Vol 2 Chapter 3.1 (1/2)
Novel] NO. 6 - Vol 2 Ch 3 (a)
These are English translations of the novel NO. 6 by Asano Atsuko.
Please see annotations on mouse-over.
CHAPTER 3
Sin and Sanct.i.ty
Humans are shapes.h.i.+fters; there's naught that's not in this world. [1]
- Ihara Saikaku, 'Saikaku's Tales from Various Provinces'
The slope that s.h.i.+on had skidded down turned out to be an enormous pillar tipped over on its side. Upon closer inspection, he could see that the base was carved out with the figures of several women robed in thin, translucent cloth. Rusty metal foundations were all that remained of what probably used to be an arched ceiling, and several withered vines feebly clung to them. The wall had collapsed entirely, and chunks of stone in all sizes were scattered hither and thither.
If he had accidentally struck his head on one of those― s.h.i.+on shuddered.
The scene before his eyes was something s.h.i.+on was seeing for the first time. Naturally, there were no such dilapidated buildings to be found in No. 6. All buildings were built accordingly to their purpose, with efficiency and functionality prioritized above all. Remains such as these, which had drifted through time, exposed to the wind and rain, were synonymous to illusion, and were not a product of reality.
He drew a breath, and let his gaze wander about him again. The wind whipped about in a fierce dance. As if continuing its journey toward yet a more ruinous state, a portion of the wall made a dry, crackling sound as it crumbled right before s.h.i.+on's eyes.
”Nezumi,” he called. It wasn't a plea for help. He had just wanted to call his name. ”You're there, aren't you? Come out already.”
”You're getting sharper,” said a voice somewhere from above. s.h.i.+on looked up to see Nezumi sitting on a window ledge several metres up. Nothing remained of the window itself except for the frame. The rectangular void, which was bordered in black, looked like a yawning mouth on the face of the crumbling wall, opened wide to let out a scream.
Nezumi jumped down from his spot several metres up. He landed squarely on the soft dirt.
”You're light on your feet,” s.h.i.+on commented.
”I am most humbled by your gracious compliments, your Highness.”
”Quite something,” s.h.i.+on quipped. ”Not to mention how amazingly fast you seem to disappear when you get into a tight spot.”
Nezumi shrugged his shoulders slightly, and gave a soft chuckle.
”You've even learned how to be sarcastic. Quite something, yourself. Grown up a bit, haven't you?”
”I must've gotten ten years' worth of experience from walking through that market.”
Nezumi's hand waved languidly in front of s.h.i.+on's face.
”So you nearly got mowed down by a gun, got seduced by a woman, tripped over a dead body, and got hit on by an old man. Well, I guess for a little boy like you, that counts for about ten years. But―”
”Hm?”
”You really have gotten better at running away,” Nezumi said approvingly. ”Way better than your last try with the fat guy.”
”The Disposers, you mean?”
”Yup. It looked like that geezer was seriously into you. To be honest, I thought you'd be good as gone if you managed to get dragged inside.”
”You disappeared awfully fast for that.”
”I don't get involved in more trouble than I need to,” Nezumi laughed silently. ”But you did a good job of making a getaway. Let me tell you, though, those guys don't give up easily. And you stand out on your own as it is. I'd be careful if I were you.”
”It is with utmost grat.i.tude that I accept your words of advice, your Majesty.”
”Oh dear, and your comebacks have gotten better too,” Nezumi laughed out loud this time, but softly. The thin dog was sprawled out on the ground, wagging its tail from side to side. The squalor of the market felt like a dream. A silent stillness pervaded the place as if the mountains of debris were absorbing all the sound around them.
”Nezumi, where are we?”
”Take a guess.”
”I don't have a clue― looks like it used to be a pretty big building...”
”It's a hotel. There used to be a hospital across from here. Beside that was a playhouse, I think― I don't know much about this place, either.”
A hotel, a hospital, a playhouse...
”So this really used to be a decent town.”
”I guess so. I mean I don't really know what a decent town is supposed to look like, but there probably weren't bodies everywhere, to say the least. At least back then.”
”Back then?”
”Before No. 6 was established.”
s.h.i.+on wasn't surprised. He had expected as much. He closed his fingers lightly over his palm.
”I've learned about the history of No. 6, and how it came to be. It was one of the very first cla.s.ses we took.”
”Mm-hmm,” Nezumi replied offhandedly.
”A series of large-scale wars erupted all over the world as the last century was coming to a close. It was before neither of us were born. As a result of the ma.s.sive amount of bombs and biological weapons that were used, the land was utterly destroyed and the climate deteriorated severely. The majority of all landma.s.ses, with just a few tiny exceptions, lost all ability to sustain human life. There were an enormous amount of casualties. The people that remained vowed never to war again, and in those regions that were spared destruction, they founded six utopian cities. And No. 6 was one of them.”
”That's what you learned.”
”Yeah.”
”And you've always believed it to be true?”
