I breathed easy as the jet leveled over the island, and pointed eastward. Three years of intelligence work in the Far East, and I was finally going home. I had spent the summer on Luchu, a desolate rock in the Pacific that very few people have even heard of. It is inhabited by about a quarter of a million Japanese, and has a gigantic military base, with an ideal harbor for war time logistics. The U. S. forces moved in after the Japanese war, and they still remain. No sign of them ever leaving, either.
A middle aged woman sat next to me. She was fast asleep. A military dependent, undoubtedly the wife of high brass. She wore a pearl necklace, and all sorts of rocks on her fingers. A junior officer or enlisted man's wife could never have afforded that kind of luxury, not on their pay. And besides, she acted very proper when she boarded the plane. The typical society snob. I wished I could have caught her picture sleeping with her mouth wide open. She snored louder than the plane roared.
But anyway, I was going home, very happy, but a little sad. I pulled out a bottle of whiskey from my AWOL bag, something to keep me company. I tore off the top, and bolted the bottle right down. The strong smell of whiskey bit my nose, as I gave a muffled gasp for a full breath. It made me think of much more pleasant smells. It made me think of green tea, and fresh tatami (the grass mats in Japanese houses). The co-mingling of many herbs during the breathless summer on that wretched volcanic island came to mind, as my stomach warmed with the whiskey. Like the coralled ocean's blending of prismatic colors, the present melted into the past....
Everything is cheaper in the Orient. Things are not only cheaper in price, but cheaper in quality. There is, however, a great exception to this, and that is human flesh, the Orient's cheapest product. Thousands of G.I.'s swear by their ever loving fling in the flesh pots of the East. The Oriental woman is not only the cheapest priced on the market (whether you buy it by the pound or by the hour) but she is the best in bedroom quality.
If you want to argue the point, you better go elsewhere, and argue with someone that has not tasted the juices of this wanton pleasure. Besides, all that is needed to convince any honest doubter is one quick sample of the goods. Or, if someone is aesthetically oriented, I need only refer him to the poets who have been for centuries raving about this natural treasure. The man that said, "all good things come in small packages," must have surely been talking of these little Celestial Lotuses of enormous talent.
As by-product of the supreme sexuality of the Oriental woman, there exists many strange, bizarre and ecstatic sexual practices. My story is involved, in a naive and perhaps lurid way, with one of these strange practices of the East.
It all began shortly after my arrival on the island of Luchu. I had spent some time in China, Korea and Japan doing odd-ball intelligence jobs. With three months remaining in the Army, I had the misfortune of being assigned to Luchu. My duties were almost nonexistent, and most of my time was my own. It was just a matter of waiting through the mucky, hot summer for my orders to return stateside.
There were, however, some good things about the volcanic desolation. It had a good supply pf women, and it was the home of my close friend Sei, whose full name was Seichiro, who'd been my roommate in college. He is to blame for my interest in Oriental languages, and if I had never met him, I would probably never have learned Japanese or Chinese. This would have been a blessing, because if I had never learned these languages, I would have never been drafted for this ridiculous cloak-and-dagger bit.
I should be angry with Sei for his indoctrination, but I can't be. He's a great guy, very quiet, like most of his countrymen, and very hard to get to know. I suppose that if. I had not been his roommate in college, I would never have known him at all, or much less become his close friend. As it is, it took all of our four undergrad years to come to a full understanding of each other, and even to this day, I sometimes get the impression that I have hardly pierced his Oriental mask.
My life in the dorm was somewhat abnormal with Sei as my roommate. I took pity on him at first, because he seemed too shy to ask girls out, or perhaps he didn't know about women. This was about as far from the truth as I could get, and, as I later learned, he had far greater knowledge about women than I could hope to possess in many years. As a matter-of-fact, it was. he who actually initiated me into the world of sex.
One day, after we had been rooming together for some time, I asked him how he managed without taking women out.
"Dates are a waste of time," he answered, "and especially with these American college girls."
I was indignant with Sei, and felt a personal challenge in his calm and indifferent remark. "What the hell do you mean by, especially with American college girls?" I barked back. "Do you think your little squatty women are any better?
Hell! I bet you never had an American. In fact, I'll bet you've never had a woman at all." With a smirk of confidence, I turned to the book I was reading. Sei didn't even bother to reply.
The incident was rather discomforting. Sei seemed to be sexually normal. Although he was a gentle person, there was nothing really to suggest he was queer. The fact that he didn't go out with girls didn't necessarily place him in this category. He might have been getting a little during his periodic trips to "J" town (that's what we called the Japanese settlement). He must have been doing something, because there wasn't even any sign of his masturbating. If you've ever slept in a dorm with your roommate jerking off in the wee hours, you know it's impossible not to detect it. There's the squeaking springs, and the smell; and then there's the stains on something or another the following morning. But no, there was never any pf this with Sei.
Not too long after the incident regarding the American women, I had occasion, once again, to get angry with Sei. I stumbled in late from a date with a damned you-know-what teaser whom I had been trying to make for at least three months. My testicles felt like crystal balls. They were so sensitive that Sei's snoring seemed to jar them like the shock from a supersonic sound crash. Damned bitch, I thought to myself. She's got to come across some day.
Not that I was such a great lover, because I wasn't. But as freshmen go, my score wasn't bad.
There was Selda in high school. I managed to get her after about a year of perserverance.
Selda had my cherry, but I sure didn't have hers. She knew just what she was doing all along. All my buddies thought I had been getting into her all the time, and of course, I didn't deny their insinuations. In fact, I helped them along with the subtle implications here and there. I wouldn't come straight out and say, "I screwed Selda," because I was the big noble type. Who me? Kiss and tell? Never!
My fears were compounded with Selda's reputation and I went home as fast as I could. When I arrived, I just washed that old thing, and scrubbed it with a brush until it bled. They had fed me so much sanitation crap in life science classes at the school, that I was sure sexual intercourse with anybody but your own wife would result in syphilis unless the proper precautions were taken, of course. So I scrubbed and scrubbed until it was shiny as glass. I felt the pain was worth it. Hell! I didn't want to have distorted children when I got married.
Strange thing is that I always carried a rubber with me. Like a good scout, I was always prepared. I bought the rubber from a friend when I ad my first date with Selda, but nothing happened, and after a year with nothing happening, I started to get careless. I would, on occasion, forget the rubber. Not to stretch a point, but that's what happened on the night that Selda finally came across. What could I do? There I was, caught with my pants down, and my virility being challenged. All I could do was jump in and swim.
I never took Selda out again, but for nine months I was worried sick. My grades went to hell, and I lost weight wondering if Selda would have a baby. Incidentally, she did have one twelve months later, which let me off the hook. After this, I breathed easier. My grades got better, and I got back on the hunt; managed to catch one more good solid piece before graduation. Boy, I thought myself a real pro by then.
And me, young Aubrey Cadwell, virility and all, bounced into college thinking I had the world by the gonads. It was the same old story, though. The hunt, the chase, rejection. The playing, the teasing, the "maybe's." This can often be a very painful game, as all red blooded American boys know, and it was in this unconsummated state of pain that I arrived at my room, walking like a cowboy and moaning like a cow.
I dropped my pants with the greatest of care, and sat slowly on the bed leaning back against the wall. I thought of jerking off to relieve the pain, but that would have been impossibly painful at that point. And then I thought of just trying to go to sleep without the blankets, but the throbbing was too much. All I could do was just lie there helplessly and stare at the arrogant bastard standing at attention.
It must have been my moaning that woke Sei up. First thing I knew, he was sitting on his bed looking at me. His look had both pity and laughter, and I was in no mood for any social relation whatsoever. "Why the hell don't you go to sleep, and mind your own business," I told Sei.
Sei laughed a bit, and I felt ridiculous. This was a horrible indignity, lying there in that position with an ascetic Jap staring down at me. Had it been anybody else, and had I been able to move adequately, I would have slugged him on the spot. I knew better, though. Sei had by this time given me a few lessons in karate, so I knew that he could wipe me out with one blow when I was in the best condition. Little I could do in this immobile state. All I could do was get angry, and utter nasty remarks at good old Sei who just sat calmly and listened to my tirade.
When I finally shot my wad of verbal anger, and was just starting to relax, saying to myself, "To hell with it. I'll just go to sleep, and forget the whole damn thing happened," Sei came up with his first wise-crack.
"You mean," he said, "that an American college girl not only wastes your time with foolish dates, but she makes you suffer this pain as well? And you still stick up for her?"
That did it. Who did he think he was anyway, this foreigner who's country we had once wiped out. Well, karate or no karate, it was my American duty to tear his head off. I was furious. I jumped up with an agonizing scream of pain from my aching groin, and Sei caught me on the fly and gently helped me to sit back down. Well, at least I could still put him in his place verbally anyway, and I let him have it.
"What do you think?" I said. "American girls give themselves on the first date like any common whore? Is that the way it's done in vour country?"
"We have two kinds of women,' Sei answered, "the kind for pleasure and the kind to marry."
"Sure," I said, still angry as hell, "but here we don't have whores or the kind for pleasure. We take girls out until we find one that we want to marry. The longer a girl holds out, the purer she is, and the more men respect her. The girl that gives in right away to just any man is not respected by anybody, and if a girl holds out long enough, and saves it just for you,-that means she truly loves only you."
Sei lit up a cigarette, and he smiled a bit as he said, "You don't believe any of that nonsense yourself. Why do you say such things?"
Hell, what do you say to a stubborn foreigner like that? He didn't understand the situation anyway, and besides, I guess I wasn't really angry with him. I was angry with that bitch that rubbed herself up against me all night, and then never came across. "Be gentle," she'd say. "OOOHHH lover, please stop.' Obnoxious bitch! "We can't. Please,' she'd say, "No, no don't take my panties off. Just get on top of me, and move around, hhmm gently, oohhh lover." I should have rammed it in. That's my trouble, I always feel sorry for the damned moaning bitches, or I'm afraid they'll make a big scandal if I force it a bit.
"I guess I'm not mad at you, Sei," I volunteered. "I tried to get some sex tonight and could do nothing. So now I'm taking it out on you."
By this time Sei was in my closet. He was one step ahead of me. He pulled down a pair of baggy tweeds that I hardly ever wore. He threw them at me, and said, "Here, put them on."
"What for?" I answered with a puzzled look. "It's two o'clock in the morning, and I've got to get some sleep. Have a big exam Monday, and I'll have to study all day tomorrow for it."
Sei gave me that damn know-it-all smirk of his, and said, "Well, if I know human nature, you won't get any studying done tomorrow, not in the condition you are in. You will either spend the day in restless frustration, or find an excuse to go to the girl you were with tonight. And you will spend most of the day losing face, and making a fool of yourself. You will beg her, in one way or another, for her sexual favors. All day you will spend on this pursuit, and it will probably result in nothing."
Although I wouldn't admit it, Sei had made a good point, but I didn't know why he wanted me to put on the baggy tweeds. Anyway, I couldn't sleep, so I went along with him. We both dressed and drove in my car to "J" town. Then Sei directed me down some narrow back streets until we came to a place that had a sign reading Japanese Bath and Massage.
"Don't tell me this is the place you want me to go to," I said with a disappointed tone in my voice. Actually, I had been anxious to visit this area. What with Sei disappearing into it two or three times a month, I figured it must have been something pretty good to lure him from his studies. But I never expected a bath house. "You mean we're gonna take a bath?"
Sei looked at me and said, "Sure! There is nothing like a good Japanese bath to relax you, and make you feel good. You will not only feel better tomorrow, but you shall study better, and do everything better. Come on now."
I was groaning with reluctance. "Hell!" I said, "I could have taken a good shower back at the dorm, and besides the showers there are free. What's it gonna cost?"
"This isn't going to cost anything," answered Sei. "You see, I have a credit card, and all of this goes on my tuition and living expense."
I found this hard to believe. A scholarship with an expense account? Oh well, we had arrived. Might as well go the route. We locked the car, and then walked up some long stairs. I could hear some girls giggling every now and then. At the top of the stairs, we were greeted in a large straw matted room by a girl so feminine and demure that (with the help of incense) my knees weakened just to look at her; of course, I was horny as hell too, so that may also have had something to do with it.
Sei talked Japanese with a girl, and I didn't understand a word at that time. We took off our shoes, and were led down a long polished coridor. This isn't anything like the YMCA, I thought to myself. Then the girl moved a sliding rice papered panel aside, and ushered us into an exquisite and delicate little room. Sei said something else to the girl, and she bowed a few times and backed on out, leaving us alone in the room.
"Well, we're not going to take a bath in here I hope?" was the only thing I could think of saying. I felt uneasy in the unfamiliar environment.
"No, not hardly, Aubrey," was Sei's reply. "We will sleep here."
"What?" My nervousness was showing.
"Yes, but you need not worry. I am no homosexual, and even if I were, I doubt that you would appeal to me at all."
Sonovabitch, Sei had read my fears. Wasn't there anything you could keep from this Jap? I was flushed with embarrassment. "Oh, hell," I said falteringly, "I know you're not, but...."
"You see, this panel divides the room in half. All one needs to do is slide it across like this, and there we have one room for you and one for me."
"Yeh, sort of like Japanese bundling." This joke went over like a sumo wrestler, but just then I was saved from one of Sei's sophisticated retorts by two beautiful Japanese girls that came into the room. "Wow! you sonovagun, Sei! No wonder you are always disappearing into this section of town."
One of the beauties closed the center panel, but I could still carry on a conversation with Sei. The girl that stayed with me spoke very little English, but this didn't bother her. She went straight to her work, spreading some thick blankets on the floor. They were almost like mattresses. Then she walked up to me and started unbuttoning my shirt. I just stood there, with my mouth wide open,, not knowing what to do.
"Sei," I talked loudly into the next room," She's taking off my shirt."
"That is the usual custom," was Sei's reply.
"Yes, but what the hell do I do?"
"Just let her handle everything. She knows what she's doing much better than you."
Handle is right, and that's exactly what she was doing. By this time, the girl had folded my shirt neatly on the floor, and as she knelt, she unbuttoned my pants and let them drop. I stood there (in more ways than one) naked and helpless with the unfamiliar role. My knees started to buckle, and when she brought her lips against me, I almost swooned. In a moment I was lying flat on the floor and standing painfully tall, taller than I ever believed I could.
"Sei, I think I'm going to be seduced."
"Oh, yes. I should have mentioned it. Normally the sexual intercourse comes after the bath and massage, but under the circumstances I felt it best that you take care of this matter first. The bath will come after."
"Some bath...." was all I could mutter.
On the way back to the dorm the next morning I asked Sei about such sexual practices. He was very srtaight forward in his answer. "Sex is a necessity," he told me, "and not just a pleasure. When a man has the urge, he should satisfy it. When I have the urge, I simply go to the house of prostitution, eliminate the need, and return to my studies. This way, I am never emotionally involved, nor am I frustrated, nor have I wasted a great deal of time. But apart from this, I think you will admit that the pleasure given by these professional women is far superior than any you may have had from a well-meaning coed."
He was right. The things I had experienced the night before, I couldn't mention in a book. It had been my real initiation into the world of sexual pleasure, and never more to return to the dry, gummy sex of the scared and inexperienced.
After this, my grades improved. I slept better. I felt better. I could concentrate better. My whole world had changed, and all it took for this improvement was a weekly trip to "J" town. My friendship with Sei had been sealed and it was at this point that I started becoming interested in other aspects of Oriental life.
CHAPTER TWO
I naturally looked Sei up as soon as I arrived on Luchu. I learned that he was teaching at the college. It's located at the top of the mountain. I made up my mind to go there on my first day off. The opportunity came immediately, and I was having breakfast on the post before taking the long walk, when a particular column in the army newspaper caught my attention. It read, SHURI, LUCHU.
Fifty ladies representing the wives and mothers of American men serving on foreign soil arrived here yesterday, as part of a worldwide tour sponsored by the State Department. During a week long visit on the island, they will observe the morale and general social conditions that prevail. Upon their return to Washington they will make recommendations for recreational programs and facilities which would assist in creating a more wholesome and healthful atmosphere on U. S. foreign bases, said Mrs. Grusinda Crab-tree, wife of the Honorable Joseph Crab-tree, and spokesman for the group.
The article went on with more inspiring mish mosh, but what struck me was that most of the women had surnames of Congressmen or high government officials. I suppose this could be a coincidence. It doesn't really matter. Besides, this was a good way to have an inexpensive, and well-earned vacation away from hubby. We all know that behind every successful man, stands a woman. I wonder if the group ever stopped to consider that behind every bum there stands a woman also?
I gave the article no further thought, and tossed the paper in the wastebasket. In a few moments I was on my way to see Sei. Seven years had passed since our last meeting.
It was a beautifully clear day, but the humidity hung in suffocating silence. The Luchu natives knew a typhoon would hit in a few days. The atmosphere in the villages was deathly still, like the muscles of a stalking tiger about to roar into violent destruction. I sensed none of this, only the smell of green tea coming from the huts, and stoic (but probably happy) people going about their daily tasks.
When I reached the top of the mountain where the college was, I asked for Sei. A bite-size, curiously vivacious girl, immediately directed me to his classroom. Sei was dismissing his classes when I found him. He came up to me and said, "Hello, Aubrey," in a matter-of-fact way, just as though we had been together yesterday. This was his way, and by this time I knew him well enough not to expect any betrayal of emotions.
"I hope you are well," he said. "Will you come with me? I have just received word from my sister that my uncle has been-killed."
"Of course Sei. I'm sorry to hear this."
"Do not be sorry. I doubt that anyone will grieve his passing."
I didn't know what to say in answer, but I knew I didn't have to say anything. Sei grabbed his hat and as we started toward the door, the most striking Japanese girl that I have ever seen walked in. She had long black hair that hung to her fanny, and the silk sheath that covered her body, accented every movement of her muscles. Her eyes were carnivorous. When she looked at me, I felt as though I were being sucked in by them and eaten alive. She looked both frightened and anxious about something, yet she was very calm. And when she walked directly toward me and said, "You must be Aubrey Cadwell," I almost dropped.
"Aubrey," interrupted Sei, "this is my sister, Haru."
"You never told me you had a sister," I murmured.
"Probably not, but who wants to introduce his sister to a horny American college kid?" Sei had a smile, and I immediately knew it would be just like old times.
"Well, anyway," I answered, "now I know the truism of being kind to your ugliest friend."
Haru interrupted our joking. "I know you two would like to talk," she said, "but we must hurry to Oda's house."
For a moment we had forgotten that there was an immediate urgency. "Ah, yes," I said, and all of us made our way back down the mountain trail to the dead uncle's house. Neither Sei nor Haru seemed overly concerned about losing an uncle. "Was he very close?" I asked.
"Haru and I are his only family," was Sei's curt reply.
Their indifferent attitude puzzled me, and I felt so awkward under the circumstances that I decided not to ask any further questions. Besides, Haru was so distracting that I found it hard to keep my mind on the corpse. It was no competition for her live body walking next to me.
Her every step beat with sensuality, not slut-ty and hip-swinging, but earthy and submissive. Sei led the way down the steep trail, and I stayed behind, helping Haru, who was finding it difficult going with the tight dress she had on.
We approached Oda's herb shop from the rear. A crowd of people was standing in the street, and a Luchu police car blocked the front entrance. Sei jumped down a small embankment, and hurried on around to the front. I jumped next and turned to help Haru.
She was pending over trying to ease herself forward. Her dress stretched tightly half way up her thighs. She had a marvelous pair of legs. They were a deep bronze, and the sunlight accentuated her rippling muscles as she slowly came toward me.
She said, "Can you catch me?"
"Sure, go ahead and jump," I replied, and she did. She landed on me with her hips about eye level, and I tried to grab her politely, but it was a difficult thing to accomplish under the circumstances, besides I didn't have much time to think about it. Both my hands tried to grab her just above the knees, but as the force of her body came on me, both hands slipped upward and grabbed hold of a firm, perfectly formed, protruding fanny. It was a terrific landing.
