Bullfight by Yasushi Inoue

Author:Yasushi Inoue [Yasushi Inoue]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
ISBN: 9781782270690
Publisher: Pushkin Press
Published: 2013-12-11T05:00:00+00:00

The next morning Tsugami took the first train on the government line to Sannomiya Station, only to discover that the freight train had arrived at dawn, around four, about two hours earlier than Tashiro had expected, and the whole party was milling about in one corner of the train yard. The twenty-two magnificent bulls, each of which must have weighed over seven hundred and fifty kilograms, stood with their handlers, tied to the station’s wooden fence, steam rising from their bodies. Tashiro, who had been with a group of men surrounding a bonfire near the freight house, strode over looking cold, chin tucked into his leather overcoat. As he approached, he jubilantly cried out, “Ah, Mr. Tsugami! What do you think?” He nodded toward the bulls. “Splendid, aren’t they! They’re not like these cows in Kobe and Osaka, fed on leftovers.”

Standing there with a cigarette in his mouth, not bothering to say good morning or even to take his hands out of his pockets, Tashiro had the unmistakable air of a showman, elated at his success.

“Rough morning, I bet.”

“Actually no, the ride was surprisingly relaxing—having the whole train to ourselves made things easy. Sure took a long time, though, one night here, next night somewhere else. Five days, including today. I’m exhausted, let me tell you.”

So he said. He didn’t look particularly exhausted to Tsugami.

And sure enough, the next instant he was ready for business. “So we’re all set for the parade?”

They had arranged to depart from Sannomiya at eight, make the rounds of downtown Kobe, and deliver the parade of sumo bulls to the stable in Nishinomiya. The next morning they would walk them from Nishinomiya to Osaka, circle through the center of city, then return to Nishinomiya. Tsugami was anxious above all that the bulls might not be in good condition after so much rocking on the train, but Tashiro didn’t seem concerned.

“They haven’t exercised for so long, a bit of walking will be good for them.”

Tashiro glanced up at the sky to gauge the weather, looked down at his watch, and then strode off with the contented gait of an officer inspecting his troops, saying he should at least peek in to thank the station manager for his help.

Tsugami was walking around greeting some of the owners who had helped with things during that first trip to W. when N., a reporter who had made the trip up on the train with the rest of the group, drew him aside, saying he had some information to pass on. “Look,” he said, glancing meaningfully toward the far western edge of the yard, where the only opening in the fence allowed passage in and out. Four or five men were loading something into a truck. Tsugami noticed Tashiro among them; he was standing next to the truck, evidently directing the men in their work.

“He brought that stuff up with us—says it’s all feed for the bulls. A bunch of us are pretty sure he has something else going on, though.

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