ericlustbader.the ninja-第40部分

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ng　flame　to　life。　He　sucked　three　or　four　times；　deeply；　almost　with　a　sigh　of　contentment；　before　he　flipped　the　top　of　the　lighter　closed…　'I　want　to　know　how　you　feel　before　I　answer　that。　Do　you　care　that　Hanshichiro　is　dead？　Or　that　you've　seen　a　man　take　his　own　life？'
　'I　don't　know。　I　really　don't。'　Nicholas　put　his　hand　along　the　black　iron　railing　bordering　the　path；　feeling　the　cool　metal　against　his　skin。　'I　don't　know　whether　it　has　taken　effect　yet。　It's　like　a　movie；　not　real　life。　I　didn't　know　him　or　his　work。　I　guess　I'm　sad　but　I　don't　know　why。　He　did　what　he　wanted　to　do。'
　The　Colonel　drew　on　his　pipe；　thinking　of　what　his　son　had　just　said。　What　had　he　expected？　Tears？　Hysterics？　He　dreaded　returning　home　and　having　to　tell　Cheong。　She　loved　the　old　man's　poetry。　It　was　terribly　unfair　for　him　to　think　Hanshichiro's　death　could　touch　Nicholas　in　the　same　deep　way　it　did　him。　Their　experiences　were　not　the　same　and　neither　were　the　generations；　anyway；　Nicholas　did　not　yet　possess　the　sense　of　history　that　the　Colonel　and　Cheong　did。
　And；　of　course；　he　had　quite　a　different　perspective　on　it。　For　a　moment　he　thought　of　Satsugai。　There　wasn't　much　Nicholas　missed。　He　would　have　to　watch　that　from　now　on。
　'Although　the　American　party　line　was　to　make　the　military　totally　culpable　for　the　war；'　the　Colonel　said；　'it's　only　fair　to　say　that　there　was　a　purge　of　the　zaibatsu　directly　after　the　war。　However；　there　was　so　much　burning　of　original　documents　and　deliberate　falsification　of　others　that　a　great　many　upper…echelon　executives　slipped　through。　Others；　of　course；　did　not　and　were　tried　and　convicted　of　war　crimes。'　They　began　to　walk　towards　the　eastern　gate　beyond　which　their　car　was　parked。
　'Now　the　Americans　came　in　here　with　the　best　of　intentions。〃　The　Colonel　drew　on　his　pipe；　exhaled　the　blue　smoke。　'I　remember　the　day　we　finished　drafting　the　new　Constitution　and　dropped　it　on　the　Premier　and　the　Foreign　Minister　like　another　A…bomb。　They　were　flabbergasted。　It　wasn't　a　Japanese　Constitution；　its　spirit　was　totally　Western；　that's　certainly　true。　But　it　was　MacArthur's　firm　intention　to　keep　the　country　weaned　from　its　feudal　past；　which　he　saw　as　highly　dangerous。　Its　essence　was　that　all　power　should　be　stripped　from　the　Emperor　and　given　into　the　hands　of　the　Japanese　people　while　maintaining　him　as　the　symbol　of　state。'
　'Then　what　happened？'　Nicholas　asked。
　'In　1947；　Washington；　through　MacArthur；　did　a　plete　about…face。　Rights　were　withdrawn；　certain　war…crime　convictions　were　overturned　and　the　leaders　of　the　zaibatsu　were　restored　to　their　pre…war　eminence。〃
　'It　all　sounds　so　contradictory。'
　'Only　if　you　look　at　it　from　a　purely　Japanese　point　of　view；'　the　Colonel　said。　'You　see；　America　is　deathly　afraid　of　global　munism；　the　Americans　will　go　to　any　lengths　to　prevent　its　spread。　Just　look　at　how　they've　aided　Franco　in　Spain　and　Chiang　Kai…shek　out　here。　Fascism；　the　Americans　feel；　is　their　best　weapon　against　munism。'
　〃Then　the　Americans　deliberately　disregarded　their　own　Constitution　for　Japan；　restoring　the　reactionary　zaibatsu；　guiding　us　in　a　right…wing　direction。〃
　The　Colonel　nodded　but　said　nothing。　He　felt　now　as　if　he　might　never　make　it　to　the　park　gate；　as　if　it　were　the　end　of　a　treacherous　overland　journey　that　he　no　longer　had　sufficient　strength　to　make。　'Let's　sit　here　a　minute；'　he　said　softly。　They　went　carefully　over　the　low　railing；　sat　on　a　patch　of　grass　filled　with　sunlight。　Still；　it　seemed　chill　to　the　Colonel　and　he　hunched　his　shoulders　against　the　wind。　Sheets　of　thinly　layered　cloud　passed；　now　and　again；　across　the　face　of　the　sun；　causing　brief　shadows　to　dance　like　ghosts　across　the　wide　lawn。　The　cherry　blossoms　rustled；　the　cicadas　wailed　like　brass　being　beaten；　a　brown　and　white　butterfly　darted　erratically　along　the　top　of　the　grass；　a　blithe　dancer　without　a　partner。　The　day　seemed　like　a　haiku　to　the　Colonel；　perfect　and　sad；　bringing　tears　to　the　eyes。　Why　were　so　many　haiku　sorrowful？　he　wondered。
