War of the Eagles (17 page)

A couple of the kids had questions, but I was too stunned to pay attention. What did all this mean? Did she want us to spy on our friends? Did we have reason to worry? I needed to talk to Tadi.

Unfortunately, I'd have to wait longer than just the end of the school day. I had to go to the base right after school. They were having some sort of big get-together. This meant I'd probably be working until late and staying overnight. Usually this suited me just fine. Not tonight.

“What are you doing up so early?” my mother asked, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

“I've got to get going,” I replied, bending down to tie up my shoelaces.

“To see Tadashi?” she questioned, although it really wasn't a question. She already knew, like she always already knew. “How about some breakfast first?”

“No, I don't want to be late.”

“You should eat. Wait until it gets light.”

“Don't tell me you think I'll run into forest spirits,” I kidded her as I straightened up and got my jacket from the back of one of the kitchen chairs.

“Spirits, no. Other things, yes.”

“Other things?”

“A couple of the perimeter guards spotted a cougar last week, and we found bear droppings right in the middle of the parade grounds two days ago.”

“Droppings? Are you sure?”

“Come on, Jed,” she answered, smiling, “I've seen bear poop a few times in my life. Major Brown tore a strip off all the guards who were on duty that night. He wanted to know how they managed to miss a five-hun–dred-pound bear.”

“Doesn't surprise me,” I chuckled, “The way these guys stand guard they could miss a bear … playing a drum … riding a motorcycle.”

She came over and gave me a big hug. Instead of let–ting go after a few seconds, she held on and squeezed extra tight.

“Jed, you be careful. Okay?”

“Don't worry, no bear's going to get me.”

“That's not what I mean.” She released her grip, slightly, so that she could look me in the face. “Jed, things between you and your friend are probably not ever going to be the same.”

“I can make them the same,” I protested.

“Sometimes things are so big, we can't control them.

Things just happen and we can't make them un-hap–pen,” her voice was practically a whisper.

I looked at her closely. What did she know?

She read my eyes. “There are lots of rumors. Some–times that's all there is around an army camp. Everything is secret, so everybody makes up stories.”

“What kind of stories?”

“Lots,” she answered. “Most are just crazy, but I don't think it's going to be easy for the Japanese around here, not easy at all.”

She pulled me close again for a hug and then re–leased me from her arms. This time I held on just a little bit longer.

“I'll see you later on today. I'll come right back after school.”

She nodded in agreement and turned away. Just before she turned, I thought I saw the first hint of tears in the corners of her eyes.

The forest was quiet except for the sounds of my feet crunching the deadfall or breaking through the thin layers of ice that had formed overnight on the tops of puddles. I moved determinedly in a straight line, not around obstacles but right over them. Nothing, no rock or tree or bog was going to stop me this morning. More light was filtering through the trees and I could tell it was going to be a rare December morning, clear and sunny. A good omen.

After a long trek, I came to the rocks overlooking the village. I climbed right over the top; nothing was going to get in my way. At the crest of the outcrop, I could see the village unfold below me. It was beautiful; little neat houses all nestled around the harbor with the ocean visible behind that. It was so quiet.

Quiet. I looked at my watch and saw it was almost seven o'clock. There should have been more activity; kids playing outside, fishermen working on their nets on the dock, something. There was nothing. There wasn't any movement. The only sound was the ocean. Something was terribly wrong.

I felt a wave of fear pass through me. My legs felt all weak and I had to sit down on a rock. I stared down at the houses. Nothing. Then, out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of movement. Two men came out of one of the houses. I recognized the uniforms immediately. They were RCMP officers. They walked down the path of the house and closed the gate behind them. They moved to the next house and knocked on the door. The door opened and they disappeared inside.

Part of me wanted to leave the rocks and get home as soon as possible. Another part wanted me to just sit here and keeping watching. Both were wrong. The right thing to do was to finish what I'd started.

I started down the rock face to the village. I pressed myself close to the rocks, not for fear of falling but of being seen. I imagined unseen eyes peering out of all the windows. I paused at the base of the rocks and slid behind a clump of bushes. I was just getting ready to move forward again when I heard the sound of a door opening. Another pair of RCMP officers were leaving a house. One of them was carrying something. It looked like a radio and a camera, but I couldn't tell for sure from that distance. I heard them talking, and then the one carrying the objects headed towards the dock while the other walked down the front path of the next house. He knocked on the door and was let inside.

Obviously there were more than one pair of officers here in the village. I wondered how many. They'd prob–ably come in by launch, now tied up to the dock. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't want the RCMP to see me. All I was doing was coming to see my friend, but it felt like I was doing something wrong, like I was breaking a law. It didn't matter though, I was going to see Tadashi.

I left the cover of the bushes. Rather than heading straight for his house, I moved off to the side to put a couple of houses between me and the two homes I knew held the RCMP. Passing by the first house, I saw all the blinds were tightly drawn. That was strange. I looked around and realized every window I could see was covered. It was eerie. I felt a sense of dread.

