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 rougish 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. 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-nigiri, 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-nigiri 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-nigiri the
Fifteenth. His predecessor died in the plagues. Katsu-nigiri 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, saddenned. 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 mobolize 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.
Dr. Walter Johnson at the University of Kansas paints a very grim picture.
"If this disease continues unspread, we are going to have a very serious
food shortage within a matter of weeks. Our supplies of grain and vegetables
are not enough to feed our current population. Even if we were magically able
to grow all the fruits and vegetable we could all at once, we would still have
a lot of starving people in the US, not to mention the world. We need this
livestock reproducing itself, and quickly."
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.
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 mischieviously 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 husand 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 pork 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 any contact had
been made with anyone inside.
Investigators, after learning from the Center for Disease Control that the
Kansas Virus was 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 manifest 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.
We are destroying the planet and its inhabitants, impoverishing the poor and
destroying our own health. The tool for this destruction is our abuse of
billions of farm animals.
Growing food to feed animals uses vast amounts of water, reducing rivers and
other water sources to dangerously low levels. Manure is polluting soils,
rivers and lakes with nitrates, pesticides and growth hormones, leaving large
areas without safe drinking water. To continue on this course is to destroy
the planet's ecosystem.
This is also about consciousness, awareness, the ability of animals to feel
or fear. Animals are tethered in barren stalls, so deprived of stimulation
that they often go mad. They are forced to have as many offspring as their
bodies will stand but they are not allowed to mother them.
It's all right because they spend their lives in buildings sheltered from the
elements with all the food they need. No animal wants more than that. That's
what we're told, anyway.
The world has existed for nearly five billion years during which time various
life forms have developed and evolved. From the earliest sea life to the most
complex mammals, they have all had one thing in common - they 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 - a virus 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? If we were
forced to have as many children as possible, only to see those children
slaughtered, if we were tortured and humiliated every day of our lives, if
we saw no future for ourselves other than endless death for our offspring,
would we not choose to die so that our species would no longer be subjugated
in this manner? 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 devestating. Yet, the
long term benefits for the human race must be considered. Do not gaming
officials allow for special hunts when the deer have grown beyond the
ability of the land to support them? We only follow their same logic.
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 viurs, 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!
***
Akira 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 sancrosanct.
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. Akira speaks softly, sadly. "It was very hard. We had good friends
who could provide us with food, if needed. 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 Virus
Novermber 22, 2008 AP - Washington, D.C.
As the situation around the world continues to deteriorate, scientists
struggle to find a cure to the Kansas virus. No one is commenting on how
close they are to a cure, but the very silence itself seems to speak volumes
about how far away they are.
"It took us two decades to find a cure to AIDS. We're trying to repeat
that accomplishment in two weeks," said a source inside the Center for
Disease Control who spoke on condition of anonymity. "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.
Riots are breaking out all over the world as news of the impending food
shortage causes consumers to panic. Prices for what meat that escaped
the virus have risen ten-fold, and food prices in general have risen sharply
as stores around the world have only mostly empty shelves to offer their
customers.
Mexico City is in ruins as riots continue there for the fifth consecutive
day. 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.
In the United States, martial law reigns in most major cities as the Armed
Forces attempt to maintain control in the face of rioting and looting. The
President has asked for calm and offered assurances that a way will be found
to feed the country.
Some wonder that such assurances have no basis in fact. "I don't know where
we're going to get it," said Dr. Walter Johnson of the University of Kansas.
"Sure, the ocean still has lots of fish, but we don't have the capacity - not
enough boats and fisheries - to meet the demand."
"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."
"Some wise man once said that no society is more that three meals away from
a revolution. We are seeing the truth of that all over the world right now."
Most disturbing are the threats of nuclear retaliation against the United
States for producing the virus. 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 more hungry the world
gets, the more it'll be looking for a scapegoat," said Dr. Johnson. "We make
a very convenient target."
***
I'm 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 has come up to stand on the
other side of 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 diffent 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 virus here at home. When
it first struck Japan, I nearly went crazy, especially since it had been
proven to be fatal to pigs as well."
I nod as well. "With all of you stock and your pet pig threatend, 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-nigri.
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 provide an alternate food source very soon. In the
meantime, we have adequate supplies to ensure that no one starves. Our
stomachs may growl from time to time, but we will live. 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. We have plenty of cloning
facilities world-wide, we can produce thousands of these pigs in a few
weeks. Those thousands can be seeded throughout the world and turned
into millions within a few months. Sure, we'll have some short-term
shortages, but we'll survive. The next three days will tell for sure."
"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 mischieviously.
I can't help but chuckle. "It would be the scoop of the millenia 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, a virus that continues to baffle scientists' ability to
analyze and counter it. 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 devestating effects of the Kansas virus, the new breed
of pigs have been cloned and spread throughout the world, and continue to
increase rapidly in numbers, providing a new meat source to near-starving
worldwide populations.
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: Presdential 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 weaing
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 bacon, and mumbles
something about cannibalism. Akari was scared to death of a virus that
killed pigs. And she discovered a DNA strand 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-nigiri, put my finger to my
lips, and leave the Hibiki family in peace.
