Mano opened her mouth. She repeated the strange message she heard last night. "Don't tell all these things to anyone. You don't know which of the surrounding people is a part of them. If you trust the wrong person, then your life is at stake."
Uda and Nakatsura looked at each other. Mano was willing to bet that they both agreed with her. The last part of the message did sound scary. That part was more like a threat.
"So you don't want to say that in front of me. Your plan was to tell Uda when I wasn't around," Nakatsura guessed.
Guilt was written all over Mano's face.
"A moment. You wait here," said Uda. He then got up from his chair and walked out of the room. For about ten minutes, Uda disappeared. Quiet atmosphere. Mano and Nakatsura didn't say a word.
Uda went back into the room. In his hand, he held a hardcover book. After sitting back in his soft chair, Uda put the book on the table. Mano could easily read the title of the book. "Sitting Pensively in front of the Round Pool."
"This is the first edition of the novel in hardcover form," said Uda.
The first edition hardcover is a rarity. Collectors usually hunt for things like this. Normally, Uda doesn't belong to that kind of person. He obviously couldn't spend his money on useless things. But Mano understands Uda has an emotional bond with the person who inspired the novel's author.
"Those numbers probably refer to the words in this book," said Nakatsura. "The first number may refer to the page number, then the number after the 'colon' refers to the sequence of words or letters on the page. Then the number after the 'dot' refers to the word on another page."
"As simple as that?" Mano asked.
Mano opened her mouth. She repeated the strange message she heard last night. "Don't tell all these things to anyone. You don't know which of the surrounding people is a part of them. If you trust the wrong person, then your life is at stake."
Uda and Nakatsura looked at each other. Mano was willing to bet that they both agreed with her. The last part of the message did sound scary. That part was more like a threat.
"So you don't want to say that in front of me. Your plan was to tell Uda when I wasn't around," Nakatsura guessed.
Guilt was written all over Mano's face.
"A moment. You wait here," said Uda. He then got up from his chair and walked out of the room. For about ten minutes, Uda disappeared. Quiet atmosphere. Mano and Nakatsura didn't say a word.
Uda went back into the room. In his hand, he held a hardcover book. After sitting back in his soft chair, Uda put the book on the table. Mano could easily read the title of the book. "Sitting Pensively in front of the Round Pool."
"This is the first edition of the novel in hardcover form," said Uda.
The first edition hardcover is a rarity. Collectors usually hunt for things like this. Normally, Uda doesn't belong to that kind of person. He obviously couldn't spend his money on useless things. But Mano understands Uda has an emotional bond with the person who inspired the novel's author.
"Those numbers probably refer to the words in this book," said Nakatsura. "The first number may refer to the page number, then the number after the 'colon' refers to the sequence of words or letters on the page. Then the number after the 'dot' refers to the word on another page."
"As simple as that?" Mano asked.
