mc.risingsun-第52节

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ess　of　life　in　Japan；　if　you　are　excluded　from　the　group。　But　I　know　it　very　well。　And　I　do　not　mind　if　the　Japanese　suffer　a　little　now；　from　my　efforts　with　my　one　good　hand。〃
　She　glared　at　me。　The　intensity　turned　her　face　to　a　mask。　〃Does　that　answer　your　question；　Lieutenant？〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃It　does。〃
　〃When　I　e　to　America；　I　think　the　Americans　are　very　foolish　about　the　Japanese　…　but　never　mind。　Here　is　the　sequence　now。　You　watch　the　top　two　monitors。　I　will　watch　the　bottom　three。　Look　carefully　for　objects　that　reflect。　Look　closely。　Here　it　es。〃
　
　？
　I　watched　the　monitors　in　the　darkness。
　Theresa　Asakuma　was　feeling　bitter　about　the　Japanese；　but　so　was　I。　The　incident　with　Weasel　Wilhelm　had　made　me　angry。　Angry　the　way　somebody　who's　scared　can　be　angry。　One　sentence　he　had　said　kept　ing　back　to　my　mind；　again　and　again。
　Under　the　circumstances；　don't　you　think　the　court　made　a　mistake　in　granting　you　custody　of　your　young　daughter？　
　I　never　wanted　custody。　In　all　the　turmoil　of　the　divorce；　of　Lauren　moving　out；　packing　up；　this　is　yours；　this　is　mine　…　in　all　that；　the　last　thing　I　wanted　was　custody　of　a　seven…month…old　baby。　Shelly　was　just　starting　to　move　around　the　living　room；　holding　onto　the　furniture。　She　would　say　〃Mama。〃　Her　first　word。　But　Lauren　didn't　want　the　responsibility　and　kept　saying；　〃I　can't　handle　it；　Peter。　I　just　can't　handle　it。〃　So　I　took　custody。　What　else　could　I　do？
　But　now　it　was　almost　two　years　later。　I　had　changed　my　life。　I　had　changed　my　job；　my　schedule。　She　was　my　daughter　now。　And　the　thought　of　giving　her　up　was　like　twisting　a　knife　in　my　stomach。
　Under　the　circumstances；　Lieutenant；　don't　you　think　。　。　。　
　On　the　monitor；　I　watched　as　Cheryl　Austin　waited　in　the　darkness　for　the　arrival　of　her　lover。　I　watched　the　way　she　looked　around　the　room。
　The　court　made　a　mistake　。　。　。
　No；　I　thought；　the　court　didn't　make　a　mistake。　Lauren　couldn't　handle　it；　and　had　never　been　able　to　handle　it。　Half　the　time；　she　skipped　on　her　weekends。　She　was　too　busy　to　see　her　own　daughter。　Once　after　a　weekend　she　returned　Michelle　to　me。　Michelle　was　crying。　Lauren　said；　〃I　just　don't　know　what　to　do　with　her。〃　I　checked。　Her　diapers　were　wet　and　she　had　a　painful　rash。　Michelle　always　gets　a　rash　when　her　diapers　aren't　changed　promptly。　Lauren　hadn't　changed　her　diapers　often　enough　during　the　weekend。　So　I　changed　her；　and　there　were　streaks　of　shit　in　Michelle's　vagina。　She　hadn't　cleaned　her　own　daughter　properly。
　Don't　you　think　the　court　made　a　mistake？　
　No；　I　didn't。
　Under　the　circumstances；　don't　you　think　…
　〃Fuck　it；〃　I　said。
　Theresa　stabbed　a　button；　stopped　the　tapes。　The　images　froze　on　the　monitors　all　around　us。　〃What　is　it？〃　she　said。　〃What　did　you　see？〃
　〃Nothing。〃
　She　looked　at　me。
　〃I'm　sorry。　I　was　thinking　of　something　else。〃
　〃Don't。〃
　She　started　the　tape　again。
