"Saya," said the mother as Chidori handed the baby over to her, "we decided to give that name if it was a girl."
"Saya-chan," said the mother ash she cradled the baby with her right arm. The father sat down beside her and held the baby as well.
"What was that song?" asked an awed Shoji.
"Suo Gan," replied Chidori, "I learned it in England."
"And she is our first citizen!" proclaimed Konstantiniadis with a raised thumb. He put his hands on Chidori 's and Shoji's shoulders. "I'd like to thank you all!" he continued, "for now, let's celebrate!"
A cheer went up.
The next day a man in white entered a bookstore after breakfast. Ruyichi Hayashi wanted to see some of the books for sale and a shelf caught his attention.
He had been reading for several minutes when he heard a familiar voice behind him speak in Japanese with a playful tone, "It's been a while, Ryuichi-kun. I didn't think you'd be here in Heraklion."
Hayashi responded in an equally playful tone, "I didn't expect you to show up either, Taro-kun. Are you on vacation?"
Both men had their backs to each other, each one minding the books of the shelf he was facing.
"No, I'm not on vacation, Ryuichi-kun. I have a job."
"Let me guess, Taro-kun. You're working for Konstantiniadis this time?"
"Of course, Ryuichi-kun. And you're on official business as well, aren't you?"
"Surprised?"
"Initially. When those amateurs put the pair of scissors on my boss' desk, I knew my good friend Ryuichi Hayashi was in town."
"And what is my good friend Taro Mori going to do? Turn me in?"
"Oh no, no, Ryuichi-kun," replied Mori. "You know I'm not like that."
"Knowing you, you haven't told your boss everything when you applied, haven't you?"
"Quite correct, Ryuich-kun," replied Mori. "To him, I go by the name of Carlos Bosque."
"That is so like you, Taro-kun: Carlos Bosque, Karel Bos, Karl Wald, Sen Tailang, Woody Charleston, Charles Laforet , Sup Tae-rang-"
"Whatever. I just wanted to catch up with my good friend Ryuichi-kun."
"You're quite the mercenary. Is there anything else?"
"Onodera-senpai is here as well, yes? It would be excellent if the three of us got together again."
"And how are you going to do that, the usual way?"
"I'll extend an invitation, Ryuichi-kun. I hope you'll come," replied Mori. He set the book down and headed for the door, Hayashi following him.
Onodera approached the bookstore entrance when out came another Asian man around Hayashi's height and dresssed completely in black: fedora, v-necked t-shirt, blazer with rolled-up sleeves and slacks. His hands were in his pockets. This man tipped his hat while passing by Onodera. "Nice to see you again, Onodera-senpai," he said.
Onodera didn't move but followed the man from the corner of his eye. Hayashi came out from behind and stopped next to him.
"So he's here as well, isn't he?" remarked Onodera.
"He is," replied Hayashi, "and he's working for them."
"If he's here, then that means he is here as well," said Onodera, turning and looking at Mori.
As Mori continued walking, he lifted a hand and waved at them without turning around. Then he pointed to the tower of a nearby church. Onodera and Hayashi could see someone at the tower's balcony looking straight at them.
"That Dutch zombie," Onodera concluded.
"What was that song?" asked an awed Shoji.
"Suo Gan," replied Chidori, "I learned it in England."
"And she is our first citizen!" proclaimed Konstantiniadis with a raised thumb. He put his hands on Chidori 's and Shoji's shoulders. "I'd like to thank you all!" he continued, "for now, let's celebrate!"
A cheer went up.
The next day a man in white entered a bookstore after breakfast. Ruyichi Hayashi wanted to see some of the books for sale and a shelf caught his attention.
He had been reading for several minutes when he heard a familiar voice behind him speak in Japanese with a playful tone, "It's been a while, Ryuichi-kun. I didn't think you'd be here in Heraklion."
Hayashi responded in an equally playful tone, "I didn't expect you to show up either, Taro-kun. Are you on vacation?"
Both men had their backs to each other, each one minding the books of the shelf he was facing.
"No, I'm not on vacation, Ryuichi-kun. I have a job."
"Let me guess, Taro-kun. You're working for Konstantiniadis this time?"
"Of course, Ryuichi-kun. And you're on official business as well, aren't you?"
"Surprised?"
"Initially. When those amateurs put the pair of scissors on my boss' desk, I knew my good friend Ryuichi Hayashi was in town."
"And what is my good friend Taro Mori going to do? Turn me in?"
"Oh no, no, Ryuichi-kun," replied Mori. "You know I'm not like that."
"Knowing you, you haven't told your boss everything when you applied, haven't you?"
"Quite correct, Ryuich-kun," replied Mori. "To him, I go by the name of Carlos Bosque."
"That is so like you, Taro-kun: Carlos Bosque, Karel Bos, Karl Wald, Sen Tailang, Woody Charleston, Charles Laforet , Sup Tae-rang-"
"Whatever. I just wanted to catch up with my good friend Ryuichi-kun."
"You're quite the mercenary. Is there anything else?"
"Onodera-senpai is here as well, yes? It would be excellent if the three of us got together again."
"And how are you going to do that, the usual way?"
"I'll extend an invitation, Ryuichi-kun. I hope you'll come," replied Mori. He set the book down and headed for the door, Hayashi following him.
Onodera approached the bookstore entrance when out came another Asian man around Hayashi's height and dresssed completely in black: fedora, v-necked t-shirt, blazer with rolled-up sleeves and slacks. His hands were in his pockets. This man tipped his hat while passing by Onodera. "Nice to see you again, Onodera-senpai," he said.
Onodera didn't move but followed the man from the corner of his eye. Hayashi came out from behind and stopped next to him.
"So he's here as well, isn't he?" remarked Onodera.
"He is," replied Hayashi, "and he's working for them."
"If he's here, then that means he is here as well," said Onodera, turning and looking at Mori.
As Mori continued walking, he lifted a hand and waved at them without turning around. Then he pointed to the tower of a nearby church. Onodera and Hayashi could see someone at the tower's balcony looking straight at them.
"That Dutch zombie," Onodera concluded.
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