OCR Text |
Show 143 ritual, "I don't know how to say this --" At his words her head went back; her eyes, sombre, rested on his. And he started over. "The cigarette business, it turns out, is worse than I thought. There have been ... repercussions." Unable to face her eyes, he glanced out the door. "The truth is, Kimiko: we must let you go." Silence swept in almost like a gasp. Kimiko waited as if unhearing, and then: "I must go?" And she gazed around. "Where?" "Find another job. We can't hire you any longer." Kimiko shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts. "Another job? Where is there another job?" And her chin went up. Sid stood silent, wondering. Jobs were hard to come by, for in the confusion of the times there were shortages and inequalities that left much of the population idle. Oji was especially unfortunate, its only industries the naval installations and Shimomura, and the latter, though busy, could not use all applicants. Moreover each week Japanese soldiers brought back from China or Siberia added to the unemployed. Nor was Sid's blow to be the hardest; the Sergeant's would be worse. But the Japanese had had lessons in facing facts, and Kimiko's thoughts had raced ahead. "And the marriage?" she asked. "Will we be able to marry?" |