Somersault

by Kenzaburo Oe

  Ikuo scowled fiercely. Perhaps irritated at his own vague words, Ogi thought, large teardrops began to course down his face.

  Ikuo shook his huge head, wiped back the tears, and said, “That was half a year ago.… It’s been a long year since the summer conference. I’ve thought about it a lot since then, and I agree with what Patron said. Gii’s taken by this idea of a millennial reign, but Patron said he would lead the church as an antichrist. As a free man, I plan to stand beside Gii until he takes over the church.”

  “I’ve no doubt Gii is the sort of young man who can become a New Man, but he never told me he believed in God or stood on the side of the antichrist,” Fred said. Then he closed his notebook and asked very calmly, “Has this become a church without God, then?”

  On Ikuo’s brawny features a truly beautiful expression arose as he pondered this. From the bottoms of the domes on the ceiling, snow melted in the sun and fell off with a thud. The large cylindrical space was surrounded by the sound of water. Between the question and the reply enough time passed that the direct relationship between the two grew fuzzy. When just enough time had passed for Ogi to feel this, Ikuo finally replied.

  “For us, a church is a place where deeds of the soul are done.”