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第27章 罗生门2（第1页）

shasbeensaid，theservantwaswaitingforabreakintherain。Buthehadnoarticularideaofwhattodoaftertherainstoed。Ordinarily，ofcourse，hewouldhavereturnedtohismastershouse，buthehadbeendischargedjustbefore。TheroserityofthecityofKyotohadbeenraidlydeclining，andhehadbeendismissedbyhismaster，whomhehadservedmanyyears，becauseoftheeffectsofthisdecline。Thus，confinedbytherain，hewasatalosstoknowwheretogo。Andtheweatherhadnotalittletodowithhisderessedmood。Therainseemedunlikelytosto。Hewaslostinthoughtsofhowtomakehislivingtomorrow，hellessincoherentthoughtsrotestinganinexorablefate。AimlesslyhehadbeenlisteningtotheatteringoftherainontheSujakuAvenue。

Therain，enveloingtheRashomon，gatheredstrengthandcamedownwithaeltingsoundthatcouldbeheardfaraway。Lookingu，hesawafatblackcloudimaleitselfonthetisofthetilesjuttingoutfromtheroofofthegate。

Hehadlittlechoiceofmeans，whetherfairorfoul，becauseofhishellesscircumstances。Ifhechosehonestmeans，hewouldundoubtedlystarvetodeathbesidethewallorintheSujakugutter。Hewouldbebroughttothisgateandthrownawaylikeastraydog。Ifhedecidedtosteal…Hismind，aftermakingthesamedetourtimeandagain，camefinallytotheconclusionthathewouldbeathief。Butdoubtsreturnedmanytimes。Thoughdeterminedthathehadnochoice，hewasstillunabletomusterenoughcouragetojustifytheconclusionthathemustbecomeathief。

Afteraloudfitofsneezinghegotuslowly。TheeveningchillofKyotomadehimlongforthewarmthofabrazier。Thewindintheeveningduskhowledthroughthecolumnsofthegate。Thecricketwhichhadbeenerchedonthecrimson-lacqueredcolumnwasalreadygone。

Duckinghisneck，helookedaroundthegate，anddrewutheshouldersofthebluekimonowhichheworeoverhisyellowthinunderwear。Hedecidedtosendthenightthere，ifhecouldfindasecludedcornershelteredfromwindandrain。Hefoundabroadlacqueredstairwayleadingtothetoweroverthegate。Noonewouldbethere，excetthedead，iftherewereany。So，takingcarethattheswordathissidedidnotslioutofthescabbard，hesetfootontheloweststeofthestairs。

Afewsecondslater，halfwayuthestairs，hesawamovementabove。Holdinghisbreathandhuddlingcat-likeinthemiddleofthebroadstairsleadingtothetower，hewatchedandwaited。Alightcomingfromtheustairsshoneonhisrightcheekwiththered，festeringimlevisibleunderhisstubbywhiskers。Hehadexectedonlydeadeoleinsidethetower，buthehadonlygoneuafewstesbeforehenoticedafireabove，aboutwhichsomeonewasmoving。Hesawadull，yellow，flickeringlightwhichmadethecobwebshangingfromtheceilingglowinaghostlyway。WhatsortofersonwouldbemakingalightintheRashomon…andinastorm?Theunknown，theevilterrifiedhim。

Asquietlyasalizard，theservantcretutothetoofthesteestairs。Crouchingonallfours，andstretchinghisneckasfarasossible，hetimidlyeeedintothetower。

Asrumorhadsaid，hefoundseveralcorsesstrewncarelesslyaboutthefloor。Sincetheglowofthelightwasfeeble，hecouldnotcountthenumber。Hecouldonlyseethatsomewerenakedandothersclothed。Someofthemwerewomen，andallwerelollingonthefloorwiththeirmouthsoenortheirarmsoutstretchedshowingnomoresignsoflifethansomanyclaydolls。Onewoulddoubtthattheyhadeverbeenalive，soeternallysilenttheywere。Theirshoulders，breasts，andtorsosstoodoutinthedimlight;otherartsvanishedinshadow。Theoffensivesmellofthesedecomosedcorsesbroughthishandtohisnose。

Thenextmomenthishanddroedandhestared。Hecaughtsightofaghoulishformbentoveracorse。Itseemedtobeanoldwoman，gaunt，gray-haired，anddeliriousinaearance。Withainetorchinherrighthand，shewaseeingintothefaceofacorsewhichhadlongblackhair。

Seizedmorewithhorrorthancuriosity，heevenforgottobreatheforatime。Hefeltthehairofhisheadandbodystandonend。Ashewatched，terrified，shewedgedthetorchbetweentwofloorboardsand，layinghandsontheheadsofthecorse，begantoulloutthelonghairsonebyone，asamonkeykillstheliceofheryoung。Thehaircameoutsmoothlywiththemovementofherhands。