Read Online The Sword That Cut the Burning Grass by Dorothy Hoobler - Free Book Online
Authors: Dorothy Hoobler
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that Yabuta could place an eye there? He would have seen Seikei take it, and even now might have sent guards to pursue him.
Seikei glanced over his shoulder. All he saw was a geisha out for a walk, dressed in a fine kimono and twirling a paper umbrella to protect her skin from the sun. He looked more closely, thinking it might actually be Bunzo, the judge’s faithful samurai. Once, Bunzo had worn a disguise to follow Seikei along the Tokaido Road to ensure he would not get into trouble.
Seikei banished the thought from his mind. He was in plenty of trouble now and it was unworthy to expect Bunzo to get him out of it. Seikei had to do the job himself.
He turned another corner and came to a quiet street with a few small pottery shops and a Shinto shrine. This would be as good a spot as any to examine the scroll.
Walking through the torii gate that marked the entrance to the shrine, Seikei clapped his hands. This was intended to draw the attention of the kami who resided there. Sometimes the noise attracted a Shinto priest, who would appear to receive a donation.
This time, none did. Seikei had the feeling that he was alone here, except of course for the spirit who occupied the honden. This was a small wooden building that usually surrounded some natural object—a rock, a tree, or a place that had been identified as one of the sacred spots where Heaven and Earth met.
No one other than the priests was allowed inside the honden. When ordinary people assembled here for religious festivals, they gathered in the gravel courtyard outside. Here it was that Seikei sat, folded his legs, and carefully began to unroll the scroll. Despite the emperor’s taunting, Seikei was eager to find the secret it contained.
10
THE INVINCIBLE KUSANAGI
T he language of the scroll was more difficult than Seikei had expected. He remembered one of the two ministers telling him that he could not read it. The problem wasn’t just the elaborate calligraphy. Seikei was an admirer of the artistic styles of writing, and he could usually determine what any of them meant.
But this was apparently a very old form of language. Seikei had heard that members of the priesthood and certain palace officials had to be trained to read ancient literature.
He had no time for that. He concentrated on the symbols, trying to make sense of them. He said a prayer to the kami that inhabited the shrine. After a time, the pattern became clearer. It was as if a mist in the forest suddenly lifted and Seikei found himself in a beautiful world that was somehow different from any other place he had ever seen. . . .
It was in the time before time began, before Ninigi came to rule the land of Nippon. Amaterasu reigned over Heaven and Earth and all the other kami paid homage to her. All except her brother, the mischievous Susanoo, who was jealous of his sister’s power and beauty. Susanoo stomped through Heaven, causing thunder and lightning to appear in the sky. He opened the floodgates, sending torrents of rain to Earth, ruining the rice paddies. He made volcanoes erupt and tore the land asunder with earthquakes. Finally, he came to Amaterasu’s weaving hall and threw a horse inside, causing everyone to scatter in terror.
Frightened and upset, Amaterasu withdrew into a cave. The sun disappeared, and darkness engulfed Heaven and Earth. The other kami gathered and begged her to come out, but they had no success. Even Susanoo regretted what he had done.
The kami decided on a trick. Someone hung a mirror on a tree outside the cave. The goddess Uzume performed a dance that made all the other kami laugh. Curious, Amaterasu came to the entrance of the cave and peeped out. Seeing her own reflection in the mirror, she emerged to see who such a beautiful spirit was. Two of the strongest kami clasped her hands and would not let her return to the cave. That was the origin of the sacred mirror.
To celebrate Amaterasu’s return, the other kami presented her with a beautiful jewel.
Seikei glanced over his shoulder. All he saw was a geisha out for a walk, dressed in a fine kimono and twirling a paper umbrella to protect her skin from the sun. He looked more closely, thinking it might actually be Bunzo, the judge’s faithful samurai. Once, Bunzo had worn a disguise to follow Seikei along the Tokaido Road to ensure he would not get into trouble.
Seikei banished the thought from his mind. He was in plenty of trouble now and it was unworthy to expect Bunzo to get him out of it. Seikei had to do the job himself.
He turned another corner and came to a quiet street with a few small pottery shops and a Shinto shrine. This would be as good a spot as any to examine the scroll.
Walking through the torii gate that marked the entrance to the shrine, Seikei clapped his hands. This was intended to draw the attention of the kami who resided there. Sometimes the noise attracted a Shinto priest, who would appear to receive a donation.
This time, none did. Seikei had the feeling that he was alone here, except of course for the spirit who occupied the honden. This was a small wooden building that usually surrounded some natural object—a rock, a tree, or a place that had been identified as one of the sacred spots where Heaven and Earth met.
No one other than the priests was allowed inside the honden. When ordinary people assembled here for religious festivals, they gathered in the gravel courtyard outside. Here it was that Seikei sat, folded his legs, and carefully began to unroll the scroll. Despite the emperor’s taunting, Seikei was eager to find the secret it contained.
10
THE INVINCIBLE KUSANAGI
T he language of the scroll was more difficult than Seikei had expected. He remembered one of the two ministers telling him that he could not read it. The problem wasn’t just the elaborate calligraphy. Seikei was an admirer of the artistic styles of writing, and he could usually determine what any of them meant.
But this was apparently a very old form of language. Seikei had heard that members of the priesthood and certain palace officials had to be trained to read ancient literature.
He had no time for that. He concentrated on the symbols, trying to make sense of them. He said a prayer to the kami that inhabited the shrine. After a time, the pattern became clearer. It was as if a mist in the forest suddenly lifted and Seikei found himself in a beautiful world that was somehow different from any other place he had ever seen. . . .
It was in the time before time began, before Ninigi came to rule the land of Nippon. Amaterasu reigned over Heaven and Earth and all the other kami paid homage to her. All except her brother, the mischievous Susanoo, who was jealous of his sister’s power and beauty. Susanoo stomped through Heaven, causing thunder and lightning to appear in the sky. He opened the floodgates, sending torrents of rain to Earth, ruining the rice paddies. He made volcanoes erupt and tore the land asunder with earthquakes. Finally, he came to Amaterasu’s weaving hall and threw a horse inside, causing everyone to scatter in terror.
Frightened and upset, Amaterasu withdrew into a cave. The sun disappeared, and darkness engulfed Heaven and Earth. The other kami gathered and begged her to come out, but they had no success. Even Susanoo regretted what he had done.
The kami decided on a trick. Someone hung a mirror on a tree outside the cave. The goddess Uzume performed a dance that made all the other kami laugh. Curious, Amaterasu came to the entrance of the cave and peeped out. Seeing her own reflection in the mirror, she emerged to see who such a beautiful spirit was. Two of the strongest kami clasped her hands and would not let her return to the cave. That was the origin of the sacred mirror.
To celebrate Amaterasu’s return, the other kami presented her with a beautiful jewel.
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