I circled around the house and ran across the dirt road and down a small pathway. I hopped the fence surrounding Tadashi's house and cut across the garden. Hidden behind some shrubs, I stopped, took a deep breath and looked around again. It was still all clear. I walked up to the door and softly knocked. I was taken aback when it opened almost instantly. Tadashi's father stood at the door with his eyes on the ground.

“Hello, Mr. Fukushima,” I said quietly.

He looked up and his eyes widened in surprise.

“Can I speak to Tadashi?”

Without answering, he turned away from the door and retreated, leaving the door open. I heard a few words spoken in Japanese and Tadashi rushed to the door.

“What are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to …”

“Get in here, quickly!” he commanded before I could finish answering. He pulled me in by the arm, poked his head out the door, looked all around and then closed the door behind him. The room was thrown into darkness and it took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust. The only light was from a lamp softly glowing in the corner.

“You shouldn't be here.”

“I had to talk to you. I had to tell you how sorry I am.”

“It isn't your fault.”

“It isn't? Who else can I blame for the stupid things I said to Toshio. You know I didn't mean any of that stuff, don't you?”

“Yeah, I know. And you're right they were stupid things, but I'm not thinking about the fight. We have other things to worry about.”

“Why are the RCMP here?”

“To check our registration papers and to take away things we shouldn't have.”

“Take away things? What sort of things?”

“We're not allowed to have cameras or radio trans–mitters or maps and charts or guns or weapons of any kind. We have to turn everything over.” He motioned to a pile of things in the middle of the table. Included in the pile was my gun.

“My rifle!” I'd loaned it to Tadashi so he could hunt with me at the camp.

Tadashi walked over and picked it up. “Here, better you take it than they do.”

“But … but why are they taking any of these things?”

I asked in confusion. I took the gun and cradled it in my arms.

“Because we've been declared Enemy Aliens. They're taking away things we could use to help the enemy … the Japanese Imperial Army.”

“Tadashi!” Mr. Fukushima's stern voice cut through the darkness of the other room.

Tadi disappeared into his parents' room. He re–turned almost instantly.

“My father said it is necessary for you to leave right away.”

I nodded. “Don't worry, the RCMP won't see me.”

“It's more than that.”

I frowned, confused.

“You shouldn't be here to see all of this. That's why my father is in the other room … why the shades and blinds are all drawn. Something like this should not be seen.”

“I understand,” I responded, although I really didn't.

Tadi went over to the front window and lifted the blind ever so slightly so he could look outside.

“It's clear.” He moved to the door and opened it a crack.

I hurried over and stopped. “Tadi … I …”

“It's all clear … go!” He pushed me out the door.

I moved quickly down the front path and through the gate. I closed it behind me. I started first in my usual direction, towards home, but stopped, realizing this route led me farther through the village with a greater chance of being seen. The best way was to head completely in the opposite direction to the nearest for–est cover. Then I could circle around the village under cover of trees, safe from the eyes of the RCMP. I hurried down the road.

“Heeyyy!”

I stopped dead in my tracks. Slowly, I turned towards the cry. Two officers moved towards me. They strode briskly in my direction. With alarm I saw them both unbutton their holsters. What were they doing?

“Put down your weapons!” one of them commanded.

What did he mean? What did he want me to … “Now! Do it now!” the second one barked more urgently.

One officer put a hand on his side arm. My mind snapped back into gear and I bent down, placing my rifle on the ground at my feet. I started to straighten back up.

“The second one too. The one on your back!”

In the rush of the moment I'd forgotten I was car–rying a second weapon. I pulled it off my back and laid it down beside the first. Both men seemed to relax and the one removed his hand from his revolver.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” de–manded one.

“I'm Jed Blackburn, and I'm not doing nothing. I'm just taking a shortcut through the village.”

“Carrying two rifles?”

“I was out hunting.”

“And you figured maybe you might lose your first gun and need a second?”

“I'm just trying out a new rifle and I wanted to make sure I had my regular gun in case the new one didn't work so good.” The speed of that lie amazed me.

“Any luck?” asked the second.

I shook my head.

“Bad hunting,” he replied.

“Or a bad story,” his partner added. “I want to know why an Indian wearing a Canadian army uniform, is walking through a Japanese village, carrying two re–stricted rifles.”

“I'm not an Indian,” I objected, “and I can carry any guns I want.”

“Don't be giving me lip, boy. Show some respect for the law.” He came suddenly forward and scooped up the two rifles. I had to fight the urge to reach out and try to stop him.

“And until such time as you can verify your name, address and your reasons for being here I am taking possession of these weapons.”

“You can't do that!”

“I have full authority to take all weapons found within the confines of this village and I am going to follow that authority to the …”