Interview
Thy Inward Love : Aftermath
by Richard Lawson
The photographer and I pull up to the house in the suburbs of Tokyo, Japan.
It is a relatively small house, and much of the front yard appears to have
been converted to a pig pen. As the photographer gets his gear together, I
examine the pig, which seems to be examining me just as closely. It is quite
large - at least as tall as I am, and perhaps 10 feet long. It is, in fact, a
little scary; I have seen pictures of these animals, but I have never seen one
this close. Neither have I had to withstand its scrutiny.
The photographer indicates his readiness. We make our way along the path around
the pen to the front door. I have to admit to myself that I just a little
nervous. Part of it is that this is the first major story I've been assigned
from the editors at People magazine - due mostly to my fluency in Japanese.
Mostly, though, it's the person I'm going to meet. One does not meet living
legends every day.
We arrive at the front door and I knock. The door is answered almost
immediately by a excited man in his late twenties. He is an impressive physical
specimen: excellent physical conditioning, a good build, and a handsome face.
He is wearing simple clothes; jeans and short-sleeved, cotton shirt. He also
has a yellow and black bandanna tied around his forehead. It gives him a bit
of a roguish look. He smiles widely at us, and I am a little taken aback by his
teeth. Specifically, his canine teeth are long and pointed, almost like fangs.
Any misgivings I might have about him are washed away by his enthusiastic
greeting. "Good morning! We've been looking forward to meeting you!" He
reaches out his hand just as I'm about to bow; obviously, he's trying to make
us feel at home. I shake his hand and wished that I'd bowed instead; his grip
is incredibly strong, and I feel like my hand was just compressed to the next
smaller glove size.
I release my grip and smile through the pain. "We've been looking forward to
this as well. I am Alan Marumoto. This is my photographer, Ken Jordan." Ken
doesn't speak Japanese, but he recognizes his name and nods at our host.
Our host nods back. "Call me Ryoga." This is a very familiar form of address
for a typical Japanese; again, I get the feeling that he is eager to please. He
stands back from the door and indicates that we should enter.
We follow him down a short hallway into a relative well-appointed living room.
It is Spartan and homey. There are knickknacks of all sorts decorating the
wall; souvenirs from countries all over the world: Russia, China, the United
States, and Australia among them. It's slightly disconcerting. One would
expect the a person of such world-wide renown to live in a more regal manner.
At the same time it makes me smile, to know that heroes live exactly the same
as we do.
We sit down and I get the first good luck at our interview subject. Ken is
checking the light in preparation for taking some pictures. The New York Post
dubbed our interviewee "The Savior of the World", a title that carried with it
tremendous respect and just a touch of irony, and the appellation stuck.
For the purposes of this interview, I choose to use a slightly less grandiose
form of address.
Akari Hibiki.
***
October 14, 2008. AP - Kansas City, MO
Unknown Disease Strikes Cattle
A cattle rancher in south-central Kansas has reported an outbreak of an unknown
disease among his cattle. Doug Cantrell says that up to 200 of his more than
10,000 cattle have come down with something that "kills them almost where they
stand." Efforts have been made to isolate the affected animals, and Cantrell is
confident that he can keep the disease from affecting many more of his cattle.
He estimates his losses so far at more than $10,000. "This hurts, of course.
But if we can keep it from going much further, we'll end up okay."
Officials from the Department of Agriculture will be inspecting conditions at
the cattle yard in an effort to discover the source of the infection.
***
Akari Hibiki is an attractive twenty-eight year old woman. Her long hair is
tied with a ribbon and falls gracefully around her shoulders. She is wearing a
simple white blouse and a black skirt. She seems to be extremely nervous, and
clutches her husband's hand tightly as they sit together on the couch. I am put
into the unexpected role of trying to put her at ease.
"I want this to be just a friendly chat." I try to smile reassuringly at her,
hoping it isn't obvious that I would love to be clutching my wife's hand right
about now. "We already know about Akari Hibiki's brilliant contributions." She
turns bright red at this, which surprises me even further; I would have though
she was used to such accolades by now. "What people around the world would like
to know is who Akari Hibiki is: how she lives, what her family is like, and how
she's been affected by all that's happened to her."
