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AkutagawaAt firsthegraspsttremulously;hensuddenly,ithafirmgrip.Shot60.Sebastian'sand,riumphantlyoldingheCrossaloft.Shot61.Theea-captain'sack.eglancesverisshoul-der.Theresa lookofdisappointment,f discomfitureonhisace.Hestrokesisgoatee.Shot62.Earlyawn.Thesea-captainomesownhemountainrack.Twomonkeyspringoutfrombehinrhim.WhenereachesheCamphorreeehaltsormomentndraisesishat,asthoughreetingrunseenerson.Shot63.Sebastianyingonthe floorofthecave,holdinfirmlyotheCross.Outsidehecaveherearealreadpatchesisunlight.Shot64.Close-upfSebastian'sace,eenromabove.heliesonthefloorof thecave.Tearseginotrickl,slowlyownischeeks-inhe eeblearlyunlight.Shot65.Themountainarhnullsunlight.heblackabltsuddenlyppears;nitsleftsideieheaceandhefacecardsfSpades.Shot66.A living-roomloodedithsunlight.hemasterthehouseasishandnhehalf-openedoorndeemstohaveustbeeneeingomeoneff.On atable nthecornerwine-bottle,ine-glasses,iayingards.Hecomesotheable,itsownnd ightscigarete.henheeansackomfortablyndstretchesimself.e hasagoateendhis aceshatof theDutchea_captain.
1927TranslatedqAfthurWaleg
Cogwheels
1. RaincoatFroma summeresorlomeistance way,akingmybagalong,pickedp a car o a stationntheTokaidoine,goingo attend weddingeceptionoranacquaintancefmine.On eitherideofthe road hecar raveledhereweremainly nlypinerees. was atheroubtfulbout
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makinghe Tokyo-boundrainn time. nthe carwithmewasa barber. ewasas plumpsapeachndwitha shortbeard.Withmymindn heimespokeithhim ntermit-tently."Strange.I hearSo-and-so'souses hauntedvenbyday.""Evenby day."Lookingutat thefar hillsofpinebathednthe after-noonunof winter, satisfiedimwithoccasionalesponses."Notingoodweather,hough. hear tappears ostlyon rainy ays.""l'msurprisedtbotherso appearjustogetwetonrainy ays.""Nojoke,assureoul. . And heyay heghostoesits hauntingnaraincoat."Withahonk f tshornhecarpulledp othestation.Itookeavef hebarber ndwent n.Just s'dmagined,therainhad eftonlvminutesefore. n abenchn the
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Akutagawawaitingoomonemanna raincoattaredacantlyut.Irememberedhealehadustheard.utlettgowithafaintsmilenddecidedogointoacaf6 nfrontofthestationowaitorhenextrain.Itwasacaf6hatscarcelyeritedhename.satatatablenacornerndorderedcupofcocoa.heoilclothcoveringhetablewasa largerossworkfthinblueinesonawhiteground.Butateachedgetalreadyhowedfilthyanvas.sippedhecocoa,hichmelledikeanimalglue,andookedroundheemptyaf6.On thedirtywallwerepastedmanytripsfpaperwithhemenu:,abowlofricewithegg-and-chickenopping,"beefcutlet,',tc."Fresheggs.Cutlet."Thestripsfpapermademerealizewasout inthecountryroundhe Tokaidoine.Herelectricocomotivesranhroughabbagendwheatields..Itwascloseosunsetythetimeboardedhe nexttrain.usuallyentsecondlass,utdecidedtwouldesimplero ridehirdlass.Therainwasatherrowded.n frontof meandbehindmewereprimarychoolirlscomingackromOisoorsomewherelseonanexcursion.hilelita cigarettelookedhegroupofstudentsver.Theywereall ingoodspiritsndweregenerallyhatteringway."Hey,Mr.Cameraman,hat'sloveceneike?,,"Mr.Cameraman,"nfrontof me,whoseemedobewithheexcursion,anagedoevadehessue.utonegirlofaboutourteenr fifteeneptiringquestionsthim.Andnoticinghehadan nfectedosecouldn,telpsmiling.henherewasagirloftwelver thirteenittingonthe apofayoungwomaneacher,oldingerneckwithonehandandcaressingercheekwith heother.Chattingithsomeoneheurnedo theeacherosav.
