The Golden Country

by Shusaku Endo

  TOMONAGA: Yuki? It's not her fault. I knew that sometime this moment would come. Sooner or later it was bound to come to this. Inoue-dono, you said just now that the seed would not grow, in this mudswamp called Japan. But I, just like the Fathers, believe that Japan is the golden country.

  INOUE: Then you won't step on the painting?

  TOMONAGA: No, I won't.

  He makes the sign of the cross before the painting.

  TOMONAGA: I am a Christian.

  HIRATA: Where is Ferreira hiding?

  TOMONAGA: I don't know. What will you do to me?

  INOUE (sadly): Why did you have to be so foolish? Why did you have to admit that you were a Christian? Why do you have to die? Just because you die a martyr's death, this country of Japan will not change. A mudswamp is for all time a mudswamp.

  TOMONAGA: If it's a mudswamp, then our deaths will be the fertilizer that will make it fruitful.

  INOUE: Do you really believe that? I'm willing to make a wager. You may die today, I sometime later. After the passage of many years the Fathers may once again return to this country. But even then, I wager that what the Christians call the seed of God will not grow in this country. Hirata, take him away. Hang him in the pit... until he tells you where Ferreira is hiding.

  HIRATA: Like a samurai, turn over your sword.

  TOMONAGA: Like a samurai.

  He turns over his sword, bows to Inoue, and follows the guard. Inoue has his eyes fixed on the floor.

  HIRATA: Now that Tomonaga has confessed, there should be no trouble in finding Ferreira. Won't you leave the rest to me?

  INOUE: Hirata, life is very simple for you, isn't it? You live it at its lowest level, don't you?

  HIRATA: What do you mean?

  INOUE: Oh, nothing. I only meant to say that in every society men like you spread out as luxuriantly as weeds and prove to be quite as hardy.... I think I know how we can catch Ferreira. I'm not like you. I don't go after men for the joy of catching them.

  In a low voice.

  INOUE: I've placed a wager.

  HIRATA: Oh? What have you wagered?

  INOUE: Am I right? Or are the Christians right? Is Japan really a golden country in which the seed will grow, as Tomonaga says; or is it a swamp, as I think, a swamp in which the roots rot and die. But you wouldn't understand. It's all right. Go ahead.

  Hirata bows and retires.

  INOUE (seeing Gennosuke with eyes downcast): Now there's a real samurai, this Tomonaga.

  Gennosuke remains with eyes down.

  INOUE: You must certainly hate me. Because I played with your heart in order to get Tomonaga to confess. I made light of a man's heart. But politics in every age is of this nature.

  Gennosuke bows and retires.

  INOUE: I'll catch Ferreira. But will he fall, or won't he? This is what I must find out—for my own sake. This is my wager. Through Ferreira, I torture myself.

  CURTAIN

  * * *

  ACT TWO SCENE THREE

  * * *

  The scene is once again the Christians' meeting place in Korimura.

  HATSU (to Norosaku): Norosaku, won't you sing the hymn "We're on our Way to Paradise" once more?

  NOROSAKU: We're on our way, we're on our way, We're on our way to the temple of Paradise. The temple of Paradise is far away, The temple of Paradise is far away. We're on our way, we're on our way, We're on our way to the temple of Paradise.

  HATSU: That hymn was sung by a man named Jiroemon from the island of Goto. The inquisitors begged him again and again to give up his faith and they tortured him brutally. But he wouldn't give them the sign. And so they put him on a boat and headed for the island of Naka-enoshima in mid-ocean, planning to kill him there. And this is the hymn he sang on the boat.

  NOROSAKU: And then they sent him to Paradise.

  HATSU: There are no trees or shrubs on Naka-enoshima. It's a frightening island, with only bare rocks. They made Jiroemon stand on top of the rocks and they urged him once more to give up his faith.

  NOROSAKU: Then they sent him to Paradise.

  Yuki and Kasuke enter.

  KASUKE: Lord Tomonaga hasn't come back yet?

  HATSU: No, not yet.

  KASUKE: He went to the bureau yesterday and he's not back yet.

  HATSU: Yuki, what shall we do?

  YUKI: I want to see Father Ferreira.

