The Boy Who Glowed in the Dark Read Online Free PDF

few seconds pass out of respect. “Where did you learn to speak English so well?”
    Nakamura paused as though remembering something, and then smiled. “I was an exchange student for a year in high school. Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Cheese country. I lived on a farm. I liked it so much I went to college at the University of Wisconsin. In Madison. Much of our work has been done in countries where English is the common language so I’ve been able to keep it up.”
    “Who was the kid at the train station? The one that met me at the mural?”
    “A college student. A volunteer.”
    “Volunteer?”
    “The Corps relies on volunteers. Students from all over the world take semesters off to work with us, give back to the community.”
    “So he’s not Genesis II?”
    “No. He is not Genesis II. It was just a precaution. To make sure you were who you said you were.”
    “Why the precaution?”
    “Genesis II has confided in me as a friend. He believes he has something of extreme value. Something that could change the world. He has led a troubled life, and as a result is not a trusting person. He sometimes suffers from anxiety and delusion. He is constantly fearful.”
    “At the train station, you said we can’t assume we’re alone.”
    “I have no reason to believe I’m being followed, but Genesis II said to expect the unexpected. He said that you should do the same. I trust him, and believe in him and the power of the treasure he possesses.”
    “Tell me what you know about the treasure. I need to be convinced this is all real.”
    Nakamura started to answer and stopped. Two men in slick suits walked by their table. One of them glanced alternately at Nakamura and Johnny. The men seated themselves at a table closer to the stage. Johnny spied bulges under their jackets. He was reminded of what his teachers had told him during his first day as an exchange student. The further from the center of Tokyo, the greater the influence of the Yakuza , the Japanese organized crime syndicates.
    “That was a very American question,” Nakamura said.
    “What do you mean, American question?”
    “Blunt, direct, inappropriate. I could ask you the same. What do you know about the treasure? But that would be rude, and a waste of time. Because you would merely deflect the question and we would engage in a battle of wits until our drinks arrived.”
    “You’ve got the wrong man, friend. I don’t deflect questions. Ask anything you want. You might not like the answer, but I won’t waste your time.” Johnny kept his voice down and maintained a calm expression on his face. He wanted his demeanor to contrast with his words to lend them even more power. “That’s me being very American, as opposed to the Japanese, who’ll wait twenty years to publicly own up to a mistake and then commit suicide. Is that your idea of appropriate behavior?”
    Nakamura appeared stunned.
    “Oh, have I got your attention? Are we done bullshitting each other here?”
    Nakamura stared at him.
    Johnny said, “In the e-mail, Genesis II used the phrase, ‘Fate of the free world depends on us.’ What did he mean by that?”
    “You know what the treasure is, so you know what he meant by that.” Nakamura smiled. “See? The battle of wits begins despite your assurances to the contrary. Who will reveal himself first?”
    “I’m not the one wearing the kimono. You can see right through me and I wouldn’t have it any other way. What made him choose those exact words?”
    “Genesis II said those words would have meaning to Nadia and Adam Tesla. And that given you were their representative, they would have meaning to you. Was he right?”
    Johnny shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
    “Says the man without the kimono.”
    Johnny smiled.
    The waitress arrived with their drinks and two bowls of salty Japanese crackers and nuts.
    “I have to ask you another question,” Johnny said. “It’s going to sound blunt, direct, and inappropriate.”
    “No kidding,” Nakamura