"Yes-yes?" Blackthorne opened his eyes. "Oh-hello-I'm sor . . ." But the weight of his pain and the spinning of the room forced him to lie back.
"Please send for a servant, senhor. He should be washed."
"There's slaves - but not for that, Donna Senhorita. Leave the Ingeles - what's a little vomit to a heretic?"
"No servants?" she asked, flabbergasted.
"We have slaves - black bastards, but they're lazy - wouldn't trust one to wash him myself," he added with a twisted grin.
Mariko knew she had no alternative. Lord Toranaga might have need of the Anjin-san at once and it was her duty. "Then I need some water," she said. "To wash him with."
"There's a barrel in the stairwell. In the deck below."
"Please fetch some for me, senhor."
"Send him." The bosun jerked a finger at Kana.
"No. You will please fetch it. Now."
The bosun looked back at Blackthorne. "You his doxie?"
"What?"
"The Ingeles's doxie?"
"What's a doxie, senhor?"
"His woman. His mate, you know, senhorita, this pilot's sweetheart, his jigajig. Doxie."
"No. No, senhor, I'm not his doxie."
"His, then? This mon - this samurai's? Or the king's maybe, him that's just come aboard? Tora-something? You one of his?"
"No."
"Nor any aboard's?"
She shook her head. "Please, would you get some water?"
The bosun nodded and went out.
"That's the ugliest, foulest-smelling man I've ever been near," the samurai said. "What was he saying?"
"He - the man asked if - if I was one of the pilot's consorts."
The samurai went for the door.
"Kana-san!"
"I demand the right on your husband's behalf to avenge that insult. At once! As though you'd cohabit with any barbarian!"
"Kana-san! Please close the door."
"You're Toda Mariko-san! How dare he insult you? The insult must be avenged!"
"It will be, Kana-san, and I thank you. Yes. I give you the right. But we are here at Lord Toranaga's order. Until he gives his approval it would not be correct for you to do this."
Kana closed the door reluctantly. "I agree. But I formally ask that you petition Lord Toranaga before we leave."
"Yes. Thank you for your concern over my honor." What would Kana do if he knew all that had been said, she asked herself, appalled. What would Lord Toranaga do? Or Hiro-matsu? Or my husband? Monkeys? Oh, Madonna, give me thy help to hold myself still and keep my mind working. To ease Kana's wrath, she quickly changed the subject. "The Anjin-san looks so helpless. Just like a baby. It seems barbarians can't stomach wine. Just like some of our men."
"Yes. But it's not the wine. Can't be. It's what he's eaten."
Blackthorne moved uneasily, groping for consciousness.
"They've no servants on the ship, Kana-san, so I'll have to substitute for one of the Anjin-san's ladies." She began to undress Blackthome, awkwardly because of her arm.
"Here, let me help you." Kana was very deft. "I used to do this for my father when the sake took him."
"It's good for a man to get drunk once in a while. It releases all the evil spirits."
"Yes. But my father used to suffer badly the next day."
"My husband suffers very badly. For days."
After a moment, Kana said, "May Buddha grant that Lord Buntaro escapes."
"Yes." Mariko looked around the cabin. "I don't understand how they can live in such squalor. It's worse than the poorest of our people. I was almost fainting in the other cabin from the stench."
"It's revolting. I've never been aboard a barbarian ship before."
"I've never been on the sea before."
The door opened and the bosun set down the pail. He was shocked at Blackthorne's nudity and jerked out a blanket from under the bunk and covered him. "He'll catch his death. Apart from that - shameful to do that to a man, even him."
"What?"
"Nothing. What's your name, Donna Senhorita?" His eyes glittered.
She did not answer. She pushed the blanket aside and washed Blackthorne clean, glad for something to do, hating the cabin and the foul presence of the bosun, wondering what they were talking about in the other cabin. Is our Master safe?
When she had finished she bundled the kimono and soiled loincloth. "Can this be laundered, senhor?"
"Eh?"
"These should be cleaned at once. Could you send for a slave, please?"