own analysis of the incident. These were, namely, that the Japanese knowingly attacked the American boat in order to distract and hamper Western observation of and aid to Chinese soldiers and civilians who were to be made examples of to the rest of the Chinese people.” His tone was dry and direct.
“Andrew said that, but there wasn’t anything in the paper that agreed with him.”
“The paper doesn’t report everything, ma’am.”
“Yes, but—”
“And the Japanese were extremely successful at suppressing reports. I would say that, whatever we suspected, it wasn’t until a year later that we got a fuller picture. But your husband’s letter, which arrived in my office well before that, did in many ways anticipate the full picture. Did he ever talk to you about it?”
“Yes. Are you saying he was right all along?”
“Do you have any other reason to think he was mistaken?”
She wondered how she was going to answer this for a moment, then said, “Well, he says that he sees Einstein on the streets of Vallejo, over on Capitol Street. If you have reason to believe that Einstein comes to Vallejo, then you can draw your own conclusions.”
“Captain Early is a physicist?”
“He’s an astronomer who became a physicist. He has an interest in all types of science, and he used to have a column in the Examiner.” She gave Agent Keene a long look. Finally, she said, “His ideas are now considered eccentric or old-fashioned. But he had a following in his day.” Of only one, perhaps.
“How do you think that he came up with his information about the Panay incident?”
“He walked all over town and all over the island, and he got people to talk about it, and apparently they had information through gossip. This is a naval town, and a crowded one. People talk, even when they’re told not to. The police came around and told me he was bothering people.”
“That’s all?”
“It’s all they told me about.”
Now it was Agent Keene’s turn to stare at her, turning his half-empty glass in his hand. Finally, she said, “All I can tell you, Agent Keene, is that my husband has spent his whole life observing things and then putting two and two together. There are some people who would say that he doesn’t come up with four very often, but he can’t stop himself from putting two and two together.” Her eye alighted on the snake emerging from the gift, and she thought for half a second of Lucy May, now mother of three. She said, “Maybe he was lucky.”
“A stopped clock is right twice a day?”
“Yes, but—”
“Yes, but what?”
“That’s not true in the navy.”
Agent Keene laughed.
She said, “Should I mention to my husband that you’ve been here? That he has, uh, been vindicated?”
“Are you in the habit of confiding in Captain Early?”
“Not. Everything.”
“Then I would suggest that you maintain your usual habits. We aren’t investigating Captain Early. His putting of two and two together has been interesting, however.”
“If that report crossed your desk so long ago, why are you visiting me now?”
“A lot of reports cross my desk, Mrs. Early. When it came to my attention that the man who sent that letter was the same man who has been repeatedly seen on the Golden Gate Bridge, I thought the coincidence was interesting enough to follow up on.”
She thought about Andrew crossing the bridge, and, no doubt, crisscrossing San Francisco, pursuing some hobbyhorse. She said, “Do you want to be inundated with material?”
“We are inundated with material.”
“My husband sees every vindication as a spur to greater efforts. How can I put this?” She pursed her lips. “Every atom is a star. Every hunch threatens to explode into a universe.”
“I think I understand your meaning. We won’t encourage him.”
“Even though he’s been vindicated?”
“Even though he’s been vindicated.”
“I think that’s the best way.”
She walked Agent Keene to the door, and watched him get in his car. The weather had turned cloudy, and it was raining by the time Andrew and Stella got home. Over supper, she made Andrew tell her the plot of the movie, with the leads and some of the bit players. He talked fluently, and seemed to have seen it. And enjoyed it, too.
NAOKO telephoned her one morning and said that her father expected to live about a week, and that he wanted to wish his friends farewell. Margaret had never known Mr. Kimura’s exact age, but she supposed that he was older than Andrew. She hadn’t seen any of the Kimuras for quite some