A Snow, on Cherry Blossoms - 5
A novella
II Sea of Survival
This next section was a remembering – there was no brush or parchment to write upon. It was composed in five main sections – and was obviously upset when was in hand.
1
Grit and heat by nightfall caused me to think back on how I got here. A week ago, I was one a trawler, making its way – with deliberate speed – up to Manchuria. It was by the long way Korea. - between the Yellow Sea guarded by Tsingtao to the south, and the cities of Korea – which we covet as ours. I remembered...
There was a brief squall and I saw risings and swellings on by the distance. Waves hit the boat, and outspread the perturbations in the briny sea. It was cold in the winter; that was the point. The Russians should know about the dead season, why they did not understand that Japan did not is a mystery to us all – what it says something about the West and its viewpoint of the Orient.
Tides hit the boat, almost with a plenitude with it a touch as it hit the palm – a quiet reason of sight. If one were to let it push you back into sleep, one would miss certain details – you would miss details upon this ship which would say that things are not as they were made out to be. Why would a trawler land with no goods to sell? One could tell this because of the higher nature that the prow road in on – there was almost nothing in the boat. Anyone who looked at it closely would know this, and that is why anyone who stood out at watch appeared nervous. Or so composed as if nothing could penetrate their countenance. Or so the Russians would say, as they drank their tea.
Chinese, did not care. They were only interested if there was money in it for them, and of course, there was not. But this was the attitude of almost every single one of the entire denizens of this country – which is why despite having a family that had reigned for almost 300 years, there was a degeneracy about them. Clothes that were either too rich to go outside – or too poor to venture inside. The nobles were rich but rich in that way that would show everyone. The Dowager Empress built a marble boat for her Lake, rather than protecting its large sea lanes. This is why everyone in the West demanded concessions, including treaty ports, and their courts to rule in their favor. Still, the aristocracy of China did not care, because in their minds they ruled over the center of the world.
Constant rebellions which said that the end was near. Which is why the Russians should have taken more care. For example, letting in a trawler with no goods. This is why I was vigilant – because a ship belonging either to Russia might have signaled a disastrous war at sea – when we wanted to dock in a port, making it far easier to then turn to the land part of my mission. Which is why I often looked up, to the bridge – where the captain was plotting a course. staring down at maps, with a compass in hand – knowing that out there someplace, were ships of war which could board at any instance, and rapidly discover the façade. This is why we did not worry about junk and other sailing craft – if nothing else we could bribe the sea-men to look the other way – it was the single focus to worry about Russian warships.
Hour by hour, what ships we saw seemed to be civilian vessels, most of them of the Chinese or Korean design. As we got into the Yellow Sea's interior, the pressure grew on the base of my skull – and nothing would relieve it. I looked at the faces of the men who knew that they were on a mission but did not know what it was. Sweat through from their beards, and their hands dripped with it. It was obvious that they were hiding something. It was the acrid smell on their jackets and pants that gave it away; the permeation of the oil from man and the oil from sweat mixed. With every face I looked upon, each had a different way of showing it, but the result was all the same. Many of the faces were hopped up on tea, or worse still, opium. Opium is the drug of people who in the end do not care for anything but the easing of the lungs and the opening of the skull. Of course, the sea gave access to the pleasures and painful decline.
Hour by hour, the stench of humans, opium, and oil blended mixed with the odor of vermin as a clang on a water clock. Because I was bound to this crew, to the vagaries of whether or not they could keep the secret if we were boarded. Thus, a pattern to my gaze took hold – at the sea for looking for ships, at the bridge wondering if we were going to land, at the crew for deciding how long they could hold their confidence – the sea was clear, and the struggle on the bridge was intense. I decided that it would be best if no ship would challenge us, the other alternatives were worse. So missing the noise of keys, I stood along the bulwark and looked out, desperate to go around the peninsula, not to enter Dalnii, which was the center of Russian concentration – because it wanted a warm water port – but farther up the South Manchurian Railway. For now, the horizontal board that made the bridge up was a fortress. Again, a fortress besieged.
Russians called it – it was a pun between Chinese and Russian. Russian took the 1st syllable – 大 – which was pronounced in Chinese as “Da” and introduced a Russian name. The English called it “Port Arthur”. Since our victory last month, the port was conquered, but there were dozens of Russian partisans swarming to catch any Japanese. The talk of Tokyo was the reality that we – and most especially I – faced. It was one thing to think about spying, it was quite another for the reality of what it meant in terms of rank smell, and how it hung about the ordinary men tasked with carrying it out. Looking up the bow, seeing the other man holding watch – realizing that he did not have the same reason to forbear then I did. He was thin, and I would imagine willing to talk if he got the chance. But the reality was as soon as they found no break bulk cargo – they would not need the crew to talk. We knew what awaited us.
