Chapter 4 Chapter 2 The Man Who Never Returned

1 As soon as he got through the entrance and entered the store, the boss's eyes immediately caught him. As soon as the boss found out that the customer who came to the door was Fukamachi, he immediately smiled.He will not forget the person who left one hundred and fifty dollars yesterday to buy a broken and unusable second-hand camera. Fukamachi greeted with a smile. Namaste. Namaste. The boss responded to Fumachi. There are no other customers in the store. Fukamachi faced the boss across the counter. Regarding the camera I bought yesterday, I would like to ask a few things Fukamachi asked in English.

The Nepali language of the Fukacho Club is limited, and detailed conversations are not possible.His language ability needs to be strengthened. Switching to English, Fukamachi was able to barely get the information he needed.But the premise is that the other party is interested in listening to Fukamachi's broken English. What's wrong with the machine?The boss replied in English, and the smile gradually disappeared from his face. Even if there is a problem with the machine, it is impossible for the boss to agree to settle the claim.Now, even if you say you want to return the camera and ask me to refund the money, I can't do it.

The boss looks to indicate this. Oops, not a problem, but I want to know something. About that camera? Yes. What's the matter? About the previous owner of that camera. oh? I want you to tell me who sold it.Could it be you who was the previous owner? of course not. Who is selling it? If you ask me who I am, I won't remember all those things.Even if I know, I can't tell you.If someone spreads the word that the tone of my store is not tight, no one will sell things. Hearing this, Fukamachi thought, Saito was right. He remembered what Saito from Journey to the West said before here.

Journey to the West is the travel agency that cooperated with the mountaineering team in this expedition. Fukamachi went to the travel agency and asked Saito what kind of store it was. Fukamachi explained the location and said: I think it should be a shop called Sagarmatha Sagarmatha means Mount Everest in Nepali. Fukamachi told Saito the name of the store, and he nodded in understanding. I know.A store that sells everything from mountaineering supplies to famous products and ritual instruments, right?Opened by Maniku Mashatrili Is that man's name Maniku Mashatrili? Nepalese will add their ethnic name after their name.

In this case, Manikumar is the name and Kshatriya is the ethnic name. There are not only items sold by the mountaineering team, but also items and stolen goods that the porters know to be stolen from the mountaineering team's luggage. Stolen goods? Yes.Once before, the owner of the shop showed the stolen luggage of the French team during the expedition, and had a quarrel with the French team who knew about it Right. According to rumors, that store seems to be unable to sell even the stolen Buddhist scriptures and Buddha statues from the Lama Temple, and it seems that monks from that temple once stole Buddha statues to sell.

After a brief explanation, Saito asked: Did you have any problems in that store? Not that something went wrong. Please be careful.Lately, Kathmandu has been dangerous. Danger? Um.In the past, the robbers and thieves in this country knew that there is a way to steal, but recently they only seek money and kill What happened? A month ago, a Sherpa woman was murdered. Here's the thing. The Sherpa woman lost her husband and lived alone in her Kathmandu apartment.It is said that around her neck she always wears the gems that Sherpa women often wear. Well, this is what triggers the murder.But most Sherpa women wear fake gems, but the Sherpa woman who was killed kept claiming that they were real gems

Fake gemstones are cheap, but real gemstones are worth a lot.Converted into yen, even 200,000 won't buy it. Speaking of the average salary of Nepalese, for example, local employees working in a travel agency in Japan earn 12,000 rupees a month. As far as Nepalese are concerned, this is of course a high salary earner.Converting 12,000 rupees into Japanese yen is 30,000 yen, which is equivalent to about seven months' salary of an average person. The Sherpa woman had her throat cut with a knife blade one morning, and when she was found, she was a cold corpse. The jewels she usually wears around her neck are said to have been stolen.

That was an unpleasant thing to hear. The culprit has not yet been arrested. Please be careful.When parting, Saito reminded Fukamachi. Fukamachi remembered that. I will not treat you badly.i will reward you Fukamachi took out a dollar bill from his pocket. The boss's eyes turned to those banknotes. It's not about money. The boss said so.Fukamachi stacked five ten-dollar bills on the counter in front of the boss. No way, sb (sir). please. Fukamachi doubled the remuneration and placed five more ten-dollar bills, for a total of one hundred dollars. The boss opened his eyes exaggeratedly and whistled.

It's amazing.That's all thanks, it looks like I made a mistake yesterday. unwise? Sell ​​your camera for $150.That seems worth a lot more than I thought I don't know yet. What's the meaning? Meaning, I want to know if it's worth it, so I want you to tell me about the guy who sold that camera.How about it?Mani Kumar. Fukamachi said the name of the boss. In an instant, the boss shrugged in surprise and smiled. What kind of camera is that, sir?Can you please tell me this? For the uninitiated, it's just a broken camera.However, this varies from person to person, and some people are interested in it.

