DianeJoplin’sroomattheHakoneRyokanwasspotlesslyclean.She’dheardthattheJapaneseweresticklersforcleanlinessbutthiswasridiculous.Everythirtyminutesasphere-shapedautonomousvacuumcleanerwouldspringtolifeandglidesilentlyacrossthetatamimats.Therewasnowaytoswitchoffthecleaningrobot,nobuttonsanywhereonitssmoothplasticbody.Dianelayontheroom’sfortablefutonandwatchedthecleanerdeftlynegotiatehersuitcaseandtheotheritemsshehaddiscardedonthefloor.Thevacuumfinisheditsrunandsettledbackinitscorner,itsamberstandbylightblinkingintermittently.She’dtakenaleisurelybathinhotwaterpumpedinfromtheryokan’shotspringsandconsideredheroptions.TheDeWittewomanhadexplainedtoherthatshehadtowashherselfbeforegettinginthebathandshehadtriedhardtoseethelogicofthatbutwithoutmuchsuccess.
She’dhavetogobacktoBostonatsomepointanddealwiththepaperworkthathademergedinthewakeofherfather’sdeath.She’dlaterlearnedfromFoulertheanswertothequestionshewasmostafraidtoask.Whathadhappenedtoherfather’sbody?AfewphonecallslaterFoulerhadebackwiththeanswer.Herfatherhadbeencrematedaccordingtoinstructionsinhiswillandhisasheshadbeenforwardedtothelegalfirmthatwashandlinghisaffairs,atleastuntilDianesignedthepapers.
Shewonderedwhatshewasgoingtodowithherlife.Thechasmthathadbeenopenedupwithherfather’spassingseemedtohavefracturedhersenseofpurpose.YetinJapan,shefeltlikeshewasbeginningtobreatheanewlife.Shelikedtheculture,itsimprobablejuxtapositionofrigidfeudaltraditionsandtheextremesofmodernity.Shewouldebackherewithherfather’sashes,aftertakingcareofthingsinAmerica,andshejustmightjoinaJapanesecourseatoneoftheuniversitiesinTokyo.Shecouldn’tliveintheUnitedStatesanymore,itheldonebadmemorytoomany.Firsthermotherhadpassedaway.Nowherfatherhadgonetojoinher,bothviolentlyrippedfromherworldtoanotherplace,anotherdimension.Thevoicesweremostlysilentnow,leavingbehindastrangecalm,acalmreinforcedbytheserenityofthisplace,thepristinetatamis,thewarmwoodenfloors,thesimpleZen-nessoftheinteriordesignandtherestraineduseofcolor.
Strangely,Foulerhadletherholdontotheconsole.Heseemedtounderstandthatsomehowshevieweditassomekindofconnectiontoherfather.Shehadtoldhimaboutwhatshehadfoundoutincyberspaceaboutthemanwhocreatedtheconsoleandhowshewouldliketopayhimavisit.Somehow,shefeltthiswouldbringclosuretothewholeordealandshe’dbeabletoreturntoAmericaanddowhatshehadtodothere.Foulerhadthoughtforamoment,hislongjawtightlysetinagrimace.ThenhehadtoldherthathetoohadbeenplanningtopayAkioInoueavisitattheTokyoMedicalUniversityHospitalinShinjukuandthathewouldtakeherwithhiminthemorning.
DianeJoplinthoughtaboutallthesethingstillhereyesgrewwearyandsheturneddownthebedsidelampanddriftedofftosleep.Shedreamtofherroomintheryokan,blanketedindarkness,andtheshadowsfromtheleaflesstreesoutsidedancingonthewoodenfloors.Shesawlightreflectedfromthemoonlightontothesurfaceofthehotspringbathintheenclosedterrace.Andwasn’tthattherobotvacuumcleanerdoingitsrounds,lightsblinkinginthedarknessofherdream?
