Beyond Heaven's River by Greg Bear Read Free Book Online Page B

America — in the attack at Pearl Harbor, or the Philippines. I flew my first missions in the Coral Sea, near Australia, and was proud to shoot down three aircraft, and help sink theLexington aircraft carrier. We also thought we sankYorktown , another carrier, but not so. My airplanes were Aichi type 99s, what the Americans called Vals. I was a gunner usually, seated behind the pilot, but I had done much flying alone in trainers and fighters a few times.
“My air group was assigned to the carrierHiryu. I flew a type 99 to capture the small American-occupied island on Midway. This was in the middle of 1942. Many things escape my memory, so if I am inaccurate, tell me …”
“Why tell us the story now, Yoshio?” Anna asked.
“Hht!” He drew in his breath, stood, and bowed. “Many pardon. You are not ready.”
“No, no!” Carina said, giving Anna a withering glance.
“We’re ready. Anna means, are you sure you’re ready to tell us? We are most interested in your welfare.”
“I am ready. Appreciate your thoughts. I will go on.” He sat down. “We lost many ships in that battle. I was let to read how many, but that was long ago. Have not paid much attention to numbers since.”
“Who let you read?” Elvox asked.
“Those who capture me. I never saw them, I think. I tell you how. Island was attacked early in the morning, about six. I flew in the first wave of planes, led by Lieutenant Joichi Tomonoga. Before we fly, we eat victory breakfast — rice, soybean soup, chestnuts and sake. We leave at twenty minutes after four — I am looking at a Rolex watch my father gave me.” He pointed at his bare wrist, his eyes intense. “Later, lost the watch at sea. I climbed in the back of my dive bomber. It is going to be glorious. My pilot has scarf around his head, and belt of a thousand stitches is wrapped around my waist under the flight suit. My mother stood on street corner, asking passers-by to add stitch, until all prayers and wishes go with me, a thousand.
“There is not much resistance. American pilots from Midway fly twenty, twenty-five fighters to attack, but our Zeros engage. They shoot down clumsy old planes, called Buffalos, and new fighters not yet proved, Wildcats I think. Twenty-two shot down!” He spread his hands out.
“We feel like just having donekampai  — like long bout withsake. Then we bomb Midway, two islands, Eastern and Sand. A companion flies around Sand Island and drops his bomb on a storage tank for oil. It looks like whole island is carried away in the explosion. Eastern Island looks very bad, too, but our commander calls for a second attack. This is about seven o’clock, and we feel upset that second wave might be needed to finish our work. But we return toHiryu , refuel, and load more bombs in case we are needed in a third or fourth attack. This is between eight and ten o’clock.” He tapped his wrist again.
“We are told that Americans have attacked our carriers, are still attacking, but the bombs miss, the torpedoes are awful, our ships just swerve around them. And the Americans die, whole squadrons. Very brave. But when we land, there is much confusion on our decks — planes being brought up and down elevators, being loaded with bombs, then the bombs removed and replaced by torpedoes, because we do not know just where American planes are coming from, and whether we must attack Midway, or carriers, or both. This confusion goes on and stories are everywhere — that we have sunk American carriers, that some of our ships are damaged. We don’t know what to believe.” He smiled apologetically.
“It is decided, after more than eighty American planes have been shot down, that if aircraft carriers are nearby, they have been exhausted. So we re-arm planes with bombs. At ten-fifteen, another attack — but from where? Twelve torpedo bombers. Three get through to our ships and are brought down by guns, two escape. Seven are shot down by our fighters. Very brave. Our carrier