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Nangi stared at him for a time。 〃But why？〃
〃Because；〃 Gotaro said softly； 〃for me there is no more fear。〃
At 04：15 on the morning of March 13； Nangi was summoned to the captain's cabin for a briefing。 Dressed smartly in his pressed uniform； he moved down the silent narrow corridors up the ringing metal panionways。 He might have had the entire carrier to himself。 The kami of the ancient Shogun seemed to walk with him； a descending line of invincible samurai with the wiles of the fox； the strength of the tiger。
That he； of all the men on board； should be summoned seemed a clear sign of his karma。 Though he disagreed with the war； his soul still belonged to Japan。 Now that they were in the thick of it； what frightened him was the specter of defeat。 Perhaps he was to be a part of the new strategy； perhaps the war was not yet lost。
He rapped softly on the captain's white…painted door with his knuckles； then went in。 He was surprised to find Gotaro there as well。
〃Please be seated； Major；〃 Captain Noguchi said after the traditional formalities had been dispensed with。 Nangi took a chair next to Gotaro。
〃You know Major Sato；〃 Noguchi said in his clippsd tones。 His bullet head bobbed。 〃Good。〃 A steward appeared； bringing a tray of sake。 He set it down in the center of Noguchi's desk and departed。
〃It is the middle of March in what we all fear may be the last year of the war。〃 Noguchi was quite； calm； his eyes boring into first Nangi； then Gotaro； magnified through the circular lenses of his steel…rimmed spectacles。 He was a powerfully built man who emitted confidence and energy。 He had intelligent eyes beneath heavy brows； a wide； thick…lipped mouth； and odd； splayed ears that stuck out from his close…cropped head like mushroom caps。
〃The European playwright Shakespeare wrote that these days are the Ides； an evil time。〃 Noguchi smiled。 〃At least they were for Julius Caesar。〃 He spread his long； delicately fingered hands on his desk top。 〃And perhaps they will be so for the Allies。〃
He had the habit of looking directly at you when he spoke instead of away as so many of his fellow upper…echelon officers did。 Nangi felt instinctively that this was one source of the confidence he instilled in his men。
〃Within the month the cherry blossoms will again e to the slopes and valleys of our homeland。〃 His eyes blazed with light。 〃The enemy threatens the extinction of the cherry blossom as he threatens our very lives。〃 His chest heaved as if he had gotten something hard and ugly off his mind。
〃At this very moment； the mechanics are preparing another kind of cherry blossom for you two majors。 I see the perplexed look on your faces。 I will explain。〃
He got up from behind his desk and set about pacing back and forth in the small cabin as if he was beginning to generate too much energy to be held to a sitting position。 〃We have precisely one hundred fifty planes on board。 All…save one…are Mitsubishi G4 M。2e bombers。 The ones the enemy calls 'Bettys' in an inexplicable form of derision。〃
His closed fist slammed the desk； making the tiny cups quiver and rock where even the sea could not。 〃But no more！ Not now
that we have the Oka！〃
He turned toward them。 〃One of our Mitsubishis has been modified。 Beneath its fuselage is another； smaller craft： a single…seat midwing monoplane of a length of just over nineteen feet and with a wingspan of sixteen feet； fifteen inches。
〃The Oka will be bome aloft by the Mitsubishi mother plane。 At an altitude of 27；000 feet the two craft will separate。 The Oka will be able to cruise up to fifty miles at an effective airspeed of two hundred thirty miles per hour。 When it es within sighting distance of its target； the pilot will cut in its three solid…fuel rocket motors。 The craft will then be flying at almost six hundred miles per hour。〃
Noguchi was standing directly in front of them now； his cheeks red from the height of his emotion。 〃For a period of nine seconds； the Oka will have a total thrust of 1；764 pounds。 A great rush of momentum and then。。。〃 His head lifted up and his eyes went opaque as his lenses caught the light； reflecting it back at them in a dazzle。 〃Then you will bee the avenging sword of the Emperor； opening up the side of an American warship。〃
Nangi remembered this quite clearly。 Noguchi did not ask either of them if they understood。 But of course they did。 The Oka was a rocket bomb； manned for supreme accuracy。
〃Yamato…dama…shii；〃 Noguchi said now； returning to his seat behind his desk； 〃the Japanese spirit will be our bulwark against the superior material force of the Allies。 That and the Oka attacks will quickly demoralize the advancing enemy。 We will blunt their coining attack on the Philippines。〃
Noguchi began to pour the sake； handed a gleaming porcelain cup to each of them and； lifting his； made this toast： 〃A man has only one death。 That death may be as weighty as Fuji…yama or it may be as light as feather down。 It all depends on the way he uses it。 It is the nature of every Japanese to love life and hate death； to think of his family and care for his wife and children。 Only when a man is moved by higher principles…by junsuisei； the purity of resolve…is this not so。 Then there are things which he must do。〃
They all drank together。 Nangi saw that there were tears in the corners of Gotaro's eyes。 At the time he supposed they were because of either his Christianity or his ignorance。 What Captain Noguchi had used for their fond farewell； masquerading as his own words； Nangi recognized as an excerpt from a letter famous in Chinese history。 It had in fact been written in 98 B。C。 by Ssu…Ma Ch'ien。
Noguchi put down his cup。 〃You two are privileged to be the first to war test this new and devastating weapon against the Allies。 You are the first two recruits in what will e to be known as Shimpu Tokubetsu Kogekitai： the Divine Wind Special Attack Force。
〃This is your opportunity to follow in Major Oda's footsteps； to bee a reincarnation of shimpu； the divine winds of 1274 and 1281 which drowned the invading Mongol hordes； rescuing Nippon from their destruction。〃
Both Nangi and Gotaro…indeed everyone in the Japanese Imperial Navy…had heard the story of the pilot Oda who had taken his Ki…43 fighter into the side of an American B…17 bomber； tearing the larger airship in two； thus saving an entire Japanese convoy。 He had been a sergeant then。 In death he had been promoted twice。
〃Major Sato；〃 Noguchi was saying now； 〃you have been selected to guide the first Oka to its flaming destiny。 Major Nangi； you will pilot the mother ship。〃 He glanced down at a sheaf of papers。 〃We have been informed of an Allied sighting： a battleship and a destroyer； the vanguard no doubt of a larger fleet； heading toward the Marianas。 The destroyer is your target。 The ships are now〃…he consulted his dispatches again…〃three hundred fifty miles southwest of the island of Guam。 When you leave this cabin you will go directly abovedecks。 Your flight gear will be waiting for you。 You will take off at 05：30。1 will be in the conning tower to observe you firsthand。〃
He stood up。 The briefing was over。
The predawn air was chill with a gusting inconstant wind quarterin