13

Fulvio ran his tongue inside his mouth and was happy to see that he had all his teeth. A week of return and administrative work inside the base, which was bombarded hour by hour by P-37 Mustangs, Corvairs and even the Americans' Mitchell B-24 Liberator. The end was coming by leaps and bounds.

by leaps and bounds.

--I guess I won't make it to Tientsin,-- he said to himself in the middle of the courtyard, watching the American Thunderbolts evolve in combat with the Mitsubishi Zeros in the blue sky of Shanghai. Unequal combat. NORTH AMERICAN SUPERIORITY WAS MORE THAN EVIDENT AND the Zeros were dropping like flies into the sea.

To reward Fulvio he received a shiny Datsum and a Japanese military commission. Things were worse. The Italians in Tientsin were imprisoned for not wanting to fight with the Japanese. For the Japanese such an attitude was the sum of all cowardice and dishonor. For his part, he was in the midst of them, rising vertiginously. He climbed into the Datsum and sped off, indifferent to the aerial machine-gun fire with which the P-37 Mustangs showered the entire sector.

....."Rose rose per te"--- he hummed driving swiftly through the lonely streets while bombs were falling everywhere... How andiamo? --he said to no one, seeing the magnitude of the explosions. With a brutal slam of the brakes he filled his ruins and raced down towards the collapsed house.

--My God. The spirit of the major has returned to terrorize me,--shouted the doctor in English as she saw Fulvio standing in the middle of the ruins watching the maneuvering of the P-37s that continued to bomb the city with impunity. The American carriers were getting closer and closer and there was no way to stop them.

--My spirit, my body and my atrocious hunger has returned,-- said the major amusedly, lifting the doctor into the air, who was convinced that the handsome man was back, whole and beautiful thanks to Madame Moonlight's love.

Fulvio kept talking to the doctor in English. Not even under torture would he confess that he understood Mandarin Chinese. His Italian mannerisms.

--I'm going to sleep until 1950,-- announced the major, who minutes later was taking a brutal cold water bath that made him scream to high heaven. He went to lie down on his cot completely naked.

--But how divine,--he said, bringing his hands up to his face, that spectacularly feminine, sweet, fresh and feminine aroma that emanated from his cot, --Princess! You don't leave me alone for a minute. Your scent haunts me, drives me crazy. Then she hugged that pillow and, sinking her face into it, she fell asleep like a baby.

III

Madame Moonlight made her decision. Because of her upbringing and Japanese occupation she knew their customs.

She brought to the stage a floral arrangement; an IKEBANA. In spite of her inner shock she made it herself. That is why she wore white chrysanthemums indicating that her heart was dead, because the owner of her love was dead, so she cared little about the suffering of her body. She used the maribona style, where the paradise (shin) was in hope, the man (sue) was diminished, the short of his branches in that sector and the earth (hikae) was very short, showing that she no longer cared about life.

Madame sang. Another night of nostalgia and pain; which was perceived by Namura. The piece was toasted, but denied his heart, for it was buried next to a corpse. That was the triumph of the Lieutenant General.

--That very night he would eat his prey,-- he thought, satisfied, draining his whiskey. Receiving approving glances from his entourage.

Madame Moonlight, raging at being a Chinese forced to adopt Japanese customs; imitating the custom of the geishas, she prepared a small gift box. It contained only a lock of her black hair. She would pass it under the table and place it in the hands of the lieutenant general. She sang with her eyes closed so that God would not see her eyes wet with pain. She was a victim of her whim, life was judging and condemning her.

She finished singing. She went to her destination. She walked to the table, carrying the small gift for the general hidden in her red silk and sequined suit.

Namura was stern. Her face preluded her long-contained violence. The young woman sat down beside the general and kept silent.

--My arm has been twisted,-- said the man quietly, --but I cannot fight the feelings of my soul. It is simple for you. You are young and you know how to love. That is my fear--- interrupting his speech as he looked bewildered into the gloom through which came in the midst of the smoke the tall, slender figure of the nice, good-looking Gallipoli, who with broad smiles greeted everyone according to Japanese custom.

