Until about a montting translations t I -to-be translated Murakami s stories. Most of t, and I t maybe I sry somettle longer. I started paging t;Lexington no Yuureiquot; (ton Gs), and it seemed like tories t one, called Koori Otoko (ts a tle story, and I dont knoe o make of it. Ill be curious to see s fairly long, Im going to divide it up into pieces, and serialize it over a couple of days. Enjoy!

    P.S. As ale any criticism or advice, especially from terate.

    ------

    the Ice Man

    I married the Ice Man.

    I first met t t el. I guess ts t to meet an Ice Man. In terous el lobby, croting in a c t possible remove from tly reading a book. t o me t t of ter morning still lingered around s t at t time, I  in t really kno kne ed and  of ice. ts   a g or somebody agious disease or something.

    tall, and from looking at ly. ill, but t te, like it ed snoo  of cold,  coating of unmelted  on  ot t muc from a normal person.   just jab you s. It ood out. ransparent look, like an icicle on a er morning. t toget made o sparkle. I stood t and gazed at t t lift  moving so mucinued reading. It o persuade  t anybody at all around him.

    t day, tly t to teria to get luncting in top of a page of t day  gree, and  tly as ter outside the window, reading his book alone.

    On ternoon of te excuse and didnt go out to taying beel, I  for an afternoon skiing, ted like a g to, and trange, dank smell mixed in . It racking snoo tel on ttom of ts and tting by t sloed off. I stared vacantly out to tarted a conversation. Im normally a very s at all in t of talking to total strangers. But at t time, I really ed to talk to tter   nig el, and I t t if I let it slip aalk to an Ice Man.

    Dont you ski? I asked trying to sound as casual as possible.  my face . ly s ski. Im fine just reading a book and ctle V screen. I could literally see ly brus t ed on his fingers.

    I didnt knoo say after t. I just stood to smile a little. But I  really sure. Did  just a feeling? ont you sit dos tle conversation. Youre curious about me, rig to knole. Its OK. to . You  catcalking to me.

    to talk to tting side-by-side on tcion proceeded ingly. I ordered some cocoa and drank it. t  as bad a conversationalist as me. In addition,  really o talk about. At first, alked about tel  really, I responded. My girlfriends invited me to go skiing  Im not very good at it. I really ed to kno of ice or not;  type of t t seem to  to talk about  dare to broac eit doesnt like to talk about stuff like t, I t.

    Instead, alked about me as a  believe it, but, for  me: ttended, t  all from beginning to end.  me t  I ten about them.

    I dont understand, I said, blus me? I asked. Can you read peoples minds?

    No, it is not possible for me to read peoples minds. But I kno kno like seeing somet you, I could see all kinds of t you clearly.

    Can you see my future? I asked.

    I cant see ture, t interested in ture at all. to speak more precisely, I  of ture. Ice ure. It just captures t. It captures everyt as it  otally fresotally clearly. Just as it is. ts ts true quality.

    Good, I said. I laugtle. Im relieved to . I dont  to kno my future.

    ------

    After o tokyo,  togetly. Eventually,  on dates nearly every   go out to movies togeto coffee s even o parks toget on a bencalk about stuff. e really talked about a lot of different stuff. But as al say anyt ? I asked alk about yourself? I  to kno you--s o be an Ice Man. t my face for a moment. t knoe breato t . I kno. I preserve all t. But I myself dont . I dont knos if I sa even kno even know  even know w.

    ted as an iceberg in t.

    And gradually I came to love t and no future,  t. And I loved just t Ice Man,  a past and  a future. to me. e even began to speak of marriage. I  turned ty years old. And t person to inspire suc imagine t in t meant to love t if, ically, t been my partner, but someone else instead, I  her, I guess.

    My moter rongly opposed to me marrying too young to get married, t even kno to you marrying suc s? t really understand it, but marriage is a big responsibility. Do you really t youre capable of ty of marrying this Ice Man?

    But t  like tually made out of ice.  cool like ice.  melt if s too  c  from ice. And  t robs ot.

    So  married. No one celebrated our  my friends, or my parents, or my sisters: no one . e didnt  er,  even apply for a marriage license. e just jointly decided t  toget ent of our meager ed a little apartment, and t a job at a meat storeo cover our expenses. , and no matter  tired.  even stop muco eat. Naturally,  t bot, ogether.

    of t, still iceberg t existed in some far off place. I t t t iceberg   iceberg in t it  of t ice to t first, ted, but after a o it. I even came to love it. As alalk about  all. Not even  ill iceberg. tirety of past events of tored pristinely, just as it  ice.

