The Isle of South Kamui and Other Stories by Kyotaro Nishimura Page B

felt towards him.
    I took the gun and went downstairs.
    The lights were off in the living room, but there was light coming from his room.
    I threw open his door without knocking. He was sitting on the bed, and with a displeased expression looked at me and then at the gun.
    â€œThat’s a dangerous thing you have there,” he said.
    I planted myself in the doorway and glared at him. His right hand was swathed in a white bandage. That whiteness reminded me of the incident that afternoon. I had hit him, and he had crashed into the window. The shattered glass. Dripping blood. Her eyes reproaching me. And her breast sullied by his blood.
    â€œI’m going to kill you.” I leveled the rifle at him. His face contorted in fear.
    â€œDon’t make dumb jokes,” he said, his voice trembling. “What if it’s loaded?”
    â€œIt is loaded. I am going to kill you.”
    â€œWhy? Why would you do that?”
    â€œSurely you know.”
    â€œNo, I don’t. I know you don’t like me much, but is that enough for you to kill me?”
    â€œYou tried to kill me, so instead I’ll kill you.”
    â€œI tried to kill you? What nonsense is that? I was your father’s friend, you know. Why on earth would I want to kill you?”
    â€œYou blocked my gun with a lead ball so that it would explode and kill me. Isn’t that so?”
    â€œI put a lead ball in your gun? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never even touched your gun.”
    â€œYou’re lying.”
    â€œI’m not lying. You are like my own child. Your father himself asked me to look after you. And you think I would try to kill you?”
    â€œSo who put it there?”
    â€œI don’t know, but it wasn’t me.”
    â€œYou’re the only one here. If it wasn’t you—”
    â€œWhat about her?” he said in a low voice. Her? I felt the blood drain from my face. A cold shiver ran through my body. It was not because I believed him. It was because she had suddenly come up in this dark talk about murder.
    â€œIt wasn’t her,” I yelled. “How could it be?”
    â€œBut if it wasn’t me, that only leaves her,” he said callously, his voice dry.
    I shouted furiously, “No! It was you. You did it. And what about this morning? When you saw me drowning, you pretended you hadn’t seen me and walked away. You intended to leave me for dead!”
    â€œNo. The fishing boat had seen you, so I knew you’d be alright. That’s why I didn’t do anything. Anyway, I can’t swim.”
    â€œBut why did you turn your back?”
    â€œAh, yes.” His gaze went into space. “Yes, I did turn my back on you. That’s because I noticed that she was on the upstairs balcony. I’m sure you won’t believe me, but she was calmly watching you drown. Her face was so cold!”
    â€œLiar!”
    â€œIt’s true. At that moment, I again felt how you were a burden to her.”
    â€œIt’s a lie!”
    â€œDo you remember me saying I wanted to give you some advice? I wanted to tell you to stop falling in love with her. You might think she’s an angel, but she is the type of woman who cannot live without a man. She’s been making eyes at me, too. So for her, you falling in love with her, being obsessed with her, is a nuisance. You’re in her way.”
    â€œIt’s a lie! A lie!”
    â€œIt’s cruel, but it’s true. She was probably the one who fixed your gun.”
    â€œRubbish! You haven’t any proof.”
    â€œNo, I don’t have any proof. But there is a way of finding out if I am right or not. Go to her room and pretend that you are going to shoot her. If she is scared, then I am wrong. If she isn’t scared, that’s because she put the lead into the gun and knows that if you pull the trigger it’ll be you who will die.”
    I was unsure what to do