At This Late Date, the Charleston Page #5

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Napoleon brandy.

On my way out,

I peeped into the maid's room.

I swear I've never done this before.

But,

I was glad I did.

Tamiko slept with

her legs spread.

That looked a bit sexy,

but it really wasn't.

While I was at it,

Someone opened the door,

and went in.

It's my brother.

On tiptoes, he's approaching her.

"No!"

I was trying to jump in,

but Army Minister stopped me.

I guessed he must have checked.

Now he's a real pro.

He jumped and grabbed

the alarm wire.

And pulled it down.

The siren went off.

Tamiko grabbed Maru

and woke up.

She tried to jump out

of the window.

Many times.

And failed.

We gave her a hand,

she finally made it.

In his underwear, Ichiro...

kept going round in circles.

The siren,

with its wire cut,

would keep on blasting.

It's said that...

neighbours nowadays are uncaring.

They won't wake up and help.

Here's the proof.

Therefore, Ichiro would...

probably run in circles

for the whole night.

Where to? Want a ride?

Please!

Run!

Now! Reach him and him!

Yes!

Enough.

Useless!

Take this car to the station.

Fingerprints, plate numbers, etc.

- Thoroughly.

- And you?

I'll take them to Yamatai.

- Yes!

- Can you do it? - Yes!

That side! From the right!

Oh my!

Why do you take us?

I don't want my witnesses killed.

Killed?

Is someone hunting you down?

No.

Why?

Well...

Army Minister.

What?

Tell me what happened

on December 8.

That day...

was very cold.

We went in a house,

we thought it was empty.

But...

he's there.

Jiro's father.

What was he doing?

He hanged himself.

I see.

And the corpse?

The corpse?

- Whose corpse?

- You know who!

Munechika Okonogi.

Did you...

bury it in secret?

Who said he's dead?

What?

He hanged himself,

but we took him down.

Finance Minister was an army nurse.

She gave him artificial breathing.

He's saved.

Oh my goodness!

But why?

We had a drink.

But...

why do you want

to kill yourself?

Do you mind telling us?

I'm tired of running away.

Running away?

My only memory...

I have of my life,

is running away and hiding.

You mean, ever since the war?

Yes. First the body check

for military service.

Then the draft notice.

From civilian and military police.

It'd be 56 years on August 15.

This running and hiding.

I'm just a coward.

You're not a coward!

You have real courage!

Yes! That's true!

But,

everybody went to the war.

I did, but...

it was so scary.

When the bullets came,

I pissed in my pants.

Rather than being glad

that none of these hit me,

I was glad I killed no one

during that war.

Sometimes I think to myself,

how lucky I was.

When I think I might

have killed someone,

- I got scared.

- And after...

the war?

I told you it's something

I can't get rid of.

So sometimes I feel

like running away.

I feel sorry for you.

And then?

Before dawn, he said,

"After talking to you,

I have my courage back."

"I'll try running away again."

I don't understand.

He's just paranoid.

As a punk,

aren't you scared?

I'm adopted.

Yes, but he's Jiro's real father.

You didn't know?

During one of his disappearances,

he met a woman...

and had you.

If it's true, then who's my mom?

She died after giving birth to you.

So,

your father asked me...

to look after you.

- He said so?

- Yes.

When?

It's...

December 8, last year.

Now...

congratulations.

Good job!

You always deliver.

It's the drink...

of a lifetime. Napoleon!

Yeah!

I could die now.

It's great!

But Prime Minister,

how about our

Three Anti-Nuclear Principles?

Yes?

Finance Minister is old.

So we'll count her out.

"We won't make women."

"We won't own women.

We won't handle women."

Labour Minister is handling one.

Do you mean Tamiko?

Yes?

He had to.

If he didn't, she'd be in trouble.

There's no woman to make...

because there's no woman.

At least, the handling...

Oh yes.

We can talk about that

at our next cabinet meeting.

The clothes on her...

how to say this...

she's in a nightgown.

It's... a little bit arousing.

What do you mean?

About "it"?

It's a good thing.

For a boner,

the wet dreams...

it's necessary.

The pre-war Education Ministry

was wrong about it.

If you say so...

Go in.

Tamiko.

Yes?

Maybe... you need to

change your clothes.

Change?

I have some.

Here.

Jiro, turn around.

How about us?

No.

Why?

No no... really?

- Come on.

- But there's etiquette...

Please,

turn around.

That's the right thing.

I see.

Pity... let's turn around.

The next day, August 11.

No more gas.

Was this Ichiro's revenge?

But no one in Yamatai

made a fuss of it.

But,

more work for Labour Minister.

Me and Tamiko,

now Interior Minister,

went to the nearby timber yard...

to buy wood on their order.

Jiro, there's smoke from your logs.

Is something burning?

What?

August 13.

No more electricity.

Army Minister suggested

stealing it from the street lamp.

The one to climb the lamp pole

was of course...

Labour Minister.

Only you today?

He went somewhere.

It's so busy now!

What are you doing, young sir?

Me?

Catching cicadas.

Oh.

Get down.

I found out who owned this car.

Who?

It's been repainted

but it's your dad's.

From the plates?

Sorry.

He's probably...

- Why?

- Luminol test is positive?

No trace of blood,

but someone's fingerprints.

Who?

Iimuro, a Kansai hitman.

Iimuro?

Know him?

Yes.

Down!

That's him?

No, he doesn't use guns.

Icepick.

You know what your dad's doing?

Tomorrow, I'll kill him for you.

5 million.

The rest, tomorrow.

Jiro?

Also tomorrow.

I'll kill him.

- A long trip?

- Yes.

1 year in Sri Lanka.

See you.

August 14.

A lavish breakfast.

Actually, Finance Minister's

funds have run out.

One dried plum each

to go with the rice.

Telephone, gas, electricity.

Water is next.

But you've all lived

through the war.

You're all survivors.

Now's the time

to repeat the experience.

You can do it again.

To us, this is just camping.

- Right?

- Yes.

The thing...

is what will come next, for sure.

Air raids.

Well I...

had a freaky experience

in the first raid.

The Doolittle Raid

was the first on Japan.

The Hornet bombers came...

and dropped the bombs.

B-25 bombers flew

all the way from China.

At that time,

I was eating noodles

at an eatery in Sendagaya.

And then,

the bicycle shop the next door

from the next...

You're lucky.

I think the life line

on my palm saved me.

Look. Look.

Very long, to here.

Let me...

Lots of memories.

What I meant by air raids...

is that an army, no.

Thugs or gangsters...

will attack us for sure.

How would our army

deal with that?

If we have to fight,

fight bravely.

Bravely?

Yes! We shouldn't...

forget the meaning of life!

At that time,

all we thought about,

was how to die in dignity

if it's inevitable.

Oh yes!

Humans die!

Yes.

You never thought about it,

Interior Minister?

Prime Minister...

not just "at that time",

lately,

I feel that way.

I don't know why.

You too?

It's the fate of our

Charleston generation.

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