11. In Kanda, at the Myōjin Shrine, for the Setsubun Festival, I walk with my wife, her child on her back her child is not your child AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD Thank you for bringing me here, she says, I know you should be working her words are not for you EVERYTHING SLIPS, EVERYTHING SLIDES Through the crowds, through the bodies their words are not for you EVERY LIVING THING PASSES Demons be outside, we shout, fortune be inside look at her, what a woman PASSES AND FALLS AWAY All their eyes are on her body the way she carries herself, the way her ass moves INTO THE NIGHT, INTO THE FOG The bodies pressed tight together, hands filled with hard soybeans that’s what I call a woman, that’s what I call a body BLACK NIGHT! BLACK FOG! Hands that want to touch her, hands that want to hold her all that meat to hold, but as wet as a fish NOT SPEAKING, BUT MOANING Thank you for coming, my wife says again be like fucking a fish filled with honey FLESH INTO FLESH You’re welcome, I say that’s what I call a woman AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
12. Dr Takase Toyokichi, a senior member of the medical department of the Tōhoku University Hospital in Sendai, walks into Sendai North Police Station the sound of scratching MEMORIES Dr Takase Toyokichi reports that at the end of December, or at the beginning of January, a man walked into the pharmacy of the Tōhoku University Hospital in Sendai scratching under the ground PRECISE MEMORIES The man was in his fifties, two spots on his left cheek, his hair cut short and grey we are always talking about you IMPRECISE MEMORIES The man asked Dr Takase Toyokichi for potassium cyanide, potassium cyanide to kill the fish in his pond talking about you behind your back THOUGHTS The man had no prescription but the man had a name we are always whispering about you PRECISE THOUGHTS The man said his name was Dr Matsui Shigeru whispering about you behind our hands IMPRECISE THOUGHTS Dr Takase Toyokichi knew this man was not Dr Matsui Shigeru, Dr Takase Toyokichi knows Dr Matsui Shigeru the sound of scratching DREAMS Someone else knows Dr Matsui Shigeru, someone who has his name-card, someone who wanted potassium cyanide scratching under the ground PRECISE DREAMS Someone who murdered twelve people at the Teikoku Bank on January 26, 1948 behind your back, behind their hands IMPRECISE DREAMS
13. I say, I’m sorry about the other night. I tried to call, but you’d already left your office among the smoke, among the tunes MY FATHER APPEARS TO ME It doesn’t matter, says the journalist, forget about it. You are here now. So what have you got for me, Detective from the music-box, the American ovens BY THE RIVER I say, Not something you can probably print, not yet, but it’s something you should know eyes smarting, ears ringing ON THE SHORE Go on, he says in the smoke, in the fog IN HIS UNIFORM What we’re not saying in public is the growing feeling that this case is connected with the Tokumu Kikan and Occupied China on and on, dancing and dancing WITH HIS MEDALS Very interesting, he says on and on, turning and turning WITH HIS SWORD There are rumours of similar cases, cases that occurred back in Shanghai, that the culprit is ex-Tokumu Kikan, with experience handling medicines and civilians, who we should be looking for him, her, hell, hell HE POINTS WEST Very, very interesting, says the journalist flesh, filth, man, woman, human, animal HE POINTS EAST I say, But what I’m telling you is nothing you can print yet, but there’s nothing to stop you looking into the China connection, is there she curtsies, he bows EVERYWHERE IS AMERICA Thank you, he says, I will they clap their hands, their hands are hammers EVERYWHERE
