2001 The Children of Bottle

by Ryohgo Narita

  “Getting back to what we were talking about. When that shock hit me, I’d gotten tangled up in a variety of things, and… Frankly, if Maiza and Nile hadn’t been there, I don’t think I could have endured it.”

  Feldt frowned.

  “And so, while you make amends for your sins and achieve your goal… If you can manage it, pay attention to the people around you, too. Elmer makes that his goal in life.”

  With that, Sylvie went back to Elmer and the others.

  As Feldt tried to ask her what those last words had meant, someone tugged at his hand.

  When he turned around, there was Fil, all ready to leave.

  “Let’s go.”

  The girl smiled at Feldt. Her eyes were clear, with no hidden motives. As if drawn by that smile, Feldt stood up—and before he knew it, he’d nodded.

  “Smiles are magic. There’s no doubt about it.”

  “Elmer’s saying dumb stuff again.”

  “No, no, no, I mean it! Smiles give me strength. Listen, of all the emotional expressions built into human DNA, smiles are memories engraved in a positive direction. People can smile naturally from the moment they’re born…”

  “It’s the same with crying and getting mad, though.”

  “…Well, hang on now. The ‘waaaah!’ that newborns do is actually a laugh, you know. It’s like, ‘Horror! Infant Explodes with Laughter’… Or, no, maybe not ‘Horror!’ ‘Bizarre!’ might be better.”

  “Let me just say this: Be silent.”

  Elmer tried to stand his ground even then, but seeing that the girls were ready, he stopped talking…and began to walk outside, into the sunlight.

  To be completely honest, somewhere in my heart, I may have feared the outside world.

  Since the night I gave Feldt one of my bodies, no matter how I tried, I hadn’t managed to find an opportunity to smile. When we were abruptly told we’d be able to go “outside,” I actually felt uneasy before I felt happy.

  True, I had wished to see the outside world. However, would I—the self who, up until now, had known nothing but this forest—be able to survive out there?

  “That forest is your glass bottle; it is your flask. You girls can’t leave it and live. That is what you are…”

  I remember my past clearly now. For that very reason, the words of the alchemist who created me keep echoing in my mind. Apparently he was Master Bilt’s grandfather, but in the end, I realized I didn’t even know his name, and it made me feel something indescribable.

  When I told Master Elmer about that unease, he smiled at me and said, “Oh, is that all? You and Feldt haven’t even left the glass bottle yet.”

  Then Master Elmer stopped smiling for a moment, and as he spoke, his face grew a little serious.

  “It’s possible that everybody’s a homunculus. If they leave their flasks or glass bottles—the world they’re able to perceive—they can’t live. That said, it’s possible to expand the flask itself as far as you want… Let’s see. How should I put it? I don’t know any better examples. Huey’s really good at making up pseudo-philosophical lines like these, but…”

  Huey. That name came up from time to time, when Master Elmer and the others talked. I was a little curious and asked about him.

  “Hmm. If you want to find out about him, it would be best if you met him in person, but… Yeah, if you go ‘outside’ someday, I bet you’ll run into each other. Anyway, they say the best way to stretch glass out and expand it is to make it hot. That cold expression of yours really isn’t going to cut it, y’know.”

  On hearing that, I began to feel, vaguely, like leaving the forest. I thought this sort of change of heart came suddenly, like a jolt of electricity, but apparently it wasn’t quite that easy. Over these past six months, thanks to Master Elmer and the others, I felt as though I’d managed to expand my hopes for the outside world, little by little.

  Next time, I’d smile for Master Elmer for sure.

  I wanted to smile an even better smile than he did, and to laugh out loud.

  In order to make that happen, I think I’ll see the world. I’ll see many, many more things than Master Elmer has. I may experience lots of unpleasant things, too, but I’ll get strong enough to smile in spite of it.

  I’ll go around with Feldt and look at everything. I can’t completely forgive him yet, but I’ll travel all over with him, and someday, I’ll make him smile.

  Then we’ll smile for Master Elmer together.

  If we do, I’m sure Master Elmer will smile back at us… Because I can probably make Master Elmer smile, too. Not just him, either; all sorts of other people…

  When I thought about that time, I started to look forward to seeing the outside world, just a little.

  “Aww… In the end, I only taught Fil about a handful of holidays.”

  Stopping in front of the open door to the outside, Elmer thought back over his days in the castle.

  “To be honest, I wanted to teach the Fils about Valentine’s Day in February. We’d all make homemade chocolate together, et cetera. It’s just that we wouldn’t have been able to make good chocolate with the facilities in that castle, so I decided not to.”

  At Elmer’s comment, Nile quizzically spoke up. “Chocolate? What does chocolate have to do with Valentine’s Day?”

  “The Valentine’s-Day-and-chocolate thing was a campaign a Japanese chocolatier dreamed up to double their sales: ‘If a girl gives a guy chocolate, their love will become mutual.’”

