I wish you could have seen Hiyoto before he met us. The people in Dream City are clean and surgically perfect. Do they pride in artifice? In this way they are unlike the Thaan - who "act without acting" in the instances they consider their best moments. On the surface each are similarly reserved. concerned with honor. strict. but all for different reasons, perhaps.
The self similar people tire the eyes. There are discriminations at work - class. gender. age. How do the obsequious young business men advance, I wonder? We get confused about a currency exchange and when we argue, the young (male) clerk is in no way empowered to resolve the dispute. His hovering manager steps in. The only women I notice working do menial tasks. We are the only aliens here. All of this makes it obvious that we will have a hard time setting up a business in this place. We do not speak the language. We do not look like them. I am a woman. The negatives tally up.
But Hiyoto is proof that somewhere in this place there is a living breath. He struts. He marks territory. He issues challenges. His clothes are a political map of designer labels. no need to try and read his face: He's hungry for things. He shows his intentions. I find his lust honest. I see a tattoo. aha: If we lived here we'd be home by now.
I smile at our ticket to the floating world - cross my arms in a coy defensive pose - pull up my sleeve as I rub my shoulder. does he notice? he does. my tattoo.
I acquire quick invitation to dine (trying to move fast before Talon explodes over the human shoving him - what is up with this! more later) and lucky for me Hiyoto has a bike with only enough room for two. We're gone.
(The bike is awesome, you'll wish you were there. But you still have Zander to give you joy rides, I guess. (It is bizarre how Talon has started to remind us of him). The main thing about selecting a good ride is to be able to feel the pull of acceleration. the turns. I don't care how fast it goes, if you can't feel it, what's the point? I have to learn how to drive one of these!)
The others blew out of site. We drove to a restaurant (see map) - through some dangerous looking places. finally I see dirt. I was beginning to wonder if there would be any after the autoclaved streets of Dream City.
As we travel, I wonder what image I present to Hiyoto. In a place where woman only do menial jobs (though perhaps it is different in the floating world?), I must seem very brazen. I don't know what conclusions he's drawn - I resolve to back off a little and act more reserved, though still friendly I hope. I don't want to have to overtly reject any advances tonight. That would not be a good start to business.
The restaurant has even better food than Matuba's back home, and the setting is much more formal - though akin to a family publicity dinner (the customs are different, but that is the analogy you should draw). Hiyoto brought me in through the back where I was able to change into appropriate attire, fortunately.
We sit waiting for a while. I am unsure of myself and follow his lead, and I watch the other patrons. The lack of talk makes the place seem still. The waiters ask for our drinks in low voices.
In this quiet place, I am very embarrassed when my communicator rings. I left the bell on? "If it is an emergency," I think, "I will regret not answering." I profusely excuse myself and answer the phone to speak -to Kai. I cut him off when it's obvious there is no emergency (I should get two lines, huh?). Hiyoto has arranged for them to meet us. I suppose he has no way of knowing that they are not my "business" associates. I worry a little about what Talon might do - Kai mentioned some sort of problem with him before I cut him off. However, Talon was able to manage himself back at the laundry, so maybe he will understand how to behave in this place.
Hiyoto did not expected the dinner that followed. Whatever worst case scenario you can imagine? just use that to fill in the details.
After that night, I was ready to cut losses and leave the planet. but when Hiyoto showed up at later at our ship, I left with him - to go see Mr. Shinjo. From Hiyoto's demeanor, Mr. Shinjo is the Hiatsu-san of this organization. We do not speak much on the way over. Hiyoto has not turned off his face though, and I read that he knows he has overreached himself, and failed. and I feel bad because this is my fault. I want somehow to clothe him again in his punk attitude and send him back out to play. But somehow I don't think this is going to happen.
I am brought before what may be bodyguards surrounding an aged man who is the center of everyone's focus. Hiyoto bows very deeply, kneels to him. I follow suit, all the while wondering if I am behaving properly. Evidently my behavior is adequate and the meeting begins. Mr. Shinjo chastises me in a quiet, measured voice - I should have contacted his organization sooner before trying to set up a business without their guidance - he says (I represent a Thaan influence, I wonder?) - but they are interested in my gaijin business and I will be allowed to stay as long as I pay proper tribute - 500 Tokugawan credits.
At this point his attention turns to Hiyoto and with horror I see Hiyoto walk up to the table, accept a blade, and cut off his finger. For a moment, I thought he might stab himself, or cut off his hand. But this is still bad enough. He does not make much of a noise, a grunt - but I cannot help but be visibly shaken and have trouble holding back tears - and what's worse is that I know I do not want to do the same for him.
He ties off his hand, and returns to my side. I am given the finger and told that Hiyoto will be my contact with the organization. I do not know whether he wants Hiyoto to never forget his mistake, or me to never forget mine. I have a hard time looking at Hiyoto on the way out. My hand holding the severed finger is clammy. I do manage finally to speak - I have to say something - and I express my gratitude to him and ask him if there is anything I can do for him. guarded. He tells me that he had looked forward to a business relationship with such a talent as myself, perhaps even a personal relationship, but that he has learned we are very dangerous to be around. and then he shuts off. I feel like I have killed something.
When I get back to the ship I yell at the others, and then turn in early. and think. In the future, I will be more careful before changing someone's life.
We are now traveling towards Sol. I have been looking for signals, news. Odd things. We've left Newer Tokyo on our first business trip to investigate something in or near the Sol system for someone. This is what I told Hiyoto before we left, though I did not tell him that we were the ones who commissioned ourselves. I do not know what he thought and I will send him periodic reports, in case that helps him in any way.
Did you notice the pic of Talon's bike? When I was ordering office furniture and a van for the business, I looked up the cost of those things. Only 900 - couldn't resist telling him they were that cheap. You could tell he wanted one. I think maybe he's mellowing out, because in the past few days, he hasn't insulted us.
He's alien. Only a few days ago he does all he can to hurt me in an off guard moment and now it is as though he has completely forgotten that has happened. is friendly towards me, in contrast. He has currents of oil and water in him - hatred and pain - youth and light. He could be someone's brother. Lately I've seen more of the brother than the killer.
But if he meant what he said about killing people ...I have a hard time grasping crimes of this magnitude. They seem unreal. and I do not want to let him know I care in any way or that I even waste any time thinking about these things - when the hatred surfaces again, it would just be fuel for him to use against me.
Well, we may very well become unreal as we go to meet whatever it is Jakeem thinks he sensed. Strange how I feel so calm and resigned, though.
We got today's title from a haiku by Issa. Of the few haijin I have read, so far he is my favorite. This one is called "The Hungry Ghosts" and is part of a sequence titled "The Six Ways".
Flowers scattering --
the water we thirst for
far off, in the mist.
Issa
After reading this I suddenly feel like I have been thirsty all my life. but even though I didn't realize that thirst until just this moment, I know I have gone this long without water. and I can wait. mm