No. 6 Vol 1 Chapter 5.2
[Novel] NO. 6 - Vol 1 Ch 5 (b)
This is a continuation of PART A.
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"Nezumi."
"Hm?"
"Could it be the park?"
"The what?"
"The Forest Park in the centre of the city. My workplace― could that be where the parasite wasp originated?"
"Why?" said Nezumi. "That park is right in the middle of the city. It might be a forest, but its still artificial. All the wildlife is managed and controlled by the city. If a parasite wasp sprung out of nowhere, theyd notice."
"Thats true, but... out of all places in the city, the park would be the most adequate environment for a new species to appear. And all the victims so far, including me, were in the park when it happened. Of course―" Shion hesitated. "I dont know if theres been casualties anywhere else― but I think part of the reason why the city suspected me was because the incidents were concentrated in that location. But if thats the case―"
"That monster must have been born there somehow without being noticed by the control systems."
"Its plausible, right? And whats more, the park is where lots of people gather."
"No shortage of hosts," said Nezumi grimly.
It was a park that was beautifully and conveniently crafted for the citizens. If a species that preyed on humans actually did inhabit it, then―
"Spring," Shion murmured.
Spring? Nezumi echoed in question.
"Once winter comes, the wasps will cease activity as they enter a dormant stage. The eggs that have been laid already will probably pa.s.s the winter as they are."
"Inside peoples bodies."
"Yeah. And when spring comes, theyll be able to resume activity as an imago. Then theyll hatch all at once." In a season abundant with sunlight and flower blossoms, a ma.s.s of black wasps would simultaneously break out of peoples bodies to take flight. How many would they be? How many people would be sacrificed?
"We have to do something."
"And how are you gonna do something about it?" replied Nezumi bluntly. "Dont even think about going back to the city. Youll be killed. Youre an amateur, you cant pull any fancy tricks like slipping past surveillance. Ten-to-one, as soon as you step inside the city, youll be shot dead. We dont have a trump card to pull out, you know."
"Actually― I think we might."
Nezumi narrowed his eyes.
"I survived that wasp attack. Theres a chance that Ive developed antibodies that resist the toxin. If I have, then itll be possible to make a serum out of my blood."
Nezumi shot an appalled look at Shion and hunched his shoulders exaggeratedly.
"And then whatre you gonna do? Go waltzing into the citys Health Bureau and say Please check my blood. And if you like, please make a serum out of it? Thats idiotic. Theyll probably suck all your blood out and throw you in the trash with the rest of their organic garbage. Sure, what youre saying is impressive, but are you prepared to risk losing your life for these people?"
"I dont want to die."
"Then dont think about useless things. Whether you have antibodies or not, once youre caught, youre going to get killed anyway. Its just a matter of how soon or how late."
"Then what should I do?"
"Dont do anything. Just leave them to fend for themselves."
Shion lifted his face.
"Leave them?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah. What a magnificent stage itll be," Nezumi sneered. "You can watch the Holy City crumble into ruin, glowing in the light of spring. And youll have the best seats in the house."
"Nezumi!" Shion raised his voice sharply.
"Whoa, dont go dumping water on me again."
"Are you under the impression that the West Block is safe from this?" he said incredulously. "Were human beings, the same as them. Theres no knowing when the wasps might attack us too."
Nezumi fell silent. A crooked smile played on his lips.
"Were not the same."
"What―"
"The people inside the city sure dont see the residents of the West Block as the same human beings. You still dont know what kind of place this is, do you? This is the Holy Citys garbage dump. No. 6 has thrived by throwing everything it doesnt want out here. You should take a good look and see for yourself."
"Nezumi..."
"This is just my hunch, but listen," he continued. "That monster is probably only going to choose residents of No. 6 to be its host― the people who have pushed everything dirty into the hands of others to live in that perfectly hygienic environment, well-nourished and in excellent health. Mr. Monster has gourmet tastes."
"How can you be so sure?"
"I have no clue about the biology of insects, Shion. But Im probably right in guessing that any bee, wasp, ant or gra.s.shopper will appear most in places where theres the most food. In terms of population density, were much higher than the city. But do you see any sign of the monster here? No. Which means that there are simply no prey, no hosts here. Right?"