Just like you sir?The boss's eyes flickered. That's right.Fukamachi nodded. The boss thought about it for a while, and said: If this is the case, why not.Can you tell me your contact location?I'll think about it a little bit, and if I remember something, I'll call your place again. How long does it take to remember? Hurry up, within today OK, I see. Fukamachi wrote down his name and the phone number of Journey to the West as the contact point.He didn't tell the boss the phone number of the restaurant. You just call here and leave a message for a guy named Saito.Just tell him you remember and he'll know.

It turned out to be so easy to understand. The boss reaches for the banknotes on the counter. Fukamachi's hand was faster than his, leaving only one note and pocketing the rest. I leave the phone bill. I see. The boss reaches for the ten-dollar bill and pockets it solemnly. The rest, wait until you think about it. 2 Fukamachi returned to the hotel at noon and took out the camera from the backpack he kept in the room. Open the cover of the fuselage, pull out the bellows and take a look. Fukamachi thought, maybe it was a great luck to find him. if this camera belonged to mallory That would solve the greatest mystery in the history of Himalayan mountaineering.This camera should contain 120mm film negatives.Now, there are no negatives in the camera.However, the roll of negatives must be in someone's hands. At least, between the time the person who discovered the camera and the time the camera came into his hands, someone removed the film. If you go back to the way you got this camera, you will naturally find that roll of negatives. I just hope the roll of negatives is still safe. However If the discoverer hadn't realized what this camera represented, the negatives would probably have been discarded.Or, if it's messed with by someone who doesn't use the camera that much, the negative could be ruined by exposure. There are other situations: the camera may have been discovered several years ago, or even more than ten years ago, so the discoverer himself cannot be found, and even if the discoverer is found, it is likely that the negatives will not be obtained. However, things will not progress if they stay in the room all the time. Manikuma will call sooner or later, and before that, it is a painful thing for Fukamachi who is in a state of excitement to just stay here and wait for the call. He wrapped the camera in an unwashed shirt and underwear, put it in a plastic bag, and put it in a hiking backpack. Then, leave the hotel. He went to Journey to the West located on Durbar Avenue to meet Saito. Fukamachi told Saito that if someone calls, please call him in his hotel room to inform him. I'll hang out on the street and be back at the hotel by evening Fukamachi left Journey to the West and visited several bookstores. He wanted to find books about Mallory.However, neither of the first two bookstores had the book he was looking for.In the third room, he found a book that mentioned the history of Mount Everest climbing from 1921 to 1953. "The Story of Everest".English version. The book also mentions Mallory's record for England in 1924. Fukamachi suddenly thought of a second-hand store in Tami District, which specializes in buying unnecessary belongings and books for travelers or climbers at low prices, so he went to that store. Found "The Mystery of Mallory and Irvine" there. The author is Tom.Horsell and Audrey.Salkod, Fukamachi read the Japanese version of this book in Japan.The content of this book should be fairly difficult. Although it is in English, it should be barely understandable. What's more, there is a dictionary, and there is no problem with the technical terms of mountaineering.And watched the Japanese version once. The cover was worn and tattered, but Fukamachi bought it.Fukamachi planned to go back to his hotel room, read this book, and wait for Manikumar to call. He returned to his room before evening. He was lying on his back looking at the book he had just bought, planning to skim the section describing Mallory's camera first. Fukamachi wanted to hold the camera in his hand again, so he got up to get the backpack on the ground. