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the white cloth fluttering slightly in the chill air。
The sky was enormous。 Off to the left； dark cumulus clouds were building along the horizon； and Nangi was mindful of the first abrupt shift in wind direction。 Still rich sunlight splattered the target area。 The sea stretched away； limitless。
〃Twenty…eight thousand；〃 Nangi said and put his hand on the Oka release lever。 〃I'll give you a second…by…second countdown。〃
Gotaro must have heard something in his voice because he said； 〃Take it easy now； my friend。 Don't worry。〃
〃Unlike you； I have no faith to believe in。〃 Nangi shored up his emotions。 The altimeter was hovering near the cutoff point。 Soon the Oka would be but a swiftly falling blossom； dropping toward the bosom of the Pacific。 〃It is time we said our goodbyes。〃
The droning of the wind and then； drifting up to him from the speaking tube； came Gotaro's voice； 〃Today in flower； Tomorrow scattered by the wind…Such is our blossom life。 How can we think its fragrance lasts forever？〃
There were tears in Nangi's eyes as he pulled the lever。 〃Goodbye；〃 he whispered。
A moment later the rockets came on。 Abruptly； the Mitsubishi canted over horribly。 At first Nangi thought they had been hit by enemy fire。 But they were still too far away from their target for the ships' guns； and the sky had been clear of enemy aircraft。
Then； with one wingtip pointing toward the roof of the heavens； the nose went almost straight down； and he knew with a sudden chilling certainty what had occurred。 The wind was moaning through the stripped down fuselage as he leaned forward； screaming into the speaking tube。 〃Gotaro！ Gotaro！〃
〃I'm stuck in here； still plastered to your underbelly。〃
〃The rockets are misfiring！ I can't bring the nose up！〃 Frantically； he worked at the controls； but it was useless； he knew that。 They were not meant to correct for 1；764 pounds of thrust。
They were hurtling out of control； heading toward the flat bed of the sea at a heartstopping six hundred miles an hour。 Still Nangi did not give up hope and he did what he could to slow their terrific rate of descent。 The rockets cut off after nine seconds； but their tremendous initial thrust had done thek damage。
〃Get back up here！〃 Nangi cried as he tried to regain control of the aircraft。 〃I don't want you in the belly when we hit the water。〃
There was no answer but Nangi was too busy at the controls to repeat his urgent message。 Now that the rockets were off； some semblance of control returned to the plane。 But they were dangerously close to the sea and Nangi realized there was no hope of pulling out of the spin。 The Mitsubishi's twin engines just could not cope with the powerful thrust of the rockets' misdirected fire。
The airframe was juddering dangerously； and because of the acute horizontal angle with which they were dropping he was afraid a wing would crack off。 If that happened； he knew； there would be no chance for them at all。 The ungainly craft would plunge like a stone into the wall of the ocean； crushing them instantaneously。
So Nangi abandoned the impossible task of pulling them out of the dive and instead redirected his attention to rectifying the angle。 If he could level them off somewhat they would have a chance of survival。 The Oka would be sheared off as they hit； but as long as Gotaro was out of there that would be all right…the stubby plane would take the brunt of the force。
Out of the windscreen the sky was pinwheeling； merging with the sea； back and forth like a funhouse ride。 The fuselage was screaming as the force of gravity applied pressure to the riveted joints。 The sea was clear of the enemy and there was nothing on the horizon but the storm piling up； purple and yellow like a bruise。
They were very close to the water now； and Nangi began to hear a high； thin wailing above the rest of the sounds inundating
him； and he began to sweat。 The top wing had still not e down far enough and now the stress on it was horrendous。
There were only seconds left before he knew it would shear off； plunging them to their death。 He did not want to be crushed inside this steel coffin and he worked even more frantically at the controls。
He felt a pressure on his back； then Gotaro's big hand gripping his shoulder and he thought； It took him long enough。 He was angry with himself and with Gotaro because of the added anxiety it had caused him。
The sea was ing up fast and now he thought； It doesn't matter。 If the angle doesn't kill us； the explosives in the nose of the Oka surely will。 But still he worked on； and the upper wing grudgingly began to level off。
They were now no more than five hundred feet off the water and Nangi wondered if he had left it too late because they were falling； falling like a leaf in a storm； the sea ing off its two…dimensional plane； breaking up into light peaks and dark troughs； the dark blue almost black and the last thought whirling around his brain； We're over the Marianas Trench and if we sink we just might go on forever。
Then the Pacific came up and slammed them so hard all the breath went out of Nangi's lungs like a balloon bursting。 He heard the shriek of ten thousand demons then a quick searing flash of heat and his tiny world collapsed in on him； bolts of pain imploding； nailing him to a cross of agony。
It must have been Gotaro who pulled him out of the ruined； twisted cockpit because Nangi never remembered climbing out himself。 Many years later he would have recurring nightmares about those few terrible； confused moments； no true images ing； only vague impressions； unease； terror； the sense of suffocation； of immobility。
Then the bright sky was above him； a harsh wind scouring his cheeks and the rocking motion of the waves far out at sea。 He opened his eyes to a red haze。 Pain lanced through his head； and when he tried to move； he could not。
〃Lie still；〃 someone said close beside him。 〃Lie still； samurai。〃
His breathing was labored and he fought to speak。 But something seemed to be clogging his voice box。 His throat felt lined in fire and his mouth was full of cotton。 He had a sense of heat again； flames running along his cheeks like tears。 A great crackling filled his ears and the stench of smoke clogged his nostrils； choking him。 He vomited and someone held his head； wiping his mouth with a smudged white cloth unwound from his head。
His vision began to clear and he saw； rearing up over them； blotting out everything； what he took to be the black fluke of an immense sea creature。 He began to whimper； an irrational fear turning his skin wet and cold。 Then his head cleared and he saw it for what it was： the tail section of the Mitsubishi。 He closed his eyes and lost consciousness。
When he opened his eyes again； the first thing he noticed was that he had lost some depth perception。
〃One eye's out；〃 Gotaro said from beside him。 〃And don't try to move。 Something's happened to your legs。〃
Nangi was silent for a time； digesting this。 At last he said one word； 〃Explosives。〃
Gotaro smiled at him。 〃That's what took me so long down in the Oka。 I was working the nose loose。 I jettisoned it at about eighteen thousand feet。 It made quite a bang。〃
〃Didn't not