the exposed roots of the pine tree, put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. Having managed to get in and out of the family house safely, he felt somewhat relieved. Heâd disposed of his remaining belongings, he had enough money to tide him over for a while, and he had a loaded pistol tucked in his belt. Even if a would-be captor spotted the light from his cigarette and rushed to catch him, Takuya was confident he could escape in the darkness over the track to the shrine and then beyond.
Only the faint gurgling of the little stream below broke the silence. He gazed at the area across the stream where his family house was. It was a small house for five people. Takuya had been born and raised in that house, and had commuted to middle school from there on the advice of hispublic servant father. He had gone on to high school and then to Kyushu Imperial University, paying what he could of the tuition by tutoring and delivering newspapers. Upon graduation he had gone straight into the Imperial Army. His younger brother, Toshio, had just graduated from a community college. Takuyaâs father had let him go on to university despite having to struggle on a meagre salary from the town civic office because he expected that Takuya would eventually take over the role of family breadwinner. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined his son stealing away from the family home in the middle of the night.
Takuya wondered how his familyâs position might be affected in the days and months to come. If it became public that his son was suspected of war crimes, Takuyaâs father might lose the job heâd held for so many years. The police would likely be pitiless in their pursuit, and would no doubt maintain the strictest surveillance over his family. Even the other people in the village might turn cold towards them. Takuya took comfort in the thought that, whatever happened, his family would understand that he had done nothing more than his duty as a military man, and that he was in no way a criminal. Surely that would give them the strength to endure the hardships that lay ahead, and he hoped that his brother and sister would look after his parents in his absence.
He stubbed out the remaining embers of the cigarette, took the pistol from his belt, unloaded it, and stuffed it between the folds in the blanket inside his rucksack. As he stood up and took one last look at his birthplace, thethought that he would likely never again set foot in the village, and just as likely never again see his brother and sister or his parents, saddened him.
Breathing in the cool night air, he set off again along the path. Around him in the darkness he could hear the chirps and cries of birds and the flutter of wings as they moved from branch to branch under the forest canopy.
He crossed through the precincts of the shrine and quickened his pace as he made his way along the paths between the paddy fields. The moon had progressed along its arc across the heavens, and by now was much higher in the sky. Takuya looked around as he hurried toward the station. Again, just to be safe, he wanted to board the train at least one stop down the line. A palpable feeling of satisfaction came over him. At last he was on the run and, at least for the moment, in control of his own destiny. It was similar to the feeling of suspense he had felt in the pit of his stomach when he was the officer in charge of the anti-aircraft defence operations room.
The lights of an incoming train came into view as it skirted round a hill and then straightened out alongside the river. Zigzagging through the paddy fields, Takuya drew steadily toward the tracks.
The train rumbled forward, spilling only a modicum of light on the outside world. Takuya stopped and watched as the train turned to the left in a long arc. The engineer was obviously working hard feeding coal into the boiler, as Takuya could clearly see the red-tinged silhouette ofa man repeatedly bending and
Only the faint gurgling of the little stream below broke the silence. He gazed at the area across the stream where his family house was. It was a small house for five people. Takuya had been born and raised in that house, and had commuted to middle school from there on the advice of hispublic servant father. He had gone on to high school and then to Kyushu Imperial University, paying what he could of the tuition by tutoring and delivering newspapers. Upon graduation he had gone straight into the Imperial Army. His younger brother, Toshio, had just graduated from a community college. Takuyaâs father had let him go on to university despite having to struggle on a meagre salary from the town civic office because he expected that Takuya would eventually take over the role of family breadwinner. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined his son stealing away from the family home in the middle of the night.
Takuya wondered how his familyâs position might be affected in the days and months to come. If it became public that his son was suspected of war crimes, Takuyaâs father might lose the job heâd held for so many years. The police would likely be pitiless in their pursuit, and would no doubt maintain the strictest surveillance over his family. Even the other people in the village might turn cold towards them. Takuya took comfort in the thought that, whatever happened, his family would understand that he had done nothing more than his duty as a military man, and that he was in no way a criminal. Surely that would give them the strength to endure the hardships that lay ahead, and he hoped that his brother and sister would look after his parents in his absence.
He stubbed out the remaining embers of the cigarette, took the pistol from his belt, unloaded it, and stuffed it between the folds in the blanket inside his rucksack. As he stood up and took one last look at his birthplace, thethought that he would likely never again set foot in the village, and just as likely never again see his brother and sister or his parents, saddened him.
Breathing in the cool night air, he set off again along the path. Around him in the darkness he could hear the chirps and cries of birds and the flutter of wings as they moved from branch to branch under the forest canopy.
He crossed through the precincts of the shrine and quickened his pace as he made his way along the paths between the paddy fields. The moon had progressed along its arc across the heavens, and by now was much higher in the sky. Takuya looked around as he hurried toward the station. Again, just to be safe, he wanted to board the train at least one stop down the line. A palpable feeling of satisfaction came over him. At last he was on the run and, at least for the moment, in control of his own destiny. It was similar to the feeling of suspense he had felt in the pit of his stomach when he was the officer in charge of the anti-aircraft defence operations room.
The lights of an incoming train came into view as it skirted round a hill and then straightened out alongside the river. Zigzagging through the paddy fields, Takuya drew steadily toward the tracks.
The train rumbled forward, spilling only a modicum of light on the outside world. Takuya stopped and watched as the train turned to the left in a long arc. The engineer was obviously working hard feeding coal into the boiler, as Takuya could clearly see the red-tinged silhouette ofa man repeatedly bending and