  Ferreira enters with Hisaichi

  FERREIRA: What's the matter?

  KASUKE: Lord Tomonaga hasn't come back yet. He's been gone since yesterday.

  FERREIRA: Did he leave any word?

  YUKI: No.

  FERREIRA: Don't worry. Sudden business may have come up.

  NOROSAKU: And then the man standing on top of the cliff was sent to Paradise.

  Sound of knocking at the door.

  HISAICHI: Who is it?

  MOKICHI: Mokichi.

  Mokichi enters.

  MOKICHI: Father, Father ...

  KASUKE: Not so loud. He's right over here.

  MOKICHI: A young samurai has just come saying he has important business and must by ail means speak to Yuki.

  HATSU: Is he one of the officers of the bureau?

  MOKICHI: He said she'd understand if I told her that Gennosuke had come. He says he has news of her father that he must pass on to her at once.

  YUKI: I'll speak with him, Father.

  FERREIRA (leaves one candle lit on the altar, but extinguishes the rest): It's best if you all return quietly with Yuki. Take care not to be seen. Hisaichi, stay at Yuki's side and don't leave her on any condition. Kasuke, please help me here.

  Exit all except Ferreira and Kasuke, who conceal the altar.

  FERREIRA: What's the matter?

  KASUKE: My tooth. I have a toothache.

  FERREIRA: Look at this.

  He shows him a crucifix, then continues as if speaking to himself.

  FERREIRA: Do you think that Christ didn't feel the same weakness of flesh as you? What about the Garden of Gethsemane? When he sweat blood. It was blood he sweat. Just as you and I, he must have struggled against a great fear.

  KASUKE: Father, do you suppose that Lord Tomonaga's been caught? In that case, they'll be after us shortly.

  FERREIRA: It's not yet certain.

  KASUKE: I'll step on the fumi-e. I know it. I try to imagine myself taking your hand and the hands of the other Christians and going with you to Paradise, but my body refuses to follow such a dream. To tell the truth, Father, I'm scared. I'm scared of being tortured and I'm scared of dying.

  FERREIRA: You're not the only one that's scared.

  KASUKE: No. In this world there are the strong and the weak, just as there are girls with pretty faces and those with ugly. Those with pretty faces go through life attracting men, while the others lead lonely lives. This is just the same. The strong, like Tomekichi of Isahaya, are able to put up with any suffering; are never afraid, no matter what terrible experience they're made to undergo. He was taken into God's home. But in my case, though I want to go along with Tomekichi, this body is frozen with fear.

  He falls to the ground and weeps. The door opens with a screech.

  FERREIRA: Who is it?

  He sees Yuki standing there.

  FERREIRA: Yuki, what has happened?

  YUKI: Father's been taken as we feared.

  FERREIRA: Lord Tomonaga taken?

  YUKI: Taken and is now hanging in the pit.

  FERREIRA: Who told you this?

  YUKI: Gennosuke came to tell me.

  From the shadow of the door, Hatsu and Gennosuke enter.

  FERREIRA: Yuki, did you bring him here?

  YUKI: Please forgive me, but there was no other way.

  GENNOSUKE: Please forgive this intrusion. But don't scold Yuki. I'm also a samurai. I'll never mention this to anyone.

  FERREIRA: You're one of the officers of the bureau, aren't you?

  GENNOSUKE: Yes, I am. But I did not come here in that capacity.

  KASUKE: Father, you mu
st not be deceived by that officer's words.

  FERREIRA: Lord Tomonaga is now hanging in the pit, you say?

  GENNOSUKE: Yes.

  FERREIRA: And what is the pit?

  GENNOSUKE: It's a torture devised by an official of the bureau named Hirata. A man is bound, a small hole is drilled in his temple for the blood to trickle out, and he is hung upside down in a deep pit.

  YUKI: Ohhh.

  HATSU (supporting her): Don't lose heart, Yuki. ...It's my fault for placing so much trust in Tome.

  FERREIRA: Is he being pressed to give up his faith?

  GENNOSUKE: He's a samurai. He hasn't said a word to indicate that he'll give in.

  FERREIRA: We knew that. He's a samurai of samurai. He pretended for a long time to have renounced his faith in order to shelter us.

