el.the miko-第49部分

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　〃Ah；　yes。〃　Oda　put　down　his　cup。　〃Of　course　that　is　true。　It　had　slipped　my　mind　for　the　moment。〃
　And　now　Nangi　had　his　answer　and　his　heart　soared。　Carefully　he　kept　his　surging　emotions　off　his　face。　〃The　ministers　of　MCI　struck　me　as　perhaps　a　trifle　overzealous　in　their　protection　of　their　own　power。〃
　〃Perhaps　they　have　a　right　to　be；　Nangi…san。　Those　most　afraid　of　losing　their　power　are　always　the　most；　er；　sensitive　about　supposed　threats　to　its　security。〃
　He　and　Yoshida　are　thinking　of　closing　down　MCI！　Nangi　thought。　It　was　the　only　possible　explanation　for　the　line　of　this　conversation。
　〃If　you　were　in　my　shoes；　Nangi…san；〃　Oda　said；　his　voice　neutral；　〃who　would　you　choose　to　be　the　chief　of　this　new　ministry　dealing　with　international　trade？〃
　Now　Nangi　had　to　make　his　decision。　He　had　to　decide　for　himself　whether　Oda　was　friend　or　foe；　for　he　knew　that　once　he　answered　the　question　there　would　be　no　turning　back。
　Nangi　knew　that　there　was　no　one　in　MCI　he　could　turn　to；　knew；　too；　that　as　many　friends　as　Makita　had；　their　influence　would　not　be　enough　to　project　him　into　the　center　of　this　new　ministry　without　the　blessing　of　Oda　and　Yoshida。
　All　of　a　sudden　he　felt　released；　his　decision　made　for　him。　〃My　choice　would　be　Yoichiro　Makita；〃　he　said　without　hesitation。
　For　a　time　there　was　silence　in　the　office。　Oda　tapped　the　bottom　of　the　spoon　against　his　pursed　lips。　At　last　he　said；　〃Vice…Minister　Shimada　would　never　stand　for　such　a　thing。〃
　〃He　won't　be　happy　about　the　formation　of　the　new　ministry；　either；〃　Nangi　pointed　out。
　〃Oh；　but　this　is　different；　Nangi…san。　Shimada　and　Makita　are　bitter　enemies。　Creating　the　new　ministry　is　one　thing。　Installing　Makita　at　its　center　is　quite　another。〃
　〃May　I　inquire；　sir；　as　to　whether　Makita…san　would　meet　with　your　approval。〃
　〃Well；　it　hardly　matters；　Nangi…san；　you　can　see　that。　There　are　things　we　all　would　wish　for　but　cannot　have。　One　must　learn　to　flow　with　the　tide　lest　one　be　pulled　out　to　sea　and　bee　lost　to　land。〃
　In　the　gathering　gloom　of　the　late　afternoon　outside；　Nangi　thought　of　his　mabiki　file　and　the　list　of　incriminating　evidence　he　had　amassed　against　Shimada。　〃Correct　me　if　I　am　wrong；　sir；　but　in　kanryodo　there　is　a　continual　weeding…out　process。〃
　〃At　the　lower　levels；　yes；　of　course；〃　Oda　said。　〃The　outgoing　vice…minister　selects　his　replacement；　and　all　others　at　the　ministry　from　the　new　man's　university　class　resign　in　order　to　give　him　a　clear　field　of　unquestioned　authority。〃
　〃And　yet；〃　Nangi　said　carefully；　〃at　the　upper　echelons　there　is；　from　time　to　time；　also　mabiki。〃
　〃Oh；　yes；〃　Oda　said；　〃but　there　we　are　generally　talking　of　a　scandal　of　some　major　proportions。　I　can　recall　a　time　when　those　things　could　be　manufactured。。。〃　A　small　smile　creased　his　face。　〃There　were　artists　for　everything　in　those　days。〃　His　expression　sobered　and　he　shrugged。　〃But　in　the　present　there　is　always　the　Occupation　Forces；　and　like　hawks　in　the　sun　they　are　ever　over　our　left　shoulders；　hovering；　scrutinizing。〃　He　shuffled　some　papers。　〃In　any　event；　all　the　old　artisans　are　gone。〃
　〃If　I　understand　you　correctly；〃　Nangi　said；　his　pulse　racing　wildly　as　he　approached　the　heart　of　the　matter；　〃you　are　speaking　now　of　manufacturing　a　scandal　out　of　smoke　and　pine　needles。〃
　〃Poetically　put；　Nangi…san。　And　essentially　correct。〃
