your room? I'm not habitual to waiting for permission.
I feel pretty good again. But all the muscles on this side will always feel stiff. Is it so? Now I thought I was prepared for it.
He lifted the edge of the man's shirt and gazed at the healing. Massage may do it if exercise does not. It wouldn't. bother me much.
Doctor, I've got something to say to you. If I hadn't met a Jap like you, well, I wouldn't be alive today. I know that. Sure, I know that. I think, if all Japs were lucky, there would not have been a war.
Perhaps. And I think, you better go back to bed. Good night.
He helped the boy back into the bed. Sadow slept badly that night. Time and time again, he woke.
Thinking he heard the rustling of footsteps, the sound of a twig broken, or a stone displaced. I'll go to the guest room. If the American were gone, he then could simply tell Hannah that so the general had directed. But when he opened the door, he saw a pillow on his head. He could hear the peaceful breathing of sleep.
He is asleep. What shall we do with him? I must decide in a day or two.
I promise. Sadow thought. The second night would be the night when the assassins will do their job. That night, wine grows. Shouldn't we go and close the sick man's petition?
Cold wind is rising. No. He is able to do that himself.
The next morning, the American was still there. Then the third night must be the night. That night, wine changed to quiet rain, and the garden was full of sound of dripping roofs and running water. Sadow slept better.
But, he heard the sound of a crash, and jumped up. What was that? I must go, and see.
But Sadow held her, and wouldn't let her move. He was sure that assassins had come. Don't go, don't go. Together, they moved back into the bed, the baby between them.
Tom had asked for a razor yesterday. Ed had shaved himself. I am well.
You are well. You are so well, that I think, if I put my boat on the shore tonight, with extra food and clothing in it, you will be able to row to the little island, near to the coast. It's so near the coast, that it had not been worth fortifying.
Nobody lives on it, because in storm, it is submerged under the sea. But this is not the season of the storm. You could live there. Until you saw a Korean fishing boat pass by. They pass near the island because the water is very deep there.
If you find one boat passing, catch it and escape. Yeah I have to. I think so. You understand. It is not a secret that you are here.
Okay. When it became dark, Sadao dragged his boat down to the shore and put food in bottled water. that he had secretly bought it during the day. Also, he put two quilts, which he had bought at a pawn shop. There was no moon, and he worked without a flashlight.
When he came to his house, he pretended to be coming just back from his work, and so, Hannah knew nothing about that. While serving his meal, she said, Yummy was here today. She cried over the baby. She misses him. The servants will come back, as soon as the foreigner is gone.
He went into the guest room and checked the American's temperature, the state of the wound, and his heart and pulse. The pulse was irregular, but that was perhaps because of excitement. I realize you are saving my life again.
Not at all. It is just not convenient to have you here any longer. Sadow hesitated, but gave the man a flashlight.
It was a small one, his own, which he used at night when he was called. If your food runs out before you catch a boat. Signal me two flashes, at the same time, when the sun drops over the horizon, do not signal in.
Arkes, for it will be seen. If your food doesn't run out, but you're still there, then signal me just one flash. You will find fresh fish easy to catch, but eat them raw.
Don't cook them, a fire would be seen. Okay. Tom was now dressed in Japanese clothes, which Sadao had given him. He wrapped a black cloth around the man's blonde, that is, yellow head. The young American?
Without a word, shaked Sadao's hand, and walked to the garden. From the partition, Sadao watched his light flash, to find his way. He waited, until there was the last flash from the shore.
Then he closed the partition, and slept. That night, he slept. Now, the servants had returned, and Yami had cleaned the guest room, and had burned sulfur in it, to get the white man's smell out of it. Nobody said anything.
Only the gardener was annoyed. Because he could not plant his chrysanthemums flower at the right time. One night, Sadao was called to operate the old general.
For 12 hours, Sadao had not been sure if the general would survive. The gallbladder was much involved. Sadao had not been able to ask him about the assassins. But after a week, Sadao thought the general was well enough to be spoken about the prisoner.
You say the man escaped? Yes, excellency, he escaped. That prisoner, did I not promise you, I would kill him for you?
You did, Excellency. Well, well, so I did. But you see, the truth is, I thought only about myself. In short, I forgot my promise to you. I wondered, your Excellency.
It was certainly very careless of me. But you understand, it was not lack of patriotism. Or dereliction of duty.
Patriotism means love for the country. Dereliction means not doing a duty. If the matter comes out, you would understand that, wouldn't you?
Certainly, your excellency. I can swear to your loyalty, excellency, and your zeal against the enemy. You are a good man.
You will be rewarded. That night, Sadow had his reward. There was no prick of light that night. The prisoner was gone, safe, undoubtedly, as he was told to wait only for a Korean fishing boat. He stood on the veranda, looking at the sea, from where, the other night, the young man had come.
Without a reason, in his mind came other white faces. The professor, at whose house he had met Hannah, whose wife was a talkative woman. He remembered his teacher of anatomy.
Then, he remembered the face of his fat landlady. He remembered how he hated his landlady, the old fat woman, who agreed to house him in her uncomfortable land. He had once tried to thank her.
because she had nursed him through influenza, but it was difficult, as she was hateful to him, even in her kindness. Now, he remembered the face of his prisoner. White and hateful. Strange.
I wonder why I could not kill him.