The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea

1963·1.7 MB·English

by  Yukio Mishima

MISHIMA. ©

Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea
Pe nerin Roots
The Sea Who Fell Fon Grave wits ee Se

‘rho gendatet ea Ca Pe See

Ernpn nee igh tn se

Eiki sul otjucpeuace ean.
se donpeg Caraee

a)
‘Yukio Mishizon
‘The Sailor Who Fell from Grace
with the Sea

‘Teonaate rom the Joga by Joba Nipho
Venguin Bao:

Sa enociation wich
‘Meatin Secker & Warlure
argue tel a Hameadvorth,
eis, Pre

engl cts g Madien fen, No Yar
Bai Ines nme Le Ried,
[Rove Hoole Chas Ld to, Soh Set
Mivthan, Ove Chand wa

Fev eke) ty, arm Wa Rod,
oc to New Zola

‘Bib taaudne pied in nt aby
vino Wivorg i ”
Pro Fogle tee

ont Ne 8. es Ye
‘Atogtm ceeved

Lotfi ng a ert jo fot Sea
rated tat he pate Oe I,
Bees ants Sy bn

Mate and pied a Gest tab
Go Syma Ld, Lens Ru a Fabs
eric Lng Deki

‘tir bonks wd weet econ at
Uy afte er
‘log ov core bor has low es
‘Teiotng Disclose panda he
‘angest pacha
Part One Summer

Chapter 1

“Sleep well dear?

‘Noboru’ mother cloeed is bedroom ir wt Tooked
fa, What would she do if there were a Line? Let hin) out
Set thing ~ebe hal peomiver eel! Unat. Bo whacit the
swonalea ther warped jn the heat oF paint clogged the
bepacle? The window? There was a gravel padl belo,
[esides, the socond floor af this gongling house ws Mapes
Jealy high.

Th war all fie own fae. 1k would never have hap-
penct if he ban’ lr the Chief perwade him 0 soak
vt of the house dint night, There had been. ens
‘questions afterward, Dat he hadn't reveal the Chiefs

"They Hed at the rop of Yael HHL in Yokoleamy i
Ihocie Bi father fd In, fier the War the Rous had
‘ace requisiioued by the Occupation Army and tote
shad been iowalled i each of the upetais bedroom: being
Jocked in at night was uo great dicurfort, but 10
1hlicen-yoarsold the hun Piaton vax enormenk

[Lefealnne one morning to watch the houre and fa need.
of something to veat his spite om, Nobara bana t2
umecage eg Bi ec

‘A lange cet of drawers was bule nto the wall adjoin.
ing his mother’s bedrocm. He pulled out al che dravers,
andl av be war dumping their contents onto the floor be
Pore One

nati a trickle of light spiling ito one of the empty
<comparmmensof the chest.

Fe threat hi hc inas tas age and dsouvexed he
seareeof Ue lights stzong summer monlighr ras refering
‘off the a inn hie mother's emapty bedroom. ‘here wat
leony of soem in the ctvsl. Feen a grovenop might
Squeon up to be belly if he Iny Hat Poesing at his
tmenhers hed theough the poephats, Nabors seneed
temething new wad fresh about

"The shiny Tass Hey bi Ete at ydned fem New
‘Orley wees against the al ome Tet sie us as
they ‘ad been before hia death. A bedspread) wae
mouse nely over one a then, adm the white ctw
faleage eter"? Wovtala was th larily mares A ble
fray murat, trail» long palsblue niboa, lay a ie
bed. Oa the night-tblestod a blue electric fan

“Acw che evim, near The window, hese wom a dese
ingaabie fited with an oval ihroepicns minor, The
tuleror wnat quite ceed: eke upper edger of the ase
ficded dacgh the craks like splinters of ie. In front of
The mingoe rae a small cy of bucles: cou de Cela,
perfume sprays, lavender enlee water, a Bohemian gla
able, ts nce glictering in the light. eeumpled pair
‘af bran lace gles ay withering ke car Fee,

A couch and to chars, 2 tor lang, ard em,
Aelieote table were arranged dzzely under the wind,
‘Anemlauidery Fame, Ihcbeginsings ofa pstter seeded
Into the silk, was propped. on Hue couch, The vote for
nich things had pasied long ago, hax his mace ye all
Kinda of hands. The patteru semed t be the wing
of some guvdy bird, a para mayle, on a backround of
Siler grey. A pair of stockings lay in a heap next tothe
Cbecidery. The janing embrace of pure nye andl te
Summet
Imitation damask of the couch gave the rou an air of
agitation. She mst have noticed a ladder on her may out
and changed ina hurry,

‘Only dating sty aud a few regents of loud, bard
and glowy as enamel in the lighe bouncing off the water

could be scen through the winds.
‘Nubore coakln't Dries he was lacking as mabe?
bee il wight awe belonged eo x atanger. But kere

was no doubt that 2 woman lived there: feaininiey
‘wembled in every comme, a Iniut sent lingered in the

‘Vheu a strenge idea assed him, Lil the peephote jut
tuappen ta be here, an accident? Or — after the war
when the aolien? Lourdes hd Bee Living together in
Iaoase . Hee da soon Colin tha aner body,
Tanger ag hi fond, sie body hal cwes Iudled
‘this dumy space inthe wall. ‘The ehoughet soured (he ese
ar and he was sickened. Wriguing backwards out af the
thee, he ram to She ee omen, He wen ever fang tie
quent senention he had shes, flinging vpn. he dao, be
tarein.