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he opened his backpack and took out the plastic bag that should have contained the camera wrapped in his underwear and shirt. The moment he picked up the plastic bag, a sense of foreboding ran down his spine.Because the weight of the plastic bag is lighter than originally expected. A shiver that resembled fear ran down his spine. He grabs the plastic bag with both hands.soft touch None of the hard tactile feel of a camera that should fit in it. Fukamachi dumped the contents of the plastic bag on the bed. No. The camera disappeared from the plastic bag. Was put together. Manikuma's smiling face with the corners of his mouth raised came to mind. It's that man. It was the man, or whoever he hired, who did it.Other than that, nothing else is possible. But Why does he know the hotel where he lives? I see. Fukamachi thought of one thing. Fukamachi told Manikumar his name. If you call one by one the hotels where Japanese people may be staying, sooner or later you will end up asking about this place. If someone who understands Japanese calls to Journey to the West and says: I want to contact Shenmachi, please tell me the hotel where he is staying.You will probably know the name of this restaurant soon. There is always a way to do the rest. Among the waiters and waiters in the restaurant, there are always some who are easily bought by Manikumar.This is not a safe Japanese restaurant.Not even a high-end hotel.The toilet and bathroom are shared, and there are only beds, small coffee tables and chairs in the room. Even if the police call the police, it is impossible to recover the camera. Since there is no evidence, it cannot be said that people from the hotel probably did it.What's more, Manikumar's name cannot be said. If Manikumar had stolen the camera, there would have been a chance to get it back. Because what Manikumar wanted was not the camera itself.He did it precisely because he thought the camera could be exchanged for money. However, Manikumar probably doesn’t know the origin of that camera. I’m afraid he will show that camera to someone who knows, but there are very few people who can think of Mallory just by looking at that camera. Not much. Even Fukamachi was able to associate the camera with Mallory because of an interview with Mallory at work. About the part about Mallory, even a person with simple ordinary knowledge will probably not understand the meaning of the camera when he sees it. In this way, Mani Kumar will definitely contact himself. Fukamachi was sure of that. 3 long night. The call didn't come. Fukamachi tried to read the book he bought, but couldn't calm down. His eyes followed the typeface, but the content did not enter his head. Fukamachi gave up reading and turned off the desk lamp.Lie on your back on the bed and close your eyes. The eyeballs are still staring at the darkness inside the eyelids. The fact that Mallory's camera was stolen interrupted Fukamachi's sleep.The darkness you see when you wake up is your own heart. Kayoko's face. The scene of Jinggang and Funashima sliding on the snow. Manikumar's face. Those images repeatedly appeared in the darkness, and then disappeared. It was near dawn before finally falling asleep.Although the sleep is light, but very sleepy.The kind of sleep in which the body feels heavy and sinks into a bed. Woke up several times. The fatigue of climbing Mount Everest has not been eliminated.I always feel more and more tired when I sleep. It started to rain the next morning.Didn't leave the hotel room all day.In order to wait for Mani Kumar to call. Go check it out! If you can find it out, go ahead and check it out.You can't find it. If found, the way to obtain the camera can be traced back.The problem is how to interpret the meaning of the finder. If Manikumar knew the origin of that camera, he probably wouldn't have called the hotel to contact him. Assuming Manikumar knew the value of the camera, he would have contacted the UK first.He could contact the British embassy or the mountain club in London.Well, the news will probably spread all over the world immediately. Newspapers, magazines, television and various media rushed in. If handled properly, a huge sum of money beyond the market price will fall into the hands of Manikumar. And the glory of solving the mystery of Mallory will be missed. but Fukamachi thinks that he bought the camera in a legitimate way. If Manikuma wants to avoid problems with himself, he might choose himself as the object of negotiation instead. The media of Japan, an economic powerhouse, is also a good target for negotiation. That day, there was no contact. Arrived the next day. Manikumar should be uneasy too. If Ren Fukamachi went back to Japan without knowing the secret of the camera like this, he would probably be troubled too. three o'clock in the afternoon The phone rang. It was Saito from Journey to the West. Manikumar from Sagarmatha called and said he remembered something you asked him to do. Manikuma asked Saito to pass the message on his behalf, hoping that Fukamachi would find time to show up in the store. Do you have anything to do with that store? Saito asked Fukamachi worriedly. Fukamachi told Saito that it's a little personal matter, it's no big deal, and then hung up the phone. Fukamachi took a shower, shaved off his beard, brushed his teeth, and combed his hair. The incessant rain from early in the morning turned down, and the sun began to show a little. 