Senda waited until the others had left, and then asked Rinkichi softly:
“Is there any message you’d like sent to your family?”
Rinkichi was silent for a few seconds. He stared in a bewildered way at the policeman.
“No, no,” he said at last: “No, I don’t want anything.”
VI
As Seato was being led to the lavatory in the morning, he heard a voice calling out “Hallo!” from a cell at the end of the corridor.
Seato stopped. It was Watari’s voice. Seato saw Watari’s face pressed against the bars of the grating.
“Is that you, Watari?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Are you alone?”
“Yes. How are all the others?”
The policeman escorting Seato came up at that moment. “Be quiet!” whispered Seato and passed on. Why should Watari be in solitary confinement? What was behind all this? Seato could not guess for the life of him. When he came back to his own cell he told Rinkichi about it. The latter listened in silence and bit his lip.
Ishida also met Watari in the lavatory. He had no chance to speak to him, but he saw his quiet, resolute face.
“Listen, do you know Bancroft?” Ishida asked Rinkichi on his return.
“No, who is he? A Communist?”