”That's the truth that we were taught to believe.”
”You remember what you said on the day we first met?” Nezumi said. ”You said you didn't think No. 6 was perfect.”
”I did.”
”Was that a lie?”
”No,” s.h.i.+on answered. ”I honestly thought so. But before I met you, I didn't realize that was how I really felt. I met you― and that's when I finally knew.”
He had met Nezumi, and realized. He had finally heard the sound of his own conscience creak as it strained against its shackles. He had always felt suffocated. In No. 6, he had everything. He had plenty of food, a warm bed, and full access to medical care at his fingertips. And it didn't stop there― at the age of two, when he had been acknowledged as a top-ranking individual in his Examinations, he had acquired the privilege to live in the luxury neighbourhood of Chronos. All its residents were provided a first-cla.s.s environment on many facets.
Before he had met Nezumi on that stormy night of his twelfth birthday, he had been surrounded by everything he could wish for, all of first-cla.s.s quality. But that day, gazing at the wind and rain that rumbled out his window, what s.h.i.+on had felt was a destructive impulse that seared him to the very core.
He had felt unbearably suppressed. Like a corralled animal that instinctively rams itself against the fence, s.h.i.+on had wanted to be released from the invisible cage that trapped him. At the very bottom of the deepest part of s.h.i.+on's subconscious, a voice had been resounding.
This is a facade.
Here, everything is given to you.
But there is nothing here.
You can't live here anymore.
So escape.
Break it.
Destroy it.
Destroy what?
Everything.
Everything?
When the voice within him had overlapped with Nezumi's words, s.h.i.+on had finally understood. I don't know the truth. I don't know anything.
Nezumi's gaze slid away from s.h.i.+on as he turned his back to him. s.h.i.+on grabbed his arm.
”Nezumi, tell me.”
Tell me the truth. Not a lie, or a haphazard excuse. Tell me its true form― of the Holy City, of No. 6.
His fingers were shaken off roughly.
”I'm not your nanny. If you want to know, then find out for yourself.”
He was shaken off again. No matter how many times he tried to grasp at Nezumi, he was always pushed away. Rejected ruthlessly. But still, s.h.i.+on kept extending his hand.
The dog was pressing its body against him. It was so thin its ribs jutted out, but it was still warm. Very warm. It had the warmth of something who was alive.
”Are you feeling sorry for me, by any chance?”
The dog twitched its drooping, light-brown ear. For a moment, it looked like it grinned at him. Then it lumbered ahead of him to Nezumi's side. Nezumi's hand slowly and gently petted the dog's head.
”So you're nice to dogs, huh.”
”Dogs don't act like babies.”
”But dogs can't sew.”
”What?”
”Dogs can't suture a wound. I noticed the suturing kit was still in tact in the emergency case. If you ever get hurt again, I'll sew that wound right up for you.”
”Why, thank you,” Nezumi said sarcastically. ”Your offer is so great it's sending chills down my back. That face came into my dreams for quite a while after that day, you know.”
”Did I look that great?”
”You were grinning. You had this look on your face like you were having the time of your life. Every time I dreamt about it I had nightmares.”
”Well, it was the first time in my life doing a suture. I remember being really excited. Say,” said s.h.i.+on enthusiastically. ”So did you take out the st.i.tches yourself?”
”Of course. It was easier than making soup.”
”Did it leave a scar?”
”Yeah. But I won't show you.”
s.h.i.+on stuck out his lip.
”Don't be stingy.”
Watch your feet, Nezumi interrupted loudly.
”The stairs start here. We're going up.”
The sun was setting lower, and darkness was setting in thickly. A large part of the stairs had crumbled away like the wall, and what was left of it wound upwards in a wide clockwise curve. Here, the ceiling was still in tact. It looked like it had originally been painted white, and although most of it had peeled away, there were white flecks of paint still left over here and there. A chandelier was hanging over the stairwell, and to s.h.i.+on's surprise, it was relatively undamaged.
”So this place really was a hotel.”
”It still is.”
”Huh?”
”This place is still used as a hotel.”
”No way.”
They emerged at the top of the stairs and were greeted by a large, vacant chamber. It had probably been the lobby. There walls were set in gla.s.s from floor to ceiling. The panes in the top half had been shattered and strewn over the floor, but the bottom panes still remained unbroken. Ripped and faded drapes hung lifelessly over them. Vines that had probably intruded through the broken windows clung densely to the walls, criss-crossed like a network of capillaries. Leaves were falling from them, adding to the thick layer that had already carpeted the floor.
It was thanks to a dim light in the room that s.h.i.+on had been able to decipher this much despite the settling darkness. It came from a candle that was burning on top of a stone table.
”Nezumi, do you smell something?”
”The candle burning, maybe?”
”No, it's not wax. It smells― almost like some animal...”
Nezumi gave a laugh.
”You really have come a long way. Your nose has gotten sharper. Now let's try working on your eyesight. Look.”
