Vol 4 Chapter 2.2 (2/2)
”Is it about the Hunt?”
As soon as Nezumi said the word, both Inukas.h.i.+ and Rikiga looked at each other, then looked away. s.h.i.+on felt uneasy. No one had given him a satisfactory explanation of what ”The Hunt” was supposed to be. The man remained silent as his vacant gaze wandered in s.p.a.ce.
”Is there going to be a Hunt soon?”
”It's called a Clean-up.”
”Clean-up? Oh, right. That's what you guys call manhunting. Cleaning up garbage, right? So when is it?”
”I don't know. No set date has been decided yet. But it will probably be before the Holy Celebration.”
Holy Celebration. This was something s.h.i.+on was familiar with. On this day, all of No. 6 would be full of festivities celebrating the birth of the city. Fireworks would be launched, and the city flag―a golden oval symbolizing the Moondrop, set on a white background―would be hung everywhere. Citizens would celebrate their fortuitous privilege of being a resident of the Holy City, and would shower 'our mighty No. 6' with praise. A year ago, s.h.i.+on had been in the midst of the clamour. He could still remember it clearly. He had been on his way home to Lost Town when a slightly aged gentleman had stopped him. The man had reprimanded him, and asked him why he wasn't waving the city flag and celebrating the Holy Day. And it wasn't just that man. In the mere s.p.a.ce of an hour's walk from the Central Station to his home, he had been met with the same kind of indignant rhetorical question from several people―among them a young woman, an elderly person, and a middle-aged matron. The matron who approached him last had even pushed a flag forcefully into his hands, saying, ”Fulfil your responsibilities as a citizen. Come on, wave your flag.” s.h.i.+on remembered his discomfort, the displeasure, and his unease at the ma.s.s of waving flags, and the voices of the crowd chanting ”our almighty City”. The Holy Celebration was that kind of day.
Nezumi flashed a crooked smile.
”So they're gonna do some major housecleaning before the big day.”
”The population in the West Block has grown too large. These days, it's been burgeoning with displaced people. Violent crimes are increasing, like the ambush at the Access Control Office that happened the other day. It's about high time for... for a clean-up.”
”And exactly how many other places are left on this earth where people can still live safely? If people see a place that looks more suitable to live, they'll try to move there. Is that a crime?”
”We allow certain numbers, up to a degree.”
”Up to a degree? Hah,” Nezumi laughed shortly, ”you mean until they start becoming a threat to No. 6.”
”Yes. If frustration builds, and the starving people of the West Block decide to start a riot, it's just more trouble for us. We're helping to alleviate overcrowding by doing this, you know. It should be good news to you.”
”Well, well. How considerate of you.” Nezumi hunched his shoulders exaggeratedly. s.h.i.+on gripped Nezumi's shoulder firmly.
”Nezumi, you're not telling me the Hunt is―”
”The Hunt is what?”
”No way―how can it...” s.h.i.+on trailed off, then began again. ”Tell me. What's going to happen here before the Holy Celebration?”
”Think for yourself!” s.h.i.+on's hand was roughly shaken off. Nezumi's voice was like a slap in the face.
”I'm not your personal tutor. If you think everyone will just hand you your answers, you're wrong. Use your own head. Imagine.” Nezumi sucked in a breath, and softened his tone.
”I reckon your flimsy imagination would be no match for reality, though.” He dusted his hands off, and stood up.
”I'm going home,” the man muttered, and raised himself unsteadily to his feet as well. ”I'm going home. Let me go.”
”Fura-san, thank you for everything.” The words of grat.i.tude were out of s.h.i.+on's mouth before he knew it. His thoughts were tangled, and his heart was still distraught from hearing the conversation between Nezumi and the man. But he was still grateful for what Fura had given them. A man who had been living as an elite all his life had purposely committed a treasonous act towards the city. s.h.i.+on could understand the sort of pressure and fear that Fura was feeling right now.
”I know it's odd to say thanks after everything we've done to you, but I'm grateful. Really, thank you very much.”
The man stopped in front of the door, and turned around.
”And you?”
”Huh?”
”Aren't you going back?”
