Nagato moved her lips, without a change in facial expression.
“Preparations need to be made.”
“What do you need?”
“A cat.”
Just as I was about to utter out an astonished ‘Huh’, Nagato quickly opened her mouth, as if she had expected it, and said:
“I would like to use your cat.”
After Koizumi, Nagato and I had finished planning our battle strategies, we each headed back to our respective houses. As I was on my way home, I took out my cell phone and gave Haruhi a call.
“Hello, Haruhi? It’s me. Now about Rousseau, after you had went home just now, Nagato said that she had read about Rousseau’s condition somewhere in a book before… Yes, there was even a cure for it. They even guarantee that he’ll recover… Oh, yes I understand. Should we give it a try? Nagato says she knows what to do, so I’m hoping that we can go to Sakanaka-san’s house again tomorrow… What, now? That’s too demanding, don’t you think? We haven’t even done the necessary preparations yet. We’ll head there after gathering tomorrow. Don’t worry, Nagato says that his condition won’t worsen… Yea, so I’m asking you to inform Sakanaka-san about it. Oh and by the way, there’s another dog with the similar illness right? Higuchi-san’s Michael… Tell Sakanaka-san to bring him along to her house tomorrow. I’ll inform Asahina-san about this. So, we’ll meet at 9 tomorrow, at our regular spot before the station.”
When I arrived at the station the next day, all the members of the SOS Brigade had already gathered. Even though I had arrived 20 minutes before the scheduled time.
However, the only ones who looked normal were Nagato and Koizumi. Asahina-san had a very worried look on her face, while Haruhi looked like someone who had invested all her money into purchasing the day’s lottery, and was eagerly looking forward for the winning number to be revealed.
“You’re late!”
Haruhi said while giving me a very weird glance.
This was one of those rare days where I wasn’t required to treat all Brigade members for a drink. Haruhi grabbed my wrist, and pulled me towards the train station.
“I heard everything from Koizumi-kun before you came,” Haruhi said as she bought tickets for everyone. “But is it true that Yuki knows an obscure folk remedy for that illness, Hinekobyou?”
Hinekobyou? What’s that? Some kind of new species found in Polynesia?
“It’s the disease that Yuki suspects is infecting Rousseau.”
After receiving my ticket from Haruhi, I hurried over to the automated gates. Trying to cover up for my previous slip, Koizumi said:
“If an active dog suddenly loses all its motivation and lies down lazily like a cat in the sun, they’re suspected to have this particular disease. It’s a very rare disease that isn’t even recorded in medical books. Some experts say that it isn’t a disease but merely over-tiredness.”
Koizumi shot me a glance, as he continued:
“—- That’s what I heard from Nagato-san, who seems to have read about it in an old book.”
Abruptly, as if agreeing to everything that had been said, Nagato slowly nodded her head. So they discussed this earlier on, eh.
Nagato looked at the plastic bag in Koizumi’s hands, which bore the infamous supermarket logo, before shifting her gaze to the cardboard box in my hand.
“Meow~”
Shamisen purred as he began scratching the walls of the cardboard box with his claws, as if trying to say ‘hi’ to Nagato.
Haruhi gazed strangely at the box in my hands.
“To think that you’d require a cat to cure a disease, what a strange sickness indeed. Are you sure this’ll work, Yuki? Can we trust that book?”
From the way things seemed, exorcising Rousseau may be a better word to substitute for ‘cure’. But of course, I couldn’t say that to Haruhi. For once I appreciated Nagato’s silence.
Without uttering a word, Nagato nodded her head lightly, as she stretched her hand towards me. That’s too bad, Nagato. Even if you offer me your hand, there’s nothing I can give you. Even my hands are full carrying this Shamisen in this lousy box.
“Cat.”
Nagato said in an emotionless monotone.
“Lend him to me.”
After entering the train, I placed the cardboard box on Nagato’s lap, thus freeing my hands of their burden. Maybe it’s because we’re in the train, but Nagato sat eerily still without saying anything at all, as if she were trying to tell me something. Shamisen too quieted down, as he laid down still in his box.
