The King�s Job:
After breakfast, I noticed the �king� on the phone. I tried to listen in to what he was saying. He spoke a mix of Japanese, Korean, and some sort of an island dialect that I wasn�t familiar with. All I could understand �operation� and �money.� I tried to piece together in my mind what he was talking about.
I�m onto you, buddy, I thought. I know what you and your friend�s game is. The �king� hung up and turned to us. I leered at him.
�Problem?� I asked. The �king� grinned at me.
�It�s all okay,� he said. �Just had a little talk with one of my investors.�
�Kings have investors?� I asked. Investors, right? The �king� grinned, showing us his yellow, crooked teeth.
�But of course,� he said.
�Right�� I said.
�Anything,� the �king� said. �It�s time to get to work.� I raised an eyebrow at him while Sappoto-san blinked.
�Work?� she asked. The �duke� smiled as he took her hand.
�But of course, my dear,� he replied. She trembled as she tried to pull away.
�Please don�t touch me,� she said.
�Let go,� I told him. The �duke� did so with his hands up.
�Okay, okay,� he said. I took a step forward.
�So, what is this job that you need to do?� I asked. Both men grinned at us.
�Theatre!� they said. I gave them an odd look.
�Huh?� I asked.
�We�re going to give the people a show at lunch time,� the �duke� explained.
�What kind of show?� I asked.
�Romeo and Juliet!� the �king� announced. I gave off a nervous chuckle in my head.
�Is that right?� I asked.
�That�s right,� the �king� said. �And you ladies are going to help us out today.� Sappoto-san and I just stared at him. We both wanted to ask, but what was the point, really?
Our stage was outside in the field. Sappoto-san and the �duke� passed out the filers. I don�t that she trusts him.
�Don�t try to touch her,� I warned them before they headed off into town.
�Fine, fine, I�ve got it,� the �duke� insisted.
�I mean it!� I said, sternly.
�Okay, I got you,� he said back. Then, they headed off into the town. I really am worried about those two. The �king� patted me on the shoulder.
�Don�t worry, love,� he said. �My duke may love the ladies, but he�s a gentleman when it comes to working with them.� I frowned as I pushed his hand off of me.
�Please don�t call me that,� I said. The �king� backed off a bit.
�Yea ma�am,� he said in a somber tone. We headed into the costume shop just in front of us. Of course, I was playing Juliet for this play. He insisted that I had to.
�I�m tired of using young boys,� he told me. �It�s nice to have women with us for a change.� I felt sorry for those poor boys for some reason. He tossed me a dress.
�Here,� the �king� said. �Put this on!� I gave him a funny look.
�Wait! Now?� I asked him.
�Yes!� he said. �Our show starts in a few minutes. So get dressed!� He shoved me into the dressing room with the costume.
�Okay, okay!� I shouted. �Calm down! Geez!� He closed the curtain behind me. Damn, I thought. What�s the rush? I sighed and changed clothes. For an extra measure, I peeked out the curtain to check if he was watching me. I can�t trust perverts like him at all.
We had a rather decent gathering for the show. Sappoto-san kept track of the people coming to field and taking a seat. The �duke� handled all of the guests� money. My friend watched on with big eyes.
�Wow!� I heard her say near the dressing room. �There are so many people here!�
�Of course,� the �duke� said. �That�s what we wanted in the first place, silly.� I sneered to myself in the mirror after adjusting my costume. I�m still watching you and your little friend, I thought. I don�t trust you clowns!
�Miho-san!� the �king� called. �It�s time.�
�Okay,� I said back. I straightened up my back. Right�
I turned and walked out to the set. Minutes later, the curtain rose. The �king� stepped out on the dirt stage. I stepped out after him.
�But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks� he said. �It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief, that thou her maid art far more fair than she:
�Be not her maid, since she is envious; her vestal livery is but sick and green and none but fools do wear it; cast it off. It is my lady, O, it is my love!
�O, that she knew she were! She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that? Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks: Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, having some business, do entreat her eyes to twinkle in their spheres till they return. What if her eyes were there, they in her head? The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, as daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven would through the airy region stream so bright that birds would sing and think it were not night. See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O, that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek!�
He motioned me to speak.
�Ay me!� I said.
She speaks: O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head as is a winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him when he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air.�
�O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet.�
�Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?�
�'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet; so Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name which is no part of thee take all myself.�
�I take thee at thy word: call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; henceforth I never will be Romeo.�
�What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night so stumblest on my counsel?�
�By a name, I know not how to tell thee who I am: My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself, because it is an enemy to thee;\ had I it written, I would tear the word.�
�My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound: Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?� (Shakespeare in Japanese is really hard. Lucky for us, we had an interpreter there for the people. Though, I questioned had accurate and legit he was the whole time.)
�Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike.�
�How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore? The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, and the place death, considering who thou art, if any of my kinsmen find thee here.�
At the end, the show turned out to be a surprising success. The �king� and �duke� sat on the stage counting up their money.
�Perfect score today!� I overheard the �duke� say as I changed back into my own clothes behind the purple curtain.
�Ah yes,� the �king� said. �This is just the warm-up.� The thin man looked over at him.
�Warm up?� he asked. The �king� grinned at him.
�Oh yes,� he said. �After this, we have a big score this evening.� I narrowed my eyes at those words. I knew it. They are after this �big score� in the con they are planning.