by Yusuke Kishi
Even as I left Oakgrove and made my way back to Waterwheel, I didn’t come across a single person.
I finally began to feel that things were not quite right.
Nothing moved along the banks. It was as if Kamisu 66 had been completely abandoned.
The gentle drift of snow became hard, wet flurries. It piled on the prow of the canoe.
I was shocked when my house finally came into view. My parents were standing together by the dock, without even an umbrella to keep off the snow, which had piled up on shoulders and heads.
“Sorry,” I said to them as I turned to dock the canoe. “I couldn’t come home yesterday…”
They smiled faintly at me.
Finally, my mother spoke. “Are you hungry?”
I shook my head.
“I know you must be tired, but the Board of Education asked for you. Come with me,” my father said gravely.
“Can’t you let her rest for a bit?” my mother pleaded.
“No…I can’t. It’s an emergency, especially since they’ve asked you to come on such short notice.”
“It’s okay, I’m not that tired,” I tried to sound energetic.
“Alright, let’s go in dad’s canoe. Saki, you can rest for a bit until we get there.”
My father’s canoe, the one he used outside of work, was twice the size of Hakuren 4.
My mother wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and I closed my eyes, but my heart was thumping too quickly for me to fall asleep.
There was someone waiting for us when we arrived in Hayring. It was the same middle-aged lady who had greeted us after we came back from summer camp two years ago, but this time she didn’t meet my eye.
I followed my parents onto the snowy street.
The office of the Board of Education was next to the library where my mother worked. It was surrounded by a wall of bamboo that prevented you from seeing the inside.
We entered through a side door, and although it was still snowing, the courtyard had been cleared and kept dry with cantus. The path was paved with stepping stones and it was about thirty meters to the entrance hall.
Inside, a narrow hallway stretched on indefinitely. Although the outside of it was quite different, the inside was similar to the Ethics Committee’s building.
“Only your daughter may proceed from here.” the middle-aged lady said to my parents.
“As her father, and as the mayor, I’d like to represent her on her behalf. I’ve brought a petition.”
“You are not allowed to accompany her,” she ignored my father’s words.
“As the person entrusted to manage the town’s library, I must do my duty to record this event. Will you make an exception?”
“I’m very sorry, but there are no exceptions.”
My mother tried to use her position as leverage, but this too was met with stubborn refusal. The two of them were defeated.
“Saki, I don’t think I have to tell you, but please answer all questions as truthfully as you can,” my mother put her hands on my shoulders and looked earnestly into my eyes.
“I know…it’ll be okay,” I answered.
I understood what she really meant. Choose the truth carefully. From here on out, a wrong answer could mean death.
I was taken into a large western-styled room with a dark, shining wooden floor. The windows were small and high on the wall, giving everything a classic Rembrandt look. In the center was a table like those used at banquets, and about ten people stood on one side. The head of the Board of Education, Hiromi Torigai, stood in the center. The people on either side must also be members of the committee.
“Saki Watanabe? Please sit over there.”
It wasn’t Hiromi who spoke, but a large woman on her left. Obediently, I sat down in the only chair available.
“I am the vice-chairman of the Board of Education, Masayo Komatsuzaki. There are a few things I would like to ask you. Please answer all questions truthfully. Do not lie or withhold information. Do you understand?”
Her tone was as kind as any schoolteacher’s, but her eyes stared stonily at me. I felt the pressure of her authority and answered “yes” without any unnecessary words.
“You learned that a boy in your team, Mamoru Itou, had run away from home yesterday in the early hours of the morning. Is this correct?”
“Yes,” I said faintly.
“When did you learn about it?”
I knew it was pointless to hide it, so I answered honestly, “Before school.”
“How did you know about it?”
“Maria Akizuki told me.”
“And what did you do after finding out?”
“We went to school first, and later looked for him when we had the chance.”
“Why did you not inform your parents or your teachers?”
This was a good point. I thought for a moment.
“Because we hoped to bring him back before it became a bigger issue.”
“I see. But it could be construed as an attempt to hide it from us. You disagreed with the Board of Education’s decision and acted out against it, right? On those grounds, you…”
Hiromi whispered something in Masayo’s ear. She answered, “I understand.”
“…on to the next question. You went searching for Mamoru Itou during independent observation period. Who went with you?”
“Maria Akizuki and Satoru Asahina.”
“I see. So the three of you went looking for Mamoru Itou. Did you find him?”
I was confused. Satoru had come back the day before and should have been questioned already. What had he said?
“What’s wrong? It might be your first time here, but this is an official court of inquiry. You must tell the truth.”
Masayo’s voice was severe and a wave of uncertainty went through the room. Hiromi spoke.
“Satoru Asahina has already testified that you found Mamoru Itou. That Mamoru had fallen off his sled and hurt his leg. He said he left you and Maria to nurse him and came back first.”
Satoru hadn’t mentioned the queerat.
“Chairman…” Masayo looked disapprovingly at Hiromi.
