The Decay of the Angel - Yukio Mishima

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the eye that had nothing to create, nothing to do but gaze. The invisible horizon beyond which the conscious eye could not penetrate was far more remote than the visible horizon. And all manner of entities appeared in regions visible and accessible to consciousness. Sea, ships, clouds, peninsulas, lightning, the sun, the moon, the myriads of stars. If seeing is a meeting between eye and being, which is to say between being and being, then it must be the facing mirrors of two beings. No, it was more. Seeing went beyond being, to take wings like a bird. It transported Tōru to a realm visible to no one. Even beauty there was a rotted, tattered skirt. That had to be a sea never defiled by being, a sea upon which ships never appeared. There had to be a realm where at the limit of all the layers of clarity it was definite that nothing at all made an appearance, a realm of solid, definite indigo, where seeing cast off the shackles of consciousness and itself became transparent, where phenomena and consciousness dissolved like plumbic oxide in acetic acid. Happiness for Tōru was sending his eyes into such distances. There was for him no more complete a throwing off of the self than in seeing. Only the eyes brought forgetfulness—save for the image in the mirror.
Tōru himself? A sixteen-year-old who was quite certain that he did not belong to this world. Only half of him was in it. The other was in that realm of indigo. There were consequently no laws and no regulations that governed him. He but pretended that he was bound by the laws of this world. Where are there laws regulating an angel? Life was strangely simple. Poverty and deprivation, the contradictions of society and politics, troubled him not in the least. Occasionally he would let a soft smile float to his lips, but it had in it nothing of sympathy. It was the final sign rejecting humanity, an invisible arrow released from the bow of his lips. When he tired of looking at the sea, he would take a hand mirror from the desk and look at himself. In the pale, well-shaped face there were beautiful eyes, always brimming with midnight. The eyebrows were thin but proud, the lips were smooth and firm. But the eyes were the most beautiful feature. There was irony in the fact that his eyes should be the most beautiful part of his physical being, the fact that the organ for establishing his own beauty should be the most beautiful. The eyelashes were long, and the eyes, utterly cruel, seemed at first sight to be lost in a dream.
Page 2 and 3: Table of Contents Cover Copyright A
Page 4 and 5: This eBook is copyright material an
Page 6 and 7: Isle of Houghton, Corner of Boundar
Page 8 and 9: BY YUKIO MISHIMA THE SEA OF FERTILI
Page 10 and 11: and then blue distance once more. T
Page 12 and 13: Very strange. The whole vast space
Page 14 and 15: maru, due to make port at four. He
Page 16 and 17: ut now his eye caught, the rustic p
Page 18 and 19: Receiving and dispatching of ships
Page 20 and 21: and a cot completed the furnishings
Page 22 and 23: “Hello. This is Teikoku Signal. Y
Page 26 and 27: This orphan, one of the elect, diff
Page 28 and 29: Tōru shoved the stubby pencil he h
Page 30 and 31: great beauty might permit herself,
Page 32 and 33: downtown any more. Every man I pass
Page 34 and 35: eautiful woman that keeps hell at a
Page 36 and 37: Kinué came upon a basic but elusiv
Page 38 and 39: direction, and the stern and prow l
Page 40 and 41: second mate, on watch. Tōru could
Page 42 and 43: 4 AT ABOUT the same time Honda, at
Page 44 and 45: heavenly stream of sanctification.
Page 46 and 47: a man swimming in from the ocean mi
Page 48 and 49: lungs. Three thirty, and there was
Page 50 and 51: the vanished rose, clouds scattered
Page 52 and 53: ustle in the new houses beyond the
Page 54 and 55: 7 HONDA and Keiko Hisamatsu were pe
Page 56 and 57: would have been her uncle, anyhow i
Page 58 and 59: their liking. There were no tourist
Page 60 and 61: humanity. His unhappiness she made
Page 62 and 63: “That’s it. I was between life
Page 64 and 65: after each player had received elev
Page 66 and 67: The lump of mucus, like bêche-de-m
Page 68 and 69: enjoyment. There was a strange sadn
Page 70 and 71: It was a chore even to reach for th
Page 72 and 73: “You tell me to have it repaired,
Page 74 and 75:
“The sin is ours, Kiyo’s and mi
Page 76 and 77:
impossibility, gambled his own life
Page 78 and 79:
as Keiko’s gentleman friend. He w
Page 80 and 81:
8 AT THE OPENING of Robe of Feather
Page 82 and 83:
forth music so beautiful that no mu
Page 84 and 85:
Within the pavilion are angels in p
Page 86 and 87:
had in the cab that had brought him
Page 88 and 89:
them were quite devoid of sanctity.
