el.the miko-第64部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


xtraordinary　measures。　Regimes　came　and　went。　Alliances　were　hastily　formed　and　just　as　hastily　dissolved。〃　Sato　poured　them　both　more　wine。
　〃I　understand。　Many　enemies　could　have　been　made　then；　as　well　as　friends。〃
　Sato　nodded。　〃Those　were　pressurized　times。　I　often　think　that　decades　were　pressed　into　years；　years　into　months。　We　acplished　so　much　in　such　a　small　amount　of　time；　ing　back　from　the　abyss　of　defeat；　regaining　our　self…confidence。　It　was　as　if　we　had　to　begin　all　over　again。　The　holocaust　purged　us　in　a　way　of　many　of　the　worst　elements　we　had　allowed　to　run　our　society。
　〃Like　the　contents　of　Noah's　Ark；　we　stepped　ashore　on　Mount　Ararat　prepared　to　begin　a　new　society。　And　we　did　just　that。　We　overcame　runaway　inflation；　we　directed　the　growth　of　our　industry　through　MITI　and　allowed　picked　sections　to　enjoy　the　most　high　speed　growth　known　in　the　world。〃
　He　looked　at　Nicholas　and　smiled。　〃We　were　even　successful　at　turning　the　slogan　'Made　in　Japan'　from　a　derogation　into　a　status　symbol。
　〃None　of　this　was　an　accident；　none　of　it　was　luck。　Our　karma　is　great；　and　we　continue　to　thrive　though　we　sometimes　experience　growing　pains。〃
　He　poured　more　sake；　slopping　some　onto　the　lacquer。　〃But　do　you　know　the　one　thing　we　still　cannot　tolerate；　Linnear…san？　It　is　the　knowledge　that　even　in　times　of　an　oil　glut　there　is　what　amounts　to　a　caravan　of　tankers　arriving　and　departing　Japan；　day　and　night；　dotting　the　Pacific　in　an　endless　stream。
　〃The　world　must　feed　us　in　order　for　us　to　survive。　Like　a　mewling　infant　who　cannot　make　his　own　food；　we　are　stuck　on　these　beautiful　islands；　on　rock　devoid　of　all　fossil　fuels。
　〃Can　you　understand　how　galling　that　is　for　us；　Linnear…san？〃　He　nodded　sagely。　〃But　of　course　you　can。　You　are　part　of　us；　after　all。　I　can　see　that　even　if　others　cannot。　And　you　know　there　is　truth　to　the　saying　that　misfortune　never　lasts　a　lifetime。〃
　He　sighed　heavily。　〃But　I　tell　you　that　sometimes　I　am　not　certain。〃　His　hair　hung　lankly　on　his　head　and　his　kimono　had　e　partly　unwrapped　so　that　Nicholas　could　see　a　broad　section　of　his　hairless　chest　and　the　edge　of　one　dark　nipple。
　〃The　truth　is；〃　he　said；　his　voice　slurring　slightly；　〃that　there　are　times　when　I　miss　my　wife。　Oh；　not　Akiko。　No；　no。　I　was　married　before。　Mariko　was　her　name。　Beautiful　Mariko。　She　was　very　young　when　we　met。〃　He　smiled　again　and　Nicholas　could　discern　a　light；　boyish　quality　pushing　through　the　years　of　accumulated　sorrow。　〃And　I？　Well；　I　was　a　good　deal　younger；　too。
　〃Nangi…san　and　I　already　knew　each　other。　He　was　in　MITI　and　I　was　in　business。　I　had　several　kobun　in　those　days　and　all　were　successful。　In　some　matters　I　relied　on　Mariko's　judgment。　It　was　she　who　had　remended　that　I　buy　the　Ikiru　Cosmetics　pany。　This　was　in　1976。　Ikiru　manufactured　face　creams　and　astringents；　and　when　I　purchased　it　the　Japanese　cosmetics　boom　was　just　beginning　its　sharp　upswing。
　〃The　investment　was　fantastic。　In　the　first　year　of　acquisition　alone　the　keiretsu　made　back　its　purchase　price　and　even　showed　a　small　profit　from　Ikiru。　The　future　looked　bright　indeed　for　the　second　year。
　〃As　part　of　her　familial　duty　Mariko　began　to　use　Dtiru's　products　herself；　rationalizing　that　she　certainly　could　not　expect　all　her　friends　to　use　Ikiru's　products　if　she　herself　did　not。