　〃I　take　it；　then；〃　Nangi　said；　keeping　the　tremor　he　felt　inside　out　of　his　voice；　〃that　the　Occupation　Forces　would　give　us　no　trouble　over　a　quite　real　scandal。〃
　A　telephone　rang　somewhere　in　an　adjacent　office；　muted　voices　could　be　heard　for　a　moment　just　beyond　the　closed　door。　Minister　Oda's　almond　eyes　glittered　like　dark　gems　behind　the　round　lenses　of　his　spectacles。
　The　stillness　in　the　room　was　so　palpable　that　Nangi　felt　as　if　he　was　swathed　in　blankets。　Now　every　motion；　ever　word；　every　look　became　a　clue　to　the　oute　of　this　meeting。
　〃Scandal；　it　seems　to　me；　Nangi…san；　can　mean　many　things　to　many　people。　I　think　it　imperative　that　one　es　to　some　clearcut　understanding　of；　er；　definition。〃
　Nangi　locked　his　eyes　with　the　minister's　and　said；　〃Disgrace　for　our　enemies。〃
　After　a　time；　Oda　reached　downward；　producing　a　bottle　half　full　of　amber　liquid。　〃May　I　offer　you　a　brandy？〃
　Nangi　nodded　his　assent；　and　there　was　silence　in　the　room　while　they　both　drank。　Outside；　a　typewriter　had　begun；　working　at　a　fast…clipped　pace。
　Carefully；　Oda　put　down　his　cup。　〃It　seems　to　me；　Nangi…san；〃　he　said；　〃that　Shimada…san　was　most　generous　in　transferring　you　into　my　purview。〃
　〃Perhaps；　but　he　was　also　stupid；〃　Nangi　said　with　uncharacteristic　candor。
　Oda　shrugged　his　shoulders。　〃It　is　said　that　the　Chinese　cannot　believe　that　a　foreigner　can　speak　their　language　so　that　on　those　occasions　when　one　does；　he　is　not　heard。　Vice…Minister　Shimada　reminds　me　of　the　Chinese。〃　He　refilled　their　cups。　〃He　may　not　have　acute　insight　but　he　has　many　friends　and　allies。〃
　Nangi　knew　what　his　minister　was　obliquely　implying。　〃None　of　them　have　enough　power　to　save　him　from　his　own　blunders。　Hiroshi　Shimada　has　been　a　very　greedy　bureaucrat。〃
　〃Not　the　American　way。〃
　〃Oh；　no；〃　Nangi　said；　getting　into　the　spirit　of　the　play。　〃Not　in　the　least。〃
　〃Good。　Perhaps　we　may　even　experience　some　help　from　that　quarter。〃　Torazo　Oda　rubbed　his　hands　together。　〃As　for　the；　er；　business　aspects；　I　trust　we　have　e　to　a　mutually　satisfactory　agreement。〃
　〃Pardon　me；　sir；　but　I　believe　we　have　one　more　matter　to　decide。〃
　Oda；　in　the　midst　of　rising　preparatory　to　dismissing　Nangi；　paused。　His　face　was　calm。　〃And　what　might　that　be？　You　have　my　permission　to　continue。〃
　〃With　all　due　respect；　sir；　my　own　position　has　yet　to　be　worked　out。〃
　Oda　laughed　as　he　sat　back　down；　his　great　belly　shaking　as　if　with　convulsions。　Behind　him　the　first　gusts　of　rain　began　to　bead　the　windowpane；　obscuring　the　hurrying　pedestrians　far　below。　〃Young　man；　I　do　believe　I　have　the　measure　of　you　now。〃　He　chuckled。　〃I　shall　not　underestimate　you　again。　Let's　see。〃　He　tapped　a　pudgy　forefinger　against　his　pursed　lips。　〃It　is　clear　that　you　are　far　too　clever　to　remain　here　at　the　BOT。
　〃You　will　be　my　eyes　and　ears　at　the　new　ministry。　Makita…san　will　appoint　you　chief　of　the　Secretariat。　There　you　will　weed　through　all　of　the　applicants　to　the　new　ministry；　approving　those　who　are　loyal　to　Makita…san's…and　my…policies。
　〃Slowly　we　will　transform　the　face　of　the　entire　bureaucracy。　Slowly　we　will　melt　away　those　who　oppose　us；　those　who　do　not　understand　the　nature　of　trade　number　one…ism。　It　will　be　the　two…hundred…year　Tokugawa　Shogunate　reborn！〃
　Nangi　recognized　the　fierce；　cold　light　of　the　fanatic　turning　the　minister's　eyes　into　beacons；　and　he　found　himself　wondering　what　it　was　Oda　had　occupied　himself　with　during　the　war。
