ericlustbader.the ninja-第65节
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'Fear has an uncanny way of escalating。 We were none of us cowards。 We had all done our share of killing。 Even I … even I had been called upon several times 。。。 We were in danger of being overrun。 But now we were experiencing something else … something quite beyond our ken。 It sounds foolish； I know； but believe me； Nicholas； when I tell you what happened。。。
'We were struggling across Leyte。 The enormous naval battle of Leyte Gulf was behind us。 On the sea the Japanese were destroyed； but on land it was another matter entirely。 We did not yet own this small island and Luzon； the main island； was still in Japanese hands。 They were undermanned and frightfully undersupplied。 We thought we had them beaten at Leyte Gulf； that it was the end。 'It wasn't。
'A new Japanese mander had arrived from Tokyo just before the battle began。 Vice…Admiral Onishi of the First Naval Air Fleet in Manila。 Two days after he arrived； he travelled to Mabalacat； a small town fifty miles to the northwest。 It was the site of the Two Hundred and First…Air Group。 There he chaired a meeting that was； although none of us knew it then； one of the war's most fateful conferences。
'Not long after； we heard the first reports。 Many of us； knowing the wildness of rumour； did not believe it。 But then； no more than a week later； we saw it for ourselves。 At first we thought the Zeros were after us but they screamed by overhead as if we had not existed。 Then we saw our ships out to sea； an aircraft carrier and two destroyers。 They did not strafe our ships； these Zeros； nor did they dive…bomb them。 They merely careened into them。 We were certain that the first one had been hit and crashed。 But as they one after another followed the same suicidal course； we began to understand。 Yet we understood not at all。 How could rational men do this？ It seemed inconceivable。 We thought perhaps they had been brainwashed； the Japanese were notorious for their methods。 Anyway； that was the prevailing opinion。
'Yet something about this theory stuck in my mind。 I could not believe it。 Psychological reorientation takes time； I knew that。 Certainly it could not have been acplished overnight。 It took time and that was the one thing the Japanese did not have。 No； I was convinced it had to be something else。 But what？
'It was the season of rain； there seemed no dry ground on the whole of Leyte。 We made progress but not without casualties； of course。 One night the unit was forced to move on。 There were a number of wounded who needed taking care of。 I volunteered to stay behind for a short time so that I could bandage them properly。 There was a relief column due in the morning。 But the situation was far too volatile and my C。O。 insisted I move out with the rest of the unit。 We made camp just before dawn。 Many of us were too tired to fall asleep。 We sat around and talked about Dracula。 Three men had been killed the night before； the vampire theories were at their height。
'At last I left them； pitched my tent and crawled inside。 For a time I could hear their voices as they continued to talk； then the sounds stopped。 I wasn't sure whether I had fallen asleep or they had just broken up for the night。
'I was in that odd state between sleeping and wakefulness。 I thought I dreamed someone was there； watching…me。 I tried to wake myself but couldn't。 My head felt like it was too heavy to lift up。 I strained but nothing happened。 It was as if my consciousness had somehow been severed from the nerve impulses which mechanized the muscles。 I wanted to look behind me； you know； over my head； certain that was where the danger was ing from。 I could make no move。
'Above me a face hovered in the air； disembodied。 I don't know when my eyes had actually opened or whether they had ever really been closed。 My chest felt heavy and I seemed to have trouble breathing。 I felt cold。 Not as if the night was chill but from inside。 I shivered。
