. Our killer tells Mr Yoshida that this is an extremely potent oral antidote which the Americans have recently developed through experiments with palm tree oil. You say he wears a white cloth band on his left arm. Mr Yoshida nods. You say it reads in red ‘Leader of Disinfecting Team’. It is so powerful that you will be completely immunized from dysentery, says our killer. You say he wears a Tokyo Metropolitan Office armband. Mr Yoshida nods again. You say it reads in black ‘Disease Preventative Doctor’. Our killer warns Mr Yoshida that the administration procedure is complicated and unusual. You say he wears a Toshima Ward armband. Again, Mr Yoshida glances at the name-card on his desk: Yamaguchi Jirō MD; Technical Officer; Ministry of Health & Welfare. You say it reads ‘Epidemic Prevention Team’. Our killer asks Mr Yoshida to gather his staff. You say he carries a small olive- green shoulder bag over his right shoulder. Even the caretaker, his wife and two children? asks Mr Yoshida. Or was it his left? Our killer nods. You say he carries a doctor’s bag. Mr Yoshida rises from his desk. A black doctor’s bag. Mr Yoshida calls us over. I am Takeuchi Sutejiro and I am forty-nine years old but here I am no longer Takeuchi Sutejiro and now I am no longer forty-nine years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping. We rise from our desks. I am Watanabe Yoshiyasu and I am forty-three years old but here I am no longer Watanabe Yoshiyasu and now I am no longer forty-three years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping. We shuffle through the bank. I am Nishimura Hidehiko and I am thirty-eight years old but here I am no longer Nishimura Hidehiko and now I am no longer thirty-eight years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping. We gather around Mr Yoshida’s desk. I am Shirai Shoichi and I am twenty-nine years old but here I am no longer Shirai Shoichi and now I am no longer twenty-nine years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping. We all watch as our killer turns to Miss Akuzawa, as our killer asks her to bring enough teacups for all the members of the branch. I am Akiyama Miyako and I am twenty-three years old but here I am no longer Akiyama Miyako and now I am no longer twenty-three years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping. Miss Akuzawa fetches sixteen teacups on a tray. I am Uchida Hideko and I am twenty-three years old but here I am no longer Uchida Hideko and now I am no longer twenty-three years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping. Our killer opens the smaller bottle marked FIRST DRUG. I am Sawada Yoshio and I am twenty-two years old but here I am no longer Sawada Yoshio and now I am no longer twenty-two years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping. Our killer asks if everybody is here. I am Kato Teruko and I am sixteen years old but here I am no longer Kato Teruko and now I am no longer sixteen years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping. Our assistant manager counts our heads and nods, everybody is here. I am Takizawa Tatsuo and I am forty-six years old but here I am no longer Takizawa Tatsuo and now I am no longer forty-six years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping. Our killer holds a pipette as though it were a dagger in his hand. I am Takizawa Ryu and I am forty-nine years old but here I am no longer Takizawa Ryu and now I am no longer forty-nine years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping. We all watch as our killer drips some clear liquid into each of our cups. I am Takizawa Takako and I am nineteen years old but here I am no longer Takizawa Takako and now I am no longer nineteen years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping. We all listen as our killer tells each of us to pick up our own teacup. I am Takizawa Yoshihiro and I am eight years old but here I am no longer Takizawa Yoshihiro and now I am no longer eight years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping. Each of us reaches for our own cup. We who are here now in the grey. Now our killer raises his hand in warning. We who are always, already struggling. We all listen as our killer warns us of the strength of the serum, the damage it can cause to our gums and tooth enamel if we do not watch our killer’s demonstration carefully, if we do not follow our killer’s instructions precisely. We who are always, already only weeping. We all watch as our killer now takes out a syringe. You define us as the victims. We all watch as our killer dips his syringe into the liquid. You damn us as the victims. We all watch as our killer draws up a measure of the liquid into the syringe. You are happy to remember us in the black and white of our deaths. We all watch as our killer opens his mouth. You are ignorant of us in the colour of our lives. We all watch as our killer places his tongue over his bottom front teeth and then tucks it under his lower lip. We are evidence at a crime scene. We all watch as our killer drips the liquid onto his tongue. We are bodies in a crime book; bodies, never characters. We all watch as our killer tilts his head back. In our lives you did not know us. We all watch as our killer stares at his wristwatch, his right hand in the air. Only by our deaths did you find us. We all watch as our killer’s hand falls. At a crime scene. We all listen as our killer tells us that this medicine may damage our gums and our teeth, as our killer tells us we must all swallow quickly. In a crime book. We all nod. Our names, our faces. We all listen as our killer tells us that exactly one minute after we have taken the first medicine, he will administer the second medicine. In print and in photographs. We all stare at the 50 °CC bottle marked SECOND DRUG. Reduced to a number. We all listen as our killer promises us that after we have taken the second medicine, we will be able to drink water or rinse out our mouths. Twelve, you will always write 12. Now our killer tells each of us to lift up our cups. In this number, this number 12. We all pick up our teacups. In this number, we die again. And now each of us drinks. Again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again. Our killer tells us to drip the liquid onto our tongues. For we are not twelve. And now we all taste the bitter liquid. We are Takeuchi Sutejiro, Watanabe Yoshiyasu, Nishimura Hidehiko, Shirai Shoichi, Akiyama Miyako, Uchida Hideko, Sawada Yoshio, Kato Teruko, Takizawa Tatsuo, Takizawa Ryu, Takizawa Takako and Takizawa Yoshihiro. We all swallow it down. We who are here now in the grey. And we hear our killer tell us he will administer the second drug in exactly sixty seconds. We who are always, already struggling. We see our killer looking at his wristwatch. We who are always, already only weeping. We see him staring at his wristwatch. Weeping and waiting. We all wait for the second drug. Waiting and watching. We all watch as our killer pours the second drug into each of our teacups. Watching and reaching. We all reach for our cups again. Reaching and waiting, again. Again we all wait as our killer checks his wristwatch, and again we all wait for the signal. For the smile. Now we all see our killer gesture for each of us to drink again. With a smile. And we all drink. And you smile as we drink. And we all see our killer waiting. Still smiling. And we all see our killer still watching us. That smile on your face. And now we all feel the second liquid in our mouths, now in our throats, now in our stomachs. But you are smiling. And now we all hear our killer telling us to rinse out our mouths. Still smiling, still smiling, still…