In the meanwhile they'd grown close.
When Kizu had moved into the house, the leaves on the maple trees jutting out on the west side were still reddish purple but had now turned a light green. In the fall the leaves would no doubt change again. Faint drops had gathered on the small leaves and were now full-sized raindrops. A gentle drizzle had been falling intermittently from morning. Ikuo had dropped by between lunch and his afternoon appointments and was sitting with Kizu, both of them gazing out at the chilly blurred surface of the lake, when Asa-san showed up. They could hear her at the entrance passing over the presents she'd brought to Ms. Asuka, explaining how her husband had raised this and caught that-vegetables, Chinese citrons, freshwater trout. Ever since the former owner of this house passed away, she went on, they'd let the vegetation around it just grow, but she'd noticed that the boundary between the trees in the gar- den around the house and the trees and shrubs pushing down from the lower reaches of the forest was blurring and she couldn't stand it, so she'd have her husband come over to do some serious pruning.
When she entered the bedroom, Asa-san spoke the sort of old-fashioned greetings one paid to an ailing person. She told Ikuo how adults were quite pleased with the work that the Fireflies had done in restoring the grove of low bamboo bushes and the group of red pussy willows along the original shoreline inside the dam at the Yabe River. She then turned to the matter that had brought her here.
"Since I have some connections with the church," she said, "I'm some- what worried about where it's headed. I'd like to ask the opinion of Professor Kizu-someone living here who isn't a church member. I'm particularly wor- ried about the direction the Quiet Women are taking. It's such a level-headed group, with highly educated people at the core, that I don't feel it's my place to say anything. But being the kind of women they are, if they do take action you can be sure they'll be quite fanatic about it. That's what worries me."
Kizu was immediately curious. Propped up in bed he noticed that Ikuo, too, sitting beyond the foot of the bed, wanted to hear more. Kizu had heard beforehand from Ms. Asuka of Asa-san's visit. Perhaps Ikuo had also heard she was coming and had been standing by.
"This is something I've been holding inside for quite a while," Asa-san went on, "but the day before you returned from the clinic, when I attended the prayer vigil with Patron, I became even more concerned. I found the prayer itself at the meeting deeply moving. Ikuo and the Fireflies attended, so you may have already heard this, but I wanted you to hear my reaction.
"Mrs. Shigeno gave the prayer preceding the sermon. Patron sat in his favorite barber's chair while we all listened, Quiet Women and non-church members alike. It was all very nice and democratic. Then it was time for a performance of Morio's music, so Ikuo got up and walked over to the piano, set up in front of where Patron was sitting. Morio went over with him, but after Ikuo had decided which pieces to play, Morio withdrew and sat down on the mechanical footrest of Patron's chair.
"I thought it was strange that Morio didn't sit beside Ikuo to turn pages-don't they do that in most concerts?-but pretty soon I realized why.
When the music started, Morio buried his face in Patron's shins, which were stretched out on the footrest. Ms. Tachibana, afraid maybe that her brother was having an attack, crouched down beside him. Before long Patron rested his hands on the tops of their two heads, both of which had the same round shape when you looked at them from behind.
"When the music was over, before they went into the silent prayer time, Patron gave a short sermon from where he sat. He said that Morio had said the music they'd just heard 'captured on paper the sound that echoes in the ears of one's soul when it ascends to heaven at the end time.' He said he heard this from Ms. Tachibana, 'but as we listen to this music aren't we all sharing the experience right here and now of ascending to heaven? This is a wonder- ful prelude to our prayers.
'"It's meaningless,' he went on, 'to ask which is more real, the experi- ence of ascending to heaven at the end of the world or what we've experienced through this music. Ms. Tachibana has taught me that the end time is both experienced countless times, and as a onetime event. I'd like you to really feel this, think deeply about it, live it.'
"After Patron said this, a rustle of agreement rose up, especially from the Quiet Women, and the meeting moved into the prayer portion. But you know what? I couldn't stand it!"
Kizu and Ikuo were both startled and stared at her. Undeterred, every- thing about Asa-san revealed the unyielding stance of an old woman deter- mined not to compromise. Despite the rainy-season cold blowing down from the forest, the skin around her eyes was flushed. Clearly struggling to sup- press her emotions, though, a different sort of expression came over Asa-san's sunburnt, freckled face.
"I've worked hard to get you all accepted here, so I think I have the right to oppose something I don't like that's about to happen. And as some- one who convinced the faction that opposed your move here, I'd say I have the duty to do so too. No doubt my husband would say that if something bad happens it's due to my hastiness, but before it does I have to speak out.
Professor, you keep your distance from the various groups within the church, so I thought you're the best one to talk to about this. I'm sure Ikuo has a different way of looking at the situation, but I'm happy at least that you heard me out."
She was already getting to her feet. She didn't seem to be expecting any quick and easy answers.
A moment earlier they had heard Ms. Asuka welcoming a new visitor at the door. Kizu soon realized it was Gii. Ms. Asuka seemed to be holding the young man back until Asa-san stopped speaking.
Asa-san turned to Gii, who was still standing in the entrance. (He had driven himself up, and Asa-san, as the wife of the former principal of the junior high, was about to give him some candid advice).
"My, you certainly got up to the Hollow quickly!" she said. "Didn't you just finish school? No matter how much you might want to see Ikuo, you young people are our future, you know, so you'd better be careful!" Then she left.
3
It was obvious that Gii wasn't old enough to have a license, but every- one who mattered, from the authorities along the riverside to the patrol- men in the police station, turned a blind eye to the young man's driving.
Coming from the city, Ms. Asuka found it amusing that this little local com- munity made an exception for Gii, though she was also, naturally enough, worried. As Gii walked into the room, her voice could be heard from be- hind him.
"Don't forget what Asa-san told you. Remember that council member who said if he gets on the bad side of you and your friends, the adults who have a weakness for children won't support him in the election? It scares me to imagine what you'll be like when you grow up."
"If I do grow up," Gii said pointedly. "My mother apparently told Asa-san not to let me become too attached to Ikuo," he went on to tell Kizu and the others as he came into the bedroom. "But she isn't very logical most of the time."
"Asa-san's logic is fine," Ikuo scolded.
Despite the scolding, Ikuo motioned Gii over to the seat vacated by Asa-san and turned to speak with Kizu, ignoring Gii in a relaxed guys-only way.
"Early this morning," Ikuo began, "I went to check out the extension to the piggery they're building at the Farm. They've had to build it in the high- est spot around because of the foul odor, and with the rain I wasn't sure our little truck would make it up the slope. Right after I got there, one of their leaders, Mr. Hanawa, who accompanied those of us who came by train, asked me a question. I was impressed then by how attentive he seemed, but he also is a bit uncompromising, the way he won't say a word to the Fireflies, for instance, even when he has them help out."