『蝉しぐれ』(藤沢周平)紹介・英語対訳（１８）
An Introduction to “The Cicada Buzz”（Fujisawa Shuhei）・English Translation（１８）
１８ 文四郎が密命を受ける
＊21歳の時、里村家老に呼び出され、里村が属する派閥の領袖である元中老の稲垣と里村に、欅御殿に潜むふくの息子を里村の屋敷に連れてくるようにとの密命を受ける。罠の臭いを感じた文四郎は、逸平と布施と共に欅御殿を訪れ、ふくに事の次第を説明して、共に稲垣派と対立する横山家老の屋敷に脱出するように願う。その時、村上七郎右衛門が率いる稲垣派の襲撃隊が屋敷を襲ってきた。襲撃隊を退けた文四郎は、ふく親子を一時避難させていた金井村村役人藤次郎宅から、横山の屋敷に向かったが、稲垣派の警戒が厳しかったため、急遽加治織部正を頼ることにした。その結果、横山派が稲垣派を押さえて実権を握ることになる。この時の功績により、また父助左衛門の過去の功績が認められ、30石が加増された。
あやめ橋からさらに橋二つ下流に行ったところで、文四郎は権六に命じて舟を荷揚げ場に着けさせた。
文四郎と、子供を抱いたお福が荷揚げ場の石畳に移り、そこから急な石段を河岸までのぼるのを、権六は舟をとめてじっと見つめている気配だった。そしてお福を河岸の道に引き上げた文四郎が権六の舟を振り向くと、舟はゆっくりと岸をはなれ、間もなく中流の闇に溶け込んで行った。
おそらく権六は舟の向きを上流に換えて遡行（そこう）し、今夜は途中の荷揚げ場に舟をつないで自身は陸に上がるのだと思われた。五間川は流れのゆるやかな川だが、それでも金井村に着くまでに三カ所ほどは急流があって、夜の間に川をのぼることは無理である。
文四郎は河岸の道に注意深く眼をくばり、人の気配がないのをたしかめてからお福の手をひいて川岸を横切った。二人が入った道は、加治織部正の屋敷がある代官町につうじる路地のひとつである。
「御子を、こちらにもらいましよう」
文四郎は立ち止まって、お福から子供を受け取った。うっかりすると取り落としそうになるほど、子供の身体は小さくてやわらかかった。そして舟に乗るころは目覚めてむずかっていた子供は、いまはぐっすり眠っていた。
ふくの子供だ、と文四郎は思った。手の中の子供が藩主の血を引いていることはあまり考えなかった。子供の身体が伝える熱い体温も、お福の血の熱さのように思いなされた。(中略）
道がふたたび暗やみにもどっても、お福はすがった手をはなさなかった。文四郎は、父の遺骸をはこんで龍興寺から組屋敷にもどったとき、走って来て車を引いた昔のふくを思い出していた。おとなしい外見の内側に一点の強さを隠しているお福の性向が、いままた暗いに立ち現れて来たようだった。
あのときもそうだったのだと、文四郎は江戸に行く前の夜に葺屋（ふきや）町の長屋をたずねて来たお福を思い出している。ただおとなしく、かよわいだけの娘に出来ることではない。それだけの強さを秘めていても、押し流されるほかはなかったお福の歳月が見えたように思い、文四郎は胸が熱くなった。
文四郎は一度お福の手を解くと、改めて自分から握りしめてやった。お福の手は汗ばんでいるようにしめっぽく、骨細だった。お福は文四郎に手をひかれると、ほとんどしなだれかかるように身を寄せて歩いた。お福の身体の香が、文四郎の鼻にとどいた。
「文四郎さん」
長い沈黙に堪えかねたように、ついにお福が文四郎の名前を呼んだ。か細くふるえる声に、文四郎はお福がいま何を訴えようとしているか読み取った気がした。お福は多分、自分の身の上を通すぎた理不尽な歳月のことを聞いてもらいたがっているのだ。
だがお福が切羽詰まった声音で文四郎を呼んだとき、文四郎は背後にもうひとつの物の気配を聞いていた。堀に沿ってすべるように動いて来る物の気配・・・・。
文四郎は立ち止まると、向き直ってお福の背を掻き抱いた。むせるような肌の香とはげしい喘（あえ）ぎが文四郎をつつんだ。お福は文四郎の腕の中でふるえつづけている。片手に子供、片手にお福を抱き寄せたまま、文四郎は顔は動かさずに眼だけで背後の道をさぐった。はたして左後方の堀の下に、黒くうずくまっているものがある。石のように動かないが、それは人間だった。(中略）
もとの場所にもどると、子供を抱いたお福がうなだれて立っていたが、文四郎を見ると、ほっと顔を上げた。
「片づき申した」
文四郎はそれだけ言うと、また子供を受け取り、お福の手をひいて歩き出した。手をひかれるのをお福は拒まなかったが、さっきのように身体を寄せてはこなかった。もっとも、加治屋敷の高い門が、そびえるように闇にたちはだかっているのがもう見えていた。
文四郎の手短な説明と頼みを聞くと、加治織部正は無造作にうなずいた。
「よろしい。わしがかくまって進ぜよう。まかせろ」
「よしなに、お頼み申しまする」
とお福が言った。お福は落ち着いていた。軽い辞儀と低いがしっかりした声音には、そこはかない威厳までそなわり、お福は織部正を恐れてはいなかった。
暗い路上で息を乱したお福のおもかげはなく、文四郎はお福が藩主の寵（ちょう・めぐむ）めでたい一人の側妾にもどったのを感じた。文四郎は二人にむかって、帰らせてもらうと言った。
「家にもどるのか」
「はい」
「それがよい、横山にはわしから使いをやろう」
「ありがたいお取り計らいです」
「軽挙妄動をつつしめ。横山から使いが行くまでねじっとしているがよい」
加治織部正は懸念ありげにそう言った。織部正のその言葉のいみを理解したのは、屋敷を出て暗い路上をしばらく歩いたあとだった。
(藤沢周平『蝉しぐれ』―逆 転 五)
