Light and dark

[156]

LOOKING UP, he glanced quickly toward the entrance and then quickly lowered his eyes to the paper again. Tsuda was obliged to approach the table in silence and was the first to speak.

“Apologies. Been here long?”

Kobayashi finally folded his paper.

“You must have a watch.”

Tsuda refrained on purpose from taking out his watch. Kobayashi turned and glanced behind him at the large clock hanging on the wall. The hands had moved forty minutes past the appointed hour.

“Actually, I just got here myself.”

They sat down facing each other. As only two other tables were occupied, both by men accompanied by women who were dressed for the evening, the restaurant was unusually quiet. The gas stove burning just a few feet away suffused the air of the elegantly appointed room, which tended to shades of white, with a comfortable warmth.

Tsuda was visited by an odd recollection. In his mind’s eye he saw with perfect clarity the seedy bar he had ended up in thanks to Kobayashi. It gave him a certain satisfaction to think that this time he had invited his companion of that evening to a restaurant like this.

“What do you think? It’s an attractive place, isn’t it?”

Kobayashi looked around as if he were noticing for the first time.

“Not bad — at least there doesn’t seem to be a detective here.”

“No, but there are some beautiful women.”

Abruptly, Kobayashi raised his voice.

“Are they geisha or what?”

Tsuda was a little embarrassed.

“Don’t be an idiot!” he scolded.

“Well they damn well could be. The world is chock full of surprises you’d never imagine.”

Tsuda lowered his voice further.

“A geisha would never dress that way.”

“Is that right? If you say so — a rube like me doesn’t understand that sort of distinction. If I see someone in a pretty kimono, I assume she must be a geisha.”

“Sarcastic as usual.”

Tsuda allowed his annoyance to show. Kobayashi was unfazed.

“I wasn’t being sarcastic. Being poor has blinded me to stufflike that. I was just speaking my mind honestly.”

“Fine.”

“Even if it isn’t, it’ll have to do. But let me ask you how it really is.”

“What?”

“Is there really that much difference between a so-called lady and a geisha?”

Tsuda had to demonstrate to his companion, who was a masterly dissembler, that he was beyond replying in earnest as though he were a child. At the same time, somehow or other, he wanted to land a punch that Kobayashi would feel. But he refrained. More accurately, the words he needed eluded him.

“You must be joking!”

“I’m serious!” Lifting his eyes, Kobayashi stole a look at Tsuda’s face. Tsuda noticed, and though he abruptly perceived that his companion purposed saying something more, he was too clever not to intervene in the natural course of the conversation. Certainly he possessed the skill necessary to change the subject, but somehow he lacked the courage to slip away as though he were oblivious. In the end, he knew, Kobayashi would succeed in ensnaring him. He spoke.

“How’s the food?”

“Pretty much like everywhere else. To someone like me with an unrefined palate.”

“It’s no good?”

“No, it’s tasty.”

“Glad to hear that. Since the proprietor does the cooking himself, it should be a little better than elsewhere.”

“No matter how good the proprietor is, he’s no match for taste buds like mine. I’ll bring him to tears.”

“As long as it tastes good to you.”

“You could say that. But if I told the cook it’s no better than a joint where I can eat for ten sen a dish, he’d be pretty unhappy.”

All Tsuda could do was force a smile. Kobayashi went on by himself.

“The state I’m in, I don’t have the luxury of carrying on like a damn connoisseur — it’s good because it’s French, it’s bad because it’s English, whatever. If I can gag it down it’s good, and that’s about it.”

“But that means you lose any sense of what makes something good.”

“On the contrary, it’s clear to me. It’s good because I’m hungry. No other logic need apply.”

Once again Tsuda was left with nothing to say. But as the silence between them lengthened and began to oppress him, he opened his mouth to speak again, feeling he had no choice, and was preempted by Kobayashi.