mc.risingsun-第43章

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　〃Uh…huh。〃　Connor　must　have　heard　the　skepticism　in　my　voice。
　〃Look；〃　he　said；　〃Get　this　conspiracy　stuff　out　of　your　head。　Do　you　want　to　take　over　Japan？　Do　you　want　to　run　their　country？　Of　course　not。　No　sensible　country　wants　to　take　over　another　country。　Do　business；　yes。　Have　a　relationship；　yes。　But　not　take　over。　Nobody　wants　the　responsibility。　Nobody　wants　to　be　bothered。　Just　like　with　the　drunken　uncle　…　you　only　have　those　meetings　when　you're　forced　to。　It's　a　last　resort。〃
　〃So　that's　how　the　Japanese　see　it？〃
　〃They　see　billions　and　billions　of　their　dollars；　kōhai。　Invested　in　a　country　that's　in　deep　trouble。　That's　filled　with　strange　individualistic　people　who　talk　constantly。　Who　confront　each　other　constantly。　Who　argue　all　the　time。　People　who　aren't　well　educated；　who　don't　know　much　about　the　world；　who　get　their　information　from　television。　People　who　don't　work　very　hard；　who　tolerate　violence　and　drug　use；　and　who　don't　seem　to　object　to　it。　The　Japanese　have　billions　of　dollars　in　this　peculiar　land　and　they　would　like　a　decent　return　on　their　investment。　And　even　though　the　American　economy　is　collapsing　…　it　will　soon　be　third　in　the　world　after　Japan　and　Europe　…　it's　still　important　to　try　and　hold　it　together。　Which　is　all　they're　trying　to　do。〃
　〃That's　it？〃　I　said。　〃They're　just　doing　the　good　work　of　saving　America？〃
　〃Somebody　needs　to　do　it；〃　Connor　said。　〃We　can't　go　on　this　way。〃
　〃We'll　manage。〃
　〃That's　what　the　English　always　said。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃But　now　England　is　poor。　And　America　is　being　poor；　too。〃
　〃Why　is　it　being　poor？〃　I　said；　speaking　louder　than　I　intended。
　〃The　Japanese　say　it's　because　America　has　bee　a　land　without　substance。　We　let　our　manufacturing　go。　We　don't　make　things　anymore。　When　you　manufacture　products；　you　add　value　to　raw　materials；　and　you　literally　create　wealth。　But　America　has　stopped　doing　that。　Americans　make　money　now　by　paper　manipulation；　which　the　Japanese　say　is　bound　to　catch　up　to　us　because　paper　profits　don't　reflect　real　wealth。　They　think　our　fascination　with　Wall　Street　and　junk　bonds　is　crazy。〃
　〃And　therefore　the　Japanese　ought　to　manage　us？〃
　〃They　think　someone　ought　to　manage　us。　They'd　prefer　we　do　it　ourselves。〃
　〃Jesus。〃
　Connor　shifted　in　his　seat。　〃Save　your　outrage；　kōhai。　Because　according　to　Hanada…san；　the　Saturday　meetings　stopped　in　1991。〃
　〃Oh？〃
　〃Yes。　That　was　when　the　Japanese　decided　not　to　worry　about　whether　America　would　clean　up　its　act。　They　saw　advantages　in　the　present　situation：　America　is　asleep；　and　inexpensive　to　buy。〃
　〃So　there　aren't　Saturday　meetings　any　more？〃
　〃There　are　occasional　ones。　Because　of　nichibei　kankei：　the　ongoing　Japanese…American　relationship。　The　economies　of　the　two　countries　are　interlocked　by　now。　Neither　country　can　pull　out；　even　if　they　wanted　to。　But　the　meetings　are　no　longer　important。　They　are　basically　social　functions。　So　what　Sakamura　said　to　Cheryl　Austin　is　wrong。　And　her　death　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　Saturday　meetings。〃
　〃What　does　it　have　to　do　with？〃
　〃My　friends　seemed　to　think　it　was　personal。　A　chijou　no　motsure；　a　crime　of　passion。　Involving　a　beautiful；　irokichigai　woman　and　a　jealous　man。〃
　〃And　you　believe　them？〃
　〃Well；　the　thing　is；　they　were　unanimous。　All　three　of　these　businessmen。　Of　course　Japanese　are　reluctant　to　express　disagreement　among　themselves；　even　on　the　golf　course　of　an　underdeveloped　peasant　country。　But　I　have　learned　that　unanimity　toward　a　gaijin　may　cover　a　multitude　of　sins。〃
　〃You　think　they　were　lying？〃
　〃Not　exactly。〃　Connor　shook　his　head。　〃But　I　had　the　impression　they　were　telling　me　something　by　not　telling　me。　This　morning　was　a　game　of　hara　no　saguriai。　My　friends　were　not　forthing。〃
　
　Connor　described　his　golf　game。　There　had　been　long　silences　all　morning。　Everyone　in　the　foursome　was　polite　and　considerate；　but　spoken　ments　were　rare　and　reserved。　Most　of　the　time；　the　men　walked　over　the　course　in　plete　silence。
　〃And　you　had　gone　there　for　information？〃　I　said。　〃How　could　you　stand　it？〃
