David Mitchell - The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet

Jacob loses half a mouthful of sake in spectacular fashion.

Ogawa is very concerned. ‘I make mistake with Dutch?’

‘Captain Lacy has been enriching your vocabulary again?’

‘He give tuition for I and Interpreter Iwase on “Gentlemanly Dutch”.’

Jacob lets it pass for now. ‘When you asked for your wife’s hand in marriage, did you first approach her father? Or give her a ring? Or flowers? Or…?’

Ogawa fills their cups. ‘I not see wife before wedding day. Our nakôdo made match. How to say nakôdo? Woman who knows families who want marriage…’

‘An interfering busybody? No, forgive me: a go-between.’

‘ “Go-between”? Funny word. “Go-between” go between our families, achi-kochi,’ Ogawa moves his hand like a shuttle, ‘describes bride to Father. Her father is rich merchant of sappanwood dye in Karatsu, three days’ journey. We investigate family… no madness, secret debt, et cetera. Her father come in Nagasaki to meet Ogawas of Nagasaki. Merchants lower class than samurai but…’ Ogawa’s hands become the pans of a weighing-scale. ‘Ogawa stipend is safe, and we involve sappanwood trade via Dejima, and so Father agrees. We meet next in shrine on wedding day.’

The buoyant moon has freed itself from Mount Inasa.

‘What about,’ Jacob speaks with sake-inspired frankness, ‘what about love?’

‘We say, “When husband love wife, mother-in-law loses best servant.” ’

‘What a joyless proverb! Don’t you yearn for love, in your hearts?’

‘Yes, Mr de Zoet say truth: love is thing of heart. Or love is like this sake: drink, night of joy, yes, but in cold morning, headache, sick stomach. A man should love concubine so when love dies he say, “Goodbye,” easy and no injury. Marriage is different: marriage is matter of head… rank… business… bloodline. Holland families are not same?’

Jacob recalls Anna’s father. ‘We are exactly the same, alas.’

A shooting star lives and dies in an instant.

‘Do I not keep you from welcoming your own ancestors, Mr Ogawa?’

‘My father performs rituals at family residence tonight.’

The cow lows in the Pine Tree Corner, upset by the firecrackers.

‘To speak with sincerity,’ says Ogawa, ‘my blood ancestors is not here: I was borned at Tosa Domain, on Shikoku. Shikoku is big island…’ Ogawa points east ‘… that way, to father of low retainer of Lord Yamanouchi of Tosa. Lord gave my schooling, and sent me in Nagasaki for learn Dutch under Ogawa Mimasaku’s house to make bridge between his Tosa and Dejima. But then old Lord Yamanouchi died. His son has no interest in Dutch studies. So I was “marooned”, you say? But then Ogawa Mimasaku’s two sons died in cholera, ten years ago. Much, much death in city that year. So Ogawa Mimasaku adopted me, to continue family name…’

‘What about your own mother and father back on Shikoku?’

‘Tradition says, “After adoption, do not go back”. So, I not go back.’

‘Didn’t you…’ Jacob recalls his own bereavement ‘… miss them?’

‘I had new name, new life, new father, new mother, new ancestors.’

Does the Japanese race, wonders Jacob, derive gratification from self-inflicted misery?

‘My study of Dutch,’ says Ogawa, ‘is great – solace. Is correct word?’

‘Yes, and your fluency,’ the clerk is quite sincere, ‘shows how hard you work.’

‘To progress is difficult. Merchants, officials, guards not understand how hard. They think, My work I do: why lazy and foolish interpreter cannot do same?’

‘During my apprenticeship,’ Jacob unfolds his stiff legs, ‘to a timber company, I worked at the ports of not only Rotterdam but also London, Paris, Copenhagen and Gothenburg. I know the vexations of foreign languages: but unlike you, I had the advantages of dictionaries and an education populated by French schoolmasters.’

Ogawa’s ‘Ah…’ is full of longing. ‘So many places, you can go…’

‘In Europe, yes, but not one toe can I put past the Land-Gate.’

