ericlustbader.the ninja-第83节
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' 〃Can't sleep；〃 I said； still rather tongue…tied。
' 〃I never sleep；〃 he said。 〃But that is because of my advanced age。〃 He looked up at me。 〃When I was your age； I never missed a night。 Perhaps that is why I don't miss it now。〃 He spoke in a rather peculiar dialect。 It was Mandarin all right；
but the inflections were odd； some nouns clipped at their ends； and so on。 I could not place where he was from。
' 〃I don't often have this trouble；〃 I said； still the dazzling conversationalist。 〃But you're not that old。〃
' 〃Old enough to know that I am going to die soon。〃
' 〃Oh； I doubt that。〃
'He eyed me critically。 〃Well； sentiment is never very accurate。〃 He began to stack up his tiles； nine to a pile。 〃But there is no need for concern。 I have no fear of death。 In fact； I will happily leave here now。 I do not want to see what is ing。〃
' 〃ing？〃 I said like a half…wit。 〃What is ing？〃
' 〃Something terrible；〃 he said。 His hands on the small lacquered folding table looked like shining alien artifacts； newly unearthed。 〃A new type of bomb with a power beyond anything you can imagine。 With enough force to destroy an entire city。〃
'I shall never forget that moment。 I sat as still as a statue； barely breathing。 I remember hearing the chirruping of a cicada so clear and near that I thought it must have got itself trapped inside the house。 Oddly； I found myself wanting to get up and find it； to free it into the vast darkness which surrounded us。
'I could not move。 It was as if his words had pierced my heart； riveting me to the chair in which I sat。
' 〃I don't understand；〃 I said with a kind of opaque astonishment。
' 〃It is not likely that you would；〃 he said； finishing stacking his tiles。 Then he put them away into an inside pocket of his robe。
'He rose and； for an instant； I thought I might have known him or at least seen him at another； previous time。 But I think now it was just the light which made it seem so。'
'What happened then？' Yukio asked。
'What happened？' The old man looked momentarily nonplussed。 'Why； nothing。 Nothing at all。 〃Good evening to you； sir；〃 he said in his somewhat formal way。 〃I wish you pleasant dreams。〃 Though how he could have meant it after what he had just told me I could not imagine。
'The place was very still after he left and； slumped back in my chair； I imagined I could hear the sound of the grass growing outside where the tree frogs slept。 A cloud of mosquitoes whined against the netting。
'At some time I must have gone upstairs … though I have no real remembrance of doing so … to Ishmael and Ahab and the Pequod； though I could not well concentrate on even so great a world as Melville's that night。
'His words ran around my head as if he had somehow engraved them upon the grooves of my brain with a cunning scalpel。〃
'But how could he have known？' Nicholas asked。 'At that time not even the Americans who eventually prised the Manhattan Project knew。'
The old man nodded。 'Yes；' he said slowly。 'That is often what I ask myself。 From that day in August when I stood on that secluded hillside and felt the earth shake and the sky burn with colour and heard the heat wind ing； I have asked myself that same question。 How could he know？'
'And what is the answer？'
The old man looked at them and smiled wanly。 'There isn't one； my friend。' The train was slowing as it came out of a downgrade。 Cinders flew； whirled up and around by the wind eddies created by their passage。 He stood up and bowed to them； long hands clasped against his flat stomach； nails like translucent chopsticks。 'My station；' he murmured。 Time to get off。'
'Hey！' Nicholas said。 'Wait a minute。' Forgetting； in his anxiety to know more； his modes of speech； lapsing into the mon formation； it lacked the necessary respect a younger person must show towards his elders。 It did not matter； however； for the old man had gone； swinging lithely down off the car even before the train had e to its full panting stop。 Clouds of steam obscured the windows。
Nicholas came back down the aisle； slumped down in the seat next to Yukio。 'Too late；' he said。 'Too late。'
Now the train picked up speed for the last part of the journey towards Shimonoseki。 It was quiet in the car。 Even Yukio was silent。 She stared at her hands while he looked out of the window。
The night was aflame。 They were passing fairly close to one or another of the southern cities … he had no idea which one …which had been turned into a supportive structure for a vast
