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Show 144 Afraid to answer,Sid merely shrugged his shoulders. Kimiko stood a moment and then, twisting suddenly as if in pain, gazed aside. "This, sir," she said, at first speaking slowly, and then, as anger grew, increasing the pace, "I cannot believe. All over Japan American soldiers are living with Japanese girls; many have married - - many have married girls that only the most stupid Japanese would marry. Yet I - - I" His sense of guilt made him speak up. "It's unfair, Kimiko. Grossly, and I'm sorry. But - - " Again he shrugged, beaten into silence by her angry pride. He turned his glance aside, meditating on the deceptive appearance of Japanese women. They seemed soft and flowerlike, yet he had seen their strength. But she was not through. Standing erect, her eyes only occasionally touching his, she spoke again. "The unfairness! I sell twopackages of cigarettes, and because of that lose my job and my aarriage. Whereas every Japanese knows what goes on in Naka - - or Higashi, for that matter. Both groups, Detachments and Engineers, sleep with Japanese girls, slip off the post at night, sell on the blackmarkat. Nor are the officers better than the enlisted men. Captain Smead" - - she tossed her head disdainfully - - "you know his bar? |