  GENNOSUKE: Inoue also knows that he'll never give in. The reason he continues to torture him ...

  FERREIRA: The reason he continues to torture him?

  GENNOSUKE: He wants to find out where you are, Father.

  YUKI: Ohhh.

  GENNOSUKE: Inoue has told him that if he reveals your hiding place, he won't have to renounce his Christianity. He says that he'll even overlook Lord Tomonaga's practice of his faith as well as that of the farmers of the village. He's very cruel.

  FERREIRA: In other words, if I fall into the bureau's hands, he promises to spare Lord Tomonaga's life.

  GENNOSUKE: Yes. But Lord Tomonaga will never tell them.

  Ferreira steps backward, the eyes of everyone on him.

  FERREIRA (confused): Do they say that they'll let him go if they catch me? That's just their strategy. It's a trap. Why did you come here? You had no reason. Why did you come to tell us this?

  GENNOSUKE: I came ... I had several reasons. I came because Lord Tomonaga always had kind words for me. My mother brought me here once. From childhood I have wanted to be a samurai like him. And now he ...

  FERREIRA: That's just a pretext. You came here on Inoue's orders to draw me into a trap.

  GENNOSUKE: Do you have so great a suspicion of me? Then I'll tell you. I didn't come just to tell you what happened. I came because I wanted to save the life of Lord Tomonaga, because I wanted to help Yuki.

  FERREIRA: The bureau tried to arrange for your marriage to Yuki, to find out whether Lord Tomonaga would accept or refuse.

  GENNOSUKE: That's your imagining. There was a proposal to give her to Lord Omura, but Lord Tomonaga, of course, refused point blank.

  FERREIRA (drawing back): Lord Tomonaga is suffering this moment for me. If I give myself up, he'll be released. Is that your story? But even after I'm caught, it's a very simple matter for the men of the bureau to take his life too.

  GENNOSUKE: I must go back. Unless I do, it'll seem strange.

  KASUKE: When do they plan to bring the fumi-e to this village?

  GENNOSUKE: Oh yes, that's something else I had to tell you. The day after tomorrow.

  Kasuke gives a loud moan. Gennosuke bows to Yuki, then leaves. Yuki follows, calling after him, "Gennosuke!" Hatsu walks off with her.

  FERREIRA: It's a trap. What the young samurai said ... that's just their strategy. They're not so soft as to spare Tomonaga's life just because they catch me. I know. I know how crafty these Japanese officials are. It's nothing but a trap.

  KASUKE: Father, won't you please help the people of the village?

  He crawls to him on his knees.

  KASUKE: It's not just his life. Whether we live or die depends on you alone. Please, I beg you like this with folded hands. I'm afraid, I'm afraid.

  The door opens and Hisaichi, Mokichi, and other villagers carry in Yuki, who has fainted.

  HATSU: Father, Yuki has fainted____It's all my fault. I did a terrible thing.

  KASUKE: The bureau has Lord Tomonaga in the pit. The fumi-e will come to this village the day after tomorrow. Inoue promises that if Father gives himself up, Lord Tomonaga and all of us will be saved.

  FERREIRA (draws back, as all look intently at him): Why do you look at me that way? Why do you look at me with those eyes?

  He covers his eyes with one hand.

  FERREIRA: Don't you understand that this is a trap the bureau has set for us? What reason do they have for letting you go? Listen. Do you really believe that they will free Lord Tomonaga if I go to take his place? Do you really believe that knowing you are Christians they'll pretend not to know? I can't follow that kind of reasoning. Listen. I'm the only priest left in Japan. As priest, I am for you the Church itself. When I'm gone, there'll be no one to give you absolution for your sins, to pour the saving waters of God upon your children. This is what I want you to consider.

  All are silent.

  FERREIRA: Don't look at me that way. Don't look at me with those eyes. What have I done to you? Lord, why do you make a victim out of me? I am not Christ. Why are you silent? O Lord!

  All are frightened by Ferreira's expression and draw back.

  FERREIRA: Leave me alone. Get out. Through that door.

  All hurry to leave as if in flight.

