Kino no Tabi:Volume17 Chapter4
“Land of Left-Handedness” — Do the RIGHT Thing! —[edit]
A shot and a clang of metal resounded inside a forest, sending birds fleeing all at once from their nests.
Within this dark forest of coniferous trees stood Kino, garbed in her usual black jacket, with a hand persuader (Note: a gun, in this case a pistol) in her right hand. Thin, white smoke drifted from the tip of its barrel.
It was the persuader Kino called by the name ‘Canon’, a revolver with a lotus root-shaped cylinder that can accomodate eight .44 caliber rounds in one loading.
Roughly forty meters from Kino, an iron plate was dangling by a sturdy string from the branch of a tree.
The round iron plate was thirty centimeters in diameter, its surface full of bumps.
Because of the round fired but a moment earlier, it swayed intensely; back and forth like a playground swing.
“Bull’s eye.”
Hermes delightedly announced from beside Kino.
Kino switched Canon over to her left hand, and firmly raised the hammer with her thumb.
She protruded her left hand forward while slightly inclining it inwards, and established her aim towards the iron plate, which appeared like a tiny dot from the distance. She grasped the outstretched fist with her right hand, and pressed her arm against her chest.
She fired.
The lead bullet flied out along with the roar, and hit dead center of the iron plate that was only beginning to settle down from its swaying. A shrill echo accompanied the crumpling of its metal surface.
“Excellent. It doesn’t really matter which hand you use eh, Kino? Impressive as ever, you sharpshooter!”
“Flattery will get you nowhere, Hermes.”
“I don’t really mind. Let’s just leave, please?”
“So that’s what you want after all. Well, fine.”
Kino replaced Canon’s magazine and returned it to the holster on her right thigh. She retrieved the iron plate target and stowed it in her bag.
She put on a hat with flaps that covered her ears, and fixed her faded silver-framed goggles over her eyes.
“Okay.”
Kino started Hermes’ engine.
After running through the narrow road within the forest, Kino and Hermes arrived at a country.
“So countries also exist in places like this, huh?” Hermes remarked, his tone vaguely hinting either irony or admiration, but possibly both.
“I heard from a neighboring country that no one has come to this place for some time because it’s too far.”
Kino’s answer was followed by Hermes’ amused comment.
“And it is just like you to come to such a place, Kino.”
“It’s fun visiting unknown countries.”
Evening has just begun.
The forest was cleared around the walls that surrounded the country. The orange sun dimly floated on the western sky, where the clouds have thinned out.
In front of the tightly-shut gates were two guards carrying long rifles on their backs.
One of them was in his forties, while the other was a far younger man in his twenties.
They displayed astonishment upon seeing Kino and Hermes.
“I am Kino, and this is my partner Hermes. I would like to request permission to stay for three days to rest and look around your country.” Kino stated her usual request.
“My, it has really been a long time since we had a visitor. Well now, I have one question for you.” The older of the two guards posed a question to Kino.
“Go ahead.”
“Traveler, which is your dominant hand?”
“Dominant hand?” Kino asked just to make sure.
Considering the possibility that Kino did not know what he means, the guard expounded, “Which hand do you use to write? Which hand can make you throw a ball farther? Or which hand do you use to shoot a persuader.”
Hearing the last question, Hermes answered, “Kino can shoot well with either hand.”
“Okay, but which one’s easier for you to use?”
Kino honestly answered the guard’s question.
“I’m right-handed. I can only write with my right hand.”
And at that moment,
“T-this bastard!”
The young guard suddenly became enraged, and seized the rifle on his back with both hands. He raised it overhead and aimed to strike at Kino’s head.
Kino dodged.
As the guard struck from left to right, Kino quickly dodged to the left side of the attacker, and scooped the guard’s feet with her left leg.
“Wah!”
And with only this, the young guard toppled over.
The older guard remained on his spot, but a bitter expression took over his face. Kino vigilantly took a quick step backward, and enquired, “I am yet to enter this country and have done nothing wrong. I don’t see why I should be treated with such violence.”
