YUBA (bowing down to the floor) Forgive me, I shall mend my ways! Ah, do not throw me out! I swear to be your diligent pupil!
O-BARA Very well, we shall see… I think I’ll go into the garden. I wish to pick some flowers for an ikebana.
YUBA What kind would you like? If you tell me, I can pick them.
O-BARA (stroking the apple tree branch lovingly) Oh no, I shall choose worthy companions for this branch myself. But you can tidy up in here.
She goes out.
Yuba sticks her tongue out after her. She turns rounds and gives a sign. To the sound of a drumbeat, Kinjo steals in from the other side of the room, with a sack over his shoulder.
KINJO I have cleaned out the owner, taken all her money and her pearls and silk. And now let’s pluck your dear lady O-Bara. Have you found out where she hides her precious things?
YUBA I took a sly peek yesterday. She has a hiding place in here.
She points to one leg of the table.
Kinjo lifts up the table, removes the leg to expose the secret compartment and takes out the jade dragon.
KINJO And is that all? I was told she keeps a nest egg and has a rich lover.
YUBA She must have a hiding place for her money too. But, forgive me, I could not find it.
KINJO (sticking the dragon in the sack) To hell with it! The dragon’s made of jade, it must be worth a lot. Or what would be the point of hiding it like that? But my main booty from the house of Yanagi is you! Now let us leave this cursed place behind, we have a long journey ahead of us!
They walk out onto the hanamichi.
The first mitiyuki
In the mitiyuki all the action takes place on the hanamichi platform. Kinjo and Yuba walk in ‘koaruki’ style, that is, imitating walking, but barely moving from the spot. He strides along with the sack over his shoulder, leading her by the hand. Yuba has lifted up the hem of her kimono and she walks, not with a woman’s gait, but a man’s, taking long strides. This symbolises her break with ‘the world of flowers and willow trees’, where all is artificiality and affected femininity. At first she glances back occasionally at the closed curtain, but then stops doing it. The wind has tousled her hairstyle.
YUBA But what if they come after us?
KINJO I couldn’t give a damn!
YUBA But what if they put us in jail? Then what?
KINJO I couldn’t give a damn!
YUBA But what if we don’t find any shelter?
KINJO I couldn’t give a damn.
YUBA You won’t abandon me, will you? Tell me!
KINJO I couldn’t… (he stops himself and gestures broadly with his arm)… Not for anything!
STORYTELLER
Scene two
O-Bara’s room again. The geisha comes in, carrying flowers. Futoya follows her, shrouded in a cloak. O-Bara turns towards him and they both freeze on the spot.
STORYTELLER
He strikes his drum. The Inaudible One appears on the other side of the paper partition and parts the shoji slightly. O-Bara and Futoya start moving again.
O-BARA Today or tomorrow we shall see the end of her. There will be no obstacle to my success.
She sits down at the little table and starts arranging an ikebana thoughtfully.
Now everything that we desire, dear friend, will come about. There is no doubt of it.
FUTOYA Most welcome news. And now I ask you to return the token that I entrusted to your safe keeping. The sign has been given and Izumi’s final hour has come. The Sinobi execute a sentence promptly. Their messenger may appear at any moment now, and I must return the dragon instantly.
O-Bara takes her time to finish arranging the bouquet. Then she lifts the table up slightly, opens the secret compartment and rummages in it. She thinks she has tried the wrong leg and looks in each of them by turn.
STORYTELLER (in the meantime)
O-BARA Where has it got to? I remember very clearly that I put the dragon in my secret hiding place.
FUTOYA This is no time for foolish joking! Give me back the talisman!
O-BARA Oh, damnation! It has been stolen! I simply can’t believe my eyes. Look, the table leg is hollowed out. No hiding place could possibly be safer!
Futoya overturns the table.
FUTOYA I understand! I realise everything! Oh, you vile serpent! You wish to get rid of me now! You no longer have any need of me! My usefulness has been exhausted! You wish to hand me over, so that they can torture me to death! (He grabs her roughly by the shoulder.) The Jyonin will kill me for losing his dragon! And that is what you want. Give it back!
O-BARA (resisting) What is this, have you lost your mind? Let go of me, you idiot! You and I are allies! Why should I wish to have you killed? Yuba must have robbed me. I had noticed a strange new wilfulness in her behaviour…
FUTOYA (not listening to her) Give me back the dragon, you bitch! Out of my love for you I have sinned and marred my karma for ever.
She breaks free and he chases her around the room. He knocks her down, but O-Bara is strong and agile, and she breaks free again. Eventually they both fall and start rolling about on the mats, punching and scratching each other. All this takes place with no words spoken and no shouting, in pantomime.
STORYTELLER (during the pantomime)