4 As soon as Fukamachi entered the store, Manikuma smiled and bowed his head respectfully. You look radiant.Manikumar said. It seems that showering and grooming have worked. If you come here with a haggard and resentful face, he will only see through that you can't do without that camera. Before the other party mentions something, you must speak on the premise that the camera is still in your hand. Thank you for contacting me.I almost have to go back to Japan.I thought I would get no reply, so I left Kathmandu like this. Back to Japan? Because there are still many jobs waiting for me. Well, to make a long story short. Beside Manikuma stood a man of around fifty who also looked like a Kshatriya. Did you remember anything? Yes. Manikuma bent down and handed Fukamachi a wooden chair from behind the counter. Eh, please sit down.Let's talk over tea. Manikumar placed three teacups on the counter and poured tea from a teapot inside. He and the man sat across the counter from Fukamachi. All kinds of worn-out climbing gear hang from the ceiling. This is Naradar.Mr. Lachandra, often bring some diggings to my shop. Man Naradar.Rachandra bowed her head and smiled. His eyes are sharp.The strong body is not thin, but there is no excess fat. It was impossible to see what kind of business he was doing. In fact, that camera was brought to my store by this Mr. Naradaar. Then what? Fukamachi looked at Naradar.Lachandra glanced. What?Naladar.Lachandra still looked at Fukamachi with a smile on her face. Under what circumstances did you get that camera? It was brought to me by a man from the Gulun tribe about ten days ago Gulun tribe? Yes.He seemed to be a porter on Jungfrau Avenue, holding something like this and asking if I could change it into money, and among the items he showed me was the camera. Naladar.Lachandra said bluntly, it was incredible. 5 A man comes up to sell marijuana resin, followed closely behind.Fukamachi ignored him and walked across Durbar Square. Turn right at the corner of the old palace and see Shiva.Parvati Temple is just opposite the Shiva Temple.Fukamachi left the cannabis resin vendor who had finally given up at the corner and walked towards the Shiva Temple.Below the temple are stone steps, and after climbing it is the temple. The old, wood-grained wooden buildings seem to have lost the function of a temple, but they are still a temple full of incense. There are three or four groups of people forming a circle above the stone steps, and each circle is composed of five or six men.They are playing cards. right here Fumachi is at the bottom of the steps, recalling Naradahl not long ago.What Rachandra said. Rick Tam said someone gave it to him.Naladar.Lachandra said so. Someone sent him?Fukamachi asked. Yes.He said, the other party is Japanese like you What's the name of that Japanese guy? This is not known.Naladar.Rachandra shrugged. In this case, I want to meet that Ritam of the Gulun tribe.where does he live? His home is in Pokhara.Rick Tam is out to make money.He couldn't seem to find work in his hometown, so he came to Kathmandu to work as a porter for mountaineering teams or trekkers. Pokhara If you want to see him, I think he is probably still in Kathmandu. where is he? very close.When the monsoons hit, job opportunities disappear, so porters who go out to earn a living return to their villages; until then, they gamble with their savings. Where is the place?Fukamachi asked again. If business as usual, they will gamble under the roof of the Shiva Temple in Durbar Square.If you can't find it there, just ask anyone where Rick Tam is and they should tell you. Naladar.Rachandra spoke fluently. He knew everything and said everything, but it made Fukamachi suspicious.Are these two people playing some tricks on themselves? But what the hell are they up to?This made Fukamachi puzzled. Naladar.If Lachandra was as strong and upright as he appeared, Fukamachi had misunderstood him. Fukamachi thanked him, put the ten-dollar bill on the counter, and stood up. At one point he turned his back on them, then turned around again. Recently, the law and order in Kathmandu seems to have deteriorated, and there have been more thieves, huh? Fukamachi stared into Manikuma's eyes as if to observe the reaction. Manikuma grinned, showing his yellow teeth. If it wasn't money that was stolen from you, but something