ericlustbader.the ninja-第59部分

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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　the　horizon。　I　knew　I　must　be　looking　east。　I　saw　a　smudge　ing　into　view　and　then　another　simultaneously；　I　heard　a　heavy　drone　from　the　northwest；　in　the　direction　of　Luzon。　It　was　the　Two　Hundred　and　First。　I　looked　up。　The　Zeros　were　black　and　bloated　against　the　pale　sky。　The　night's　clouds　had　melted　away。
　'The　Zeros　passed　low　over　us；　headed　out　to　sea；　towards　the　dark　smudges　containing　the　horizon；　ing　closer。　'　〃You　know　they　go　to　attack　your　ships。〃　'I　started。　A　thin　Japanese　stood　beside　me。　He　was　on　crutches。　His　left　trouser…leg　was　pinned　back　at　the　knee　but　he'd　surely　die　of　malnutrition　before　his　stump　would　begin　to　bother　him。
　'　〃You　speak　English　very　well；〃　I　said。　'　〃Yes。〃　He　was　still　staring　out　at　the　moving　targets　as　they　closed　with　one　another。　〃They　will　not　e　back。　None　of　them。　Onishi　has　seen　to　that。〃　I　understand　that　he　meant　the　new　Vice…Admiral。　He　shook　his　head　sadly。　〃They　say；　you　know；　that　he　helped　Yamamoto　plan　the　Pearl　Harbor　attack。〃　He　clucked　his　tongue　against　the　roof　of　his　mouth。　〃It's　hard　to　believe。　It　seems　so　long　ago。〃　His　head　turned。　〃Do　you　speak　Japanese？。　No？　Pity。〃　He　turned　back。　The
　Zeros　were　nearing　our　ships。　You　could　see　the　batteries　begin　to　fire。　Black　clouds　with　orange　bits　in　their　centres　exploded；　eerily　silent　until；　moments　later；　the　reports　found　us；　shook　the　air。　〃No；　they　won't　e　back；　those　boys。　They're　on　a　one…way　mission。〃
　'Abruptly；　his　words　penetrated　the　fog　which　had　surrounded　me　since　I　had　e　into　the　camp。　〃Do　you　mean　to　tell　me；〃　I　exclaimed；　〃that　they're　on　suicide　missions？　The　plane　and　the　pilot。。。？〃
　'　〃One　big　maneuverable　bomb；　yes。〃　The　Japanese　stood　quite　still。　Tears　seemed　to　be　standing　in　the　corners　of　his　eyes　but　there　was　no　change　in　his　voice。　〃Vice…Admiral　Onishi's　idea。　It's　a　desperation　move。　He　had　a　time　convincing　the　others　but　he　managed　it。〃　He　said　something　in　Japanese　which　I　took　to　be　a　curse。　〃Not　enough　of　us　have　died　for　this　'noble　cause'。　The　Emperor　still　sends　his　sons　into　a　war　which　we　have　already　lost。〃　Far　away；　on　the　white　and　black　horizon；　the　Zeros　were　leaving　the　sky。　^_There　came　a　sharp　call　from　behind　me。　I　did　not　need　to　understand　the　language　to　know　that　my　captor　wanted　me。　I　walked　away　from　the　crippled　soldier；　saying；　〃You　ought　to　get　something　to　eat。〃
　'He　laughed　shortly。　〃If　I　could；　do　you　think　I'd　be　here　now？〃
　〃What　about　a　hospital？〃
　〃Won't　take　you　in　unless　you　bring　your　own　food；〃　he　said。　His　eyes　were　clear。　I　could　see　his　ribs　underneath　his　uniform　blouse。　I　thought：　What　am　I　doing？　He　is　the　enemy。　〃We're　all　dying　of　malnutrition。　We　can't　get　into　the　hospital　and　our　unit's　booted　us　out　because　we　can't　fight　any　more。　It's　not　a　soldier's　end。　There's　no　honour　in　any　of　this。〃　He　stared　at　me　and；　for　a　moment；　there　seemed　to　be　no　difference　between　us。
　'Then　my　captor　had　hold　of　me　and；　barking　harshly；　he　pushed　me　towards　another　part　of　the　camp。　Here；　too；　soldiers　littered　the　ground。　It　seemed　pathetic。
　'He　carried　with　him　a　small　black　satchel　which　I　hadn't　noticed　before。　It　was　over　this　that　they　seemed　to　be　arguing。　There　were　perhaps　four　of　them。　They　might　have　been　brothers。　Now　I　regretted　not　asking　my　unexpected　friend　who　these　men　were。　It　was　clear　that　they　weren't　regular　army。　To　one　side；　I　saw　what　was　obviously　a　cooking　fire。　There　was　a　black　iron　pot。　By　its　side　was　a　small　pile　of　what　the　Japanese　called　famote；　the　diminutive　Philippine　potatoes　that　taste　rather　like　a　conventional　sweet　potato。　There　were　also　some　withered　tubers。　These　were　obviously　their　rations：　all　the　food　they　possessed。
　'The　man　who　had　brought　me　produced　a　series　of　cans　he　had　obviously　stolen　from　our　camp。　How　he　had　spirited　this　food　away　I　could　not　imagine；　but　there　it　was。
　〃They　began　to　argue　all　over　again　…　I　suppose　about　who　would　get　how　much。　My　captor　hustled　me　away；　shoved　me　down　towards　a　group　of　supine　men。　It　was　clear　that　he　wanted　me　to　work　on　them。　Now　I　understood　why　I　had　been　spared。　He　knew　very　well　what　I　was。　I　began　to　wonder　what　else　he　knew　about　me。
　'I　turned　to　the　soldiers。　In　truth　there　wasn't　much　I　could　do　for　them。　I　was　without　my　instruments　and　my　medicines。　But　they　would　not　have　been　much　help。　My　friend　had　been　quite　correct　in　his　analysis　of　the　situation。　The　Japanese　were　dying　of　malnutrition。
　'At　length　I　got　up；　went　over　to　the　man　who　had　brought　me。
　'　〃I'm　sorry；〃　I　said；　〃but　there's　nothing　I　can　do。〃
　'He　hit　me　without　warning。　I　didn't　even　see　where　the　blow　came　from。　One　moment　I　was　standing　and　talking　to　him；　the　next　I　was　on　my　ass　in　the　mud。
　'　〃They　need　food；〃　I　said　inanely。
　'He　reached　down　and　hauled　me　up。　There　seemed　to　be　no　expression　in　his　eyes。　He　hit　me　again；　this　time　harder；　with　the　edge　of　his　hand。　It　felt　like　I　had　been　struck　by　a　cement　mixer。　I　went　down　and　stayed　down。
　'It　was　dark　when　I　awoke。　I　had　a　splitting　headache　and　my　right　shoulder　didn't　seem　to　work。　It　was　odd。　I