　On　multiple　monitors；　the　man　embraced　Cheryl　Austin。　Images　from　the　different　cameras　were　coordinated　in　an　eerie　way。　It　was　as　if　we　could　see　all　sides　of　the　event…　front　and　back；　top　and　sides。　It　was　like　a　moving　architectural　blueprint。
　And　it　felt　creepy；　to　watch；
　My　two　monitors　showed　the　view　from　the　far　end　of　the　room；　and　from　high　above；　looking　straight　down。　Cheryl　and　her　lover　were　small　in　one　monitor；　and　in　the　other　one；　I　saw　only　the　tops　of　their　heads。　But　I　watched。
　Standing　alongside　me；　Theresa　Asakuma　breathed　slowly；　regularly。　In　and　out。　I　glanced　at　her。
　〃Pay　attention。〃
　I　looked　back。
　The　lovers　were　in　a　passionate　embrace。　The　man　pressed　Cheryl　back　against　a　desk。　In　my　top　view；　I　could　see　her　face；　looking　straight　up　as　she　lay　back。　Beside　her；　a　framed　picture　on　the　desk　fell　over。
　〃There；〃　I　said。
　Theresa　stopped　the　tape。
　〃What？〃　she　said。
　〃There。〃　I　pointed　to　the　framed　picture。　It　lay　flat；　facing　upward。　Reflected　in　the　glass；　we　could　see　the　outline　of　the　man's　head　as　he　bent　over　Cheryl。　It　was　very　dark。　Just　a　silhouette。
　〃Can　you　get　an　image　from　that？〃　I　said。
　〃I　don't　know。　Let's　try。〃
　Her　hand　moved　swiftly　across　the　controls；　touching　them　briefly。　〃The　video　image　is　digital；〃　she　said。　〃It's　in　the　puter　now。　We'll　see　what　we　can　do　with　it。〃　The　image　began　to　jump；　growing　larger　in　increments　as　she　zoomed　in　on　the　picture　frame。　The　image　moved　past　Cheryl's　frozen；　grainy　face；　her　head　thrown　back　in　an　instant　of　passion。　Moved　down　from　her　shoulder；　toward　the　frame。
　As　the　picture　enlarged；　it　became　more　grainy。　It　began　to　depose　into　a　pattern　of　dots；　like　a　newspaper　photo　held　too　close　to　your　face。　Then　the　dots　themselves　enlarged；　formed　edges；　turned　into　small　blocks　of　gray。　Pretty　soon　I　couldn't　tell　what　we　were　looking　at。
　〃Is　this　going　to　work？〃
　〃I　doubt　it。　But　there's　the　edge　of　the　frame；　and　there's　the　face。〃
　I　was　glad　she　could　see　it。　I　couldn't。
　〃Let's　sharpen。〃
　She　pressed　buttons。　puter　menus　dropped　down；　flashed　back。　The　image　became　crisper。　Grittier。　But　I　could　see　the　frame。　And　the　outline　of　the　head。
　〃Sharpen　again。〃
　She　did　that。
　〃All　right。　Now　we　can　adjust　our　grayscale　。　。　。〃
　The　face　in　the　frame　began　to　emerge　from　the　gloom。
　It　was　chilling。
　Enlarged　so　much；　the　grain　was　severe　…　each　pupil　of　the　eyes　was　a　single　black　spot　…　and　we　really　couldn't　see　who　it　was。　The　man's　eyes　were　open；　and　his　mouth　was　twisted；　distorted　in　passion；　or　arousal；　or　hate。　But　we　couldn't　really　tell。
　Not　really。
　〃Is　that　a　Japanese　face？〃
　She　shook　her　head。　〃There's　not　enough　detail　in　the　original。〃
　〃You　can't　bring　it　out？〃
　〃I'll　work　on　it　later。　But　I　think；　no。　It　won't　ever　be　there。　Let's　go　on。〃
　The　images　snapped　back　into　full　movement。　Cheryl　suddenly　shoved　the　man　away；　pushing　his　chest　with　the　flat　of　her　hand。　The　face　disappeared　from　the　picture　frame。
　We　were　back　to　the　original　five　views。
　The　couple　broke　and　she　plained；　pushing　him　repeatedly。　Her　face　looked　angry。　Now　that　I　had　seen　the　man's　face　reflected　in　the　frame；　I　wondered　if　she　had　bee　frightened　of　what　she　saw。　But　it　was　impossible　to　tell。