Looking downward, a spiral listened– in my head, I felt a moth, that was coming up from the depths. There was a mixture in my mind of the moth and the depths of the ocean. On the wings were a crest of origami shapes – on each wing stood around a dot, with folds that went from gossamer grate to evensong black. It is an antenna attuned to another vision that could not quite the seen. It is broadly winging flight seemed to have said that there were more in the deeper currents. I stared down at the chrysanthemum eyes – and then it was gone. Only the dark sea water remained – I was suddenly in the present, and beside me was another man from the deck.
“What are you seeing? Is something important?”
At 1st I was just going to nod “no”, but then I corrected myself: “I was just remembering a picture, a moth – was nothing important.” But then I realized that I had made a mistake, no man who was on this boat would have remembered anything like the calligraphy or the painting. So I only hoped that he would not remember this not if but we were lined up by Russians. It was then I realized that I was convinced that we were going to be boarded, even though I had not seen anything. It was only a dread in my gut.
“You must see some strange things. Were you apprenticed to someone other than a seaman?”
Sigh - remembering that there was chaos in terms of the people who had piled up into Tokyo – everyone said one thing and really meant another. Everyone was something different than they appeared, so why should I not my as well? I realized that disorder is mirrored by disorder in the other ranks as well. It seemed that escaped the teaming confusion that rained.
“I lost both of my parents and lived with a great grand uncle for a time – he was a calligrapher and artist – I did not have any talent for this and was sold as quickly as I came in.” My expression changed to match his lower the grammar that went with it. he would not notice.
Gazing eastward, It appeared that there might have been rising smoke – at 1st just a whisper. The other man stepped in the same direction and immediately cited the same thing that I did. Gradually it sharpened – and formed into a broad steam vessel, and there was no doubt that it was a military steam vessel rather than some industrial version. But neither of us could tell which nationality it was from – Japan was light in color – and there was not enough wind to show the colors from this distance, polite breeze played tricks with the eye.
Other men moved to watch, and it was my job to warn the bridge. Going up alongside, and bursting through the open door, there were 2 people on the bridge – 1st mate, and the 3rd mate. They were both already staring at the same place that we had been. The 3rd mate as to what was up.
“We have seen the same thing as you, Do you want me to wake the captain?” My face was on the 1st mate. Be burly figure the 1st mate, though not stout at all, answered back - though he did not take the binoculars off of the ship: “Yes you can do that, and quickly tell him that it is urgent – they are Russians, though it is only a cutter, it will intercept us before any other ship can get to us.” Nodding - and went down to the cabins. It was a shorter military vessel.
Two gas lights, only, on opposite sides of the corridor, and the white stain provide a little bit of illumination to the dark wood that surrounded the hall. Immediately softly wrapped on the door, and tightened his fist around the knob. When there was no reply, he wrapped it again – but this time more forcefully than before. This created a stirring from the bed, and the captain Finally, answered.
“What is it? I assume it is important.”
“There is a ship, and all agree that it is a Russian cutter.”
Immediately there was a commotion – as the uniform and boots were slung on. It was only a few minutes before the captain showed himself, the light beard on his face was as yet unshaven. Behind one could see the bed was unmade, and on a small stool – there was an empty cup, I presumed of tea. In the corner of his cheeks, grown hollow for the hours that he worked, there was a spark from inside his room from the gaslight which had only recently been turned off. His eyes were darker than usual, and he stared heavily onto my face. Only he knew exactly what was being contracted here – though of course the general mission was known to everyone.
Whispers of breath came from his lips, and he was agitated. It was clear that he had planned for such an emergency, but had hoped not to encounter it.
“Should we go to work?” So I led him up the corridor and onto the deck. The corridor was clawing its way as if it were making a last gasp. When up ahead there are the beginnings of daybreak on the walls. There were only some stairs and then we were hit by the dawning light, It was only a few minutes until that break which signaled morning. From the darkness – it was a sharper release than was expected, by either of us.
I was on the deck – with the 1st mate trying to gain order over all of it, but not producing any real progress. It was at that point that the captain raised his voice. It carried from bow to stern with a commanding presence: “This is not the way that we run a ship.” Suddenly everything ground to an instantaneous halt. Altman stared directly at Captain, and a few bowed their heads – and everyone listened to the sound of his words.
“Everyone listened to me, we are not going to be shown as panicking. The Russian cutter is not where it should be, thus we will hold off their boarding us. We are in Japanese waters, having taken the port by force. There is no place that they can go, it is winter, and all of the main harbors have been blocked. So do not be alarmed at them, instead, we are going to fight.” It was not just a stirring speech, but a model for how they should behave. As far as the captain was concerned, this was a battle no less than the storming of the port or engagement between ships of war. It was obvious that he bought of himself as in command, even if it were small. I imagined him being a samurai guarding a pool of water – nothing was going to take it from him less he was dead. That meant that we were to be the same way – this was natural for me, but not so for the rest of the crew.