18 Bunshiro receives a secret order.
＊At the age of 21, he was summoned by the chief retainer Satomura, and received a secret order from former middle-aged Inagaki and Satomura, who belong to the faction to which Satomura belongs, to bring his son, who hides in the Keyaki Palace, to the Satomura residence. Feeling the smell of a trap, Bunshiro visits the Keyaki Palace with Ippei and Fuse, explains what happened, and asks him to escape to the residence of the chief retainer Yokoyama, who is in conflict with the Inagaki faction. At that time, an Inagaki raid corps led by Shichiroemon Murakami attacked the residence. Bunshiro, who rejected the assault corps, headed for Yokoyama's residence from the house of Kanai Muramura official Tojiro, who had temporarily evacuated his parents and children, but due to the strict caution of the Inagaki faction, he decided to rely on Kaji Oribe no Sho in a hurry. As a result, the Yokoyama faction will take control of the Inagaki faction. Due to his achievements at this time, his father Sukezaemon's past achievements were recognized, and 30 kokus were added.
Bunshiro ordered Gonroku to put the boat on the unloading ground when he went downstream from the Ayame Bridge to the two bridges. Bunshiro and Fuku holding a child moved to the stone pavement of the unloading place, and from there the steep stone steps to the riverbank Gonroku seemed to stop the boat and stare at it. Then, when Bunshiro, who pulled up his fortune to the riverbank, turned around Gonroku's boat, the boat slowly left the shore and soon melted into the darkness of the middle stream. Probably Gonroku changed the direction of the boat to the upstream and went back, and tonight the boat went to the unloading place on the way. It was thought that he would go ashore by connecting. The Goken River is a gentle river, but there are still three rapids before arriving at Kanai Village, and it is impossible to climb the river during the night. Bunshiro carefully looked at the road along the riverbank, and after confirming that there was no sign of people, he pulled his fortune and crossed the riverbank. The road where the two entered is one of the alleys leading to Daikancho, where Kaji Oribe no Sho's residence is located. "Let's get your child here" Bunshiro stopped and received a child from Fuku. He seems to drop it inadvertently Indeed, the child's body was small and soft. And the child, who was awake and difficult when he got on the boat, is now sleeping soundly. Bunshiro thought he was a child of Fuku. He didn't think that the child in his hand had the blood of the feudal lord. The hot body temperature transmitted by the child's body was also thought of as the heat of the blood of Fuku. （Omitted）
Even if the road returned to darkness, Fuku kept holding his hand. When Bunshiro returned from Ryukoji to the Kumiyashiki with his father's corpse, he remembered the old cloth he ran and pulled a car. It seems that the propensity for good fortune, which hides one point of strength inside the gentle appearance, is now appearing in the dark again. It was the same at that time, Bunshiro remembers the good Fuku that he visited Nagaya in Fukiya-cho the night before he went to Edo. It's not something that a quiet and cute girl can do. Bunshiro was excited to see the years of good fortune that had to be swept away even though he had that strength. Bunshiro once released his fortune hand, he grabbed it again. Fuku's hands were sweaty and stubborn. When Fuku was pulled by Bunshiro, he walked with him almost as if he was weeping. The incense of Fuku's body reached Bunshiro's nose. "Bunshiro-san" Fuku finally called Bunshiro's name as if he couldn't stand the long silence. A swaying voice. In addition, Bunshiro felt that he had read what Fuku was trying to sue. Fuku probably wants to hear about the unreasonable years that have passed over her. But when Fuku called Bunshiro with a screaming voice, Bunshiro had another thing behind him. He was listening to the sign. Signs of things moving along the moat ... When Bunshiro stopped, he turned around and hugged the back of his Fuku. Puffy skin scent and baldness A new panting wrap around Bunshiro. Fuku continues to sway in Bunshiro's arms. With a child in one hand and Fuku in one hand, Bunshiro sought the path behind him with his eyes alone, without moving his face. Under the moat on the left rear, there is something that is crouching black. It doesn't move like a stone, but it was a human being. （Omitted）
When he returned to the original place, Fuku holding the child stood in drool, but when she saw Bunshiro, she looked up relievedly. "I told you to clean up" Bunshiro received the child again and started walking with her hand. Her hands did not refuse to be taken, but she did not lean back as before. However, she could already see the high gates of the Kaji residence towering over the darkness. When she heard Bunshiro's brief explanation and request, Kaji Oribe no Sho added casually. "OK. Let's move forward with my hiding. Leave it to me." "Please do as I ask you," Fuku said. Fuku was calm. The light bow and low but firm voice gave him an ephemeral dignity, and Fuku was not afraid of Oribe no Sho. There was no suffocation on the dark streets, and Bunshiro felt that Fuku had returned to the concubinage of the feudal lord. Bunshiro told them to let them go home. "Will you go home?" "Yes" "That's good, let's use it for Yokoyama from me" "Thank you for your arrangement" "I'm squeezing a slight delusion. It's better to twist it from Yokoyama until the messenger goes."
Kaji Oribe no Sho said so with concern. It was only after I left the residence and walked on the dark streets for a while that I understood the meaning of Oribe no Sho's words. (Shuhei Fujisawa "The Cicada Buzz" -Reverse Turn 5) (To be continued)