Chapter 34

I left soon after and went to a medical supply service and purchased some equipment that I would need. I could work without it but it was good to have around to show that the operation was indeed done with its assistance. There were only minimal problems in getting the equipment because none was restricted. My passport had to be shown before I was believed enough at first. The sale to someone that was only nine years old was odd to say the least.

In a small park I sat on a damp bench and cast my eye out over the city. In my mind I tried to visualize how it could one day be without destroying any buildings already rebuilt. This would be an even more difficult undertaking than building ships that had never been built before.

I could imagine the future with a very large subway system that covered much of the city. The tunnels would provide malls like the one in London but much longer than a simple a hundred miles. Mine would even have four levels. High above on the surface I saw parks and buildings suited to the way peoples lives should be run. Time and intransigence would be my biggest enemies in this venture. Japan needed Tokyo rebuilt and this venture would take long to complete. Japan was rooted in the past and it would be hard to get the country to take on a new point of view. If this could be accomplished then all I had to do was make the plans and sit back as the builders ran with my ideas.

Tokyo had a great many ugly buildings on streets that spread out like a spiders web. The streets themselves were narrow and winding. They travelled around hills and might make the city memorable but was very difficult for anybody to navigate. If I had been born sooner, I could have been on hand just after the war to get the city straightened out. Now the job would be much more difficult. I could see some buildings and none were over ten stories high. Most buildings were made of wood and had been torn down easily. The same ugly kind of structures went back up though. The city seemed to be a uniform grey and was quite depressing to me.

A taxi took me to the ship yard, by Tokyo Bay. The doorman was very adamant that I was not to enter till I explained that I had business inside. Mr. Ishida bowed very low. I found that he had heard that I was to be a half owner in the future.

"Mr. Ishida, I am still the young man you met on the plane. In some cases it is important to show position but I was hoping we could drop that formality when we are alone. How is Nori doing?"

"He is doing... fine Sir Shawn. He asked about you yesterday."

"Please tell him that I am doing fine and will be living with Mr. Hitomi for a while until his daughter has recovered."

"Sir Shawn,... I heard that she will not get better."

"Other doctors are not me. Soon she will be up and around and in a few months I want her to start tennis lessons and swimming."

"She will completely recover now?" He said as if my remarks were just dreams.

"I believe so. I also came to thank you for offering me a place to stay at your home but I am needed elsewhere for the next little while."

"You are very welcome Sir Shawn. Would you like me to send your luggage to Mr. Hitomi's home?"

"I would rather pick it up myself and talk a moment to your son. Perhaps I can take him with me on occasion to further his education."

"I would like that very much and so would my son. Thank you very much for the offer."

Mr. Hitomi was just getting out of a small meeting with his accountants and I met him soon after.

"Hello Sir Shawn. Would you care to have a seat and enjoy some tea?"

"Thank you sir. I came to tell you that your daughter has regained her appetite and much of her wit. She sat outside in your garden today with the nurses and me. She needed no support and her headaches are greatly diminished."

The man smiled and bowed to me very low to me. "Thank you sir Shawn I... "

"You are very welcome sir," I said as I walked across the room and pointed to a small lamp with a small dark spot on the base that didn't quite match the others. "Would you be so kind to show me some of your facilities?"

The man had come with me and I pointed out the suspicious spot then walked around the room further. "Ah, certainly," he said. "Would you like to go now? I don't have any meetings for a while."

"Yes that would be nice. If you don't mind me making an observation, your offices could use a little decoration and I am sure your employees would enjoy having their spirits lifted by a brighter coat of paint and perhaps work harder for you then."

I shook my head in the affirmative and Mr. Hitomi said, "That would be a good idea. It would make me feel better too." In the next minute I found one more microphone and pointed it out to Mr. Hitomi.

In the hallway I said, "If you don't mind Mr. Hitomi, I would like to see some of the rooms that you would like to have secure from competitors. The redecorating will also remove all the microphones but by then we can give them some information that could hurt them. Perhaps you can put up for sale a small business. You tell somebody in confidence that it makes millions of pounds a year in profit. Our listeners will come forward and buy this business at an inflated price."

"I will think on this idea and perhaps divulge many things before the microphones are removed." We walked down the hall and into a few rooms and I searched each of them to find any listening devices. A board room and a small meeting room off of engineering were the only ones that had more devices.

In the engineering department Mr. Hitomi introduced me as a very honoured guest, after which he advised me that I should be able to get anything I needed. I talked to the three engineers and saw that one man was wholly inadequate for the job and the other two were only marginal at best.