　The　Colonel　had　witnessed　many　deaths　in　his　day：　the　deaths　of　men　he　knew　and　those　he　did　not。　One　develops　over　time　a　kind　of　shell　against　which　these　personal　disasters　must　bounce　away；　either　that　or　one　goes　mad。　Until　death　takes　on　the　unreality　of　a　mime　show　and　one　no　longer　contemplates　it。
　This　death　in　the　park；　on　this　sunny　spring　day；　among　the　children；　the　inheritors　of　Japan；　was　different。　The　Colonel　felt　deflated；　like　Caesar　returning　home　to　Rome　from　the　arms　of　Cleopatra；　from　eternal　summer　to　the　chill　of　March。　He　thought　of　the　eagle　circling　Caesar's　statue　in　the　square；　the　augury。　And　it　seemed　to　him　that　this　important　death；　which　he　had　witnessed；　was　also　an　augury　of　sorts。　But　what　it　portended　he　could　not　say。
　'Are　you　all　right？'　Nicholas　asked。　He　put　a　hand　on　his　father's　arm。
　'What？'　For　a　moment；　the　Colonel's　eyes　were　far　away。　'Oh；　yes。　Quite　all　right；　Nicholas。　Not　to　worry。　I　was　just　thinking　of　how　to　break　the　news　of　Hanshichiro's　death　to　your　mother。　She　will　be　most　upset。'
　He　was　silent　for　a　time；　contemplating　the　pink…white　blossoms　all　around。　After　a　time　he　felt　calmer。
　'Father；　I　want　to　ask　you　something。'
　It　might　have　been　a　moment　that　the　Colonel　had　dreaded；　but　Nicholas's　tone　of　voice　was　such　that　his　father　knew　that　he　had　spent　much　time　thinking　about　the　question。　'What　is　it？'
　'Does　Satsugai　belong　to　the　Genyosha？'
　'Why　do　you　ask？'
　'It　seems　a　logical　question。　Satsugai　is　the　head　of　one　of　the　zaibatsu；　he　is　virulently　reactionary　in　his　philosophy　and　he　was　born　in　Fukuoka。'　Nicholas　turned　to　his　father。　'Frankly；　I'd　be　surprised　if　he　wasn't　a　member。　Wasn't　it　that　which　allowed　him　to　be　restored　to　power　after　the　1947　purge？'
　'Ah；'　the　Colonel　said　judiciously。　'Ah。　Very　logical　assumption；　Nicholas。　You're　quite　observant。'　The　Colonel　thought　for　a　moment。　To　their　left　several　grey　plovers　broke　from　the　treetops　in　a　flurry　and；　circling　once；　headed　west　into　the　sun。　Farther　away；　the　dragon　box　kite　was　being　slowly　lowered　by　invisible　hands；　the　day　was　almost　done。　'The　Genyosha；'　the　Colonel　said　carefully；　〃was　founded　by　Hiraoka　Kotaro。　His　most　trusted　lieutenant　was　Munisai　Shokan。　Satsugai　is　his　son。'
　Nicholas　waited　for　a　time　before　saying；　'Is　that　a　yes？'
　The　Colonel　nodded；　thinking　of　something　else。　'Do　you　know　why　Satsugai　named　his　only　son　Saigo？'
　'No。'
　'Remember　I　told　you　that；　in　the　beginning；　the　Genyosha　decided　to　work　within　the　political　framework　of　the　country？'
　'Yes。'
　'Well；　they　came　to　that　conclusion　the　hard　way。　The　Military　Conscription　Act　split　the　Meiji　oligarchy　into　three　factions。　One　of　these　was　led　by　a　man　named　Saigo。　He　was　the　leader　of　the　ultra…conservative　samurai。　In　1877　Saigo　led　thirty　thousand　of　his　samurai　into　the　field　of　battle　against　a　modern　conscription　army　put　together　by　the　Meiji　government。　Armed　with　rifles　and　guns；　they　easily　defeated　the　samurai。'
　'Of　course！'　Nicholas　exclaimed。　'The　Satsuma　Rebellion。　I　never　connected　the　names　before。'　He　broke　off　a　blade　of　grass。　'That　was　the　last　samurai　uprising；　wasn't　it？'
　'The　last；　yes。'　The　Colonel　got　up；　feeling　at　last　as　if　he　were　ready　to　face　the　outside　world；　Cheong's　saddened　face。
　He　could　not　bear　it　when　she　was　sad。
　They　crossed　the　remainder　of　the　park；　passed　beneath　the　high　gate。　Behind　them　the　sky　was　clear；　of　dragons；　the　sun　lost　within　the　thickening　haze　that　reddened　the　sky　like　a　drop　of　blood　on　a　blotter。
　That　night　they　both　dreamed　of　the　death　of　Hanshichiro；　each　in　his　own　separate　way。
　
　
　
　
　Third　Ring
　THE　WATER　BOOK
　I
　New　York　City/West　Bay　Bridge；　Summer　Present
　The　grey　concrete　blocks　of　Manhattan　shimmered　under　the　late　July　sun。　It　was　sticky。　Nicholas　could　feel　the　heat　penetrating　the　thin　soles　of　his　summer　loafers；　making　even　walking　unfortable。
　He　stood　near　the　kerb　at　Seventh　Avenue　just　outside　the　modernistic　marquee　of　the　new　Madison　Square　Garden　and　Penn　Station　plex。　He　glanced　up　at　it；　thinking　how　quickly　it　had　gone　out　of　style。　Across