Hawaii - James Michener [549]
He was therefore embarrassed when his father, still fascinated by military life, fingered his medals and said in English, "Like I tell b'fore, dey got no soldiers mo bettah Japanese."
"I wasn't brave, Pop. I just happened to see what was going to happen."
"S'pose you saw, how come you not run away?" Kamejiro asked.
"I was Japanese, so I had to stay," Shig explained. "Too much at stake. I swallowed my fear and for this they gave me medals."
"All Japan is proud of you," Kamejiro said in Japanese.
"I'm glad the emperor feels that way," Shig laughed, "because I'm on my way to help him govern Japan."
Shigeo's mother screamed in Japanese, "You're not going away to war again, are you? Goro's already in Japan, and I pray every night."
"There's no war!" her son explained warmly, clutching her affectionately by the arm. "I'll be in no danger. Neither will Goro."
"No war?" Mrs. Sakagawa asked, startled. "Oh, Shigeo! Haven't you heard? Mr. Ishii says . . ."
"Mother, don't bother me with what that crazy Mr. Ishii dreams.”
Nevertheless, Mrs. Sakagawa summoned her daughter and Mr. Ishii, and after the wiry little labor leader had carefully inspected all the doors to be sure no haoles were spying, he pulled down the shades and whispered in Japanese, "What I told you last week is true, Kamejiro-san. Under no circumstances should you allow a second son to go to Japan. He will be killed, just like Goro. For everything we have heard is a lie. Japan is winning the war and may invade Hawaii at any moment."
Shigeo thought his brain had become unhinged, and he caught Reiko's hand, asking, "Sister, do you believe your husband's nonsense?"
"Don't call it nonsense!" Mr. Ishii stormed in Japanese. "You have been fed a great collection of lies. Japan is winning the war and is accumulating strength."
“Reiko!" her brother insisted. "Do you believe this nonsense?"
"You'll have to forgive my husband," the dutiful wife explained. "He hears such strange reports at the meetings . . ."
"What meetings?" Shigeo demanded.
That night Mr. Ishii and his sister showed him. They took him to a small building west of Nuuanu where a meeting was in progress, attended by elderly Japanese. A fanatical religious leader, recently out of a concentration camp, was shouting in Japanese, "What they tell you about Hiroshima is all lies. The city was not touched. Tokyo was not burned. Our troops are in Singapore and Australia. Japan is more powerful than ever before!"
The audience listened intently, and Shigeo saw his brother-in-law, Mr. Ishii, nodding profoundly. At this moment Shigeo unfortunately tugged at his sister's sleeve, and the speaker saw him. Ah!" he shouted. "I see we have a spy in our midst. A dirty dog of the enemy. You, Mrs. Ishii? Is he trying to tell you that Japan lost the war? Don't you believe him! He has been bought by the Americans! I tell you, he is a liar and a spy. Japan won the war!"
Against his own intelligence, Shigeo had to admit that many of the audience not only believed this crazy religious maniac, but they wanted to believe. When the meeting ended, many of the old people smiled sadly at Shigeo, who had criminally fought against Japan, and they hoped that when the emperor's troops landed they would deal kindly with him, for he had probably been seduced into his traitorous action. Many boys in Hawaii had been so tricked.
In a daze Shigeo started homeward. He wanted no more to do with Mr. Ishii and the pathetic old fools, but when he had walked some distance, he changed his mind and caught a bus that carried him down into the heart of Honolulu, and after some speculation as to what he should do, he marched into the police station, and asked to see one of the detectives. The haole knew him and congratulated him on his medals, but Shig laughed and said, "What I'm going to tell you, you may take them away."
"What's up?"
"You ever hear of the Katta Gumi Society? The Ever-Victorious Group?"
"You mean the Japan-Won screwballs? Yeah, we keep a fairly close watch on them."
"I just attended