As if trying to sandwich Nagato in-between, Haruhi and Asahina-san each sat beside Nagato. It was then that they finally noticed the box, and that Shamisen was lying inside. However, compared to him, I think the plastic bag in Koizumi’s hands is more suspicious.
“Don’t worry. All necessary preparations are complete.”
Haruhi shouldn’t be able to listen to two men chatting by the train door. Koizumi shook the plastic bag, and said:
“Since I only had one night to prepare this, I must say that it’s not really good, but it’s the best I can do. The rest is up to Nagato-san.”
I had faith in Nagato’s abilities. I believed that she could cure Rousseau, all right. What I’m worried about, however, is what she’s going to do with those cosmic viruses.
“That’s where I come into play. Even though I’m saying this based purely on intuition, things shouldn’t turn out to be too complicated. Just look at Suzumiya-san. The most important thing for her now is to have Rousseau cured. Once this is done, my mission will be accomplished.”
Let’s hope that things go so smoothly.
I avoided Koizumi’s glance, and tightened my grip on the handrails, as the train picked up speed. There were only two stations left to Sakanaka-san’s neighborhood. There wasn’t much time left to think.
The Sakanaka-san that came out to welcome us today was completely similar to the one who had greeted us yesterday, but maybe it’s because there was a sliver of hope that I detected a faint aura of determination in her eyes.
“Suzumiya-san…”
Sakanaka-san sounded as if she was about to cry. Haruhi’s expression turned serious, as she nodded her head, before turning back to face the most outstanding member of the SOS Brigade, who was dressed in a school uniform that seemed to be specially made for her.
“Just leave it to us, Sakanaka-san. Even though she may not look like it, Yuki’s actually a very knowledgeable and capable girl. I’m sure JJ will be fine in a moment.”
We entered the living room once again, only to find Sakanaka-san’s mother and another woman waiting for us there. Based on her looks alone, I’d say she’s a university student. She’s probably Higuchi-san, whose dog was also infected by the same disease – this I guessed based on the worried expression on her face. The little terrier in her hands should be Michael.
Rousseau was still as unhealthy as he was yesterday, as he lay still on the sofa, not moving at all. Even though his eyes were open, he seemed to be spacing out, as if staring straight into something no one else could see. The same went for Michael.
I think it’s about time we began. I looked at Nagato and Koizumi.
The three of us had decided yesterday that we would leave Nagato in charge. I would serve as her assistant, while Koizumi was to prepare all the needed equipment. Even though I have no idea where he got it, I was relieved that I could rely on him at times like this, because I had no idea where we were supposed to get a silicon container from.
The first thing I did was draw the curtains shut, blocking all forms of sunlight from entering the room. I then proceeded to turn off the lights, so that in the end the room was almost pitch dark. I retrieved a big, thick candle from Koizumi’s plastic bag, before placing it on a big altar. I lit the candle, then lit some joss sticks, also placing them on the altar. As I did so, the living room was filled with all sorts of weird smoke and aromas. After that, I gave Nagato a signal.
Nagato took Shamisen from
the box, and cradled him in her arms. Truth to be told, Shamisen detested being carried this way, and he would normally scratch and claw his way out of it. However, seeing him remain totally still and silent made me realize that even he couldn’t hope to stand against the prowess of the alien Nagato.
“Excuse me… Is it alright if you place that dog beside Rousseau?”
I asked to the young, tastefully dressed Higuchi-san who, upon seeing us set up everything as if it were a ritual, had begun eyeing us suspiciously. But in the end, she followed what I said, and soon there were two lifeless dogs lying on the sofa, looking as if their spirits had been extracted out of their bodies forcefully.
Carrying Shamisen in her arms, Nagato headed towards the sofa, before kneeling down.
Seeing that all preparations were now complete, I pressed the ‘Play’ button on an electronic tape recorder. Pretty soon, a piece of weird, eerie music filled the air. To tell you the truth, I was beginning to wonder if we had gone too far; but as Koizumi said, if we’re going to do something, we might as well go all the way.
