Log In
Or create an account ->
Imperial Library
Home
About
News
Upload
Forum
Help
Login/SignUp
Index
I'll remember the next minute of my life forever. I could slow it down to a dead stop and write a ten page essay on every moment of it. I'll spare you that. Hideki stood there, taking stock. I remember that he looked so small and frail.
Presumably he meant did you have to come back and throw a spanner in the works. Hideki gave his no speak English shrug.
I started babbling, playing for time.
“John, this is crazy. This isn't you. Let the boy go, he's going home on Wednesday. What harm can he do you in Japan? He's seventeen, for Christ's sake. His mother, father, think of them ... put yourself in their position, imagine he's your sister's boy. How would you feel? Step back for just a moment...”
I stopped talking when Faraday made the biggest mistake of his life. He thought about what I'd just said. He considered an act of mercy. And as he lowered the gun and turned to me, with a helpless look on his face, so Hideki ran at him. He rose from the floor and turned in mid-air, like a cat, still flying, until he was parallel to the ground, one knee drawn back, his expression the same as always. As he neared Faraday's face the latter raised the gun again and fired in panic, way off target. The bullet hit the floor - you can see the chip in the flagstone to this day - and went clean through a window pane. At the very same moment Hideki's heel struck Faraday in the face with all the force of the Samurai spirit. Faraday fell sideways over the table. No rock. Hideki turned again in the air and landed on his feet, crouching for further action, but Faraday was out for the count.
As you might imagine there was a lengthy pause before I was able to ask:
“Where in God's name did you learn to do that, boy?”
Ask a silly question.
“Japan,” he said.
I was already rummaging in the cupboard under the sink, searching for a roll of carpet tape. By the time Charnley arrived with a few of his finest we had John Faraday trussed up like a turkey. Christmas had come early for him.
There's an e-mail from Hideki Takahashi on my computer in the Keep file. It says: “Hi, Nathan. Thank you for my stay. Hideki.”
I wanted to write back saying thank you for my life but it sounded so phoney in my head, so un-seventeen. Accordingly, I wrote back rather blandly:
“Hi, Hideki! Enjoyed your company. It was great to have you staying here. Humdinger. Thanks for everything...”
Then I thought to hell with it and added:
“...especially for saving my life. Nathan.”
I haven't heard from him since. I'm sure I will some day. I hope I will.
-22-
← Prev
Back
Next →
← Prev
Back
Next →