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Marginal
by Hagio Moto
Chapter 1: The Lost Child
Shogakukan Bunko
Translation by Emily Horner 2001
Grinja : Don't close your eyes. Have some water.
--How is he, Grinja?
Grinja : His dehydration isn't too severe.
--He's still young enough to be a prostitute.
Grinja : He'll regain his strength with one night of rest.
--What was he doing out in the desert all alone? Did his
camel run away?
--Perhaps.
--Then he's lost. A lost child belongs to those who find
him.
--By this road, we'll be at the Kuloch bazaar in two days.
Make him better by then, and we might be able to trade
him for a goat or a sand cow.
<>
--It's hot, it's hot, it's hot!
--Watch out! Don't come near here! Run away!
--Run away, it's so hot!
Grinja : What is it?
Grinja : What's wrong?
What's wrong?
Boy : Voices...
Grinja : Voices? What voices?
--What are you doing, Grinja? He'll run away.
Grinja : He won't run away. He isn't awake yet.
What's your name?
--We're leaving!
<>
Grinja : We're leaving. Get on.
--What is it?
Grinja : I guess he can't ride camels.
You aren't used to traveling, are you? Here, chew on
this. It's salt.
--He's a strange boy. If he can't ride a camel, maybe he's
from the city.
--People from the city hardly ever leave that dome. In the
desert, even children who still have colored skin can
ride animals. Has he said anything, Grinja?
Grinja : No.
--If he speaks, we'll know whether he speaks the language
of the city or the desert.
Grinja : He's said nothing.
--Speaking of the city, no one's come after us yet.
--Shh!
Grinja : It's all right. He's asleep.
Grinja : Give me the salt. Come on, give me the salt.
<>
Grinja : Here.
Boy : It's hot!
<>
--What happened?
Grinja : He threw away the coffee.
--Does he not know about coffee, or is he scared of it?
they drink coffee in the desert and the city.
--Maybe his head's a little strange because of the desert
heat.
Grinja : {Why? Is he crying? If you waste your food, you should
expect to get slapped. Even a child knows that. I didn't
even hit him enough so that it would hurt.}
Can we take him with us?
--Don't get too attached, Grinja. If people come after us
from the city, we'll be killed.
--If we bring him with us, he'll be killed with us. We
should sell him in the city.
Grinja : Will they come after us?
--They might not. That's why Habat was left behind, to take
the blame for killing Mother. He promised to stay behind
and commit suicide.
Grinja : {"You'll be caught. Why did you kill Mother?"}
I should have stayed behind instead. That way, I wouldn't
have had to kill that boy to stop him from talking.
--Grinja, we're all sad that we lost Habat. The people in
our village are all like brothers.
Grinja : {They'll find Tito's corpse.
"You'll be caught."
I should have thought harder about that.
"Why did you kill her?"
The owner knows how I look. If they come after me for
Tito's murder, the rest of my friends will get dragged
into it.
"Why did you kill Mother?"
Because--}
<>
Grinja : Are you cold? I'm sorry about before. I didn't mean to
hit you hard enough to make you cry.
Are you cold? You must still feel helpless and lonely
from being lost in the desert all alone.
Boy : I'm cold.
<>
Grinja : What are you--
--What's all that noise?
Grinja : It's nothing.
Grinja : That's a dead end. Can't you see that in the moonlight?
Do you have night blindness?
--No!
Grinja : You asked for it!
<>
--What's going on?
Grinja : Nothing.
--Looks like he's gotten lively.
Grinja : Watch out, he bites.
--You were bitten?
Grinja : He said he was cold, so I tried to hold him, and this
happened.
--That's strange! He's got fangs like a cat!
Grinja : Fangs?
--Look! Maybe he's not a human, but a cat!
--He might have a tail!
--Let's take off his clothes and see.
Grinja : Stop that. He doesn't like it.
--You go back to sleep.
