All the World's a Stage

The light goes out. The curtain closes.

The stage revolves.

Scene three

A room in the tea house that has been set aside for the juggler. Paper partitions. A floor covered with straw mats. No decorations and no furniture, apart from a low table on which the items required for his tricks are laid out. Standing on a bench in the corner is a tub with water for washing.

The Inaudible One is sitting on the floor, hanging his head, with his hands, bound up in rags, crossed on his forehead. He is motionless.

STORYTELLER

The killer sits alone in his small, wretched room,
A violent conflagration raging in his soul.
He curses himself for his stupid impulse.
In saving the girl he has ruined the whole business.
For now his hands are blistered all over,
His fingers now are burnt and helpless.
How can he kill someone with useless hands like this?
Only death can atone for such disgrace.

He strikes his drum.

The Inaudible One jumps up and mimes a pantomime of despair: he dashes randomly around the room, trying to find a way to take his life. He tries to take something out of a sack, but his hands will not obey him. He picks up the rope on the table, but he cannot form a noose. Finally he falls face down on the floor and rolls about in silence, beating his head against the mats.

STORYTELLER (continuing)

But how can he take his own life, if he is crippled?
He cannot draw a dagger and he cannot tie a noose.
No fate exists more terrible, no despair is darker
Than when you cannot even let death in.

The Inaudible One lifts himself up and crawls on his knees to the tub. An idea has occurred to him: he can drown himself! He lowers his head into the water and remains in that pose.

STORYTELLER (continuing)

The Ninja has found his solution. His honour will be saved!
The water in the tub is a mere three suns deep,
But the Sinobi has a will of iron.
If not blood, then water will wash away his shame!
Fate herself, as if taking pity on Izumi,
Seems to have set aside the sword already raised.
But karma’s mystic pattern is so tangled!
And often we destroy ourselves unknowingly…

He strikes his drum.

IZUMI’S VOICE (coming from behind a partition) Will you permit me to enter your room? Can you hear me? I have come to visit you! May I come in?

The Inaudible One’s body starts shuddering convulsively, but he does not change his pose. The shoji slide apart. Izumi is there, seated on her knees.

STORYTELLER

Seeing this picture, she thinks to herself:
‘Poor fellow! He cannot even wash without his hands.
He cannot take his mask off and is obliged to soak
His damaged face like this, straight through the cloth.’

Izumi gets up, hurries across to the Inaudible One and touches him on the shoulder. In his surprise he straightens up abruptly. His mask is soaked right through and clinging to his face.

IZUMI Permit me to remove your mask and wash your face. I swear I will not look if that is painful for you.

He shakes his head furiously and backs away.

Very well then, I won’t. That is not what I came here for… I am so grateful to you for saving Sen-chan! (She bows deeply to him.) In the garden I was completely numb with fear, I could not say a single word.

He looks at her without moving. A furious fire glitters in his eyes.

I expect you feel distressed because your hands will not allow you to take part in the performance. But there is a certain cure for all burns. My father was a healer, I inherited a chest of potions and ointments from him, and one of them is a miraculous soothing balm. In a single hour it can make burns close over and help heal up the skin. In just a day or two your hands will be as dexterous as they ever were. I only ask you, please, to follow me.

She walks to the way out, looking round at the Inaudible One. He watches her but does not move from the spot.

STORYTELLER

He does not know what to believe. Oh, wonder of wonders!
A whimsical joke by a droll, mischievous Fate.
The innocent moth has flown to the flame herself.
The victim is rescuing her own murderer.

Izumi freezes on the threshold, holding out her hand to the Inaudible One. He starts getting up and also freezes.

Darkness. Curtain.

The stage revolves.

Scene four

Izumi’s room. The shoji are opened wide. The Inaudible One is sitting on a mat, with his hands bound up in snow-white bandages. Sen-chan is there beside him. There are refreshments on the table.

Sen-chan tries to thrust chopsticks holding a rice ball in through the opening in the mask for the Inaudible One’s mouth.

SEN-CHAN How disobedient you are. My lady told me to take care of you and serve you everything. While the soothing balm is healing your burns, I must be your hands. Come on, open your mouth!

The Inaudible One turns away.

SEN-CHAN Don’t you want to eat? Then I’ll eat it myself.

She eats the ball of rice and carries on talking with her mouth full.

Why don’t I loosen up your shoulders and your neck? Sometimes I give lady Izumi a massage like that.

She jumps up, sits behind him and starts giving him a massage. He tries to move away, but she won’t leave him alone.

For you I will do anything you want! Just let me know! Since you saved my life, I am yours for ever. And if the balm doesn’t help to heal your hands, then I’ll be your hands and I’ll never leave you. You’ll stay with us and live here as our guest. I’ll do as I am told by my lady and by you. Where could you go, with no hands and no tongue? But here I’ll put your clothes on, and take them off, and feed you.

The Inaudible One shudders at this prospect.

No one in all the world is kinder than my Izumi-san, and no one is nobler than you. What more could I want? What happiness it will be to serve you both!… But have I worn you out? Do you want to lie down?

Izumi comes out onto the engawa. She is wearing an elegant kimono and holding a fan in her hand.

IZUMI I won’t be in your way here, will I? Let the soothing balm take effect and I’ll carry on practising my dance.

Sen-chan sits down with the shamisen. Slowly and painstakingly, sometimes making mistakes, she accompanies Izumi in her dance. The Inaudible One watches Izumi without taking his eyes off her.

STORYTELLER

The helpless villain follows the marvellous dance,
Admiring all the beauty of the movements despite himself.
What does Izumi’s dance have in common with the craft
To which this Ninja has devoted his whole life?
At first sight, one would think, not much. And yet there is a likeness,
A unifying law: to raise mystery to the level of an art.
Yugen conceals the radiance of beauty from the eyes.
The way of the Sinobi conceals the blackness of murder.
Like Yin and Yang, these two forces strive towards each other.
Without darkness there is no light, without light there is no darkness.
Shaken by a strange trembling, the Inaudible One
Sits there, not understanding what is happening to him.