Chapter 28 Okaerinasai (1/2)
The Phantom had landed on a secret carrier in a 'friendlies' zone of the Tsushima Strait near Izuhara.
The carrier was unmarked, masquerading as a merchant vehicle for Germans. So, it had been stricken off as a non enemy threat by the Imperial Navy's register. Eiji was nervous about what else had slipped under the radar and into his country unsuspectingly this way.
They boarded a commercial sea plane, leaving the carrier with a full cover of German Prosthetic Sales Men for a company called Wiesmen that had sold automotive products in Japan before it faced a trade embago in 1939. US Intelligence had caught on about the company's recent trade agreement signing with a government funded project based in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki prefectures for medical technologies. It had given the US an opening to take advantage.
The cognitive dissonance of the Americans pretending to be Germans didn't sit well with Eiji. He was determined not to make them aware, keeping his concerns to himself and poker face on at all times. All he could do was shadow their work. He prayed that whatever the Americans were planning to do to his country didn't involve mass genocide to his people. He had to rely on Tyne's good faith about rebuilding peace and seeing to this war as honourable adversaries as they had been at Iwo Jima.
His heart thumped with trepidation as he felt a brisk breeze to his skin as soon as he walked off the plane with Tyne and the Kitsune-san, and entered a cleared field somewhere in Hamada-shi, which was apparently a new town. So, it yet had the infrastructure to detect, let alone, deal with enemy/non enemy planes.
”Sirs, I'll be taking off,” said the pilot from the plane's cockpit. Tyne acknowledged the goodbye with a wave of his hand.
The three of them strolled down a cleared path, away from the plane that was driving down a strip of clear field behind them and doing a take off.
The scent of wild flowers and musk graced Eiji's senses with a welcome home feeling.
”I'm home?” His voice croaked, still in disbelief that his feet were touching the mainlands' soil.
”Okaerinasai.” Tyne soberly whispered to Eiji.
”How do you know this greeting?” Eiji keep a level tone to his voice, but his heart was pounding with annoyance.
”I told you, I majored languages. My teachers taught us the basic courtesies.” Tyne soberly answered.
Eiji stared dubiously at the man who was definitely passing off the German business man look with his dried grey suit and Fedora hat. Tyne held a briefcase in one hand and an agitated Tama in a soft handwoven wicker basket in the other. She had fortunately survived the phantom plane trip, although it made her a bit wobbly upon landing and took her time to readjust her senses. Tyne had managed to locate the basket on the carrier ship along with a blanket for her.
”Okaeri!” Kitsune-san cheerfully repeated the greeting. He added in Deutsch, ”Welcome home Takaki-san.”
Eiji cocked his head to one side and faced the man who was grinning at him from ear to ear. Like Tyne, he also looked German in his gray suit and carrying his Weismen Company regulated briefcase.