Her momentum forced me backward and off balance. Down on the ground we went with her on top of me. One of my hands rested on some thick cotton panties, and the other had somehow slipped under them, onto her firm flesh. This hand I started to withdraw first. As Haru rolled off of me and sat on the ground beside me, my hand swept around and over her thigh, and it came to an automatic stop high on the soft flesh of her inner thigh.
"You are all right?" she asked in a shaky voice. She was dusting off her breast, and looking me over to see if I had any damage.
"I'm just fine," I answered unconsciously.
"Good, I am happy that you are not hurt." She removed my hand from between her legs in a very casual and indifferent way. Then she stood up without a word. This was a blow to my ego. I expected at least some kind of reaction, but to get absolutely nothing! This was too defeating. There was, however, a dead man waiting for us just a few feet away, and it was her uncle. This might explain her apathy. At least I hoped so.
We went around the house and made our way through the crowd, as I nursed my injured pride. My first glance into the house was enough to make me forget all about sex.
Immediately by the door, with his fist through a badly torn panel, lay uncle Oda. It was obvious he was dead. His face was wretchedly contorted, but strangely enough, no signs of blood were visible.
Inside, various herb jars, which normally sat on the display counter, were strewn on the floor. The strong smell from all the herbs was most striking and on top of the counter, which sat in the middle of the room, there lay another body. This second corpse was a complete surprise, especially since it wore an American G. I. uniform. I later learned his name was Sergeant Alex Wise. His face was contorted, and his body lay without signs of blood, just as with uncle Oda.
The Luchu police were conducting an investigation inside the shop, and Sei was casually talking with the Chief. Their manner and procedure, however, was very unscientific and lackadaisical. The police walked around, and occasionally they looked at the bodies, and then they would talk to one another. I noticed they checked through Oda's inventory and forthcoming supply orders. They also sifted slightly through the herbs on the floor. After this they seemed satisfied with their findings, but they continued to walk about, looking through all the rooms of the house. Some of the police were just talking amongst themselves or asking sporadic questions of the neighbors.
Everybody s attention suddenly turned to an American M. P. jeep that came to a screeching halt behind the crowd. Four men stepped from the jeep with a direct and military air. They were a young lieutenant, two sergeants and an interpreter.
The crowd automatically opened a wide lane for them to pass to the shop. They stomped right inside and onto the grass mats. The Luchu police noticed the G. I.'s didn't take their shoes off, but they didn't say anything. They had become quite accustomed to such ill manners.
It was a comical thing to watch, in spite of the dead bodies. The G. I.'s could have used some lingual assistance, but I certainly wasn't going to volunteer my services. I just stood back and watched. The interpreter they had was a native. His Japanese was very good, but his English was terrible, and then it seemed he wasn't trying to be very helpful. To compound this difficulty, Sei spoke only in Japanese, and he did not let on that he spoke perfect English.
I could see Haru in one of the back rooms. She was sitting on the floor talking with a Luchu policeman. I couldn't take my eyes off of her, and every time she shifted her weight, I could see the smooth flesh of her thighs, and I would imagine my hand resting gently on them. Sei was right, the horny American was in Luchu. I guess I would not introduce my sister to me either.
The G. I.'s set about immediately conducting their investigation as though they had been the first ones on the scene. They were thorough in their procedure. They looked for finger prints, murder weapons, motives; they took pictures; they gathered samples of all the herbs, and they made a detailed report of everything.
In the end, they didn't know what had killed the men, but this did not pose any problem, because, an autopsy would soon reveal this. The point that did puzzle these military sleuths was what the Sergeant was doing in such an out of the way village. And what was he doing in an herb shop? There were no whore houses in the area, and there weren't even any bars. The neighborhood was primarily a Luchu residential area. Thank goodness I didn't have my uniform on, or they would surely have spotted me and taken me back to the base for questioning.
The M. P. investigation went on quite methodically, and I noticed that the room contained, in effect, one exit, which Oda's prone body was blocking. There was a possible way out through the storeroom, but I learned from the villagers that Oda was notorious for keeping it locked. One of the onlookers told me that Oda was a very greedy and suspicious person. He said that even when a customer's request required him to go into the storeroom, he would be sure to bolt the wood door closed, while the customer waited in the main room.
During the entire time, the Luchu police stood by and watched with some interest. At some later interval, a U. S. Army Ambulance arrived to carry off the two bodies. Then, having completed their investigation, and with a condescending attitude, the M. P. Lieutenant approached the Luchu police, and through the interpreter they carried on the following conversation.
"Tell them that they need not bother with this incident any longer. Make it clear to them that since they are still under martial law, and that since there was U. S. military personel involved, the entire matter comes under our jurisdiction."
"They say, Lieutenant, they feel they are in a good position, and can offer much assistance. They say they can solve the matter quickly. Please remember one of our people died also."
"Thank them, but tell them we will not need their help. We have all the equipment necessary, and the matter will be solved in a few hours. As for the indigenous person, he is of second priority, but will be carefully handled through the proper channels after the autopsy. Again, remind them that they still remain under military law. We will submit a full report of our findings to their superiors."
The Lieutenant was curt; he turned and walked rapidly to the jeep. The other U. S. personnel followed, and the Luchu police began talking among themselves. The crowd of people did the same. There seemed to be, however, no great concern. All the islanders seemed strangely apathetic about the whole thing. My interpretation for this behavior was that it was the normal reaction of a stoic people.
Soon the Luchu police left, and Sei and Haru closed the house. Neither Sei nor Haru was grieved about their dearly departed. When everything was secured, Sei told me that he would have many things to do that evening, but that the following day was a holiday. "Meet me in town tomorrow morning," he said, "and we will have a jubilant reunion."
"Sounds good," I said, feeling puzzled over the fact that he should want a jubilant reunion when the only member of his family, apart from Haru, was dead. But who was I to question?
"And tomorrow," he continued, "after we get drunk and debauch the whole day, we will go to my house where Haru will have a fine dinner waiting. You will spend the night with us, I trust?"
With this latter suggestion, I looked to Haru to see if she might have some acquiesence in her eyes, but she was looking Out over the bay, unconcerned as ever. I doubt that she even heard us talking. "Oh, yes, yes, Sei," I stammered, "sounds excellent. I'll see you in the morning then. Is there anything I can do? I mean regarding your uncle or what happened today?"
"Please do not worry about what happened today, Aubrey. Everything is in order. No one will grieve my uncle's passing, and even I, his only nephew, cannot feel any sadness or grief. Until tomorrow, then."
"Sure, Sei, whatever you say. I'll see you in the morning." Then I turned to Haru, and said, "I'll be looking forward to seeing you tomorrow night."
"And I too." Her answer was out of respect. "Until tomorrow night, Mr. Cadwell."
CHAPTER THREE
I was up early the following morning. The day hung heavy again. The natives were well aware of an impending typhoon, but I was too excited to notice. I read the paper at the officer's mess, over a hot cup of coffee, and a good solid breakfast. With all my experience, and knowledge of the Orient, I never learned to appreciate their breakfasts. They usually consist of a thick bean broth, accompanied by pickles or radishes. As it is, my mouth feels full of muck when I get up anyway, and I don't cherish the idea of putting more in it.
I was looking forward to seeing Sei, and I knew we would have one hell of a ball. It occurred to me that I wouldn't be sober for two or three days, so I took the precaution of obtaining a five-day leave. The coffee was hot, but tasted no better than the Japanese broth. I hardly noticed this in reading through the paper. Uncle Oda's death notice had a prominent place on the front page, although his name wasn't mentioned.
SERGEANT ALEX WISE IN FATAL ACCIDENT Sergeant Alex Wise, of the 2nd Battalion, was fatally bitten by a Ilahu snake. His body was discovered yesterday in a nearby village by Lieutenant Goodson of the military police. It is believed that Sergeant Wise was on a field trip. He was an amateur Herbalist.
He leaves two children and his wife. All are very much in a state of shock. Mrs. Wise has said that she often warned her husband about going off on his field trips alone, which he did. regularly. She said that he did it also to cement relations with the indigenous personnel. The snake that took the life of Sergeant Wise, also took the life of the Herbalist in whose shop both bodies were found.
Well anyway, this explained why I didn't see any blood on the victims. The coffee was so bad that I threw it out, and resorted to tea. No way they can harm tea, I thought, that damned coffee is probably as bad as that snake poison. Another article caught my eye.
VICE RAID IN SHURI M. P.'s and Luchu police made a surprsie raid on the New Ginza Club last night, arresting twenty prostitutes and three male procurers.
Authorities learned of the new vice ring, and immediately took action. Capt. Shurley, in charge of the raid, claims that the military has kept the island free from vice since American troops landed here, and that every effort would be made to keep it this way.
In a statement to the press, he said, "Once again the island is free from vice and safe for American servicemen. This constant vigil is necessary, to deter American troops from unhealthy and unwholesome activity.
It almost seemed as though it had been staged for the benefit of the battleaxes visiting the island. A little further in the paper there was another juicy article.
COL. CROCKMYER GREETS WIVES AND MOTHERS Col. Crockmyer greeted the committee of Wives and Mothers of Americans Serving on Foreign Soil at a gala dinner last night. Mrs. Crockmyer was the delighted hostess. The dinner was held at the Colonel's bequest in the officers banquet room. In his speech he mentioned the need for more healthy and wholesome recreational facilities, but that the most important thing to the servicemen, was the letters from home. He went on to say that this was the backbone of morale which the military could not do without.
"A serviceman without morale," said the Colonel, "will not have a healthy attitude. He will not take advantage of the recreational facilities provided. He will become discouraged and. depressed, and seek affection from the women he can find. "The military does not want this, because it destroys character, and it is immoral. It is liable to bring widespread disease. The military is doing everything possible to prevent this sort of thing. We have a fine record on the island. There is no vice or prostitution with which the men might be tempted to contaminate themselves. "Only this morning we heard of a new vice ring starting to organize, but our alert military police destroyed it, and had arrested the entire ring by four in the afternoon. "So you see, dear ladies, the military is doing its part, and now it's up to you to keep those letters coming, and to provide our boys with enough recreational facilities to allow them a means for constructive expending of their energies."
The Colonels speech met with loud applause. All the ladies of the committee were pleased, and were happy with the excellent environment the military has provided on the island.
Having read this, I rolled up the paper and tossed it in the wastebasket. Then I bolted my tea, and started to leave, when a young trooper came to me. He said my C. O. wanted to see me right away. I protested, and said I was on leave, but there was nothing the trooper could do. So I found myself in the C. O.'s office a short while later.
"Lt. Cadwell reporting as ordered, Sir!" I spit the words out like a robot standing at attention in front of Major Wheeler, my new C. O.
"Relax, Cadwell," he said, "I have a special job for you. Please sit down." I did, but mentioned that I was on leave. The Major apologized, and said I would have to cancel my leave. I was the only one at the moment that had the qualifications for the particular job he had in mind. All the other C. I.D. men under his command were on assignment, and I literally had nothing to do but wait for my separation papers anyway. I was it, and couldn't get out of it.
He came right to the point. "You undoubtedly read about the men killed by habu bites yesterday."
"Yes, Sir, I did," I answered, not telling him anything about my having been there.
"Well, there is much more to this than you may now imagine, Cadwell. By the way, do you know about the habu?"
"Only what I read in the paper."
"Yes, well you might start by reading up on this snake. Lt. Cadwell, this is an assignment, and I would appreciate it if you took some notes."
T took out a pencil and pad. "Okay, shoot, Sir," I said with a disgusted note that was detected by the Major.
"And, Cadwell, this is not a routine assignment. It is a very important assignment, as you shall soon see."
"Right, Sir."
"Now then, the habu is one of the world's most poisonous snakes. From the time a bite is inflicted it is only a matter of seconds before a man will drop dead. These islands are infested with this venomous snake which attains a length of six or seven feet. It claims several victims every year, and when we invaded the island, there was more danger of being killed by this snake than by the enemy.
"Lt. Goodson of the M. P.'s has given us a complete report of his findings."
"But, Sir," I interrupted, "this affair doesn't come under our jurisdiction. I don't see how or why we need to be involved."
"You will in a minute, Lieutenant. You see, there are many missing factors in the entire matter. Many of the pieces don't fit."
"All right," I said, resigned to the fact that I would have to follow through with the assignment, "what are they?"
"The habu is not known to travel in packs, yet there had to be several snakes in the house in order to inflict as many bites as were found on the victims. Each of the men had been hit at least a dozen times."
"So you think that somebody may have planted the snakes to kill one or both of the victims. Is that it?"
"Exactly," said the Major with his first smile of the morning.
"But what possible reason would anyone have for killing two herbalists?"
"That's exactly it. Neither one of the dead men were really herbalists, per se. It was just a front."
I was starting to take an interest. "But how do you know this?"
"First of all, Lieutenant, the military police have closed the case, for various military reasons. They found narcotics on Sergeant Wise. The autopsy shows he had narcotics in his system as well. It was conjectured that the Oda herb shop was his source."
"This explains the frequent field trips," I said.
"I sincerely hope not," said the Major, "because," he hesitated. "This will come as quite a surprise, but the proprietor, Mr. Oda, was our special agent."
"Our what?" I said in disbelief. "Yes, he was an American spy, and one of the best."
"But what could he be spying on? There surely isn't much to report; unless the villagers are secretly building a new stone throwing machine," I remarked facetiously, but the Major didn't seem to like my humor.
"It's not at all funny, Lieutenant," he said with a grim face. "We owe the success of the Luchu invasion to Mr. Oda. His house is a radio transmitting station. It is located on a high vantage point, from where the entire bay can be observed. During the war, he radioed us every troop movement, every ship movement that occurred on the island. And when our invasion forces hit the island, we not only knew where all the facilities were, and where the big guns were located, but we practically knew where every single foxhole was. Mr. Oda had constant radio transmission going throughout the invasion, so we knew exactly what they were doing as they did it. Ironically enough, Oda couldn't tell us where the habu were hiding, and it is this same enemy that has now killed him as well."
This explained why the villagers and Oda's own family felt no remorse when he died. They probably knew he was a spy, a traitor to them. "So you've lost a spy in an unfortunate accident, Major," I said. "I still don't see how the death of a World War II spy necessitates a full investigation, which I assume you are handing me." I stopped for a second, and then added, "To boot, he was a dope peddler, as well."
"We don't know that he was passing narcotics, Lieutenant. This is one of the things you must find out. I find it hard to believe that a man who would risk his life to furnish us with information, would trade in narcotics with American servicemen."
I almost turned a backward somersault with this last remark. For a moment I didn't think about what I was saying. "Don't be an ass, Major," I stormed, "anybody that would sell out his own country for a price would do anything for a price."
"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" the Major shouted back.
I just looked at him, and didn't say a word. This was deliberate, hoping he would stop and think for a minute. The way he was talking, it seemed he could only see red, white and blue. My move must have been effective, because after a moment of silence, he spoke with a more controlled voice. "Never talk to your superior officers in that tone of voice again," he ordered. "If it wasn't for your excellent service record, I would see that you received some disciplinary measure. Consider yourself fortunate."
If I had to serve under this ass-hole very long, I would probably be court martialed for murder or mutiny. Good thing I only had a short while left in the service.
"In any event," he continued, "let's get back to the assignment. Oda was still working for us. He reported regularly on Communist activities on the island. He radioed the information to us, that way avoiding the necessity of meeting a contact man or coming to the base.
"He was paid very well for his services, and the money was deposited in one of three bank accounts according to a prearranged agreement. This has been going on since 1942. One of his accounts was in Switzerland, one was in Tokyo, and one was in the U. S. Strange thing is, he has, so far as we know, never made a withdrawal from either the Swiss bank or the Tokyo bank. The U. S. account was used substantially a few years ago. This may be significant.
"Now, when his house was searched yesterday, there was no radio found. Yet, we are positive he had been transmitting from there. When we heard of the incident, we sent a man to look around. He reported the house as having a built-in antenna. He also located the position the transmitter was in, and wires where it was disconnected. Someone has that radio. We want to know who has it, and what it's being used for.
"That's the most important part of the assignment, but the other pieces that we need as well are an answer to why no habu were found in the vicinity of the house in question. This is an important factor because we determined that several snakes must have been in that house at the time of the killing. Also, Sergeant Wise had time to jump on top of the counter to protect himself. We find it inconceivable that two men would not have killed at least one snake before going down. Remember, no live or dead snakes were found.
"The last item to find out about, is the source of the narcotics found on Sergeant Wise. Now you will have all the time you like on this assignment-report to me only when you feel it is necessary. I will, however, expect some results within a week. Are there any questions?"
"No questions at the moment, Sir." I stood at attention. "I will request use of civilian dress, however, it will make the job much easier."
"Permission granted," he answered, and I turned and left.
As I drove into Shuri a few minutes later, a great many things raced through my mind. It occurred to me, from the way I had seen Oda's body lying, that he had been going for the door in an effort to get out when he was overcome by the poison and fell dead. And the bank accounts? I didn't want to think about it. It might have been Sei that withdrew the money from the U.S. bank for his schooling. But Sei was no spy! Did he know about it? And why did Oda never withdraw money for his personal use? Did he have some other means of income? It was obvious that his large house was not supported by the little herb shop he kept in it. Was he getting his income legally or illegally? And most important of all, was my friend Sei involved in any way? All this crap was crashing around in my head, and when I arrived in Shuri, my mind was a mass of confusion.
Sei was waiting patiently. The empty bottles of sake in front of him indicated that he was working away on his fifth one. When he saw me moving toward him, he immediately detected that something was wrong. "What is the matter, Aubrey?" was the first thing he said.
"Oh, nothing, nothing," I stuttered, "I mean, yes there is something wrong. Does it show that much?"
"As though it were written on you in floures-cent lights. Here drink this," and he poured me some sake.
"Do you want to tell me about it?"
"It's something I must solve for myself, Sei; perhaps we'll talk about it later." I bolted down the sake. It was hot, and it felt like smoke. "But now," I started, "we're just gonna have a ball, and forget the whole damned world, forget our troubles, and just let fly. Like we used to do after finals, remember?"
"Of course I remember, Aubrey, but," and he stopped for a moment, "your troubles are concerned with my dead uncle, are they not?"
I nodded.
"I was hoping that you would not become involved in this, but now that you are, I hope I can help you."
"Sei," I stopped him, and said, "I hope I can help you."
He looked at me, poured us both another cup of sake and said, "Of course you do, Aubrey." A smile, barely perceptable, rested on his face.
CHAPTER FOUR
We were both happy with liquor by the time we reached the other side of the island. It was an entirely different world. There was no military personnel at all, only the Luchu natives. Everybody enjoying themselves. It was festival time.
We were sitting in a little bar, loading up on and waiting for the dog fights to begin. It was still hot and mucky, but we were laughing and drinking, and we didn't much care what the weather was like. At that moment two lovely, and well proportioned girls walked in. To my pleasant surprise, Sei knew them. He called to them. They seemed happy to see a familiar face, and as they made their way toward us, Sei turned to me and said in a subdued tone, "Well, horny American, now you'll be able to get a piece. Take the short one. She is very good."
"Why you old sonovabitch," I said, through a haze of heat and booze, "how would you know?"
"That's what I have been told," answered Sei, with a leer on his face.
"Sure you have," I laughed and bolted down some more sake. "So I'll take the one with the low slung chassie. That's my type anyway. Makes for a better ride."
"High chassie. Low chassie. All same when using, say Sei, great philosopher of the East." Sarcastic bastard, but he did have a point. We were laughing when the girls came up to us.
"Konichiwa Okubo Sensei," they both spouted to Sei, half giggling and half acting shy. Maybe they were shy. I don't know. They both had a trace of Americanized (G. I. type) whore that made them vulgar at times, but this could be overlooked in lieu of their other qualities. They were both desirable as hell, and you knew they were all sex from the moment they said hello.
Sei held the girl standing next to him from the back of her leg. He had to be drunk to do that sort of thing, especially in public. It looked as though he was going all the way up, too, because his arm disappeared to the elbow up the short billowy skirt. Sei wasn't wasting any time, but the full-faced girl jumped back acting indignant, and pretending not to luce it. She slapped at his arm and scolded him, half playfully and half seriously.