was stolen, I think I can find it for you.Because thieves want cash, not items.Stolen items must be cashed in.I know a few of these black markets, and maybe someone will bring the stolen goods to my store, Manikumar said. I will remember your words. Fukamachi turned his back on the two of them again and walked out of the shop. Looking up at the temple from below, he looked for Ritam among the men who enjoyed playing cards.I didn't know his appearance at first, and the Gulun tribe and the Tamang tribe were mixed together. Speaking of this, Fukamachi remembered that during the expedition, porters and Sherpas would also play this kind of card game during their work breaks. Fukamachi slowly climbed up the stone steps higher than her knees. On the way, I saw brown and white mottled goats lying on the ground.The goat didn't move as Fukamachi passed by. After climbing the stone steps, Fukamachi came to the temple. The eyes of the men turned to Fukamachi, and then returned to the cards. Under the eaves of the incense-filled temple, a man who gambled blatantly in broad daylight lay beside him. A woman in a primary-colored sari and a man on a rickshaw hurried past the square directly below. This is an incredible city. Is Rick Tam coming today?Fukamachi asked the first group of men in Nepali. Uta over there.The man who looked like the Gulun tribe pointed his thumb at the group of men on the opposite side. Grass grew everywhere on the stone steps.Fukamachi stepped on the grass and walked towards the group of men on the opposite side. The group of men seemed to have just decided the outcome, and they were taking out crumpled banknotes to count the money.The man who had finished counting the money threw the bills into the lap of a man leaning against the temple wall.The man with black nails used the fingers of his right hand to grab the banknotes thrown by someone else, and stacked them on a stack of banknotes in his left hand. Is Mr. Rick Tam in here?Fukamachi asked in Nepali. The eyes of the men were focused on the man stacking banknotes. The man who won the money in the game just now seems to be Rick Tam. The man turned his gaze to Fukamachi, and stuffed the banknotes into his pocket. Namaste. Fukamachi clasped his palms lightly in front of his chest, and said the Japanese equivalent of hello. Namaste. The dark-skinned man smiled with a slight timid look in his eyes. Fukachi told Ritamu his name, and he was a Japanese tourist. About your sale to Naradar.Lachandra that camera, I have a few things to ask you Fukamachi said so. Ryutam smiled timidly, and stared at Fukamachi again. I heard it was given to you by the Japanese? Ah, yes, Tam nodded, looking at Fukamachi tentatively. Are you friends with that Japanese guy? no. As soon as Fukamachi denied it, Ritamu's expression relaxed a little. His name is Bisalu sap. Bisalu sap? In Nepali it means poisonous snake. Bicard is poison and San is snake.Fukamachi also knew this word.However, why does the word Bisalu sap appear at this time? That Japanese name.People call him Bisalu sap. What is the Japanese name? do not know.I only know the name.Rick Tam said. The conversation didn't go well.The two stuttered and repeated the same word several times, and finally communicated to this point.Although there was a conversation in Nepali mixed with English, as far as Fukamachi's language ability was concerned, this conversation was his limit. During such a conversation, Ryutam seemed to finally understand that Bisalu sap had nothing to do with Fukamachi, and the timidity gradually disappeared from his face. So, you want to ask about that camera, don't you? Rick Tam put down the cards in his hand and said: OK.However, there is no way to talk properly here, let's change places.You do not mind right? certainly.Fukamachi said. 6 After turning left and right in several alleys, Ryutam entered a small shop. On the concrete floor, there are four wooden tables lined up.Fukamachi and Ryutam sat facing each other at the innermost table. Apart from them, there were no guests. Roughly speaking, it should be walking west from Durbar Square, that is, in the direction of the Vishnumati River.Fukamachi guessed that after a short walk, he would probably reach the Vishnumati River, but he wasn't sure. Rick Tam orders a beer from his indifferent boss. Of course, this has to be paid by Fukamachi. Fukamachi also ordered beer. The boss sent Thai Lion brand beer, the label almost peeled off because it was wet, it seemed that it was not kept in the refrigerator, but chilled with water. Rick Tam finished a glass of beer and said: Are you going to ask about the camera? Um.I would like you to tell me where you got