Girl with Large, Clear Eyes

The Ministry of Fear: Arthur Row ensnarls himself in a murder case at a séance while trying to decipher the mysterious cake episode. Austrian refugees and charity workers, the Hilfe brothers offer help to him. He fled the murder scene and thought about suicide by jumping into Themes. There he meets an untidy bookseller who will not release him. Grumbling he goes up to a hotel room where he finds Anna Hilfe…

Now, an amnesic, Row, with a new identity, is being taken care of by… Dr Forester (!), an attendee at the séance.

*

I don’t know why, but it was 7 pm when I got out of bed. It seems I was seeing a long dream. Not a kind that torments my nerves, but it had pleasant and unpleasant scenes. I was working part time at a familiar CD shop (I worked there over 20 years ago) and everybody there was very critical of my work…

I got to know a group of a few young girls somewhere. Where, I have no idea. I and one of them became very affectionate to each other. And she, probably in her mid-20s, even came to my house to wait for me. I was putting five or six news magazines into a bag, but it was too small. I found a larger bag and was putting on socks while she was waiting. My mother around? I’m not sure. The girl and I left by riding double on bike. She was rather short with large, clear eyes. Pretty. (And I was also young.) Where to?? Going forward was not easy because of a family walking very slowly just ahead, obstructing our way.

Crossing the Shijo O-hashi (四条大橋). On the south (down) sidewalk of the bridge, there were Keihan (京阪) people who were dispensing tickets. With not enough money for the train fare in my pocket, I beseeched one of them, whose nameplate on his chest said “Aka (赤),” to let me through. I promised to come back to pay and Mr Aka nicely obliged. In the car, I found multiracial passengers.

I was on bus too. Limousine type. Not many people, but I was the only Asian. Others were Westerners. Behind the driver was a vending machine of coffee and newspapers. We disembarked once for immigration check. From there, I sent a message to my girl using a palm-size gadget. “Sorry, I’m going…” Where to??