Unable to comprehend the sudden question, s.h.i.+on focused his eyes on the man's swollen lips instead.
”Do you mean to No. 6?”
”Yes. You're not considering going back to the city at all?”
”I'm not.”
”You're going to stay here.”
”Yes.”
”Why? Don't you feel homesick for the Holy City? Don't you want to go back?”
”I do miss some people. There are people I'd like to meet again. But I have no intention of going home.”
”Why not?”
”Because it's not a place where I ought to return. And because I've realized that, I guess.”
The man put a hand on the doork.n.o.b, and opened the door.
”You're a... a fool.”
”Am I? I don't think so.”
”You're a fool.”
The man left the room. Rikiga followed after him. The door closed, and the candle flickered from the breeze. The three that were left in the room looked down at the diagram the man had left behind.
”I just remembered something.” Inukas.h.i.+ sat down on the bed. ”An old tale my Mum used to tell me. About the northern wind and the sun. Know about it?”
”Yeah,” s.h.i.+on answered. ”It was in one of Nezumi's books. It was a picture book. It's the one where the wind and the sun compete to see who could get a journeyman's coat off first, right?”
”Yeah yeah, that one. No matter how much the wind blows and blows at the journeyman, the guy only holds onto his coat tighter so it doesn't get blown away. But as soon as the sun s.h.i.+nes down on him, he takes it off because he's hot.”
”Inukas.h.i.+, what're you getting at?” Nezumi knitted his eyebrows in displeasure.
”I just thought it was like the two of you. Too bad, Nezumi. s.h.i.+on was able to get the coat off much more easily.”
”Say what you will,” Nezumi said dismissively. ”―s.h.i.+on.”
”Hm?”
”Do you think we can trust this floorplan?”
”Yeah.”
”You're being naive.”
”You think he went out of his way to write in fake information?”
”What if he had? Maybe you just think you've gotten his coat off successfully, but he's actually just wearing armour underneath.”
”He didn't have a reason to lie. He would have known that we'd let him go home, even if he hadn't told us anything. But he took the trouble to give us top-secret information.”
”Maybe he's set a trap for us.”
”You think so? You honestly think so?”
”I'm just saying there's the possibility and the risk. But knowing that doesn't do anything for us. What he's left us is the best information we have. We don't have the method or the time to figure out if it's real or not.”
”So you're saying we have no choice but to believe it.”
”Unfortunately.”
Inukas.h.i.+ sprawled out on the bed and barked out a laugh. ”Look at him, trying to act cool. Unfortunately my a.s.s! You know, s.h.i.+on, Professor Nezumi here is actually impressed that the guy gave away top-secret information so easily. He didn't even imagine you'd do so well. He sees you in a new light now―he's just not showing it. Stubborn boy,” Inukas.h.i.+ sighed in mock exasperation. ”If he's impressed, he should just admit that he is.”
”Inukas.h.i.+!” Nezumi said angrily.
”Don't get mad at me. It's the truth.” Inukas.h.i.+'s face turned serious, and he glanced at Nezumi and s.h.i.+on while he lay on his stomach.
”But what're you gonna do now, Nezumi? You serious about using the Hunt to get into the Correctional Facility?”
”Yeah. And lucky for us, it looks like a Hunt is scheduled to happen soon.”
”Lucky, huh,” Inukas.h.i.+ echoed. ”Just to tell you, I'm opting out of this. I don't want anything to do with something this risky, and I don't have any obligation to be involved.”
”Your chance to s.h.i.+ne is just coming up,” Nezumi said. ”I've got work for you to do outside of the Facility. The alcoholic said so too: we're in this together until the end. There's no way you can take your two gold coins and run. You know that, don't you, Inukas.h.i.+? More than anyone else.”
Inukas.h.i.+ stuck his lip out, and pulled his face into a scowl. Nezumi cast a hand over the hologram, and called s.h.i.+on's name.
”s.h.i.+on.”
”Hm?”
”Memorize this entire floorplan. We won't be able to take any micro-robots into the Correctional Facility. Any machine that's not equipped with a recognizable chip will be destroyed, no matter how small. Take one wrong step, and whoever's holding the machine will probably be blown up along with it. And we won't have the time to pull out a map and check our bearings every time we get lost.”
