Vol 3 Chapter 5.2 (1/2)
[Novel] NO. 6 - Vol 3 Ch 5 (b)
This is a continuation of PART A.
Please hover over the text to see annotations.
”You want me to co-operate with you?” Rikiga made a clearly distasteful expression.
”Yeah,” Nezumi answered. ”I want you to glean information from your customers.” Nezumi seated himself snugly into the chair, and put his feet up on the table.
”Information? You mean about the Holy City?”
”Yeah.”
”What's in it for me?”
”Enormous riches.”
Rikiga stood up, and strode over to Nezumi. They were in a room of the building Rikiga used as his workplace. It was a room littered with magazines and empty bottles, and it reeked of alcohol. Looking down at Nezumi, Rikiga twisted his mouth in a scowl.
”Some long legs you've got, huh. Showing off?”
”What an honour to be complimented by you. These are the money-makers, I gotta keep them in shape.”
Rikiga's hand rapped sharply on the pair of legs flung out onto the table.
”Get your feet off my table. It's obvious what kind of upbringing you've had,” he said scornfully. ”Don't even know your basic manners, do you?”
”I use my manners with people who deserve them.”
”Not to mention your filthy language,” Rikiga continued. ”And this favour you're asking for, is this some kind of act? Are you practicing for some new part you've got?”
”It's a real issue.”
”A real issue, huh. Enormous riches, you say? Ridiculous.”
Nezumi glanced at Rikiga's face, and flashed a faint smile.
”What's wrong?” he said. ”This is about making a fortune ― you love this kind of stuff. Not feeling up for it?”
”What makes you think I'm gonna believe what some third-rate, fraud of an actor tells me?”
”Then who would you listen to? s.h.i.+on?”
Rikiga's gaze wavered.
”s.h.i.+on? Does s.h.i.+on have something to do with this?”
”He has a lot to do with it.”
”Did you get him involved, Eve?”
”No. s.h.i.+on sowed the seeds, they're just growing in my yard.”
”What do you mean?”
”If you agree to help me, I'll tell you.”
”Spit it out.”
”First, I want you to show me your customers' stats. When's the next time a high official from No. 6 is gonna come to have a good time? I want to know his name, and position.”
Rikiga exhaled shortly, and folded his arms.
”Eve, how old are you?”
”Younger than you, old man.”
”You must be young enough to be my son. I've been meaning to say this for a while, but a brat like you has no right to look down on adults like this. You're bound to serve the consequences.”
With his eye still trained on Nezumi, Rikiga called out, ”Conk,” in a loud voice. The door to the next room opened, and a large man walked in.
”He's my new bodyguard,” Rikiga said. ”Just got him hired. He used to be a wrestler, and people used to bet on the matches. He's nearly killed several people with his bare hands. On the ring, and off the ring too.”
The man silently gazed down at Nezumi. He was so large, he made the dirty room seem a size smaller just by walking in.
”Conk, I want you to give this little prince here a proper welcome. You don't have to kill him. Just enough so that he'd never be able to make another smart comeback again.”
”Huh?” Conk stuttered. ”Uh―”
”Don't 'uh' me, I'm telling you to teach this kid what a punch from a real adult is like,” Rikiga said irritably.
Conk licked his lips, and took a step forward. And another step. Nezumi stood up. Rikiga smiled contemptuously.
”This is the punishment you deserve, Eve. The full extent of it.”
Conk's feet stopped.
”Eve ― is it really you, Eve?”
Nezumi smiled, and proffered his hand in a delicate gesture. His sensual smile made even Rikiga blink.
”So your name is Conk? Pleased to meet you, Conk. Thank you for always coming to see me on stage. I would never have dreamt that I'd be able to meet you here. I'm so happy.”
”Oh ― Eve, me too.”
Conk blushed crimson, and gently clasped the hand that was offered to him.
”I've always been a fan of yours ― I've seen almost all of your performances―”
”I know. You stood out, so I always knew whenever you came to my shows. You'd even send me gifts sometimes. I've always wanted to thank you directly.”
”Really? You ― you could really tell when ― when I―”
”Of course. And last time, you even cried. I was watching you from on-stage, too, you know.”
”Watching? You were watching me?”
”Watching you.”
”Eve ― I don't know how to say ― I ―”
”You're overwhelmed?”
”Yeah, overwhelmed. With happiness. I've never been so happy. I feel like I'm floating on air.”
”Thank you, Conk,” Nezumi said pleasantly. ”And I hate to disturb you, but I'd like to have a nice, long talk with Rikiga-san. Would you be so kind and pour me a cup of coffee?”
”Of course. Anything to eat?”
”That would be nice. Do you have meat pie, by any chance?”
”Yeah. I'll bring it rightaway.”
Conk disappeared into the next room with amazing swiftness for his stature. Rikiga shook his head.
”Coffee and pie, huh? That stuff is all mine, you know,” Rikiga grumbled.