Akari looks up at her husband. He smiles at her, and for a moment they share a
loving, comforting look that touches me deeply. They obviously care a lot for
each other, and Akari is drawing strength from her husband.
She looks at me, and she seems more confident. "What exactly would you like to
know, Alan-san?"
"Please call me Alan." I think for a moment, organizing my thoughts. "Let's
start with your early life. Tell me about growing up, how you fell in love with
pigs and decided to become a pig breeder."
Akari laughs a little. "Pigs have been the focus of my family for generations.
My parents and older brother were not especially motivated to work in the family
business. I fell in love with pigs when I was very young, and my grandfather
more-or-less adopted me when I was ten. I learned the art of pig-breeding from
him. My first project was Katsu-nishiki, my champion sumo-pig."
I smile; pig-wrestling had been a virtually unknown sport until very recently.
It's become more and more popular, and Akari's pigs are virtually unbeatable.
***
October 21, 2008. AP - Kansas City, MO
Deadly Cattle Disease Killing Thousands
Cattle growers all throughout the Central Plains states are reporting cattle
dying by the thousands. An extremely virulent disease has spread throughout the
cattle population. It kills the cattle within a day of exposure, and is
highly contagious. So contagious, in fact, that cattle completely isolated
from contact with any other cattle are somehow catching the disease.
"It's horrible," said Carl Forsythe, head of the Cattle Grower's Association.
"The cattle seem to rot from the inside out. The meat is completely unusable.
So many of them are dying that we can't even destroy all their remains;
carcasses are just lying in the fields."
The Department of Agriculture has called in the Center for Disease Control,
trying to find the source of the disease and to determine a way that its spread
can be controlled. Officials refuse to speculate on what the disease may be,
only commenting that it does not appear to affect humans at all.
The economic impact is devastating, with losses estimated in the millions.
***
Ken positions Akari and her husband slightly as they stand with their pet pig.
The pig, for his part, seems to be enjoying the attention, grunting happily.
Ken snaps a series of pictures. When he's done, Akari spends a minute talking
quietly with the pig. She pats its nose and walks with her husband out of the
pen. They immediately head to an outdoor basin to wash themselves off.
Akari smiles at me as she dries her hands. "Katsu-nishiki likes Ken. I think
it's because he likes to have his picture taken. He's quite vain."
I can't help smiling. "He's a champion, isn't he?"
Ryoga answers. "Yes, he just won the All-Japan competition. Next year, there
will be a world-wide competition of some sort; we're looking forward to it."
Akari directs her smile to her husband. "Ryoga trains my sumo pigs now. He's
a lot better at it than I was. He has a way with pigs."
Ryoga laughs. "Well, you couldn't wrestle them the way I can."
I blink at this. "You wrestle with them?"
Akari laughs. "Ryoga is the only one who can. My grandfather set a condition
for my marriage: my future husband had to be able to beat my champion pig. I
agreed because it meant so much to him."
I look over at the huge pig. "It couldn't have been this pig that he beat."
"No, you're right." She looks a little sad. "This is Katsu-nishiki the
Fifteenth. His predecessor died in the plagues. Katsu-nishiki the Fourteenth
was bigger and stronger."
I blink again. Bigger? "That must take quite some talent, to breed pigs that
big."
Akari indicates that we should go back into the house. "Yes, it is a Unryuu
family specialty. We grew the largest pigs in the world. We had bloodlines
that dated back hundreds of years. They all died, unfortunately."
I shake my had, saddened. What a terrible waste.
***
October 29, 2008 AP - Washington, D.C.
President Declares National State of Emergency Over Kansas Virus
As the so-called Kansas virus spreads throughout the nation, the President
declared a National State of Emergency. This allows him to mobilize the
Armed Forces and the National Guard to help try to contain the disease,
which so far has resisted all efforts to slow its spread.
The disease, which initially affected only cattle, has now started killing
all species of domesticated animals. Chickens, turkeys, pigs, sheep, and
other livestock are dying by the millions, the disease making their meat
unsafe for human consumption.
The Kansas virus is deadly and swift. One infected animal will kill an
entire stockyard within three days. So far, scientists at the Center for
Disease Control have been unable to isolate the virus, so the exact means
of transmission hasn't been discovered. Some populations of livestock that
have been completely isolated from the rest of the United States have been
infected.
