mac.thepearlharbormurders-第5节

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　watched　this　not　knowing　whether　to　be　amused　or　insulted。
　Finally；　they　sat　on　the　couch　and　sipped　their　root　beers　and　Burroughs　wondered　what　the　hell　was　on　the　FBI　man's　mind。
　〃How　goes　the　writing？〃　Sterling　asked　him。
　He　grunted。　〃Sometimes　I　think　plots　are　like　eggs。〃
　〃How　so？〃
　〃A　hen's　bom　able　to　lay　just　so　many　eggs；　and　after　she's　dropped　her　last　one；　she　can　sit　on　her　nest　and　strain　and　grunt　and　never　squeeze　out　another。　I'm　starting　to　think　a　writer　is　born　with　just　so　many　plots。〃
　A　smile　creased　Sterling's　face。　〃Why；　have　you　been　straining　and　grunting？〃
　〃Hell；　yes；　and　rearranging　my　feathers；　but　I'll　be　damned　if　I　can　squeeze　out　a　new　plot；　and　these　old　ones　are　starting　to　smell。〃
　Sterling　shrugged。　〃I　thought　that　last　Tarzan；　the　one　about　the　secret　treasure；　was　swell。〃　
　〃That　was　a　movie；　Adam…I　didn't　write　that。〃　
　〃Oh。　Sorry。〃　
　〃It　did　stink；　though。〃
　The　FBI　man　took　a　swig　of　root　beer。　〃You　going　to　the　luau　tonight？〃
　〃Those　damn　things　。。。　They　expect　you　to　eat　dried　octopus　and　raw　fish　and　disinterred　pig；　and　then　there's　that　library　paste　they　try　to　disguise　under　the　alias　of　poi。〃
　〃Yeah；　but　are　you　going？〃　
　〃Haven't　turned　down　an　invite　yet。〃　Burroughs　looked　sideways　at　his　friend；　eyes　slitted　and　amused。　〃Christ；　Adam；　I　thought　I　was　the　worst　conversationalist　on　the　planet；　till　I　heard　this　sorry　attempt　on　your　part。　Can　the　small　talk…what's　this　about？〃
　Sterling　sighed；　sat　forward；　hunkering　toward　him。　〃Ed；　I　need　to　take　you　into　my　confidence。〃　
　〃Be　my　guest。〃　
　〃This　is　very　unofficial。〃　
　〃Okay。〃
　〃I've　been　here　at　the　Niumalu　for　about　three　months；　now。　So　has　somebody　else。〃
　Burroughs　thought　about　that；　gestured　with　a　motion　of　his　head。　〃That　German　next　door；　the　big　spender…Otto　Kuhn。　He　and　his　wife　moved　in　maybe　a　week　before　you。〃　〃That's　right。　He's　why　I　moved　in；　Ed。〃
　〃Really！〃　Burroughs　got　up　from　me　couch；　pulled　his　typing　chair　over　and　sat；　so　he　could　face　his　Mend；　this　was　getting　interesting。　〃Don't　tell　me　we　have　a　Nazi　at　the　Niumalu。〃
　〃Something　like　that。　He's　really　just　a　goddamned　beachber　pretending　to　be　a　retired　gentleman　of　substance。　But。。。　he　was　an　officer　in　the　Kaiser's　Navy　during　the　Great　War；　that　much　we　know。〃
　Burroughs　arched　an　eyebrow。　〃He's　trying　to　start　a　real　estate　business；　I　understand。〃
　〃That's　just　talk…before　that　it　was　selling　furniture；　for　a　while　he　studied　Japanese　at　the　University　of　Hawaii。〃
　Now　the　writer　was　leaning　forward。　〃Why　does　a　German　in　English…speaking　Hawaii　want　to　learn　Japanese？〃
　〃Our　boy　Otto　has　frequent　dealings　with　the　Japs…　he　took　one　trip　to　Tokyo　in　'30　and　another　in　'36。　We　suspect　he's　in　their　employ。　My　contacts　confirm　as　much。〃
　〃Your　contacts。〃
　〃Ed；　you　put　our　Mend　Colonel　Frank　Teske　on　his　steamer　today。　I　don't　have　to　tell　you　he　thinks　war　is　imminent。。。　that　this　island　will　be　under　attack；　momentarily。〃
　〃What　do　you　think；　Adam？〃