"This is Tama, Aubrey," laughed Sei, "We went to grade school together." He grabbed for her leg again, and said, "We were good friends even then, weren't we?"
She stepped back and deflected his arm, saying, "No, we were not!" with a sad giggle, "and keep your dirty hands off." Sei was laughing.
"Ike, latch on to my friend Aubrey," said Sei, "He likes your type."
I think I blushed, and before drunken Sei could say anything else, I interrupted, and introduced myself to both the girls. They were surprised at first, and felt ill at ease with an American that spoke Japanese. It was the first time they had this experience. I asked the girls to join us for a day of merry making, and they accepted. Although it was no secret what kind of girls they were, I do believe they were truly shy at first.
As it turned out, we got along very well immediately, in spite of Sei's unusual public display. Both the girls knew Sei from his visits to their local sporting house, and they both apparently liked him. It took a while for Ike to warm up to the situation and feel comfortable with me. The presence of Sei and Tama probably speeded up the process which may have otherwise have taken all day.
We ordered more sake, for the girls and for ourselves. "Well, Aubrey," muttered Sei, offering American cigarettes, "now we at least have someone to pour our sake for us, and we won't have to get drunk alone."
"Very lovely company to get drunk with," I returned. Apparently both of us were bent on getting drunk, but I no longer knew if we were doing it to celebrate our reunion or as a means of temporarily avoiding the delicate problem of Sei's involvement with Oda's spy activities. The one thing that kept stinging me was that the withdrawals from Oda's U.S. account were made during the same period that Sei was going to school.
A scholarship with an expense account was an oddity, but I never questioned it. I never even questioned it when Sei treated me to the bathhouse, or bought me dinner, or just gave me cash (during my periods of financial insolvency, which were frequent). He always explained that it would just be I entered as an expense on his scholarship fund. It did occur to me that lie was being too generous, and many times I tried, not too convincingly, to dissuade him from being so free with his wealth.
The most painful thought was, however, that Sei might have been involved as a spy himself. I am a good loyal American, and all that sort of crap, and I knew the Japs were our enemies, and we neat them in a damned war, but a traitor is still a traitor. And at that moment I would give anything to know that my best friend was not, and had not been, a traitor to his country.
Sei was a brilliant guy. Graduated with the highest grades in our class. He liked his booze, he liked his women, but he always had self discipline, being able, to turn off or turn on any of his appetites at will. Except for the times that he and I would go out on a deoaucherous spree, he was always very quiet and dignified. The faculty and our student body had the highest respect for him. He was a credit to his country, and his people had every right to be proud of him. This fine, this good person, that I had known for some ten years could not be a part or instrument to outright treason! He could not possibly be a part of a plan to train American guns on his own people and blow them off the face of the earth! I would not believe this, but I had to know the truth, and it had to come from Sei himself.
"Key!" Sei jumped up, and tossed some money on the table. I wondered if it was blood money? He was throwing it around like water, and no college teacher makes that kind of money. Sei had told me that as long as I was his guest, I was not to spend a cent. Everything was on him, and that's the way it was. "Let's go," he said, "the dog fights are starting."
People were seated and standing on a hillside. It was the noisiest bunch you ever heard. Everybody was yelling back and forth, making their final bets hefore the first fight. Sei slipped some money in my pocket so that I might try my luck, and he also gave the girls some. "Here," he told them, "this is not a gift. It is an investment. I get half of all your winnings." The girls laughed.
The dogs were in tailor-made cages, unable to move. They were the biggest, most ferocious beasts I had ever seen. "They are bred especially for fighting," Sei informed me. They looked like a cross between a polar bear and a mastif. A thick flow of saliva hung from their hippo-sized jaws.
"They could probably take a man's head in one gulp," I piped.
"They have been known to do so," said Ike. During my whirlwind of thoughts, I had hardly been conscious of the little pile of sex that was to be my pleasure partner for the day.
To hell with it," I thought, "I'm going to have fun today. This is one occasion where pleasure will come before business."
"Who are you betting on?" I asked.
Ike pointed to the old one. It had lost its ears in previous battles, and had enormous scars all over its body. It was a bitch, and it looked as though half of the flesh on her face had been tom off at one time. The opponent was a male. It looked much bigger, and much stronger. There were no outstanding battle scars on his body. It appeared to me that this young stud would tear the bitch apart in nothing flat. Ike bet on the bitch, and I on the stud. "Why do you think she'll win?" I asked Ike.
"The female is old," she explained. "She is not so strong as the young male, but she has been in many fights. She fights with her brains not with her heart. The young male will charge at her in blind rage, using only his strength and courage. I think it will take more than this for him to win this fight. I think he must have cunning which comes only with much experience. This is what old female has."
"Well, you have a point," I admitted, "We'll soon see who's right."
It was a brutal thing to watch and my stomach wasn't quite ready for what followed. Each owner angered his respective dog as the crowd's noise increased, and then when it was time, they turned the dogs loose in a small cage. Both dogs tore into each other as though possessed by devils. The male was the most forceful aggressor. The bitch delayed each charge and stopped inches before making a head-on contact. It seemed as though she waited each time for the male to lunge. Then she would snap around and tear at his neck, but she wasn't fast enough for the young male.
In a few seconds there was blood all over the cage. The dogs continued to tear at each other. The growling and screeching of the dogs mounted in intensity, and the crowd screamed louder as death approached. The owners prodded their dogs harder with sticks. In the heat of battle, I thought, nobody needs prodding. It's a matter of survival.
The bitch was covered with blood, and it seemed certain this would be her final battle, but the unexpected happened. She waited for the male's lunge, and then made a desperate try for the neck, again failing, but this time her weakened condition caused her to go down. The same charge brought the male's jaws down on the bitch's stomach. His huge teeth dug in deep. He pulled back with a loud tear, as the bitch flailed and screamed, and her guts spilled on the floor.
But suddenly, with what seemed her last desperate attempt for survival, she twisted loose, the flesh of her stomach still in the male's teeth. Her writhing, jerking, tormented body forced her jaws to find their mark. In a blinding flash, she had her jaws firmly fixed underneath the male's jaws, her fangs dripping blood and digging deep into his throat. The blood poured from the male, into her eyes and throat, drenching her entire head. The male squirmed and flayed. He rammed the walls of the cage in an effort to throw her off, but he could do nothing, as he instantly felt his life flowing out of him.
The bitch held on like a vice. Nothing could break her loose, as her limp body, unable any longer to stand or move of its own strength, was thrashed around, with spilling entrails, by the mad and helpless male.
His barking and screeching grew weaker, and his action became slower. Soon, he too went limp and dropped to the floor with a few final whimpers. Both dogs lay still, but the bitch was still alive, and was declared the winner.
I had lost the bet, and I had also lost my stomach for dog fights. Through the confusion of noisy betters, I hollered at my three companions, "Let's get the hell out of here, and do something more civilized." They agreed. Apparently they also had no great taste for this barbarianism. We found the nearest bar, and I drank about three bottles of sake to settle my stomach.
"Do not feel bad," Ike said, "I do not like the dog fights either." She sat in front of me with moistened lips and knees firmly together. When she noticed I was looking at her knees, she relaxed her legs, causing them to come apart a bit, and allowing me a greater view of the region immediately above.
I had already forgotten the dog fight.
"Say Ike, why do they calf you Ike?" I asked. It had occurred to me to ask her before, but I was just beginning to feel free and easy with this body-ful little female. She was feeling more comfortable also. Although she had been at the sake as much as I, I assumed it was my dashing personality that she had taken to, to say nothing of my virile appearance.
"Ike?" she answered with a happy smile, "G.I.'s name me Ike. My real name is Ikemitsu. It is much easier for G.I.'s to say Ike. I think so?"
I laughed. I never thought I'd have the urge to kiss a President, but I sure did then. Ike never had it so good.
I asked little Ike (she was little, but big where it counted) about herself, and she told me she was a hostess at one of the big clubs in Shuri. She said that she and Tama had worked there since after the war.
"I would think the club would be very busy on a holiday like this," I said.
"Yes, usually it is," she answered playfully, "but we have vacation by order of U. S. commander."
"By order of U. S. commander?" I said in a tone to imply that I knew she was pulling my leg.
"Oh, yes, yes. It is true," she said, trying to convinced me. 'At the club New Ginza...."
"Say, isn't that the place that was raided last night, and everybody was arrested?" I interrupted.
"Yes, yes," said Ike laughingly, "that is the place."
"Well, I guess you were fortunate not to be working last night."
"OOOh, I was working," she said to my surprise, "and they put me in jail with Tama and all the other girls, and some of the waiter boys, too."
My mouth dropped open. I must have looked stupid. "Well, what are you doing here? ... today?" I asked.
Ik( gigged. She probably thought me very naive. I was really puzzled. So she explained the whole thing. "We are told when we must go to jail. There is organization of all entertainment establishment owners. Commander of U. S. forces tells organization when he must raid establishment. Organization decides which one will be raided. They rotate so that not the same one loses business every time. Organization informs place selected so that all can be arranged. Then organization tells Commander the establishment selected, and best time for them to raid This way there is no inconvenience. We are taken to G. I. jail and medical man gives us inspection. Then we can go home, but something different happened this time."
"What's that?" I asked incredulously. I knew that some sort of sexual outlet had to be allowed the troops, but I never had any idea that it was so elaborate.
"Well, last night," Ike went on, "we were raided as usual, and we went to jail. Then medical man gives inspection, but we were not permitted to go home. We were told that we must spend the night in jail, and would be permitted to go home next morning. At first we think that maybe one of the girls is sick with something very bad, so they must Find and stop it, so other girls don't get sick."
"Was this the case?" I injected, "No, I don't think so, because nobody comes to see us all night, and nobody acts worried like American's do when something is wrong. The jail was comfortable, so we don't mind spending the night. What we mind is order to keep New Ginza closed for three days. This means no work for three days, and Tama and I are very sad because we need money to help our families. Not so much just this, but we cannot make money if we do not work."
"But you mean you are working at that place to support your family?"
"Yes. I make good money, much better than anybody in my family. Even better than my father. There is no work for my father, and this is very bad because he loses face if his daughter must support him, or must support the family. I feel very badly about this, because I love my dear father very much, and I do not want to make more money than he does. So what I do is loan my father money to open small food store. Now the store does very well, and my father has paid all the money back. My mother has saved it all, very secretly, so my father does not know. When we have enough saved, I take the money to Okubo Sensei, and he buys Japanese securities on the Tokyo exchange. Tama does the same. Almost everybody that has extra money does the same. He says this is most secure way to save money. Okubo Sensei is very wise. He always helps us. Even though he went to America, and is very educated, he has come back to Luchu to be with us and to help us. He could have very big position in Tokyo making lots of money, but he does not go. This is why everybody in Luchu likes him so much. Don't you jhink he is good and wise man?"
"Sei is...." I started thoughtfully, "I mean, Okubo Sensei is my dearest friend. I think very highly of him." Once again doubts started spitting about in my head. Sei, what the hell, I thought to myself, what the hell is going on here? I didn't want to think anything evil of Sei, not now, not ever, but I couldn't push the doubts of the possible evil from my head. Did Sei have some diabolical plan going to bilk his people of everything for his own gain? I would not allow myself to admit that he was morally capable of such a foul scheme, although I knew that he was brilliant and cunning enough to put some complicated plot, far beyond the capabilities of an average joker like myself, into operation.
"Yes, Okubo Sensei is very good. He came to see us early this morning."
"He went to see you this morning in jail?"
"Oh no, that would not have looked good. He waited outside of the jail until Tama and I came out. It is very funny, because we waited until after ten this morning, before we were permitted to leave. Would you like to hear what happened?"
"Yes, by all means continue," I said with a wide-eyed expression. This little uneducated whore was opening my eyes to many things I wasn't sure I wanted to see.
"Tama and I are sitting and waiting in American jail. We are not uncomfortable, because American jails are very nice. They are almost clean, and they are good and comfortable, but still we want to get out to do something. It didn't matter what. Maybe we could go swimming, or anything we wanted to do. In the jail, although very comfortable, we cannot move, and must stay in the rooms, like birds in a cage.
"A soldier come in and asks us not to make noise, because inspection party will be visiting in a short while. This is very strange, because medical inspection was already given the night before. We never had more than one inspection at a time. We are told that we will be permitted to leave as soon as the inspection party passes. Everybody is frightened and we imagine the worst things. Somebody in the jail says that one of us has a new and terrible sickness. They say that new inspectors are to find who it is. They also say that this one sick person has probably spread disease to everyone else, and they will not permit us to work anymore. Someone else says that they have heard of sickness like this, and that no one can cure them. This is terrible news to Tama and I. We think there will be no way to make a living. The G. I. chiefs are very careful. They never allow sick girls to work. Did you know this?"
"The American soldiers are very clean, Ike," I said, trying to be sarcastic, "You see, the U. S. government wants to keep them healthy so that they can fight."
"Ooooh yes, they do this all the time," piped in Ike, with an appealing pucker in her lips. "But I do not think the U. S. government wants them to fight"
"No, why not?
"Every time they fight, they break things in the club, and M. P.'s come fast. They get all fighting G. I.'s and take them to jail, Sometimes they even bust them."
"Yes, well I guess they don't want them to fight, at least that kind of fighting," I answered with an irritated tone. "Oh what the hell! Anyway, the government wants them without disease. But what happened after they announced second inspection?"
"It is funny," she continued with a giggle, "We should never have become frightened with the rumors of the sickness, because medical inspectors gave us our good health certificate the night before. This means we have no sickness and can work until next inspection, but we had completely forgotten about certificate. So when inspection party came in we were very surprised. It was many American women. Some were very tall, so that I feel like a little girl, and they are all dressed very good in latest Western fashions. The big chief brings them in personally."
"Big chief,," I asked, "Who's the big chief?"
"Your big honcho, the Commander, the one with the big bird on his shoulder."
"Colonel Crockmyer?"
"Yes, that is his name. He brings American women in, but we are never to say hello to him, even though we think he is nice man."
"Why should you want to say hello to the Colonel?"
"Do you not say hello to your boss in America?"
"Well yes, but what does that have to do with it?"
"Well your honclip chief, Mr. Cockmya, he is my boss too."
I just about fell out of my chair when Ike came up with this little tid bit. Hell, I'm a man of the world, I thought to myself, why should things like this floor me? Besides, I'm probably just assuming too much. She probably means that since Crockmyer is the military commander of the island, he is also her commander, because the island is under martial law.
"You mean," I said inquiringly, "Crockmeyer makes the laws, and you must obey them."
"Yes, that is what I mean," she said, erasing my suspicions for a moment. Then she added, "but he also owns the New Ginza Club where I work."
"Wow!" She could have smashed me with the table. "Now Ike," I stammered, "careful what you say. Don't be making up stories. You can get a whole lot of people in big trouble talking that way."
"Why trouble?" she asked with a puzzled frown of innocence.
"Well, it's very difficult to explain," I looked about the room as though I might find an answer written on the wall. "A man in Crockmeyer's position isn't supposed to have illegal business."
"New Ginza is not illegal. It is corporation, and sells stocks over the counter. I learned that from Okubo Sensei." Ike sat back with a smug little smile, giving her full, petty-coated skirt a slight, but distracting toss.
"It's incorporated?" I said in disbelief. "Anyway, corporation or no, the New Ginza is still a cover for a, ah ... a ... house of pleasure."
"You mean whorehouse."
"I, ah, yes, a whorehouse." She was catching me with a left hook every time.
"G. I.'s say scivvy girl, not whore."
"All right, all right, whorehouse, scivvy house, whatever name you call it, it's an illegal business." I don't know why, but I was talking with an increasingly irritated tone.
"Scivvy business not illegal here or in Japan."
"I don't...." and then I caught myself. I saw myself for a moment, and realizing how ridiculous I must have looked arguing jurisprudence and mor-liaty with one of the most edible little whores I had ever seen, I burst out laughing.
"Why you laugh, Aubreysan?" It was the first time she had called me by name.
"I'm just laughing at myself, little Ike," and I bent over and put my hand on her knee, slightly up her skirt. It was the first pass, if you can call it that, that I made at her. I knew I didn't have to make a pass or play up to her. I mean, I could have just said, "Here's ten, let's go screw someplace," and we could have banged it off quickly, but hell, that's no fun. It's better to play up to it, even if she's a whore, and when the jollies roll around, they rumble like thunder. Actually, I believe a whore really appreciates the extra curricu-lar attention. You treat a whore nicely, and she's going to reciprocate. You can imagine my surprise when Ike grabbed my hand, and jerked it away from her knee.
"Naniwa!" she exclaimed, "Don't do."
Oh hell, it's going to be one of those, I thought to myself, but my assumption was quickly quieted when Ike bent over and whispered in my ear.
"Don't be scivvy in public place. Wait until we have private room."
"Private room?" I exclaimed.
"Yes," she said indifferently, "we will have a private room upstairs."
That's what you call a fast operator. I had hardly made my intentions known, and she was already practically lying on the floor spread-eagled and panting for my ever loving body. "When will we have the room?" I asked calmly.
Ike kicked my ego in the teeth again when she said, "That is what Okubo Sensei and Tama went to do. They are making reservations for room upstairs." Hell, it was a damned dining room and not a bedroomi I couldn't figure o ' why Sei wanted to spend money on these whores with a whole big dinner. We'd probably eat and drink all night, and then we'd dance around the table singing crummy Japanese songs until we passed out We wouldnt be in any condition to screw anyway. What i waste of good flesh. I wouldn't mind singing and dining and telling dirty jokes with Sei, but with these two groovy pieces at our disposal, no. I'd have to sidetrack Sei somewhere along the way and convince him we should spend the rest of the time in dedication to sex.
Ike bent over to whisper in my ear again. This time she pressed her right tit against my arm. She had an unusually large chest development for an Oriental. I thought it was quite acceptable, apart from being soft and grabable, that is. Her breath was warm and moist against my ear, and you can imagine my surprise when she said, "I was hoping you liked my legs. I could not tell if you noticed them when I made special effort to show them." Then she ran her tongue in my ear. I was a rocket.
Sei came in at that moment, "Hey! We have a room," he said, "and we'll be able to use it all night." This last remark was of interest to me. What could we want a room all night for, unless it was to ... You sly dog, Sei!
CHAPTER FIVE
We had a stupendous dinner in the room upstairs, rather, I should say in the two rooms upstairs. It was one room during dinner, but tonight, with that sneaky center panel, it would become two rooms. We had been eating for three hours. Food was still coming, and so was the sake. This liquid had been pouring down our dry throats since midday.
Sei was putting away the booze with a vengeance. He was already blind. I didn't like to see Him this way. He could handle his liquor as good as any man, and we had gotten drunk together many times, but I had never seen him this way. He was drinking with determination. Something was bothering him, but I was in no condition myself at that time to help him.
Tama, Ike and I sat watching him, and suddenly it became evident that if the fun and games were to come off, we would have to do something about Sei. Of course, I felt in my heart that If Sei passed out, for instance, I was certainly man enough to keep the two lovely scivvy's occupied-but in my head I wasn't so sure. They both looked like a lot of woman, and I was wondering how the hell I would be able to last until they were both happy. I asked Ike to finish telling us about the women inspectors in the jail. She hadn't finished telling me the whole story.
"Ooooh yes," she said, "Cockmya bring in many American women. Okubo Sensei, please you tell Aubreysan about New Ginza owner. He does not believe me."
"What won't he believe?" asked Sei.
"That he is the owner of a brothel," I butted in.
Sei smiled, shook his head, and said, "Yes, Col. Crockmyer is the owner." The more booze Sei consumed, the better he could talk. "Well he's not the whole owner, He owns seventy-two percent of the place, but don't be so incredulous. This is very common. Many officers and some enlisted men have investments here. It's good business, you know."
"Yes, I guess it is," I said.
"Cockmya is very gocd man too," chimed in Ike, "We have very best working conditions in Luchu. Is that not so, Tama?"
"Oh yes," answered Tama, somewhat sadly, "the very best."
"Well, I'll be!" I was chuckling now.
