The Inaudible One takes a scroll out of his belt and tears a piece off it. He takes out a portable inkwell and a little brush and writes something quickly.
A single drumbeat.
The Sinobi tears open the shoji and walks into the room.
O-BARA Enough of this! Stop it! You and I are not alone! (to the Inaudible One) How can you dare to enter uninvited, you buffoon?
O-Bara and Futoya disentangle themselves. They both sit up, trying to put their clothes and hair in order. The Inaudible One, taking no notice of the geisha, holds out the piece of paper to the merchant.
FUTOYA A piece of paper! What’s this now? And are you giving it to me? (He reads it and cries out in a loud voice.) All-merciful Buddha! She is already dead!
The Invisible One takes a dragon with a snake-like blade out from behind his back and reaches out his hand for the dragon.
FUTOYA (creeping away in a squatting pose) We are joint clients in this contract. I gave the dragon to this honourable lady for safe keeping.
O-BARA He lies! This is the first that I have heard of this. I do not understand what you are saying. What contract do you mean?
The Inaudible One picks the branch of the apple tree up off the floor and shows it to the geisha.
O-BARA (realising that her denials are pointless) Yes, yes, please, I’m sorry. I was simply being cautious to begin with, in order to make sure. So she is dead? So quickly? Our commission has been carried out? Can this be possible? I want to see her body.
FUTOYA (in a loud whisper) You’ll be the death of us, you fool! Do not insult him! In cases like this the Sinobi never tell lies to their clients! Give him back the dragon! Your trick has failed! Or he will kill us both this very moment!
O-BARA (also whispering and creeping towards the paper lantern standing on the floor) It’s you who are the fool, dear sir. The dragon’s not here, it has disappeared. If you want to live, keep your mouth shut. And don’t get in my way!
Bowing to the formidable messenger, Futoya creeps towards her, still squatting. The Inaudible One watches them, holding out his hand demandingly. He has hidden the dagger away again.
O-Bara overturns the lantern and it goes out. Darkness.
O-BARA’S VOICE Now save me, legs!
FUTOYA’S VOICE Wait! What about me?
The sound of scurrying feet.
The second mitiyuki
Caught in a patch of light, O-Bara and Futoya run along the hanamichi, without moving from the spot. Their feet seem to be sticking in sand: they run agonisingly, as people do in nightmares; their breathing is fitful and laboured. The geisha has outrun the merchant. She has thrown off her lacquered sandals and tucked the hem of her kimono in her belt so that she can run more freely.
FUTOYA It is pointless to flee! There is no way to escape them! They will find us anywhere, even on the bottom of the sea!
O-BARA (not looking round) I am not running from the Ninja, but from you, you blockhead. I did not take the dragon, and I should not have to answer for it!
Futoya runs faster and catches up with her.
FUTOYA Did you really not love me, even just a little bit?
O-BARA Yes, I loved you, of course I did. But what good is love now?
FUTOYA You are right, as you always are. And your advice is good. Let him finish you off, and I shall get away.
He grabs hold of her sleeve and flings her to the ground. Then he races ahead.
I only need to run from death today. Afterwards I shall buy the Jyonin off with money.
O-Bara grabs the hem of his kimono and he falls. They both get up and carry on running in panic, jostling each other.
STORYTELLER
He strikes his drum.
A beam of light picks out the Inaudible One, standing in front of the curtain. He raises a bamboo blowpipe to his mouth, and spits out a poisoned dart – and Futoya falls. Another dart – and O-Bara falls.
They squirm on the ground and then grow still.
The Inaudible One walks up to the bodies. He takes the snake-blade dagger out from behind his back, bends down and does something.
The beam of light goes out.
Darkness. We hear the Inaudible One walk back onto the stage.
Scene three
The deserted temple again. It is dark inside, and the Inaudible One is picked out by a solitary beam of light. He is sitting there without his mask, but his face cannot be seen, since the actor has his back to the auditorium. His arms are extended to the sides: in his left hand he holds a woman’s head, and in his right, a man’s.
STORYTELLER
A single drumbeat.
The statue of Buddha is lit up dimly from behind. We hear a voice.
The Inaudible One places the heads on the ground, clasps his hands respectfully on his knees and lowers his head.
THE INVISIBLE ONE Inaudible One, on reading your request, I was so indignant, I could scarcely contain my wrath. If not for the great service you have rendered, I would have ordered you to put an end to your own life…
The Inaudible One takes out the snake-blade dagger and sets it to his throat, demonstrating his readiness to carry out such an order immediately.
THE INVISIBLE ONE (continuing)… And transferred the commission to another valiant warrior. The sentence must be carried out, no matter what. The client is of no importance here. And the victim likewise. We Sinobi bear a sacred duty of honour. We transgress every law of man, and rumour names us denizens of hell. Our path lies through the darkness, but a single star still guides our stealthy stride.
Man does not know why he lives in this world. He thinks up toys with which he can amuse himself. He has invented Good and Evil, Ugliness and Beauty, using them as chains to bind himself. But the Buddha alone knows what is Good and what is Evil; the Beautiful is easily transformed into the Ugly. And there is only one thing of true value: having once chosen a Way, never to stray or turn aside from it.