Page 11 of Daikon
“A warning…” Sagara considered this. Then: “Yes, well, you’ll soon have an opportunity to find out. I’m sending you to examine it. You will return to the Riken and gather what you need. Captain Onda here will assist you.”
Kan looked up, dismayed. “But my daughter,” he heard himself say. “I can’t leave her alone.”
He lowered his head. Why had he said that?
“Your daughter?” Sagara sounded confused. He regarded Kan sharply for a moment, then his face softened.
“The woman at the Riken who answered the phone,” he said. “Miss…”
“Miss Yokoyama,” Kan quietly answered.
“Yes, Miss Yokoyama. She could look after your daughter. It would be for just a few days.”
Kan slowly shook his head.
Sagara turned to Onda.
“Captain Onda, perhaps you could have your wife take care of Kan-sensei’s daughter. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”
“Yes, of course,” said Onda. “She would be glad to do it.”
The colonel returned to Kan with a smile.
“There. The problem is solved. You have no reason to worry. So you will proceed south and examine this American bomb, and you will communicate your findings back to this office. Directly to me, understand? Only to me. Discretion at this point is very important. And under no circumstances are you to reveal anything of this object’s possible nature to anyone in the Navy.
For now, this must remain within the Army. ”
Colonel Sagara pushed away from his desk and rose to his feet, indicating that the meeting was over. Kan reflexively stood up and bowed, but he made no move to leave when Captain Onda opened the door. His mind was racing, considering a gamble.
“Captain Onda will take you back to the Riken,” Sagara said. “To get what you need.”
Keizo Kan remained where he was, his head bowed.
Sagara’s smile faded. “Is there something else?”
Kan inclined his head further. “Pardon me, Colonel, but it’s about my wife.”
“Your wife.”
“Noriko Kan. She was arrested.”
“Yes, so I’ve seen in your file. What was the charge?”
“I don’t know, Colonel. The Tokkō took her away from the NHK Building on June seventh and I’ve been unable to find where she is. I’ve made inquiries but…” Kan’s emotions were starting to well up. He fell silent and just shook his head.
“Well, that is very unfortunate. But I don’t see how—”
Sagara stopped in mid-sentence. His face darkened into a scowl.
“Oh, I see. You want a favor in return for your service. So we’re haggling like housewives in the market now, are we?”
“No, Sagara-chūsa, no. It’s just—I’ve been unable to find out where… I thought—I thought if you could make inquiries…”
“If I locate your wife, then you’ll do as you’re told. Is that it?”
That was precisely it. But Kan didn’t dare say so. He stood with his eyes downcast, aware of the colonel’s balled-up fist in his peripheral vision.
“You realize that I could have you conscripted,” Sagara said, his voice rising. “Is that what you want?”
Kan remained very still, looking at the floor.
“I could have you conscripted within the hour,” Sagara continued, “and then give you an order. And if you refused to obey it, you’d be punished like any other soldier in wartime. Do you know what that means?”
Kan knew perfectly well what that meant. He could be shot.
“I don’t think,” said Sagara, “that that would improve your wife’s situation. Do you?”
Kan stood frozen, staring at the gleaming toes of Colonel Sagara’s boots.
The idea of asking for a favor had come to him in an instant, the words tumbling out before he’d had a chance to consider.
And now he realized that he’d made a mistake.
The colonel, with his piercing eyes, gaunt face, and dangerous look, was clearly not the sort of man to grant favors, only to be obeyed.
Kan would have to apologize and pray that he would be forgiven.
“Colonel…” Kan began to say. He did not get any further. Without warning, like a door thrown open, he burst into tears.
Sagara sourly regarded this display of emotion.
He let out a long, growling breath and turned to Onda. “Why is this man crying?”
“I’m sorry,” Kan choked out, his head hanging in mortification as he struggled to regain his composure. He wanted to say that he would do what was required and slink away from the office. He wiped his eyes and cleared his throat. “I’m sorry,” he tried again.
“All right!” Sagara erupted, throwing up his hands. “I’ll make inquiries. Your daughter will be taken care of and inquiries will be made into your wife’s situation.” He smiled icily while his eyes continued to glare. “Now, will that get you out of my office and on your way to doing your duty?”
Keizo Kan bowed low, his back parallel to the floor. “Thank you,” he managed to get out, his voice a husky whisper. “Thank you.”
“All right, all right,” said Sagara, waving him to the door. “Now go. Captain Onda will take you back to the Riken.”
Kan gratefully hurried out of the office. Sagara resumed his seat behind his desk, Captain Onda standing by.
“Get him on the next plane to Hiroshima,” the colonel instructed. “Then find out about this wretched woman of his.” He referred to Keizo Kan’s file for the name: “Noriko Kan.”
“Yes, Colonel. And my wife will gladly look after his daughter.”
Sagara cast Kan’s file aside. “The man doesn’t have a daughter. She’s dead.”