that camera and what kind of Japanese gave it to you. It's okay to tell you, but before that, I have something I want you to tell me first. What's up? Why do you want to know so much about that camera?Is there any secret to that old broken camera? Asked by him, Fukamachi immediately understood everything. I see This man named Rick Tam, and Manikumar, Naradar.Rachandra is in the gang.The two tried to use the man to pry themselves into the camera's secrets. Maybe even the fact that the Japanese gave Ryu Tam the camera may be a fake. In any case, the reason why those two people provided all kinds of information to allow themselves to meet Rick Tam in front of them must be to ask for information about the camera from their own mouths. At first, the timidity in Tamm's eyes was because he doubted whether he knew the previous owner of the camera, Bisalu sap.Then, even if it's true that Ryutam got the camera, it probably wasn't through legitimate means. I asked first.you answer me first Fukamachi took five one-dollar bills out of his pocket and placed them on the table. Rick Tam's eyes lit up. I said it, will you say it too? Yes. Rick Tam reached for the bills on the table.Fukamachi's hand was one step faster than his own on the bill. Take it after you're done talking. As I said, it was given to me by the Japanese. I've heard it.What I want to know is what kind of person Bisalu sap is and where does he live. When Fukamachi said this, Ryutam's eyes moved and stopped on the things behind Fukamachi.Fukamachi sat with his back to the door.In other words, Rick Tam was looking in the direction of the door. The movement of someone behind Fukamachi darkened the shop. Someone stepped in the door, thus blocking the light outside the store. Fukamachi turned back. There stood a man. He is not very tall, at most one hundred and seventy centimeters.The man stood one step into the store, staring at Fukamachi and Ryutam in turn. A stocky, rock-like man. Wearing ripped jeans and a T-shirt. The whole face was covered with a black beard.A man with a strong body odor. When walking on a trail in the forest by mistake, you will often suddenly smell a strong beast body odor.When Fukamachi saw the man, he felt as if he could smell the stench of that beast. The man stared at Tamm silently.There was a strong sense of oppression in his eyes. Fukamachi looked away from the man, seeing that Ryutam's expression was stiff.Rick Tam seemed to be trying to force a smile, but the horror of it made him lose it. What's wrong?Fukamachi asked. Bi, Bicard said in a stiff tone: that guy is Bisalu sap Fukamachi turned his gaze to the man behind him again. Bisalu sap the man named Viper stood there. The poisonous snake slowly approached the table where Fukamachi was, limping slightly on his left foot. After the poisonous snake, another figure entered the store. An old man who seems to be over sixty years old does not look like a Kshatriya or a Niwa living in the Kathmandu Basin, but a Tibetan who is closer to the Japanese and lives in the highlands of the Himalayas. He is a Sherpa. Excuse me?I have something to say to this man.said the man Viper. With a deep voice, he cut the words into words and said them word by word, but he spoke in pure Japanese. please. Fukamachi was curious what this man was going to tell Ryutam when he came here. If, as Ritamu said, this poisonous snake is the former owner of the camera, for Fukamachi, there is no need to talk to Ritamu. It's funny what you just said, said the Viper, standing up to Rick Tam. He speaks fluent Nepali. It cannot be compared with the Nepali language of Shenmachi. The Nepali language of Fukamachi was laid during the second expedition, when I went to a Nepali language school with other team members in Japan for nearly three months, and laid the foundation.In terms of the position of the sentence structure subject, predicate, particle, etc. in the sentence, Nepali and Japanese are basically the same.After learning grammar, the next step is to memorize more words than anyone else. When did you say I gave you that camera? Rick Tam had given up trying to force a smile. please forgive me sir I asked a gambler in Durbar, and the other party told me right away, saying that you probably went to this shop.You often sell marijuana resin here, don't you? Mr. Rick Tam's expression twisted. How much did you sell it for?asked the Viper. Rick Tam didn't answer. I ask how much you sold it for!the Viper asked again. Three thousand rupiah rick tam said. Converted into Japanese currency, it is equivalent to about 7,200 yen. The camera, the cobalt bell, and the Buddha statue cost a penny.The price was cut a lot.It looks like you went