"But what we can't do is say hello to boss," started Ike, "because it will give him bad name, and this morning when we were in jail we also could not say hello. Cockmya comes in with all the American women. I think he comes in to show us how western women dress, so we can dress the same. He always wants us to dress western."
Sei spit out some sake, and with a guffaw said, "The ass! He even bought a subscription to Vogue for that place!"
The girls didn't think this was funny, but they agreed with him, and said that they read it every month, and tried to make their clothes like the pictures in the magazine. It was apparently the Col.'s idea that the more Americanized the girls were the better it would be for the men's morale, or maybe the better it would be for business. Who knows?
"We felt badly, but not too badly, about not working for three days," said Ike. "We know that if boss closes New Ginza for three days it must be for very important reason, and we knew that if he closes New Ginza, he will not make money also. That is why we do not feel too bad. And when we came out of jail feeling little bit sad, you can see how happy we were when Ogubo Sensei offered us work."
"He offered you what?" I rasped
"Yes, we are working now," said Tama, "He told us to meet you here. Did he not tell you?"
"Not a thing," I laughed. "Why the hell didn't you tell me anything, Sei. You old sonovabitch." I was laughing so hard tears were running from my eyes. "Here I thought we had picked up a couple of beauties and we were lucking out like crazy, and instead you have the whole thing arranged. Boy! the laugh's on me. Hey Sei ... Sei, wake up." Sei was passed out.
Now I'm in for it! I thought. I would have to put up or shut up. With Sei out of action, I felt the responsibility for upholding male honor lay on my shoulders alone.
I helped put Sei onto his blankets, and then we made the room into two. As I closed the panel to Sei's room, Tama went in very softly and kneeled down by Sei. As I watched, she unbuttoned the top of her silk sheath and slipped it off her shoulders. She wore no bra, and her breasts sprang out, firm, rounded, and entirely delicious looking. She leaned over Sei so that the beautiful boobs hung, swaying gently, just above his face. She took Sei's limp hand and held it against her, first on one side and then on the other. Sei never moved a muscle. He was really out.
Tama continued to look into Sei's face with almost motherly concern. When he failed to respond to her breasts, she stood up and skinned out of the dress. She wore a brief pair of black panties underneath. She slipped out of her shoes and then slid the panties down to her ankles, and stepped out. Kneeling down by Sei once more, she took his still-limp hand and rubbed it slowly across her flat little belly and then down through her pubic hair. She let the hand stop between her legs and she tightened her thighs together to hold it there. She peered at Sei with concern, but he showed no reaction.
At this point, Tama looked up at me and shrugged. She really looked dejected.
"Tama," I whispered, "come on in here."
She stood up and, with a lingering look at Sei, she tip-toed across the room. I slid the panel shut behind her. "Don't feel bad," I said. "The evening is not lost yet."
"Maybe I should go back to Sei," she said. "What is saying...? Two's company, three's a crowd." She glanced from me to Ike, and shrugged again.
"No, don't feel that way," I said, trying to sound full of fatherly concern. Actually what I was full of was lecherous thoughts, for Tama, although a bit short in the legs, was a very desirable bit of woman flesh, and she was standing beside me stark naked. I could feel my trousers getting tighter and tighter.
Tama looked at Ike. "You don't mind?"
"No, of course not," Ike answered. "Okay," said Tama. "Since I am already undressed, I will begin."
"Fine," said Ike.
With that, Tama suddenly turned and melted into my arms. She put her creamy round arms around my neck and pressed her body against me until I thought I was being branded. "How do you like it?" she whispered. "Lot of play beforehand? Or do it quick so can do it again later?"
All I could think of was the very appealing idea of doing it quick, like that very moment, but then I remembered the grave responsibility on my shoulders and thought maybe I might hold up better if we went slowly. "I-I don't know," I stammered. "There's something to be said for both ways."
I turned toward Ike, and saw that she was in the process of slipping off her dress. She wore bright red panties and, like Tama, no bra. She was, if anything, even better looking than Tama. I groaned inwardly with despair, knowing in my heart that I would be no match for these two beauties.
Tama pulled my face around and said, "What is the matter, Aubreysan? You look troubled."
Ike had now gotten out of everything except her high-heeled shoes, and she walked over to us, her breasts swinging with each step. She came up on the other side of me.
"What's wrong?" she asked
"There is something on his mind," said Tama. She still had her arms around my neck, and was pressed against my right side, ike put her arms around me, too, and pressed against my left side.
"Tell us, Aubreysan," said Ike.
"Well girls," I said, running my hands over each of them, "it's just that I don't know if I can do right by both of you or not. I pride myself on being a pretty good stud, but...."
The girls began to giggle.
"Oh, Aubreysan," laughed Tama. "You don't have to do anything. We do."
"Everything?" I stammered.
"Sure," said Ike. "You just lie back and enjoy. Listen, we are proud of our talents! We plenty good! You just let us do the work."
I don't think I even answered. I just sank down with a happy sigh. The girls got me flat on my back on a blanket and Ike began to undress me, slowly. As she inched my clothes off, stroking every bit of skin she could see in the process, Tama meanwhile was kneeling beside me. She repeated the same routine she had done with Sei-she took my hand and slowly drew it over her breasts, her belly, and then down between her legs. I was beginning to pant like an Olympic runner.
When Ike got me stripped down to the waist, Tama leaned over and hung those luscious breasts in front of my face. She dangled first one and then the other within biting distance, and I grabbed a mouthful every time one of them sailed by.
By then Ike had the rest of my clothes off and I just about flipped, because she was doing some biting of her own! There was so much going on, I just about went out of my head. With one last little nibble, Ike stopped what she was doing and put one leg across my hips, so that she was straddling me. She began to slowly lower herself. When she made contact, I bucked upward involuntarily, and found myself in a pretty snug situation. Tama, not to be outdone, straddled me also. She had one knee on each side of my head, and as she lowered herself, the view was pretty fantastic. I felt, at this point, that some cooperation on my part was called tor, so I grabbed hold of her round little hips and guided her closer. After a few minutes of this, Tama said, "Now we change places, okay?"
Both girls stood up and they changed places. Once more they both lowered themselves slowly down, and once more I threw myself into my work. My blood was pounding and the adrenaline was rushing through my body.
"Girls," I said, "I appreciate your efforts, but I can't hold still any longer." With that, I rolled over, pitching them both off. Now they were both lying on their backs, smiling at me and giggling. I threw myself on the closest one, Tama, I think it was, and penetrated with one swift lunge. We went at it with energy until I felt myself approaching the point of no return, then I jumped off and threw myself on Ike. She began to pant and moan under me and claw my back. Soon we reached the pinnacle together and sailed off into never-never land .
When I regained my senses, I thought of Tama. I rolled over and looked at her. She was lying beside us, still smiling. I really felt sorry for her-first Sei had passed out, and now I had shot my wad with Ike.
"Tama," I said, "I'm sorry it turned out this way. If you'll give me a little time, I'll see what I can do."
She giggled and pointed at my groin. "No time needed, Aubreysan. Look."
I looked down and was surprised to see that old bugger still operational! Tama threw herself on me with a peal of laughter, and as I lay on my back she began to bump and grind and twist her hips until I nearly went through the roof. In no time flat, she had gotten me back to the jumping off point, and I could tell she was about to make it, too. I bucked upward and our bodies ground together. With a shrill cry, Tama stiffened and her eyes rolled back in her head. We convulsed together and then she fell limp across me.
After a little nap, we all got up and stood looking at each other, grinning.
"We had planned to go to the Mongoose-Habu fight," said Tama. "Why don't you two go, and I'll stay here with Sei. Who knows, maybe I figure some way to wake him up."
Ike and I got dressed. We slid back the panel and looked at Sei, who was sleeping peacefully, never knowing what he had missed. Tama went softly in and slipped in beside him. She smiled at us and winked.
Ike and I opened the door quietly and went out. "Come on, little Ike," I said. "There are a Habu and a Mongoose waiting for us somewhere."
CHAPTER SIX
The sun was setting when Ike and I arrived at the pit, and the sky was splattered with cream-reddened sun rays. Everything was cast in hues of red, even the sea. It was a world of smiling, angry, burning faces. Everybody's attention was glued to the small pit.
Ike asked me if I wanted to bet. "Sure," I told her, "let's both bet." I slipped her some money, and asked, "Who will you bet on this time?"
"Don't know," she answered with a frown and a tilt of her head, "I think maybe mongoose."
"Why the mongoose?" I asked, curiously interested in her reasons for making this selection. She made a damn good pick at the dog fights and I wondered if she had made this selection as shrewd-ly.
It took Ike a moment to gather her thoughts before she answered. She said she had no particular reason other than the fact that the mongoose had the better chance. 'In ten fights Mongoose wins nine times," she said. The odds stood at ten to one, so Ike must have had a pretty good idea of what she was talking about.
"How come such a dangerous snake can lose against a harmless mongoose?" I queried, but Ike just told me to see the fight, and I would see how the harmless mongoose had a chance. "Okay, okay," I laughed, "but just answer me one thing. If the habu will kill a man in a very short time, how long does it take to kill a mongoose?"
"Habu just need to scratch mongoose, and mongoose will die, but still mongoose can win," Ike went on to inform me. I shook my head with disbelief, and told Ike I would bet against her just for fun. She enjoyed this make-believe conflict in which she apparently would be the victor. It was a way of winning without combat, and without injury to anyone. This excludes the animals who fought for their lives in the pit, of course."
The jabbering subsided as the fight was about to begin. Oh's and aah's went up from the crowd when a mammouth habu was chuted into the pit. It whipped about, twisting convulsively when it hit the ground. A huge menacing head shot upward with large ominous fangs. I didn't envy the mongoose, and couldn't imagine how he could possibly win against this deadly enemy.
An unsuspecting mongoose was eased into the pit. He looked puny and frail. His innocent, rabbit like sniffing around the pit was enough to immediately make one take pity on him. It took a few moments before he realized he had a companion. Instinctively, he snapped against the wall. His fur bristled, and his legs were tense.
When he carefully observed the enemy, who's head was high, like a hammer, he eased forward. It was incredible. The little mongoose moved stealthily toward the habu. It was as though he were literally walking directly into the jaws of death.
In a flash, almost faster than the eye could follow, the habu snapped forward, aiming instant death at the mongoose. But the little mongoose proved to have reflexes that were even faster than the blinding strike of the habu. In the instant the habu snapped forward, the mongoose jumped to one side, causing the jaws of death to fly past, missing his head by fractions. With the same rapidity that the snake snapped forward, his head was back, cocked and in firing position.
This action continued for several minutes. Each time the mongoose narrowly escaping certain death. It was beyond me, how or why that little animal was actually teasing and tormenting death. Why did he choose to taunt death in the face, instead of backing off and avoiding it completely. Surely, an animal so quick could have avoided that snake indefinitely without asking it to kill him? Such are the strange way of certain animals.
Suddenly it happened. It was perfect, the work of one of nature's masters. The habu struck out at his target, and before one realized his head was not back in firing position again, the mongoose had his jaws firmly set behind the habus head. The habu whipped and slashed, and jerked convulsively. His jaws were rigidly open, helpless to use their deathly power. The voices and the jabbering of the crowd grew louder.
It wasn't long before the habu lay like a wet rope, without a motion. This, however, did not cause the mongoose to loosen his grip. On the contrary, it seemed as though the less the snake fought, the firmer the mongoose would hold.
After the battle, I wanted to touch the mongoose. I don't know why. It was just plain impulsive, but at that moment he appeared to me to be a truly noble warrior.
Like most American's, I don't like bloody or violent exhibitions. But the habu was clearly the evil aggressor, ready to destroy any living thing with his deadly poison, and the mongoose was clearly the innocent power. Nobly he stood up against his evil antagonist, and destroyed it.
We were walking back toward the inn, and discussing the fight. I, having been much impressed, happened to mention the habu with certain distaste. I claimed, in effect, that it was evil, and should be the Luchu symbol of death. To my surprise, Ike laughed quietly at this suggestion.
"Why do you laugh?" I asked, in a somewhat irritated tone, irritated at having a whore laugh at this serious and poetic suggestion.
"Cannot be," she said, waving her hand in front of her face, but still smiling.
"And why not?" I asked, thinking now that perhaps she just had not understood what I had said.
"Because, habu stands for love and for life in Luchu," was her still smiling answer.
"Why that's ridiculous," I said, with a certain amount of disdain for her comment. "By what possible reasoning can such a thing be?" I added.
She was visibly disturbed by my undiplomatic questioning which was actually rhetorical ridicule, but she remained pleasant, and unfrayed. After several moments of silence, she asked, "Can you come to temple with me?"
"What temple?" I was already just thinking of heading back to the inn, and popping into the old girl for the night.
"The temple up on mountain," she pointed to a round building, now barely visible in the twilight. It was about a mile away.
"What do you want to go up there for?" My voice was still irritated.
"Maybe you can come? I will show you something." She obviously didn't have her mind on the same thing as I.
"Listen," I said, "You've been paid for. What more do you want? I want to go to the inn." I had no sooner barked out these crude words than I was sorry for them. Ike was visibly hurt. She took my hand and led me toward the inn, not saying a word. I felt like a real heel. This gentle little whore was only trying to be nice to me, and all I do is give her a good old American punt in the groin.
"Oh hell," I said out loud, pulling her back. "You want to go to the temple. All right, we'll go to the temple."
She was confused, and looked into my face to see if she might read something else in it. After a few moments of mixed emotions, a soft smile came into her face. She said, "We go to temple, because then we make better love. I promise, ne?"
I didn't know what she was talking about, and I didn't really care. All I could think of was getting to the crummy temple and back as quickly as possible. As it turned out, Ike was so soft and gentle next to me, and the moon soon boomed out so bright, that I enjoyed every step of the way. I never thought in my wildest dreams, that I should some day be taking a romantic walk in the moonlight with a full fledged whore. Much less did I ever suspect that I would enjoy it. Each step of the way, merely served to intensify the passion I was hoping soon to explode into her again.
At one point in our walk, I got sentimental and asked Ike if there was any way she could get out of being a scivvy girl. She answered that eventually she could, and she thought that perhaps it was possible now. "Well then," I interrupted, "why don't you get out of it?"
"Why?" was her puzzled answer.
"Well," I stuttered around a bit, "you can't possibly like this kind of life, can you?" Old Aubrey Cadwell turned missionary it seemed. Would my fraternity brothers have laughed me off the campus, if they had heard of this. I was always trying to talk babes into bed, never out of them. But there I stood, in that heavy, mucky night, with that crazy Luchu moon drowning me, trying to convert a pro.
Ike didn't know what to answer at first. "I like it," she said, as though it was impossible not to. "It is so good to make love to big American men. I can do forever," she confessed.
I didn't expect an answer like this, and nothing so candidly blunt. Her answer rather crushed my missionary zeal, but it did nothing to injure my ardour for her.
"I have steady G. I. one time," she continued, "he was big and strong. He is in psychology. Now he does lot of psychology in States and tells me, when he is with me, I am nymphomaniac. You know what this is?"
"Ah, yes, I've heard of it."
"This is what psycho G. I. told me, and I become very angry with him." Ike started giggling, and waving her hand in front of her. "I think he calls me bad name, because he does not explain what nymphomaniac is. I kicked him, and scratched him, and throw things at him, but afterward he explains nymphomaniac, and I must appologize to him for breaking his nose."
"You broke his nose?" I interrupted, wondering how a little love machine like her could do any damage to anyone.
"Yes, I hit him with his boot," she answered, and we both had to laugh.
"And then," she continued, "I explain to psycho G. I. that I am not nymphomaniac. This makes him very angry. Do you think I am nymphomaniac?" she asked, looking at me with sex hungry eyes.
"I don't know Ike. I'm going to have to know you better before I can tell."
"I am not nymphomaniac!" she said.
"Okay, you're not," I answered.
"Psycho G. I. say I am nymphomaniac because he is weak sexually, and he could never give me enough scivvy. He becomes very jealous when he finds out I play scivvy with other G. I.'s and he says he is going to cure me of nymphomaniac."
"Wouldn't this be a good thing?" I asked, being ridiculously naive.
"I am not nymphomaniac," and she hit her foot on the walk, "but if I am, I like it. I like to make scivvy to G. I.'s. Why do I want to be cured?"
"Well, ah," I was again at a loss for an answer. Here was a little whore that actually loved her work. I was always taught that whores are unhappy and are forced into their work against their will. This one may or may not have been forced, but she certainly cared for her profession now. How many of us can say that we actually work at what we most like?
By this time we arrived at the temple and I was surprised to find thirty or forty other people there. We had some difficulty in getting in at first, because they were having some sort of rites to which I should not be admitted. Ike knew many of the people there and she finally prevailed on them to allow me to remain.
What I witnessed there that evening was impossible. It was a ritual involving phallic worship. The inside of the sanctuary was lined with carved peckers standing tall, and apparently erected. There weren't any hanging limply. They were all sizes, all shapes, all colors, but most of them were painted red. I almost burst out laughing when I saw one that looked like mine. It had never occurred to me how different peckers are from one another. Each one has its own individual character. They are as different as mens faces. All the same, but different.
The temple was actually a facade for a large cave. It went about 100 yards back into the mountain. The entire place was well lighted with torches and candles. At the end of the cave there was a small platform that served as an altar. The backdrop for this altar was the most enormous pecker I have ever seen. It must have been 100 feet long and 20 feet in diameter. It was the only pecker in the place that was not in perpendicular position, instead it was placed horizontally on two large trailer-like wheels. They strangely resembled a pair of gonads. Later Ike told me that this prize pecker was pulled through the town once a year by all the young men of the village. The women would strike it with some leaves, or kiss, or rub it, and utter certain prayers. This ceremony was to help both men and women with fertility, and it also had to do with healthy births, and all this sort of nonsense.
This was all shocking and amusing, but the best was yet to come. A young girl walked out on the platform while everybody was mumbo-jumboing all sorts of wierd incantations. To my delight and surprise, she started divesting. It took her about a half hour to complete the task, and when the process was completed she was bathed in a lather, and nothing else. The firelight created a sinewy and hypnotic reflection of her sensuous body.
A cold chill cut down my back, and the blood must have drained from my face in horror. A large habu was slithering across the platform toward the naked girl who was now lying flat on her back, and who, from all outward appearances, was completely unconscious of the snake a few feet from her head. I jumped to my feet instinctively. It must have been instinctively, because had I thought about tackling a habu for one second, I would not have found the courage to do anything about the particular situation.
All this was unnecessary, and I immediately learned that my fears were unfounded. As soon as I leaped heroically to my feet, Ike grabbed my hand and pulled me back down to a kneeling position. "Don't worry," she whispered, "it is part of the ceremony. The habu will not harm her. It has no poison. They have taken it out. All the snakes there have no poison."
Until that moment, I had not noticed about a dozen habu safely kept in cages, sitting under the giant pecker. "It's a good thing they're in cages," I whispered to Ike. She smiled, and signaled me to pay attention to the ceremony.
The giant snake -edged up to the girl, and creeped over her shoulder. Ike told me it was safe but nevertheless, chills were shooting up and down my spine like tilt lights on a pin ball machine. The habu slid between the girls breasts, and down over her stomach. All this time the girl didn't move a muscle as she lay like a marvelous and shiny statue. Then she grabbed the snake by the head, and held it high. The mumbo-jumbo became louder and more intense.
She sat up and threw the snake out in front of her. Then she brought the snake's head to her face, looking into its eyes. As in an eerie dream, she was transfixed in the sitting position. The snake was equally still, but noticeably alive by the occasional flick of its tongue. It lay straight 'out before the girl, and between her spread legs. The snake had no fangs. They had been taken out.
In the midst of the chanting, with the bamboo flute wailing above all the other sound, I couldn't tell if it was all a dream, and much less could I believe the climax of this phallic ritual. After the girl had remained transfixed, looking into the snake's eyes for an endless period of time, the chanting and the music stopped. This was the signal for the girl. She slowly lowered the snake's head to the ground, and placed it directly between her legs. About a foot of the snake disappeared. The tail end hung out, and the girl began writhing grotesquely on the floor, sometimes reaching down and grabbing the snake, and sometimes clutching and pulling her hair. It was difficult to decide whether she was in ecstasy or pain. Not a word left her lips.
