Chapter 4 Chapter 2 The Man Who Never Returned

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. "About 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. "Is there something 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. "Oh, it's not that there's 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 would like you to tell me who sold it. The previous owner must have been you—?" "of course not." "Who sold 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 my store is not tight-lipped, no one will sell it gone."

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's 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 magic tools, right? Manik Mashatriri opened..."

"Is that man's name Maniku Mashatriya?" 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 store had shown the stolen luggage of the French team during the expedition, and had a quarrel with the French team who knew about it—" "Yes." "According to the rumors, that store seems to sell even the classics and Buddha statues stolen from the Lama Temple—however, it seems that monks from that temple once stole Buddha statues and sold them."

After Saito briefly explained, he asked: "Did something happen to you at that store?" "There's nothing wrong with it." "Please be careful. Kathmandu is very dangerous these days." "Danger?" "Well. 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 killed." 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.

"Here, this is what caused the murder. But most of the 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 Japanese yen, even if you pay 200,000 yen, you can'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 won't treat you badly. I'll reward you—" Fukamachi took out a dollar bill from his pocket. The boss's eyes turned to those banknotes. "It's not about the money." The boss said so.Fukamachi stacked five ten-dollar bills on the counter in front of the boss.

"No way, sab (sir)." "Please." Shenmachi doubled the reward and put five ten-dollar bills on it. The total is one hundred dollars. The boss opened his eyes exaggeratedly and whistled. "It's astonishing. Thanks, it seems I made a mistake yesterday." "unwise?" "Sell your camera for a hundred and fifty dollars. That seems to be 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 money, so I want you to tell me about the guy who sold that camera. How about it, Manikumar."

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 tell me that?" "To the uninterested, it's just a broken camera. But, it varies from person to person, and there are people who are interested in it." "Just like you sir?" The boss's eyes flickered. "That's right." Fukamachi nodded. The boss thought for a while and said: "In that case, how about this. Can you tell me your contact location? I'll think about it a little bit, and if I remember something, I'll call the place where you are staying."