to the store of a rather heartless person. please forgive me Sagarmatha?Or Shakti? The poisonous snake watched Ritamu's face while talking, and smiled. You are so honest.It turned out to be Mani Kumar's shop. Rick Tam's face was livid. How much do you have? take it out.It's not convenient for me to take it out of your arms.Take it out yourself. I heard that you made a lot of money from gambling.You can go back to Pokhara immediately, but you are still hanging around in Kathmandu.Hand it over to me obediently. The poisonous snake bent down and whispered softly, and Ryutam reached into his arms, took out the cloth bag, and grabbed a stack of thick banknotes from it. The viper took it and started counting the bills. He took nearly half of the stack of notes and threw the rest on the table in front of Ritam. Exactly three thousand rupees. Before the poisonous snake finished speaking, the money on the table returned to Rick Tam's wallet. So, the camera, the cobalt bell and the Buddha statue are still in the shop, right?The Viper asked Rick Tam. Rick Tam didn't answer. Probably gone.Fukamachi answered in his place. The poisonous snake's gaze turned to Fukamachi. I don't know about cobalt bells and Buddha statues, but BEST POCKET AUTOGRAPHIC KODAK SPECIAL is not currently displayed in Sagarmatha's store. Do you know the name of that camera? Well, I also know that it was a camera that went on the market in 1924. After Fukamachi finished speaking, the poisonous snake looked him up and down. You and Rick Tam were talking about the camera just now, weren't you? yes. Fukamachi nodded, reported his name, and then briefly told the ins and outs. Including the theft of the camera in the restaurant, and the possible culprits of Ryutam and Manikumar, all have been said. The conversation was conducted entirely in Japanese. Leaving aside the old Sherpa who came with the poisonous snake, at least it is impossible for Rintam to understand the content of the conversation just now. Fukamachi finished the passage without mentioning Mallory's name and Everest. Just like that, Viper should have understood the relationship between Mallory and this camera, and the reason why he did not mention those keywords is to prevent Rick Tam from hearing the words related to the secret of the camera. Everest and Mallory's name. Assuming, of course, that the Viper had background knowledge about Mallory and the camera. Judging from the way Viper looked at him when he proposed the number 1924, it was impossible for this man not to know about it. I see.So, you are here now. As the poisonous snake whispered, he pulled two chairs from one side and asked the old Sherpa to sit down on one chair while he sat on the other. Can you tell me?It seems this man stole that camera, what happened in the process? Mr. Fukamachi, are you a member of the Japanese team that climbed Mount Everest this spring? Um. During the same period, the British team also went to Mount Everest. Viper was right. The British team also entered the base camp during the same period as the Japanese team.They tried to climb the southwest wall, but they were unable to reach the top, and two team members died, and they returned home in defeat. Fukamachi searched for memories. They should have descended from the base camp five days earlier than their own team. In order to carry the luggage down the mountain, the British team found porters from the bottom of the mountain, and Rick Tam was one of them.However, when he arrived at the base camp, Ryutam suffered from altitude sickness and became delirious.So the Sherpa leader carried him down the mountain.At that time, we lent the land of a Sherpa family I knew as a difficult-to-use camp to Ritam.After one night, Ritam was nowhere to be seen.As a result, the cobalt bells and statues of the Sherpa family, as well as the camera, disappeared. Bicard Fukamachi hesitated, and called the man by this name. So, were you in that British team at the time? Sorry, Fukamachi-san, I don't want to answer too in-depth questions.I'm responsible for interrupting your conversation with Rutam in the middle, so I'm telling you some things, but even then, I feel like I've said too much. Said the Viper, putting his thick elbows on the table. At this time, Fukamachi discovered that the man's left hand was missing two fingers: the little finger and the ring finger Suddenly, Fukamachi felt a memory revive. That's the feeling that I might know about this man. He looks at the man. From the area around the snake's shoulders and thick neck, there is a smoky heat that resembles the body odor of a beast. I have never met this man directly.Even if I have seen it, I have seen it from