Cups had been passed out among the people while this was going on. There was a liquid in them. I couldn't tell what it was, but when this climactic moment of the ceremony came about, Ike turned to me and told me to drink the liquid. I drank it without taking my eyes off the girl on the platform. I was seeing all this, but I couldn't believe it. Then a few moments after I dank the liquid, Ike said it was time to go. The others were standing and starting to walk out also.
When we left, the girl was still on the platform making love to her snake. Ike explained what it was all about, as we walked back toward the village inn. It apparently was a fertility rite, and the habu is considered some sort of love god. "Habu poison is used to make people passionate," Ike said.
"Ike, you don't mean," I blurted in, not wanting to think of what it may have been I drank in the cave, "You don't mean I drank habu poison?"
"Yes, we all drank habu love juice. It's good for the passions."
I grasped at my throat thinking that perhaps I might fall dead any minute, but I never did. At least I understood now why she laughed when I suggested the habu as a death symbol. Now she giggled again, but this time at my foolish behavior. But the giggling subsided as the habu aphrodisiac started to take effect on her.
"You understand," she said one of the times that she stopped to fondle my crotch, and nibble my ear, "I am not nymphomaniac. Habu love juice makes me this way."
CHAPTER SEVEN
The sun came raging out of the Pacific next morning. It carried such an impact, I thought it was tearing my head right off my shoulders. I could tell by the taste in my mouth, that the island had elephants. One of them dropped his dung in my mouth while I was sleeping, and left it there. The disadvantage of a Japanese inn is that you can't crawl to a shower to relieve your scalding pores, just have to live with it. You can take a Japanese bath, but the temperature of the water is such that if it doesn't kill you, it'll make you wish it had.
Ike came in, and rammed the shoji (that's the rice paper panel) open. It was like two diesel trucks scraping against each other. "Ooooaaahhh," was all I could get out. What I wanted to say was not to make so much damned noise. Ike just gave with her little obnoxious giggle (it was cute the night before.)
There is no ice in most inns, so I didn't even bother to ask for any. Ike brought in some tea, and I tried a cup. I felt sure I would vomit, so quickly I bolted down some cold water, hopefully, to settle the rumbling down below, but it backfired. The water must have been a catalyst, because, I no sooner had the cold water safely in my stomach when all of last night's drinking pleasure started coming up. I lunged for the hibachi (that's a ceramic fire bowl), there not being anything else handy, and let fly, cursing all the devils in hell. Ike giggled, and I was begging to wonder where courtesy ends and tradition begins. Was she laughing at me? I didn't much care at that moment.
It took a while to find myself, and it was during this period that I was shocked to sobriety. Placing my hands on my head, I made reasonably sure my head was still on my shoulders. I say reasonably sure, because I wasn't sure my hands were on my arms, and they were doing the checking. I worked my way down slowly. Checked my ears, my neck, my shoulder. They all seemed to be there. Then my chest, and stomach (double checked here to see if my navel was still in place).
By this time it was all hand work, due to the extremely difficult problem involved (to say nothing of the excruciating pain inflicted) when eyes and head twist downward to look. Besides, I'm not so sure that if I did see my lower extremities, I could be sure they belonged to the eyes looking at them. Have you ever felt this way? I mean, when you're not sure you belong to yourself, and everything seems to be a part of something or someone else. You are very lucky if you haven't experienced this, but if you have, you're a damned drunkard. The only cure for this is abstinance, and I sometimes think that such a painful cure might be worth it.
Anyway, my hands were moving down from my stomach. Checked. The hips were in place. Then my hands moved toward each other. It was at this very moment that my eyes, having been glued to the wall right in front of them, focused on a human pecker setting on the table underneath the scroll. "Yeeeaaaaahhh!" I screamed in terror, and grabbed myself in panic. So hard did I grab, that my scream of terror turned to one of pain. Mine was still attached, though I almost yanked it off in that brief (almost tragic) moment. It hadn't moved from the joint it was lodged in the night before, and it had the free swing of a satisfied, but sleeping possum.
"Ike, what is that?" I fairly gasped, as I pointed with one hand, and held on to mine with the other.
Ike was giggling uncontrolably by now, "That is shimpo," she said, "you know shimpo?"
"Yeah, of course," I said, feeling ridiculous through the hangover cloud that I was just starting to come out of. A shimpo is the Japanese word for a phallic symbol, which in this case was carved and painted to look just like a real one. I had heard stories of Japanese women cutting off the stem of unfaithful lovers or husbands; and for a second, when I saw that perfect one-foot pecker lying there (not that I'm bragging mind you)! Well, it occurred to me it might be mine, but luckily it wasn't. I was starting to sober up.
"What in hell is this shimpo thing doing here?" I asked Ike, as I picked it up, and protected my own.
This was the wrong question to ask, hung over or not. It resulted in complete and uncontrollable giggling on the part of my bed mate, Ike.
"Is shimpo you buy for me last night," Ike said between giggles, as she continued covering up her face. I think she was truly embarrassed about something. "You don't remember?" she asked.
"No, of course not," I said feeling somewhat ridiculous about not knowing anything, and allowing this squatty whore to lord it over me. But because I had to satisfy my curiousity, I reduced myself to asking her what I did the night before. As it turns out, this was again a bad question, though for different reason.
Ike didn't give me a descriptive, blow by blow narrative. Thank goodness. From what she did tell me, I don't think I could have taken it. She was very careful, courteous and gentle with what she did tell me, and even this was like smashing me in the groin with a sledge hammer. For one thing it seems I bought the shimpo to boast about my dimensions and after I had thrashed away all possible pretence of erection I rubbed habu aphrodisiac on the shimpo and forced Ike to use it while I passed out. This is sheer depravity, but what really grabbed me was the fact that Ike thanked me for introducing her to a tool that would never disappoint her, as so many weak lovers might and often did.
"Hey, Aubrey," came a moan from the other side of the screen. In all the wild night and lousy morning, I had completely forgotten that Sei and Tama were right next to us.
"Don't talk so loud," I grunted, "Don't you see you're shaking the whole building."
"I'm not shaking it," he returned, "we are having an earthquake."
"Oh! Well, tell it to stop."
"No, you tell it to stop,' said Sei, "I think the whole world is angry with me."
"Me too. Guess we'll just have to let it stop by itself."
"Oh, no!" he said with life in his voice, "I just thought of something that is going to cause a real earthquake."
"Then don't say it."
"We were supposed to have dinner at my home last light. Haru will be very disappointed."
I stood up, and started removing the partition. Tama was on her knees next to Sei who was still lying down with his eyes closed. She had just finished tying her yukata (that's like a lightweight bathrobe). Her eyes met mine with a look that was both sad and embarrassed. "Ohio-gozaimasu," she spoke gently. There was much more to this delicate child than sex. She scurried to her feet, and went out to get us some tea.
"Get up you lazy bastard," I told Sei, and ordinarily I would have kicked him,, but I wasn't feeling too jovial. So, all I did was squat down next to him, and ask, "Where's your lighter?" His hand flicked out from under the blanket to light my cigarette. I took a deep drag, and let the smoke out slowly. "What goes in must come out," I said looking at the smoke.
"At this moment," spoke Sei, rolling over in the blankets, and covering his eyes from the light, "I don't even want to hear your troubles."
"Thing is, though," I continued as though Sei hadn't said a word, "If I did get in last night, I wouldn't know the difference. Don't remember a thing, but you know? My old dong feels as though it has been dinged!"
"And it did not get that way by just hanging around. Is that it?" cut in Sei, "I should think you would be more careful with what you dunk it into."
"Careful?" I blurted, "After tasting a bit of that snake temple cult last night, I don't think I know what careful is."
This caused Sei to emit a restrained laugh. He would probably have laughed normally, but it was too painful; it seemed as though he were grunting in agony instead of laughing. "You mean, aagghh," he grimaced, "you mean, that you let Ike take you to the temple?" He sat up, still trying to laugh normally. Then lighting a cigarette, he propped his knees up, using them to hold his head. "That explains," he continued, "why your groin is in pain."
"You mean that snake poison is a legitimate aphrodisiac?"
"I don't know how legitimate it is, but that is powerful stuff they mix up there." Sei let out a small groan and clasped his hands behind his neck. "No normal person needs it, and it can have bad affects, like you are having now. That is not straight snake poison either. They mix some other secret junk in it. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a straight shot of Spanish fly, and maybe something else to kind of neutralize the toxic effect of the poison itself. By the way, don't be surprised if you have diarrhea later on. That love juice sometimes has very strange effects. The reason I knew they don't use straight snake poison is because I tried some when I was a boy. I was just starting to sprout my horns. Almost died." He looked up from his folded position and added, "Yes, that's right. That's the truth. I almost died with that habu poison."
"Ha!" I quipped, "What did you do, go out and try to catch a live snake with your bare hands? That's probably why you almost died."
Sei was smiling, but still not too enthusiastically. "That would have meant certain death, and I am not so brave to risk that. But seriously, I very foolishly did take a whole vessel from my uncle's shop."
He stopped for a moment and glanced at me. We were both thinking of the same thing. He added, "My uncle was a panderer of this, too."
He took a deep breath, and leaned against the wall. His head was raised as he said, "There is much that I must tell you."
We heard the girls coming down the hall, and Sei said, "Let's have tea, and we can talk. The girls will clean up the room."
I didn't say anything, due to mixed emotions. I just shook my head in agreement to Sei's suggestion. Tea was poured, and the girls cleaned up the room. They jabbered away, and went about their little tasks, leaving us pretty much to ourselves.
"I was sorry to hear you were assigned to my uncle's case," Sei started right in.
"How did you know? I was just told myself this morning, I mean yesterday morning. Who told you?"
"Word travels fast in an army camp. Awful!" he suddenly exclaimed, "This tea tastes like mercury on my lead lined tongue." So that's what it was, and not an elephant turd. I was flashing back. Leave it to the Japanese to come up with the right metaphor. That's what a haiku culture does for one.
"Tamachan," he ordered, "bring me a large bottle of sake unheated, and two big bottles of beer."
Not again. I almost vomited just to hear this. "You're not going to drink that?" I asked in disbelief.
"Along with you, I am," he said apathetically, "Best thing you can do for it."
"Well, I see you at least learned something new since you left the states."
"Always trying to advance, and improve the human race with new and greater knowledge," he answered sarcastically. "You know Aubrey, it isn't rare for us natives to know things before the army does itself. There are a million ways we can get information about U. S. troops, and none of them are as elaborate as the system your intelligence service has."
I wondered if he was thinking of his uncle's spy activities against his own people, and if he was baiting me, trying to force me to call my hand. For a second, it occurred to me that he might just be testing, to see how much I knew. This way he would not have to tell me more than was absolutely necessary. I erased the thought immediately.
Tama and Ike came in very quietly, and placed Sei's little order on the table. I wasn't too anxious to have a go at it, but I knew I would. Sei suggested the girls dress and go out to the beach for a while. He told them we had business to discuss. They left without another word, only a few giggles.
"Come on now,' he said to me, as soon as they closed the shoji, "drink the sake first." I hesitated, so he demonstrated. "Like this," he said as he turned the bottle upside down, and gulped a disgusting amount. I knew the sumo were great boozers, but I was beginning to conclude that I could successfully pit my one-hundred-thirty pound ex-roommate against the best of them, with a pretty good chance of winning. He brought the bottle down with a loud grunt.
"Sonovabitch," I said with dismay, "All right, give me that bottle. You know I have to do it now." Taking the bottle to my lips, I eased it up, and about a cup of sake had gone down my gullet, before things started to ferment in my stomach.
Sei must have noticed, because he immediately grabbed a beer bottle and opened it. It was foaming over the top as he shoved it toward me, and said, "Quick, drink this."
I didn't stop to think. Things couldn't be worse so, quick as a flash, I was sucking on that beer bottle. It had its immediate effect in that I didn't vomit. About five or ten minutes later, I felt the secondary affect. Believe it or not, I wanted to get drunk again. Wonderful remedy. Try it some time. Only thing is", although it always keeps things from coming up, it sometimes forces them out the other end.
Things were relaxed in the room. Sei leaned back and lit a cigarette. He drank some beer, and sat in pensive silence for several minutes. Then he began unfolding the strange and untold matters of his life.
CHAPTER EIGHT
SEI
"I was very much afraid when you arrived in Luchu," he said, "that you would have to learn the dishonorable aspects of my life. I feel much shame for my acts, but I cannot feel any guilt. That is something I was unable to learn in your country. You can teach a Japanese to say guilt, and you can teach him to have a notion of what that word means academically, but you can never teach him to actually feel guilt.
This question of guilt and shame has been of deep concern to me, not as a Japanese studying in America, but as a person unable to obtain honorable means. I was always ashamed of what I did, and I thought about it often. At first it depressed me, and many times I wanted to wake you in the middle of the night to tell you how ashamed I was. It was the only time in my life I ever felt the necessity of exposing my emotions to anyone. Perhaps it was your country, the confusing environment. It is difficult to say.
You are the only person I have ever been so frank with. I could never have been so with my own mother or father. They woidd not have been able to understand. To them, such a confession would have been a sign of weakness in their own son, and they would have felt my shame for me. It is much easier to confess or expose myself to a stranger.
This is not to say that you are a stranger to me, but culturally you are in a completely different world, and you cannot understand a word of what I say to you; however, you will feel the essence of the communication. I am not telling you all this, however, because of any emotional involvement, or because you are my dear friend. There are practical ramifications that will require serious consideration on your part. I would not want to see you hurt by mixed emotions or conflicting loyalties. In your case, you may have to choose between loyalty to an idea, that is your country, and loyalty to an individual. I hope it doesn't come to this, but it may before it is all over.
In some ways my uncle was a good man, and in other ways he was very evil. He had an iron will, and once his mind was set on something, there was almost nothing that could stop him. This island has always been dominated by outside people, and in the years my uncle Oda grey up around here, Luchu was fiercely controlled by the Japanese. We are Japanese, you might say, but we are not. In many ways we are Japanese like the Alaskans or Hawaiians are Americans. You can see the comparison. If American federal troops marched into Alaska or Hawaii and controlled thus, there would be much fighting, and maybe war. But that is not the case with us. We have always accepted domination in the typical stoic manner portrayed in Hollywood movies. Luchu has been dominated by other powers for almost 2,000 years. We have long forgotten what self rule might be.
For this reason my uncle had nothing but contempt for the losers, or for the conquered. On the other hand, he admired the winners or the conquerors. In his eyes the Luchu people were always losers, and he thought that a loser was naturaaly inferior. He believed a people should fight, and stand up for what they believed. He could riot accept domination by an outside force.
During his vely young, uneducated and hot-blooded years, he attempted to rouse the people. In effect, he tried to start a minor revolution. No one now remembers what the reason really was, but it had to do with some petty political injustice which he thought should be corrected. He went so far as to preach overthrow of the Japanese government, and total declaration of war if necessary. In his heart, you might say, he was truly Luchu, and sincerely concerned with the people of the island. And he might have proven it, had an occasion arisen where he might have given his life. He was not so lucky. His revolt gathered almost no following, and it resulted in dismal failure.
To make his failure even more degrading, the Japanese officials had all but completely ignored him, and they would have completely forgotten the incident, had it not been for some irate farmers complaining that some of their crops were destroyed by Oda's men. To my uncle Oda, this was the extreme insult. In his cold, but wild passion he felt his own people had turned against him. He had been betrayed by the very people he was trying to free from the bond of tyrany.
The Japanese authority, who had chosen to regard the entire incident as nothing more than the emotional outbursts of young boys, fed on the modern emotional precepts of the Meiji era, were forced to make some arrests. My uncle was, of course, one of the persons arrested. He was sentenced to six months in jail, but served only two days of it. His family requested that his sentence be suspended on the grounds that he would miss too much school if he was forced to serve out the entire sentence, and his father needed him on the farm. The request was quickly granted, since the authorities had no heart to put him in jail in the first place. They did, however, take the precaution of exacting a promise from him that he would not attempt any further commotion.
This experience turned my uncle's way of thinking, and he started identifying with power, no longer with the masses. The Japanese had treated him very nicely, in spite of his adamant and antagonistic behavior towards them. He lost all faith in his own people for not following him. He considered it a cowardly outrage, and felt he was a fool for having sacrificed himself for them. Before too long he found himself in complete sympathy with the governing power. It was now his contention that might was right, and only the fools did not ally themselves to power.
My uncle Oda made many friends among the Japanese authorities within a short time. Although not many complimentary things can be said about him, he did have a way with people. As a child I often noticed people would talk with him as though they were trapped, unable to tear away from a compelling suction. These same people, I would later hear saying terrible things about him to their friends but next time they were with my uncle, they would again talk and talk as though they could not get away. Few men have this power over others, and I believe that if my uncle's energies might have been otherwise directed he could have been an asset to any society, a forceful leader.
As it so happened, he learned about many things from his new-found Japanese friends. The most important thing being America. It was then he decided he would go to America, and get an education. But this was no noble gesture on his part. His only interest was in the American economic system. From what little he knew about it, America contained the ingredients necessary to become the most powerful nation on earth, and so he wanted to become part of it. He wanted to study their economic svstem thoroughly. Who knows? Perhaps to return and implement that system for his own gain in this country.
To go to America was, as it always has been, a very difficult thing to achieve. In the first place Oda had no money, and in the second place he needed political contacts. The latter he managed immediately, but the former took a while longer. I should imagine that it took him about a year to make about $10,000 American dollars, a phenomenal sum in those days. His method was to become a transfer agent, a go-between in narcotics. How he did it exactly I don't know, but the job itself was relatively easy. He picked up narcotics from oriental ships, and transferred them to British or American ships. Usually they were ships that had not been to the mainland of Asia, because these would not, so readily, be suspected of carrying contraband.
It is a widely known fact that a ship from Hong Kong or Singapore is thoroughly searched by customs in San Francisco. Whereas, a ship from Austrailia or the Philippines, or New Zealand, having perhaps docked in Luchu for a few minutes, would be carelessly inspected by the same custom's agents. It was on this assumption that my uncle banked his trust, and managed to come up with the necessary capital to finance his education in America.
He went to America and studied, a little bit here, a little bit there. In all, he remained there for eight years. He attended six different universities, and obtained no degree. He mastered the language, to say nothing of Chinese, Russian and Spanish. It could be of no practical use to a man of his interests. This little idiocyncrasy fascinated me, and I asked him about it on several occasions. Of course, I never did get a satisfactory answer; although, he did mention something about a Conchita, and he hemmed and hawed, during nostalgic moments, about the bull fights, Tiajuana, and something about two years lost in San Isidro. I can conjecture what he got into, but I really don't know.
I am not certain of this, but I presume he continued passing narcotics while he was in the U. S. He had the contacts, and it weald have been an easy matter for him. He certainly never obtained a job, and I know of no legitimate method by which he earned a living. It is certain that $10,000 did not last him the full eight years, especially when you consider the elegant manner in which he lived. For one thing, he refused to live as a student, even though he was that. Every time he moved to a new location, he bought a home, and it was no plain or just adequate home, such as you or I might be satisfied with. It was always a very large place, requiring the service of a maid. There was no possible way his original $10,000 could have lasted even his first year in America.
At the end of eight years, he returned to Luchu, but not of his own accord, mind you. There were some legal discrepancies. His papers weren't in order, and he was, in effect, deported. In his mind, he was merely being forced to live amongst a weak and worthless people. He resigned himself to it; however, with the notion that he might exploit us as well as any other people. I do not know what sort of activities he carried on upon his return, but whatever they were, they were making him a wealthy man.
It was a few years after this, just shortly before the war, that my parents died. My uncle Oda, who was my mother's brother, was the only living relative. He grudgingly took my sister and I in. It was, and is, the natural law of the land. There was no way out of it, but I don't think that he would have allowed us to go elsewhere. No other family could have taken us without having to do . battle with him. It was a question of pride, a question of family pride. He would have lost face, and been disgraced if someone else had taken us. Besides this, he naturally inherited my father's land, small though it was. He became our trustee. And Oda also knew that I would, by natural law, inherit his wealth when he died.