In the midst of flickering candlelight, mysterious aromas and weird music, Nagato began her strange ritual.
In the midst of flickering candlelight, mysterious aromas and weird music, Nagato began her strange ritual.
“………”
Even in this dark room, Nagato still appeared as pale and emotionless as ever. She slowly placed her left hand on Rousseau’s head and stroked it a few times, then put her right hand on Shamisen’s forehead. Even though he was in a totally unfamiliar room with two dogs, Shamisen still lay down quietly without making a sound.
Nagato even placed Shamisen before Rousseau’s nose, until both their nose tips touched. Very slowly, Rousseau’s black, beady eyes began to move, as Shamisen’s wide opened eyes began to slowly close. As if trying to transfer something from Rousseau into Shamisen, Nagato frequently stroked their heads alternatively with her hands. The same thing was happening to Michael, as Nagato’s lips moved silently, as if she was chanting something. We couldn’t hear what was she chanting, but it did make me wonder if she did this on purpose. I think the only ones to realize this were Koizumi and I.
Finally, Nagato pressed Shamisen’s forehead firmly upon both dog’s nostrils, before standing up, and, without uttering a word, placed Shamisen back in his original cardboard box. She then picked up the box, returned it to me, and finally said:
“It’s over.”
Of course, everyone present could only stare at her without saying anything. Even I, with the cardboard box in my hand, didn’t know what to say, never mind Haruhi, Asahina-san or Sakanaka-san.
Haruhi stood there with her mouth opened wide, as if wanting to say something, but didn’t know what to say. After a while, she finally managed to choke out:
“It’s over? Right now? Yuki? What did you do just now?”
Nagato turned her head, and looked at both dogs, as if telling us ‘These are the ones you should be looking at’. Taking a hint, I turned towards the sofa.
And on the sofa—-
Even though the two dogs appeared pretty confused to me, I could tell from their eyes that they had already regained their energy. The looks on their cute faces suggested that they were looking for their owners…
“Rousseau!”
“Michael!”
Sakanaka-san and Higuchi-san immediately ran forward and hugged their beloved dogs tightly. The two dogs let out a simultaneous “woof~” and began licking at their owner’s faces. They wagged their tails rapidly, as if in response to their owners’ sudden actions. Even Asahina-san wept tears of joy.
After a few minutes, this living room finally reverted to its original lively state, as if a dark, depressing curse had finally been lifted.
As Rousseau and Michael were in the kitchen busy indulging in the cooking of Sakanaka-san’s mother, we of the SOS Brigade sat on the sofa, together with Sakanaka-san and Higuchi-san.
“What you just witnessed was Nagato performing an old folk remedy by using cats as a form of treatment.”
Even though I could tell that Koizumi’s story was a lousy one, it seemed that his charming smile and fluent speech had everyone else fooled.
“The candles and joss sticks contain special spices that dogs are especially sensitive to, thanks to their superior sense of smell. The weird music we played earlier apparently helps them relax.”
Even though I felt that crap should only be spouted to a certain degree, for this once, I let Koizumi spout as much crap as he wanted to. All that mattered was that Rousseau and Michael were back to normal, and everyone was happy. Higuchi-san should be happier than the whole lot of us, seeing that her dog was now fine, and Sakanaka-san’s mother should have been even happier, now that both her beloved dog and her daughter were back to normal. In order to show us her gratitude, she prepared more high-class treats for us, which Haruhi had no qualms about devouring.
But of course, the happiest of us all was undoubtedly Sakanaka-san.
“You’re really something, Nagato-san. You managed to cure a disease that even professional vets know nothing about!”
“That’s to be expected of Yuki! She’s the most capable member of the SOS Brigade after all.”
Nagato said nothing, but instead continued to devour the treats. Haruhi, on the other hand, was busy talking non-stop.
“Yuki reads a lot, that’s why she’s so knowledgeable! To top it off, she’s also really good with the guitar, baking, and sports too!”