　〃Because　her　perfect　porcelain　skin　was　her　pride　she　used　the　face　cream　and　astringent　twice　a　day　as　she　had　with　her　former　brands。　Several　months　later　she　began　plaining　of　headaches　of　migraine　intensity。　These　would　often　last　several　days。　She　would　bee　alarmingly　dizzy　on　and　off　during　that　time。
　〃I　took　her　to　a　doctor。　He　could　find　nothing　wrong　with　her　and　suggested　a　week　at　a　spa　for　relaxation。　Dutifully　following　his　advice；　I　packed　her　off　to　the　peaceful　countryside。　But　at　the　spa　Mariko　became　ill　with　a　fever　that　went　well　above　103。　When　another　physician　was　summoned　by　the　worried　proprietors；　he　found　her　heartbeat　irregular　and　far　too　rapid。
　〃At　their　urging；　he　phoned　me。　I　went　immediately　and　fetched　her。　In　Tokyo；　she　was　referred　to　a　specialist；　who　after　administering　a　battery　of　tests　informed　her　that　she　was　having　trouble　with　her　gall　bladder。　He　prescribed　some。medicine。
　〃But　the　fevers　persisted　and　now　she　began　to　feel　that　the　flesh　of　her　face　was　sticky　beneath　the　glossy　skin；　so　she　used　the　astringent　even　more　religiously　after　each　application　of　the　face　cream。
　〃Until　one　morning　she　woke　up　to　discover　that　the　skin　all　over　her　body　was　as　slick　and　smooth　as　that　of　her　face。　Running　her　hand　down　her　leg；　it　seemed　more　the　appendage　of　a　wax　doll　than　that　of　a　human　being。
　〃More　upset　than　ever；　she　returned　to　the　specialist；　who　subjected　her　to　yet　another　battery　of　tests。　This　time　he　assured　her　it　was　her　pancreas。　More　medicine　was　prescribed　and　dutifully　consumed。
　〃A　week　later　Mariko　awoke　in　a　sweat。　She　sat　up　with　a　start；　her　heart　beating　like　a　triphammer。　She　had　been　dreaming。　Blood　in　her　dreams。　And　now　looking　down　at　her　pillow　she　saw　a　reddish　brown　stain　there。
　〃Automatically　she　put　her　palm　up　to　her　cheek。　It　came　away　smeared　with　blood　and　some　other　discharge　she　could　not　name。　Hysterical　now；　she　called　out　for　me；　and　this　time　I　insisted　she　be　admitted　to　the　hospital。
　〃She　had　lost　a　lot　of　weight　and　now　she　had　trouble　breathing。　Yet　the　doctors　could　detect　nothing　wrong　with　her　lungs　or　indeed　her　respiratory　system。　Matter　continued　to　ooze　from　her　pores　and　Mariko　had　to　be　restrained　lest　the　incessant　itching　cause　her　to　lacerate　her　skin。　She　continued　to　insist　that　something　was　under　her　skin。
　〃The　matter　she　exuded　was　sent　to　the　hospital's　lexicological　lab　for　analysis　but　the　technicians　were　overworked；　and　in　any　event　testing　takes　time。
　〃In　the　interim；　Mariko　went　on　continuous　IV；　unable　to　eat。　Slowly　she　slipped　away　from　me；　submerged　in　a　a　that　was　as　inexplicable　to　the　physicians　as　were　all　of　her　other　symptoms。
　〃She　died　less　than　a　week　later；　drifting　from　the　twilight　of　a；　from　half…death　to　the　full　measure　of　sleep；　without　ever　having　regained　consciousness。　I　cannot　remember　having　said　good…bye　to　her　or　even　that　I　loved　her　during　those　long　days　and　even　longer　nights。〃
　There　was　no　more　food　and　even　the　wine　was　gone。　Empty　plates　stared　at　them　from　the　litter　of　the　table。
　〃It　was　only　some　consolation；〃　Sato　said；　〃when　the　toxico…logical　lab　finally　worked　out　the　problem。　It　seemed　that　the　face　cream　she　had　been　using　contained　a　paraffinlike　polymer；　similar　to　one　used　in　the　manufacture　of　enamel　paint。　The　astringent　dissolved　that　particular　polymer；　thus　allowing　it　to　be　absorbed　by　her　bloodstream。　It　had　blocked　the　pores　of　her　skin；　suffocating　her　by　minute　degrees；　and　had　affected　a　number　of　her　internal　organs；　including　her　gall　bladder　and　pancreas。
