No. 6

CHAPTER 3 - Blackout

Did you come to me
because I dropped off to sleep,
tormented by love?
If I had known I dreamed,
I would not have awakened.
- Ono no komachi

***   

"You should write a letter," Nezumi said, without looking up from his book.

"A letter―to my mother?"

"If you have other pen pals, them too."

"Will you deliver them?"

"He will." A small mouse was perched on Nezumi's knee, cleaning its whiskers.

"Thank you, Hamlet."

"You don't need to thank him. Every time he goes to see your Mama, he gets to stuff himself with tasty bread. So he's in a good mood."

Shion scribbled a few words on a torn slip of paper. A score of letters. Just a single line. What feelings would he instill in them?

He finished writing, and stuffed the slip into a capsule. Hamlet took it in its mouth, and gave its tail a smart flick. Nezumi closed his book with a snap. It was a beautiful book bound in blue, with white flower petals scattered across the cover. Shion decided to ask him about it.

"What were you reading?"

"An ancient story from a country far, far away, at the ends of the earth. A very ancient tale."

"A myth?"

"A tale about humans." Nezumi stood up, and slid the book back into the shelf. The room filled with books was warm, thanks to the old heater. It wasn't like when he was living in the luxury neighbourhood of Chronos in No. 6, where he was protected by the atmosphere control system, and was able to live in just the right temperature and humidity regardless of the season, hour of the day, or the weather outside. There was no hope of that kind of environment here, but he found the uneven heat of this room much more comfortable than something controlled by machines. If he was cold, he would don a blanket and draw closer to the heater. If he was hot, he would back away, and shed his overcoat. That was all there was to it. And he had not even known. He had learned, here, in this room.

"Say―" Shion began, as he poured himself a cup of hot water that was boiling on top of the heater. "Does it get hot here in the summer?"

Nezumi turned towards him from the bookcase, and narrowed his eyes.

"What about the summer?"

"Well, I mean―I figure since it's underground it would be pretty cool, and since the books aren't mouldy, it probably doesn't get that humid either... but I was just wondering if it's comfortable."

"It's alright. Better than Inukashi's hotel."

"But what should we do with the heater?"

"Huh?"

"In the winter we can just use it like this, but it probably wouldn't do in the summer, would it? But how else would we cook our food? We won't be able to boil water, either." He handed a cup of hot water to Nezumi. It was the only kind of drink available here.

"Are you telling me you're worrying about food for the summer now?"

"I'm not worried, I was just wondering how―oh! You must cook outside. Get a fire going, and cook the food there."

"Well―that's one way to do it."

"Ahh, I see," Shion hummed in a satisfied way. "Oh, but it must be a hassle if it rains."

"Shion." Nezumi lifted his cup slightly. Shion could see a pair of dark grey eyes looking at him through the rising steam.

"Are you planning to stay here in the summer, too? I mean, do you really think you can?"