　〃He's　right　and　he's　wrong…war　is　imminent　Washington　isn't　having　any　luck　negotiating　with　the　Japanese。　But　Frank's　wrong；　too…the　threat　on　our　remote　little　island　is　not　from　the　sky；　but　on　the　ground。〃
　〃Sabotage。　I　was　just　telling　Hully　the　very　same　thing。〃
　〃Well；　you're　right。　Since　the　middle　of　last　year；　I've　been　developing　a　network　of　contacts　in　the　Japanese　munity…trustworthy　ones；　Americans　who　happen　to　be　Japanese。〃
　Both　of　the　writer's　eyebrows　lifted。　〃Is　there　such　a　thing？〃
　〃Oh　yes。　The　vast　majority　of　these　Hawaii…born　Japanese　are　loyal　to　our　Sag。　And　a　number　of　them　have　been　helping　me　identify　the　potentially　dangerous　sorts　among　them。〃
　〃What　does　that　have　to　do　with　a　German　like　Kuhn？〃
　Sterling　spoke　softly；　but　with　an　edge。　〃When　the　war　begins；　we'll　be　cracking　down　on　disloyal　Japs…　arrests　will　be　made。　My　contacts　tell　me　that　Kuhn　is　a　'sleeper'　agent…set　to　take　over　as　top　local　spy；　when　and　if　the　top　Japanese　agents　on　this　island　are　arrested；　after　hostilities　begin。〃
　〃Your　contacts　are　trustworthy？　I　mean；　can　you　really　trust　these　nisei？'
　〃I　trust　them；〃　Sterling　said。　〃But　I　also　trust　my　fellow　FBI　agents；　who've　been　keeping　their　eyes　peeled。　A　tittle　over　a　month　ago；　the　Tatsuta　Maru　arrived　in　Honolulu；　delivering　a　pair　of　Japanese　diplomats；　both　of　whom　met　with　Kuhn…who　then　deposited　fourteen　thousand　dollars　in　cash　in　a　local　bank。〃
　Burroughs　took　another　swig　of　the　root　beer。
　〃You've　convinced　me…he's　a　rat。　Where　do　I　e　in？〃
　Sterling's　face　was　a　tight　mask。　〃Things　are　heating　up。　This　war　is　ing。　I　can　use　another　pair　of　eyes　here　at　the　Niumalu　。。。　informed　eyes。。。　not　to　do　any　spying　or　poking　around；　understand…just　to　keep　watch。　I'm　not　here　during　the　day；　and　Kuhn　frequently　is。〃
　〃You're　not　asking　me　to　do　surveillance…take　notes。。。〃
　〃No。　Just　keep　your　head　up。　Stay　alert。　Let　me　know　if　you　see　anything；　anyone；　suspicious　around　Kuhn　or　his　cottage。〃
　〃Glad　to　help；〃　Burroughs　said。
　〃All　right；　then…mum's　the　word。〃　Sterling　slapped　his　thighs；　and　rose。　〃See　you　tonight　at　the　luau？〃
　Burroughs　stood。　〃I'll　be　there…just　don't　pass　me　any　of　that　goddamn　library　paste。〃
　The　FBI　man　chuckled；　shook　the　writer's　hand；　collected　the　empty　soda…pop　bottles；　and　went　out；　leaving　an　energized　Burroughs　behind。
　Feeling　revitalized；　Edgar　Rice　Burroughs　returned　to　Venus；　wondering　if　this　time　he　might　make　it　to　the　fire　before　it　went　out。
　
　
　THREE
　Luau　Luminaries
　
　The　Niumalu　was　noted　for　its　luaus；　which　were　held　once　a　month。　Guests　often　asked　why　the　hotel　didn't　hold　their　version　of　a　native　feast　every　week；　but　the　truth　was；　it　took　seven　to　ten　days　to　properly　prepare　for　the　event。
　The　central　set　piece　of　the　affair　was　itself　a　daylong　chore：　the　roasting　of　a　kalua　pig；　hoofs　and　all。　The　pig　was　stuffed　with　hot　rocks；　lowered　into　a　barbecue　pit　called　an　imu；　which　was　already　filled　with　red…hot　rocks；　then　the　unprotesting　pig　was　covered　with　ti　leaves；　buried　under　earth　and　canvas；　and　left　to　slowly　cook；　hour　upon　hour。
