After the quake blind willow, sleeping woman dance dance dance

CHAPTER 27 
Tengo 
THE WHOLE WORLD MAY NOT BE ENOUGH 
On Wednesday morning when the phone rang, Tengo was still asleep. He hadn’t been 
able to fall asleep until nearly dawn, and the whiskey he had drunk still remained in 
him. He got out of bed, and was surprised to see how light it was outside. 
“Tengo Kawana?” a man said. It was a voice he had never heard before. 
“Yes,” Tengo replied. The man’s voice was quiet and businesslike, and he was 
sure it must be more paperwork regarding his father’s death. But his alarm clock 
showed it was just before eight a.m. Not the time that a city office or funeral home 
would be calling. 
“I am sorry to be calling so early, but I was rather in a hurry.” 
Something urgent. “What is it?” Tengo’s brain was still fuzzy. 
“Do you recall the name Aomame?” the man asked. 
Aomame? His hangover and sleepiness vanished. His mind reset quickly, like after 
a short blackout in a stage play. Tengo regripped the receiver. 
“Yes, I do,” he replied. 
“It’s quite an unusual name.” 
“We were in the same class in elementary school,” Tengo said, somehow able to 
get his voice back to normal. 
The man paused. “Mr. Kawana, do you have interest at this moment in talking 
about Aomame?” 
Tengo found the man’s way of speaking odd. His diction was unique, like listening 
to lines from an avant-garde translated play. 
“If you do not have any interest, then it will be a waste of time for both of us. I’ll 
end this conversation right away.” 
“I am interested,” Tengo said hurriedly. “Sorry, but what is your connection here?” 
“I have a message from her,” the man said, ignoring his question. “Aomame is 
hoping to see you. What about you, Mr. Kawana? Would you care to see her as well?” 
“I would,” Tengo said. He coughed and cleared his throat. “I have been wanting to 
see her for a long time.” 
“Fine. She wants to see you. And you are hoping to see her.” 
Tengo suddenly realized how cold the room was. He grabbed a nearby cardigan 
and threw it over his pajamas. 
“So what should I do?” Tengo asked. 
“Can you come to the slide after dark?” the man said. 
“The slide?” Tengo asked. What was this guy talking about? 

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“She said if I told you that, you would understand. She would like you to come to 
the top of the slide. I’m merely telling you what Aomame said.” 
Tengo’s hand went to his hair, which was a mass of cowlicks and knots after 
sleeping. 
The slide. Where I saw the two moons. It’s got to be
that 
slide
. 
“I think I understand,” he replied, his voice dry. 
“Fine. Also, if there is something valuable you would like to take with you, make 
sure you have it on you. So you’re all set to move on, far away.” 
“
Something valuable I would like to take with me?
” Tengo repeated in surprise. 
“Something you don’t want to leave behind.” 
Tengo pondered this. “I’m not sure I totally understand, but by moving on far 
away, do you mean never coming back here?” 
“I wouldn’t know,” the man said. “As I said previously, I am merely transmitting 
her message.” 
Tengo ran his fingers through his tangled hair and considered this. 
Move on?
“I 
might have a fair amount of papers I would want to bring.” 
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” the man said. “You are free to choose whatever 
you like. However, when it comes to luggage, I have been asked to tell you that you 
should be able to keep both hands free.” 
“Keep both hands free,” Tengo repeated. “So, a suitcase wouldn’t work, would it?” 
“I wouldn’t think so.” 
From the man’s voice it was hard to guess his age, looks, or build. It was the sort 
of voice that provided no tangible clues. Tengo felt he wouldn’t remember the voice 
at all, as soon as the man hung up. Individuality or emotions—assuming there were 
any to begin with—were hidden deep down, out of sight. 
“That’s all that I need to relay,” the man said. 
“Is Aomame well?” Tengo asked. 
“Physically, she’s fine,” the man said, choosing his words carefully. “Though right 
now she’s caught in a somewhat tense situation. She has to watch her every move. 
One false step and it might all be over.” 
“All be over,”
Tengo repeated mechanically. 
“It would be best not to be too late,” the man said. “Time has become an important 
factor.” 
Time has become an important factor
, Tengo repeated to himself. 
Was there an 
issue with this man’s choice of words? Or am I too much on edge?
“I think I can be at the slide at seven tonight,” Tengo said. “If for some reason I’m 
not able to come tonight, I’ll be there tomorrow at the same time.” 
“Understood. And you know which slide we’re talking about.” 
“I think so.” 
Tengo glanced at the clock. He had eleven hours to go. 
“By the way, I heard that your father passed away on Sunday. My deepest 
condolences.” 
Tengo instinctively thanked him, but then wondered how this man could possibly 
know about his father. 
“Could you tell me a little more about Aomame?” Tengo said. “For instance, 
where she is, and what she does?” 

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“She’s single. She works as a fitness instructor at a sports club in Hiroo. She’s a 
first-rate instructor, but circumstances have changed and she has taken leave from her 
job. And, by sheer coincidence, she has been living not far from you. For anything 
beyond that, I think it best you hear directly from her.” 
“Even what sort of 
tense situation
she’s in right now?” 
The man didn’t respond. Either he didn’t want to answer or he felt there was no 
need. For whatever reason, people like this seemed to flock to Tengo. 
“Today at seven p.m., then, on top of the slide,” the man said. 
“Just a second,” Tengo said quickly. “I have a question. I was warned by someone 
that I was being watched, and that I should be careful. Excuse me for asking, but did 
they mean you?” 
“No, they didn’t mean me,” the man said immediately. “It was probably someone 
else who was watching you. But it is a good idea to be cautious, as that person pointed 
out.” 
“Does my being under surveillance have something to do with Aomame’s unusual 
situation?” 
“
Somewhat tense
situation,” the man said, correcting him. “Yes, most likely there 
is some sort of connection.” 
“Is this dangerous?” 
The man paused, and chose his words carefully, as if separating out varieties of 
beans from a pile. “If you call not being able to see Aomame anymore something 
dangerous, then yes, there is definitely danger involved.” 
Tengo mentally rearranged this man’s roundabout phrasing into something he 
could understand. He didn’t have a clue about the background or the circumstances, 
but it was obvious that things were indeed fraught. 
“If things don’t go well, we might not be able to see each other ever again.” 
“Exactly.” 
“I understand. I’ll be careful,” Tengo said. 
“I’m sorry to have called so early. It would appear that I woke you up.” 
Without pausing, the man hung up. Tengo gazed at the black receiver in his hand. 
As he had predicted, as soon as they hung up, the man’s voice had vanished from his 
memory. Tengo looked at the clock again. Eight ten. 
How should I kill all this time 
between now and seven p.m.?
he wondered. 
He started by taking a shower, washing his hair, and untangling it as best he could. 
Then he stood in front of the mirror and shaved, brushed his teeth, and flossed. He 
drank some tomato juice from the fridge, boiled water, ground coffee beans and made 
coffee, toasted a slice of bread. He set the timer and cooked a soft-boiled egg. He 
concentrated on each action, taking more time than usual. But still it was only nine 
thirty.