Vol 9 Chapter 41 (2/2)
I want to bring back those days, those ive up anything
But he would not return Those days had long passed, never to coain
Ever
It was a premonition―a premonition which he almost certainly believed would come true shi+on purposely averted his eyes fron of weakness, but he did it anyway
shi+on stood up and turned to face Nezumi
”Can you move?”
”Somewhat”
Nezu on the wall, and let out a long breath A thin sheen of sweat covered his forehead
”Aria, can you measure his blood pressure, pulse, and body temperature? Based on that, tell me what an appropriate treatment for him would be”
”Understood Understood Blood pressure, pulse, body te measurements”
”No need” Nezumi shook his head in refusal ”It's a waste of tihed again
”M'lady, with all due respect, allow me to politely decline your offer We don't have time for treatment”
Aria blinked, and her eyes turned yellow
”Due respect, decline, ti o?”
”Of course”
Inukashi+ and Rikiga looked at each other
”Go where?” Rikiga asked Inukashi+ scowled in silence
”To city hall,” shi+on answered
”City hall? You mean the Moondrop?”
”Yes”
”Wh―do you knohat state that place is in right now?” Rikiga exclaimed ”I mean, I don't know myself, but it's sure to be chaos The Security Bureau is cracking down on citizens left and right―shot sootten word of what happened to the Correctional Facility The rest of the people will find out about it soon―No 6 doesn't have the power to suppress the spread of inforet worse It'll be co” Nezumi smiled wanly Nezumi had countless deft ways to smile This one was a cold smile with a hint of mockery
”It's our once-in-a-lifetie We better hurry, or on't even get standing seats”
”With the state you're in?” Rikiga replied incredulously ”You can't do it, Eve Sure, you er than you look, but you're human You have limits Don't do it No 6 will play its star role even if we're not in the audience It'll pull off its role of the wretched, self-destructing giant with flying colours”
”You're telling me to throay this chance and retreat with s?”
”Yes You two destroyed the Correctional Facility, and that definitely helped trigger the deh More than enough Eve, shi+on, don't go further than this Back off and let nature take its course It's tie staff is notaway a chance that's already in a said in disgust ”Listen to ain Your part is over It's not worth it to risk your lives to stand onstage”
shi+on stood in front of Rikiga and shook his head
”Rikiga-san, we have to go We have to go, no matter what”
”shi+on, you too? Why? What for? You were able to escape the Correctional Facility, a damn miracle it was Why won't you retreat to where it's safe? Doesn't your lifebecause ant to die,” shi+on said fir because he's the only one who can stop Elyurias”
”Elyurias?” Rikiga's eyes darted about ”What is that? Someone's name?”
”She's the queen who once ruled over this land I don't know if 'queen' is the right name for her―she never tried to dominate her subjects or drain their wealth like humans do She only protected the rules of the forest, and the workings of nature”
”shi+on what are you talking about?” Rikiga drew his chin back A bead of sweat rolled along his jawline, across his five-o'clock shadow
”Humans―the humans who attempted to build No 6 on this land tra within it They burnt the forests, massacred the Forest People, and tried to build a world that was solely for themselves Only their own abundance, their oealth, their own safety and prosperity was their concern They built a disconnected utopia on a foundation of others' sacrifices”
”shi+on,” Nezumi called It was a quiet, beautiful voice ”You know everything?”
”No What I know is probably only a small part I only read as in Rou's chip”
Nezumi sank to the floor He curled up, and a said ”I still have no idea what you're talking about Sounds like coibberish So how is Elyuri-what's-her-face related to what's happening to No 6? What do you mean when you say Eve is the only one who can stop her? shi+on, give me the details”
”I'd love to hear all about it, too” Inukashi+ clicked his tongue lightly His hands were full with nuo? What is all that?”
