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it in the face of an enemy counter…offensive。 There were no front lines； separate territories； retreats or attacks。 There was only a kind of holding on。 A desperate stubbornness against this terrible fluidity which brought you to the front in the morning and behind the enemy at sunset without having moved at all during the day。
'We were never quite sure just where the enemy was。 Specific orders were sporadic at best and； when they came； it seemed clear to us that the generals had no idea of the actual situation。 We lived in a kind of loosely controlled state of anarchy。 It was our only protection from the panic which continually besieged us。
'The time I'm telling you about was late in the war。 Almost all of us had been in the Pacific Theatre from the beginning。 Many of us were in no condition to fight。 Malaria； amoebic dysentery； those and other diseases I had never encountered before were what we lived with。 But； after a while； we began to fear even the cholera less than the nights。
'The nights brought the infiltrations； silent and lethal。 We 'seemed incapable of stemming them。 We doubled the perimeter guard； began patrols of the pound itself。 Nothing helped。 The mander； in desperation； mounted a series of night patrols。 They shot at shadows or the calls of night birds。 They hit nothing and were； in turn； silently killed。
'These incidents built themselves eerily。 Then some idiot ？ mentioned Dracula。 He had a dog…eared copy of the Bram Stoker novel and it quickly made the rounds。 The fear magnified itself。 What else could you expect under such circumstances？ Man is notorious for inventing creatures to explain away the otherwise inexplicable。 It was something out of a Gothic horror novel。 Even now； with so much time in between； it doesn't seem like a joke。 We were used to fighting soldiers of flesh and blood； not shadows which melted away in the light。 If we could have caught just one； even … caught a glimpse …we'd have had some idea of what we were up against。
'Fear has an uncanny way of escalating。 We were none of us cowards。 We had all done our share of killing。 Even I … even I had been called upon several times 。。。 We were in danger of being overrun。 But now we were experiencing something else … something quite beyond our ken。 It sounds foolish； I know； but believe me； Nicholas； when I tell you what happened。。。
'We were struggling across Leyte。 The enormous naval battle of Leyte Gulf was behind us。 On the sea the Japanese were destroyed； but on land it was another matter entirely。 We did not yet own this small island and Luzon； the main island； was still in Japanese hands。 They were undermanned and frightfully undersupplied。 We thought we had them beaten at Leyte Gulf； that it was the end。 'It wasn't。
'A new Japanese mander had arrived from Tokyo just before the battle began。 Vice…Admiral Onishi of the First Naval Air Fleet in Manila。 Two days after he arrived； he travelled to Mabalacat； a small town fifty miles to the northwest。 It was the site of the Two Hundred and First…Air Group。 There he chaired a meeting that was； although none of us knew it then； one of the war's most fateful conferences。
'Not long after； we heard the first reports。 Many of us； knowing the wildness of rumour； did not believe it。 But then； no more than a week later； we saw it for ourselves。 At first we thought the Zeros were after us but they screamed by overhead as if we had not existed。 Then we saw our ships out to sea； an aircraft carrier and two destroyers。 They did not strafe our ships； these Zeros； nor did they dive…bomb them。 They merely careened into them。 We were certain that the first one had been hit and crashed。 But as they one after another followed the same suicidal course； we began to understand。 Yet we understood not at all。 How could rational men do this？ It seemed inconceivable。 We thought perhaps they had been brainwashed； the Japanese were notorious for their methods。 Anyway； that was the prevailing opinion。
'Yet something about this theory stuck in my mind。 I could not believe it。 Psychological reorientation takes time； I knew that。 Certainly it could not have been acplished overnight。 It took time and that was the one thing the Japanese did not have。 No； I was convinced it had to be something else。 But what？
'It was the season of rain； there seemed no dry ground on the whole of Leyte。 We made progress but not without casualties； of course。 One night the unit was forced to move on。 There were a number of wounded who needed taking care of。 I volunteered to stay behind for a short time so that I could bandage them properly。 There was a relief column due in the morning。 But the situation was far too volatile and my C。O。 insisted I move out with the rest of the unit。 We made camp just before dawn。 Many of us were too tired to fall asleep。 We sat around and talked about Dracula。 Three men had been killed the night before； the vampire theories were at their height。
'At last I left them； pitched my tent and crawled inside。 For a time I could hear their voices as they continued to talk； then the sounds stopped。 I wasn't sure whether I had fallen asleep or they had just broken up for the night。
'I was in that odd state between sleeping and wakefulness。 I thought I dreamed someone was there； watching…me。 I tried to wake myself but couldn't。 My head felt like it was too heavy to lift up。 I strained but nothing happened。 It was as if my consciousness had somehow been severed from the nerve impulses which mechanized the muscles。 I wanted to look behind me； you know； over my head； certain that was where the danger was ing from。 I could make no move。
'Above me a face hovered in the air； disembodied。 I don't know when my eyes had actually opened or whether they had ever really been closed。 My chest felt heavy and I seemed to have trouble breathing。 I felt cold。 Not as if the night was chill but from inside。 I shivered。
〃It was a Japanese face； coal…black as if it had been coated with charcoal or lampblack。 It was dull so that no light would reflect off it。 His eyes seemed very large。 They had an odd light to them as if； while they stared right at me； they were focused on another universe。 It was eerie。 I had seen something like it once in a hospital when I was in my last year of medical school。 We went into the psycho wing and I saw several patients。 One was a young man； not far past twenty。 His hair was cropped close。 He had high cheekbones and a long thin nose。 He could have been a scholar。 He was in a strait jacket。 I watched his eyes for a long time； while beside me the resident droned his spiel like a carnival barker。 This man； this 。。。 creature was far beyond the supposedly modern and humane treatment the resident was describing in such loving detail。 This man had reverted。 He was certainly no longer human but had returned to the animal state of his ancestors。 There was no hint of what we might term 〃intelligence〃 in his eyes； at least not as modern man defines intelligence。 But I saw cunning there； of a kind and in a strength which terrified me。 For a moment I fantasized what it would be like having this man loose in the world。 Richard Speck？ Gary Gil…more？ Jack the Ripper？ It was beyond imagining。 Fo