Golden Country. Shusaku Endo

they'd once been Christians that you brought them into the bureau?

      INOUE: It's as you say. Both Uchida and Ishii, having been Christians in their youth, best understand the movement of the Christian heart. They know where the Christian is weak and where he is strong, what kind of lies he will tell to his interrogator, how best to press him. A Christian who has given up his faith knows best how to make another give up his. So Uchida and Ishii are both of use to me.

      TOMONAGA: Yes, that's true.

      INOUE: It's the same with you. You are useful to us because you gave up your faith. You are able to see through the Christians' thinking. Isn't that so?

      TOMONAGA: When you put it that way, I feel very much as if I were one of the objects of Hirata's suspicion.

      INOUE: Don't be ridiculous. I don't quite know how to put it, but you are quite a different sort from Hirata. Why, you even blushed at Hirata's little example of the women. You're not the kind of man to conceal craftily his true self and act out a part. Isn't that true, Hirata?

      HIRATA: Quite true. If I even so much as suspected that Lord Tomonaga was a Christian, I'd have to change my whole method of investigating the Christians.

      INOUE: And you, Hirata, must not be overzealous in your work, to the point of losing perspective. By the way, Tomonaga, do you happen to have heard of a priest by the name of Ferreira?

      TOMONAGA: Ferreira? Why, of course. Everyone's heard of Ferreira. He's hiding out somewhere in Japan and carrying on his work undetected by us. He's a Portuguese Jesuit, isn't he? I know that he came to this country in 1600 and for twenty-five years has been Superior of the Jesuits.

      INOUE: You have quite a detailed knowledge of him.

      HIRATA: He certainly ought to have. You see, when he was still a retainer of the Omuras, he was one of those baptized by Ferreira. Tomonaga, please don't take this amiss. I have the custom of investigating thoroughly those who are working for the bureau. I know too that when you were a retainer of the Gamos, you let the Fathers use your house as a church.

      INOUE: You seem to have been born to distrust people.

      TOMONAGA: No, no, it's as he says. Ferreira is a mistake of my youth. I listened to his talks and even let him give me the Christian name of Joseph. I'm very much ashamed of this.

      INOUE: Don't trouble yourself about it. I have a Christian name too—Paul. There were many Johns and Pauls in those days.

      HIRATA: Besides, the mistakes of one's youth are hardly to be avoided. But when even someone like Tomonaga can go so far astray as to become a Christian, someone like me ...

      TOMONAGA: Oh, is it possible that even someone like you could go astray?

      HIRATA: Of course it's possible. I once went so far astray as to fall in love with a girl of the Maruyama pleasure quarters named Yuki. Oh, forgive me. I had forgotten that your own daughter is named Yuki. I always seem to say the wrong things. I've heard that your daughter is eighteen years old. The young men working here with us told me. The man who gets her will be very lucky.

      TOMONAGA: She's still only a child.

      INOUE: You too will have a blessed future for having such a daughter.

      TOMONAGA: Thank you for saying so, but she's only an ignorant country girl.

      INOUE: You must be tired after your journey from Hirado. Take a good rest.

      Tomonaga Sakuemon bows and leaves the room.