Sources within the Center for Disease Control say that one virus cannot
be responsible for these outbreaks. Multiple strains of viruses must be
infecting the livestock. Asked if such viruses could be naturally
occurring, one source responded, "Not bloody likely."
Dr. Walter Johnson at the University of Kansas paints a very grim picture.
"If this disease continues unchecked, we are looking at an economic disaster
of such proportions as to make the Great Depression seem like a memory of
paradise. You'd be hard-pressed to find an industry that isn't touched
in some way by livestock and their by-products. It's a lot like the ripple
effect: drop a pebble into a pond, and the ripples will spread to the
pond's edge."
"The difference here is that these viruses have replaced the pebble with
a boulder."
All other nations have banned the import of livestock from the United States.
However, reports have begun to come in of the disease showing up in other
parts of the world, although White House officials are quick to point out that
those reports are unconfirmed.
***
We are now in the kitchen, which has a large skylight. The sun is streaming
through, and Ken is going nuts taking pictures from all different angles of
Akari fixing lunch. I'm amazed at the amount of film he is using; one of his
bags, it turns out, is entirely filled with film cartridges.
I move to sit down, and nearly fall as my foot steps on a skateboard. I
smile, recognizing this as a problem in all households with children. Ryoga
apologizes and kicks the skateboard to the other side of the kitchen.
Akari, with a little urging from Ken via me, is completely ignoring the
camera. She hums softly to herself as her husband sits at the counter with
me. We talk of inconsequential things. He is vague on his own background;
he insists that I focus on his famous wife. He will say that he met her
thirteen years ago, and that they were married two years later. They have
lived in this house all their married lives, although it was extensively
remodelled last year. He also mentions that he is the one that collected
the souvenirs I've seen.
Akari comes over and puts lunch in front of us, insisting that Ken put
down his camera and join us. It's simple fare; carrots, potato chips,
and sandwiches. I take a bite, and nearly gag in surprise. It's a bacon,
lettuce, and tomato sandwich.
Her own BLT in her hands, Akari laughs at me. "You're not the first person
to have that reaction. It's hard for most people to accept that I love pigs
and eat them, too." She smiles mischievously as she bites into her own
sandwich.
She chews, swallows, and continues. "The purpose behind the breeding my
grandfather and I did was to raise good livestock for slaughter. Pigs
that would grow fast with less food. Pigs that would grow big." She
smiles almost apologetically. "We still respect the pigs even as we find
ways to make them our dinner. They bring us joy in their life and
sustenance in their death. I see no conflict even if others do." She
shrugs. "It's the way I was raised." She bites into her sandwich once
again.
I look over at her husband and notice that his sandwich contains only
lettuce and tomatoes. He's busy devouring it at a rapid rate, and Akari
speaks up once again. "My husband chooses not to eat meat for personal
reasons. That leaves his choices for dinner rather limited."
Ryoga looks up at me. He has a troubled look on his face, and mumbles
something I'm sure that I'm not meant to hear. I think he says, "I am no
cannibal," but that makes no sense. It must have been something else.
I look down at my own sandwich. Somehow, it's slightly disturbing that
we're eating bacon in the house of the world's most famous pig-lover.
I can almost sympathize with those fanatics. Almost.
***
November 5, 2008 AP - Lawrence, KS
Suspected Virus Creators Commit Suicide, Send Explanation
A farmhouse disappeared in a ball of fire as law enforcement officials from
the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas State Police converged on
it in a pre-dawn raid. Officials said that the house exploded from within
as officers were just getting into position, and before contact had been
made with anyone inside.
Investigators, after learning from the Center for Disease Control that the
Kansas Viruses were probably genetically engineered, had been closing in on
several unnamed suspects for the past three days. Their names have not
yet been revealed, but a manifesto was posted on several Usenet newsgroups
minutes before the authors apparently killed themselves.
The following is the text in it entirety:
The Lord God Made Them All
We have all been a party to mass murder.
Animals by the millions are slaughtered to allow a small percentage of the
world's population to poison themselves by consuming the meat. This cycle
of death threatens to consume the entire planet as we destroy our water,
soil, and rain forests so that billion and billions of Big Macs can be sold.