“It’s fine. This court was formed to establish the truth. Trying to trick her into contradicting herself is not the goal.” She continued so quietly that it was hard to hear. “So, was Satoru Asahina telling the truth?”
“…yes.”
I felt slightly relieved realizing that Hiromi was not as hard-hearted as I had thought.
“Then what happened after? Why were you the only one to return? We were expecting you and Maria Akizuki to bring Mamoru Itou back safely,” Masayo said.
I looked over the faces of the assembled committee members. How was I supposed to dispel their suspicions? A lie might make everything worse. There was nothing to do but tell just enough of the truth to prevent any inconsistencies.
“I tried to persuade Mamoru to come back with us. But he refused. So I had no choice but to come back alone. Since we couldn’t leave him alone, Maria stayed too.”
“So Maria Akizuki is still trying to convince Mamoru Itou?”
“Yes.”
I glanced away when I answered.
“So what did you plan to do once you came back? Were you going to come clean to your parents, your teacher, and the Board of Education?”
“I…don’t know.”
“You don’t know? What did you…?”
As Masayo grew visibly angry, Hiromi cut in.
“It’s reasonable that you were confused. Anyone would be at a loss in this situation. …but you know what to do now, right? All you have to do is answer questions honestly. Leave everything else to us. Okay?”
“I understand.”
“But why did Mamoru Itou refuse to return? Did you ask him?”
“Yes,” I nodded.
“What was his reason?”
I took a deep breath. Surprisingly, I was calmer than I thought I would be. I couldn’t answer this question with a complete lie. If I fudged
the details of Mamoru’s story and left out the tainted cats, maybe…
“What’s wrong? Answer the question!”
I hesitated.
“Do you know what is happening in Kamisu 66 right now?” Masayo shouted. “An order to remain indoors has been enacted and the people tremble with fear. All because of the selfish actions of one student!”
Why was there such an overreaction to a missing student? At the time, I simply couldn’t understand it. Instead, an irrepressible anger boiled out of me.
How dare they call Mamoru selfish. The Board of Education was the one who had driven him nearly insane and even tried to kill him.
My silence seemed to arouse suspicion and the people at the table began to stir.
“What’s the matter? Why do you remain silent? Say something,” Masayo drummed on the table impatiently with her fingers.
“I believe Mamoru ran away because he didn’t want to die.”
I finally said it. There was no going back now.
“What…don’t say something so absurd.”
“I’m just answering your question.”
Was I really this brave? Even I was surprised by my response.
“I heard this directly from him. Recently, he had been approached by two copy…tainted cats. The first time, it appeared to only tail him.”
“Stop! Do you have any idea what you’re saying?”
“The second time was after school two days ago. The Sun Pr…Mr. Endou kept Mamoru after school and sent him to the inner courtyard in a deliberate attempt to isolate him,” I continued, ignoring her. “There, Mamoru was almost killed by a tainted cat. He saw it clearly. He even said that it had white fur. So he…”
“Enough! Quiet! You have made a farce of the Board of Education and this hearing! Your actions constitute a grave violation of the Code of Ethics!” Masayo shouted hysterically to the entire room.
“I am very disappointed as well. Your parents are both splendid people. I’m sure they will regret that it has come to this,” Hiromi sighed.
Although her voice was still soft, I began to feel afraid of her for the first time.
“Are they in a different room? …yes, I understand,” she spoke quietly with one of the committee members, then turned toward me again. “Please leave the room. But you will not be allowed to return home with your parents. You will stay in this building…I truly regret that this is the conclusion we have come to.”
That was as good as a death sentence.
“Will I be disposed of?”
Hiromi looked disgustedly at me. “What a repulsive girl you are. To say such things so calmly,” she whispered.
As she stood up, there was a light knock at the door.
“Who is it? The committee is in meeting. Await your time!” Masayo said sharply.
The knocker ignored this and opened the door.
Everyone else froze. I relaxed.
“Perhaps I came at a bad time. But I’m afraid I must speak here.”
Wearing a fur shawl over her kimono, Tomiko Asahina smiled charmingly around at the room. “I know you have all worked hard on this, but may I handle Saki’s case?”
“Unfortunately, the Board of Education has exclusive jurisdiction over matters pertaining to juveniles. Outside interference would not be wise, even if it is the request of one such as you…” Masayo’s voice was so low it was almost silent.
“You’re right. My apologies. I never intended to do this, but I’m partly to blame for this.”
“Please, Tomiko, let’s talk about this elsewhere,” Masayo glanced at me as she spoke.
Tomiko ignored her and turned to Hiromi.
“…what do you mean you are partly to blame?” Hiromi asked.
“I’ve told Saki a number of things. Including the tainted cats.”
“That is quite…unprecedented.”
I could see Hiromi turn pale even though her face was hidden in shadow.
“Yes, it is. But it is required to rear the the person who may be the future leader of our town.”
“She will?” Masayo exclaimed.
“So, Hiromi. Please be lenient with Saki.”