“Indeed, it’s just as you say. Please forgive his imprudence.” The guard calmly replied, but he was looking at Kino with cold, sharp eyes. “However, we cannot allow you to enter the country.”
“Eh, why?”
It was not Kino, but Hermes who sought an explanation from the guard.
“Because you are right-handed.”
“What?”
Hearing Kino’s reply, the older guard explained,
“You said it yourself didn’t you? That you’re right-handed. You can’t take it back anymore,” he said with a stern face.
The younger guard who toppled over upon a failed attempt to strike Kino slowly got up with a mortified expression.
“Damn right-hander! Just go to hell!”
He glared and spat these words with undisguised hostility.
“Then I shall give up on entering your country,” Kino said and quickly asked to confirm, “So you mean right-handed people aren’t allowed to enter this country? And there’s not a single one inside?”
“Of course. At least not outside the jail,” the older guard answered. “In our country, it is illegal to be right-handed. A person who cannot fix this disability shall stay in prison until his death.”
“I see.... Since when?” Kino asked but,
“Shut up! Just get the hell out of here!” The young guard shouted until he was pacified by his senior,
“Hold on. We can make this traveler spread the word about our wonderful country. Even a right-hander should be able to do that much.”
“You’re right.... That’s a great idea!” The young guard expressed his admiration, and turned to Kino with a pompous smirk.
“Hey you! Since the captain’s going out of his way to explain, you better listen!”
“Sure, please go on,” Kino replied impassively.
“Tell us! Tell us!” While Hermes answered with utmost delight.
The older guard worded his explanation as if he was dealing with a dimwitted student.
“You see, most of the people in our country are left-handed. That’s common sense. But sometimes, right-handed people are born. I am referring to those who can only write or throw things with their right hands. They are pardoned until the age of three because, well, it just can’t be helped. But everybody agrees that it should be fixed if possible.”
“I see.”
“And then? And then?”
“However, a terrible incident occured all over the country. A right-hander carried out a series of extremely brutal murders. The man fled after stabbing five people to death. The criminal appealed to the court about discrimination to right-handers. He claimed that he had done nothing wrong, and what he did was a just retribution to a society that does not recognize right-handers!”
“After that?”
“What happened?”
“Until then, our citizens have been very tolerant to this ‘minority’ group. But after this incident, we could no longer allow it. Right-handers are dangerous elements who engulf society in fear and chaos. They are intolerable terrorists. To prevent this kind of incident from happening again, right-handedness was completely outlawed. In short, if a person cannot correct his right-handedness, he will be thrown into the prison without mercy.”
“O...kay...”
“Really!?”
“Obviously, right-handed travelers cannot be permitted to enter the country. Do you understand?” The senior guard stressed out.
“Be grateful that we let you live!” The younger guard hissed, his uniform still visibly dirty from his fall.
“I understand the circumstances now so I will excuse myself, but before that—” Kino began calmly, “I would like to confirm a few things. First, is it really all right for me to spread this to other countries?”
“Of course. As much as you are capable of, that is,” The older guard answered with a hint of sarcasm.
“And, I can tell them that this country throws right-handed people to jail?”
“Yes. I’d be surprised if there’s a country that doesn’t imprison criminals and terrorists. Might as well be called a ‘terrorist country’.”
Kino went astride Hermes and started his engine.
Then she spoke in a voice loud enough not to be subdued by the boisterous roar of Hermes’ exhaust.
“Then I shall take my leave now. —One last thing.”
“What now?” The guard grumbled and jerked his chin, his face betraying his distaste.
“Of all the countries I have seen up to now...” Kino began, “Right-handed people vastly outnumber left-handed ones. I’ve heard before that approximately eighty to ninety percent of humans are right-handed. If I told them about your country, what do you think would they do?”
And without waiting for an answer, Kino dashed away.
Leaving the two guards with transformed expressions.
Inside the gloomy forest.
“Hey Kino. If other countries find out about that country, do you think they would attack it?”
“I believe there’s even less people who think that way than there are left-handed ones.”
“I guess you’re right.”
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