”You want everything from this?”
”Everything. Commit it to memory perfectly. I want every sensor location, security system layout, and the location of every garbage bin memorized, without any errors. Even a tiny incongruity can cost us our life.”
”Alright.”
Nezumi tossed the micro-robot to s.h.i.+on.
”We don't have much time. Commit everything to memory perfectly―that's your a.s.signment.”
”That's a more difficult a.s.signment than anything I've gotten before.”
”How confident do you feel?”
”Confident.”
Huh. Nezumi blinked and gave a huff. It seemed like he had not expected s.h.i.+on's definite answer.
”I guess I should have known you'd be good at doing brain-work, huh?”
”It's not a question of whether I'm good at it or not. It doesn't matter whether I can or can't―it's something I have to do.”
Lives depended upon it. Safu's, Nezumi's, his own; Inukas.h.i.+'s and Rikiga's irreplaceable lives depended upon it.
He clenched his hand around the white micro-robot. Even if he squeezed hard enough to crush it, the man-made machine never screeched in alarm like Hamlet or Cravat, nor did it feel warm and soft in his hand like them. It was merely stiff and cold. Nezumi's lips relaxed into a smile. He chuckled softly.
”Looks like you've learned to grasp the situation a little, at least.”
”You trained me.”
Nezumi pursed his lips.
”―Stay close to me,” he muttered.
”Huh?”
”The Hunt is coming soon. Stay close to me, and don't wander off. Wherever you go, keep in sight of me. If we lose sight of each other in the middle of the Hunt, we'll probably never see each other again. Your chances of living will go down drastically, to say the least.”
”Got it,” s.h.i.+on said heavily.
”I think the chances are low enough without you losing sight of him,” Inukas.h.i.+'s whole body shook as he laughed. The rusty bed-springs creaked and made an irritating noise. ”When people get captured during the Hunt, they get thrown into the Correctional Facility where most of them die or go insane. It'd be a miracle if you could live through it and manage to come back out. It'd be as miraculous as the sun splitting in two.”
”You can make miracles happen more easily than you think, Inukas.h.i.+. Hasn't your mom told you?” Nezumi threw the superfibre cloth around his shoulders, and headed for the door. Inukas.h.i.+ called after him.
”Nezumi, there's more.”
”More? More what?”
”Mum didn't say anything about miracles, but she told me this after the story of the wind and the sun. 'No wind or sun can take our hides off us,' she said. 'You may not have a coat of fur, but don't you ever give in to the wind or sun.' And then she licked me all over.”
”Admirable mother you've got.”
”She's the best.” Inukas.h.i.+ leapt off the bed, and glided to Nezumi's side. ”I've been raised by my Mum. I still remember how her fur used to feel, her scent, and what she told me. I remember, and that's why―”
”What?”
”That's why I'm going to survive. I'm going to keep on living here with my dogs. Even if you guys die, even if you never come back out of the Correctional Facility again, I'll still keep living. I'm going to live, and tell the rest of the dogs about my Mum.”
”A fine vow. Your deceased mother would probably be overjoyed to hear that.” Nezumi's hand stretched forth to stroke Inukas.h.i.+'s tan cheek.
”Good night, my boy. May G.o.d bless you with sweet dreams to give you strength for tomorrow,” he said gently, in a woman's voice. Before Inukas.h.i.+ could open his mouth, Nezumi had disappeared out the door. Inukas.h.i.+ spoke to the darkness.
”Just watch me―I'll live through it without you all.”
”We'll all live through it,” s.h.i.+on said quietly. Death was not in their plan. They would act, think, and fight to live. To survive―together.
”Oh, I forgot to say something.” Nezumi's breezy voice echoed from the darkness. ”Inukas.h.i.+, if you want a good-night kiss, I suggest you get one from s.h.i.+on. He would give you a very adroit and pa.s.sionate kiss, indeed.”
”Nezumi!” s.h.i.+on said indignantly.
Nezumi's laughter faded into the distance. It became one with the sound of the wind, and was sucked into the darkness.
-- END OF CHAPTER 2 --
Read Chapter 3.
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