"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." "So it's 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." 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 the 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 circumstances: the camera may have been discovered years—no, even a dozen years ago—so the discoverer himself cannot be located, and even if the discoverer were found, the negatives would probably not be available. 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 around the streets and be back at the hotel by evening—" Fukamachi left Journey to the West and visited several bookstores. This is 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 authors are Tom Horsell and Audrey Salcord, and Fukamachi read the Japanese version of the 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. I want to lie on my back and read the book I just bought.First, I'm going to go over the section describing Mallory's camera. Fukamachi wanted to hold the camera in his hand again, and got up to get the hiking 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, an ominous premonition 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 to the 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. Call one by one the hotels where Japanese people may stay, and sooner or later they will ask here. If someone who understands Japanese calls Saiyu Travel and says, "I want to contact Fukamachi, please tell me the hotel where he is staying." He will probably know the name of the hotel right away. 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. It's not a fancy hotel either. 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 "probably someone from the restaurant 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 should not know the origin of that camera. I'm afraid he will show the camera to someone who knows, but there are very few people who can think of Mallory just by looking at the camera. 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. 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. This is to wait for Manikumar 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, backtrack the way to get the camera.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. The news will probably spread all over the world immediately.Newspapers, magazines, television—all kinds of media come rushing 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 negotiations. 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. "Many Kumar 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. "Did 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, combed his hair. The incessant rain from early in the morning turned down, and the sun began to show a little. As soon as Fukamachi entered the store, Manikuma smiled and bowed his head respectfully. "You look in good spirits." 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 not hear back and left Kathmandu like this." "Back to Japan?" "Because there are still many jobs waiting for me." "Then, let's 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. "Hey, 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 Mr. Naradar Rachandra, who often brings some diggings to my shop." The man - Naradar Rachandra bowed his head with a smile on his face. 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. "Actually, that camera was brought to my shop by this Mr. Naradaar." "and then?" Fukamachi glanced at Naradar Rachandra. "what?" Naradar Rachandra still looked at Fukamachi with a smile on her face. "Under what circumstances did you get that camera?" "About ten days ago, a man from the Gulun tribe brought it to me—" "The Gulun tribe?" "Yes. He seems to be a porter on Jungfrau Avenue. He came to me with this kind of thing and asked me if it could be exchanged for money. Among the items he showed me was the camera." Naradar Rachandra said bluntly, it was incredible. 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 the Shiva Parvati Temple 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. Here it is-- Fukamachi was at the bottom of the steps, recalling what Naradar Rachandra had said not so long ago. "Ritam said someone gave him that." Naradar Rachandra said so. "Someone sent him?" Fukamachi asked. "Yes. He said that the other party is Japanese like you—" "What's the name of that Japanese man?" "I don't know." Naradar Rachandra shrugged. "In this case, I would like to meet that Ritam of the Gulun tribe. Where does he live?" "His family is in Pokhara. Ryutam goes out to earn money. He can't seem to find a job in his hometown, so he comes to Kathmandu to work as a porter for mountaineering teams or trekkers." "Pokhara—" "If you want to see him, I think he's probably still in Kathmandu." "where is he?" "It's very close. After the rainy season, job opportunities disappear, so the porters who go out to make a living will return to their respective villages. Before