The young woman in perfect slowness opened her mouth to see the ghost who had the quality of being solid as he hugged everyone, laughed and drank sake, as he unfailingly approached her. She stopped her hand carrying the gift that was very close to Namura's, putting the gift away again. The general had withheld the information. After he possessed her he would tell her. But somehow Gallipoli had found his way out of the barracks and headed straight for the Moonlight.

--Please Major Gallipoli San---ordered the General, dissembling with a cheerfulness he didn't remotely feel---Sit on my left.

The young man with a deep bow did so and was right next to Madame Moonlight.

Fulvio sat down, and as he settled himself and was about to raise his hand to receive the glass of Old Sontori whiskey, he felt the hand of the young woman who handed him something, looking him straight in the eye, leaving him in a bewildered trance before such beauty that was becoming more and more imposing. The young man pressed with his hand the superstitious gift that was the greatest of all divine promises.

The Hatakimuri. Fulvio did not know the background of that gift. It was that in the Orientals what meant the most was not what was said; it was what was given in silence. Namura and everyone else noticed the unwise move; but they kept silent. Definitely everyone realized everything that had happened.

--I would like you to teach Madame Moonlight San the secrets of the art of tango dancing,-- said the General, breaking the icy silence. That will be to my greatest pleasure. Although of course it is your decision.

--It will be an extreme honor for me to serve the designs of His Excellency Namura San,-- said Fulvio, measuring the danger.

--When will he be able to,-- asked a supposedly interested Namura.

--It will be Madame's decision.

--Let it be tomorrow,-- she decided for the young Namura, toasting her triumph in front of everyone,

--Kampai. Kampai!

--Kampai!-- shouted the whole bar enthusiastically.

The two men toasted, looking directly into each other's eyes. A smile crossed the Japanese man's face. Namura smiled wickedly, his eyes shining. He was winning. The other was losing.

Madame Moonlight understood that the time had come to pay. The aides-de-camp hurriedly got up to fetch the caravan's vehicles. Fulvio understood as well. Moonlight had bought his life and was paying with his "mizuage", if he had any.

Marina went to her dressing room. She saw herself in the simple mirror. She was the same Queen used by the two men in the particular chess game they developed. Takeo could have raped her anytime he wanted. He could have turned her into his particular geisha. But he was delighted in his daily game of senile scorned of every night, until Fulvio arrived and scared him. Now Namura wanted to make her his at once to chase away his fears. She was cornered. With a blank mind and wishing it would be quick she went out into the narrow hallway.

You will not go,"-- Fulvio told her, blocking the way to the young woman who was already ready to leave. . Millions of feelings attacked her. Joy because he was alive. Hate, because because of him she would have to sleep with Namura.

--You are not the one. Let me go. There is no choice for us in this world, perhaps in the afterlife I will be yours from day one,"-- said the girl, pushing the immovable man away.

--Of course I won't allow it,"-- said the Italian with restrained rage, grabbing her by the arms.

--Well, I'll have to kill you," --said the girl, making a Kung Fu attack, which was imperfect because of the narrowness of the corridor, but which shook the man with the strong blow. The man also made an imperfect karate guard. Silently they struggled, looking directly into each other's eyes, shooting fire from their eyes.

--Don't be a son of a turtle. Understand. I bought your life, I must pay. If not, he's going to kill us both," --added the young woman, frustrated by the Italian's stubbornness, and opted to dig her nails into his back.

--I'd rather we were dead. But you're not going. I can't bear the thought of seeing you in his arms," --said the man, seeing the young woman's blow coming in the dark. He protected his face with his hand, and it was almost numb from the impact of her fist.

--It is not the first time I have had to go through this. Nor will it be the last," --said the hurtful young woman to his ears.

--I don't care about the past. You are mine now, and you know it," --said the man, furious with jealousy. The two remained close together, breathing heavily, while the young woman hit and scratched him in every part of his body.

--Well, in less than a minute we'll be dead if I don't go at once.

Be,"

-said the man, bearing the pain, --"we will die then.

There was silence between them. When a blinding light, with a terrible explosion destroyed everything. Immediately there were screams and the clattering of different machine guns. Another blinding light and another explosion amidst the smoke and dust.

Fulvio was left semi-conscious and almost deaf. He climbed out as best he could through a gap and saw the end of the fighting. He looked for her. But SHE was gone.