　The　result　was　melt…in…your…mouth　succulence；　a　tender；　delicious；　fall…off…the…bone　meat　the　likes　of　which　Hully　Burroughs　had　never　tasted。　Hully　was　an　ardent　supporter　of　the　picturesque　ritual…even　if　O。　B。　did　dismiss　the　tradition　of　roasting　a　pig　in　an　imu　as　〃a　lot　of　silly　fuss　over　cooking　some　damn　pork。〃
　All　day　long；　hotel　manager　Fred　Bivens　and　his　staff　had　been　bustling　around　the　palm…shaded　grounds；　in　particular　dealing　with　deliveries　of　foodstuffs。　That　little　Japanese　grocer；　Yoshio　Harada；　had　been　bringing　pickup…truckloads　of　fresh　fish　and　produce　over　from　his　shop　at　the　Aala　Market　in　Chinatown。　That　afternoon；　Hully…in　his　tennis　whites；　waiting　to　meet　his　father　on　the　court…had　helped　the　nice　little　guy　unload　for　a　while；　making　a　few　trips　to　the　rear　kitchen　door。
　Harada…slight；　mustached；　primly　businesslike　in　a　white　short…sleeved　shirt　with　a　red　tie…had　an　〃in〃　with　the　hotel　staff：　his　niece；　Pearl；　was　the　featured　singer　with　the　Niumalu　band；　which　was　a　popular　local　attraction。
　〃You　are　very　kind；　Burroughs…san；〃　Harada　said。　〃Pearl　speak　very　well　of　you。〃
　〃She's　never　given　me　the　time　of　day；　though；〃　Hully　said；　hauling　a　bushel　basket　of　sweet　potatoes。　
　〃Pearl　is　popular　girl；〃　the　grocer　said；　smile　flashing　under　the　neatly　trimmed　mustache；　the　little　man　carrying　enough　bananas　to　send　Tarzan's　pet　monkey　into　a　frenzy。
　Actually；　Hully　was　aware　that　the　pretty　singer…　who　indeed　had　been　〃popular；〃　dating　any　number　of　guys　in　recent　months…was　seriously　seeing　Ensign　Bill　Fielder；　a　good　pal　of　Hully's。　But　he　didn't　mention　this　to　the　grocer；　as　he　wasn't　sure　how　the　Japanese　gent　would　react　to　his　daughter　dating　a　haole。
　When　Hully　wandered　over　to　the　tennis　court　to　wait　for　his　dad；　he　discovered　Pearl　sunbathing　on　the　strip　of　sand　nearby。　Hully　and　the　singer　were　friendly；　but　（as　he'd　indicated　to　her　uncle）　she'd　always　been　involved　with　one　guy　or　another；　and　he　never　seemed　to　get　his　turn。
　He　would've　loved　to　have　one：　she　was　a　stunning　girl　in　her　early　twenties；　with　black　hair　and　a　slender；　curvy　form　made　obvious　by　a　formfitting　pink　bathing　suit；　petite　at　five…two　or　…three；　with　wonderful　high　cheekbones；　a　flawless　plexion　and　full　lips　that　always　seemed　poised　to　pucker　into　a　kiss。　Her　father；　back　home　in　San　Francisco；　was　Japanese；　but　her　mother；　also　in　Frisco；　was　white；　and　the　Eurasian　bination　was　exquisite。　If　he　hadn't　known　of　her　Japanese　blood；　Hully　would　never　have　guessed　its　presence；　her　dark　eyes　lacking　the　distinctive　Asian　almond　shape；　still；　something　exotic　lurked　in　those　features。
　Before　his　father　showed　up　for　tennis；　Hully　sat　hugging　his　knees　on　the　sand；　next　to　Pearl；　and　they　chatted。　She　was　on　her　back；　half　sitting；　leaning　on　her　elbows。
　〃I　suppose　Bill's　got　your　dance　card　filled　tonight；〃　he　said。
　Her　smile　was　lazy　yet　dazzling　and　as　white　as　her　name。　〃I　only　get　to　dance　on　a　few　songs…I　have　to　sing　for　my　supper；　you　know。。。。Is　Bill's　father　going　to　be　here　to