To continue on this course is to destroy the planet's ecosystem.
Do those that put animal flesh on the barbecue grill stop to think about
how the animal feels? Forced to eat as much as they can. Their bodies
given hormones so that they can grow as fast as possible. Leading a life
so free of stimulus that they go mad. Forced to have as many offspring as
possible. Ultimately, led to the slaughterhouse after only a few months'
existence.
For no reason other than to give us something that "tastes good". What
madness is this?
The world has existed for nearly five billion years during which time various
life forms have lived within their environment, part of it and dependent
upon it. It is time we returned to such a world.
We, the members of The Lord God Made Them All Foundation, have taken steps to
ensure that the world will never again depend on meat.
Our best and greatest thanks go to Dr. Willis Kaine, soon to be known as the
Savior of the World. He was worked with us over the past two years to create
the instrument of our salvation - viruses that will kill, once and for all,
the livestock that we prey upon.
You may call this cruel. Indeed, we agonized over this decision. Yet we had
to ask ourselves, what choice would we make in the animal's place? I think,
if you were to sit and think about it, you would make the same choice we did.
We are not unaware that the short-term costs may be devastating. Yet, the
long term benefits for the human race must be considered. We are strong
enough to bear the responsibility of that decision.
The virus is now endemic and pandemic. It is a part of the world's ecosystem
now, and will not be rid of easily. In an effort to prevent anyone from
discovering a cure too quickly, we have decided to destroy our lab and our
selves to ensure that the virus's secrets are kept. We are confident that
the clever scientists of the meat-dependent establishment will eventually
find a way to destroy our virus, but not before the world has weaned itself
of its narcotic addiction to meat.
They are coming, and we must hurry. Rejoice at the end of slavery, torture,
and slaughter. The Emancipation by Death is at hand; let all tremble and fall
to their knees in thanks at its arrival!
***
Akari is showing us pictures, some 2-D, some 3-D, of her children. The way
her face lights up is something to behold; if she seemed a happy and cheerful
person before, she positively glows with joy when talking about Mitsuaki, 10,
and Kouichi, 8. Her husband is no less proud, and speaks of their
accomplishments as enthusiastically as he speaks of his wife's. They are at
school now, and we have promised to be done with the interview before they
return. Family time is sacrosanct.
I gently prod them for some less-than-pleasant memories. "It must have been
very difficult for you, two years ago, when the world appeared to be on the
brink of destruction. Two young children in a country that depends quite
heavily on imported food."
Both of their faces cloud over, as do most everyone's at the memory of those
days. Akari speaks softly, sadly. "It was very hard. We had good friends
who could make sure we were safe from economic hardship. We were less
concerned about that than we were about what kind of world our children
would grow up in. If they were allowed to grow up at all."
We are silent for a moment, lost in memories of the end of the world.
***
Doomsday Clock Stand at Five to Midnight as Scientists Work to Counter Viruses
November 22, 2008 AP - Washington, D.C.
As the situation around the world continues to deteriorate, scientists
struggle to find a cure to the Kansas viruses. No one is officially
commenting on how close they are to a cure, but the very silence itself
seems to speak volumes about how far away they are.
"These viruses are diabolical," said a source inside the Center for
Disease Control who spoke on condition of anonymity. "They spread very
quickly, and are very deadly. Yet they can stay airborne for days, even
weeks, and still infect other livestock. This is not how viruses of this
nature are supposed to act. As a feat of genetic engineering, it's amazing.
Trying to find a cure, that's daunting. It took us two decades to find
a cure to AIDS. We're trying to repeat that accomplishment in two weeks.
It's looking very grim."
The United States is now virtually barren of livestock, as is Canada and
Mexico. Reports from South America, Europe, Australia, and many areas of
Asia and Africa are reporting the disease has begun killing there as well.
The economy suffered another devastating blow with the suspension of
trading on the New York Stock Exchange, in an attempt to control the
downward spiral of almost all issues. This is on top of news of
unemployment rising from 3% to 15% in two weeks, and inflation increasing
from 7% to 28% during the same period.