‘But Mr de Zoet may pass through Sea-Gate and away, over ocean. But I – all Japanese…’ Ogawa listens to Hanzaburo and his friend’s conspiratorial grumbles ‘… prisoners all life. Who plot to leave is executed. Who leave and return from abroad is executed. My precious wish is one year in Batavia, to speak Dutch… to eat Dutch, to drink Dutch, to sleep Dutch. One year, just one year…’

These are new thoughts for Jacob. ‘Do you recall your first visit to Dejima?’

‘Very well I recall! Before Ogawa Mimasaku adopt me as son. One day, master announce, “Today, we go Dejima.” I-’ Ogawa clutches his heart and mimes awe. ‘We walk over Holland Bridge and my master says, “This is longest bridge you ever cross because this bridge go between two worlds.” We pass through Land-Gate and I see giant from story! Nose big like potato! Clotheses with no tie-strings but buttons, buttons, buttons and hair yellow, like straw! Smell bad too. Just as astonishment, I first see kuronbô, black boys who skin like eggplant. Then foreigner opened mouth, and say, “Schffgg-evingen-flinder-vasschen-morgengen!” This was same Dutch I study so hard? I just bow, and bow, and master hits my head and says, “Introduce self, foolish baka!” so I say, “My name is Sôzaemon degozaimsu weather is clement today I thank you very well, sir.” Yellow giant laugh and says, “Ksssfffkkk schevingen-pevingen!” and points to marvel white bird who walk like man and tall as man. Master says, “This is Ostrich.” Then much bigger marvel, animal big as shack, blocks out sun; nyoro-nyoro nose he dips in bucket and drinks and shoots water! Master Ogawa say, “Elephant,” and I say “Zô?” and master says, “No foolish baka it is elephant.” Then we see cockatoo in cage, and parrot who repeat words, strange game with sticks and balls on table-of-walls, called “billiards”. Bloody tongues lying on ground here, there, here, there: cud of betel juice, spat by Malay servants.’

‘What,’ Jacob has to ask, ‘was an elephant doing on Dejima?’

‘Batavia sent for gift for Shogun. But Magistrate sent message to Edo to say he eat much food so Edo discuss and say, no, Company must take elephant back. Elephant die of mystery ill very soon…’

Running footsteps thump up the stairs of the Watchtower: it is a messenger.

Jacob can tell from Hanzaburo’s response that the news is bad.

‘We must go,’ Ogawa informs him. ‘Thieves in house of Chief Vorstenbosch.’

‘The strongbox being too heavy to steal,’ Unico Vorstenbosch shows the audience crowded into his Private Quarters, ‘the robbers heaved it around and staved in the back with a hammer and chisel – look.’ He pulls a strip of teak from the iron frame. ‘When the hole was big enough, they extracted their prize and made good their escape. This was not petty theft. They had the right tools. They knew exactly what they were after. They had spies, spotters and the skills to smash a strongbox in total silence. They also had a blind eye at the Land-Gate. In short,’ the Chief Resident glares at Interpreter Kobayashi, ‘they had help.’

Constable Kosugi asks a question: ‘The Headman asks,’ translates Iwase, ‘when last time you saw teapot?’

‘This morning: Cupido checked it was unscathed by the earthquake.’

The Constable heaves a weary sigh and issues a flat observation.

‘Constable say,’ Iwase translates, ‘slave is last who see teapot on Dejima.’

‘The thieves, sir,’ Vorstenbosch exclaims, ‘were the last ones to see it!’

Interpreter Kobayashi tilts his shrewd head. ‘What was value of teapot?’

‘Exquisite craftsmanship, silver leafing on jade, a thousand kobans could not buy another. You have seen it yourself. It belonged to the last Ming ruler of China – the “Chongzhen” Emperor, as I gather he is known. It is an irreplaceable antique – as someone surely told the thieves, damn their eyes.’