¡¶City of Night¡· cater1 KyotoJapan Itwasdarkinthedeepnightwhendawnwasonlyfewhoursaway.Eveninacitythatdidn¡¯tsleep,inthecursedhoursofthenight,nolivingsoulsdaredtobehisparticurdowntow.Immemovingshadowsprintthroughtheallies,abasiliskofabeastwasrunningforhislife.Withthemassivebodymovingfastwithspeed,anythingonitswaywerepulverizedidestructivemanner. Theairwashotandhumid,theodoroftheruastrrancebehind,andtherewereonlyfewwhocotrace. Asthebeastranforatleastseveralmiles,atallslimorientalyoungmanwhoseemedtobeinhisearlytwentiesescourseofescape. ¡°Thereisorua,thehelllordofthesouth.¡±Theyoungmanwhodressedwelndproperdemahebeasttosurrender. Thesharpgrindingsoundofthebeastwastheonlyrespond. Thewell-dressedyoungmandidnotwishtoassociatefurtherwiththebeast,theriskoffailureremindedhimtoomuchpaini.Hispromisetohiswifeandhisnewbornchildtoreturntothehostelsafelykepthimalerted,especiallyatthisperilmoment. Thegashingbloodofthebeastfloodedthestreetreflectedbythemoonlight,thecadaverofafeettallchimeraleftdispyedinthemiddleoftheemptystreet.Amessagewasobviousoftheyoungslimman¡¯siion. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ontheusualbusystreetofmarketerce,thiseveningwasunusuallyquiet.Manyvendorshadalreadyclosedtheirbusinessearlyduetothedejectambiehemazeofthismarketstreet,therewasalocalsmudgeofcheaphotel,twoworkersdiscussedoverapartiofresidehefrontdesk. ¡°Didyouhearthestrangesoundscamefromthatroomstnight?¡±Aingmaidwhowasmucholderthaherspokewithdread. ¡°Yes,Iheardtoo.Itsoundedassomekindofrhowlofanimals.Itstedallnight.¡±Theyoungermaidpliedofsuchstrangeoccurrence. ¡°Isthatroomvat?I¡¯timagineanyonewhocouldstayinthatroom.¡±Theoldermaidwhohadworkedasagenitorformanyhotelsallherlife,shehadwitnessedmanyoddthingsfromheryears. ¡°Isalewithaninfantcheckedinthatroom,ahandsomeAsianmanwithabeautifulyoungCaucasiangirl;andthebabywasnotmorethan6monthsold.¡±Theyoungmaidhappeobearoundthelobbywheeriouscouplewhohadbeenatthereception.¡°Oherstrahingwas,eversiheycheckedintheroom,thehusbandhadbeenmissing.Ihaven¡¯tseenhim,onlytheyoungwifeandtheinfanthadcameouttheroomfromtimetotime.¡± ¡°Saynomore,whoeverstaysinthatroomgivesmethecreep.¡±Theoldermaidhadbeeeryearsofexperiehstrasoftaverns. ¡°Fire!Fire!¡±Whiletheingmaidptedofthestrasoftheroomohirdfloor,wherealoudbawloffgratialsocamefrom. Lessthaimeofanhour,theentireagededificeofthistavernwasswallowedbytheinfernoofbze,theoldwoodenstructurewhichwasmostinfmmablecausedthefastfiretoburnthebuildingintoashesquideffit. Luckily,astheauthorityarrived,theyfoundnooctsofresidenceswereinjuredfromthehazard;onlyamotherandaninfantcouldnotbefound,noroftheirremains. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YearsAfterinNewYorkCity Thesidewalklightswerethestarsthatpaihedarkstreetslikeangelspyedienight.Thecoolbreezybrushofwindthatmadethefallenmapleleafsdahewindasifitwassnowiober.Althoughthetimeastnineinhourofafterdinner,familiesandcouplescrowdedtheseupscalehipstreetsofNewYorkdowntownHydeParkwithpeopleenjoyiivityoftheseason.Barsaaurantswerefullofers,andeveryohestreetswascheeringoftheirlocalteamYankee¡¯sgamebroadcastingontelevision. Fromaerlocalbar,abeautifultallslimmidagewomanloudlyexited,withexaggeratedughter,sheseemedtohavefewgssesofdrink. ¡°Peter,Ioughttogohome.Youcertainlystay,I¡¯lljusttakeataxihome.¡± Thetalldy¡¯snameisAliser,sheseemedtobeenjoyingthebuzzofherintoxication,whichrexedandfreedherstressmomentarily. ¡°Yougoinghome?Everyoillinside.You¡¯tleave!¡±Ahandsomemanofprime,talndfitcameafterher;hewasAlice¡¯sHusbaerBammingham. Aliceturnedandswungherlongsilklikegoldenhairandslowlyspoke,¡°Iamgoinghome,youeoryoustay.¡± ¡°YouknowI¡¯tgonow,please.¡±Thehandsomemanwasquietletdowherhertostaytokeephimpany. ¡°Iamtakingataxihome,I¡¯lljustwaitforyouathomewithkids.Don¡¯tworryaboutme.¡± AlthoughAlidPeter¡¯smarriagewasnotanarrangednorpolitical,theywerethegoldencouplewhomhadmeeteachotherinschool;withsimirelitestatus,wealthybackground,theyunitedasfamilywithtwobeautifulchildrenofaboyandagirlsoonaftergraduationofcollege. AsPetersilenangerandfrustration,Aliceagainswungherlonggoldenhair,ataxipulledupthesidewalkandAliteredthecarwithoutaword. ¡°31GrandStreet,thanks.¡± Alicepolitelygavethedrivertheaddress;shealwaystooktimeforherselftorexwhenevershewasalowasnotsomuchthatshewasaintrovertedorprivatepersopreferredwhenshewasnotrequiredtoaodateahoutherownwill. ThemomentarilyintoxicationallowedhertoremiimewhenshefirstmeetPeter.Shemissedwhentheyseemedtobetheonlycoupleintheworld,whespecialwheheywerealone.Noweverythiweenthemhasbeebeeical,evenmakinglove.ItwastruethatPeterhadgivewobeautifulchildreifulhome;theywerethefamilythateveryoheneighborhoodenvies. ¡°Thismustbetheemptygssbottletalking.¡±Aliceremindedherselfthatshewasawife,muchmorethanthat,shewasamother.Shey,shetoldherself. Forthosewhocouldlookclosely,somethingofherpastthatshehadbeenhidingwastauntingher. Thesmoothridehadbroughtherhomewithoutmuotice.Shepaidthedriverandgotoutofthetaxiwithhobblingsteps,shecouldbarelygettoherfrontdoorwithoutstumbling.Justassheclumsilyreachedinttogetthehousekey,thesoundofhousephloudlythatechoedinthesilehetenight. IfitwerePeterwhohadbeenlookingforher,hewouldnothavecalledthehousephowaste,andthekidswerealreadyasleep,hewouldhavecalledhercellphoead.Wherecouldbetheimpetuousphonecallefrom,Alicethoughttoherself. Randompossibilitiescameacrosshermind;nothingfittedthepuzzleassheopehedoorofherluxurioushome.Peterboughtthishousesooheirwedding,asherweddinggift.Shedidn¡¯tknoherePetergotthemoneyfrom,onlythingsheker¡¯sfirstjobrecruitmentofferedhimquiteanalluringsaryandbes. Aliceslowlytookoffherswayleatherhills,gentlyyelledoutforsitter¡¯sassistantsimplytoroperly. ¡°Lorry,Ihavetoomuchtodrink,makesometeaforme,anddon¡¯twakethekids.¡± LorrywasasedgeionillegalimmigrantfromMexicotheyretlyhired;althoughpriorityofherdutywastolookafterthe5yearerand2yearoldKathywheswereabseimeshealsofunedasahousemaidforallthetediousing,andcooking. ¡°ThankyousomuchLorry,Ireallydookeepyouthiste.