Okay...

I'd like to start off by thanking everyone that responded to my 
question about cyanide's possible effects on immortals (which, I 
suppose, gives away a bit of what I'm about to write).  I suspect the 
flood I received was due to being one of the last messages to hit the 
ML before it went down for most of Tuesday afternoon, but who am I to 
look a gift like that in the mouth?

Anyway, for such response, I guess I owe you all a look into what had 
been going through my head the other night, and while I go grab some 
aspirin, I'd like you all to take a read of this prologue, and I'll 
make a few requests of you all at the end.

*****

She stood at the edge of the cliff, looking out at the mountains of 
Japan.  Today, she was seeing farther and clearer that she ever had 
in her long miserable life.

She turned the capsule over and over in her hand, staring at it in 
wonder.  A relic from the time of war... after fifty years, might it 
have lost its potency?

Of course, this was assuming she had the nerve to even put it in her 
mouth.  Looking down, her eyes began to focus beyond the pill in her 
hand, beyond the precipice her toes peeked over, on down to the deep 
ravine below.  Her backup plan, just in case the cyanide, or her 
nerve, failed.  She had been running for so long; this was the only 
way left she knew to escape.  

That, or let them catch up with her.  She almost smiled at the irony 
of it.  What she had seen, what she had been caught up in during the 
last few years, had been a terrible revelation.  The knowledge she had 
was poison; it would destroy either herself or many others, depending 
on whether she bottled it up or brought the information to the 
authorities.  And the many, it hardly needed to be said, wished to 
silence her permanently.  She had been chased across the length and 
breadth of Japan in their efforts to do so.  And now, here she was 
about to save them all that trouble.

But she had brought what she knew to the authorities, and they refused 
to believe what she was telling them.  Impossible, they snorted.  It 
couldn't happen here...

Their disbelief did not dissuade the many in their pursuit, however.  
So now she had come to the edge.  It was time to call a halt to it 
all.

She took a deep breath, drawing herself to her full height, and popped 
the capsule into her mouth.  She stepped forward, gingerly, feeling 
nothing but air beneath her foot...

A loud popping noise profaned the silence, and she found herself 
propelled over the precipice, unwillingly, by a bullet in the back.  
So surprised was she that she bit down hard, and her downward arc, if 
scent were visible, was marked by the redolance of bitter almonds.

-----

A stocky young man with a receding hairline stepped out of the brush a 
few meters away from the cliff.  He moved as close to the edge as he 
dared, in time to observe the body as it landed.  A second or two 
later, his ears picked up the faint 'splat' of the impact.  He 
involuntarily closed his eyes; then, opening them again, holstered his 
gun and pulled out a mobile phone.

There was a ring or two, and then a low growl: "Suri-mu desu..."

"Suri-mu?  Hikui here.  It's done."

Slim's tone relaxed considerably.  "Ah, Shorty.  Good to hear.  One 
less problem to deal with.  Now, we can get back to business."

"Yeah, right..."  Hikui pulled his gun back out of the holster, and 
began unloading the chambers as he continued.  "You know, Suri-mu, she 
was gonna do it herself.  Was this really necessary?"

Slim's response was adamant.  "Yes."

"...and did they haveta be silver, for Kami's sake?"  Hikui fingered 
one of the bullets he had withdrawn, staring at it as it glinted in 
the midday sun.  "Them things are expensive, and they ain't nowhere 
near as lethal as a decent hollow-point, ya know." 

There was a noticeable sigh on the other end.  "I hear where you're 
coming from, Shorty.  But the orders came from Mr. Futoi himself; if 
he's gotten superstitious these days, it's our responsibility t'humor 
him."

Hikui was amazed.  "This was on *his* orders?  Fat Toshi himself?!"

"Hey!"  Slim barked.  "Don't go calling him that.  Somebody could 
hear.  You *know* he doesn't like that name..."

"Somebody could hear?"  Hikui resisted a laugh, but settled for a 
smirk.  "Suri-mu, I'm out in the middle of nowhere.  You're line's 
private; no one's gonna tap it.  And, besides, I'm way too far down 
the totem pole t'be worth wasting lead on for a remark like that."

"Don't be so sure, Shorty.  Just 'cause you're out in the middle of 
nowhere doesn't mean there ain't someone out there.  Didn't *she* 
think *she* was all alone?  As for the line, well... I make no 
guarantees.  If Mr. Futoi wants to know somethin', he'll find out.  
Anyway, I don't wantcha making a habit outta a nickname like that.  
Just 'cause you may be safe now means nothing if next time you say it 
where it can be heard.  Nobody's low enough that a bullet couldn't be 
wasted on 'em.  Take care'a the body, Shorty."  Click.

Hikui looked over the edge, briefly, before pulling back.  Nobody too 
low, huh?  Well, *that* had been made infinitely clear...

Now to head down and collect the body for... disposal.

-----

A thousand vertical feet amounts to well over a mile when one is 
attempting to traverse the distance without killing oneself.  The 
sun was beginning its descent beyond the mountains by the time Hikui 
arrived at the place where the body was...

...*supposed* to be...

Hikui looked around.  Was he lost?  No, that clump of bushes and 
trees were arranged more or less the way he had seen them from above. 
The body should be here, but...

There just was no body.  Oh, once he took a closer look, it was quite 
clear he was in the right place.  There was about a square meter of 
ground that was damp and muddy, despite the unusually dry summer the 
land hand been enduring.  There was also a strong scent of iron, 
and... almonds?

A small yellow glint caught his eye, and he picked up what appeared 
to be... it was, in fact... half of a capsule of (sniff) cyanide. 
Geez, talk about overkill; this dame really went all out.  But it 
looked like none of it had worked.

He dreaded having to report *this* in to his superiors, but it looked 
like he had no choice.  He flipped open his mobile phone and hit the 
redial button...

Nothing but static.  Well, he thought and he looked up the cliff 
face, what did I expect?

He sat down on the ground and gaped at the bloody patch of earth. 
This simply wasn't possible, but there was no denying that she was 
gone.  But the dampness formed a small trail that led to one of the 
trees; after that, there was the occasional footprint staggering 
off to the northeast.  It looked like he'd have to continue tracking 
her down.

He pulled his gun from its holster again, and began to reload it. 
Now he began to understand why Fat Toshi had insisted on silver 
bullets.  This dame couldn't be human.

Of course, it wasn't as if the bullets seemed to do any good, either...

*****

*sigh*  That's it, for now.  I'd like to recruit some pre-readers for 
this story, and I wanna make it clear that it may take a little more 
effort than the average pre-reader gig:

1.)  That cyanide question was just the beginning.  There are a lot of 
details I need to research, and I'm asking for any knowledgeable 
persons to contact me on these scores.  First up, is anyone familiar 
with the Japanese pornography industry? 

2.)  Future installments are gonna take a lot longer than usual (and 
some of mine have taken forever, as many of you can attest) -- it 
seems I have actually come across an idea *more* loathsome than the 
Laughing Target fusion (well, at least I'm not *participating* in this 
story).  Not only that, but I've never tried to write a serious 
mystery before, and I would appreciate suggestions to alternately 
stretch out the suspense and cut to the chase, as needed.  It doesn't 
help that I don't know where I'm going with this yet (which should 
come as *no* surprise).  A little bit of external steering will prove 
to be of infinite value, as I'm well aware I'm already in this this as 
deep as I intend Yuta and Mana to get.

Anyway, please let me know your opinions, and any suggestions
about what I could do with this scene and these characters. 
I actually have a plan, but it doesn't get me all that far...

Until next time, I remain...

Itsu mo,
Ucchan