japanese tales of mystery and imagination by edogawa rampo

THE RED CHAMBER

THE SEVEN GRAVE MEN, INCLUding myself, had gathered as usual toexchange bloodcurdling horror stories. We sank into the deeparmchairs, covered with scarlet velvet, in the room which hadbeen dubbed the "Red Chamber" and waited eagerly for the narrator of theevening to begin his tale

In the center of the group was a large, round table, also covered withscarlet velvet, and on it was a carved bronze candelabrum in which three largecandles burned with flickering flames. On all sides of the room-even overthe doors and windows-heavy red-silk curtains hung in graceful folds fromceiling to floor. The flames of the candles cast monstrously enlarged shadowsof the secret society of seven on the curtains in hues dark like that of blood.Rising and falling, expanding and contracting, the seven silhouettes creptamong the curves of the crimson drapery like horrible insects

In this chamber I always felt as though I were sitting in the belly of someenormous, prehistoric beast, and thought I could even feel its heart beat in aslow tempo appropriate to its hugeness.

For a while all of us remained silent. As I sat with the rest like onebewitched, I unconsciously stared at the dark-red shadowy faces around thetable and shuddered. Although I was perfectly familiar with the features of theothers, I always felt chills creep down my spine whenever I studied them atclose hand, for they all seemed perpetually unexpressive and motionless, likeJapanese Noh masks.

At last, Tanaka, who had only recently been initiated into the society,cleared his throat to speak. He sat poised on the edge of his chair, gazing atthe candle flames. I happened to glance at his chin, but what I saw seemedmore like a square block of bone-without flesh or skin- and his whole facewas akin to that of an ugly marionette strangely come alive.

"Having been admitted to the society as an accredited member," Tanakasuddenly began without any introduction, "I shall now proceed to contributemy first tale of horror."

As none of us made any move or comment, he quickly launched forth intohis narrative:

I believe [he said] that I am in my right mind and that all my friends willvouch for my sanity, but whether I am really mentally fit or not, I will leave toyou to judge. Yes, I may be mad! Or perhaps I may just be a mild neuroticcase. But, at any rate, I must explain that I have always been weary of life. . .and to me the normal man's daily routine is-and always will be-a hatefulboredom.

At first I gave myself up to various dissipations to distract my mind, butunfortunately, nothing seemed to relieve my profound boredom. Instead,everything I did only seemed to increase my disappointment the more.Constantly I kept asking myself: Is there no amusement left in the world forme? Am I doomed to die of yawning? Gradually I fell into a state of lethargyfrom which there seemed to be no escape. Nothing that I did-absolutelynothing-succeeded in pleasing my fancy. Every day I took three meals, andwhen the evening shadows fell I went to bed. Slowly I began to feel that I wasgoing stark raving mad. Eating and sleeping, eating and sleeping-just like ahog.

If my circumstances had required that I hustle for my daily living, perhapsmy constant boredom would have been relieved. But such was not my luck.By this I do not mean to imply that I was born fabulously rich. If this hadbeen the case, then again there might have been a solution to my problem, forcertainly money would have brought me thrills in plenty-orgies in luxuriousliving, eccentric debaucheries, or even bloody sports as in the days of Neroand the gladiators-so long as I could pay the price. But, curse my luck, I wasneither destitute nor rich, just comfortably well-off, with funds sufficient toensure only an average standard of living.

To any ordinary audience I would at this point enlarge upon the tortures ofa life of boredom. But to you gentlemen of the Red Chamber Society I knowthis is unnecessary. Assuredly it was for the very purpose of banishing thespecter of boredom that has haunted you, as it has me, that you formed thissociety. Therefore I will not digress but continue with my story.