A large draughting board did draw me to it. I put a large sheet of paper on it and then drew freehand some of the ideas I wanted to incorporate in the large ships I planned on building. This particular one was to provide a desalination process that would provide clean water from the waste energy of the diesel engines. Later it could be used on a nuclear powered ship, if we were ever able to get some made.

More systems were added including radar and sonar. I didn't mention the radio that would also transmit to a satellite overhead that would also keep track of the ship at all times.

When we got to a secure room Mr. Hitomi said, "Sir Shawn, many of the things you want on the ship have not been even invented yet. Where are these things going to come from?"

"Ethiopia and the electronic business here that I asked you to help me start. I have the circuits in my head now. The problem is that I want them many times smaller and that means that I have to make machines to make other machines to make the parts. A few days after getting my machines made I will be able to show you how I can cut thick steel with light alone."

"That is impossible... I would like to see this device. Do the American's now of this device?"

"It is only in my mind at present. I should be able to sell machines or the technology after we get an edge with its use. Picture a large steel plate for our ships that is cut to within a thousandths of an inch."

"That is fantastic. So you are saying only we will have this technology?"

"For a while, yes. There are too many spies and government agents to keep this a secret long. Were you able to get an appointment with the two banks?"

"Again we have two meetings. One is for tonight and the next is for tomorrow afternoon. I will have to be with you I believe. They do not have my confidence in you yet."

After work, I went home with Mr. Ishida to get my clothing and talk for a few minutes to Nori. I stayed for only a half hour as I had the meeting later with the bankers. I had to promise Nori that I would come back to talk again from time to time.

Mr. Hitomi was sitting with his daughter Juni when I arrived. He had asked some very pointed questions and was not too happy with the answers. Juni was starting to stand up for herself again as she used to do before she became too sick to do so. It seemed that his idea of getting Juni to reject me was not bearing quite the response he sought. His eyes did brighten when the doorman allowed me in. The taxi stayed on the street with my luggage just in case.

"Sir Shawn, you have performed a miracle. My daughter is recovering."

"Yes she is Mr. Hitomi but there are a few places that need a very delicate touch now or Juni will still have problems." I smiled at the girl and she just bowed her head to me as if she were the very obedient daughter she tried to be. "Two large tumours still have to be removed and I brought some equipment to the house to do it. After talking to your daughter, have you decided about where I will stay? In any case I will still do my best to have Juni fully recover."

"You will stay here of course. My daughter is still ill and as my future partner I have to help you adjust to a different country." Juni's eyes came up at this.

"I thank you sir. I would like your permission and your daughter's to purchase some properties and place them in her and my name. Your laws state that I cannot own land here in my own name."

"What is this land for?"

"I want to buy a large area here in Tokyo and eventually start on a building that will be the headquarters of my companies here in the east. I have allotted thirty million dollars to this alone. If I could, I would spend a thousand times that and straighten out the city the way it should be."

"Thirty million dollars is a very great sum of money. You can purchase square miles of property now. What would you do with the rest of the city if you bought it?"

"Fabricate a gigantic cement plant and build underground homes that will line the tracks where electric trains will bring people into the city. The surface will be a large park. Beneath the surface you will have cooled air in the summer and warm air in the winter. I own a very large building in London that has many businesses on different levels. This would be a much greater undertaking but it is still feasible. With the city planners I would make straight roads that will bring in everything the city will need as it grows. Before the end of the century I think this city will grow to at least ten million and be about two hundred and fifty square miles in size. This means that we have to have a way of transporting most of the population every day. This also means public transportation because private vehicles would make this city a hell on earth."

Mr. Hitomi said, "The city the way you see it will still have the problems we now have. Will it really grow that large?"

"If I have my way, Japan will be a world power but by leadership in business. Ships, consumer goods, automobiles, aeroplanes and heavy equipment will be our strengths. Ethiopia will have the electronic industry and Rhodesia will have space if the country can pull itself together and if I can find the money to get the ball rolling."

"Space?" Asked Juni even though she was supposed to remain silent by her customs.

"I will launch satellites that will revolutionise the telephone industry. You will be able to talk to anyone on the earth as I said this morning but you could be on the top of a mountain when you wish to speak and the opportunity will be there for you. Later I will have metal shipped from Japan and with electronics from Ethiopia I will make a habitat in orbit around the earth and perhaps even on the moon."

None of them spoke for quite a few minutes. For a while Mr. Hitomi thought all the words I spoke to him only conveyed my dreams. When he took some of the ideas one at a time they appeared rational and well thought out. The part about going to space was too much to take though. Nobody would be able to go to the moon for at least till the end of the century if then.

