atestmodel,andNoboruWatanabecameawaywitha1963modelMarxPSD(withAtomSeal).NoboruWatanabealwayscarriesnewpencilsharpenersaroundinhisbag,toexgeinbarterunderjustsuchcircumstances.Althoughitwilldoubtlessrecur,thiskindofserendipitydoesnotetooofteninonelifetime.

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    JulioIglesias

    byHarukiMurakami

    TranslatedbyChristopherAllison

    Afterthemosquitocoilsdisappeared,therewasnotonesihioprotectusfromtheattackoftheseaturtle.Ihadtriedtoordermoremosquitocoilsbothbymailandbytelephothetelephonelinehadbeencut,andmailservicehadstoppedabouttwoweeksbefore.ThemoreIthoughtaboutit,themorecertainIwasthattherewasnothingtopreventthatcraftyseaturtlefromdoingjustleased.Untilnow,hesbeenforcedtodrinkaseabrihankstothemosquitocoilswehadwithus.Now,however,herobablysmilingteohimself,downatthebottomofthedeepbluesea,maybechugalittle,andtakinganapinpreparatihtfall.

    "Wevedonefor,"shesaidtome."Whennightes,wedbothbedevouredbytheseaturtle."

    "Wemustnotgiveuphope,"Isaid."Ifwewrackourbrains,weddefeatthisvileseaturtle."

    "Buttheseaturtlestoleeverylastoneofourmosquitocoils."

    "Weregottotrytothiically.Iftheseaturtlehatesmosquitocoilssomuch,theremustbesomethihathehatesaswell."

    "Forexample?"

    "JulioIglesias,"Isaid.

    "WhyJulioIglesias?"sheasked.

    "Idontknow.Itjustsuddenlypopped