〃It was a Japanese face； coal…black as if it had been coated with charcoal or lampblack。 It was dull so that no light would reflect off it。 His eyes seemed very large。 They had an odd light to them as if； while they stared right at me； they were focused on another universe。 It was eerie。 I had seen something like it once in a hospital when I was in my last year of medical school。 We went into the psycho wing and I saw several patients。 One was a young man； not far past twenty。 His hair was cropped close。 He had high cheekbones and a long thin nose。 He could have been a scholar。 He was in a strait jacket。 I watched his eyes for a long time； while beside me the resident droned his spiel like a carnival barker。 This man； this 。。。 creature was far beyond the supposedly modern and humane treatment the resident was describing in such loving detail。 This man had reverted。 He was certainly no longer human but had returned to the animal state of his ancestors。 There was no hint of what we might term 〃intelligence〃 in his eyes； at least not as modern man defines intelligence。 But I saw cunning there； of a kind and in a strength which terrified me。 For a moment I fantasized what it would be like having this man loose in the world。 Richard Speck？ Gary Gil…more？ Jack the Ripper？ It was beyond imagining。 For this was a man who was clearly beyond morality。
'Now you know some of what I saw in the eyes hovering above me that night on Leyte。 But not all。 To call this 〃madness〃 would be to seriously underestimate it； for it was far more。 Ours is a world of order； ruled by laws。 From science to morality there are parameters within which we all live。 This man did not。 He lived outside time as if residing within him； lending him all its ferocious energy； was the essence of chaos。 I don't know how to describe it better； but seeing him thus in the flesh only underscored the fact rather than the fiction of his supernatural origins。 Perhaps； after all； our vampire stories had not been so far off the mark。 I know； I know； this all sounds rather fanciful … pulled out to give a good Gothic kick to this story。 I assure you that nothing could be further from the truth。
'While I thought of all this； I felt his movement。 He produced a matt black length of cloth and； folding it upon itself； wrapped it painfully tight across my mouth。 He was quite close to me now and I saw that he was dressed all in black。
'He hauled me out of the tent and； stooping； slung me over his shoulder。
'He ran。
'He ran without sound。 No shadow trailed behind us； we were never in the light。 He took a route out of the encampment that was neither direct nor circuitous。 It was merely un…detectable； as if he were following a path no one else suspected of being there； a path made just for him。
'I didn't struggle。 I found myself wondering why I hadn't been killed as the other victims of these silent infiltrations had been。 I was amazed。 Even upside down I could see well enough to know that he was a magician。 No one I knew could possibly have got in and out of our encampment totally undetected as this man had。 He moved without seeming motion。 That must sound like a contradiction but it's not。 He ran with such fluidity that there was no up…and…down motion； merely the sensation of forward movement。
'We were in the jungle now； travelling extremely quickly。 In fact； even though the way was now more choked with foliage and underbrush； our speed actually increased。 His strength and endurance were exceptional。 We were totally alone in the world； or so it seemed to me。 It was that time of the night when the nocturnal creatures have crawled back into their holes to sleep and the diurnal animals have not yet awakened。 The jungle was quite still； just a sleepy bird calling here and there； the sounds quite isolated and seeming part of another world。
'We travelled thus for perhaps thirty minutes。 Then the man stopped abruptly and； spinning me off his shoulder； widened the cloth around my mouth so dial I was now blindfold also。 He led me； stumbling； through the jungle。 His fingers were at the back of my jacket so that； each time I fell； he suspended me as if I was hanging from a coat…hook。 It was a terribly dehumanizing thing to do and I tried to shut my mind to it。
'After a time I began to hear voices。 I did not speak Japanese but I understood enough to get by； it was something
I did not want him to know。 At length the blindfold was removed。 We were in the midst of a Japanese camp。 It wasn't anything like what I had pictured。 In fact； I was aghast； I thought for an instant that he had taken me to a hospital； it hardly seemed like a military camp at all。 For one thing； most of the soldiers were either lying down or sitting。 I saw no troops as such； no guards。
'We were near the water； though on which side of the island I could not tell。 I saw the water clearly through a gap in the vegetation。 I watched for a time； totally unmolested； while the man who had brought me spoke with several of his fellows who were identically dressed。 These seemed to be the only operational men in the camp。 At first I tried to pay attention to what they were talking about； but they were either …speaking too fast or in some dialect I had never heard because I couldn't understand… them。
'Dawn had broken and there was a white line just above
