Kizu couldn't grasp the point of her question.
Even before the medical researcher at the institute in the United States had pointed out the possibility that he had cancer, Kizu had felt something not quite right inside him and wasn't able to take strong drink anymore. Now, in the feeling of relief after being liberated from the disease, he was drinking whisky cut with beer, but he knew he couldn't hold his liquor like he once could. Ms. Asuka's face, though, took on a nice rosy color, an uncharacteris- tically youthful clinging gaze in her eyes as she forcefully made her point.
"Ever since Patron quoted from the letter to the Ephesians, everyone's started studying it. While you were in the hospital, Mrs. Shigeno's study group was particularly popular. I'm not a Christian, but even I joined in. Accord- ing to what I heard there, what's important about this particular letter, one of the epistles attributed to Paul, is that it's a letter aimed at proselytizing the Gentiles-heretics, in Jewish eyes. The New Men at this time were the ones who were able to overcome the discord between Gentiles and Jews. Jonah ran counter to this trend.
"Deep down, Ikuo may very well not agree with the direction this Church of the New Man is taking. Though as the twentieth century draws to a close, the Japanese are still all heretics."
"If the prophet Jonah were alive today," Kizu said, "he'd say the whole planet's run by heretics. With groups of heretics attacking each other, skirmish- ing over who's more legitimate. And even among the heretics in this little out- of-the-way mountain area we find groups like the Technicians, the Quiet Women, and Ikuo and the Fireflies trying to establish themselves with Patron."
"The summer conference promises to be stormy, doesn't it?" Ms. Asuka said, pouring the last of her whiskey into her glass of beer. "Also while you were in the hospital, Professor, I heard a lecture by Asa-san about this person called the Former Gii and how he was stymied at every step. Which is why when I saw you go down to the lake tonight I had some troubled notions about what might happen."
"I heard the same thing: that Asa-san pulled up Brother Gii's body from the surface of the lake the day after a storm."
"I wouldn't have the strength to do something like that," Ms. Asuka said pensively, "but at least I'd have wanted to video it. In the morning, as long as there was enough light."
Kizu poured the remaining whiskey into his beer. "The corpse, you mean? It does seem like it's true what they say about the power ofthe land stimu- lating the creativity of newcomers!"
The two of them were silent, drinking their whiskey-darkened beer, draining their glasses in time with each other. The area around Ms. Asuka's eyes grew faintly pink, something Kizu found erotic.
"I apologize for going on about my own personal fantasy," she said.
"That's all right. I'd have to say I have even more intense fantasies than that," Kizu said, feeling his face flushed with drink. "Once I found that can- cer was no longer controlling my destiny, it made me feel uneasy, as if the bottom had dropped out of my life. If Patron hadn't been in the chapel and I'd made my way back here-and with the Fireflies looking after the dam the water's filled it all the way to the edge, well…"
"Sometimes the water in the Hollow turns black, which Asa-san says is an evil omen. And the water does seem darker than when I arrived." Saying this, Ms. Asuka gave her usual close-lipped smile, shook her head, gathered up the glasses on the tray, and withdrew.
A lot of lessons learned today, Kizu mused. All he had to do was re- move his trousers. Back in his pajamas, he laid his drunken body down to rest.
30: MEMORIES OF GUIDE
1
It was decided to hold the summer conference the first week of August, with registration beginning on Friday morning and the conference running through Sunday at the Hollow. A preliminary meeting was scheduled for July 10 at the lodge run by Maki Town to explain the plans for the confer- ence to the local authorities and some of the young leaders of the area, par- ticularly those involved in the river preservation movement. Newspaper and TV reporters from Matsuyama were also slated to attend.
On the day of the meeting Ogi remained behind in the office, though he and Dancer were the ones in charge of arranging the meeting. New mem- bers of the Fireflies, who had helped out the day Kizu was released from the hospital, were formed into a security squad, which was also put in charge of transportation to the Old Town. It took less than thirty minutes to drive from the Hollow to the lodge in the hills surrounding the basin where Maki Town lay. Still, with Patron participating, the security squad left nothing to chance and came up with a detailed plan.
The car with Patron and Dancer was sandwiched in between two oth- ers, this followed by a minivan carrying Ms. Tachibana and Morio, Ms. Asuka, Dr. Koga, Mrs. Shigeno, and Mr. Hanawa (who was in charge of production at the Farm) and, bringing up the rear, Kizu in a car loaded with security squad members and with Gii in the front passenger seat.
Maki Town had already had a hotel at the time a national soccer tour- nament was held there but built this lodge in addition; the word was that after that one tournament the place had never again been full. Now, though, all two hundred and fifty rooms were booked solid for the three-day conference.
The head of the Kansai headquarters of the church, Mr. Soda, had been in charge of construction of the lodge and had close connections with the town leaders.
A banquet hall, spacious enough for a wedding reception, was set aside for the meeting. In front of the chairs lined up on the main floor was a low raised platform for the church members to sit on. The media were assigned seats behind the town authorities and other interested parties.
The mayor made a few opening remarks, and then Dr. Koga, seated on the dais between Patron and Dancer, took the microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are the Church of the New Man, the name given to the church by the leader we call Patron. This summer conference has given us the opportunity to meet with the town authorities and future local leaders. We are grateful to you, Mr. Mayor, and all of you, for taking time out of your busy schedules to join us today; we're also joined today by mem- bers of the media.
"We'd like to proceed with a question-and-answer format. However, please be advised that Patron will not be directly answering any questions. In his stead, each of us will field questions based on our own area of expertise.
Now I'd like to turn things over to the young woman called Dancer, her pro- fessional name within the church, who works most closely with Patron."
Dr. Koga started to pass the microphone to her in front of Patron, but she leaned back to take it from behind, and the audience burst out laughing.
Kizu understood what a popular local figure Dr. Koga was through his work at the clinic in town.
Dancer's hair had been dyed by Mrs. Tagawa with brown mixed in with the natural black, and she had on an open-collared floral-print blouse.
The comic role Dr. Koga had just played in this mix-up, and Dancer's calm reaction, underscored all the more the dignified way in which she pre- pared to speak.
"There is a reason Patron has on sunglasses," she began. "Those of you in the media taking pictures, please retrain from using a flash.
"The upcoming summer conference will be the first national meeting of the Church of the New Man, as well as an opportunity for the local com- munity to get to know us, so Patron is preparing a sermon for the occasion.
The concentration required for this is the same needed for the trances that used to be at the core of his religious activities and is one of the ascetic prac- tices he's engaged in at present.