that, they will use the money they have saved to gamble." "Where is the place?" Fukamachi asked again. "If it's normal, they'll gamble under the roof of the Shiva Temple in Durbar Square. If you can't find it there, just ask anyone 'where is Ritam' and they should tell you. " Naradar 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. If Naradaar Rachandra was as strong and upright a man 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?" Fukamachi stared into Manikuma's eyes as if to observe the reaction. Manikuma grinned, showing his yellow teeth. "If instead of money you were stolen but items, I think I can find them for you. Because the thief wants cash, not items. The stolen items have to be cashed in. I know a few of these black markets, No one's going to bring stolen goods to my shop—" Manikumar said so. "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 blatantly gambled in broad daylight—the goat lay beside him, while a woman in a primary-colored sari and a man on a rickshaw hurried past the square directly below. This is an incredible city. "Did Ryutam come 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. "I have a few things I want to ask you about that camera you sold Naradar Rachandra—" Fukamachi said so. Ryutam smiled timidly, and stared at Fukamachi again. "I heard it was given to you by the Japanese?" "Ah, um—" Ryutam nodded, looking at Fukamachi with a probing look. "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 - poisonous snake appear at this time? "That Japanese name. People call him Bisalu sap." "What's your Japanese name?" "I don't 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. "Well, you want to ask about that camera, don't you—?" Rick Tam put down the cards in his hand and said: "Okay. But I can't talk properly here, so let's go somewhere else. Don't you mind?" "certainly." Fukamachi said. 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 heading 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?" "Hmm. I want 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? Does that old broken camera hold any secrets?" Asked by him, Fukamachi immediately understood everything. I see-- This man named Ritam was in the company of Manikumar and Naradar Rachandra.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 the beginning, the fear 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 finish talking." "I told you, the Japanese gave it to me." "I've heard that. What I want to know is who Bisalu sap is and where he lives." 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..." Rick Tam 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 stands 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, please? I have something to say to this man." Man - said the 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. "What you just said is really interesting..." The Viper stood and said 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. The structure of the sentence - the position of the subject, predicate, particle, etc. in the sentence is basically the same in Nepali and Japanese.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. "Sir, please forgive me..." "I asked a gambler in Durbar, and he told me right away that you probably went to this store. You often sell cannabis resin here, right?" "gentlemen……" Rick Tam's expression twisted. "How much did you sell it for?" asked the Viper. Rick Tam didn't answer. "I asked how much you sold it for!" the Viper asked again. "Three thousand rupees..." Rick Tam said. Converted into Japanese currency, it is equivalent to about 7,200 yen. "The camera, the cobalt bell, and the Buddha statue were only sold for a penny. The price was cut a lot. It seems that 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're so honest. So it's Manikumah'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. "Then the camera, the cobalt bell and the Buddha statue are still in the store?" 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 the BEST POCKET AUTOGRAPHIC KODAK SPECIAL is not currently displayed at the storefront of 'Sagarmatha'." "You know the name of that camera—?" "Well—I also know it was a camera that came out in 1924." After Fukamachi finished speaking, the poisonous snake looked him up and down. "You were talking about the camera with Rick Tam just now...?" "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 this, the poisonous snake should understand the relationship between Mallory and this camera, and the reason why he didn't mention those keywords is to prevent Rick Tam from hearing the secrets related to the camera Vocabulary - names of Everest and Mallory. 