¡±AlicewassympatheticofLorry.AliceoftenthoughttheypaidLorryextremelyuhestandardofminimumwage,yetshehadnosayingintermsofhouseholdspending,noranyotherfinancialdecisions.Afterall,beingawife,andamotheritselfwasneveraask. ¡°Whowasittocallsote?¡±Alicesatawkwardlyagainstthelivingsofa,withmessyhairuntrolblycherface,shelookedlikeaghostwithouthalfofherface. ¡°ThephonewashungupwhenIpickeditup.¡±LorryexpinedasshedeliveredtheHotBckteasheknewAlicelike. LorryheldontotheintenselyboilingteaasshegotnoresponsefromAlice,heremployerhadalreadyfortablyfelsleep. Lentlypulleduptheknitbhesametimeremihatthereweremorethantwokidsshehadtotakecareofaroundhere. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Them,thesunglowedinagoldenshade.Theairwasfreshandcold,itwasanlorioussunriseofautumn.Alicewoke,asifsherestedforyearsandhadbeeanewborninthisbrandnewlife,brightasthelightofdawn.Alicerememberedthesugarpooftheliquaveheragreatboostofenergyeverydayshedrank,althoughsheeventuallyrealizedthatshehadwokenupfromthecouch. Withoutthehelpofarm,Alicebecameeffitearlyintheday.ShebegantomakebreakfastforherhusbandandchildrenwiththehelpofLorry,whichhadbeentheusualroutineforpastfewyears;shehadbeewellpreparedforit.Thesmileofherbelovedfamiliesenjoyinghomemadebreakfastwasthemomentsheheldmostprecious. BeforeAlice¡¯smarriage,beforeshemeetPeter,shewasafreespiritedliberalwhotookherfeministrightstothefuldvantage.HerloveoftravelingtheworldaingpeopleofexoticcultureartofherfrenzypastthatPeterwasnotawareofevenuntilnow. ¡°Lorry,it¡¯stimetowakethemup,howeIhaven¡¯tsee?¡±Alicefounditstraherhusbandwhowaseforhisfavoritebaelethadbeendressedandreadyforwork. Hemusthadtoomuchtodrinkstnight,Alicethoughttoherself,althoughsheknewherhusband¡¯stolerantforliquorwasneveranexcuseforhimtobete. ¡°Peterdidn¡¯tehomestnight,Mrs.¡±LorrywashesitanttofrontMrs.Bammingham. ¡°Hemusthadtoomuchtodrinkandstayedhtathisfriend¡¯s.¡±AliceremindedherselftonottojumptoclusionsbeforeshegetintouchwithPeter. JustbeforeAlicepickedupthephoocallPeter,thephsimultaneously,anunfamiliarvoitheotherendofachild. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About200milessoutheastupstateNewYork,inanalmostrundownphohwhichitsshatteredroofcouldbarelyholdthethickdustthatcoveredit,nottosaytheseasonalheavyrain;stoodayoungboyalmostteenwhohadjustwalkedfordaysfromasparselypoputedlocalfishingportinthearea.HisnamewasDanny. Theboy¡¯sstoodoutfeaturelybecategorizedbyhisslightlyorientalnose,andcolocationblueeyes.Ameriasianasmanywouldcallhiskind,orsimplybastardashe,himselfwasmorefamiliarwith.Thepairofrippedjeanshewaswearingcouldakenashisfashionstatementbuthisonlyoutfitwhichheworeforifnotweeks,months. ¡°IamDanny,Iamyourson.¡±ThelongsileheotherendofthephonepreludedtheingaffairsoftheWinserhome,areunionthatwouldbringuainfuturetothisfamilym.