　The　lovers　stood　in　the　deserted　room；　discussed　where　to　go。　She　was　looking　around。　He　nodded　his　head。　She　pointed　toward　the　conference　room。　He　seemed　to　agree　or　accept。
　They　kissed；　clinched　again。　There　was　a　familiarity　in　the　way　they　joined　and　parted；　joined　again。
　Theresa　saw　it；　too。　〃She　knows　him。〃
　〃Yes。　I'd　say。〃
　Still　kissing；　the　couple　moved　awkwardly　toward　the　conference　room。　At　this　point　my　monitors　were　no　longer　very　useful。　The　far　camera　showed　the　whole　room；　and　the　couple　moving　laterally　across　it；　from　right　to　left。　But　the　figures　were　tiny；　and　difficult　to　see。　They　were　moving　between　the　desks；　heading　toward…　
　〃Wait；〃　I　said。　〃What　was　that？〃
　She　went　back；　frame　by　frame。
　〃There；〃　I　said。
　I　pointed　to　the　image。　〃See　that？　What's　that？〃
　As　the　couple　moved　across　the　room；　the　camera　tracked　past　a　large　Japanese　calligraphy　scroll　hanging　on　the　wall　near　the　elevator。　The　scroll　was　encased　in　glass。　For　a　brief　moment；　there　was　a　glint　of　light　in　the　glass。　That　was　what　had　caught　my　eye。
　A　glint　of　light。
　Theresa　frowned。　〃It's　not　a　reflection　from　the　couple；〃　she　said。
　〃No。〃
　〃Let's　look。〃
　She　began　zooming　again。　The　image　jumped　toward　the　hanging　scroll；　growing　grittier　with　each　step。　The　glint　enlarged；　broke　in　two　fragments。　There　was　a　fuzzy　spot　of　light　in　one　corner。　And　a　vertical　slit　of　light；　running　almost　the　length　of　the　picture。
　〃Let's　rock　it；〃　she　said。
　She　began　to　make　the　image　go　forward　and　back；　one　frame　at　a　time。　Flipping　from　one　to　the　other。　In　one　frame；　the　vertical　slit　was　missing。　In　the　next　frame；　it　was　there。　The　vertical　bar　lasted　for　the　next　ten　frames。　Then　it　was　gone；　never　to　reappear。　But　the　fuzzy　spot　in　the　corner　was　always　present。
　〃Hmmm。〃
　She　pushed　in　on　the　spot。　Under　ever…increasing　magnification；　it　disintegrated　until　it　looked　like　a　cluster　of　stars　from　an　astronomy　picture。　But　it　seemed　to　have　some　kind　of　internal　organization。　I　could　almost　imagine　an　X　shape　to　it。　I　said　so。
　〃Yes；〃　she　said。　〃Let's　sharpen。〃
　She　did　that。　The　puters　worked　on　the　data。　The　fuzzy　cluster　resolved　itself。　Now　it　looked　like　Roman　numerals。
　I　IXΞ
　〃What　the　hell　is　that？〃　I　said。
　She　kept　working。　〃Edge　trace；〃　she　said。　The　outline　of　the　Roman　numerals　appeared　more　clearly。
　Theresa　continued　to　try　and　resolve　it。　As　she　worked；　in　some　ways　the　image　seemed　to　get　better；　and　in　some　ways；　less　clear。　But　eventually　we　could　recognize　it。
　TIX？
　〃It's　the　reflection　of　an　exit　sign；〃　she　said。　〃There's　an　exit　at　the　far　end　of　the　room　opposite　the　elevators；　is　that　right？〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said。
　〃It's　being　reflected　in　the　glass　of　the　scroll。　That's　all　it　is。〃　She　flipped　to　the　next　frame。　〃But　this　vertical　bar　of　light。　That's　interesting。　See？　It　appears；　and　is　gone。〃　She　ran　it　back　and　forth　several　times。
　And　then　I　figured　it　out。
　〃There's　a　fire　exit　back　there；〃　I　said。　〃And　a　staircase　goi