Despite assurances that food supplies are plentiful, consumers have been
stocking up on food items, leaving stores with empty shelves to offer other
consumer. This has lead to rioting and the declaration of martial law in
most major cities in the United States.
Mexico City is in ruins as riots continue there for the fifth consecutive
day in the face of the economic crisis. The war in Central America has
flared up once again, threatening to drag South American countries into
the three year old, intermittent conflict.
Russia's economy has collapsed once again, and in some cities, food is simply
not being delivered as those who would normally supply such food are keeping
it for themselves. All civic control has collapsed as anarchy reigns
throughout the country.
The American Medical Association issued an alert, asking those with diabetes
to conserve on their use of insulin. About 70% of the world's supply of
insulin comes from pigs. The remaining 30% comes from genetically engineered
bacteria. Facilities producing insulin using such methods have had their
production capacity greatly increased, according to the alert. While no
one in the United States has yet died because of the shortage, reports
from other countries have reported shortages have led to health problems
for many diabetics, with 17 confirmed deaths.
The President spoke from the White House, urging calm. "There is no need to
worry; we have food to feed everyone. We have tons of grain that we are
in the process of delivering nationwide so that no American need go hungry."
The President declared a national state of emergency, allowing for billions
of dollars of loans to be given to affected industries. Dr. Walter Johnson
of the University of Kansas wonders, though, how effective those loans
would be in stopping the downward spiral of the economy.
"There is no replacement for the livestock that's been lost. The cattle,
pigs, chickens, and other animals we've lost have been specifically
engineered to grow fast and produce lots of meat, eggs, and other things.
We could try breeding other animals - buffalo, goats, even horses - but
it would take years to adapt our methods to those animals. We need the
animals our facilities were designed to hold in order for our economy
to quickly recover.
"Yes, we can clone fully grown cattle. But they'll die of the virus as soon
as they're released from the cloning facilities. And those facilities
just can't make cattle fast enough. Not to mention that cloning a cattle
is far more expensive than raising it."
Most disturbing are the threats of nuclear retaliation against the United
States for producing the viruses. Although such threats are so far not
credible, they do indicate a growing resentment against the US by other
world powers for not being able to control the spread of the virus. "The
worse the world economy gets, the more the world be looking for a
scapegoat," said Dr. Johnson. "We make a very convenient target."
***
As I walk up to Akari's bookcase, the first thing that catches my eye is
a copy of the magazine that I work for. I smile a little wryly; it's one
of our most provocative and controversial issues. "Magic: The Reality"
the cover blares. Inside are listed several documented instances of magic
in the world. Despite our assurances of absolute proof, there are still
those that insist that magic isn't real.
Ryoga follows my gaze. "I'm interested in magic. I wanted to know what
your magazine might have found out." He gives me a strange look. "Did
you write that story?"
I shake my head. "It was one of our senior writers; I'm relatively low
on the food chain. He had a blast doing the story, and had fun with the
magic he discovered. He was frustrated with the magic he couldn't prove.
Some of the most powerful instances of magic he heard about were closely
guarded secrets that he couldn't get close to." I laugh a little. "He
told me about some places in China he wanted to go to, but he couldn't
get permission from the government."
Ryoga grimaces; I'm not sure why. Perhaps, like me, he's frustrated at
hearing how journalists are denied access to information that should be
known by everyone.
I continue examining Akari's bookcase; it is quite impressive. Ken shoos
me away as he takes pictures of it himself, although the American audience
won't be able to make much sense of the Japanese titles. Still, there are
one or two English textbooks on genetics.
"I stumbled into genetics more or less by accident." Akari is standing next
to me, running her eyes along the books herself. "I figured that if I wanted
to be a good pig breeder, I should learn all I could about inherited traits
and all that. I started taking courses, and I just fell right into it."
"She began during her first pregnancy." Ryoga smiles fondly at Akari. "She
began reading one of those easy-to-understand popular books on what makes DNA
work. Then, all of a sudden, she couldn't get enough of it. Every minute she
didn't spend with her pigs she spent with her nose in a book."
Akari smiles up at her husband. "I neglected my poor husband terribly."
Ryoga laughs, shakes his head, and begins to make a denial, but she
overrides it. "Well, maybe not totally. But I did find it fascinating.
Genetics could do in a few months what my family had spent generations
accomplishing."
