The Grey Pilgrim by J.M. Hayes Page A

Hirohito hung on the only wall without a door or a window.
    There was a plain wooden chair in front of Kira’s desk and Sasaki took it in preference to one of the several easy chairs.
    Kira made his way behind the desk. Like his office, it was large, with three telephones, several neat stacks of paper and files, an ornamental clock that doubled as a pen holder, and a jade-handled letter opener with an unusually long, sharp blade. It all hardly began to fill the sweep of the desk’s surface. The Venetian blinds at the window behind Kira were open on a stunning scene of a delicate Shinto shrine and the smoke belching factory behind it. Sasaki couldn’t blame the man for turning his back on such a modern view, however symbolically appropriate it might be.
    Kira sat in a swivel chair, rocked back and stared at his visitor with a wide smile for several moments. It was more disconcerting than the interrogation Sasaki had anticipated.
    “They don’t think I’m quite sane, you know,” Kira said and smiled some more. Sasaki began to understand why “they” might feel that way. “You either, of course,” he added. He reached down, picked up a file and opened it.
    “Kozo Sasaki,” he read aloud. “Born, 1905, Kobe. Parents, Admiral Atsumaro Sasaki and Helen Davidson, daughter of Lawrence Vernon Davidson, Assistant Chargé D’Affaires of the American Legation in Osaka from 1898 to 1905.” Except for the continued benevolent smile, this was more the behavior Sasaki had expected.
    “Father, the eldest son of an old and important Samurai family. Expected to rise in power and influence following his sweeping successes in the Russo-Japanese War, but hampered by the embarrassment of an Occidental bride and a half-cast son. Retired from service, 1913, entered diplomatic corps and served at the embassy in Washington, D.C., United States, until his death in 1921. Cause of death, suicide due to grief following wife’s demise in automobile accident.
    “Subject was then raised by maternal grandparents, but after a series of incidents, returned to paternal grandparents and Japan in 1923. Admitted to the Army Academy and graduated with honor in 1928. Subject showed flair, even brilliance, in matters involving personal combat and guerrilla warfare.
    “Subject has seen service in Manchuria and North China. Pursues the war with ruthless abandon. Reckless, but successful. Respected and feared by those under his command. Disliked and avoided by fellow officers.
    “Subject is believed to have murdered as many as six persons, though, in each instance, no proof exists. These include a schoolmate at the Fenster Hill Academy in Virginia, U.S.A. (the incident that resulted in his return to Japan), a fellow cadet and an instructor at the Army Academy, an American merchant in Osaka, and two superior officers in China.”
    Kira looked up from his notes for a moment. “And they tell me there was fresh blood on your sword when you received your invitation to join me here.” The smile widened briefly before he began to read again.
    “Subject appears motivated by a need to erase the shame of his parents’ relationship, especially the humiliation of the unmanly form and cause of his father’s death. He willingly serves Japan and his Emperor, but, ultimately, the service of his insatiable ego will remain the primary factor by which his future actions will be motivated. Subject is considered useful under certain circumstances, but highly unstable and potentially dangerous.
    “Recommendations, in order of preference: One—terminate. Two—utilize with extreme caution in scheme which will feed subject’s ego, producing results favorable to Japan, and resulting in subject’s death. Three—continue observation and analysis, instituting option one at the first sign subject may be beyond our control.”
    Sasaki listened impassively, watching Mr. Kira for clues. Though not completely accurate, the Kempeitai obviously knew him better than he’d