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*Sokaijin means； literally； 〃escape to the country。〃 The term was used for the thousands of refugees streaming out of the smoking cities into the rural and therefore safer villages short silence； the murmuring beginning again。 Then the door closed softly； and he heard nothing until Oba…chama returned to his view。
She sat back down opposite him。 Her head was slightly bowed； throwing her eyes into shadow。 〃I have had news of Gotaro…chan。〃 Her voice was like a wisp of smoke； gently drifting； a shell only； transparent and empty within。 〃He will not be ing home。〃
Perhaps she always spoke of death thus with a poet's poignancy； but Nangi suspected not。 Gotaro had been special to her as； in the brief but incredibly intense time Nangi had known him； Gotaro had been special to him。
The space between them danced with dust motes twisting in the heat of the sunlight。 Their false life only accentuated the emptiness there。
The thin sounds of the uncaring traffic outside came to him remote as the memories brought to life by a faded photograph。 An era was passing before them； a slow and heavy cortege filled with black roses。 The scent of the past was everywhere； with only the dark uncertainty of the unknowable future to keep it pany。
A kind of despair seeped slowly from Oba…chama though she bravely strove to be resolute and inwardly calm。
The helplessness of his situation affected Nangi profoundly as they sat facing each other。 Her tissue…paper face had been crumpled by karma； and his heart ached with the burden of her newest loss； one in a string of bitter beads。
Then what came into his mind was a poem…not quite a haiku but exquisitely moving…by Chiyo； the eighteenth…century poet； considered the greatest of all of Japan's female poets。 It was what she wrote after the death of her small son； notable for what it did not say as well as what it expressed。
He spoke it now： '〃The dragonfly hunter…today； what place has he/got to； I wonder。
Of a sudden； they were both weeping and Oba…chama； appalled at her lack of good manners； turned quickly away so that he could see only her thin shoulders moving。 And above； her bowed gray head。
After a time； he said quietly； 〃Oba…chama； where is Seiichi…san？ He should be here with you。〃
Her eyes scored the nap of the tatami； searching perhaps for imperfections。 She would not raise them。 Then； her body moved； as if she were steeling herself to speak。 〃He is on his pilgrimage。 To the mausoleum of the Tokugawa in Nikko Park。〃
Nangi bowed。 〃Then with your permission； Oba…chama； I will go and fetch him。 His place is here； it is a time for family。〃
Now the old woman raised her head and Nangi became aware of the tiny nerve tremor that kept it in constant motion。 〃I would be most。。。 grateful to have my other grandson beside me again。〃 The corners of her eyes were diamond bright with the hint of tears she was holding back with a supreme effort of will。
Nangi thought it was time he left her to the privacy of her grief。 He bowed to her formally； thanking her for her hospitality in these evil times； and with some difficulty rose to leave。
〃Tanzan…san。〃 It was the first time she had spoken his name。 〃When you return with Seiichi〃…her head was held very straight； a tendril of hair swept down across one ear； feathering with her minute temble…〃you will stay here with us。〃 Her voice was firm。 〃Every young man needs a home to return to。〃
The deep green of the cryptomeria occluded the gray pall that still hovered over burnt…out Tokyo where legions of civilians still picked through the massive tons of rubble and blackened skeletons of the Red Night； urban farmers with ash…covered rakes； unearthing a harvest o￡；despair。
All that remained of the terrible winds of the week before were soft； gusting breezes that bent the tops of the cryptomeria and set up a fibrous rustling whose confluence with the natural buzz of the insects brought about a harmoniousness for which this park was noted。
Nangi crossed to the far side of the stream via a stone footbridge and took a winding hillside path through dense foliage that would lead him to the gold…encrusted Yomei Gate and the tomb of the Tokugawa。 He had not told Oba…chama because the timing had not been right but he； too； had spent many happy hours during his schooldays lost in deep reverie at the verge of this final resting place of much that had made Japan great。
That the Shogunate of leyasu Tokugawa began the history of modern Japan Nangi had absolutely no doubt…but it was only in the difficult and feverish years ahead that he was to e to fully appreciate the insight he had forged for himself。 This Shogun was the first of a line stretching over two hundred years who tamed the myriad feuding daimyo； the only one with enough strength and cunning to bend these powerful regional lords to his will。
In so doing； of course； leyasu created the great two…hundred…year peace and forever changed the path upon which Japan would walk。 For in effect he destroyed the samurai。 Warriors have no place in peacetime for there is nothing for them to do。 And in this interregnum the samurai metamorphosed slowly into bureaucrats； working in administrative functions； thus being no more than a 〃service nobility。〃
Nangi had heard it often said in school； where astute minds young enough not to have yet been entirely shorn of the objective view which age and full participation in the system would cut from them； that Japanese government was built on the separation of power and authority。
To understand this Nangi had had to return to his studies of history； reading in areas his professors had apparently ignored in their zeal to plete the semesters' curricula。 There； in his books； he found the historical and political imperatives that were his answers。
The twin feudal powers of the Choshu and Satsuma families at last brought to an end the Tokugawa Shogunate。 But the resultant governmental corruption caused such a public outcry that they； in turn； were overthrown by the Meiji oligarchs。 And the Restoration began。
What this cabal of leaders arranged was the kind of government similar to that in Bismarck's Germany。 That many of these leaders had strong ties into that German government seems partly the answer as to why they chose that particular system。 The other reason was that they wished to clandestinely retain their control of a government which； on the surface at least； would appear responsive to the needs of the public at large。
Toward this end they set about creating what they termed a non…political civil bureaucracy。 It seems ironic that the Meiji oligarchs； so fearful of the traditional samurai that they officially abolished the class； were obliged to seek out for administrators of their newly coined bureaucracy the remnants of the very class they hated。
But it was their determination to have this vast and powerful buffer unit of bureaucrats in place before 1890 when the National Diet； the new parliament； would open and candidates from political parties began campaigning for public support and power。
The Bismarckian system of 〃monarchic constitutionalism〃 also served the Meiji oligarchs well since it made the prime minister and the army resp