"Hearn,.Lian.-.Otori.03.-.Brilliance.Of.The.Moon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hearn Lian)

killed mercifully, but the other two were unharmed; one I liked in particular, a
handsome black stallion that reminded me of ShigeruТs horse, Kyu, and could have
been its half brother. At MakotoТs insistence we buried the Otori warriors with
full rites, too, praying that their ghosts, outraged at their ignoble deaths,
would not linger to haunt us.
That evening the abbot came to the guest room and we talked until late into the
night. Makoto and Miyoshi Kahei, one of my allies and friends from Hagi, were
also with us; KaheiТs younger brother Gemba had been sent to Maruyama to tell
the domainТs senior retainer, Sugita Haruki, of our imminent departure. Sugita
had assured Kaede the previous winter of his support for her claim. Kaede did
not stay with usЧfor various reasons, she and Makoto were not at ease in each
otherТs presence and she avoided him as much as possibleЧrbut I told her
beforehand to sit behind the screen so she could hear what was said. I wanted to
know her opinion afterward. In the short time since our marriage I had come to
talk to her as I had never talked to anyone in my life. I had been silent for so
long, it seemed now I could not get enough of sharing my thoughts with her. I
relied on her judgment and her wisdom.
УSo now you are at war,Ф the abbot said, Уand your army has had its first
skirmish.Ф
УHardly an army,Ф Makoto said. УA rabble of farmers! How are you going to punish
them?Ф
УWhat do you mean?Ф I replied.
УFarmers are not supposed to kill warriors,Ф he said. УAnyone else in your
situation would punish them with the utmost cruelty. They would be crucified,
boiled in oil, flayed alive.Ф
УThey will be if the Otori get hold of them,Ф Kahei muttered.
УThey were fighting on my behalf,Ф I said. Privately, I thought the warriors had
deserved their shameful end, though I was sorry I had not killed them all
myself. УIТm not going to punish them. IТm more concerned with how to protect
them.Ф
УYou have let an ogre out,Ф Makoto said. УLetТs hope you can contain it.Ф
The abbot smiled into his wine cup. Quite apart from his earlier comments on
justice, he had been teaching me strategy all winter and, having heard my
theories on the capture of Yamagata and other campaigns, knew how I felt about
my farmers.
УThe Otori seek to draw me out,Ф I said to him, as I had said earlier to Kaede.
УYes, you must resist the temptation,Ф he replied. УNaturally your first
instinct is for revenge, but even if you defeated their army in a confrontation,
they would simply retreat to Hagi. A long siege would be a disaster. The city is
virtually impregnable, and sooner or later you would have to deal with AraiТs
forces at your rear.Ф
Arai Da№chi was the warlord from Kumamoto who had taken advantage of the
overthrow of the Tohan to seize control of the Three Countries. I had enraged
him by disappearing with the Tribe the previous year, and now my marriage to
Kaede would certainly enrage him
further. He had a huge army, and I did not want to be confronted by it before I
had strengthened my own.
УThen we must go first to Maruyama, as planned. But if I leave the temple
unprotected, you and the people of the district may be punished by the Otori.Ф
УWe can bring many people within the walls,Ф the abbot said. УI think we have