  FERREIRA (falling to his knees): O Lord. Lord, you can see to the very bottom of my soul. You know my weakness of spirit. Until now I have acted as a priest and handed on your teachings to these people. As if I were really somebody. Standing on some kind of pedestal. Just as if I were prepared to overcome any obstacle that might come along. But now, I see myself as I am, this miserable self. My ugly face. Is this the true self? Then how does my faith differ from that of the coward? This is something that never struck me until today. What does it come to? I traveled across wide oceans to Japan, just to labor for you, just to serve you as your servant. O Lord, then you present me with this comedy.

  He laughs.

  FERREIRA: The Garden of Gethsemane. If even Christ sweat blood, how can I endure alone? I can't. I can't. Mary, my Mother, intercede for me. Intercede for me that the strength will be granted.

  The spotlight moves from Ferreira to another portion of the stage, where Yuki and Hatsu are praying in the same posture as Ferreira. Next to them stands Norosaku.

  YUKI: Mary, Mother Mary, intercede for us. Obtain for me the strength I need. What shall I do?

  HATSU: Can you forgive me? It was because of my foolishness that your father was caught.

  YUKI: Pray along with me. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women.... It's no use. The prayers to Mary which usually fall like petals from my lips are now like tasteless grains of sand. Even as I kneel here, my father is hanging upside down in the pit.... Ohhh, I see him suffering before my eyes.

  HATSU: It's the same with me. O Santa Maria, why do you let this happen? I was just trying to help Yuki. Santa Maria, why do you play with me like this? Whatever I may have done, you must help the people of the village.

  You must help Yuki's father, Santa Maria. Even if I did do it, it's not my fault. It's all your fault-for playing with us like this. Yuki, why don't you ask Gennosuke's help?

  YUKI: He's a very kind person, but he promised the farmers not to say anything about Father Ferreira's hiding place. No matter how hard Gennosuke tries, father can't be saved unless Father Ferreira goes to the bureau.

  HATSU: Yuki, ask Father Ferreira.

  YUKI: Then my father's sufferings would come to an end. If that were possible, my anguish would be over.

  NOROSAKU: And then that man was sent to Paradise.

  The spotlight turns again to Ferreira.

  FERREIRA: What do you wish of me, Lord? What do you order me to do, miserable as I am? If you tell me to sacrifice my life to save Tomonaga and the villagers, I will gladly go and give myself up. But then there'll be no shepherd left in this country to hand on your teaching. There'll be no priest to take your place and to confer on the people your living waters. I am the only remaining priest in this country. Do you wish this last light to be quenched? Please answer. O Lord, in this difficult time I can't decide what to do without your help. I'm now blind. So blind that I can't even
see into myself. Lord, why are you silent? You are always silent.

  A voice is heard laughing.

  FERREIRA: What is that laugh?

  He plugs his ears.

  FERREIRA: What is that laugh.

  The spotlight turns now to Kasuke and Hatsu.

  KASUKE: What's Father doing?

  HATSU: He's been closed up in his room for a long time. He doesn't come out.

  KASUKE: So, after all...

  HATSU: Kasuke, the day after tomorrow they bring the fumi-e.

  KASUKE: Don't even speak about it.

  HATSU: But if Father goes to the bureau, they'll pretend not to know about us. The man from the bureau said so.

  KASUKE: We can hardly rely on their word. It's as Father said. The officials at the bureau are not the kind of men that keep their promises.

  HATSU: But there's no other way of being saved than by trusting in their promises. Have you thought about that?

  KASUKE: Ah, if only God would come to our help in such a time!

  HATSU: Is there any possibility of that? If there were, then he would have been watching over the lives of the Christians long before. When Kiheie of Omura was taken, we prayed very hard, but Kiheie was burned to death all the same. When the mother of Jiro of Isahaya was taken, then too God simply folded his arms and looked the other way.

  KASUKE: What are you trying to say?

  HATSU: I'm just putting into words what all of you are thinking but are afraid to say. You, Kasuke, the day after tomorrow when the fumi-e comes... you'll lift your hands in prayer. But God won't hear you. He won't come to your help. You'll meet the same fate as Jiro's mother.

  KASUKE: Why do you torture me like this?

  HATSU: Listen, Kasuke. There's only one way to save the life of Lord Tomonaga and protect the people of the village.