A stream flowed beneath the window, spanned by a corridor leading to a wing on the far bank. Apparently this wooden hot spring hotel was over a hundred years old, built in the early years of the Meiji era, and was closed during the winter months.
“OK if we sleep in the same room?” Kita asked.
Shinobu looked much more cheerful than she had when they were in Tokyo. “Shall I read you some more from the Bible?” she said.
“No, that’s enough Bible. But is it really OK for you to be in this remote place? You must have work tomorrow, surely?”
“It’s fine. I’ve sent those spooks packing. I want to give them a hard time, you see.”
“You ran away?”
“That’s what I said, isn’t it?”
“I didn’t think you were serious.”
“I’m serious. I’m taking my revenge on the world.”
“It’s like I’ve kidnapped you or something.”
“I’m the one who’s kidnapped you.”
“No one’s going to see it that way. What do you get out of kidnapping me, after all? But if someone abducted you, everyone’d go crazy. And there’d be money in it.”
“No one would pay the ransom.”
“I bet they would. The production guys would.”
“No way, not that stingy company boss.”
“Well the politicians you’ve been with would then. You’re in a position to cause the downfall of two members of parliament plus a top bureaucrat from the Treasury. You’re a walking bomb for them.”
Shinobu was sitting up on one of the beds like a little god of happiness. “Kita, would you abduct me please?” she said, gazing flirtatiously up at him as he stood by the window. In the hotel the night before, Kita had dreamed of running away with Shinobu. Needless to say, it had only been a fantasy. And yet here she was, begging him to abduct her. Maybe a whole new life had begun for him suddenly.
“I’ve got two things I absolutely must do before I die. One of them’s a ski jump.”
Professional ski jumpers looked as though they just went bouncing gaily along, but apparently they were white with fear when they first started. The beginning was like a prison sentence or death dash to escape. The criminal hurls himself from the prison down the perilous cliff face in the swirling snow, not knowing if he’ll live or die, and if by pure luck he lands safely, he grasps both life and freedom. No one can believe they’ll survive, that first time. Sure they’d die, and the prison guards wouldn’t bother pursuing them. That “freedom or death” leap had become a competitive sport that judged participants on their form and the length of their jump.
“If I tried a ski jump it’s quite possible I’d die, it seems to me.”
“Kind of like committing suicide by jumping to your death, eh?”
“So the order should be to do the other thing before I try the jump, in fact.”
“And what’s the other thing?”
“To abduct someone.”
“Kita, you’ve been wanting to abduct me all along! This is great!”
“The success rate for abductions is pretty low, you know.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll help.”
“OK, let’s try it.”
“Sure. But first, let’s have a bath.”
They changed into bathrobes and headed off along the squeaky wooden corridor for the bathhouse, their slippers flapping on the floor. Steam filled the dimly lit bathhouse, a room as cavernous as a temple hall. The big bath was reminiscent of a holding tank for fish. It was divided in four, with a log across the middle of each. A group of old couples, three middle-aged ladies who made no attempt to hide their breasts from sight, and an awkward-looking young man were all soaking themselves blankly. Kita and Shinobu disrobed behind the screen, then stepped together into a vacant bath. The bottom was lined with fist-sized stones.
“This feels great.” Shinobu’s naked body swayed palely in the soft, translucent water. Blissfully she scooped water in the palm of her hand and poured it down her back. Kita was blissful for different reasons – he was tasting the delight of seeing with his very own eyes this image of his adored idol’s naked body before the photographs had hit the stands. She was no phantom, but it nevertheless seemed to him she’d disappear if he reached out to touch her. Perhaps it was the hot spring steam that made him feel this way. At any rate, that’s how he chose to feel.
“She’s been abducted by me. I’m in charge of that body of hers until Friday,” he told himself. In order to convince himself, he’d go through the motions of the abductor, one by one. First off, he should let the production chief or the manager know he’d abducted her. An abductor always made some demand. They’d suspect him if he didn’t. OK, he’d demand ransom money. What would be a suitable sum? He shouldn’t go too high or too low. Maybe thirty million would be about right. He ought to make all sorts of unreasonable demands as well. Acting wilful was her responsibility.
Once out of the bath, he bought some milk in the vending machine, and as he sipped it Kita stood at the phone booth by the corridor and dialled the chief’s home number.
A woman who was evidently the wife answered. “This is the Fujioka residence,” she said, in a voice like a slowed-down recording. Taking his cue from her polite way of speaking, Kita began, “I’m sorry to bother you at this hour. Would your husband be in?”
“My husband is out just now. To whom am I speaking?”
“My name is Yukichi Fukuzawa,” Kita said, borrowing the name of the famous early Meiji scholar whose face was on the ten thousand yen note. “Could you pass on a message for me please?”
“Mr. Fukuzawa, is it? I’ll take your message.”
“I have Shinobu Yoimachi. Don’t inform the police. Just prepare thirty million yen. That’s the message. Thanks.”
“Er, could you explain?”
“This is an abduction. I’m serious. I’ll phone again. Goodbye.”
Shinobu stood beside him listening as she drank down a can of Pocari Sweat. “That was cool, Kita,” she said admiringly. Kita grinned shyly. “Let’s go back to the room and take a rest,” he said. “I’d like to hear some more of that Bible.”
They settled down on the bed and sipped beer while Shinobu read from the twelfth chapter of the Gospel according to Luke, where Jesus preaches to the Pharisees and lawmakers. Lightheaded from the bath, Kita felt the words of Jesus swim like water into his brain.
Think of the ravens: they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. You are worth far more than the birds!
Can anxious thought add a day to your life? If, then, you cannot do even a very little thing, why worry about the rest?
He felt as if the room had suddenly grown bright. All the strength drained from him, and he sank into sleep as if led there by some hand. When he woke again, it was two in the morning. Shinobu lay on the bed beside him. She breathed peacefully, holding Kita’s arm against her breast. Her cheeks were flushed, and she didn’t appear to be worrying about anything. Kita gently stroked her face.
Would those businessmen who sold Shinobu for profit be hustling around all night long to get together the money to win back their prize possession? Or would they come back at him with some ploy he couldn’t imagine? Kita thought of confronting the enemy. He felt not the least concern.
Kita went back to the telephone booth and called the chief’s house again. The call was answered after a single ring.