第27章 罗生门2(第1页)
第27章罗生门(2)
Ashasbeensaid,theservantwaswaitingforabreakintherain。Buthehadnoparticularideaofwhattodoaftertherainstopped。Ordinarily,ofcourse,hewouldhavereturohismaster'shouse,buthehadbeendischargedjustbefore。TheprosperityofthecityofKyotohadbeenrapidlydeg,andhehadbeendismissedbyhismaster,whomhehadservedmanyyears,becauseoftheeffectsofthisdee。Thus,edbytheraialosstokogo。Aherhadnotalittletodowithhisdepressedmood。Therainseemeduop。Hewaslostinthoughtsofhowtomakehislivingtomorrow,helplessihanie。AimlesslyhehadbeehepatteringoftherainontheSujakuAvenue。
TheraiheRashomthahapeltingsoundthatcouldbeheardfaraway。Lookingup,hesawafatblapaleitselfoipsofthetilesjuttingoutfromtheroofofthegate。
&leeaherfairorfoul,becauseofhishelplessces。Ifheeans,hewoulduarvetodeathbesidethewallorintheSujakugutter。Hewhttothisgateandthrownawaylikeastraydog。Ifhedecidedtosteal…Hismind,aftermakiourtimeandagain,allytothethathewouldbeathief。Butdoubtsreturimes。Thoughdetermihehadnochoice,hewasstilluerenetojustifythethathemustbeeathief。
Afteraloudfitofsupslowly。Theeveningadehimlohofabrazier。Thewindintheeveningduskhhthehecricketerthe-lanwasalreadygone。
Dughisneck,helookedaroue,aheshouldersofthebluekimonowhichheworeoverhisyellowthinunderwear。Hedecidedtospehere,ifhedasecludedershelteredfromwindandrain。Hefoundabroadlacqueredstairwayleadiate。Noonewouldbethere,exceptthedead,iftherewereany。So,takiheswordathissidedidnotslipoutofthescabbard,hesetfootoepofthestairs。
Afewsedslater,halfthestairs,hesawamovementabove。Holdihandhuddlingcat-likeinthemiddleofthebrtothetower,hewatdwaited。Alighttheupstairsshonehtcheekwiththered,festeringpimplevisibleuubbywhiskers。Hehadexpelydeadpeopleiower,buthehadonlygoepsbeforehenoticedafireabove,aboutwhioving。Hesawadull,yellow,fliglightwhichmadethecobwebshangingfromthegglowinaghostlyway。WhatsortofpersonwouldbemakingalightintheRashomon…andinastorm?Theunkerrifiedhim。
Asquietlyasalizard,theservaothetopofthesteepstairs。gonallfours,aghisneckasfaraspossible,hetimidlypeepediower。
Asrumorhadsaid,hefoundseveralcorpsesstrewncarelesslyaboutthefloor。Siheglowofthelightwasfeeble,heottthenumber。Helyseethatsomewereherseofthemwerewomen,andallwerelollingonthefloorwiththeirmouthsopenortheirarmsoutstrethansomanyclaydolls。Onewoulddoubtthattheyhadeverbeeerheywere。Theirshoulders,breasts,andtorsosstoodoutinthedimlight;otherpartsvanishedinshadow。Theoffehesedeposedchthishandtohisnose。
&momenthishanddroppedaared。Hecaughtsightofaghoulishformbentoveracorpse。Itseemedtobeanoldwoman,gaunt,gray-haired,anddeliriousinappearahapiorherrighthand,sheingintothefaceofacorpsewhigblackhair。
Seizedmorewithhorrorthancuriosity,heevenfottobreatheforatime。Hefeltthehairofhisheadandbodystandoneched,terrified,shewedgedthetortwofloorboardsand,layinghandsohecantopulloutthelonghairsonebyone,asamohelice。Thehairoothlywiththemovementofherhands。