  “But that’s just a sales promotion. What about it is a holiday?”

  Elmer responded to Sylvie’s question by launching into a vehement rebuttal.

  “You’re not giving it enough credit. Whoever came up with that holiday was a genius. No matter what shape it took, it soared past ‘popular’ and became culture. Candy shops and artists add a variety of personal touches to it, then send it out into the world: It’s a developing culture. In other words, it’s a holiday that keeps on evolving! They say most holidays were originally created out of a desire for abundant harvests, for wealth. Why can’t a chocolate shop start a holiday out of a desire to do good business?! What’s even more awesome is that they made another holiday called White Day, where guys return the favor! I just love that energy.”

  On hearing that, Maiza broke in as if he’d remembered something.

  “I hear they’ve recently been running Valentine’s Day chocolate campaigns in New York as well. They’re probably trying to capitalize on Japan’s sales.”

  “Right; Miria and Ennis were all excited about it when we called last year.”

  Czes chimed in, and Elmer’s eyes sparkled even brighter.

  “Really? I see! So the Japanese imported Christmas, and now they’ve exported Valentine’s Day!”

  “No…all they’ve exported is the chocolate custom. Valentine’s Day itself already existed…”

  Laughing off Maiza’s comeback as if to say Don’t worry about that, Elmer took a big step through the door. As the sunlight streamed down over him, he turned and called to Maiza and the others still inside. Just then, he saw the girls emerge from the depths of the room.

  “As a matter of fact, that’s exactly the kind of holiday I want Fil and Feldt to participate in. That village doesn’t have any local customs, so from now on, you’ll just have to become the type of people that create them… Well, that’s all I meant.”

  Focusing on the five girls following him, Elmer gave them his usual smile.

  It was almost as if it were his default expression.

  Then, brightening his countenance even further, he spoke to Fil and Feldt.

  “This is more of a sealed glass bottle than a flask. Absolutely anything can be born in here, just the way you were. Good things and bad things alike.”

  At that, Elmer spun around and spread his arms wide, with the sun at his back.

  “Welcome to our bottle!”

  1771 On the Atlantic Ocean In the darkness

  In response to the demon’s question,
Elmer spoke slowly.

  “I’ve made up my mind, demon.”

 

  The voice in his mind sounded surprised.

  Then, with no hesitation, Elmer named the power he wanted.

  “Listen, demon. I want to see you smile.”

  <?!>

  “Smile, all right? Laugh from the bottom of your heart, at the top of your lungs, like you’re having fun, like you’re overjoyed. Tell me how you smile, you who are called a demon, and what makes you really and truly happy.”

  He could sense that the demon’s heart was unsettled. At that point, Elmer was already satisfied.

  “I’m sure your smile will give me strength.”

  The clearly flustered demon was gazing at him.

  <…That’s a problem. My apologies. I underestimated you.>

  The face of the man people called a demon gradually began to twist, and the world was on the verge of being completely enveloped in darkness once more.

 

  Just before the world was locked in darkness, Elmer reached out and caught the demon’s arm, which had begun to warp, in a firm grip.

  “Uh-uh, don’t you run. Don’t lie, either. I’m not a believer in smiles for nothing. I’ll see through a fake smile right away.”

  At Elmer’s stern words, the demon averted his eyes uncomfortably. When he saw it, Elmer grinned.

  “Say, demon, I’ve got a favor to ask. If that wish is a hard one, depending on the conditions, I’ll give you some time.”

 

  “You know Maiza, right? He’s the guy who summoned you.”

 

  “Well, his kid brother died. It must’ve been a terrible shock. He might be feeling rage, or sadness—or maybe despair.”

 

  “So, listen, would you look out for him? I’ll try to hunt up old Szilard, so you stick close to Maiza and help him out with stuff. As a human, not a demon. I mean, you already look human anyway. No problem there, right?”

  <>

  “Travel around that new world we’re headed to with him. Do it until, someday, he’s able to give a good belly laugh. If you do, I bet you’ll figure out how to smile, too. If you run into me after that… Smile then. Be glad that you met me again. ‘I can smile now! How d’ya like them apples?!’ …I’ll even take a reason like that, so please, show me your smile.”

  Silence flowed past, and the seething darkness had gone quite still.

  As Elmer’s mind receded again, he heard the demon’s voice, quite clearly.

 

  He’d made a demon expend effort. Wasn’t that incredibly weird? If he told somebody about it, would they laugh, or would they give him a bored, forced smile?

  As he thought about pointless things, Elmer’s mind shut down completely.

  And thus time passed…

  2003 New York Alveare

  I tell you, this place has great food… Although the smell of honey is just a bit too strong.

  So that’s the end of the tale of Mr. Happy Ending.

  Did he ever get to see the demon smile? —I don’t know.