Being fully aware of this, he raised me like a Spartan. He guarded me jealously, not with love, but with hate and greed. He hated me, because he knew I would be here to enjoy the fruits of his misdeeds after he was dead. It was as though he wanted to put himself inside of me, so that he could go on. He wanted to exchange places, so that I would die in his stead. And the longer we lived together, the more he hated me for being unable to perform this transfer of self. He was at times like a madman, and I did all his dirty chores.
He was my teacher, and he taught me many things that I have tried to forget, but the biggest thing he taught me was to hate. He taught me this so well, that I hated him. I hated him for all the callous and inconsiderate acts of self-aggrandizement he taught me. I did not rebel, nor was I consciously aware of any hate for him or anyone until the war.
I was about thirteen then, and I acted as his special assistant. I was his scout, bringing him information that he needed to sell to the U. S. From the beginning he knew the war was lost, and he felt no sense of loyalty to a lost cause. It was his contention that there was no wrong in taking advantage, and profiting from the inevitable. There was no act of treason on his part. The U. S. would win regardless of his efforts or any other Japanese efforts, and he did want to be on the winning side.
To me, it was all a duty, and nothing more. I knew I had. to do what my uncle Oda ordered, regardless of how unpleasant it might have been. I knew my parents would have wanted it that way. And everything I did was too abstract to have any real meaning. I knew that I was gathering information that my uncle would radio to the Americans, but I could hardly understand the moral implications.
It was not until the time of the invasion that I grew up. I became a man with one cannon shot. The American ships were in the harbor bombarding everything. The planes were flying overhead dropping bombs everywhere. My uncle had me running back and forth to the other side of the mountain to report to him in detail every movement that I could observe. As soon as I reported to him, he radioed it to the ships in the harbor. Through the excitement, the noise, the fear in my heart, I could still not fully realize that I was making reports that would ultimately lead to the destruction of my people.
The Japanese were at that time evacuating all the villages, and forcing the women and children to take refuge in a large cave on the peninsula. The authorities were usually the last ones to leave the village. On one of my reconaissance tours, I observed a squad of Japanese in the main building of a village. They were taking some records and documents out, clearing the building in the final phase of evacuation. I ran back and reported this fact to my uncle who immediately sent the intelligence to the Americans. He ordered me to get more data.
I was running back around the other side, and as I came into view of the village I had just reported, a bomb made a direct hit on the building. For a second, I stood in horror and disbelief. I wanted to think that no one was in the building, that the evacuation had been effectuated before the bomb hit. I ran blindly down the mountain, and into the village. Bombs were exploding all around me, but I think I hardly noticed. When I reached the building, I found the most cruel reality that any man can have his eyes opened too.
There were torn and dismembered bodies everywhere. I was standing in the center of my own private hell. For the first time, I fully understood what I had been doing. I was standing in the center of my innocent victims. This alone was enough to make me want to lose my mind, but absolutely nothing can begin to explain the horror in my burning brain when I accidentally kicked the head of a beautiful child lying in the debris. It rolled a few feet into the arms of what must have been her mother. It belonged ... it belonged to Tama's oldest sister.
Please excuse me for getting emotional. It is my intention to give you an objective narrative. You shall probably have enough problems without getting involved in my own private ones. But it is extremely difficult, Aubrey, for me to even think of that blind and raging moment without my entrails coming apart. Another thing my uncle Oda taught me, besides hating him, was to hate myself even more. So you see, I too live because of hate, and nothing more.
When I kicked this helpless and innocent head, and watched it roll in the bloody ashes before my very eyes, I lost my mind. I lost my mind completely, and I don't remember anything after that. It was at least a month before I recovered my senses. I told I was found at the northernmost end of the island, exhausted and pleading for death. I am told I was pleading for torturous death, that I wanted to be stoned, and emasculated, and a number of other of other such painful actions. I am told that I denied hari-kari because it was honorable and I was not worthy of it.
Such was my state of mind, but I was kept in a hospital. Many thought me mad, but when I started coming to my senses, almost a month later, and found myself in an American Red Cross hospital, I burned with even more hate, because the Americans who had killed my people were now my saviours, and I didn't want to be saved. It was about six months before I returned to normal, but even then I was only normal on the outside. The inside will never be the same. Not ever.
I admit with a pathetic shame, that I probably owe my mental balance and my life to my uncle. After the invasion of the island, I was not found. At first my uncle thought I had been killed, but two or three weeks later he received word that I was alive. When he found out what condition I was in, he requested that the American medical advisors do something to assist me. Naturally, his request was quickly granted, and I received the best medical attention possible. So for this reason, I am here today; although, often I have wished myself dead. My life, dear Aubrey, is a burden I think far greater than you may have imagined. My life is a living purgatory, and I live only to chastise myself. I live only to sacrifice myself for my people, and when I go out pleasure bent and get drunk, which is often, it is only to forget, to forget my wretched self. There is no real pleasure, no real joy for me in my physical life.
After my return to relative normalcy, I often thought I should kill my uncle, and devised many methods. It had to be above all, a cruel and sadistic way. My uncle knew something was wrong. He could see the burning hate in my eyes, which could not be hidden. He took pains to avoid me, making it increasingly difficult for me to even see him, and finally I gave up trying to implement a torturous means for his death. All that mattered was that I rid him from society forever. So very foolishly, and blandly, I rushed into his house one night with a knife, prepared and determined to kill him at all cost. It did not matter that I would be caught. I took no precautions at all to cover up my actions. All that mattered was that my deed should be accomplished. In fact, I believe, I would have been thankful to have been caught after I had killed him.
As it happened, my uncle was waiting for me in the familiar darkness of his home, and it took very little for him to almost destroy me. Before I knew it, he had disarmed me, broken my nose, both arms and one leg. He was very skilled, as are many of the Luchu, in the native art of self-defense. He took care not to render me unconscious in the fracas, and when I lay completely helpless, groaning with pain, and practically choking to death on my own blood, he talked to me. He talked to me quietly, vehemently, and I might add, brilliantly until the sun came up the next morning. Then he called a doctor, and told him I had fallen from a mountain. The doctor didn't say anything when he saw my condition, but he fixed my bones and lacerations up just fine.
I was incapable of moving for several weeks, but that period gave me the opportunity to think about everything in a clearer light than before, and I slowly started changing my own way of thinking. This did not, however, affect the hate for my uncle Oda. The beating, the lecture, all this made absolutely no difference to me in so far as my feelings toward him were concerned. It did make a great difference, however, in regards to what my actions would be in the future.
When my uncle was lecturing to me, as I lay groveling on the floor, sick with pain, there was one thing that remained in my mind above all else. It was the point that an advantage is an advantage.
Meaning that one should take advantage of any advantage given to him. As seen in other people, an advantage is a weakness, and only a fool will not take it. It was not a question of being right or wrong. It was instead a question of being naturally impulsive during a given situation.
My mind worked on this, and worked on it for a long time. Finally I arrived at a conclusion. The conclusion was that killing my uncle would solve nothing under the circumstances. Killing him would not restore the lives of those I had helped him to kill. And the current situation was not a critical one where he could harm anyone. So take advantage! And advantage I took of him.
None of the Luchu knew of his spy activities, although there may have been some that suspected something. Even to this day, no one knows of them He is disliked. I mean, he was disliked for his dealings in trade, and his close relationship with the American invaders. He did all he could to hide the facts of any official capacity he might have with the Americans, but the Luchu could not avoid noticing the special favors he was continually being granted. So, they suspected.
My plan was simple blackmail. I ground the knife in deep and twisted. I knew I had him now. Immediately upon my recuperation from his beating, I announced to him that he would open his American bank account to me, allowing, me to use it as I saw fit. He almost died laughing when I told him this, but as soon as I informed him that if he didn't grant me this request, I would immediately tell the Luchu people that he was an American spy, and that he was instrumental in the success of the American invasion, his smile faded. I told him that I would specifically make it clear to the Luchu that he had provided the Americans with enough information to know exactly where to drop their bombs.
When my uncle heard my proposition, he turned white as boiled rice. There were only two courses of action open to him. He could kill me, or he could grant my request. Kiling me would be too difficult, especially after the beating he had already rendered me. The doctor that attended me was no fool, and he knew immediately what had actually happened. He had also made further inquiry of the neighbors to further verify his belief. In effect, he stirred up more dislike for my uncle by his simple action. And as rumors will grow, the villagers suspected that he had already attempted to murder me. My uncle was very wise, and he was well aware of all this; therefore, he would not try to kill me. As a matter-of-fact, I don't think he could have killed anyone. He might very easily kill hundreds of people indirectly, but he did not have that particular ability to kill with his own bare hands.
Ultimately he had no choice, and had to grant my request. Since this time, I have lived on his money. I might add that I have also supported Haru, my sister, with his money, but she knows nothing at all of my uncle's evil activities. She thinks that I received my money from Oda out of the goodness of his heart. And even though she lived with my uncle during the war, she suspects nothing. Please let her remain unblemished by all this henious activity.
CHAPTER NINE
I was shaking with emotion. The sake and beer were like water. Sei had truly exposed himself to me in the crudest of lights that only one can shed on one's self. In having poured his soul to me, as he did, he accomplished bringing me much closer and with much greater sympathy for him. I felt he no longer was just my ex-roommate, but my brother.
"You can count on me," I told Sei, "I'll never say anything of this to Haruchan, or anyone else for that matter." But there was something else. Something I had to ask now or I wouldn't be able to later. It was a most painful question under the circumstances, "Sei," I said cautiously, hoping he would understand my position, "as you know, your uncle did not die accidentally." Sei registered no surprise, so I eased ahead, "He was probably murdered." Still there was no surprise or betrayal of emotion in Sei's countenance. He interrupted with a straight face.
"Would it not be better to say he was killed instead of murdered?"
"You know he was killed?" I floundered.
"Of course I know. All Luchu people know. No man, no two men could have possibly been killed by so many snake bites. There were many snakes in that house, and the habu does not travel in herds. If it was murder, someone put the snakes inside, but if it was accidental death, then someone lost the snakes inside."
"How is that possible?"
"There is a vendor that carries many snakes with him at all times. He delivers habu poison to various stores." I must have been looking at Sei incredulously because he then added, "Yes, yes, there is such a man, and he delivers regularly, like the milkman does in your country."
"Did this vendor do the killing?" I asked him point blank.
"I don't know, Aubrey, but it is possible." Sei paused for a second, and then looked me straight in the face, "There are only two people that might have killed my uncle. I should be your first and foremost suspect."
I had to ask the question, and it was convenient at this point, so I blurted out, "Are you, Sei, I mean did you kill your uncle?"
Sei was not surprised with my question, nor did he feel offended. His understanding attitude was a relief to me, and so was his answer, "No, Aubrey, I am not the killer, although I wish, in many ways that I were." In the light of what he had just told me, this was understandable.
"That's good, Sei," I answered with a sigh of relief, "that's good."
"Perhaps it is not so good, Aubrey, because now the only other person that might have done it will be apprehended, and I am sure that with him, it was an accident. I am the only one that has an actual motive for wanting my uncle dead, as I had very much to gain by his death. As I explained, I will inherit all his wealth. It would have been an easy matter for me to obtain several habu in a container, and throw them in on the two victims."
"Yes," I said very seriously, "but how would you have put those snakes back in the container?"
"I don't know. I suppose there is a way," his answer was disturbed.
"You didn't kill him, Sei, but you infer that the only other possibility would have to be the habu man. Could he have had such an accident?"
"Certainly. It has happened before."
"This is good, but how do we know which habu man it was. There are probably many on the island."
"There are many, but you need not concern yourself, because only one calls on my uncle's store. If the M. P.'s would have checked the order slips in my uncle's shop, they would have discovered that the habu man was expected that day, and many of the villagers say they saw him leave not too long before the discovery of the bodies."
"How long before?"
"About an hour I would say. It grieves me to think that this man may suffer for my uncle's death. I have known him for many years, and he has a good family that may suffer as well. No one should suffer for my uncle's death."
"Well if it was an accident, he will not be permitted to be punished. However, he should not have left the scene of the crime; it will tend to incriminate him."
"The Americans will find it difficult to accept the incident as an accident, but they might."
"Let them decide that," I said. "The important thing is that you are not the killer."
"Perhaps," he said thoughtfully, and then he looked up with a smile. "Today is the first time I missed my classes at the school. I wonder what my students are thinking?" He emptied the last few drops of beer into a glass, and drank them down.
"Ah well, no matter. Tomorrow is another day, and as every day we will have a fresh start. Today I must go home and smooth things over with Haru-chan. She must be very angry. Will you come tonight and stay at my home? Perhaps we can spend a quiet evening together."
"You know I will."
"Good! Haru will enjoy having you."
That wasn't the impression I received the day before, but I don't mind admitting that I would most likely enjoy letting her have me. Only a very base person would try to seduce the sister of his best friend, but there is nothing wrong with letting her seduce him. Such are the ironies of my self rationalization.
Tama and Ike returned shortly after, and then we drove back to Shuri. Ike was her splendid, playful self. She laughed and giggled all the way. She was the perfect playmate, built for sex and enthralled by every inch of it. It was something she did for the pure animal enjoyment. In her case, I'm certain, economics and environment were a secondary consideration.
Tama, on the other hand, was a much different person. She was very serious, and it seemed she had real emotion only for Sei, old ugly Sei. If we were in America, I would have concluded she was in love with him, but we were on Luchu, and sentimental love, as we know it, is not a part of the nature of Japanese girls. Still, the signs were there. I wondered if she knew about Sei having ordered the bomb that killed her family? The thought made me shudder, and I erased it completely. I would probably never know the answer, and I certainly would not have the cold affront to go asking such questions.
Sei was exceptionally kind to Tama. His kindness showed in very subtle ways, that only a Japanese girl can appreciate.
I dropped them off in Shuri, and having obtained the directions to Sei's home, I returned to the billet. I wanted to freshen up a bit, and perhaps begin writing my report. A note was in my room with instructions to report to the Major immediately. Damn Major! What could he want? I was in no particular mood to see him. Two minutes later I was opening the door to his office. It just so happened that he was coming out.
"Where the blazes have you been, Lieutenant?" he said as soon as he recognized me.
"I've been working on the case you assigned me to."
"We've been looking all over the island for you," he looked down at some papers in his hand, and added, "You can forget the case. You're back on leave."
"What?" I said incredulously.
"Yes, haven't you heard? We found the killer." He noticed the blank expression on my face, so he continued to enlighten me. "He claims it was an accident. Says he was frightened when it happened, so he ran out. Story checks. He turned himself in to the Luchu police yesterday afternoon. We might hold him for something. I don't know yet. I think we may let the Luchu officials handle the whole matter. They are not so thorough as we are, and the espionage matter would not leak out, or it wouldn't be very likely to come up in the trial. They have no-knowledge of any of that at all. The Japanese government would be quite disturbed if they learned we had an active agent still working in one of their provinces. There would be a terrible diplomatic shake-up. You understand now, don't you?"
I understood all right, but there were still many questions without answers, but I didn't care to ask the Major at that time. The sooner I could get out and back on leave the better. I did not know the habu man, but I was happy to hear he would be receiving Luchu justice, and not military. I learned later that Oda's radio was found. The report indicated that vandals entered Oda's house after he was dead and took the radio. The investigators conjectured that since the vandals had no way of using the instrument, and had no way of disposing of it at a profit, they simply spilled it over the cliff-side, where they found the pieces strewn.
It was admitted that Sergeant Wise was an addict, and some kind of evidence indicated that he obtained his narcotics from ships out of Hong Kong. It stated that he was in fact a herbalist, and was by an unfortunate accident in Oda's shop when the habu man, a Mr. Tanaka, stopped by. The snakes escaped accidentally, causing the death of Sgt. Wise and the shopkeeper. The habu vendor, Mr. Tanaka, being thoroughly experienced in handling of the deadly vipers, gathered them up, locking them in their cages. He then fled in terror and panic, returning the following day to surrender to the local authorities. The report also mentioned in passing that no narcotics were found in the shop. This would automatically absolve Oda of dealing in narcotics. It didn't matter any longer, but I wondered if he was not, in fact, still dealing in the stuff at the time of his death. He certainly had the contacts for maintaining this profitable business.
It seemed to me that the American authorities were trying too hard to cover up much that didn't, on the surface at least, need covering up. The matter was out of my hands now, and I didn't give a damn about it now anyway. The rest of my time would be spent in peace and quiet, visiting with Sei and his lovely sister Haru. No more intrigue and adventure for me. I would return to civilian life very soon, and I would get some good paying junior exec position. Then I would find some good looking debutante, marry her, and live socially ever after. Oh yes, with well adjusted children, of course. These were my sincere intentions, and they still may be. But I think Haru changed all that. Little did I know that I was soon to charge, like a wild bull with blazing horns, into a little typhoon that would suck me in and keep me whirling, who knows, for the rest of my life!
CHAPTER TEN
Sei lived in a fine two story house with much plant life around it. Great pains had been taken. The volcanic soil of the island begrudges every plant and the farmer must toil daily against this injustice of nature. But Sei and his sister had grown a beautiful garden, in spite of the elements.
The house was much bigger and much more elaborate than any Luchu could afford. It had a marvelous view overlooking the city of Shuri, and the harbor. I arrived just as the flames of the evening horizon started clawing the sky. A soft wind came up, and the crickets started screaming up a storm.
It was awkward at first, because I could not forget that Sei and I had stood Haru up the night before. She answered the door, and I immediately started making apologies for our terrible thoughtlessness.
"Please come in," she said, betraying no emotion. "We are expecting you."
"Haruchan," I said feeling guilty, "I've brought you something." I handed her a box of candy I picked up at the PX. This was intended as a sort of peace offering. It was wrapped very crudely in a brown paper bag, and probably this was more an affront than no gift at all. However, Haru was no ordinary girl, and she understood my crude manner as the kind gesture that it was intended to be. I could not tell if she was actually angry about the night before. In the Japanese, it's almost impossible for an American to discern such things.
"Haa!" she exclaimed with glee, "For me?" She put her index finger to her nose.
"Of course for you," I said, being nonplussed at her enthralling manner.
"You are so kind."
I really wasn't. I was just a thoughtless sonovabitch that had forgotten to come the night before because he was consumed by the flesh of a whore. A delightful whore, but still no excuse for standing up this fine young girl. She had probably worked all day fixing things up for Sei and I, but no, we didn't even have the courtesy of sending a message, and telling her we wouldn't show up. Did you ever feel like a heel?
"I want to apologize," I started clumsily.
"No, no," she interrupted demurely, "do not apologize. Everything is well, and we are happy to have you in our home this night."
That's what I liked about Japanese women They have a way of making everything right, an making a man feel comfortable in the most uncomfortable of circumstances.
"Please come in. Seichiro is now taking a bath. He will be out soon." Her English was superb and carried the melodic line of Japanese. I later learned that she was fluent as well in Russian. She studied two years in America (thanks to Sei's blackmailing, no doubt), and had obtained her degree from Doshisha University in Japan. This explained her easy manner with an American stranger.
I took off my shoes, and Haru ushered me into the main room of the house. She asked me to be seated and excused herself for a moment. Through a large window, the city sparkled below, and the multi-colored coral reef glowed hypnotically. A strong scent of tea and herbs created an aura of relaxation. When Haru came in she brought some tea, and the candies in a bowl. Suddenly the cares of military assignments left me. For the first time, I fully realized I was no longer on any case, and I could relax for the rest of my time in the service. Haru knelt next to me, and asked if there was anything else she might bring for my comfort. I looked into those consuming eyes of hers, and everything was fine. It's wonderful how one does not have to break the ice with a Japanese girl. There just isn't any to break.
Sei came in a while later, and the three of us spent the evening in gentle conversation. Everything was wonderfully at ease. Haru cooked the finest meal in the world. We did a little drinking, but nothing like the previous night, just something to go with our dinner. I told them everything about the case, and how it had developed. But they were not too interested other than the fact that it was closed. At least Sei knew he would not be suspected of his uncle's murder. We played go and reminisced. Altogether, it was languid, peaceful and delightful. I might as well have been in heaven, there with my closest buddy, and perhaps the most fascinating and intoxicating girl I would ever know.
