8.
The following letter was sent from Crows Hall farm near Chilgrove, West Sussex, (United Kingdom) dated the 30th of November 1987:
Hello, Hyoga!
Bet you didn't expect a letter from me and in English at that! Well, I'm supposed to practise my teacher says I should read and write as much as I can and she sets me extra homework: an essay a week! That's right a teacher. I go to school now. It's o-bli-ga-to-ry (that's a hard word: I had to look it up in a dictionary it means you have to) for kids under 16 in this country. Isn't it great? I'm at Compton & Upmarden C of E Primary School. C of E is Church of England, means we get religious education too and boy its' much better than your Goddess! Nothing about being the strongest or killing but Love thy Neighbour and the Meek will inherit the Earth! (I've picked up the lingo quiet quickly haven't I?) It's close to were we live. Of course you don't know half of it except what I told you over the telephone when we first came here so I had better fill you in.
It all started with Reg. That is Reginald Fletcher-Parks he came into the Bunny Bar. He's a real nice chap a bit stiff at first but a regular friend in need! When he arranged for us to quit the Bar Miho cried with relief and small wonder. Who would want to continue that kind of work! And now someone's looking after us and all.
Anyway we packed our stuff and Reg took us to the Embassy. Shaina came with us. You know that she appeared at the Bunny bar at the same time as Reg? Her real name is Antonia by the way and she won't answer to any other either. She's taken off her mask and she's real pretty too.
The Embassy was great. I figure it must be a bit like the Kido mansion as you described it only smaller but only a bit 'cause they are adding to the building right now. It's in a park (they call it a 'compound') and practically faces the imperial palace across the water! There are lots of cherry trees and Ma'am says it's lovely in spring. Ma'am is the Ambassador's wife it's how everyone calls her I don't know her name. The Ambassador is Sir John. Ma'am is wonderful. She took real good care of us and though we had to stay indoors and in our room most of the time we weren't bored for a bit 'cause she gave us books and television and games. The food was great. They say the English can't cook but when you're used to starvation who cares? The girls liked it too. The girls that's Miho and Antonia and Seika and Sunrei. Those two came later, after Miho had gone to their weekly meeting ate the rocks (you remember where?) They were overjoyed to be away from the Orphanage though worried about the little girls who were still living there but there isn't a lot they can do is there? Except loving them says Seika, which is a girlish thing to say 'cause love won't protect them when it's their time to train for Saints.
Anyway we stayed at the Embassy for about two weeks and we all studied hard at English 'cause Sir John told us we'd be going to his country.
Then Reg told us he'd arranged for transport out of Japan and guess what? He'd hired a yacht for deep-sea fishing, and we were smuggled on board and out we sailed! Miho cried but that was because she had to say goodbye to her friend Minako, who helped us at the bar and now works for the Embassy. Reg likes her a lot. There was a scary moment when the Harbour Police held us up to search the boat but Sir John and his wife were there as they pretended to go deep sea fishing and he threw his weight about talking about diplomatic immunity (means they can't touch him) and he'd complain in high places and that settled them proper! It proves how Graad isn't letting anyone slip the net, 'cause Reg said they'd never done that before. Of course once on sea they couldn't do anything. We went all the way round the island and then crossed the Japanese Sea to the Korean mainland. It was super but Antonia was seasick all the way so she didn't like it. Don't let on I told you 'cause she's ever so embarrassed.
When we landed we said goodbye to sir John and Ma'am and there was a van waiting and with Reg and another fellow I never knew his name but I think he belongs to the Secret Service we drove all the way to Seoul!
We'd be taking a plane there. We all have the right papers now Reg says someone with friends in high places has been pulling strings to arrange that so quickly at the Foreign Office. Miho is very proud of her British passport. She doesn't want to have anything to do with Japan anymore.
There was a surprise for us waiting at the airport: Antonia's mum! She looks just like her but older with grey hair. She was crying all the time and kept saying "Madonna Madonna Antonita mia Santa Maria grazie grazie!". It's hard to think of Shaina as having a mother. She was crying too. They said goodbye for they would fly to Rome and from there to Palermo. We went to London instead and had to say goodbye to Reg who'd be driving all the way back to where our boat had landed to be picked up. That way nobody would find out he'd left Japan. The secret service man came with us and in London drove us to the farm.
It's called Crows Hall and its great. Very different from Siberia though there isn't even snow yet! Auntie Pauline says we should see in a month the Downs (that's what they call the hills here) would be white we might go sleighing from Bow's Hill. Auntie Pauline is the farmer's wife and he's your Mr. Field's cousin. We call him Uncle Ben. Crow's hall is huge, we each have got our own room they take in guests in summer but they say that's all right. The Secret Service man said this is better that a Safe House because we are with family. That's what it feels like too. Auntie Pauline cooks lovely my favourite is steak and kidney pie and apple crumble with loads and loads of custard and scones with strawberry jam and cream which we get for tea every day freshly baked. Remember how the Commissars back home would tell us how badly off the Western Imperialist were?
Well, after we had slept off the journey for about a day we were told we could call you on the phone and Miho was overjoyed at hearing your voice I think she is sweet on you. She and Sunrei are being taught special so that they can go to school too. Miho might already next term but Sunrei can't read or write so it might be next year for her. Seika's too old for school (she's almost twenty) but plans on evening classes to catch up. Meanwhile she helps out on the farm we all do I've got the job of collecting the eggs from our chickens each morning.
I was very nervous my first day at school but the teacher couldn't be nicer. She told the other children how I had come from Siberia and there was a map of our country hanging over the blackboard and she showed pictures. She told the kids to help me because I didn't know the language very well and then asked if anyone had questions. Some stupid bloke trying to be funny asked I was radioactive from Tchernobyl and if my pee glowed in the dark. I whacked him for that during lunch break. His name is Dave and we are best of friends he let me have half of his marbles and taught me how to ride a bicycle we have lots of fun together playing over in Wildhams Wood. You don't know what all those places are but Uncle Ben says you are all coming over for Christmas I can't wait!
Do svidanye
Jacob.
P. S. Auntie Pauline has helped me write this letter.
To be continued.
Author's note: the lack of interpunctuation is because Jacob is only nine years old!
The Manga reader will have noticed that Seika is quite a bit older. In the Manga she is aged 16, but a 10-year-old girl making her way to Greece? I think not. Likewise, Marin is stated as being 16, but in the first book there is a flash-back of her being introduced to Seiya, and if she's ten then she must have had several shots of female hormones. Besides, if she's already a saint and it takes at least 6 years to become one, she must have started at 4 or younger! Funny how one can twist ones mind to the scientifically impossible but not to this!
The places mentioned are authentic, however, as I have changed the 'real' people in this story 's names, they do not live there. So if you are ever to come to Brussels or Chilgrove and meet someone who reminds you of anyone of the 'Field' family, don't say anything and be glad with what you know.