flat fields and rice paddies。 He thought he saw cattle standing motionless in the distance。 In less than an hour the tracks would turn southeast towards the sea。
…The day was bright； the sun burning away the white ground fog by late morning。
Kobe； along with Yokohama； the busiest port in Japan； was already far behind them； with its scores of freighters and its international settlement prising fully a quarter of the city's population'。
We're well away from there； Nicholas thought。 Such strictly business…oriented places； like parts of downtown Tokyo； made him nervous。 Like airports； they all had a frightening similarity that cut across language and even race。 He never knew where he was in airports … he could be anywhere at all in the world and never know it。 Railway stations； however； were quite different。 Oddly enough； there were no two alike that he had seen and this kind of old…world individualism was forting to him。 Of course； on trains； one could look out of the window and see far more than just grey clouds like wisps of an old man's beard； parting like gossamer。 What held the goddamned thing up； anyway？
He tore his eyes away from the ribboning land； glanced around the car。 The passengers； too； on this train were different。
The last businessman had debarked at Kobe and now； all around him； he watched the people of the land。 A man in blue overalls and thick…soled； high…topped shoes sat with his thickly calloused hands crossed over his lean belly； chin on his chest； legs stretched out； ankles crossed。 He had very short hair that was white and a stiff…looking moustache that was black。 A farm worker； perhaps； on his way home。 Across the car； a fat woman in a bright white and crimson kimono slept peacefully with her mouth open and the breath hissing in and out。 Beside her； a squat stack of brown…paper…wrapped parcels。 Two kids in Western clothes knelt； arms and elbows along the seat top； making faces at anyone who passed。
'。。。in the back。'
'What？'
'Nicholas； have you been listening to me？'
'No。 I'm sorry。 I was dunking about the Bunraku。'
She laughed。 'You mean the way I jerked you off。'
'I don't understand；' he said； 'why you feel you have to talk like a sailor。 Why； for example； must you say 〃fuck〃 instead of 〃make love〃？'
'Because；' she answered seriously； ' 〃fuck〃 is exactly what I mean。 Have you ever made love； Nicholas？ Tell me what it's like。'
'I make love to you。'
'What are you talking about？ We fuck like bunnies。'
'I don't think drat is what even you do。'
'Oh no？' Her tone rose slightly。 'Listen； Nicholas； I fuck you the way I fuck everyone else。 You know what I do with you？ Well； I do it with other men； too。 With Saigo； for instance。' Now why did she bring him up？ 'I e on the edge of his hand； against the instep of his foot； his tongue and his nose； his…'
'All right！' he cried。 'Enough！ What the hell do you think you're doing？'
She rubbed herself against him； began to purr like a giant cat。 'Me？ I'm just trying to get you excited； that's all。 You weren't paying attention to me and I …'
'Jesus I' he said； getting up。 'Is that the way？' He went roughly past her； out into the aisle to the end of the car； stood watching through two sets of glass at the jouncing car behind his。 Christ； he thought； did she think telling him about her past conquests would turn him on？ What a twisted idea。 He felt cold and slightly nauseated。 He braced himself against the swaying with a stiff arm against the doorframe。
On his right a town flashed by； being smaller as they pulled away towards the southeast。 He glanced at his watch； calculating distances and speed。 That should be Kurashiki。 Good。 They were but moments away from sighting the northern end of Seto Naikia； the Inland Sea； which he had always found so peaceful and calm during the summers his parents had taken him there as a child。
They plummeted through thick stands of tall gaunt pines； the car darkening abruptly and eerily as if they were in the midst of an eclipse。 Then； just as swiftly； the sun broke through again and the foliage fell sharply away on the right； revealing the high bluff along which they raced。 Below them； Seto Naikai； glittery with sunlight； dancing like ten thousand golden scimitars； a jewel field。
…He watched； transfixed at the sight。 But still。 Part of his mind was in a film。 This was the point when Yukio should e silently up behind him； put her arms around him and tell him she was sorry。 This was no film and it never seemed to happen to him that way。 And why should he expect it？ He did； nevertheless。 The eternal romantic。
Islands； so far from home； humpbacked and flat…faced； stretched one after another across the waters of the Inland Sea； all the way to the horizon。 Was there really； as he had been told as a child； more land than water here？ He could not say he had thought then that it did not matter。 They looked like pieces of intricate knitting； these islands； terraced to make them productive； usable land was at a premium in Japan。
One day； he thought； I would like to spend my time just travelling from one island to another； talking to the people there； sitting down to eat with them after helping them in the terraced fields； spending a night here and there。 I think that if I did that； I'd probably live out my life and die before I got to the last one。 What an idea！ Never to go back； only forwards。 Each day different from the one before and the one after。 Never to get tired； never to get bored。 As he was now？ Awfully young to feel this way； he mused。 But he knew that he was not bored or tired but merely feeling the symptoms of each； hiding what he really felt。 Fear。
In Hiroshima it was a pletely different story。 In the bay； above which they passed like a wisp of smoke； they saw Miyajima； marked by the great orange and black torii； the gate of the Itsukushima Shrine。 It was one of the most spectacular sights in all the islands； one of which he had seen many pictures but； until now； had never seen in person。
It hung there as if in mid…air； rising out of the tidal waters like a great three…dimensional cuneiform character written upon the world； mark of the old Japan； a warning never to forget the past。
The train seemed to stand； huffing； for a long time in the Hiroshima Station。 All about them were the squat； ugly； industrial structures dominated by a kind of incandescent silence hanging in the air； as thin and brittle as the shell of a robin's egg…The seat facing them； long vacant through the afternoon； was taken by a gaunt； spare man in a grey and brown kimono。 His head was hairless save for a few wisps of white beard hanging from the point of his narrow chin。 His skin seemed as translucent as parchment； stretched across high cheek…bones； but underneath his eyes and at the sides of his mouth one could see the masses of wrinkles like the vast accumulation of the years； an ancient tree whose age one could count by the number of rings in its flesh。
His eyes were bright chips as he nodded to them。 His hands were lost within the folds of his formal robe。
Soon after； the train gave a little lurch and they began to move slowly out of the station。 On the way out； the feeling of oppression only magnified as if all the air had been sucked away and what remained to breathe； if only they should open the window and stick their heads out； was the frosty vacuum of space。 They might have been on another planet。
Nicholas felt a creeping in his flesh and he looked out of the window； upwards into the bright porcelain sky； certain he had heard the heavy drone of an airplane。
The train moved with unutterable slowness through the city。 For a moment they could see； silhouetted against the near horizon； the shell of the old observatory； standing just as it had been left in 1945； …〃ts surmounting hemisphere a bird's…nest skeleton； a lonely； forbidding eyrie for the gulls that swooped low near it but would never touch its inimical skin。 Perhaps even after all this time they could still feel the incendiary heat； the hissed outpouring of radiation； carrying it in their bones like a race memory； the survival instinct。
'You want to know the real me？' Yukio said into Nicholas's ear as they both star