Japanese Tales of Mystery & Imagination - Edogawa Rampo [72]
"At first he refused to discuss the matter, but I kept pestering him for an explanation so insistently that he finally gave in. But even after he explained I found myself more mystified than ever, for what he said was altogether incomprehensible.
"According to him, one day about a month before, he happened to be gazing down through his binoculars from the top of the Junikai into the compound of the Kwannon Temple, when he had suddenly caught a glimpse of a girl's face amidst the crowds of people. She had been so beautiful, he explained—so uncannily beautiful—that he had been swept completely off his feet. For him, this sudden infatuation was a new sensation, for normally he was quite indifferent to feminine charms.
"But in his surprise and excitement, he had moved the binoculars too sharply. Frantically, he had brought the lenses back into focus, but by this time the face had vanished, and look as he might, he could not find it again.
"Ever since that moment my brother had not known a moment's peace—for the beautiful face of the girl kept haunting him, even in his dreams. And of course, it was the sad, forlorn hope of trying to find the girl in the temple compound that had caused my brother to waste away with complete disregard for any thought of food— and to keep climbing the Junikai day after day with his binoculars to scan the sea of faces below him.
"After finishing his confession, my brother went back to his binoculars in a frenzy of undying hope. Watching him, my heart bled with sympathy. He was indeed like the man looking for a needle in a haystack.
"To my way of thinking, his search was utterly futile, but I did not have the heart to disillusion him. Tears welling in my eyes, I continued to gaze at his pathetic figure.
"A few moments drifted by, and then gradually I became keenly aware of the beauty of the scene spread before my eyes. With my brothers slim figure outlined sharply against the sailing clouds, it appeared as if his body were floating in the air.
"Suddenly, a large number of colored balls, some dyed a deep blue, others in green, red, purple, and other gay hues, floated up into the sky, fashioning a fantastic design. I quickly leaned over the railings, and looking down saw that the strange phenomenon had not been the product of my imagination. It had so happened that a vendor of colored toy balloons had accidentally tipped over his stand, releasing all his stock in trade.
"Just at this moment, my brother broke into my reverie with a voice trembling with excitement.
"'Come—we've got to hurry, or we'll be too late!' he fairly screamed, pulling me roughly by the hand.
"As I ran after him down the stone stairway of the tower, I called out to him, asking what had happened.
"'The girl! The girl!' he cried. 'I've found her!'
"After reaching the ground, he seized my hand again and began to drag me with him as he made for the compound of the temple.
"'My search is over,' he gasped as he ran. 'I just saw her. . .sitting in a large room floored with straw mats. I know I can locate her now. I must! I must!'
"Going into greater detail as we hurried along, my brother explained that he was now seeking a landmark in the form of a tall pine tree, which he had seen through the binoculars, located somewhere at the rear of the Kwannon Temple. 'And near it,' he stammered excitedly, 'there is a house. She's there. . . there. . .!'
"We soon located the pine tree in question, but great was my brother's disappointment at finding not even the remotest trace of a house in the vicinity. Although I was persuaded that my brother was suffering from some optical illusion, I nevertheless began to search for signs of the girl in the neighboring teahouses, for I truly and sincerely felt sorry for my lovesick brother.
"While carrying out my search, I must have drifted away from my brother, for when I turned a moment later