  That’s why I stopped in here, to find out. I heard a sketchy rumor that the demon’s at this restaurant.

  …What gives? Your eyes just lit up.

  You want to meet them? Both the demon and Elmer? Seriously?

  Ha-ha, you guys really are weirdos.

  Me? My name’s—Fil Nibiru, previously male. I hope we run into each other again.

  Until then, I’ll be praying that all your days are happy ones.

  If you do see Happy Ending, say hi to him for me.

  Tell him I may not have atoned for my crimes yet, but we’re happy now.

  Other folks might get mad, but I think that’ll make him happier than anything.

  That’s about the only way I can pay him back, see.

  Isaac and Miria, huh? Yeah, I’ll remember.

  Later, then. Let’s meet up at this honey-coated place again someday.

  I hope you two get a happy ending—no, a happy eternity…

  Baccano! 2001—The End

  AFTERWORD

  Hello, it’s Narita, for the first time in forever. To my first-time readers, it’s great to meet you—but this book is actually part of a series called Baccano!, so if this is the first time we’ve met, you’ll probably want to read the earlier volumes, too.

  …And so, before I knew it, with this book the Baccano! series reached five volumes. This is entirely thanks to you, the readers, and all other interested parties. In exchange, I’m spending my days writing at a snail’s pace, just lying around, going to see movies and boxing matches, yet never failing to show up for things like the Dengeki Bunko year-end party. A while back, in Doraemon, there was talk of a “Loafer Appreciation Day,” and when, in connection with that, I mentioned my enthusiasm to my friend—“Every day is Loafer Appreciation Day!”—he got mad at me: “Get it together. Just…get it together.” It’s nice to have friends who’ll get mad at you.

  All right: This Baccano! was abruptly set in the twenty-first century, but as a matter of fact, I had the bare-bones concept for the story before I started work on Volume 2. Back then, Czes didn’t exist yet, and the only ones at the center of the story were the two immortals Maiza and Elmer. However, this time, “since I had the opportunity” (like that one guy who opened a certain red door), I decided I’d include all the immortals who were alive at that point in time. —The problem being that I made that decision after I’d turned in the final manuscript.

  Partly as a result, I had characters who haven’t appeared in the main story yet show up in the color pages as guests. Someday I’d like to write a story that puts them in the spotlight. As a rule, the color illustrations are finished first, and then I come up with text that goes with the pictures, but because of the situation, this time around I finished the text first, and I caused Mr. Enami and my editor, Mr. Suzuki, a lot of trouble over the incomprehensible reason, “since we’ve got the opportunity.” …For which I’m very sorry.

  I took this chance to internally designate “since I’ve got the opportunity” as a diabolical phrase. What do you think? Good move?

  Well, it’s weird for me to say this personally, but it feels like this turned into a rather unconventional Baccano! book. In terms of the number of characters, the setting, and the era, it’s far removed from the previous installments. I don’t know what people are going to think of it, but I hope you’ll take it as another possible format for Baccano! I’d like to keep branching out in various directions, and I’m thoroughly disgusted by my own attempt at being “everybody’s friend,” but please do stick with me anyway.

  In the future, I’ll write more standalone volumes, and next…it’s very likely I’ll be releasing a book that’s neither Baccano! nor Bowwow. I’m hoping I’ll also get to release Baccano! 1933 this summer. (Actually, the 1933 project was on the table this time as well, but it’s set in summer, so we decided, “Since we’ve got the opportunity, let’s release it in summer,” and the 2001 project is the one that got through.)

  Since the material I’ve got scheduled for next time is what it is, when I told him about it, Suzuhito Yasuda (who’s helping me out on Bowwow) was speechless for about three seconds, and my editor griped at me at the pub: “All the projects you come up with are wacko.” Still, I’ll work hard to sublimate that material into entertainment, so please continue to bear with me.

  *Everything from this point on is thank-yous.

  Once again, this work came together with the help of all sorts of people.

  To Chief Editor Suzuki and the people at Media Works.

  To the copy editors, who always, always check my manuscripts for me, and to the designers, who made the book look good.

  To my family, friends, acquaintances, and everyone in S City, to who
m I’m indebted for all sorts of things.

  To the Dengeki authors and illustrators who helped me out at the year-end party and elsewhere.

  To the great Katsumi Enami, who used his outstanding skill with a pen to depict places and characters brilliantly, even though the atmosphere was completely different from everything that had come before it.

  And to everyone who read this book from yours truly, who’s just made it into his second year as an author.

  Everyone mentioned above has my deepest gratitude. Thank you very much.

  December 2003, at my place

  Thinking, I’d really like to be watching or listening to something right now, but once I finish writing this, I have to head straight over to the editorial department, so there’s no time to watch or listen to anything— And right as I wrote that, I kid you not, the phone rang, and it was the editorial department…

  Ryohgo Narita