Then the captain looked at his 3rd officer and demanded a report, which the 3rd officer then supplied. We could all see that the cutter was slicing its way towards us, and with great speed. Obviously, they thought that the trawler would be an easy catch, and perhaps they thought that they could use the crew and the ship as bargaining chips. It seemed to me, that they viewed us as a civilian – and they were a bandit surrounded by officers of the law. Everything was neat – the words “shipshape” were never more characteristically observed than on that deck. Up over the bridge, certain charts were being destroyed by the 1st officer, as if there would be no clue as to any other plan. Things were about to get interesting indeed.
Captain then made other arrangements, because he was going to hold off a metal industrial war machine – with a wood civilian cargo ship. It was obvious that gears were whirring in the front of his skull, and he was determined to do his duty – whatever the cost to himself, or others under his command. He arranged the crew for attack but left a few on the other side for balance. The men were armed with clubs and cudgels. There were a few signs that the ship had been engaged in whaling for a time – and learned some of the Western style techniques, as well as the netting of whales in the Japanese style.
Inherently, the crew moved from workers to warriors – and there was a crispness in their movement that was not there before. All of the officers lined up men and checked their readiness for the combat which was almost certain to happen – they were lined up in 2 rows, higher and lower – to skewer the naval seamen that would attempt to calm on board. Every man imagined the fight that would take place – and their part in it. It was at this point that the captain pulled me aside and looked with an intense glance: “This is a battle for seamen – and while you are in the Japanese Navy, it is not your battle.”
Looking back at the captain: “What do you want me, if I am not to engage the enemy?”
“The course has been set, and it has removed any trace that we were going to go to any place but the main harbor. I will set you on board a life raft, and you will have to make it there alone.”
“Will not they just snare me after they have dealt with the trawler?”
“My job is to buy you enough time.” His face was stern, it was his duty. This was why the Russians were losing: the Japanese men were willing to die for a mission. The Russians were willing to live, but not to die. I could see it on the captains on all of the rest of the men. There was a communion with the officers – one could see it in the way their uniforms were stiffly arranged and where a sense of battle to them. This was on a trawler – most of the men had been volunteers, and at least were not part of the military. My own face because I did not wish to disappoint anyone with my lack of faith, or bounding of determination. But inside I felt that this was a façade – because I had never been so close to open warfare. But I remembered the words of a great samurai, in his little book on the virtues of Bushido: as one man can defeat 10 men so 1000 men can defeat 10,000. I hoped that was true, and determined if I did not feel that way at least I could look that way.
“What would you have me do?”
“First, go to the outside and provide ballast, secondly stand near the life raft. At the appropriate moment, you are to push away – keeping our controller between you and the cutter for as long as you can. Then when you are the drifts of the ocean – you can hide from them, it will take them enough time to figure out where you are.”
Heard the words – and would obey them. another order dropped: “You are going to take the 1st officer, it is better to handle the boat with 2 people.”
Stopped for just a moment – there had to be some sort of arrangement between the captain and the 1st officer, but I did not know what it was. It was probable that it was discussed between the 2 of them, and sprung on me at the last minute. It could be for reasons of the mission – but it could be for other reasons as well. I looked at the captain’s face – but it showed no sign of emotion at all, but that, as I have noted, was his way. So I saluted him one more time, because until I had something specific – it was better to be on the safe side. After all, there was plenty of time on the boat to interrogate the 1st officer.
Duties were locked into my flesh, bone, and nerves – there is no recounting them because there was no conscious control over them. I did what had to be done – taking the ballast side, and maneuvering the smaller life raft into position – there were four large life rafts and four much smaller ones on the far ends – it seemed to me after looking at the 2 options that I had that the better one was on the front of the bow – it was more secure and was a better place to jump off into the beyond. Then I looked out at the cutter, it was still about 3 miles off – but closing fast. There was also more of a wind, and from the west, there came clouds. Not light fair weather clouds, but darker, dimmer, roaring with rain – in an instant it had gone from being clear whether to distinctly foul. Even the birds were crisscrossing ahead – some gulls and terns even had turned back to shore, flying away from the front that was changing the weather. I could see their eyes move from catching fish – that is down – to looking forward to their survival. Everything in the sea was diving the depths if it had the water breathing to do so – and those that did not work scouring their way towards safety. It was not much of the storm, but then we were not much of a ship. Nor was the Russian vessel entirely see-worthy. With that the Russian vessel drew my eye – I suppose hoping that it would stop the pursuit.
The cutter harbor was continuing to approach us – as I knew it would. Their plan was very simple – catch us and use the leverage to get out of the Yellow Sea. Since they were on a mission, a few storm clouds would not deter them. But then my mate came up to me: “The captain feels that now would be a good time to go – the waves make it more likely that we will have more time to escape.” It looked at him, feeling that some clue would give a sign as to why it was he would join me. Of course, I knew what it was.