After threatening him, you went to the back storeroom, picked out some canned beef and cookies, and put them in a sack. When you handed them over, Buntoku looked dissatisfied.
—I’ll give you more later if what you said is true and Seiji is captured, you explained, having him step outside. Let’s keep this between ourselves.
You nodded to each other, and Buntoku disappeared into the darkness. Then you closed the door and went back to drinking your whiskey.
—But how did the Americans find out that Seiji was hiding in that cave? the woman asks.
—It’s a small island, so it was impossible to hide without being discovered.
—I heard that Seiji was a pretty good swimmer. Couldn’t he have swum off the island?
—Yes, he probably could have. But the war was still going on, so even if he got off, he’d have had nowhere to go.
—I guess that’s true.
—Besides, Seiji wanted...
You hold off saying what you were thinking and avert your eyes. As you look at the purple lilacs blooming in the garden, you think to yourself, Seiji wanted to die and take some Americans with him.
The next morning, you went up to the Japanese-American interpreter, who was with the soldiers gathered at the banyan tree in preparation for the search. You explained that someone told you where Seiji was hiding, but the interpreter stared at you with suspicion.
—Who is this someone? he asked.
—He has nothing to do with it, so please don’t ask, you answered with an obsequious smile. Just by chance, he saw where Seiji was hiding.
The interpreter still seemed doubtful, but he took you to see the commander, a thin Caucasian man of about thirty with razor cuts on his chin. The commander stared at you as he listened to the interpreter’s explanation. When the interpreter was finished, the commander spread a map out on the hood of a jeep and said something. You guessed he wanted to know the location, so you went to the map before the interpreter had a chance to explain. However, you couldn’t connect the thin lines on the map to the island’s topography. You suggested leading them to the cave yourself. After getting the translation, the commander nodded and signaled for you to get in the jeep. Villagers had been curiously watching you from the moment you went up to the interpreter, and now they saw you get in the back seat.
As you sat there in the jeep, you felt both proud and guilty. When the interpreter, who was sitting next to you, asked if you were absolutely certain about where you were taking them, you suddenly felt uneasy. You nodded, and glanced over at the group of men to find Buntoku, but he wasn’t there. At the commander’s order, the soldiers standing around smoking and chatting jumped into their jeeps, and you told the interpreter to head toward the woods.
About three hundred meters from the village, the road became too narrow for the jeeps to pass. Everyone got out, and you and the interpreter led the way up the slope. You went deeper into the woods than anyone had during the previous searches. When you reached the small hill in the center of the island, you halted. Through the bishopwood and chinquapin trees, you could see the mouth of the cave at the bottom of the cliff, about fifty meters away. You pointed it out to the interpreter. He nodded, looked at the cave, and said something to the commander, who stepped forward and peered through a small pair of binoculars. He had a young soldier spread out a map to confirm their position. Then he sent two scouts with rifles ahead to investigate.
As you watched the backs of the two soldiers, you prayed that Seiji was in the cave. The two soldiers, apparently assuming that Seiji didn’t have a gun, showed no signs of caution. They went right up to the cave and peered inside. Up until several months ago, the woods had been dense with trees, but the repeated naval bombardments aimed at Japanese soldiers in hiding left only burnt trees and piles of broken branches. Around the cliff, tree stumps were visible under the dim light of the cloudy sky. The two men peering into the cave with their rifles readied gave a signal, and the commander ordered the other soldiers to join them. The interpreter had you follow diagonally and to the rear of the commander. The soldiers were all positioned about thirty meters from the cliff in a tight semicircle facing the cave. You thought their formations were vastly superior to those of the Japanese army, and felt it only natural that the Japanese had been powerless against the Americans. For a moment, you felt in awe of Seiji for facing down such a powerful military on his own, but you immediately nipped those feelings in the bud. Why’d he have to do that? And what the hell was the lunatic thinking? you spit out to yourself. I have no idea, you replied. Oh, don’t pretend! You know exactly why! another voice told you. In confusion, you lift your head.
—Are you all right? the woman asks, with an anxious look.
—Yes, why do you ask?
—Because I’ve been calling you for a while, but you’ve just been sitting there with your head down.
—Sorry, I had something on my mind.
—If you’re tired, why don’t we call it a day?
—No, I’m not tired at all.
—You’re not?
—I really appreciate having someone record my war experiences. I’ve often thought about doing it myself, but it’s really hard to write. I just haven’t been able to do it.
The woman nods at what you say, with an expression of kindness and joy. At least, that’s what you feel and want to believe. You feel sorry about getting special treatment, but you’re happy to get it, all the same.
—Did Seiji come out right after the tear gas was thrown in?
—No, not immediately. I think it took