Her eyes are shining, this time with a passion of a completely different kind.
"In the course of five years, I learned as much as I could. My degree was
almost incidental; it was the knowledge I was after. I got some offers for
jobs, but I wasn't interested in working as an assistant in some lab. I
wanted to use the knowledge in my pig breeding."
She smiles wryly. "Somehow, I just assumed that I could use the University
equipment whenever I wanted to. I quickly learned otherwise. I had to
purchase time, and it was not cheap. I did learn a lot about the DNA of
my pigs, and I was able to use the knowledge to produce some good results.
But direct manipulation of the strands, and cloning - that was well beyond
my means."
I raise my eyebrows. "Then the virus struck."
Akari nods. "We were especially afraid of the pig variant of the Kansas
virus here at home. When it first struck Japan, I nearly went crazy."
I nod as well. "With all of your stock and your pet pig threatened, I can
imagine."
Akari turns and looks into her husband's eyes. They share a look I don't
quite understand.
She turns back to me. "It did kill all of my stock. And Katsu-nishiki.
That was a very sad day. Yet, in the middle of that death, I found hope."
I smiled, the memory of joy and relief. "And saved the world."
***
December 1, 2008 AP - Tokyo, Japan
Pigs Resistant to Kansas Virus Discovered in Japan
A scientist in Tokyo has discovered a breed of pig that appears to be able
to resist the Kansas virus. Akari Hibiki, a pig breeder with a degree
in genetics, has produced a DNA strand that she claims will produce pigs
with a built-in resistance to the deadly disease.
"It looks very promising," said Dr. Il Oh of the Nippon Institute of
Technology. "Our computer projections are very good. We are currently
cloning several specimens, and hope to have an answer within three days
as to their ability to exist with the virus."
The world greeted the news with cautious optimism. The President once
again urged for calm, but offered more concrete assurances. "With this
news, we can hope to find a cure to the Kansas viruses very soon. We can
get our industries going again, and restore the world economy to the
prosperity it had known until so recently. Bear with us a little longer,
and we will get through this troubling time."
Dr. Walter Johnson of the University of Kansas was also enthusiastic.
"If this holds up, it can solve our problems. If these pigs can resist
the virus, we need only compare their DNA to the DNA of pigs that die of
the disease. By highlighting differences in the sequences and seeing
how these sequences interact with the Kansas virus, we can begin to find
a way to counteract all variants of the virus.
"Once we find strands that are resistant, the rest becomes easy. We have
plenty of cloning facilities world-wide; we can produce thousands of these
new Kansas-resistant livestock. These livestock can be sent around the
world as breeding stock. It would not take long to turn the thousands
into millions. The next three days will bear watching, as well as the next
few weeks.
"This is the most hope I've felt in weeks. There is, at last, a light in
the tunnel that is not attached to the front of a train."
***
"You're going to ask me that question again, aren't you?" Akari smiles
at me mischievously.
I can't help but chuckle. "It would be the scoop of the millennia so far."
"Well, I'm not going to tell you. I am very sorry." Her smile indicates
that she's not sorry at all.
I shake my head. "You had no research material and very limited access to
equipment. All your pigs died, this has been verified by several sources.
So where did you get that DNA strand?"
Her smile stretches from ear to ear. "From a bucket full of cold water."
That is the only answer to that question that she ever gives. It is
wonderfully cryptic, open to so much interpretation. Why a bucket? Why
does it have to be cold? How does DNA grow in water? I have the feeling
that the world be asking these questions for centuries. It's Fermat's Last
Theorem all over again.
Ken is examining a scroll and medal on the wall, and asks me what they are.
I tell him, and he gets excited once more, practically pushing Akari in front
of them. Akari refuses to have her picture taken there without her husband.
Ryoga is reluctant, but her quiet insistence easily overcomes his objections.
He looks down at her with a look of pure love. My own heart rejoices. It
might have been difficult for Akari to find true love in the face of her
new-found acclaim, and it might have been hard for their marriage to
withstand the world's scrutiny. I am glad that she had to worry about
neither. She found a strong, true love at an early age. That distinguishes
her as much as any of her other accomplishments.