oil refinery。 Giant flames leaped and spewed into the darkness like the corona of the sun seen close up in a kind of silent hellish dance。 It seemed an inhuman place to work or live； a desolate dreamscape from which there was no exit。 It went on and on as they travelled； the lines of red and orange lights leading in inevitable precise rows towards the refinery's main building bulking blackly against the skyline； the bloated billowing flames。
'What did you think of the old man's story？' Yukio said。
He turned his head。 'What？'
〃The old man。 Did you believe him？'
For some reason he thought of So…Peng。 'Yes；' he said。 'I did。'
'I didn't。' She crossed her legs at the knees； very American。 'Something like that couldn't have happened。 Life's just not like that。'
They spent the night in Shimonoseki； so near the water that they could hear it though they could not see it for the thick ground fog。 Horns hooted mournfully； deepened by the night air； made somehow mysterious。
She lay with her head on his bare chest； her night…dark hair spread in a fan across his pale flesh。 He was a long time falling asleep。 He felt her breathing gently； rhythmically through his fingertips； the weight of her on his sternum and rib cage。 He wondered what it was about her that drew him so powerfully。 And could not even decide why it seemed so important for him to know。
Yukio stirred and it seemed a part of him。
'What is it？' he asked her。
'Oh； nothing。' Her voice was very soft。 'I was just thinking of a story。 It's the one my mother told me。 The only one I remember。 Want to hear it？'
'Yes。'
'Well； once upon a time there was a lady。 She lived in a castle in Roku…No…Miya。 Where that is no one knows to this day …that's just how my mother used to say it。 Anyway； after this girl's parents died； she was brought up by a governess … she was an extremely well protected girl … and； as the years passed； she grew up into a beautiful young woman。
'One evening she was introduced to a man and； every evening after that； he would e to the castle and she would entertain him until gradually the place took on a festive air。
'But during the long afternoons； while she was alone walking in her gardens； the lady thought of the power of fate。 She thought about being dependent upon this man for her happiness。 Then she would shrug her shoulders and smile wanly into the sun。
'At night she would lie awake beside her lover； neither happy nor unhappy。 What satisfaction she could possess was fleeting。
'But then； one day； even this was to end； for her lover informed her solemnly that he must go with his father to another district to assist him in his new political post。 〃But；〃 he said； 〃the assignment is but for five years。 At the end of that time I shall return for you。 Please do me the honour of waiting for me。〃
'The lady openly wept； perhaps not from love itself but from the idea of separation。
'In six years； nothing was the same at the lady's castle in Roku…No…Miya。 The man had not returned and all the servants' hall gone as both time and money withered away。 The lady and her governess were forced into the old； long…abandoned samurai's quarters to live。
'Now there was only rice to eat and great gaps in the wooden frame of the place let in both wind and rain。 At length the governess besought her lady； saying； 〃Forgive me； lady； but your lover has abandoned you。 There is a certain man who has been inquiring about you。 Since we have so little money。。。〃
'But the lady would not listen。 〃I have no use for other adventures now；〃 she said。 〃I only wish for the solace of death。〃
'At that moment； in another district； the lady's lover lay with his new wife。 Startled； he sat up in the dark； saying； 〃Did you hear that？〃
' 〃Go back to sleep； my lord；〃 his wife answered him。 〃It is only a cherry blossom falling。〃
'Not over a year later； this man returned to Roku…No…Miya with his wife and retinue。 He had paused at a roadside inn to wait out inclement weather and there had sent a number of notes to his former mistress。 Not one was answered and thus； piqued； he left his wife at the house of her father and set off in search of the castle at Roku…No…Miya。
'When he arrived； he almost passed it by； so changed was it。 The great wood and iron gates that had bee so familiar to him were but stumps in the loamy earth and； down the road； the high blue lacquered torii； around which he and the lady used to stroll in the spring and summer； was gone。
'The castle itself he found uninhabitable。 Some immense storm had pletely demolished the east wing and the rest was a shambles。
'In the old samurai's quarters he found only an old； time…weary nun。 She 。was； she said； the daughter of one of the lady's