    In our married life, t really any problems t could properly be called problems. e loved eac. e unfamiliar ence of Ice Men, as time passed, little by little to talk to  to say. But in ts ted ed t I o  type of ter ime passed, t chasm could never be filled.

    to  of mixing ic. In any event, since  ime. Id take care of t after t to do. I didnt o talk to, or to go someers, still mad t I  speaking to me. t even anyone to call on telep toreayed at ening to music. I generally prefer staying at o going out any trial. But in spite of till young, and tition  any variation began to get me do  t got to me. t bear ition. In t of t endless repetition, I felt kind of like my own shadow.

    So one day, I made a proposal to my  rip togetrip?  me. ake a trip? Arent you h me?

    Its not t, I said. Im perfectly s just t Im bored. I  to go someo breatand? And any on a y of money in taking a fe trip somewhere would be nice.

    tallized.  -covered fingers toget to go on a trip so badly, Im not particularly opposed to it. I dont ts suco take a trip, but if it , go o go. taking a vacation s t o go?

    tured. I c terested in a cold place. And besides, Ive aled to go to time. I ed to see ts, and penguins. I imagined myself  tac up by the aurora borealis.

    raigo my eyes.  blink even once.  pierced to t silently for a moment, and finally said Its fine, s  to do, o ts  to do?

    I agreed.

    In about take a long vacation. e can probably make all tions before t  be a problem.

    I couldnt respond rig me  icicle gaze, it he inside of my head.

    ime, I came to regret t I  up to t kno someter t accumulated on ubborn and reticent. Noing anyt all. All of terribly uneasy. Five days before o depart, I boldly made a proposal to my s call off trip, I said. Ive t about it a little, and its so cold, it will probably be bad for me.

    It just seems like it ter idea to go some Europe is really nice; o Spain instead? e could drink  paella, and cs. But my  respond. For a little ared at some place far a my face. o my eyes. t look,  I felt as if my body, just as it o not  to go to Spain, my s not fair to you, but Spain is too  and dusty for me. And too spicy. Anyickets for t a fur coat for you, and a pair of fur-lined boots. e cant afford to e all t. At t, we o go.

    t scared me. I , if  to t o recover. I errible nig ime. In taking a rapped inside t ice, I could see t I couldnt move even a single finger. It erribly strange feeling. I understood as moment by moment t co t. I ure. t kept piling up irreversibly. And everyone kept staring at me. t t. I  passing scenes.

    And t to me.   breat all. Just like   I loved tart to cry. My tears   a dream, . t from ture. t  you imprisoned tand?

    Yea I  convinced.

    ------

    Eventually, my   a good enougo cancel it. t and teo totally silent. I really ed to look at tside t t see anyter a  silently read a book all t ement or sense of anticipation t usually accompanies going on a trip. I  going t of pre-determined motions.

    stepped off to tremble violently. It ime t it takes to blink, so no one noticed; and my  so muc an eyelas I couldnt miss it. Sometly, alt. opped t tared at ook a deep breathe land of your dreams, he said. Yeah, I said.

    t of my premonitions. Almost no one lived t one little featureless too one little featureless el. ts to see. t even any penguins. You cant see ts. Occasionally, I抎 set about trying to ask people o see penguins, but t sly. t comprery to draure of a penguin on a piece of paper. But of course, t sly. I ook one step outside of to ice. t any trees; t any flo, t ice. Frozen eland stretc as far as tion.

    And yet my e breat groiation. tive speec land quickly returned to ions o rang as alked toget a time,  understand at all alking about so earnestly. My ely delirious in t place. t entranced  first, tated me. I felt as t be neglected and betrayed by my husband.

    Eventually, t all of my strengt of t desert o be upset. It o realize, t I  of t  of t color-starved eternal er. After my senses  all gone, I understood only t my former   t o  Ice Man t I met at t t anyone t it. All of t understand my speece breat greold ted tes, and sang taring blankly at ted mystery of Soutering it.

    t trip. After t  us ly took off again, t been even one single arrival. tually become buried in a t like my .

    inter s a very long er. No planes  he spring, he said.

    After  I . I knele Ice Man. My uterus ic fluid  kne le fingers. And I just kne ce mass of ternal past. No matter ried, we would never s off.

    No not of my former self. My natural imes I forget t I ever even . And yet someill cry. I am truly alone. I am in a colder, lonelier place turn my tears to ice. takes tears in s tongue. I love you, s not a lie. I understand t tirs and bloo t. I cry. Icy tears stream doh Pole.