"I don't know what to think Sir Shawn. Your dreams are so vivid that I can almost see them myself. I am afraid this world you are making will need too many new discoveries for even you to accomplish."

I went out and had the taxi drop off my luggage and I gave him a generous tip for waiting. I brought the items upstairs and put them in a bedroom the furthest possible from Juni's room.

Mr. Hitomi's driver took us to a men's club in the Marunouchi district that night. This was the major but not the only financial district of Tokyo. It was just east of the Imperial Palace.

A doorman opened the car door, Mr. Hitomi got out and I followed. We were escorted inside by a doorman into what looked like a garish nightclub. There we were greeted by some very influential people. Most were in finance but many were in manufacturing as well. This party was not for us but we were just invited as a way of seeing what we were like in a social setting. Mr. Hitomi had his honour on the line by bringing me here. He was more or less sponsoring me.

Mr. Sakamoto was a thin grey haired man that felt a bit above the rest. He was a high ranking supporter of the Emperor but had barely escaped being deposed from his position by the American military. This was done to most of the old elite to keep the old aristocracy from hindering efforts at modernisation.

Mr. Baisotei was next. He was heavier set and appeared jolly. He hated the idea of an occidental entering his club and trying to enter their financial game of power in this country. This was all done behind a smiling face and cordial words.

Mr. Hanabusa was about the oldest man in the room and you would think the most conservative but he had a chuckle in his mind at seeing me. He had studied me fairly well and knew that the whole town might be shaken to the foundations by my appearance and what I would shortly be doing. This man I smiled back to and talked longer to than the rest. He seemed to enjoy my presence as I did his. Eventually he introduced me to Mr. Sugiyama. This man could be seen for the slippery lawyer he was. He like the rest had strong ties to the underworld but this man had more than most. He had little personal power. He could make use of his client's power and did so on many occasions.

Mr. Hitomi stood with me all the time, little knowing how sharp the sharks' teeth were. There were quite a few more introductions but no real crime figure was here. Apparently this was just a simple scouting mission and the real bosses were too busy for a small fry like me even if I were considered very rich. We all had a hot bowl of sake and they watched my reaction to the drink. They saw none, as if it were warm water I was drinking. In half an hour the people had got me to drink over a pint of the potent liquid with no ill effects. With a little work I was able to neutralise the alcohol before it affected my mind much.

We discussed my goals and immediate wants and just hoped that the alcohol would get me to give them a much clearer look once my guard was down. I explained how I wanted the city to be improved and volunteered to do much of the engineering work. The chance to get the shipyard to be a prosperous concern was of course also discussed but I didn't mention too much about my novel ideas on shipbuilding.

Sugiyama asked if I was interested in partners and I declined by saying that I may in the future. His idea was to have the organization he represented eat us later. My refusal didn't bother him because he felt we could just grow bigger and be easily plucked when ripe and even more juicy.

Later in the evening ladies came in and went to each of the important men. With a few words from Mr. Baisotei one woman came over to me while holding onto his arm. "Sir Shawn, you seem to be quite a man. You show little effects of our sake. How are you with the ladies?"

"I have made some investigations on the subject. It is you that I am worried about."

"Why is that Sir Shawn?"

"You don't like westerners; and in your shoes, neither would I. If I were to play your game and the woman were unsatisfied then it would justify your prejudices. If I on the other hand made the lady very happy then you would get upset. In either case the loan I wanted would not be assisted by your efforts."

"You offend me Sir Shawn. That is not true."

"It is I that am offended because it is true. Tell me sir how many westerners came to you trying to get your backing for a loan? Then tell me how many of them received your backing or at worst a mild indifference. You sir are a bigot, in a war torn country, who would rather continue the fight with any westerner than see your country prosper and perhaps change for the better."

The man turned and walked away together with Sugiyama showing some solidarity with his compatriot. Hitomi quietly but urgently asked me, "Why did you do this? He is a very influential person and could hurt my company very much if he took a mind to do this. With the way you have insulted him he certainly will. Shawn san, why are you embarrassing me so much?"

"Mr. Hitomi, I have told you my dreams and some of the things that I can draw from my dreams. Please have faith in me for two more days and I will show you that I just brought this situation to a head. Soon one more pustule will be lanced and your city and country allowed to recover."

"I don't understand this. You come to these people with your hand outstretched and then you insult them."

"I did come for a loan, and more, but they have a very closed society and just as closed a mindset. I would not get the loan backing from most of these people. Later when they find out that I am indeed a man they will reconsider. Please be patient. If I fail then I will just get the money elsewhere."