　〃Oh；　I　was　getting　information。〃　But　as　he　explained　it；　it　was　all　unspoken。　Basically；　the　Japanese　have　an　understanding　based　on　centuries　of　shared　culture；　and　they　are　able　to　municate　feelings　without　words。　It's　the　closeness　that　exists　in　America　between　a　parent　and　child　…　a　child　often　understands　everything；　just　from　a　parent's　glance。　But　Americans　don't　rely　on　unspoken　munication　as　a　general　rule；　and　the　Japanese　do。　It　is　as　if　all　Japanese　are　members　of　the　same　family；　and　they　can　municate　without　words。　To　a　Japanese；　silences　have　meaning。
　〃It's　nothing　mystical　or　wonderful；〃　Connor　said。　〃For　the　most　part　it　is　because　the　Japanese　are　so　hemmed　in　by　rules　and　conventions；　they　end　up　unable　to　say　anything　at　all。　For　politeness；　to　save　face；　the　other　person　is　obliged　to　read　the　situation；　the　context；　and　the　subtle　signs　of　body　posture　and　unstated　feeling。　Because　the　first　person　feels　he　can't　actually　put　anything　into　words。　Any　speaking　at　all　would　be　indelicate。　So　the　point　must　be　gotten　across　in　other　ways。〃
　I　said；　〃And　that's　how　your　morning　was　spent？　Not　talking？〃
　Connor　shook　his　head。　He　felt　he　had　quite　clear　munication　with　the　Japanese　golfers；　and　wasn't　troubled　by　the　silences　at　all。
　〃Because　I　was　asking　them　to　talk　about　other　Japanese　…　members　of　their　family　…　I　had　to　frame　my　questions　with　great　delicacy。　Just　as　I　would　if　I　were　asking　whether　your　sister　was　in　jail　or　any　subject　that　was　painful　or　awkward　for　you。　I　would　be　attentive　to　how　long　it　took　you　to　answer；　and　the　pauses　between　your　statements；　the　tone　of　your　voice　…　all　sorts　of　things。　Beyond　the　literal　munication。　Okay？〃
　〃Okay。〃
　〃It　means　you　get　the　feeling　by　an　intuition。〃
　〃And　what　was　the　intuition　you　got？〃
　〃They　said；　'We　are　mindful　that　you　have　performed　services　for　us　in　the　past。　We　feel　a　desire　to　help　you　now。　But　this　murder　is　a　Japanese　matter　and　thus　we　are　unable　to　tell　you　everything　that　we　might　like　to。　From　our　reticence；　you　may　draw　useful　conclusions　about　the　underlying　issue。'　That's　what　they　said　to　me。〃
　〃And　what　is　the　underlying　issue？〃
　〃Well；〃　Connor　said。　〃They　mentioned　MicroCon　several　times。〃
　〃That　high…tech　pany？〃
　〃Yes。　The　one　that's　being　sold。　Apparently　it's　a　small　pany　in　Silicon　Valley　that　makes　specialized　puter　machinery。　And　there　are　political　problems　about　the　sale。　They　referred　to　those　problems　several　times。〃
　〃So　this　murder　has　something　to　do　with　MicroCon？〃
　〃I　think　so。〃　He　shifted　in　his　chair。　〃By　the　way；　what　did　you　learn　at　U。S。C。　about　the　tapes？〃
　〃For　one　thing；　that　they　were　duplicated。〃
　Connor　nodded。　〃I　assumed　that；〃　he　said。
　〃You　did？〃
　〃Ishiguro　would　never　give　us　the　originals。　The　Japanese　think　everybody　who　is　not　Japanese　is　a　barbarian；　They　mean　it；　literally：　barbarian。　Stinking；　vulgar；　stupid　barbarian。　They're　polite　about　it；　because　they　know　you　can't　help　the　misfortune　of　not　being　born　Japanese。　But　they　still　think　it。〃
　I　nodded。　That　was　more　or　less　what　Sanders　had　said；　too。
　〃The　other　thing；〃　Connor　said；　〃is　that　the　Japanese　are　extremely　successful；　but　they　are　not　daring。　They　are　plotters　and　plodders。　So　they're　not　going　to　give　us　the　originals　because　they　don't　want　to　take　any　chances。　Now。　What　else　did　you　learn　about　the　tapes？〃
　〃What　makes　you　think　there　was　something　else？〃　I　said。
　〃When　you　looked　at　the　tapes；〃　he　said；　〃I'm　sure　you　noticed　an　important　detail　that…　〃
　And　then　we　were　interrupted　by　the　telephone。
　
　〃Captain　Connor；〃　said　a　cheerful　voice；　over　the　speaker　phone。　〃This　is　Jerry　Orr。　Over　at　Sunset　Hills　Country　Club？　You　left　without　taking　the　papers　with　you。〃
　〃The　papers？〃
　〃The　application；〃　Orr　said。　〃You　need　to　fill　it　out；　Captain。　Of　course　it's　just　routine。　I　can　assure　you；　there　won't　be　any　problem　with　it；　considering　who　your　sponsors　are。〃
　〃My　sponsors；〃　Connor　said。
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　Orr　said。　〃And　congratulations。　As　you　know；　it's　almost　impossible　to　obtain　a　membership　at　Sunset　these　days。　B