a distance at most, or seen it in photos. The question now is where is the camera. The sound of the poisonous snake interrupted Fukamachi's memory about to recover. Viper shifted his gaze to Rick Tam. The man said, tell the police about your bad deeds. Viper said what Fukamachi didn't say. A wave of fear flitted across Rutam's face, which was unbearable. I heard that you stole the camera that this man bought at Manikumar's shop from his hotel room. I, I didn't.That's not what I did.That's what Manikumar paid the hotel staff to do it.not me. Are you lying? it is true.To do this this time, Manikumar asked me to do it.Manikumar came to me and wanted me to ask why this Japanese guy wanted that camera.He said that in order to gain the Japanese's trust, don't lie, it's better to add some truth.So, I also uttered your name Bisalu sap That being the case, the camera is in Manikumar's shop right now? I think so. Hearing Rick Tam's words, Viper stood up. You, what are you going to do? I'm going.Viper said briefly. where to go Go to Manikumar's shop. The poisonous snake's eyes looked at Fukamachi. what are you going to do His eyes said so. I am coming too. Fukamachi also stood up. 7 The poisonous snake took out a stack of three thousand rupee notes from his pocket and placed them on the counter naturally. What are you doing?Manikumar said respectfully. I want to buy something with this money.said Viper. buy what? Cameras, cobalt bells, and Buddha statues. Heck, is there anything that fits? Manikumar seems to be trying to play dumb. That calm attitude should be able to get a good evaluation. Naladar.Lachandra stood beside him with an inscrutable look on her face. I heard that you stole that camera from the hotel where I live, right?Fukamachi said. Who said that? That Ricky Tam over there. How can it be.Could it be that you heard wrong? He did. real? Manikuma's eyes were fixed on Ratam. Rick Tam kept his head down, barely looking up. You are here to repeat what you just said.said Viper. At this time, the old Sherpa who had been silent before suddenly muttered as if talking to himself: Do you know what it is like to steal a Sherpa's Buddhist relics? Almost all Sherpas are Buddhists. Basically, unlike many Japanese who naturally become Buddhists, the Sherpas are devout Buddhists. For Buddhism, they hold far more specific and realistic beliefs than the Japanese in their daily life. 每逢登山之際，一定會立石佛塔，在塔上綴以聖旗，藉此祈求登山平安和登頂成功。 雪巴族的家家戶戶一定有佛壇，佛壇上擺著佛像和名為唐卡的佛畫。大部分雪巴人都相信來世，聖母峰大街上到處都蓋著收藏經典的佛塔，四周堆疊著為數眾多的嗎呢堆，上頭刻著經文。 佛教可說是雪巴族的精神生活重心。 佝塔姆的臉上佈滿恐懼。 你最好做好心理準備，如果惹惱雪巴族的話，除了丹布之外，無論在哪個山區，都不會有挑夫的工作。就算有工作，你也要小心。說不定在步行途中，會有石頭砸在你頭上，或者腳底下的岩石坍方，墜落谷底 老人的說話方式，彷彿在吟誦腦中的經文。 無論在哪個山區，尼泊爾境內的登山和健行現場，都是由雪巴族指揮。 雪巴族會替登山隊和健行隊伍在當地雇用挑夫，或交涉價錢，就這個層面而言，雪巴族擁有莫大的特權。 不過，如果在這裡搞到警察找上門，你大概連挑夫也當不成了吧 Who are you?馬尼庫瑪問道。 安伽林老人回答。 深町思索那個名字。這個名字聽過。雖然不是清楚記得，但應該是站上聖母峰頂兩次、其他八千公尺峰頂好幾次的雪巴人的名字。 馬尼庫瑪的表情變得僵硬。 哦，還有人知道老朽的名字啊。安伽利語氣冰冷地低聲笑了。 如果想繼續做同一行的話，應該已經有了答案。毒蛇說道。 這種店裡賣的登山用品，大多數是國外遠征隊離開尼泊爾時留下的。因為與其付高額運費寄回本國，不如在加德滿都賣掉換現還比較經濟。 這種時候，介紹店家的是雪巴族，而雪巴人本身也經常讓近親經營這種店。 我們也可以和佝塔姆一起去找警察，提出備案三聯單。 毒蛇用指尖彈三千盧比，使其滑到櫃檯內。 I remembered.馬尼庫瑪朗聲說。 今天早上，有個第一次在店裡露面的男人，拿了各式各樣的東西來賣。反正八成是從哪裡偷來的贓貨，我就一併低價買進了，說不定其中夾雜著您剛才說的物品。也許連深町先生被偷的那臺相機也在其中 馬尼庫瑪眨一隻眼，厚顏無恥地說：我去裡頭找找，看看有沒有你們要的物品。 8 眾人默默地走著。 毒蛇和安伽林走在深町正前方。 毒蛇走路時，微微拖著左腳。 要開口對他的背影說話令人遲疑。那需要明知不會回應，仍有向岩塊出聲的勇氣。 你們給我聽好了，要忘記今天發生的事，還有這臺相機的事。就算有人來問，也要說不知道。這是為了我們彼此好。 毒蛇離開店時，對馬尼庫瑪說。 of course. 毒蛇見馬尼庫瑪點頭之後，便留下佝塔姆，和安伽林及深町三人走出店外。 從那時開始，眾人不發一語地前進。 背對杜巴廣場，從新路往東走 毒蛇和安伽林原本似乎打算把深町和佝塔姆一起留在那家店。 相機、鈷鈴，以及小型銅製佛像隨性地裹在報紙裡，放在毒蛇現在提在右手的布包中。 如果現在不開口說話，說不定就再也沒機會了。然而，該怎麼攀談才好呢？ Bicard先生這樣對他說也很奇怪。深町還不曉得毒蛇的本名。 他下定決心，加快腳步。與兩人併肩而行。 How about it?要不要到附近喝杯啤酒再走呢？ 毒蛇和安伽林停下腳步。 beer?毒蛇問道。 在明亮的戶外光線下，深町第一次近距離和這個男人面對面。 毒蛇的眼睛四周佈滿了深邃的皺紋。 他膚色黝黑，部分皮膚被紫外線曬傷破皮了。 他四十七歲？ 或者五十歲了呢？ 從舉手投足間，不難看出他的身體具備了三十五、六歲的肌耐力，但臉和身體散發出來的卻是年逾四十的成熟男人氣質。 他們正好在一家購物中心附近。 新路和斯庫拉路就在那裡交叉。轉角的二樓應該有一家去過好幾次的印度餐廳。 附近有一家我知道的店，能不能和我聊一聊呢？ 聊什麼？ 關於你手上拿著的相機 你知道那臺相機是怎樣的相機吧？ 深町問道，但毒蛇悶不吭聲。 那是一九二四年六月，喬治．馬洛里在聖母峰攻頂時帶去的相機。不，正確來說，那和馬洛里帶去聖母峰頂的相機是相同機種。 你知道這意味著什麼吧？ mean what? 假設那臺相機就是馬洛里帶去的相機，你是在哪裡得到它的？說不定你是第一個發現的人 就算是又怎麼樣？ 路人紛紛從左或右閃過站在路中間的三人而去。 深町已經不在乎喝不喝啤酒了。 他已經停不下來了。 既然開始說了，他打算在這裡把話全部說清楚。 那臺相機不該在加德滿都這種地方被人發現。它應該在八千公尺以上的雪中被人發現。 如果你是第一個發現的人，應該會知道。 what do you know? 裝在那臺相機裡的底片。 底片怎麼了嗎？ 如果沖洗那捲底片，說不定能夠改寫喜瑪拉雅山的登山史。 Wow 毒蛇以不帶感情的語調說：我沒興趣。 你沒興趣也無所謂。請你告訴我，你是在哪種情形下發現那臺相機的？ I will not tell you. Why? 因為我不想告訴你。 為什麼不想告訴我？ 我也不想告訴你，我不想告訴你的原因。毒蛇斬釘截鐵地說。 你給我聽好了，我也要先對你說我對馬尼庫瑪說過的話。你要忘記今天發生的事，還有這臺相機的事。就算別人問你，你也不准回答 為了我們彼此好？ 不是，是為了我好。 彷彿已經無話好說了似地，毒蛇邁開腳步。 安伽林默默地併肩走在他身旁。 毒蛇微微拖著左腳往前走去。 看到他走路的節奏、他的左腳時 忽然間，有個記憶在深町的腦海中復甦。 他想起了一個男人的名字。 Wait a moment.深町對毒蛇說。 然而，毒蛇不再留步。他跨著同樣的步伐往前走。 你是羽生先生吧？ 深町覺得，毒蛇的背部霎時抖動了一下，彷彿有什麼竄過他的背脊，當然，那說不定是錯覺。 你是羽生丈二，對吧！ 然而，毒蛇和安伽林都沒有停住。 兩人的身影終於消失在人群中時，深町想起了一件事。 自己沒有向任何人收回買那臺相機時付的錢一百五十美元。