Since I wouldn't have to report to the base until my papers came for discharge, Sei invited me to remain in his house. It was far more comfortable than any billet, and besides they didn't have anything like Haru to improve the view. So, I accepted. He was very happy about this, but when he mentioned it to Haru, she acted slightly disturbed. Sei noticed this as well, and he asked what it was. She excused herself as merely being concerned as to my comfort, and was afraid that perhaps they wouldn't have good enough conveniences in their "humble" home for me. Sei and I laughed and it was decided. I would stay with them the rest of my time on the island.
The days that followed were some of the happiest & carefree days of my lyife. Sei was up early and off to the college. In the evenings he spent most of his time correcting papers and working on a book.
Consequently I saw little of him. I ordinarily saw him only on weekends and at the evening meal. He seemed to take a great delight in having me with him, even though we saw so little of each other. Often he would bring some of his colleagues home, and show me off to them. He would leave me with giving me instructions to get them drunk if I could, and I would. It was a pleasure to entertain for Sei. The people he did bring down were always interesting, and even more so when they were drunk. The most interesting paradox in these highly intelligent people was their complete misconception of Western reality. They all had a fine knowledge of this other world, but absolutely no understanding.
Except for entertaining Sei's guests now and then, I spent most of my time with Haru. And this was more than just a pleasure from the start; however, if I had been more aware, and less complaisant, I would have noticed many things that would have created some deep concern.
Sei took every opportunity to meet Tama in the city. He never mentioned this, but when he returned from his sojourns, he was always troubled and in deep thought. His countenance was sad until I would break in with one of my crude jokes. Then he would snap out of it, returning to normal. His meetings with Tama were early in the evening, and in public places; therefore, one might deduce he wasn't seeing her for the purpose of satisfying his carnal desires. No, it was something far deeper, and far more complicated than all that.
Not having to comply with military regulations, I reverted to slovenliness, and did not bother to crawl out of the overstuffed blankets until ten or eleven in the morning. If I had, I would have noticed Haru rise early every morning, usually wrap some things in an oversized handkerchief, and leave. She went to a nearby village where, I later learned, lived Tanaka, the habu vendor, that had confessed to the killing of her uncle. He was being tried in Shuri, and reports had it that he would be receiving a maximum sentence for negligent behavior. Other reports had it that the trial was turning, and that he would be prosecuted for murder. It was believed by many that he could be very easily convicted for this latter crime.
I would also have noticed that Haru disappeared in the dark of night into the garden, and made her way down the perilous mountainside. To meet a lover? I would have hoped not.
But all of this was completely beyond my notice. Life for me was just extended ecstasy. When I awoke, no matter what hour, Haru was there with breakfast. She had especially learned to make a good, solid American, lumber-jack type breakfast for me. And she even tucked me in at night. It was too perfect to last.
You can well imagine that I led no monastic life with her. Perhaps I should have tried, but what man could with such a tempting, suppliant beauty like Haru always at his side.
Haru was Western on the outside, but Eastern on the inside. She dressed in the current American styles, and when in public, she took on the mannerisms common to most American women seen on public streets, but once inside her home, the aura was Eastern. The house always smelled of green tea, with a smattering of other exotic herbs or incense. The interior design was all Japanese with that free, relaxing flow of space. There wasn't a stick of western furniture in the place, unless you want to consider the fork kept for me. She was herself, in spirit, deeply oriental, whether she would admit it or not.
Her black hair hung like a shining waterfall to her posterior, and it seemed to me that it was like so many fingers, curling inward at the tips, and grabbing at her with every swinging step she took. It was this that created in me my first surge of jealousy. I wanted to be that hair, holding her by her cleanly delicate but gently firm fanny. The strange part of all this is that it was, for the first time in my life, not a lecherous or lustful desire. It was a gentle and humble desire. I don't want to get mushy about this, it's just that I didn't feel like an animal about this thing. I didn't want to tear into my prey like a cave man clawing at raw meat. I wanted to sit down to an exquisite meal of a gourmet, and taste every morsel with all my senses. This was the desire that bumed in me.
My first night with Sei and Haru was everything I have said, but it was in addition a very shocking pleasure. During the course of the meal, being a lecher by habit, I located myself in such a position that Haru would naturally have to sit in front of me. The advantage of this was that I might get a glimpse of her sculptured legs, and perhaps a bit more. As it was, I didn't have to go to such pains, because it seemed that she was careful to sit where I could view her to the best advantage.
Japanese girls are accustomed to sitting modestly on the floor, and one of the things they learn at a very early age is especially how to sit on the floor in Western dress. It is rather an artful maneuver, but one which is always mastered without too much difficulty. The trick is for a girl to sit and stand without showing everybody in the room what brand of drawers she wears, and at the same time maintain the modest composure of a lady. I have no doubt that Haru mastered this technique, but at her home that night she seemed to be ever so slightly careless, just enough to give me a glimpse (sometimes a full view) of things that would lie ahead.
On one occasion, with her legs in front of her, she raised her knees, and leaned forward with her hands to her feet, as though very interested in what I was saying. Her motion did not help my line of thought at all. I saw her legs, and the nether regions covered with white silken panties. My mind flashed back to the thick cotton things I accidentally felt the first day we met. There had been a change. Not that it made a difference, but I didn't mind it at all. I never did recall what I was saying.
That flash of panty clinging between her legs was a warning signal, one that I should have paid attention to. I burned with inspiring fires inside. I didn't know if I could or if I would. After all, I was a guest in my best friend's home. Might I dare to try? With his sister? In his own house? I'm an egotistical heel all right, but not that much.
After a while, the ever so pleasant distractions she was creating were getting on my nerves, and I tried to relocate myself in such a way that I would not have to look at her. But inevitably I found myself looking down the long barrel between her knees and into the white covered socket. It was shattering. I wanted to be decent and all. I certainly did not want Sei to notice that I was constantly gazing at his sister's drawers. He knew I was an old cock-hound, and I didn't expect that he should appreciate such gestures, especially from me. Besides we both had the greatest respect for each other.
The pleasant torture fortunately didn't last too long. It was still early when Sei excused himself to go to bed. He had to get up early for school the next day. He said he was very tired, and that I should make myself completely at home. Little did he know how complete it would be. Haru was to prepare my room.
Haru and I chatted briefly, before I decided to retire. Then she took me upstairs and showed me where I was to sleep. To my questioning surprise she made it a point to tell me that her room was next to mine, and that Sei's room was downstairs. This only presented a new temptation which I thought better to resist.
When we stepped into what was to be my room for the summer, she walked very business-like to a cupboard, and in a very casual tone said, "Take off your clothes while I prepare the futon," (that's the large overstuffed blankets). I almost dropped my pants when she said this. It is customary for men to undress before women, under a circumstance such as this, in Japan. The Japanese male usually wears underclothes that look like baggy pajamas. And, in other cultural circumstances, such as the community bath, both sexes take off all their clothes in plain view of each other, and think nothing of it. This is a very difficult custom for an American to become accustomed to, especially an American that has been raised under the strong precepts of "niceness", and who has never been a nudist. I would have readily stripped if Haru was some whore or floozy, but she wasn't. She was a lady, a very lovely and desirable lady who would have been shocked, I conjectured, if I had dropped my pants to exhibit a very rigid pecker.
She had pulled the blankets from the cupboard, and was busy straightening them out on the grass-matted floor, when she took notice that I was just standing there, watching her, and had not begun undressing for bed.
"You are embarrassed to undress?" she asked, looking up at me with devouring eyes.
I was embarrassed, but I didn't want to admit to her that I was some kind of cultural clod. So I made an excuse, figuring that if I could delay the situation momentarily, then perhaps the excitement of the evening, caused to no little extent by Haru's own deft movements, would subside. I could then take my pants off without disclosing my true feelings, that is of course, assuming that I would not leave an obvious clue for my adversary. For, so I considered her at that moment.
"Oh no," I answered, as I moved toward the window searching for a good answer, "I was just admiring you." What had I said? I hoped it hadn't been too compromising a statement. Not sure of what to do with my hands, I reached up and unlatched the window panel, sliding it open. The night came pouring in on us, and the huge full moon, that seemed to cover the entire sky, came spilling in, and inundated the room.
"How beautiful it is," exclaimed Haru, rising excitedly to her feet. She turned off the light, and walked across the room to stand by my side at the window. It was too beautiful. Too beautiful to resist.
The room rocked in moonlight. And the damned crickets (believe it or not) were screaming their lascivious, "screw, screw, screw, screw...." like a million dirty old men in high pitched queer voices. And the damned sea undulated like the rippling muscles of a woman with but a solitary need. Damn me! Damn me! was all that slugged my mind. I wanted not to feel the way I felt. I wanted to knock all the dirty thoughts out of my mind. And up until that night sex had been a dirty thing with me. I don't mean that I didn't like it; hell! I loved it, and I was never known to turn it down when it was available. Neither am I the kind that loses respect for a girl when she is generous enough to give me a little. Hell, on the contrary, I've always been grateful to those that have shown me the kindness. And I don't mean that a girl that screws is dirty either. It's nothing like that.
It was just that standing there next to Haru, admittedly feeling sexy, and with all the elements playing against me, I suddenly felt dirty about sex. Me, mind you, who has never had any second thoughts about dipping the old stick into anyone that would allow it! I was fighting with myself, and for the first time in my life, I had the strongest, burning sensation that was far more encompassing then just sex. Sex was the instrument, but it was not the goal. Sex was the guide, like a Geiger counter that takes you to the unseen treasures. I felt all of this in my very bones, and the territory I was traveling in was so strange and unknown to me that I was frightened to proceed any further.
"I am very happy with you," Haru spoke soft-
" Why is that?' I answered in a tone one would use with a child, but not daring to look at her.
"Because you find me desirable, and because you want me very much."
I was speechless. I didn't say a word. I didn't know what to say. I was hoping I had not made it so crudely obvious. I just stared in a trance at the moon, and listened to her voice as though it were being piped in from another world.
She continued, "I do not think I know what love is, because it has a bad meaning in our language. You know this, I know." A few signs of nervousness grew in her voice, but she spoke as sincerely, as purely,' as unaffectedly as one might imagine an angel to speak. "But if love is what I imagine it to be in your sense of language, then I am very happy, because you are falling in love with me, too."
You could have blown me up with the bomb when she said this. It was at once a terrible experience, and I was trembling, but it was also a glorious sensation that made me ... it made me ... well, it made me want something. It made me want to do something. I don't know what, just something. I was at once angry and jubilant.
"Now listen to me!" I turned, grabbing her by the shoulders, thinking I would give her a good scolding for using words she knew nothing about. "Of course, I want you. I'm a man, and you are a very attractive woman. All normal men are attracted to attractive women." I didn't know what I was trying to say, but I kept talking just the same. It was a defensive measure more than anything else, and Haru just stood there looking up at me with her sucking eyes. That didn't help matters at all. She was suppliant, submissive and seductive all at the same time. Everything about her, except her words (because she remained silent), said she was mine to do with as I pleased. "Normal men," I plowed on with more verbal gibberish, "in close proximity to attractive women, are normally sexually aroused. They normally find the woman a desirable object. This does not have any meaning other than being pure carnal desire. One woman, two women, any of a number of women would do just as well at that particular time to satisfy the desire. Love has nothing to do with this. I mean, sometimes it does. That is to say." I heard my voice weakening, my argument dissipating, and finally silence. We stood there just looking at each other.
"I knew I was not mistaken," she said with the pure sincerity that only a child can transmit. Then she turned from me and walked to the center of the room. She turned around and said, "You may have me, but please be gentle the first time."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
That's the way it was every night, and sometimes two or three times during the day. We were like a couple of damned honeymooners. Anyone would have thought I never had a piece until then and sometimes I think I never did either. It was new. Everything was new, and every engagement was a fresh, invigorating experience. I didn't tire of it, and each time it was better than the last.
Ever since I had arrived on the damned island, I was jinxed, and practically every moment was spent in dumbfounded confusion. I didn't know if I was going, or if I had arrived. I was afraid to think of love, because I knew I was falling in love. Hell! I wasn't falling, I was in love. I was in the damned stuff up to my ears, and the rest was sinking fast. There was no chance for survival. And the worst part of all is that I loved every moment of it.
It was never a lustful thing that came to a burping climax, and dissipated in smug satisfaction. It was something that we found as natural and as necessary as breathing is to life itself. Our relationship was an extended, on-going, transmission of sensual necessity, whether in spirit or in fact. No sooner would the chemicals in our body produce the necessary ingredients for the high moment of physical ecstasy, than the minds would start co-mingling and building to a spiritual climax. It was, I suppose, the perfect state of bliss. A state where the senses can never be fully satisfied. A state wherein the fountain never dried but remained full to the brim without overflowing.
But even if all this love and compatibility nonsense were not included in our relationship, Haru was the most exquisitely natural bed partner I ever knew. The strange thing of this is that she had no experience prior to me. Not that it would have made any difference, and not that I would ever ask her, but I truly believe she was a virgin. Yes, I know there is no way to be absolutely certain, and I don't particularly care. I'm only mentioning this as a point in fact. On that first night, I busted through the membrane like a scared rabbit, and blood saturated the futon. There was blood, although in diminishing degrees, for three solid nights, and it took her just those three solid nights to learn what most professionals learn in a decade.
You can imagine the mixed emotions after that first night. We lay on the blood soaked futon, recovering our physical resources. She didn't cry, as I might have expected. She was happy, although not sexually satisfied and in a good deal of pain. The sexual perfection was achieved a few days later. As all good things, it took a while. She stroked my hair and said, "I think I have loved you for many years."
She was always careful to use think in conjunction with love, because she was never certain what love was. All she knew is that she felt a certain basic and overwhelming emotion with me. One in which she was totally consumed, as was I with her. One that frightened her, as it did me. One that carried us with such great invisible force that we were absolutely powerless before it. She never resisted it, as I would often try, but flowed naturally with it.
One time she told me, "I think I loved you since my brother started writing to me of you. He admires you and loves you very much, you know."
When she told me this, I believe I truly felt humble. All I could answer was, "All true friends feel this way about one another."
"Perhaps so," she said, "but my brother envies you too. He used to write to me of your passions, both in hate and in love. It is when he started writing these things to me about you that I think I started loving you. And then, though I was still but a girl, I made up my mind that I would be yours, and that I would save myself for you. There was no doubt in my mind the day I saw you, who you were. There was no doubt in my mind that you would love me, and there was doubt that we would be lovers."
What can a man say when someone talks to him like this. I felt ridiculous and grand all at once. I felt like kicking her in the mouth, and telling her to shut up. I felt, like running out of the house and never returning. I felt like shooting to the moon, and serving it to her. I felt confoundedly lost in grandeur. I was going to tell her that it was ridiculous for her to know I would ever see her or meet her. It was only an enormous accident, a fluke, a one in a million chance that I ever came to Luchu. I felt like telling her she was crazy, she was stupid, she was just plain idiotic, and that she had to wash all this foolishness from her head. I never told her anything.
No good thing can last forever, and this too came to its death. As our affair progressed, she started getting noticeably nervous one day. It did not affect our relationship, if not perhaps to intensify it-assuming that was possible. I had already reconciled myself to glorious defeat, and felt no guilt when I would see Sei. I don't know if he knew or suspected what was going on between Haru and I, but it didn't matter, because she was going to be my wife. I hadn't asked her, and I don't really know why, except that perhaps in being caught in that romantic typhoon, it all seemed so unnecessary, would be something that could only interfere, and almost unnatural. It almost seemed as though it come between us, instead of enhancing the relationship.
When making love, there was a perceptible difference in a frightened and perhaps pleading way. She grasped at me. She wanted to be with me longer. She wanted me to hold her longer, and more tightly. She would hold onto me in what seemed a desperate clutch, a suffocating grasp. I ventured to ask her if something was the matter, but she said that nothing was. I expected the answer, and I knew that if something was troubling her deeply, she would never think of burdening me with it. Her manifestations of tension worried me, and one early morning, before the sun splashed across the sky, I found the answer.
I was lying alone in, my room, wondering about her, and trying to figure a way I might help her. I heard the shop of her room slide open. I thought she would come in to me, although she had never done that before. That is, she never returned to my room after she left it, and she had never come in early in the morning. She didn't come into my room this time either. Instead, her footsteps went down the hall and down the stairs. I could hear her under me, as she moved toward the back door, and then I heard the back shop opening, and she stepped out into the garden.
I burned with jealousy. For the first time in my life, I felt the stabbing pains of selfish jealousy. So unreasonable it was, so unwarranted. For no man could feel jealousy for Haru, any more than he could for a saint. But I did, and it was this dreaded disease that caused me to open the window cautiously and quietly, enough to see into the garden. I saw her just in time. She disappeared toward the back into the heavy growth.
Quietly and quickly, I moved downstairs. Who could she me meeting? was what plagued my mind. Is it a lover? I thought. I was prepared to kill whoever it might be, so blind was my fury. And I sneaked through the garden, making my way to the same exit where Haru disappeared. I could hear her voice. It was not near enough or clear enough for me to discern what she said, but she was talking to someone. That I could tell.
As I pushed the bush aside and started to walk through, a wire caught me right across the throat, and had I been running it would have decapitated me. What the .hell was a wire doing at the end of the garden? I checked it, and followed it out with my eye. I had never noticed it before. It was strung up through the trees and led to the house. I could see it shining in the moonlight, as it wound itself around the house. It was a camouflaged antenna, not unlike the one Oda had on his house.
At that moment the antenna made no impression. I just wanted to get to Haru. The other side of the bushes disclosed a long drop, almost straight down. For a moment it occurred to me that Haru might have jumped, but I dismissed this quickly as the sound of her voice refiltered into my conscious brain. Her voice was coming from below, and there was a narrow trail that led down the side of the cliff. I made my way slowly down the trail barely visible in the full moonlight. Without the moon I could have never made it. I must have made my way down for about twenty yards when I came to the entrance of a cave. A light was coming out of the small entrance, and Haru's voice was coming from within. She meets her lover here, was all my blind and stupid mind could think.
So in a blinding rage, I got to my hands and knees and sprang into the cave. As I rushed around for orientation, I noticed that the cave opened into a sizeable room of about the size of an average kitchen, and on one side of the cave sat Haru talking to someone on a radio. She almost screamed when I came rolling in, but when she saw who I was, she continued talking as though nothing had happened. Her eyes told me not to interrupt. As soon as she stopped talking she switched to code, and transmitted for several minutes.
I could have read her code, but I was no eavesdropper. I did notice she was in contact with Tokyo. I felt very foolish about this whole thing, and didn't know what I would tell Haru when she finished. I suppose it would be best to tell her the truth. But the radio? What about it? Where did it come from? What was it being used for? Did I have to ask her anything? I was on no assignment. There was nothing that said I had to report it. I hadn't seen it.
When Haru finished she took off her ear phones and hung them up. She sat there quietly. Didn't say a word. Just looked at me. I squirmed a bit, not saying anything either. For a second I thought she was judging me. but I noticed she was crying. It was the first time she had allowed an emotion like this to escape her before my eyes.
I felt like crying for her. I felt like doing some-think for her, but I didn't know what it was. I knew nothing. It was then she told me everything.
CHAPTER TWELVE
HARU
"I am sorry that I have to 'deceive you," she said. "For this I am too ashamed. I did not want to do it, but please try to understand why it was. This radio is the one that belonged to my uncle Oda. Please do not be alarmed, and please do not think that I am of the same character as my uncle. Please do not think anything evil of me. Please do not think anything bad. I must have you with me until I die. Promise me this. I need your strength so much, and if you are near me and with me, I can endure, but do not worry. It will not be very long now. I am glad you found me. I am glad that now I must tell you everything. I will feel much better when I go.
I will be happy if only you promise to think of me once in a while all your life. Even when you marry.
It can not be me. I am not so fortunate. It would be wonderful if it were so, but it cannot be. You will understand very soon, but please do not be sad. I want to always remember you with that beautiful smile that belonged to me if only for a short while.