***
April 25, 2009 AP - Tokyo, Japan
Akari Hibiki Given Japan Award
Akari Hibiki, often referred to as "The Savior of the World", was given the
Japan Award today in a ceremony at the National Theater in Tokyo. The award,
often referred to as the Japanese equivalent of the Nobel Prize, consists of
a medal, citation and approximately $1,200,000.
Emperor Akihito and his wife, Empress Michiko, as well as the prime minister
of Japan, attended the presentation. Established in 1985, the prize is awarded
to a scientist who has accomplished "original and outstanding achievements in
science and technology, thus contributing to the progress of science and
technology and the promotion of peace and prosperity of mankind."
Hibiki was able to produce a genetic strand of pig DNA that resisted the
Kansas virus. The discovery came at a critical time, with the world poised
on the verge of anarchy and war. Although the world continues to reel from
the devastating effects of the Kansas virus, new breeds of Kansas-resistant
livestock continue to grow in numbers all over the world, bringing a measure
of stability to devastated national economies.
Hibiki insisted that her husband, Ryoga Hibiki, accept the award with her.
She gave a small speech on the need for responsibility in genetic research,
and the need for all scientists to share their work. "Too often, the need
to share critical advances is deemed less vital than the need to profit from
the discovery. Such attitudes will lead to secluded islands of human
knowledge that will leave us ill-prepared to meet the inevitable next
world-wide crisis."
***
It is time for me to go. Ryoga insists on making Ken and I some lemonade
before we leave. Ken packs his equipment as I stand talking quietly with
Akari. I have been completely charmed by this quiet, friendly, dedicated
and loving woman. One could expect a lot worse from a world-saver.
I keep waiting for her to ask the question everyone else asks. She hasn't
so far, and I find that I have to answer it anyway. It must be a kind of
ritual; the interview can't end unless the interviewee is told when the
issue featuring him/her will be out. "You'll see this on the stands in
the United States in four weeks. We'll send you a few complimentary copies,
of course."
"That's very nice of you." She's smiling, but I can tell that it truly
doesn't matter to her. I can see in her the person who refused all those
other awards: from Presidential Awards from all sorts of different countries
to the Nobel Prize. Other honors, like "Savior of the World" and "Woman of
the Year" she isn't given a choice to refuse. The Japan Award, she has
stated in the past, she accepted only out of respect for the Emperor and
Japan.
There is a crash from the kitchen. I hear the sound of a skateboard rolling
across the kitchen floor, the sound of water splashing, and a yell that
sounds like it ends in a squeal. Akari's eyes get big, and she shoos Ken
and I out of the house. She is gracious and courteous, but very rushed.
Ken and I look at each other in bewilderment as the front door is closed on
us.
Ken shrugs and heads back to the van. I follow, a little slowly, reluctant
to leave. This is a nice place to be.
I am brought short by the sound of something running from behind the house.
It's a small black piglet, and it turns the corner of the house and screeches
to a halt right in front of me. Its eyes are wide as it looks at me.
I smile and bend down to look at it more closely. "How come I didn't meet
you earlier, little fellow?" I scratch his head and notice that he's wearing
a yellow and black bandanna around his neck.
I stop scratching as several things occur to me at once.
Ryoga, apparently, has a way with pigs. He won't eat meat, and mumbles
something about cannibalism. Akari was scared to death of a virus that
killed pigs. Ryoga has traveled the world, including a visit to China.
He's interested in magic, and was interested in what I knew about magic.
He grimaced when I mentioned our inability to verify a rumor of magic in
China. And Akari discovered a Kansas-resistant DNA strand of a pig when
she didn't have the capability to produce such strands on her own.
Akari's voice floats from the back of the house, I assume from the kitchen
door. "P-chan! Where are you? They're gone now."
The pig in front of me twitches its ears, turns around, gives me a look
over its shoulder, and runs back behind the house.
I slowly straighten and consider several different possibilities. While
the lure of fame and fortune dances in front of my eyes, I also can see
in my mind the image of Akari and Ryoga giving each other loving looks.
I think Akari is wrong in this case. I think there are some discoveries
that are not worth sharing.
Ken yells at me from the van. I smile at Katsu-nishiki, put my finger to my
lips, and leave the Hibiki family in peace.