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Cogwheels"You'repretty,eacher. ouhaveprettyeyes,ouknow."Theytruckmemoreasgrown-upomenhanas chil-dren. part,hat s, romheir ibblingthe indsfapplesandunwrappingaramelftercaramel.. . Butonewholookedikea seniormusthavenadvertentlyteppednsomeone'soot npassing,earme,nd aid,l'mextremelysorry."he lone,moreprecocioushanheothers,eemedmore ikeayoungster.iththe cigarettenmy mouth,couldn'telp idiculingyselfor indingnycontradictioninhis.Therain,withall ts ightsn, inallyrrivedt a stationina certainuburbwithoutmybeingware f it.Igotoffand stoodon theplatformitha coldwindblowing,hencrossedn overpassnddecidedo wait orhe ocal.henIsawMr. T.,a companyan.We discussedhe depres-sion, tc.,while ewaited. r.T.wasnaturallyoreamil-iarwith hissort ofproblemhanwas.But heworeaturquoiseinghathadnothingo do withanydepression."Youhaveatreasurehere.see.""This?I hado buy t froma friendwho'dbeen nHarbinon business.e'shaving hardgoof tnow.Hesplitwiththecooperative.Fortunatelyurtrainwas notverycrowded.Wesatbesideach therand alkedbout arioushings.Mr.T.hadustcomebackromhiscompany'sarisfficehisspring.Soherewasa tendencyo speakf Paris.toriesaboutMme.Caillaux,rabdishes,certainrinceouringabroad . ."ltisn'tasbad n Franceswe hink.heFrenchrebynatureotgivenopayingheiraxes nd toften eadsoCabinetismissals. .""Butthe ranc'sna slump.""Sothepapersay.Butonceou'ren France,ouind
 
AkutagawaJapanegardedsacountryffloodsndearthquakes,otherourcesftrouble."Atjusthismomentmannaraincoatookaseatopposites.beganofeelsomewhateirdndwasabouttotellMr.T.oftheghosttoryhadheardarrier.utturninghehandrefhiscaneotheeft,eepingisheadstraight,ewhispered."Youseehewomanhere?nthegrayshawl. .TheonewithheWesternairdo?;"Yes,theonewithhebundlenclothwrappingnderherarm.ShewasnKaruizawahissummer.uitedoiled-up nfancyWesterntyle.,'Sheertainlyookedhabbyowoanyone.glancedatherwhilealkingithMr.T.Thereasomethingnsaneinherrowningace.Andshehadaspongehatookedikea leopard eekingutherbundle."AtKaruizawahewashavinggreatimedancingithayoungmerican.hat oumightallmodern..iByheimeT.andparred,hemannheaincoatadvanishedithoutmybeingwaref it.Fromhetrainsta-tion,bagstillwithme,warkedveroahoter.hereweremostlyugebuildingsnbothsidesfthestreet.whilewalkingsuddenlyhoughtfpinewoods.ndthenootherewassomethingtrangenmyineofvision.trange?Thereerencessatlyevolvinhalf-trasparentogwheel.I'dhadsuchxperiencesefore.hewheelsncreaiedntiltheyblockedllotherision,uttwasonlyoramomentorso,andhenheygavewayanda headacheom_menced-itwasalwayshesame.Theeyedoctor,notingtheblindingision,adoftenoldmerogoeasyonthesmoking.uthewheelsadbegunppearingomebeforeIwaswenty,efore'dtakenosmoking.ensingtwasbeginninggaintestedmyefteyebycoveringmyright.CogwheelsTheefteye,asanticipated,asallright.Butbehindherightyewhenlosedountlessheelsontinuedevolvins.Asthebuildingsotherightgraduailyisappearedroirsight,walkedithdifficulty.Byhetimereachedhehotelentrancehecogshaogone.Butnottheheadache.checkedyovercoitndhatand reservedroom.Thenrangupacertainmaga_zineublishernddiscussedoneymatters.Theweddingeceptioninnereemedohavestartedalready.satattheendofa tablenddugnwithknifendfork.Thebridendbridegroomndsomeiftyormoreth-ersattheU-shapedainablellseemedheerful.utbeganeelingmoreandmoredepressednderhebrightlights.ryingocutheeelingchattedithheguest6xttome.Hewasanoldmanwithwhitewhiskersikerion's.Inaddition,ewasaweil-knownchorarfthechineseclassics,hoseamewasamiliarome.Soourconversa-tionunconsciouslyriftedotheclassics."fhekglins,inshort,asortofunicorn.ndhothephoenix.."chatteringnmechanicailygraduailyerthedesireobedestructivendnotonlypretendedhatyaoandShunwereictitiousigures,utclaimedhattheauthoroftheChroniclesfLuwasoftheHanDynasty.tthispointhescholarfChineselassicsouldotcontainisunhappi-nessand,urningawayrommealtogether,utoffmvstorytellingithagrumbleaguelyikehatofatiger."lfYaoandShunidn'tive,twouldmeanCLnfuciuswasa liar.Saintsannoteiars."Withhatthesmall-talknded.Oncemorewasbacktodabblingithknifeandorkatthemeatbeforeme.Therediscoveredtinycreaturerigglingtoneedgeofthemeat.tbroughto mindheEnglishordworm.Surely,
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