<>
--We're selling the boy tomorrow. We'll be at a
disadvantage if you get attached to him. Tie him to the
camel, Grinja. He might try to run away. And I don't know
why he's got fangs, but you'd better bind his mouth.
Grinja : All right.
Grinja : {When a star falls, a soul disappears. Many stars will
fall tonight. Habat, and Tito, and Mother died. I
haven't been able to sleep since then. The world is
going to quietly vanish.}
<>
Grinja : {The feeling that everything is coming to an end is
tightly pressing over me. Turning to dust.}
--Do you need protection against demons? Protection against
demons, anyone?
--Travelers, you must have heard that Mother has passed
away in the City. You'll need protection against demons
as you travel in the desert!
--What are you selling?
Grinja : This one.
--A prostitute? He's got a good face.
Grinja : Don't touch the merchandise.
--Hey! I was just about to offer to act as a fake buyer.
Grinja : That's not necessary.
Asijin : Is he for sale? Why is his mouth bound?
Grinja : He bites.
<>
Grinja : I'll trade him for a sand cow or camel.
Asijin : I'll take him.
--You sold him fast. You should pay me for letting you use
this place. There are so many boys his age, you made a
good profit to trade him for a sand cow.
Asijin : I'm selling my sand cows at the watering hole by the
western gate. Do you want to go and look?
Grinja : All right.
--Pick a good one.
--Do you need demon protection? Protection against
demons?
Grinja : Do we need a sand cows as we travel?
--Three villages from here, there's an old acquaintance of
mine who said he would let us stay at his house if I gave
him a sand cow in return.
Asijin : Have you decided?
--This one.
Grinja : I'm not going to that house.
--Grinja...
--Your sand cows need protection against demons!
Asijin : What?
--Have you not heard about the Djinn that appeared?
Asijin : Djinn?
--Listen, travelers! The town has been abuzz with the story
since this morning!
You have heard that Mother passed away in the city, have
you not?
With each passing day, the moon will splinter apart!
Mother's death will awaken the power of Djinns in the
desert! Just five days ago...
<>
--Far to the east of here--thirty days by camel, ten by
sand-yacht--lies a black forest where demons live, that
none dares to approach. Do you know of it?
Suddenly, fire sprang forth from that forest, and
innumerable Djinns flew out into the sky in every
direction!
--The forest burned the whole night, and is still
smoldering.
--Did you see it?
--Word of it passed from villages far to the east. It's
a fearful story to hear. Mother's death may also be
the work of the Djinns! You should carry protection from
the demons, in case something happens.
<>
--It's a Machina! A Machina! Hide, quickly!
--What are you doing? This is divine punishment!
--Run, cowards! We're not scared of a Machina! You can't
be frightened by superstitions like that!
--They're getting away with the lost boy!
--What was that group?
--A gang of bearded men. The young people in this area have
gathered together and caused so much trouble. Damn them!
In the old days, the city would have given them children,
and they would be fathers by now. But their turn never
came, and now they're just wasting their time!
Grinja : Old man!
--Grinja!
Grinja : Are you hurt?
--No, but that gang took the boy.
Asijin : What? Which way did they go?
--They left by the Eastern gate!
Asijin : Damn! He was mine!
--Grinja!
Grinja : I think it's better if I don't come with you.
--Grinja!
--Let him go. I've taught him all I could. The road that
lies before him is different from ours.
Asijin : Where did he go?
<>
Asijin : What are you doing here? Helping me get him back?
Grinja : You could call it my conscience as a seller.
Asijin : You're an unusual fellow. The place they haunt is this
way. Hey, what's your name?
Grinja : Grin.
Asijin : I'm called Asijin. Asijin, the Deathless!
--What loot did you get?
--A pot!
--A kettle!
--Wine!
--A scale!
--Sell them!
--Look, mine's alive!
--He's a prostitute!
--A prostitute!
--Let me see!
--Give him here!
--Bring him to the tent.