‘Yes, he came home from the dormitory yesterday,’ Yukitomo replied for him, busily flapping at his chest with the large black Chinese fan.

Standing where he was, Takao noticed his grandfather’s fan motioning him towards the door so, glad of the opportunity to leave, he went out into the corridor. Yukitomo signaled to the two nurses with his eyes and they too, nodding, withdrew into the corridor.

Almost warily Miya looked in the direction that the white uniforms of the nurses had taken as they moved quietly towards the door.

‘They’ve all gone outside,’ said Yukitomo. Drawing nearer to the bed, he fanned her with the fan he held in one hand while with the other he smoothed back the loose hairs that stirred over her forehead.

‘You wanted to talk to me?’

‘Not really to talk …’

She tried to put a smile into her wasted cheeks; for a moment the instincts of the beautiful female sought readmittance to their waxy whiteness, flickered there faintly, and instantly took off again for distant parts while Yukitomo watched them go like the frail, shining wings of a mayfly.

Miya frowned intently as though her throat was hurting her.

‘But you’ve hardly been to see me at all!’

‘We can’t be alone together even if I come, can we?’ said Yukitomo with deliberate brutality. ‘And besides, the doctor guarantees that you’ll be leaving the hospital in two or three weeks’ time. You’d better get out of this dismal hole as soon as you can … We’ll take you to the hot springs at Hakone or somewhere.’

‘I do hope so … Somehow I feel discouraged. Papa, I wonder what you’ll do if I die? I wonder if you’ll be sad for me?’

‘Don’t talk nonsense, woman! I’m the one who’s going to die first.’

‘I don’t believe it,’ said Miya quite seriously in a hoarse voice.

So long beguiled by Miya’s blend of cheerful playfulness and sulky pouting, Yukitomo found himself scared now by these classical features with the eyes that were so steady in their gaze. It occurred to him that it was unwillingness to see this face that had made him reluctant to come to visit her here.

‘You know, Papa, I’ve worried about Yoshihiko. Somehow or other I feel easy about the others – Kazuya and Ruriko and Tomoya – but I get dreadfully anxious about Yoshihiko. Why this should be I’m sure I can’t say …’

‘Yoshihiko’s got less to worry about than the others. He’s small but he’s got a good head on him and he’s sharp. If you’re worried about him I could make an addition to the will for him, separately from the rest.’ Then he bent down close to where Miya’s ear was buried in the pillow and whispered:

‘Don’t worry, Yoshihiko’s our child, isn’t he?’