　〃At　once　thunderstruck　and　heartsick；　I　immediately　took　steps　to　alter　the　formulas　of　Ikiru's　products　and；　that　done；　began　to　list　all　the　ingredients　in　Ikiru　products　on　their　containers。　But　it　was　not　until　1979　that　the　Japanese　Ministry　of　Health　and　Welfare；　acting　on　the　prolonged　outcry　not　only　from　me　but　from　the　thousands　who　had　suffered　from　the　less　than　fatal　kokuhisho；　black　skin　syndrome；　from　the　inclusion　of　Red　219；　a　coal　tar　dye；　in　some　creams；　established　the　act　requiring　the　listing　of　all　cosmetic　ingredients。
　〃Six　months　after　Mariko's　death；　when　I　could　think　clearly　again；　I　founded　Keshohinkogai　higaisha　no　kai；　the　Organization　of　Cosmetic　Victims；　using　profits　from　Ikiru。〃
　There　was　pain　in　Nicholas'　heart　at　the　enormity　of　what　Sato　had　to　bear。　Mariko　had　not　been　the　sole　victim　of　kokuhisho。　Other　victims'　suffering　and　death　could　be　only　slightly　less　painful　to　Sato。　And　atonement；　as　Nicholas　knew　well；　was　not　the　same　as　never　having　sinned　at　all。
　Sato　turned　his　cup　over　and　placed　his　palm　across　it。　〃Tell　me；　Linnear…san；　have　you　ever　felt　anything　other　than　pleasure　at　being　in　love？〃　His　damp　head　bobbed。　〃Ah；　yes；　Buddha　knows　there　is　pain　and　suffering　sometimes　when　there　are　arguments；　when　animosity　lingers；　perhaps；　for　a　day　or　so。　But　that　is　a　temporary　thing；　surely。　It　fades　like　the　snow　each　winter　and　when　the　sun　shines；　the　blossoms　open　up　again。
　〃I　am　speaking　of　something　entirely　different　now。〃　His　head　was　weaving；　sunk　down　as　it　was　onto　his　broad　shoulders。　〃Experience　means　nothing　in　this　realm。　Have　you　ever　felt　imprisoned　by　your　love；　Linnear…san？　As　if　you　love　despite　yourself　rather　than　because　you　wish　to。　No；　no；　you　must；　do　you　see？〃　His　hand　came　away；　and　Nicholas　could　see　that　the　tiny　porcelain　cup　that　had　lain　beneath　was　now　gone。　〃As　if　some　cruel　heart　had　cast　a　spell　over　you？〃
　In　the　gloaming　at　the　end　of　the　day　Lew　Croaker　sat　slumped　in　the　car　that　had　taken　them　up　the　east　coast　of　Florida。　Traffic　rushed　by　him；　the　procession　of　crimson　taillights　like　searching　eyes。　Alix　had　just　gone　to　the　bathroom　in　one　of　the　highway　cafeterias。　He　felt　the　vibrations　of　the　road　as　if　they　had　bee　a　part　of　him。
　Just　behind　him　was　the　Savannah　River。　Up　ahead　stretched　Georgia；　then　South　Carolina；　North　Carolina；　and　so　on　as　I95　snaked　its　way　northeast。　They　had　not　eaten　since　Jacksonville；　there　was　no　point　in　stopping　in　small　towns　along　the　way；　leaving　footprints　for　anyone　to　follow。　Big　cities　had　a　habit　of　swallowing　new　arrivals　and　transients；　no　one　paid　attention。
　Alix　had　wanted　him　to　slow　down　as　soon　as　they　had　crossed　the　Florida　border；　but　Croaker　had　kept　his　foot　on　the　accelerator。　She　thought　he　was　being　stubborn；　but　he　didn't　want　to　tell　her　what　he　had　found　in　the　Red　Monster's　Ford　sedan。　It　was　a　Phonix　cipher　transmitter/receiver　that　he　had　read　about。　The　sight　of　it　had　sent　chills　down　his　spine。　He　did　not　think　that　anyone　Raphael　Tomkin　would　hire　would　know　what　to　do　with　a　Phonix　let　alone　have　one　in　his　car。
　The　Phonix　was　a　relatively　new　instrument　that　automatically　turned　the　spoken　word　into　a　preset　cipher。　It　was　the　code　alone　that　was　broadcast　between　units；　so　that　rapid　trans