My family, I believe, is cursed to have ill fated unions. When my mother and father married, my maternal grandparents committed hari-kari, and now with my dear brother it is very bad, and I worry very much about him. I wished I could be here to help him.
I am not supposed to know many things. For example I am not supposed to know about my uncle Oda, but I do. I know everything about him, and I know he was an evil man. I even know how Seichiro obtained the money from my uncle so that he could go to school in America, and I know too that he obtained the money the same way for me to go to school. Shop is very thin paper, and it is easy to hear through. Sometimes, when I was a little girl, I heard many things that I did not understand, but as I grew up everything I heard and stored in my mind started becoming meaningful. My poor brother! He does not know that I know more about the intrigue and espionage that he and my uncle were involved in than even he knows.
Seichiro is a very good man. He has been a wonderful brother to me, and I want him to make a good husband and father some day. This will be very difficult for him. Help him if you can. In his mind he is always chastising himself, and slowly destroying himself for what he did as a boy. He does not believe himself worthy of any woman, nor does he consider himself worthy of bringing children into the world. He had his sperm duct cut many years ago, to assure that he could not bring children. I am told that there is an operation now that can put the sperm duct back in order. Try to make him take it.
He cares very much for a woman, a' woman that he is destroying with himself. Her name is Tama. Do you know her? She is a very beautiful woman, but she is very weak willed. I do not like this in her, but then it is not me that she would marry. I have met her several times, and I do know that she could make my brother very happy. That is all that is important.
My brother blames himself for killing all her family, and sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night screaming about it. This is why he sleeps downstairs alone, so that we cannot hear him. It is not strange that you did not hear him screaming when you were his roommate, because he used to take some special pill. But now they make him very sick, so he must just allow himself to go on screaming. He suffers very much, but I think too that all this could be cured if he married Tama, and had children. I think maybe this is the only way that he will be cured.
When Seichiro returned to Luchu, he learned that Tama was alive, and he spent many days looking for her. When he found her, he was heartbroken that she should be a prostitute, and he blamed himself for it. He not only felt that he had killed her family, but he felt that he had driven her into prostitution. I don't believe that anyone is driven to it. If one truly does not want to be one, she will not be. But this does not matter. She is a prostitute, and we must accept that fact ,no matter for what reason. I know that she cares for my brother very much, and I know that she does not like to be a prostitute, but many things keep her from getting out. My brother has offered her everything. Everything except marriage, and this he will not offer because of his self-inflicted punishment. He feels he owes her everything, but everything he will not give. He will not give himself because he does not feel himself worthy of her.
I believe she would marry my brother if he asked her. She told me one time she would. But Seichiro must ask her soon, or it will be too late. I think there is someone else. Tama does not believe my brother's stories and confessions. She says that sometimes she is afraid of Seichiro. That he sometimes talks like a madman. She does not believe that my brother had any connection with the killing of her parents. So much the better for the situation.
Very soon Seichiro will be very rich, as soon as my uncle's papers are in order. Then he will be able to offer Tama much security. If my brother can ask her, she could go with him and get out of prostitution, and she could make him a good wife.
She does not have the will to get out of prostitution because she is afraid, and perhaps no one can blame her. For one thing she is afraid she will not have money for food or shelter, and number two, she is the favorite mistress of the American Colonel that owns the place where she works. You did not know this? Yes it is true, and she is afraid that he will do something to her if she leaves. I do not think so, because the Colonel is a good man. He has always treated all his workers kindly, and they all like him. Tama does not like the Colonel but she too says that he has always been very kind to her. It is unbelievable that the Colonel would do something odious to her, and even if he was a cruel and selfish man, he could not afford to risk his position for a thing like this. I have been totally unable to convince Tama of this. She is still very much afraid of the Colonel, and will not leave, even though my brother has already offered what little he could get from my uncle. She believes that my brother's promises to provide for her are his hallucinations, like the killing of her parents. Still she does care for my brother very much, but she is too weak willed.
Do not tell Seichiro, or anyone about this. Nobody must know about what I am telling you.
When you came in tonight, I was transmitting routine intelligence to Tokyo. I am a special agent for the Central Intelligence Coordinating Council. I was selected mainly because of my ability to learn information from my uncle. Aubreysan, my uncle was a very evil man.
The Central Intelligence Coordinating Council has placed every known foreign spy under surveillance. The Americans must never learn of this. My assignment was only to report all the information that my uncle received, and also all the people that he transmitted to. This was all very easy for me. I had a recording device installed underneath the floor, and it turned on automatically with the radio. Everything my uncle received and sent was recorded. It is very difficult, and very costly to send the tape recordings by messenger to Tokyo, so I arranged a way to send everything on my uncle's own radio when he was not home.
This was a very good system, but it was necessary to take the radio out when my uncle was killed and relocate it. This is it right here. From here we can continue transmitting our intelligence. A special agent was sent from Tokyo, and he transferred the radio for me after my uncle was killed.
Do not hate me when I tell you it was I that killed my uncle and the American Sergeant. Yes, yes, I did it. I planned it and executed it. It was by direct order from the main office in Tokyo. If I did not do it, someone else would have been sent to do the killing.
My uncle was a very shrewd man, and he managed to find out about the Central Intilligence Coordinating Council, and shortly before I killed him, he had learned that I was their special agent. He planned to kill me. He planned to kill me in the same way I killed him. Only, I was faster.
The reason my uncle was so afraid was because he was sending his information to China, to Russia, to the Americans, and to Tokyo as well. He was collecting money from all these governments, sending them all top secret information about each other. As soon as he learned the Japanese were spying on him, he became worried, because he could not afford to let the other governments, especially the Americans, know what he was doing. He could do nothing but kill me. This is when the Central Intelligence sent word that they were sending a special agent to handle the matter. I knew what they intended, but I also knew that the agent might not get to Luchu soon enough, and that I would have to act fast to defend myself.
It was as though I had planned it for years. I went to Mr. Tanaka's home. He is the man that supplies snake venom, the one that is being tried for the murder of my uncle. You didn't know? Yes, they are trying him for murder now. New evidence was learned, and tomorrow I think they will find him guilty of murder. It looks very bad for him, and I must help him, because it is not his fault. It is mine.
I sought Mr. Tanaka. I told him of something he had suspected for many years. I told him that my uncle had supplied certain information to the Americans that was directly responsible for the death of his two oldest boys. I told him too, that Tokyo government wanted my uncle dead, and that we could do it very easily together. Mr. Tanaka did not hesitate. Hate came to him, and he said that at last he would avenge the death of his sons. He was more anxious than I had expected.
The following morning the special agent arrived from Tokyo, and we tried to reach Tanaka before he did anything. We went to his home, but his wife told us that he had left earlier with two barrels of habu .snakes. Immediately we ran to my uncle's shop, but nothing could be helped. Tanaka had finished his plan. My uncle was inside, and he released the snakes. While they did their deadly job, he held the door closed from the outside. There was no opportunity for survival.
I am sorry about the American, but if he was not killed, everything would be lost. The American soldier was there to negotiate about narcotics. My uncle did much business in this, but he was very sophisticated about it now. He coordinated shipments of narcotics by radio, and the narcotics were just transferred in the habor from some other ships to American ships. That is why no narcotics were found in his home. He was too clever to ever keep any there.
When the special agent and I arrived, Tanaka had just finished gathering up all of his deadly snakes, and was about to leave. He did not say anything to us, just hurried down the road. I knew I would find him dead, but still I felt horrified. I hated my uncle, and I felt no grief, but still I felt some pity. The special agent immediately suggested the radio be dismantled and brought here. I could continue transmitting from here. We did not think the Americans would look for the radio. So later, when we learned they were looking for it, we destroyed an old radio that did not work, and threw it over the mountain. So they did not find my uncle's radio. They only thought they did.
I am very sorry for Mr. Tanaka. He will be convicted for something that I did. He has a good wife, and two children. They are very kind to me, and every morning I go to see them. I do not think they will be able to live without their father, and it is my fault that they will lose him. I am the real killer, and the authorities must know about it."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I tried to convince Haru that she was not to blame, but she insisted that she was. She was very, very upset. I had never seen her like this, and we didn't sleep the rest of the night. We returned to the house, where Haru made some tea, and we sat and talked until the sky burst into flame.
I finally did make some headway. I convinced her that if Tanaka was found innocent, then there would be nothing to worry about. He would return home, and live happily with his family as he had in the past. I told her that if she wanted she could then offer him financial help, and maybe set him up in business, but that even this was something she had no real responsibility for. But I still could not communicate the fact that she was absolutely not to blame at all. She considered herself the primary instrument of the whole tragedy.
I insisted on accompanying her to the court that morning. It would be the last day of the trial, and I didn't want her to do anything foolish. She did promise me she would wait until after the verdict to decide on a course of action. I prayed Tanaka would be found innocent, but Haru seemed to know that he would not be.
We visited Tanaka before the hearing. As we approached him, he looked downcast but as soon as he noticed it was Haru that had come to see him, he sat up and took on a different countenance altogether, though it did remain serious. He was not bitter or angry with anyone, and he told Haru that things were as they should be. He let her know that she was not to blame for anything, that he had suspected her uncle of the misdeed which caused the death of his boys for many years. And then he thanked her again for having given him the truth. Tanaka said that all he cared about was the truth, and what was happening to him in court was the truth, so it had to be all right. He repeated this to Haru several times telling her not to worry, that everything was going to turn out all right. Haru looked at him with compassion each time and told him that everything would turn out just fine.
Waiting in the courtroom for the trial to begin, I asked Haru why the Japanese government had not stepped in and tried to avert this whole thing if possible. After all it was they who ordered the killing. Shouldn't they take the responsibility?
"It is out of their jurisdiction," she answered. "The Japanese government is not allowed any rights on Luchu. They cannot intervene in anything. But even if they could, they would not in this instance, because then their intelligence system will be compromised. Tanaka will never say that his action was as part of a directive of the Japanese government. It's a question of pride with him. He killed Oda for having committed an act of treason, and in his eyes, it would be an act of treason on his part to divulge such information."
My mind flashed back to Major Wheeler. Sure, that was it! Our position too would be compromised with the Japanese if they knew we were still keeping tabs on them. Just like the Americans, I thought. They wanted to drop the whole thing as quickly as possible. They passed it on to the Luchu people like a hot potato.
"If the Americans knew we had a spy system on the island," Haru went on, "it could result in a very bad diplomatic situation."
"I agree," I said. It was sticky all right. The Japanese government could no more step in and admit that they had ordered an American spy killed than to declare war. Tanaka had to fight it out on his own.
It was a losing battle, you could tell immediately. When Tanaka was pronounced guilty, he did not even wince. There was absolutely no reaction on his face. It was as though he had always known the verdict. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Haru was shaking like a leaf. I didn't know what to tell her, except that we could appeal the case. I didn't even know if you could appeal in a Luchu court. I told her that she could help him by hiring lawyers with the money she would get from her uncle, and in a few months Tanaka would be a free man. But I don't think Haru heard a word I said. My attempts to comfort her were futile.
Wheh she regained her composure in the court, she asked me to go with her to the jail. I did so, but reluctantly.
"Are you going to see Tanaka?" I asked cautiously.
"Maybe I will see him, but most important thing is that I want to talk to magistrate. I am going to tell the truth."
"Haru! You can't do that," I stopped her, "You must think of the political implications, even if you won't think of yourself."
"Don't worry," she said, ashen faced, "I will not say anything that will compromise anybody but myself."
By this time we were in the building, and the only way to detour her would have been by physical force. Resorting to this would have only served the purpose of getting myself thrown in jail, where I would be of no use at all in helping Haru. My power of persuasion was negligible. "But what's the sense in this," I practically screamed. "They will not convict you of anything. If I had known how far you were going to go, I would not have let you come here this morning.
"You could not have stopped me," she said coldly.
"All right, go in there. That will not help Tanaka get out." But nothing deterred her. The only way I might have stopped her was to slug her and carry her home. She was too emotionally upset to reason with, but I was hoping that once she told her story, the Luchu officials would just shake their heads understandingly and let her go. After all, they did have justice in this court, and the Luchu police were fair. What could they do to her? All she did was mention to that gook Tanaka that her uncle caused the death of his sons. They couldn't do anything to her for that.
I knew the minute she went into the magistrate's office that I had made a mistake in allowing it all to go so far. I should have taken her home, even if by force. She told the story all right, her own version. She said that she was the real killer they wanted. She said that she had paid Tanaka to kill her uncle so that she could inherit his money. That was perfect.
When Haru told this all too plausible story to the magistrate, he immediately called the jailer, asking him to bring Tanaka to verify her story. He had not yet been put back in his cell, and they had him in the office in seconds. The magistrate asked Tanaka about Haru's story.
It was several seconds before Tanaka answered. He was trying to figure out why Haru concocted such a story. When he put the pieces together, he looked at her in disbelief, and then he smiled, saying, "This is not true, your honor. I hardly know this girl. I killed her uncle because I wanted to avenge the death of my two sons. I am guilty. I am the man you want. I cannot imagine why this young lady has made up such an incredible story."
The magistrate dismissed Tanaka to his cell. He showed some concern and interpreted Hani's reaction to an emotional condition. He asked us to have tea with him, and we talked for several minutes. All the while he talked in kind, but not very understanding terms. He was a typical civil servant. They seem to be pretty much the same throughout the world, well meaning but ineffective. He deliberated on justice, and law, telling her she was just a confused girl, and that she should go home and get some rest. Perhaps take an aspirin, and then everything would be much better. It was not as bad as she seemed to think it was. We listened courteously. Haru just looked down. She hadn't said a thing, nor had she touched her tea. I doubt that she heard a word that was being said. After Tanaka's refutation of her story, she was like a walking mummy. She was in a state of shock.
I thought I would get her out of that police station as soon as it was diplomatically possible and get her home. I would have to call a doctor first. He could be at the house by the time we arrived. Just then a Japanese policeman came barging in, excited as all hell.
"Excuse please, excuse please, Tanakasan has killed himself."
We jumped up and ran to the jail portion of the building. The doctor was just getting there, but he need not have come. Tanaka had scratched some habu venom into his blood. A small vessel lay by his hand. He looked like a man asleep. There was no horror, no joy in his face. It took the doctor about one minute to make his diagnosis and pronounce the man dead. A note was nearby. The doctor handed it to the magistrate. It read:
I have avenged the death of my sons, so my spirit is satisfied, but I cannot live in disgrace for the rest of my life. It is too much shame for my family to bear; therefore, I must leave honorably.
Tanaka
That really took guts, I thought to myself. Then it came to me that Haru was not with me. This could readily have a traumatic affect on her. I ran back to the office. I looked all over the building like a wild man. Something had happened. I didn't know what, but I could sense it like an animal senses death. Where could she have gone? Where would she go? Damn me! Why did I take my eyes off her. The radio, I thought. She has gone back to to radio Tokyo about the trial and Tanaka.
I grabbed the first taxi and rushed back to the house. I tore through the house with an ever increasing sense of helpless panic. The cave, I thought. Yes, she would be in the cave. I ran out the back door and through the garden. From the edge of the cliff, I made it in one jump to the entrance of the cave, and as I hit the ground, I caught a glimpse of the inside the cave. Her feet were visible by the radio, and for an instant my heart sprung with relief. Thank God she's all right, I thought. But this was premature.
I scratched on into the cave, and Haru was sitting at the radio. She was slumped over it with her head resting in her arms. She was falling into a peaceful sleep, one that would last forever. "Haru!" I screamed in agony.
A flicker of life remained in her. I looked all over her body to see what was the matter, and I found the clean, deep impression of habu fangs on her left wrist. Not for a moment did I stop to think but tore into the wound with my bare teeth. There was no hope, and I knew it. I had arrived too late, but I did prolong her life for a few precious seconds, during which she somehow managed her last words. I was sucking mercilessly at her wrist, and looking at her face. Her eyes opened ever so slightly. Her lips moved, she wanted to say something. With my face drenched in her blood, and without stopping to suck the poison for one second, I bent my ear to her lips.
"I am not worthy," she whispered, barely audible, "He came after Tanaka left. I was afraid. Tried to save Tanaka by killing Sergeant. Now I have done the same to myself. Never told you this. I wanted you never to feel shame for me. I am sorry. My deeds have brought suffering to everyone." Her voice faltered, and then silence.
I continued to suck feverishly at her wrist, long after I knew she was dead. It was as though I were trving desperately to suck her life into me. This madness continued until I passed out of exhaustion on her lifeless body.
When I awoke, the moon poured into the cave. I was drenched in her blood. I stood up. I didn't think. I just started to wander in the cave, afraid to look down on Haru's body. On the top of the radio there gleamed two habu fangs, neatly attached to a back scratcher. Dear Haru, did you kill the Sergeant with this, I thought. But nothing registered consciously on my mind. If the authorities had found this back scratcher, they might have reopened the investigation, and found Haru guilty of murder. There was no sense in that. This beautiful girl was no murderess, and it would only bring shame to Sei. The law could do nothing to her now anyway. I buried the murder weapon, the suicide weapon in the cave. Then I picked up the limp, now cold, body of my love, and in blood soaked agony, carried her up the cliff.
There is no more to tell. The story ends. No one ever learned the truth about Haru, not even Sei. We buried her, and hundreds came to her funeral. The remainder of that summer passed very sadly. Oda's papers were finalized, and Sei found himself a wealthy man. One of his first acts was to set up a trust fund for Tanaka's family. Not because he felt Tanaka was justified in his act of murder, and besides, the family was very much in need.
Sei was a shrewd business man, and he invest ed his money wisely. When I left he was completely absorbed in elaborate plans for the future. It occurred to me he was a changed man. He had found something to live for. He had developed a. vitality that he never had. His plans included a new library for the college. A refinery for the island. Special scholarship funds. A foreign exchange bank and a multitude of other things. Sei was now a driving force, who could truly do something for his people. I left him, not what you might consider a happy man, but a purposeful man.
Things happened quickly in the last few days. A series of typhoons hit the island. Several planes were destroyed, and much military property was devastated. The grass roofed huts of the islanders stood through it all unmolested. I didn't have the opportunity to discuss Tama with Sei, in fact I never even thought of it. Sei was so busy with his new tasks (and he had me running so many errands) that he doubtless gave Tama no thought at all. My separation orders came and before I knew it I was booming high over the Pacific toward California.
My soul was filled with the excitement of returning home. At the same time it carried the sorrow of that breathless summer. The big, middle aged woman sitting next to me snored offensively. I was still working on the Kentucky whiskey trying to ignore her and trying to keep my mind on better things. Don't misunderstand me. My first loyalty is always to California, but when it comes to whiskey, well that's another story. In any event, the old slob finally woke up, and she says to me, "My dear boy, you shouldn't be drinking that in public. Not in that uniform. Not really."
"Oh, I'm sorry," I told her, "Would you care for some?" and I offered her the bottle. You can imagine? She was fit to be tied.
"Well!" she exclaimed very huffy, and quite indignantly, "My husband, Col. Crockmyer, will hear of this."
It didn't really matter. I was getting out very soon, but I'm a peace lover at heart. So as soon as I heard this, I tried to make amends, and told her I was only joking with her. That I was in good spirits, because I was going home and all. Surprisingly enough she accepted my story, and before long we were good buddies, joshing each other all the way. It seems that the Colonel was being rotated back to the states and he would follow later. He had some business to attend to before he could leave Luchu. Mrs. Crockmyer informed me that they were sponsoring a youngster to the U. S. She would go to U.C.L.A. and live with them in Los Angeles.
"Lovely child." Mrs. Crockmyer was enchanted. "Yes, she's traveling with me."
"You mean she's on this plane?' I asked out of courtesy.
"Why of course, dear boy," she said with a teasing slap of her fingers. "See that's her. The lovely girl sitting in the second seat."
The girl turned to face us from the front of the plane. She pretended (I think she pretended) not to recognize me. I did likewise. She smiled at Mrs. Crockmyer, and turned back to her reading or whatever else she may have been doing.
"Lovely girl," I said to Mrs. Crockmyer.
"Yes, isn't she," she said with a smile. "Her name is Tama."