Shion was at a loss for words. His thoughts were becoming tangled, and there was a dull pain throbbing at the back of his head. Nezumis hand touched his cheek.
"Sorry―" he said softly. "I didnt mean to give you a hard time. I forgot. Youre from the other side, the inside of the wall."
"I dont understand what you mean by inside and outside."
"Of course you wouldnt," Nezumi said gently. "Thats normal. You guys have probably never tried to understand what was going on outside your walls, have you? You probably werent even curious about it. Oblivious, arrogant, blissful people... But you, poor thing," he murmured. "Youve fallen off that pedestal."
Which means I can no longer be oblivious, arrogant or blissful anymore. Is that what you want to say? Shion let his gaze speak for him as he looked Nezumi in the eye.
If arrogance is knowing nothing and never having tried to know, and if my blissful life until now has been built upon this arrogance, then sure, I dont mind throwing everything away. Falling off my pedestal would be the best thing that could have happened to me.
"Nezumi," he said steadily.
"Hm?"
"I want to know the truth. I want to know whats real, whats happening to this world Im living in. I want to see its true face."
Nezumi hunched his shoulders and flashed him a wry smile.
"Such youthful words."
"Were the same age."
"I have more life experience than you. Geez, I dont know who else would rattle off a line as embarra.s.sing as I want to know the truth. Except Hamlet, maybe."
"Whos that?"
"A prince of Denmark. I think you should balance out that knowledge bias before working on knowing the truth. You really know next to nothing about cla.s.sics, huh?"
"Well, Ive never needed them before..." frowned Shion. "The Arts werent encouraged much, so..."
Nezumi reached into the shelves and pulled out two books.
"If what youre saying is true, then once winter comes, the commotion will die down. Which means we have a moratorium until spring."
"Probably."
"Then theres no need to get worked up," he said airily. "Nothing will come of it. So until you recover and youre well enough to move around, you can read him these."
"Him?"
A brown mouse scurried up onto Shions knee, and stood on its hind legs.
"He loves Macbeth. The other is Faust. Ever heard of it?"
"No."
Nezumi grimaced, and heaved an exaggerated sigh.
If feeling prompt not, if it doth not flow
Fresh from the spirits depths, with strong control
Swaying to rapture every listeners soul,
Idle your toil; the chase you may forego![1]
"―is how it goes. You should give your brain a break and work on training your soul. Your Mama used to read to you, right?"
"Yeah."
The mouse squeaked insistently.
"Oh, right. Speaking of Mama, I have a message from yours. I almost forgot."
"Huh?"
A faint colour rose in Nezumis cheeks as he obstinately turned aside.
"Well, since you managed not to die... I figured it wouldnt hurt to tell your mother that youre over here now. "
"You went to see my mother?"
"Not me," he said brusquely, "I stayed in the underground tunnel. This guy―"
The brown mouse tilted its head to one side.
"―He went for me, with the note in his mouth. One of the oldest tricks in the book, but surprisingly, it got past surveillance without being noticed."
"Thank you."
"Stop that." Nezumi pulled a face. "Dont give me that teary-eyed look. Arent you embarra.s.sed at all?"
"I was talking to this little mouse here."
"Oh― well, then."
Shion really was grateful. Now that he knew how difficult it was to get past the wall, he felt grateful from the bottom of his heart that Nezumi had taken the same risk again just to deliver the message to his mother. So this is what it means to gain knowledge.
"Your moms got some guts," Nezumi remarked. "She managed to give me a reply without getting caught." Nezumi tossed him a rolled-up strip of paper that was about half the size of his finger. There was a message hastily scribbled onto it that he could barely read.
"What does this mean?" He and Nezumi looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Its a letter that your Mama wrote to her beloved son," said Nezumi. "Dont you have any clue what it might be about?"
"Not really," replied Shion doubtfully. "K probably stands for my mothers first name, but this... not sure...?"
"Its probably an address. Not that building numbers would do any good here.... Latch Building, huh. I guess Ill look into it."
"So that must mean my mother knows someone who lives in the West Block." It was a surprise to him. He had never heard Karan utter a single word about anyone who lived here. Nezumi snapped his fingers smartly.
"Oh― I know."
"Huh?"
"Maybe hes your dad."