14. We bring Dr Matsui Shigeru back to Investigation Headquarters, we sit Dr Matsui Shigeru in the interview room you are always so suspicious, you are always so jealous IN THE FAMILY ALBUMS, IN THE HISTORY BOOKS I say, Someone used your name to try to buy potassium cyanide from the pharmacy of the Tohoku University Hospital I don’t know what you are talking about, I don’t know who you are talking about GÖBBELS ADMITTED DEFEAT, GÖBBELS TOOK RESPONSIBILITY I know, says Dr Matsui Shigeru what men you mean, what man you mean HE POISONED HIS CHILDREN I say, Someone also tried to buy potassium cyanide from a pharmacy near Sendai Station on January 20, this year he was never here, never in this room HELGA, HILDEGARD, HELMUT, HOLDINE, HEDWIG AND HEIDRUN I know, says Dr Matsui Shigeru I can’t stop them walking past here HAND IN HAND, WITH HIS WIFE I say, This someone knows your name, they know who you are I can’t stop them looking at me HE ADMITTED DEFEAT, HE TOOK RESPONSIBILITY AND SHOT HIMSELF, HAND IN HAND I know, says Dr Matsui Shigeru I can’t stop them thinking about me IN THE FAMILY ALBUMS, IN THE HISTORY BOOKS I say, You must know them, must know their name I can’t make them stay locked in their houses NOT LIKE OUR EMPEROR, HE TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY It would seem so, says Dr Matsui Shigeru I can’t make them leave their eyes at home HE DENIES EVERYTHING, HE DENIES EVERYONE I ask, So tell me who, tell me their name I can’t make them not think what they think THE FATHERS AND MOTHERS, THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS I honestly don’t know, whispers Dr Matsui Shigeru I can’t stop you being suspicious, you being jealous HE DENIED US ALL AND HE MARRIED AGAIN I lean forward in my chair, I say, Then you are honestly a liar put a knife in my belly if you will, but never put your hand on my hand again IN HIS TOP HAT AND TAILS, AN AMERICAN GENERAL, WITH APIPE IN HIS MOUTH, HAND IN HAND
Act III
15. In the Police branch of the Public Safety Division of GHQ, they keep me waiting among the tunes, among the smoke THE WINNER AND THE LOSER First Miyakawa, the Liaison from the Justice Ministry, keeps me waiting, then Henry Eaton, the man from the PSD, keeps us both waiting the smell of hospitals, the smell of laboratories THE OCCUPIER AND THE OCCUPIED Him in his smart uniform, buttons polished; me in my old suit, buttons lost white coats and white masks, rubber gloves and rubber shoes THE MASTER AND HIS DOG I say, I am here on behalf of the Second CID Section of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Board to ask for the assistance of the Public Safety Division in our investigation of the Teikoku Bank robbery medicines and drugs, pills and injections HE SPEAKS, I JUMP I say, I am here to ask for the assistance of the Public Safety Division in locating a Lieutenant Hornet and a Lieutenant Parker examinations and tests, experiments and trials I JUMP, HE YELLS I say, We believe that on November 14 last year, the suspect in the Teikoku Bank robbery went to the Ebara branch of the Yasuda Bank in Shinagawa Ward, where he is reported to have told the employees of the bank, ‘I came here with Lieutenant Parker in a jeep because a new typhus case has occurred in this area.’ The suspect then produced some liquid which he told the employees was a preventative medicine for typhus control and directed them to drink it. They did so, suffering no ill-effects in rows, in cages HE YELLS, I COWER I say, On January 26 this year, a man we believe to be the same man appeared at the Shiinamachi branch of the Teikoku Bank in Toshima Ward and stated, ‘I came here because there have been many dysentery cases in this vicinity. Lieutenant Hornet will be here very soon. You must take this medicine for prevention.’ Sixteen employees drank the liquid simultaneously. Twelve died almost immediately in rows of cages, in cages of dogs I COWER, HE BEATS ME I say, We have reason to believe both Lieutenant Hornet and Lieutenant Parker have been associated with typhus disinfecting teams in the Tokyo area; Lieutenant Hornet with the Toshima Team in Ōji Ward and also in Katsushika Ward, Lieutenant Parker with the Ebara Ward Disinfecting Team dogs barking, dogs snarling HE BEATS ME, I WHIMPER I say, So I am here to ask for the names and addresses of any individuals either connected with or having any knowledge of the disinfecting work done by either of these two lieutenants, particularly interpreters or individuals who speak English, though we would advise the elimination of individuals below the age of thirty or above the age of sixty rubber gloves and rubber shoes, white coats and white masks I WHIMPER, HE PETS ME Henry Eaton yawns like a snarling dog, but I am the only dog here in the smoke, in the fog HE PETS ME, I WAG MY TAIL Henry Eaton says now, Leave it with me the dogs are not barking, the dogs all silent now THE DOG AND HIS MASTER
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