Drab and familar the room bore na rescue 6
the mysterious chamber he had wen through ehe py
lupe: it wa ee Usa eae to bie ad to lk —fe9
fine sou stopped coming into Mothar't voor am often
{with that esa aha wanting Eo ste te sips owe
ot a cad any tore, dear ~ bere thee his mantel
ar srkle her embroidery po hel ira with his homework
‘while ne afd yan, 0» ould wool him for nat ying
Dig fe alrsigh, oF would check che edges she bronght
‘nome fos the shop

“He looked for the peeps, Te wasn't easy to tind.
CConuingly hidden tn the omasy carved wring, im a

7
Part One

pot ow the upper horder where the rippled pattern overe
Tapped to conceal it~ a very sal he,

"Noboru stumbled back to his roe, yatherod te sete
tesed eKking, and sated it hack jun de drawers, When
evexything wae a9 it had been, he vowed never todo any-
‘Hag that cg ate the froma eben 0S

Shurdy after be mate hie discovery, Nohorn began
spying on lie mete at night, parienlanly when she had
ncggel or scolded him, ‘The moment his door wee eed
fe woud lip the drawer quiely out of the chet, rl
then warch ia umabating woader while she prepased lot
bed On nights when nis yas gene, he never Inked.

Hie disosvered that it was her Ibi, though the night
‘were not yet uncomfortably hot, to st completly aed
fora few minutes Lefer uring to led, He had a tele
Cinye yen she went esr thr Wall miso, fe i gin a
‘orner of Ihe room he could sce

‘She wat anly thiry-chree aud her slender body,
shapely from playing reaniy every werk, wne benutihi:
“Usally she got straight inno hol afer touchy her flesh
wile petuaaed water, bat ometinns se wool stat Be
hesing-table an gaze into the pvror at her profile for
minutes at a ems, eyes hollow as thongh ravaged by
{ever scented frngeo toed betwen her thighs, On frase
igi, mustaking the evinson of li bordel nals. far
‘ood, Noborn exambled,

‘Never had he slverved w wenan’s body ao lay. er
shoniders, Uke the shrine, doped gently downwards
ioe neck and aces were ply ned, but at or res,
asif an inner Iomp vere boring, began a zone of werm,
‘eshy vite. Her Lnuglty breasi inclined sharply awa
From lier Rady; and hen she kel Mem with her
8
Soonter

Tnands, the rosy nipples danced apart. Fle saw the
trembling Welly, Aud the soar that meaal ye had ome
lutdien- A duty red book in hs fats say had tage
Iain that; he had discovered it onthe higher shel, earmed
the wrong way, exndwiched Leiween a gardewlag book
sand pockel Iuainess marl

‘And the zone of black. The angle was bad sorachow
and he etuined umtl the comear of his ee bopan to
ache, He tied all the obscenity ke new, but words alone
auld" pentane that Dhckot, Hig Irland weve probably
Figut when they calle a ptf Title vaca, our, He
‘wondered if that had enything ea do with the emptines
af hizonn word

Ac thirwen, Nobama ws comvinne of hi evn gent
(cash of the others in the gang flt he same way) ad
cortin that Life consisted of 2 few cimple sigpals and
Aeciions; Hat death (ook root at the muaeent of birth
sand mai’ only eceouve Hhoralter wes to witer and
fend it; Thar propagation was w flies enusrpeemly,
soclety was a fieten too; thet fathers and tarhers, By
Mewe of bel Fathers and teachers, were guilty of 3
_gfieven in. Therefor, his oa Fler’ death, aie be
was eight, ad boca a happy incident, unveiling 99 be
proud of

‘On mount nigh it mother wed tur oct the lights
fan sl naked jn feooe of the maior! Then be orould
Tie awake fer hoora freed hy visions of croptinas, 4
sylines ualurled in the moonlight snd sufe shadow and
soffeard the whvle worl, IPT were an amoeba, he
Tenght, eth an infinesinal Boy, Teele eat le
‘es Aman lve tay or giant canugh to defeal anjting

‘Ache ley in ed, hip” homs often serceched ia wight
‘mares rough his open vrindow. Whea hls mother had

°
Part One

‘acer, gsitle, he was able to sleep withoxe laking, On
thos nights the vision appeared in his dreams intra

He ever cried, not even a his dears foe ade
hearvinos wa & point of pride. A large iron anchor
‘widitanding the eomroron ofthe aca and eromeful of the
Tbamncies aud oyters th harnun the He of shia, sie
ng. paled and iadillreat Ustoagh Beaps of booken
hs toahles come, bore exp and prophylactics ines
the send at hashoor bottom ~ that waa bow be iked to
Imagine his bear. Some day be would have au acho
‘atl on Ii chest,

‘The most ungentl night uf all came towards herd of
the maeer Tiday. Seuldeady: Were wis ms wey of
mowing it would happen,

[Hi stocker lt eazly in the evening, explaining chat
she had invited Second Mote ‘Teukaaohi to dinner. To
than isn, she asi, or having shown Nobory und bit
ip ts day eine. She was wearing Kiron of black
face over a crimson under-rabe; her obi yas white
brucade: Noboru thougtt she looted beaut a sho eft
the now,

‘Area oflock ste yeluoned with Taukarski, Nabora et
them in and sat in the living-room with ce tpey aioe,
Iiewning to aries about the va, Tis aether iterated
st tensity, saying it wae ime for hima wo go to bed. She
hhuried Nabore upstaire and locke Oe bein dor

‘The eight veas humid, che space ieide the chest so
sully be could scarcely breathe; be croeched fast =
fide, wad © teal ine pation wher he time came, od
waited. It was after midnight witen he heard stelly
foontepe on the sain, Cianciog up, fe art Une daotani
(sing envly fn the darkness a armani ted the doen;
aw