Mr. Sugiyama came back to us after having a small hidden conference with his colleagues. "That was a very dangerous thing to do Sir Shawn. Mr. Baisotei has been hurt by your accusations."

"He may be hurt but if his judgement had not been clouded with the way he feels about foreigners then he too would see that his actions are not fair. You too I think are biassed but you manage to avoid it clouding your wisdom and judgement in a better way. We are all businessmen and have to learn to get along with other's deficiencies if there is enough profit in it. It is a shame that Mr. Baisotei is so childish about it."

The man sputtered a bit at the accusation but in his heart he knew that this was true. Mr. Hitomi was also shocked at the way I was talking and how I knew that a great offence had been given. Sugiyama left after I told him of the sad state of the legal profession even if he had not been introduced as a lawyer.

I took four more cups of sake in a fifteen minute period and staggered for a bit then said goodbye to our hosts and left the building. Mr. Hitomi said, "You have ruined your chance of getting the money from our country. I could see the way everyone was displeased with you. Now my company will suffer for your indiscretions."

"Mr. Hitomi did you notice how Sugiyama and Baisotei were smiling when we left?"

He thought for a moment temporarily forgetting his sorrow. "Yes they were, come to think of it."

"That is because they want to teach me a lesson and you too. In the next day I will be attacked and they will try to hurt me severely but still allow me to live. You may get some of the same treatment as a reminder of your place."

"What are we going to do? I heard you can fight but you drank enough sake to kill you."

"Do not worry sir. This has been planned out long ago when I knew I had to deal with business and their underworld allies. Nothing will happen to my family even if you do not consider me a son-in-law yet."

Three blocks later as we travelled through a bombed out section a car suddenly cut us off and two that came from different side streets. "Sir, stay in the car but listen and watch." I told the driver the same thing and had knew that he would much rather stay in his seat. I got out and closed the door behind me and pretended to stagger a bit.

Twelve men came at me. The ones in the back had pistols and two even had submachine guns. The ones in the front grinned and came at me with hard pieces of wood joined with a short length of chain. One had a shinai sword used in kendo that he planned on beating me with.

I moved around so that my back was to one of the attackers cars and waited. The man with the bamboo and metal sword came in as the others fanned out to cover me with their guns. There were no words spoken and I was to assume that I would know why this meeting was taking place. The sword came down and I moved just enough and with a controlling finger caused the metal end of the wooden sword to break a window.

I looked through their minds and saw that each one had committed murder many times over. It looked like the best troops had been sent against me. As I dodged a second strike I reached through the broken window and took out a katana that seemed to have been used during the last war and brought along to cow me if necessary.

My mind speeded up as the world around me slowed down. The cheap sword was difficult to use. I altered its course quickly this required much more energy than usual. The men with guns were my first objective and I had no compulsion to let them live. Seven men died as their heads began falling to the ground. The remaining five were left alone as I caught my breath from the work out. I slowly came back to normal reflexes and simply stood with my hands on the sword as its point settled between two cobbles on the street. The heads had not even come to a stop.

The men looked for me for they thought that I had simply disappeared into thin air. Looking around in the dark street they fanned out until one then another found their headless countrymen. With a sudden flurry of speech then they went for the guns at their waist. "Use your guns and you will die," I simply said. Three of the men did and their guns shook. I just looked at them and said, "Put them away now or I will kill you." I waited no more than fifteen seconds before two men put their weapons on the ground and one put his back in his shoulder holster.

All five men stood petrified. I left the sword standing in the street and walked over to Mr. Hitomi and his driver. "I have found some new friends here. Would the two of you go home now. I can find my own way in a few hours."

"How... how did you do that?"

"Part magician and part fast reflexes. Now I get to talk to the men that will help us the most. We had strong enemies and now I will turn them into strong friends that will change their ways about how they see the law. We will have our loan and more within a few days sir."

To the driver I said, "The gangsters that sent these men will think it unkind if you start telling how they were killed. Please forget you saw it and nothing will happen to you. Will you remain silent in this matter?" The man only shook his head in acceptance. "Back up a bit and drive around the car in front of you. Goodnight to both of you." I watched the car move and when it drove forward it drove over a leg of one of the bodies.

When it was a block away I used my power to turn the lights on in the automobiles. When their sight returned I made a gesture with my hand and the sword flew to me very quickly and made a noise as it slapped into my palm. "Put the bodies in one car and the heads in another." The men still did not move because they were so frightened. "I know you are frightened and with good reason. Now all of you take the bodies and put them into that car," I said as I pointed with the sword to the one that stopped us.