Page 90 and 91:
Serpent-twined legs spread wide, ha
Page 92 and 93:
sombrero. The crowd clapped. Keiko
Page 94 and 95:
her. On their return they looked in
Page 96 and 97:
10 WAS THERE nothing more to see, w
Page 98 and 99:
the light was behind it to send dow
Page 100 and 101:
might have a look around for our ed
Page 102 and 103:
trance-like mating of the sea and t
Page 104 and 105:
a somewhat worn silver coin; and th
Page 106 and 107:
world to destruction while seeking
Page 108 and 109:
desk. Now he stood up and moved to
Page 110 and 111:
“Very useful work. Keep at it.”
Page 112 and 113:
Asia Line, three yellow crowns on a
Page 114 and 115:
Perhaps there was nothing of the ac
Page 116 and 117:
cigarette. Cigarette in hand, she w
Page 118 and 119:
knows what you know can never be be
Page 120 and 121:
Scotch. Honda had kept one thing fr
Page 122 and 123:
Viennese psychoanalysis; but he cou
Page 124 and 125:
Kinué stopped by in the morning, a
Page 126 and 127:
ystander and now all of a sudden he
Page 128 and 129:
for the sake of a beautiful woman.
Page 130 and 131:
the Denmark-maru, and the Kōyō-ma
Page 132 and 133:
green changed, rose and swelled int
Page 134 and 135:
surface. Five o’clock. The white
Page 136 and 137:
oom. He followed the great hull of
Page 138 and 139:
The ship’s agent answered. “Hel
Page 140 and 141:
embers of two cigarettes were brush
Page 142 and 143:
“The Daichū is coming into three
Page 144 and 145:
There was no concept for which he h
Page 146 and 147:
in which industrious young men were
Page 148 and 149:
investigations.” Tōru frowned. H
Page 150 and 151:
conclusion to cynicism. Tōru had o
Page 152 and 153:
and so long as it was to the Tōru
Page 154 and 155:
15 TŌRU WAS off duty the next day.
Page 156 and 157:
16 SURPRISED to learn that Tōru’
Page 158 and 159:
take the risks. In the decade since
Page 160 and 161:
end of economic growth or with a Co
Page 162 and 163:
een a still-young Honda who had nam
Page 164 and 165:
human volition sought to make histo
Page 166 and 167:
preferred not to. Instead he took a
Page 168 and 169:
He is of course single. Ideological
Page 170 and 171:
17 HONDA CHOSE a day late in Octobe
Page 172 and 173:
“I don’t feel any great need fo
Page 174 and 175:
no virtues more highly prized in Ja
Page 176 and 177:
18 THE THREE TUTORS were all highly
Page 178 and 179:
happiness for him; but he did not f
Page 180 and 181:
“I had no idea there was such a p
Page 182 and 183:
the half circle of coffee dregs. Th
Page 184 and 185:
the body floating there. We all kno
Page 186 and 187:
clouds drifted by. The wind carried
Page 188 and 189:
decorated with a cheap flower desig
Page 190 and 191:
grapefruit. A carefully scrutinized
Page 192 and 193:
felt like a liberated child spittin
Page 194 and 195:
Sometimes he almost thought, after
Page 196 and 197:
heart. Tōru came almost to have ho
Page 198 and 199:
policies calculated to give Tōru a
Page 200 and 201:
For two or three weeks the seventy-
Page 202 and 203:
guard examining a pass. His questio
Page 204 and 205:
22 SUPPOSE YOU keep company with he
Page 206 and 207:
heavy. “How perfectly dreadful. T
Page 208 and 209:
23 RELUCTANT TO LEAVE Tōru by hims
Page 210 and 211:
him. Why had the two of them come i
Page 212 and 213:
“A far more inappropriate simile,
Page 214 and 215:
enches. Honda could see from the an
Page 216 and 217:
and closer, spread color on hard, t
Page 218 and 219:
I know well enough that the more fi
Page 220 and 221:
The little present Momoko gave me i
Page 222 and 223:
and I grow weary of pressing the co
Page 224 and 225:
world. I was too busy receiving oth
Page 226 and 227:
was aware of the situation. Had any
Page 228 and 229:
have looked for a reason. I have fo
Page 230 and 231:
former nurse. Momoko looked aside i
Page 232 and 233:
till four. I urged Momoko inside. T
Page 234 and 235:
There were autumn cicadas in the ev
Page 236 and 237:
I saw how complicated their movemen
Page 238 and 239:
imagine rather older women, but suc
Page 240 and 241:
attract a certain sort of woman wit
Page 242 and 243:
is something that the winter sky ha
Page 244 and 245:
She had given me a little silver ch
Page 246 and 247:
I cannot be sure whether Momoko rea
Page 248 and 249:
Western staircase. Only from it do
Page 250 and 251:
or going out to look, but an overpo
Page 252 and 253:
from outside. If only I could raise
Page 254 and 255:
“Make me a girl who does not love
Page 256 and 257:
moment’s dalliance is a matter of
Page 258 and 259:
25 TŌRU BEGAN preparatory school a
Page 260 and 261:
the position best for the Hondas, f
Page 262 and 263:
All he had to do was enjoy the move
Page 264 and 265:
moved the unresting bustle of the h
Page 266 and 267:
“But you were very sweet while it
Page 268 and 269:
26 THE VERY QUESTION was indignant
Page 270 and 271:
Shimizu and installed her in the ga
Page 272 and 273:
The cold water would liven his puls
Page 274 and 275:
man’s still alive.” That was hi
Page 276 and 277:
nature of things. He had taught the
Page 278 and 279:
stupid crowds, cut through the mass
Page 280 and 281:
none. The garden had been made over
Page 282 and 283:
Time went past along the indefinabl
Page 284 and 285:
had made it possible for Honda to e
Page 286 and 287:
were even now engaged in close comb
Page 288 and 289:
the left loomed the round wall of t
Page 290 and 291:
shirts scattered through the groves
Page 292 and 293:
Although the little man showed no d
Page 294 and 295:
scream. The man sprang up and looke
Page 296 and 297:
Before the woman confronted him, Ho
Page 298 and 299:
concepts he had acquired in India?
Page 300 and 301:
27 LATE IN NOVEMBER a splendid engr
Page 302 and 303:
immorality, retreated trembling beh
Page 304 and 305:
“Turn around. Oh, it’s very nic
Page 306 and 307:
Georgette stole, draped down over t
Page 308 and 309:
“Just sit down there quietly, if
Page 310 and 311:
he had taken a liking? What did you
Page 312 and 313:
will die at twenty?” “I think p
Page 314 and 315:
unable to remember the exact day. M
Page 316 and 317:
would call a simulator. I doubt mys
Page 318 and 319:
have seen and think you have seen i
Page 320 and 321:
28 REMARKABLY, Tōru came to Honda
Page 322 and 323:
and now it was the blind Tōru who
Page 324 and 325:
of water hit his shining flesh like
Page 326 and 327:
elements, to dissolve into the corp
Page 328 and 329:
the entrails than from reason, a lo
Page 330 and 331:
“Day after tomorrow at three? I d
Page 332 and 333:
dinner. The middle-aged housekeeper
Page 334 and 335:
him from air-conditioning. It was a
Page 336 and 337:
his ears. No doubt other people, sa
Page 338 and 339:
And there was no smell of flowers.
Page 340 and 341:
Honda had noticed numbers of Kyoto
Page 342 and 343:
green platform was like a doll stan
Page 344 and 345:
30 THEY COULD perfectly well drive
Page 346 and 347:
coolness of its shadows. There was
Page 348 and 349:
among leaves like young swallows’
Page 350 and 351:
slumber. They made him think of Tha
Page 352 and 353:
A steward probably in his sixties,
Page 354 and 355:
If, after so much, the Abbess were
Page 356 and 357:
ightness and darkness. For Honda it
Page 358 and 359:
girlish curiosity in her eyes, and
Page 360 and 361:
Honda was groping through a fog. Hi
Page 362 and 363:
Footnote ∗ Translator’s note: t
Page 364:
Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Ch
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The Decay of the Angel - Yukio Mishima

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