Ying Chan - Princess Moonlight - affects to have no memory of her pre Lausanne childhood where she was educated. At the age of 19 she has fulfilled her promise, ripe and firm breasts over slender legs of a dancing gazelle.
She danced on her toes, and under her swaying skirt her beautiful legs, like two palms in a distant island, moved swiftly.. her body had already turned, but the gleam of her white teeth remained visible like a half moon.(page 222)
Honda is intoxicated, yet the way he approaches her is as a scrutineer. He is not only a dedicated investigator of esoteric lore but also has a predilection as a voyeur. Honda's whole persona is intriguing, and I wonder if Mishima was implying Western science - investigation - is a form of voyeurism? A betrayal of the sacred.
Of course Honda was convinced that having Ying Chan in a transparent crystal would constitute the core of his pleasure, but he could not separate that from his innate desire for investigation. Was there no way by which he could harmoniously reconcile these two contradictory tastes and overcome Ying Chan, this black lotus that had bloomed from the mud of life's flow? (page 209)
There's a strange mixture of a wilderness lore that equates Ying Chan with splitting fruit and hanging vines, with a desire to investigate and possibly destroy the sacred object.
Voyeurism is an odd act that does not "act" yet it does investigate; what type of investigation is it? Alan Moore's essay, 'Blood From the Shoulder of Pallas' asks a similar question.
A typical scene is where Honda is talking with Ying Chan, and the black beauty of her body is on full display.
The center of gravity lay at the contact point of crushed breast and.thigh, around which her body swayed slightly in an incredibly vulgar manner.(page 235)
He is clearly linking her to the wilderness and it is almost like describing fruity products of the Thai forest.
This is even more fantastically apparent in a dream sequence.
Just then the brilliant, pathetic sound of bugles arose from the buffet tent, the ground suddenly split asunder, and Princess Moonlight clad in a golden dress emerged on the wings of a golden peacock.. Princess Moonlight's shiny, brown thighs astride the golden peacock exposes her privates, and in short order she sent down a shower of fragrant urine onto the upturned faces of the onlookers. (page 260)
Honda is in dire straits, and events take a turn where the princess rebuffs him by returning the emerald topaz ring. He goes to Keiko in despair.
Briefly Honda told her what had happened, but he was disgusted to be speaking like a defense lawyer. He could not escape the habit of describing logically, inductively, even in this matter of burning urgency.(page 285)
Sadly the betrayal is toxic, as Keiko and Ying Chan are lovers, as he shockingly sees through the peep-hole of his study - like two succulent plants at play - even though he also sees the three moles that betoken her reincarnation.
The chthonic strength of samsara is revealed on the last page, where Ying Chan dies but is presumably reborn in book 4.
According to her lady-in-wairing, Ying Chan was alone in the garden, standing under a phoenix tree with its smoky vermilion flowers. Although there was no one else there, she was heard laughing. The lady-in-waiting thought it strange that she should be laughing all by herself. Clear, innocent sounds that rose in the sunny blue sky. The laughter ceased and almost at once turned into shrill screams. The lady-in-waiting rushed up to find Ying Chan on the ground, her thigh bitten by a cobra.(page 330)
It's a weird story. Nowadays Western Man watches everything, but does he perceive wilderness and the succulence of death? See Conan and Valeria in 'Red Nails' - the dragon sequence, Valeria's swordplay, the sequel in time-lost caverns with rotting carcasses and moss (prev).
The news is sterilized for consumption, yet chthonic growth is a strength that is not necessarily perceived by the use of information alone. It needs a dark strength; a goddess or a witch.
It sort of reminded me oddly of 'Ghost of Hoppers" (P143,144) where there is also two women entangled. There's also a pool scene (stagnant water), the pool which at story's end is fiercely lit by flames of calamity.
The encased breasts and their dusky ripeness reminded Honda of the fresco at Ajanta cave temple depicting the dying dancer. From this side of the pool he could clearly see her teeth gleaming whiter than her bathing suit when she smiled.
As she drew nearer, Honda stood up to great this girl he had so eagerly awaited.
"Now everyone's here," said Rie, hastening over, but he made no reply.
Keiko greeted the Princess and waved to the Prince in the pool.(page 310)
TAN AND SEE (HB154)