“It’s a good thing Nagato read about this disease from an old book of hers,”
Koizumi added as he elegantly sipped his tea.
“It seems that even modern science can’t prove why traditional folk medicine have such healing properties. Maybe old folk remedies aren’t such bad things after all.”
If you continue on like this, Koizumi, everyone will know that you’re nothing but a liar.
Having served their purpose, the candles and joss sticks were carelessly thrown back into the plastic bag. I had initially thought of taking Shamisen out from his cardboard box, but decided against it after considering the fact that he might leave a few claw marks on Sakanaka-san’s expensive furniture. He had begun meowing madly ever since he left Nagato’s arms, and was frantically scratching at the walls of the box. If he were to scratch any of Sakanaka-san’s furniture, I don’t think I’d be let off the hook with just a few stern warnings. Having this in mind, I ignored him, hoping that he would eventually go back to sleep.
To tell you the truth, the various equipment there were purely for aesthetic purposes only. The one who played the biggest role in this was Shamisen himself, but this was something only Nagato, Koizumi and I knew.
All Nagato had to do now was freeze the data lifeforms solid. That was all she needed to do.
We had originally planned for Nagato to just freeze the data lifeforms within both dogs. However, even though it was the simplest approach, it could also produce nasty side-effects. Even if Higuchi-san’s Michael or Sakanaka-san’s Rousseau one day died, the data lifeforms would still remain in their bodies. There was also a possibility that the data lifeforms would suddenly unfreeze and infect their hosts once again. That’s why the best way we could think of was to transfer these lifeforms into another organic host and closely monitor them. Any organic host would do —- even Haruhi and me. However, Nagato had specifically requested that Shamisen be the host, because the lifeforms wouldn’t be of any harm to Shamisen apparently. This was a cat that once had the ability to speak in human tongue, even though only for a short time. I don’t think inserting a couple of cosmic lifeforms in him would do him any harm. Even if there might be nasty side effects, we wouldn’t have to worry, since I would be the first one to notice. That’s what we decided.
‘Oh well,’ I thought, ‘I don’t mind being a sacrificial goat for this operation too much,’ as I stuffed another high-class treat into my mouth.
Even though this had begun as an unfortunate disaste
r for Sakanaka-san, the perpetrator behind the disaster had been transferred into my cat. Can someone here please feel sorry for me?
If Nagato’s apartment doesn’t forbid keeping cats as pets, maybe I should just give Shamisen to her. But if I really did that, I’m afraid I’d have to console my sister for a very long time. Plus, even I seem to have taken a liking to Shamisen. Oh just forget it. You live as long as Puss in Boots for me, you hear, Shamisen?
Seeing Sakanaka-san liven up once again, I think that even Shamisen wanted to open his mouth and say something.
As we left Sakanaka-san’s house, Rousseau and Michael had already recovered with unbelievable speed, and were now as healthy as ever. Needless to say, Haruhi and Asahina-san cheered up too, as they took turns hugging the two little puppies, with big smiles on their faces of course.
Sakanaka-san’s mother had prepared several gifts and treats for us to take home, Nagato’s goody bag being the biggest of us all. But that’s to be expected. After all, she did help out the most. As we were chatting earlier, we found out that Higuchi-san was a university student after all. She had also planned to give us something in return, but Haruhi politely refused.
“You don’t have to, honestly. This was something Sakanaka-san asked us to help her out with after all. I’m already satisfied with hugging Michael. Furthermore, the SOS Brigade isn’t some organization where we absolutely need money in order to survive. I think that seeing the both of you happy over JJ and Michael’s recovery is already the best reward. Isn’t that so, Yuki?”
Nagato didn’t say anything but merely nodded.
Koizumi was still as composed as ever, as he said to Sakanaka-san:
“If any other dogs are infected with the same disease as Rousseau, please do let us know. Even though the possibility of that happening is low, it’s still better to be safe than sorry.”
“Alright, I’ll ask around the next time I take Rousseau out for a walk,”
Volume 8 - The Indignation of Suzumiya Haruhi Page 19