”Don't complain, or he'd probably punch you. You said so yourself. Ex-wrestler. Nearly killed several people. Right?”
”I can see why his wife kicked him out of the house,” Rikiga said bitterly. ”He's completely useless when you need him the most.”
”He's a good guy. Probably makes excellent coffee.”
Rikiga clucked his tongue three times.
”That's quite something, Eve. Not only can you handle a knife, can you also use s.e.x appeal to your advantage too?”
”Both make good weapons.”
”Then use that weapon you've got.”
Nezumi lowered himself into a chair and crossed his legs.
”Eve, you're no rat,” Rikiga continued. ”You're a cunning white demon fox, great at manipulating people. Now, I don't know how many tails you've got, but I've got a man who likes that kind of thing. He's an elite, works at the Central Administration Bureau. He's my best customer.”
”Does that mean you're co-operating with me?” Nezumi's face was sombre. Rikiga's face was also grave.
”I've also heard that there's been commotion recently inside No. 6.”
”News reaches you quick, huh. I'm impressed.”
”Don't try to flatter me with things you don't mean. Staying on top of the news is what keeps my business running. But really,” he said bemusedly. ”This is the first time I've heard about anything out-of-line coming from that place. And that's how many decades since the Holy City came to be? It's probably about time things started fraying at the seams. And if that's the case, then I want to know more. I'm still concerned about these things, Eve. And if s.h.i.+on's involved ― then I don't want to turn a blind eye.”
”Is he precious to you?”
”He reminds me of Karan. And unlike you, he's truthful and kind. He's a good kid. Karan raised him well. She probably showered him with love.”
”What's wrong, old man?”
”What?”
”Why so solemn? You sick or something?”
”Leave me alone,” Rikiga snapped. ”When I'm with s.h.i.+on, I just feel at peace. I'm not sure why ― but anyway, I'll show you my customers' data files. Once that's done, let's hear your story. I'm not sure if it'll amount to 'enormous riches', but it might be of some interest to me.”
”That's what you're really after, isn't it?”
”Say what you will.”
The aroma of coffee wafted over to him.
Nezumi thought about s.h.i.+on.
Showered with love ― he probably very well had been. His recklessness, his liberality, his straightforwardness, his wide acceptance, were probably all tokens of the ample amount of love he had been given. s.h.i.+on had probably never experienced what it was like to grovel for love. That was fortunate of him. But love could sometimes be reversed into its opposite. Love could attract hatred, and bear the banner for destruction.
Hopefully, the love that had raised s.h.i.+on, the love that resided within s.h.i.+on, would not become the chains that bound him, nor the hand that led him to death―
Nezumi deeply inhaled the fragrant smell, barely managing to prevent a sigh from escaping his lips.
Inukas.h.i.+ trudged along the path, c.o.c.king his head ever so often in perplexity.
He didn't know how to sort through the information he had gathered. It was like sorting through ore, separating the gems from the rocks. From the reams of information, he had to select those that mattered, build the parts into a structure, and draw a conclusion. He wasn't very good at these processes.
Oh well. They'll figure the rest out. My job is just to dump all the ore out in front of them. But I can't help thinking―
He stopped his feet on a whim, and craned his neck. In the distance, he could see the fortress walls of No. 6. The special alloy reflected the light of winter. Inukas.h.i.+ had never thought about that land deeply. It was just an entirely different world, glittering in the distance. That was it. His only concern had been to survive the day's deprivation, and managing not to starve. He had never linked his ordeal with the s.h.i.+ning Holy City. But Nezumi was different. He was constantly occupied with No. 6 itself.
Why did he insist on concerning himself? What bound him to it?
Love and hatred were no different in that they were both entrapments.
There was a gust of wind. It was chilly. Sometime tomorrow, the weather would probably change.
Inukas.h.i.+ curled up, and gave a small sneeze.
He'd been taken ahold of, he knew it. He'd been taken ahold of firmly by Nezumi's persistent intentions, and s.h.i.+on's resolution.
No, that's not it. Half of it is me sticking my own foot in.
It wasn't because he had been threatened by Nezumi, or because he felt pity for s.h.i.+on. He had stepped in on his own will.
But why?
He questioned himself, but did not receive an answer.
Why? Why have I―
He craned his neck again to survey the Holy City.
Over there, the Holy City of No. 6 glitters, and over here is where we spend our daily lives. The amount of leftovers that No. 6 spits out in a single day is enough to easily satisfy the hunger of all the people here. Just leftovers. Half-eaten food, for G.o.d's sakes.
Gluttony and starvation, extravagance and poverty, rejoicing of life and fear of death, arrogance and debas.e.m.e.nt―
Would he be able to change it?
Inukas.h.i.+ walked briskly in the wind. His hair rippled and streamed out behind him.
Would he be able to change the reality he had resigned himself to, the days he had struggled to survive, his life which had long been stripped of any dignity as a human being?