Read Online Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Haruki Murakami
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manage another drop. And besides, I need to get myself home to bed quick."
"That's too bad."
"Too bad for me, too."
"Well, let me at least walk you to the elevator. The corridors a-e extremely complex. I bet you couldn't find your way on your own."
"I doubt it myself."
The girl picked up what looked like a round hatbox, sealed several times over with wide adhesive tape, and handed it to me.
"What's this?" I asked.
"A gift for you from Grandfather. Take it home and open it."
I weighed the box in my hapds. It was much lighter than I would have guessed, and it would have had to be an awfully big hat. I shook the box. No sound.
"It's fragile, so please be careful with it," the girl cautioned.
"Some kind of souvenir?"
"I don't know. You'll find out when you open it, won't you?" /
Then the girl opened her pink handbag and gave me an envelope with a Bank check.
Filled out for an amount slightly in excess of what I'd expected. I slipped it into my wallet.
"Receipt?"
"No need," she said.
We exited the room and walked the same long maze of corridors back to the elevator. Her high heels made the same pleasant clicking on the floor, but her plumpness didn't make as strong an impression as it had at first. As we walked along together, I almost forgot about her weight. Given time, I'd probably even get used to it.
"Are you married?" she asked, turning to me.
"No, I'm not," I said. "I used to be, but not now."
"Did you get divorced because you became a Calcutec? I always hear how Calcutecs don't have families."
"That's not true. Some Calcutecs are fine family men. Though certainly, most seem to pursue their careers without a home life. It's a nerve-racking line of work, sometimes very risky. You wouldn't want to endanger a wife and kids."
"Is that how it was with you?"
"I became a Calcutec after I got divorced. The two had nothing to do with each other."
"Sorry for prying. It's just that you're my first Calcutec and there're so many things I don't know."
"I don't mind."
"Well then, I've also heard that Calcutecs, when they've finished a job, that they get all pumped up with sex drive."
"I couldn't… umm… really say. Maybe so. We do work ourselves into a very peculiar mental condition on the job."
"At those times, who do you sleep with? A special somebody?"
"I don't have 'a special somebody'."
"So then, who do you sleep with? You're not one of those people who have no interest in sex. You're not gay or anything, are you?"
"No, I'm not," I said.
"So who do you sleep with?"
"I guess I sleep with different women."
"Would you sleep with me?"
"No. Probably not."
"Why not?"
"That's just the way I am. I don't like to sleep with people I know. It only complicates things. And I don't sleep with business contacts. Dealing with other people's secrets like I do, you have to draw the line somewhere."
"Are you sure it's not because I'm fat or I'm ugly?"
"Listen, you're not that overweight, and you're not ugly at all," I said.
She pouted. "If that's the way you feel, then, do you simply pick up someone and go to bed with her?"
"Well… yes."
"Or do you just buy a girl?"
"I've done that too."
"If I offered to sleep with you for money, would you take me up on it?"
"I don't think so," I replied. "I'm twice your age. It wouldn't be right."
"It'd be different with me."
"Maybe so, but no offense intended, I'd really rather not. I think it's for the best."
"Grandfather says the first man I sleep with should be over thirty. He also says if sex drive builds up to a particular point, it affects your mental stability."
"Yes, I heard this from your grandfather."
"Do you think it's true?"
"I'm afraid I'm not a biologist."
"Are you well endowed?"
"I beg your pardon?" I nearly choked.
"Well, it's just that I don't know anything about my own sex drive yet," she explained.
"So I'd like to try lots of different things."
We reached the elevator. It waited with open doors. What a relief! /
"Until next time, then," she
"That's too bad."
"Too bad for me, too."
"Well, let me at least walk you to the elevator. The corridors a-e extremely complex. I bet you couldn't find your way on your own."
"I doubt it myself."
The girl picked up what looked like a round hatbox, sealed several times over with wide adhesive tape, and handed it to me.
"What's this?" I asked.
"A gift for you from Grandfather. Take it home and open it."
I weighed the box in my hapds. It was much lighter than I would have guessed, and it would have had to be an awfully big hat. I shook the box. No sound.
"It's fragile, so please be careful with it," the girl cautioned.
"Some kind of souvenir?"
"I don't know. You'll find out when you open it, won't you?" /
Then the girl opened her pink handbag and gave me an envelope with a Bank check.
Filled out for an amount slightly in excess of what I'd expected. I slipped it into my wallet.
"Receipt?"
"No need," she said.
We exited the room and walked the same long maze of corridors back to the elevator. Her high heels made the same pleasant clicking on the floor, but her plumpness didn't make as strong an impression as it had at first. As we walked along together, I almost forgot about her weight. Given time, I'd probably even get used to it.
"Are you married?" she asked, turning to me.
"No, I'm not," I said. "I used to be, but not now."
"Did you get divorced because you became a Calcutec? I always hear how Calcutecs don't have families."
"That's not true. Some Calcutecs are fine family men. Though certainly, most seem to pursue their careers without a home life. It's a nerve-racking line of work, sometimes very risky. You wouldn't want to endanger a wife and kids."
"Is that how it was with you?"
"I became a Calcutec after I got divorced. The two had nothing to do with each other."
"Sorry for prying. It's just that you're my first Calcutec and there're so many things I don't know."
"I don't mind."
"Well then, I've also heard that Calcutecs, when they've finished a job, that they get all pumped up with sex drive."
"I couldn't… umm… really say. Maybe so. We do work ourselves into a very peculiar mental condition on the job."
"At those times, who do you sleep with? A special somebody?"
"I don't have 'a special somebody'."
"So then, who do you sleep with? You're not one of those people who have no interest in sex. You're not gay or anything, are you?"
"No, I'm not," I said.
"So who do you sleep with?"
"I guess I sleep with different women."
"Would you sleep with me?"
"No. Probably not."
"Why not?"
"That's just the way I am. I don't like to sleep with people I know. It only complicates things. And I don't sleep with business contacts. Dealing with other people's secrets like I do, you have to draw the line somewhere."
"Are you sure it's not because I'm fat or I'm ugly?"
"Listen, you're not that overweight, and you're not ugly at all," I said.
She pouted. "If that's the way you feel, then, do you simply pick up someone and go to bed with her?"
"Well… yes."
"Or do you just buy a girl?"
"I've done that too."
"If I offered to sleep with you for money, would you take me up on it?"
"I don't think so," I replied. "I'm twice your age. It wouldn't be right."
"It'd be different with me."
"Maybe so, but no offense intended, I'd really rather not. I think it's for the best."
"Grandfather says the first man I sleep with should be over thirty. He also says if sex drive builds up to a particular point, it affects your mental stability."
"Yes, I heard this from your grandfather."
"Do you think it's true?"
"I'm afraid I'm not a biologist."
"Are you well endowed?"
"I beg your pardon?" I nearly choked.
"Well, it's just that I don't know anything about my own sex drive yet," she explained.
"So I'd like to try lots of different things."
We reached the elevator. It waited with open doors. What a relief! /
"Until next time, then," she
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