”Clothes and food Bland soup and bread just doesn't do it forto watch a play, I think we need to look a littleseats”
Inukashi+ dug out a chunk of s The dogs pro their voices Theroll, and lined up to nibble at it
”Good Eat,” Inukashi+ said proudly ”Eat as ood job This is your reward Heh heh, that's the a about No 6 Even a clinic in the middle of nowhere like this has a kitchen full of food Not toclothes Heh heh, heh heh heh heh, this place is full of top-notch iteood price for this in the West Block”
”You've coa said
”Who cares? The doctor is dead Dead people don't need food or clothes”
”Well I guess you're right Hey, pass me some ham, bread, and those blue pants”
”I'll sell them to you for one silver piece”
”Inukashi+, you bastard, you just said goodbye to your ride,” Rikiga snarled ”You can walk back to the West Block”
”I was kidding, yeesh!+ Old man has no sense of humour That's why all the women trick you out of your otta prepare for the road ahead”
Inukashi+ turned a bag upside down Ham, apples and bread tumbled out
”Let's have a banquet while we listen to the story shi+on The Great has got to tell Sounds like an interesting one”
Inukashi+'s eyes glittered froue flitted across his lips again and again
”Maybe he'll tell us who Nezu In fact, I' No 6, to be honest”
shi+on scooped up an apple
”Nezumi, can you eat?”
”Ah, I haven't recovered to that point yet I'ive hilucose solution?”
”Understood Understood Colucose transfusion”
”I'd like a transfusion of wine,” Rikiga chirape juice There were two bottles in the fridge” Inukashi+ handed a bottle of reddish-purple liquid to Rikiga
”Alright, shi+on We're all ready Spit out everything you know” His pink tongue flitted across his lips again shi+on peered at Nezuht?”
Nezuhtly He propped his knees up, and put his face down on his ar a wind that was blowing against him
shi+on took a bite of the apple Its tart juice burst inside his a leaned forward, Inukashi+ clutching a piece of bread and harape juice
The two had put their lives in the balance for shi+on and Nezumi They had acted on shi+on and Nezu In other words, they had believed in the two boys They had invested their lives into their belief Telling the was the only way to match the leap of trust they took, and to answer to their dedication
He knew Nezuan to speak
I don't think I need to tell you about how No 6 was created Huain on this planet, which was half destroyed by human hands
Before No 6 was born, this area was a miraculously preserved stretch of beautiful, abundant forest I said miraculous, but this land―its forests, woods, and lakes― was actually meant to survive Elyurias and the Forest People protected this realm It was because of her that this land's wildlife was spared dae
No one can explain who or what Elyurias is Even the naiven to her by a researcher ―I met him, in the basement of the Correctional Facility
”Basea choked on his juice and had a coughing fit ”So there was a basement in there, after all!”
”There was”
”How about gold bullion? Was there gold bullion in there, shi+on?”
”Gold? No There were people living underground Back when the Correctional Facility wasn't such a brutal and vigilant incarceration facility, people who escaped but couldn't return above ground began to build their own underground world in secret The leader of this group was called Rou”
”So there was no gold, after all” Rikiga hunched over, clearly crestfallen Inukashi+ guffawed, baring his teeth
Rou was a n and build No 6 on this land Before No 6 was created, there used to be a se of the forest People who survived through the waste and decay lived htly-knit coht young people were chosen from that town to fora drew himself up ”That's the toas born and raised in It used to be called the Town of Roses―that's how beautiful it was Karan also used to live there”
”No one asked you, old onna shut up, I'll tear apart your throat for you”
”I'd like to see you try You can ripOh, yes, that revival project team I heard about the after girls and blushi+ng at their ankles They were holding so people frohter future for hua folded his aran And not long after that, No 6 was born as the sixth and best,speed”
”And before you knew it, you dropout failures were shoved outside the walls Pity,” Inukashi+ said nastily
”You should be the one keeping your ue of yours and turn it into mincemeat In those days, I'd just beco itself in, trying to build a barrier around itself, just seemed really shady to me I wrote a whole slew of articles that talked about it It was natural that I was thrown out of the city It was around that ti”
It was precisely that
No 6 grew at a stunning rate Its infrastructure, governing bodies and regulations were swiftly and skilfully laid out In the midst of it all, Rou met Elyurias
Rou himself wasn't able to define Elyurias as she a forest spirit? Or a species of ani he knew for sure was that Elyurias existed long before the birth of hu this land The Forest People worshi+pped her, revered her, and lived in harht, so who are these 'forest people' that you keep talking about?”
”Will you shut up, old ave an exaggerated sigh
shi+on turned and glanced at Nezuainst the wall His eyes were closed His profile was beautiful, but it looked somewhat artificial
”Glucose transfusion, 50 co transfusion” Aria's eyes blinked green
Nezu His eyes remained meditatively shut, his body perfectly still
Continued in PART B
Shakespeare, William Macbeth New Haven: Yale University Press, 2005 156 (back)