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. That's why you're 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 that 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?" "Ok." "At the same time, 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 recruited porters from down the mountain. Ryutam was one of them. However, when he arrived at the base camp, Ryutam suffered from altitude sickness and became unconscious. So the Sherpa The leader of the tribe carried him down the mountain. At that time, we lent the field of a Sherpa family I knew as a difficult camp and lent it to Ritam. After one night, Ritam disappeared. As a result, The cobalt bells and statues of the Sherpa family, as well as the camera, all disappeared." "Bicard—" Fukamachi hesitated, and called the man by this name. "So, were you on that British team?" "I'm sorry, Fukamachi-san, but I don't want to answer too in-depth questions. I'm responsible for interrupting your conversation with Ritam, so I told you something, but even so, I think it's too much. " Said the Viper, putting his thick elbows on the table. Only then did Fukamachi realize that the man's left hand was missing two fingers: the little finger and the ring finger—— Suddenly, Fukamachi felt a memory revive. Maybe I know about this man... It's that feeling. 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 current question 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. "This guy said, tell the police about the bad things you did." 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 the hotel room where he was staying." "I, I didn't. I didn't do that. It was Manikumar who paid the hotel staff to do it. Not me." "Are you lying?" "It's true. Manikumar asked me to do this this time. Manikumar came to me and wanted me to ask why the Japanese wanted that camera. He said that in order to get this Japanese People's trust, don't lie, it's better to mix some real things. So, I also said your name Bisalu sap..." "In that case, the camera is in Manikuma'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 are you going?" "Go to Manikumar's shop." The poisonous snake's eyes looked at Fukamachi. what are you going to do His eyes said so. "I'll go as well." 深町也站了起来。 毒蛇从口袋中掏出一叠三千卢比的纸钞，动作自然地放在柜台上。 “您这是在做什么——？” 马尼库玛语气恭敬地说。 “我想用这笔钱买些东西。” 毒蛇说。 "buy what?" “相机、钴铃，还有佛像。” “哎呀，有没有什么东西适合的呢——？” 马尼库玛似乎打算装傻。 那副从容的态度，应该可以得到不错的评价。 纳拉达尔·拉占德拉一脸莫测高深，站在他身旁。 “听说那台相机，是你从我住的饭店偷走的吧？” Fukamachi said. “那种话是谁说的呢？” “那边的那位佝塔姆。” “怎么可能。会不会是您听错了呢？” “他确实说了。” "real?" 马尼库玛的眼睛直盯着佝塔姆。 佝塔姆低着头，几乎没有意思要抬起头。 “你在这里把你刚才说过的话再说一次。” 毒蛇说。 这时，先前一直保持沉默的雪巴族老人忽然像是自言自语似地嘟囔道： “你知道偷雪巴族的佛具是怎样的行为吧？” 雪巴族几乎全是佛教徒。 基本上，与许多日本人自然而然就成了佛教徒这一点不一样，雪巴族是虔诚的佛教徒，对于佛教，在日常生活中就抱持着远比日本人更具体且实在的信仰。 每逢登山之际，一定会立石佛塔，在塔上缀以圣旗，藉此祈求登山平安和登顶成功。 雪巴族的家家户户一定有佛坛，佛坛上摆着佛像和名为“唐卡”的佛画。大部分雪巴人都相信来世，圣母峰大街上到处都盖着收藏经典的佛塔，四周堆叠着为数众多的吗呢堆，上头刻着经文。 佛教可说是雪巴族的精神生活重心。 佝塔姆的脸上布满恐惧。 “你最好做好心理准备，如果惹恼雪巴族的话，除了丹布之外，无论在哪个山区，都不会有挑夫的工作。就算有工作，你也要小心。说不定在步行途中，会有石头砸在你头上，或者脚底下的岩石坍方，坠落谷底……” 老人的说话方式，仿佛在吟诵脑中的经文。 无论在哪个山区，尼泊尔境内的登山和健行现场，都是由雪巴族指挥。 雪巴族会替登山队和健行队伍在当地雇用挑夫，或交涉价钱。 就这个层面而言，雪巴族拥有莫大的特权。 “不过，如果在这里搞到警察找上门，你大概连挑夫也当不成了吧……” “你是哪位？” 马尼库玛问道。 “安伽林……” 老人回答。 深町思索那个名字。 这个名字听过。 虽然不是清楚记得，但应该是站上圣母峰顶两次、其他八千公尺峰顶好几次的雪巴人的名字。 马尼库玛的表情变得僵硬。 “哦，还有人知道老朽的名字啊。” 安伽利语气冰冷地低声笑了。 “如果想继续做同一行的话，应该已经有了答案。” 毒蛇说道。 这种店里卖的登山用品，大多数是国外远征队离开尼泊尔时留下的。因为与其付高额运费寄回本国，不如在加德满都卖掉换现还比较经济。 这种时候，介绍店家的是雪巴族，而雪巴人本身也经常让近亲经营这种店。 “我们也可以和佝塔姆一起去找警察，提出备案三联单。” 毒蛇用指尖弹三千卢比，使其滑到柜台内。 “我想起来了。” 马尼库玛朗声说。 “今天早上，有个第一次在店里露面的男人，拿了各式各样的东西来卖。反正八成是从哪里偷来的赃货，我就一并低价买进了，说不定其中夹杂着您刚才说的物品。也许连深町先生被偷的那台相机也在其中——” 马尼库玛眨一只眼，厚颜无耻地说： “我去里头找找，看看有没有你们要的物品。” 众人默默地走着。 毒蛇和安伽林走在深町正前方。 毒蛇走路时，微微拖着左脚。 要开口对他的背影说话令人迟疑。那需要明知不会回应，仍有向岩块出声的勇气。 “你们给我听好了，要忘记今天发生的事，还有这台相机的事。就算有人来问，也要说不知道。这是为了我们彼此好。” 毒蛇离开店时，对马尼库玛说。 "of course." 毒蛇见马尼库玛点头之后，便留下佝塔姆，和安伽林及深町三人走出店外。 从那时开始，众人不发一语地前进。 背对杜巴广场，从新路往东走—— 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。 相机、钴铃，以及小型铜制佛像随性地裹在报纸里，放在毒蛇现在提在右手的布包中。 如果现在不开口说话，说不定就再也没机会了。 然而，该怎么攀谈才好呢？ Bicard先生——这样对他说也很奇怪。 深町还不晓得毒蛇的本名。 他下定决心，加快脚步。 与两人并肩而行。 “怎么样？要不要到附近喝杯啤酒再走呢？” 毒蛇和安伽林停下脚步。 "beer?" 毒蛇问道。 在明亮的户外光线下，深町第一次近距离和这个男人面对面。 毒蛇的眼睛四周布满了深邃的皱纹。 他肤色黝黑，部分皮肤被紫外线晒伤破皮了。 他四十七岁？ 或者五十岁了呢？ 从举手投足间，不难看出他的身体具备了三十五、六岁的肌耐力，但脸和身体散发出来的却是年逾四十的成熟男人气质。 他们正好在一家购物中心附近。 新路和斯库拉路就在那里交叉。转角的二楼应该有一家去过好几次的印度餐厅。 “附近有一家我知道的店，能不能和我聊一聊呢？” "What are you talking about?" “关于你手上拿着的相机——” "—" “你知道那台相机是怎样的相机吧？” 深町问道，但毒蛇闷不吭声。 “那是一九二四年六月，乔治·马洛里在圣母峰攻顶时带去的相机。不，正确来说，那和马洛里带去圣母峰顶的相机是相同机种。” "—" “你知道这意味着什么吧？” “意味着什么？” “假设那台相机就是马洛里带去的相机，你是在哪里得到它的？说不定你是第一个发现的人——” “就算是又怎么样？” 路人纷纷从左或右闪过站在路中间的三人而去。 深町已经不在乎喝不喝啤酒了。 他已经停不下来了。 既然开始说了，他打算在这里把话全部说清楚。 “那台相机不该在加德满都这种地方被人发现。它应该在八千公尺以上的雪中被人发现。” "—" “如果你是第一个发现的人，应该会知道。” "what do you know?" “装在那台相机里的底片。” “底片怎么了吗？” “如果冲洗那卷底片，说不定能够改写喜玛拉雅山的登山史。” "Wow--" 毒蛇以不带感情的语调说： "I am not interested." “你没兴趣也无所谓。请你告诉我，你是在哪种情形下发现那台相机的？” "I will not tell you." "why?" "Because I don't want to tell you." “为什么不想告诉我？” “我也不想告诉你，我不想告诉你的原因。” 毒蛇斩钉截铁地说。 “你给我听好了，我也要先对你说我对马尼库玛说过的话。你要忘记今天发生的事，还有这台相机的事。就算别人问你，你也不准回答——” “为了我们彼此好？” “不是，是为了我好。” 仿佛已经无话好说了似地，毒蛇迈开脚步。 安伽林默默地并肩走在他身旁。 毒蛇微微拖着左脚往前走去。 看到他走路的节奏、他的左脚时—— 忽然间，有个记忆在深町的脑海中复苏。 他想起了一个男人的名字。 "Wait a moment." 深町对毒蛇说。 然而，毒蛇不再留步。 他跨着同样的步伐往前走。 “你是羽生先生吧？” 深町觉得，毒蛇的背部霎时抖动了一下，仿佛有什么窜过他的背脊，当然，那说不定是错觉。 “你是羽生丈二，对吧！” 然而，毒蛇和安伽林都没有停住。 两人的身影终于消失在人群中时，深町想起了一件事。 自己没有向任何人收回买那台相机时付的钱——一百五十美元。