　Makita…san　and　I　will　have　to　treat　this　one　carefully；　he　thought　as　he　rose　and　bowed　formally。　〃Thank　you；　sir。〃　He　turned　to　leave；　but　Oda…san's　voice　stayed　him。
　〃Nangi…san；　you　were　quite　correct　about　Vice…Minister　Shimada。　He　was　twice　a　fool。　Once　to　underutilize　that　fine　brain　of　yours。　Second　to　send　you　of　all　people　to　spy　on　me。〃
　MCI　did　not　disappear　as　Nangi　had　suggested；　but　the　Ministry　of　International　Trade　and　Industry's　creation　did　sound　its　death　knell。
　
　Nangi　and　Makita　pored　over　the　mabiki　file　and；　as　had　been　planned；　Makita　took　Nangi's　information　officially　to　Oda。　Because　Shimada　was　a　vice…minister　and　this　did　have　at　first　whiff　the　scent　of　a　major　scandal；　Oda　felt　obliged　to　pass　on　all　the　damning　evidence　to　the　Prime　Minister。　Six　days　after　Yoshida　received　the　documentation　of　Shimada's　transgressions；　which　included　manipulation　of　ministry　funds；　use　of　ministry　classified　information　to　obtain　jobs　for　several　of　his　family；　and　the　unearthing　of　a　mistress；　a　geisha；　as　well　as　a　wife；　he　was　forced　to　dismiss　the　vice…minister　and　make　the　circumstances　of　his　firing　public。　SCAP　demanded　such　a　procedure　in　order　to　ensure　continued　public　support　for　the　government　and　in　order　to　bring　home　to　the　Japanese　populace　at　large　that　they　were　indeed　living　in　a　democracy　where　nothing　was　concealed。
　Yoshida　was；　of　course；　against　such　a　public　humiliation　and　fought　it；　knowing　what　the　end　result　would　have　to　be。　He　was　overruled　by　members　of　the　Occupation　Forces；　and　at　last；　after　stalling　long　enough　to　return　to　him　most　of　his　lost　face；　he　released　the　documents　to　the　press。
　Less　than　twenty…four　hours　later；　Hiroshi　Shimada；　kneeling　on　a　fibrous　tatami；　clad　in　a　kimono　of　ash　gray　field　and　smoke　wheels；　directed　his　wakizashi　toward　the　muscled　ridge　of　his　lower　belly；　slashing　left　to　right；　then　upward；　his　body　quivering　with　effort；　control；　and　face。　His　wife；　Kaziko；　was　found　by　his　side；　pools　of　their　already　browning　blood　amassed　and　mingled；　their　last　and　only　testament。
　〃I　wonder　how　much　Colonel　Linnear　hated　Shimada。〃　Yoi…chiro　Makita　knelt　on　the　tatami　while　across　from　him　Nangi　reclined　in　a　minimum　of　pain；　his　spine　against　a　folded　futon。
　Nangi　was　surprised。　〃You　mean　the　gaijin　who　depurged　you？　How　is　he　involved？〃
　Makita　looked　far　better　than　he　had　in　Sugamo。　His　body　had　begun　to　fill　out；　while　his　face　had　most　of　its　former　bloat。　He　now　appeared　much　as　he　had　in　the　newspaper　photograph　Nangi　had　seen　years　ago；　a　figure　of　almost　iconic　proportions；　an　aggressive　and　powerful　ra/n〃ra〃…bureaucrat。
　〃During　my　long　weeks　with　the　English　Colonel　he　revealed　much　to　me；〃　Makita　said　thoughtfully；　〃though　far　less　than　many　other　gaijin　would。　He　has　the　gift　of　patience；　that　man。〃
　〃You　sound　as　if　you　admire　him。〃
　Makita　smiled。　〃Oh；　nothing　so　strong　as　that；　surely。　But　still。。。　for　a　gaijin。。。〃　His　voice　trailed　off　for　a　moment；　and　his　gaze　retreated　to　an　inner　stare。
　〃You　think　he　knew　Shimada　personally；〃　Nangi　asked　after　a　time；　〃as　you　did？〃
　Makita's　eyes　snapped　back　into　focus　and　he　was　with　Nangi　again。　〃Oh；　there　was　something　between　them；　all　right。　I　have　no　doubt　about　that。　Colonel　Linnear　was　the　man　on　MacArthur's　staff　who　most　vociferously　fought　to　have　the　facts　in　the　scandal　made　public　knowl