”Ah―”
A shadow moved in the darkness where the light could not reach. It was not a human. It had four legs, two pointed ears, and was growling menacingly.
”A dog,” he whispered.
It was a large dog, covered in short, dark-brown fur, with a fierce glint in its eye. Its throat was rumbling in a low growl. s.h.i.+on took a step backwards.
”He's not the only one,” Nezumi added.
There was a note of amus.e.m.e.nt in his voice― he was enjoying s.h.i.+on's reaction. s.h.i.+on resisted the urge to turn and give Nezumi a glare. He had no attention to spare for that.
With the first dog in the lead, several dogs of all shapes, sizes, and colours were emerging from the darkness. They were far from what would be called pets. They were dirty, their eyes glinted viciously, and their teeth were bared.
”Is this a nest for wild dogs?”
”Might be. What do you wanna do? Run away? If you don't decide soon, you'll get your throat torn out.”
The dark-brown dog approached him warily. It wasn't growling anymore. It silently but steadily drew up to him, without ever lowering its gaze.
s.h.i.+on gazed back into the set of caramel eyes that were the same colour as its fur. Behind the savage light in its eyes, there resided something surprisingly gentle. s.h.i.+on could feel its presence there.
Intellect?
s.h.i.+on lowered himself into a kneel. The shattered gla.s.s crunched underneath his denim-clad knee. Nezumi fidgeted. s.h.i.+on didn't move. Crouched on the ground, he stared straight at the dog.
The dog stopped. It stood still in front of him. It opened its mouth, lolling its pink tongue, and licked the tip of s.h.i.+on's nose. Then it lay down on the spot, and gave a yawn. All the other dogs began moving about on their own. Some began to groom each other, others sprawled out on the floor; still others began sniffing at their surroundings, and none of them seemed to have any concern for s.h.i.+on's presence.
”I pa.s.sed the interview,” s.h.i.+on grinned as he looked up at Nezumi. Nezumi clicked his tongue, and turned away.
”Didn't the wild dogs scare you at all?” he said sourly.
”They did. But wild dogs don't light candles.”
Nezumi sniffed in derision. ”You've never even seen a candle before.”
”I just did for the first time. It was brighter than I imagined it to be. Hey, Nezumi, does someone live here?”
Laughter rang out. It echoed off the ruins, and faded into the darkness.
”Pleased to have ya, guest.”
It was a human voice, but he couldn't see who it belonged to. The voice was echoing from so many directions that he couldn't tell from whence it came. It ricocheted and overlapped in countless layers. Just listening to it made him feel dizzy.
”Stop s.h.i.+tting around.” Nezumi bent down. He picked up a piece of debris, and flung it straight into the darkness where the dogs had come from. It was sucked into the gloom, but he could hear a definite sound in the distance as it hit the floor.
”Watch it.” The focus of the voice settled to one point in the darkness. It was a young voice. A light flickered in the inky-black pool.
”That's some violent way to greet someone, Nezumi. You've got no manners.”
”You could use some manners yourself, if that was what you call the proper way to welcome a guest.”
A figure was weaving through the dogs toward them with a candleholder. Even by the candle's flame, the person looked like he was thrown in shadow.
His waist-length hair, his eyes, his trousers that were ripped at the knees, and his baggy sweater were all black. He had tan skin.
Was he a boy? A girl?
s.h.i.+on couldn't make the distinction. The stranger's pointed chin and round eyes reminded him of a small rodent. He was very small and thin, and reached only up to about s.h.i.+on's shoulders in height.
”He lives here,” Nezumi said. ”I don't know his real name. We just call him Inukas.h.i.+.”
”Like― dog lender?”
”That's the one,” the stranger answered. ”Lending dogs is my trade. Nice to meet ya, s.h.i.+on.” Inukas.h.i.+ grinned. s.h.i.+on was taken by surprise.
”You know my name.”
”I'm quick to catch onto things around here. As long as I have my dogs, getting any information about these parts is a piece of cake. I know your name, and I know that you kicked the Disposer guy in the nuts before you came running here. This guy told me everything.”
The emaciated dog wagged its tail from its place beside Inukas.h.i.+.
”You can speak with dogs?”
”I'll hold conversations with anyone, as long as they're not human. Whenever you want any information, feel free to come to me.” Inukas.h.i.+ extended his hand with a smile. He was wearing a thick, silver ring. It matched well with his tan skin.
”Nice to meet you, too.” s.h.i.+on also extended his own hand.
It had been a while since he had shaken hands with someone. So far, his experiences had only consisted of running away, yelling, or rolling around. Inukas.h.i.+'s face was open and affectionate, and reminded him of a puppy.
A sharp pain ran through his palm.
”Agh!”
s.h.i.+on withdrew his hand hastily. At the base of his index finger, there was a small wound about the size of a pinp.r.i.c.k. Blood was already starting to well up from it. It ran down the palm of his hand in a single, red stream. He thought he felt the tips of his fingers go numb.