“It’s not that simple, Tomiko. It’s not only the boy who is missing, now the girl has disappeared too!” her voice shook.
“I know. It’s a serious matter. But isn’t it largely the Board of Education’s fault?”
“Our…fault?”
The members of the committee stirred.
“Yes. I believe the decision to dispose of Mamoru Itou was rash and unwise to begin with. That plus your inability to successfully bring about the disposal is what caused this whole situation.”
“That’s…” Hiromi went quiet, her face strained.
“No one here is free from fault. Including me. Perhaps I must take the blame on an even deeper level. After all, I was the one who ordered the experiment to be performed on team one. But now is not the time to dwell on the past. We need to discuss how to proceed from here. Am I wrong?”
The members of the Board of Education, people with even more power than the mayor and head librarian combined, hung their heads like guilty schoolchildren.
“You are absolutely right,” Hiromi mumbled.
“I’m glad we’re on the same page. So, let me look after Saki. It’ll be alright. I will consider everything you have to say.”
There was no room for disagreement.
“May I use the hearth in the inner parlor? I would like to talk to Saki.”
“Umm, right now, that room is…”
“Well, well. Were you planning on taking her in there?” Tomiko smiled sweetly. “It’s okay. Just leave it as it is.”
It was a large room about the size of thirty tatamis. There was a big hearth in the middle, full of crackling red flames. A steaming pot of water hung from a long hook in the ceiling.
“No need to be so uptight.”
Tomiko ladled out some water and warmed a pair of yellow teacups. She swished the water around three times with a tea whisk and poured it into the waste container. She wiped out the cups with a towel, opened a grey container and scooped powdered green tea into the cups. Once again, she used the whisk to quickly mix the water with the tea.
I took the cup from her and sipped slowly.
“No need to follow such formalities. Drink.”
I nodded, but it only made me more nervous.
As much as I tried to, I couldn’t ignore the three tainted cats sleeping on the other side of the hearth. One had a tortoiseshell pattern, the other two were striped yellow-white, and black-gray. Their eyes were closed contentedly, and every now and then their ears and tails twitched.
The scene was deceptively peaceful; from the other side of the large hearth, it was difficult to tell how big the cats truly were.
“Well, I guess you can’t help noticing the cats. But don’t worry. They never attack unless ordered to.”
“…why are there three of them?” I asked the first question that came to mind.
“They are trained to work in teams of three. It’s an offensive strategy called the trinity, based on the elements of heaven, earth, and man.”
“All three attack at the same time?”
“Yes. In cases like these, the target is usually unresponsive to hypnotic techniques. But no matter how powerful you are, it’s almost impossible to defend three simultaneous attacks,” she said, smiling.
“But the Board of Education had already decided beforehand that we were to be disposed of. Wouldn’t one cat be enough?”
Even I was surprised that I could discuss this so calmly.
“You most likely don’t remember, but you’ve repelled the cats before. Once, maybe twice.”
“I don’t remember at all…”
I fidgeted. Every time I was made aware of a missing memory, I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“Can I ask something else?” I broke the silence after a pause.
“Go ahead.”
“Tomiko…To
miko-sama.”
She chuckled, “Tomiko is fine.”
“Earlier, you said that you ordered experiments to be performed on team one, right? What did you mean by that?”
“I see you were paying attention.”
She turned the teacup slowly in her hand. The white glaze on the clay gave it a beautiful pink glow.
“You all must have realized to some degree that team one is special.”
“Well…I guess.”
“You are all very special. Most students are regularly hypnotized from a young age so that we can control their minds. They are unable to even think about bad or potentially harmful things. However, we did not, by and large, take the freedom of thought away from you and your friends.”
“Why us?”
“Because docile lambs alone cannot protect the town. Leaders must be broad-minded and tolerant. Their convictions must be strong enough to even do dirty work from time to time. To match the changes in the town over the years, the leader needs to be a highly adaptable individual who strives to survive no matter what.”
“So I was put into team one for that?”
“Yes,” she said simply.
“What about Satoru? Was he chosen because he’s your grandson?”
“My grandson…” Tomiko smiled inscrutably. “The name Asahina is just a string of syllables Satoru and I happen to share. Team one was a group of students with special qualities. Having all of you together made things much easier to manage.”
She stood up suddenly and went to the other side of the hearth. Crouching next to the orange-striped cat, she rubbed it behind the ears. It purred delightedly.
“But unforeseen incidents kept happening. My biggest regret was having to dispose of the boy we had the greatest hopes for…” She glanced at me then resumed talking normally. “This time too. It would have been impossible for any other children to consider running away from the town and living on their own. They would have been paralyzed with fear at the thought of crossing the Holy Barrier. But those two are different. Threatened with death at home, they chose instead to live alone in the wilderness.”
I was speechless. Somehow, she had seen through everything.
“A very rational decision, if you ask me. It is the result of free thinking. But right now, it threatens the fundamental safety of the towns.”