The men scrambled and then had to get the keys and open the trunk because all the bodies would not fit. They stood around the vehicle after the bodies were removed waiting for death or more orders. With the sword I gestured, "Put the heads and the weapons in the trunk of that car. I don't want to be accused of littering." This too was done quickly. With the sword I gestured to two men and told them to get into the latter car and one into the first. The last two got into the car so far untouched. "We are all going to Mr. Tsuji's house. When we get there you will all stay where you are told. You will tell him what you saw tonight. If you follow all my orders I will not hurt or kill you.

The ride lasted fifteen minutes and I ended up in a beautiful home that cost an awful lot of money even in a war-torn country like this. The home was protected by a high stone wall and gates. We came up to them and they opened by themselves. The driver and the man sitting beside him were amazed and even frightened by this. Guards stationed here would not allow just anyone in. We all pulled up before the house and I got out.

"Stay in the cars unless you have to pee," I said as if they were children. The large front door opened and I walked up the steps and across the wide stone veranda. The door closed behind me silently. The house was quiet in the front but the kitchen and the back bedroom had some activity. The guards went to sleep and I floated up the stairs and down the hall.

The owner of the house, Mr. Tsuji was sitting at his desk working out how to make his criminal empire perform as well as possible. I had to admire him in some way. If he were legitimate then he might even be termed a good businessman in my books. He did run a gambling empire, owned many brothels and used strong arm tactics in his loan sharking schemes. I was able to just freeze his voluntary muscles and opened the door. His head fell to the desk in front of him and I walked into the room.

"Good day Mr. Tsuji," I said as I allowed him to now move everything but his arms, legs and voice. "My name is Shawn Boz. You must know me because some of your men went out to teach me a lesson." The man was afraid but not nearly as much as I wanted. "We are going for a ride now." I pointed my finger at the large window. It unlocked itself and rose to its full height. The finger pointed at him and he too rose from his desk. The muscles he could control flexed but he could not get out of my grip. I arose a foot off the floor and floated out the window and he floated right behind me.

Once outside I gave him back some of his voice and we rose rapidly into the air. "I am going to go up a few miles and drop you. Some of your men are dead because you sent them after me. I want to see how close to the ground I can stop you. If I miss you will die. If I manage to stop you sooner we can try it again till I see how close I can really come."

"Why?" Came weakly from his lips.

"You tried to teach me a lesson and now I am going to teach one to you. Sounds fair to me." At twelve thousand feet I said, "We are over two miles straight up. See the lights of the city below us. Let's start our game now." I dropped him and his scream began in earnest. Almost a minute later I caught him and brought him to a stop right above a small tree in his back yard.

We rose again and I said, "Wasn't that fun. We can come much closer next time." We did this twice more and the next time he went into Tokyo bay with a small splash. He had soiled himself and this was the way I chose to clean him. I brought him out of the water and he just fainted now, overcome with the things happening to him. We flew home and in the open window. I took him to the washroom and let him settle before awakening him.

"Clean yourself quickly Tsuji san, or I will take you back to the bay." The man was petrified and I simply sheared the clothing from him. He washed and I threw him a towel. After drying I floated him to his room where I threw clothing to him to dress into. "Outside now," I commanded.

When we went out the front door I turned the front lights on and this bathed the entire front of his property in bright light. I undid the two trunks and opened the car containing the bodies. I told the men to get out and line up. Mr. Tsuji was allowed to follow me and could see the carnage that I had wrought. "I know that you don't think much of your people dying but you will be next if you don't follow my directions."

To the men I said, "Dispose of the bodies so their families have a chance to mourn. When you are done come back here for more orders. Come no later than dawn or I will go looking for you." When the men scrambled to get away I took Tsuji back inside his home.

"Sit," I commanded. I listed all his holdings and I told him what to do with each of them. Not all were to be sold because some were legitimate or could be made that way.

"Mr. Tsuji, you are now going to be an honest businessman. You don't have to worry about the competition because they too will be doing the same thing soon."

"How... ?"

"Do you mean how is this going to happen or how am I doing all this? Speak."

"Both."

"I will have a talk with the others like you and see that they change their ways. If they don't then I will just take over their empires directly and liquidate them. As to how this is done, it is a secret that will not be revealed for a while. I can say though that I got much stronger after my family was murdered." I let him think that this had to do with his religion and the intervention of spirits.

"The plan for you is to be one of my men and this will allow you to prosper alongside me as your country does too. Do you have any problem with this?"