AndthenshesawtheshadowmovingpurposefullythroughtheroomtowardsherSamsonite.Inthepalemoonlighttheruddyfacewasunmistakable.ThoseEnglishgentlemanfeatures,thesandyhairstarkagainstthegreenandredcheckdressinggownandthepalehandsopeninghersuitcaseandrummagingaboutinside.ThenDianerealizedthatshewasnotdreaminganditdawnedonherthatMr.DeWittewaslookingforsomethinginhersuitcase.Theconsole?Shethankedthevoicesfortellinghertohideitwithinthefoldsofherfuton.Shewatchedhimsearchingaroundtheroomthroughhalf-closedeyes.Afterafewminutes,hehadleft,givingheralookthatwasn’tatalllikethekindwelinglookhehadgivenherwhenshehadsteppedoutofFouler’svan.
ShewouldhavetotellFoulerinthemorningthatDeMr.DeWittehadsnuckintoherroominthemiddleofthenightlookingfortheconsole.Butthen,whatwouldthatdotothefamily?ItwasobviousthatFoulerwasDeWitte’sboss.Thatmuchshehadgleanedatdinnertimewhentheyhadallsatcross-leggedaroundthatexquisiteblacklacquertablewithetchingsthatlookedlikesamuraifrolickingwithelaborately-cladgeisha.Herlegshadstartedachingafterafewminutesandshehadtriedtochangeherposture,stretchingonelegoutbutthathadquicklybeepainfultooandallthewhileDanteDeWittewatchingherthroughthosebeautifuleyesofhis,smiling.Andshehadsmiledtooandstartedtalkingtohim.Soonthepainwasforgottenandtheyweretalkingliketeenagersoverexquisitesliversofsashimi.
DanteDeWittehadaskedhismotheriftheycouldhavesomesakeandshehadlookedathisfatherwhohadabsent-mindedlynoddedhisapprovalandcontinuedchattinginhushedtoneswithFouler.ThetwoagentsandthewomantheycalledSevenwerenowheretobeseen.
Howcouldonesmallblackpieceofelectronicscausesomuchtroubleandberesponsibleforthedeathofherfather,KenzoYamamotoandwhoknewwhoelse?Andnowthatshethoughtaboutit,Mr.DeWitteseemedtohavebeenveryinterestedintheconsole,atonepointduringdinneraskingDianewhethershehadusedit.Shehadsaidno,whichwasaliebutMr.DeWittehadgivenherthislooklikehedidn’tbelieveher.AndFoulerhadlookedonbemused,apinkstripofsalmondisappearingintohismouth.HeseemedtohavethelookofsomeonewhoknewitallandagainstherbetterjudgmentDianefoundthatshetrustedhim.
TomorrowhewastakinghertoseethisInoue,themanwhohadcreatedtheconsole.ShehadaskedFoulerhowyoucouldtalktosomeoneinaaandFoulerhadsmiledandsaidthattherewerewaysandshewouldseetomorrow.Yet,DianealreadyknewthatyoucouldtalktothedeadbecauseattheKeioPlazaHotelshehadswitchedontheconsoleoutofsheerboredomandthatKenzoYamamoto,thedeadYakuza,hadspokentohermumblingstuffaboutapanycalledTokyuNanotechnologyCorp
DianethoughtaboutMrs.DeWitte,theelegantbutalwayssilentJapanesewomanwhowassototallysubservienttoherhusband,justblendingintothebackgroundlikeshewaspartofthefurniture.Dianelikedher,shehadkindmournfuleyes,butshepromisedherselftoneverletherselfbeelikethat.LifewasforlivingeventhoughshefiguredthatMrs.DeWittemaynotalwayshavebeenasquietasshewas.ShenoticedthateventhoughtheJapaneseladybarelyeverjoinedinthedinnerconversationthatshenevermissedabeat.
IfshetoldonDeWitte,whatwouldthisdothefamily?Shedecidedshe’dstayquietunlesssheabsolutelyhadto.ShelikedDanteandhismothertoomuchtounderminetheirfatherinthatwayandwhateverhewasupto,hedidnothavetheconsole,shedid.DianeJoplinwasthinkingofKenzoYamamoto’sconsoleanditscreatorAkioInouewhenshedriftedofftosleepforthesecondtime.
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