Kenzaburo Oe - Somersault

"Because of what they'd gone through, all the kidnappers demanded a complete explanation. I've listened to the tape many times and would sum up Guide's response as follows." At this point Dancer took out a paper she'd had ready and began to read.

'"Some people say that Patron and I did the Somersault in order to use the media to deceive the public. That's not true. We might have done something like that if the Somersault had been entirely our own arbitrary decision.

'"With a great deal of fanfare we confessed to the public that all our beliefs until then were a sham. The highlight of the whole Somersault was when Patron said that the written records of his visions-the account, for instance, of an anthropomorphic God-were completely laughable and our gospel was worse than some stupid Hollywood spectacular. But what this showed was that there is a faith that isn't mistaken. After the Somersault, Patron and I fell into the pit of hell. Our faith may have been in error, but this was an unmistakable sign that over the two of us and our errors towers a living God.

'"Right now Patron and I, believing in that sign, are crawling up out of hell. But the way you're acting now disqualifies you from being part of Patron's new movement. Ten years ago, like a crystal extracted from a solution, it was you, rather than our gospel, who substantiated our re- ligious movement's errors. Our book has been trampled on and disap- peared, yet still you haven't repented.'

"As Guide said this, the first group laughed in his face again. Laughing about the dog was bad enough, but this time it was even more cruel. At this point, according to what Dr. Koga told me, the only thing the second group felt it could do was get away, it being obvious that Guide was only going to be tormented further. I cried as I listened to this tape, knowing that all that was left for Guide was to be killed. Such a meaningless death. And just when he was climbing out of hell with Patron!"

Dancer turned her face toward the hemispherical light on the ceiling, her pink mouth open, and cried. Teardrops rolled down both sides of the slim bridge of her nose. Despite her tears, Ikuo zeroed in on her. "I'd say that Dancer's long tale has done what it set out to do. You've kept with the intentions of the town authorities who are accepting us into their midst, cried tears over Guide's death, all very natural as a response, making it hard for Patron to oppose this. Your goal is to have everyone arrive at a consensus to deny one party of the former radical faction-in order to accept Dr. Koga and his more 'sensible' colleagues. But is this fair? Is it right for Dancer's tears to make us agree that the former radical faction's burst of laughter was cruel and outrageous? Is this really appropriate for a new church with Patron at its center?

"According to Ogi, when he was listening to the tape with Dancer, she did indeed stop the tape and cry for a while after the second burst of laugh- ter. But Ogi said that after this she plugged in some headphones and listened to the rest of the tape by herself.

"I don't believe Dancer is just an emotional person, let alone a sentimen- tal one. This morning she called me over to talk with her. 'We've already de- cided the conditions under which the town would accept us,' she told me, 'yet you're trying to wreck it all. And even if you weren't, the antichurch movement is smoldering in the town,' she said, 'criticizing me and any plan to allow former radical-faction members who want to be accepted back into the fold.'

"Though we've only heard the church's side so far in our discussion today, we're seeing a consensus forming between the leaders of the church- apart from me-and the town. The reason you haven't heard from Dr. Koga today is that Dancer negotiated with him beforehand, as she did with me.

Unlike with me, however, with him she was successful.

"After the accident with Guide, I met with Dr. Koga, leader of the former radical faction, and we spoke after this from time to time. I promised to try to persuade Patron and the other staff members to allow as many as possible of the former young radicals to participate in the new church.

"With the Somersault, Patron and Guide had broken off their relation- ship with the church. Ten years later they returned from hell and wanted to start a new movement. Patron's first concept of the new movement was to include only people who had had nothing to do with the first church. Until he was kidnapped, that was Guide's idea as well. But that just shouldn't be done, in my opinion.

"The former radical faction may have been split over the meaning of the Somersault, but after they were forced out of the church by official and police pressure, they continued to keep their promises. They're also a group that has the power to actually get things moving, so I don't think it's very bright to exclude them when you're trying to start over.

"Of course I wish they'd never done something as awful as kill Guide.

They knew Patron had risen from hell and was starting a new movement, so in order to get a handle on what was going on, wasn't it only natural for them to want to speak to the person they had had the deepest relationship with- Guide? Dancer hinted that one part of the former radical faction was plan- ning from the very start to get revenge on him and had no thought of reconciling. But is that really true?

"If they were just after revenge, why did they wait ten years? And why target Guide instead of Patron, the one really responsible for the Somersault?

Didn't the cruel laughter we heard when Guide refused to let members of the former radical faction participate in Patron's new movement ring with the sound of their despair?

"I beg of you, Patron. Please give the people who killed Guide-who felt driven into a corner, full of despair, and who never intended to kill him- a chance to repent. Only one person can do that: you."

Ikuo stood up, walked over to Patron, and knelt before him. He spoke in a sorrowful, youthful voice.

"Patron, please. Tell me and those people what God says. No matter what it is, tell us what God really wants. I've talked with them, and I know they're hoping for the same thing I am."

Ogi watched as Patron reached out a hand, as if to lay it on Ikuo's head or shoulder, but halted in midair. In this noncommittal stance, Patron spoke to Ikuo.

"In order to do that, I first have to regain the power to hear God's voice.

And without Guide's help! Only if I'm able to do that will I be able to trans- mit anything of any consequence. At present all I can do is seek to have all the members of the former radical faction, the ones you were in touch with at the time of the memorial service, join our church here in its new home. And to have this communicated to them. I think Dr. Koga would agree with this."

Ikuo looked moved by Patron's words, but Dancer was indignant. Be- fore either of them could say anything, though, Kizu spoke up.

"Patron, among this group you're thinking of having join the movement are the people who held Guide prisoner and tortured him, the ones who made him collapse and die. The main two perpetrators are in custody, but the ones who surrounded them and Guide didn't lift a finger to stop it, did they? I find what Dancer says very convincing."

"I want even the two who are in jail to return to the church as soon as they're released," Patron said. "That's what I hope for. Isn't it precisely be- cause they're the ones who killed Guide that they must return to us?" Patron opened his dark eyes wide, looking even more like a bird as he fixed them on Kizu.

"Guide didn't deserve what they did to him. The power of the state is judging their guilt on one level, and revealed in the light of the new church we are creating, they are covered in the vile and abominable sin of their actions.