Dark Water (short stories) by Koji Suzuki

Author:Koji Suzuki [Suzuki, Koji]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-05-30T00:41:05+00:00

Meanwhile, the Ushijimas became more morose with every passing minute. Ushijima looked dumbfounded about the yacht having come to a standstill, while Minako, manifestly resenting her husband for his incompetence, snorted and sighed loudly to pressure him to get the thing moving again. The whole situation was a painful slap in the face for Minako, who'd been raving to Enoyoshi about the joys of having a yacht, who'd been trying to entice him to join her in relishing a clearly superior level of life.

Well? Don't you think it's just marvellous? It was like seeing your pet do something totally stupid when you've bragged about its clever tricks and invited people over for a little show.

Quite apart from feeling anxious about his footing, Enoyoshi was getting quite curious as to how Ushijima meant to get them out of the fix.

Clueless though he was, Enoyoshi offered a theory. 'Maybe some rope got tangled around the keel?'

Ushijima raised his face and nodded rather eagerly. 'That's just what I was thinking. It could have caught on a fixed net or something.'

'Is this where they set nets?'

Ushijima shook his head. 'Actually, no. This is a shipping lane.'

'So

'Some clump of rope, from a fixed net or something like that, could've drifted over and caught on the keel.'

It was obvious even to Enoyoshi that if that was the problem, the other end of the rope was still embedded securely on the sea floor. Such a coincidence seemed too far-fetched. He had to force back a smile as he envisaged a piece of rope forming a noose and rising up from the seabed to ensnare the keel of the yacht the way a cowboy would lasso a steer.

'In that case, what are we going to do?' the yacht's namesake broke in. Contorting her thick lips, she glared at her husband. Enoyoshi somehow couldn't get on with that jowly face of hers. Her vanity showed in the contours of her face and her make-up. It was probably she who'd first dabbled in the sales scheme, then sucked in her husband. She probably goaded him on as his sales partner.

'Get the rope off the keel, I suppose.'

Enoyoshi could imagine with ease what Ushijima had to do now. It was quite simple.

Dive down under the yacht, feel for the rope, and get it off the keel. Yet the mere sight of those black waters below was enough to give him the jitters. With the sun now completely set under the horizon, the always dark water of the bay appeared even blacker, reflecting the inky night sky. The very thought of holding his breath and diving into the murky depths was enough to choke him.

The boat was not equipped with a mask or an underwater light, and Ushijima would have to grope around in the dark to get the job done. Even if he had a mask, there would be near zero visibility in the sludgy waters of Tokyo Bay.

But Ushijima stayed silent, unmoving. Pensively biting his lower lip, he shot laden

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