He couldn’t make me angry with his insults, for after all I thought he was quite right. Some minutes passed in silence, then Fiam went on:
“But it doesn’t matter. I love him just the same. It isn’t his fault that he denies me. To me he is still the Funato that I protected as if he were my son, and I promise you I shall never fail to guard, defend, and save him, even if it takes my life.”
“But what can you do, poor Fiam?” I asked, much interested.
“Ah, who knows? who knows?” and he sighed sadly.
I Am Entrusted With a
Delicate Mission
CHAPTER XVIII I AM ENTRUSTED WITH A DELICATE MISSION
Although the fortunes of war turned out for the benefit of Japan in general, this was not the case with the troops among which I found myself.
When I had seen the general studying the map so intently I had concluded that he had good reason to be so serious. Frankly, I understood very little of what was going on, but Fiam knew all about it perfectly, and he didn’t always explain it to me, because he said it was dangerous to tell everything to foreigners by the Haji of the wire. But I felt from his looks that important events were taking place.