"Fat chance," retorted Shion. "Look whos had one too many stories to read. Arent you embarra.s.sed at all?"
Nezumi tsked in disappointment.
"Youre getting better at your comebacks. ―But, well, I guess youre right. Its your typical script for a cheap melodrama. A father and son reunite in tears after sixteen years of estrangement." Nezumis voice turned deep and burly.
"Ive missed you, son."
"Me too, Father." Shion bounded into Nezumis widespread arms. They circled around his back. It was warm. For an instant, the frigid touch of Yamases dead body flashed back in his mind. But it was this warmth here, not that coldness, that he wanted to remember; and Shion vowed never to forget the heat of the body that was in his arms. He wished all beings, himself included, could continue to be living beings. He didnt want his life unfairly wrenched away from him. He could feel it― the pleasure of living, breathing, and possessing a body of warm flesh― soak into the depths of his core. Nezumi gently detached himself.
"Youre getting better at picking up your cues," he said approvingly.
"I know. Ive come pretty far in a short time, havent I?"
"Quite an excellent pupil. Shall we go, then?"
"Where?"
"Outside."
Darkness had fallen outside. Here in the West Block, night and complete darkness seemed synonymous. A chill wind nipped at Shions skin.
"Look," Nezumi pointed. No. 6 was carved out in the darkness, bathed in light as it glowed in the distance.
"Its always shining like that, morning, day, and night. Pretty, isnt it."
"Yeah."
"But where youre going to be living from now on is here." The land was sunken in darkness, with a spa.r.s.e scattering of lights here and there. They burned forlornly, and made the surrounding dark look even more inky black. The clouds above broke, and the moon peeked out. It was a crescent moon. A thin sliver, almost like a clipped nail, floated in the empty sky.
Nezumi crouched down to pick something up.
"Look at this." It was a dead wasp.
"This looks like just a regular paper wasp."
"You were right, it looks like the season for wasp activity is over."
"By springtime..." Shion trailed off.
It was possible that the city would hold out somehow until spring. It gave him a few months grace period until the fatal judgment would fall.
"If youre serious about fighting the parasite wasps, I wont get in your way," Nezumi said. "But if that means helping No. 6, Im backing out."
"Do you have a grudge against No. 6?"
There was no answer. The wind blew stronger. The canopies above creaked and rustled as they swayed in the darkness.
"Shion."
"Hm?"
"That city where you were born and raised in― thats the biggest parasite."
"Huh?"
"It latches onto the host, sucks out all its nutrients, and devours it whole. Thats the kind of city it is. A Parasite City... do you understand what Im saying?"
"No."
"Youll find out soon. You said you wanted to know the truth. But once you know, youll never be able to go back. I would prepare myself if I were you."
"Ive already come too far to go back anyway, wouldnt you think?"
"I guess so."
Nezumis quiet laughter carried on the wind. His voice was dry and hollow, as if to complement it.
"If you find out the truth, and still want to protect No. 6― then,"
In the darkness, Nezumis face turned to his. Shion could feel his gaze. He could almost see the grey of his eyes just as vividly.
"Then youre my enemy too."
Boy, its chilly out here. Lets head back in. Nezumis tone was light. It was as if nothing had happened. He turned his back to Shion, and began whistling as he descended the stairs.
"Nezumi."
The whistling stopped.
"You havent told me your name yet."
"Nezumi it is, and Nezumi it shall be. Good enough."
"But it doesnt suit you. And it was a promise. You said youd tell me your name if I survived."
There was a soft laugh, which quickly turned into whistling again. The door closed, and a silence settled over the darkness. Shion stood alone, rooted to the spot. The wind caressed his white hair. He could hear a dog barking somewhere in the distance.
He gazed up at the city that bejewelled itself in light. The Parasite City. The city whose name Nezumi had spat with disgust was shimmering and beautiful.
Shion averted his eyes from the light, and took a deep breath.
Then he descended slowly down the steps to the room below.
-- END OF CHAPTER 5 --
Notes
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. The Tragedy of Faust, Part I. Trans. Anna Swanwick. New York: P. F. Collier & Son, 1909. (ll. 189-192) (back)
Font credit to JOEBOB Graphics for Joe Hand 2.