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。