約束の期日が来た。
風呂から上がり、脱衣所で集会に参加するための身支度を始める。
とは言ったものの、猫になって参加するのであるからオサレな服やアクセサリーなどは必要ない。裸一貫、髭の手入れだけで十分であるが、何分猫っ毛なので少々手間取る。頸は良く回るものの手が使いづらひ、この手ではパソコンのキーボードを打つのがせいぜいである。何事も一長一短あるものだ。
おっと、こんなことをしていては遅刻してしまう、さっさと出掛けることにしよう。
人間で在れば玄関から出るところであるが、猫の身体では難しいのでトイレに移動してそこの窓から出ることにした。泥棒避けの格子が付いているが、なに、猫なら簡単にすり抜けられる。スルリと抜け出してアパートの廊下へ躍り出たら、今度は階段を使って1階の玄関まで一気に駆け下りる。
さてと、ココでまず第一の関門、自動ドアだ。ココを抜けなければアパートの外に出ることは出来ない。出るときは簡単、赤外線センサーを反応させれば自動で開くが、はたして猫の身体で上手くいくであろうか。
センサーの照準を見定め右往左往、猫じゃ猫じゃでも踊りたい気分であるが、あまり怪しい動きをすると人間どもに怪しまれてしまうので控え目に腰を振ってみる。
しばし踊りを続けていると、モーターの駆動音と同時にドアがスライドを開始した。よし、上手くいったぞ。人目に付かぬウチに表に出てしまうことにしよう。
アパート前の通りへ出て一旦足を止めてから辺りを見回してる。
「おお、コレは」
当たり前のことであるが人間のときとはまるで違う、猫の目がこれほど便利だったとは。
夜でありながらも視界はクッキリと鮮明。それはもう毎日のやうに見慣れているはずの風景画がまるで別世界のように新鮮に感じるではないか。夜空には雲の切れ間から薄っすらとお月さんが顔を覗かせている。夕方ににわか雨が降ったものの、今は上がって道路もすっかり乾いたようだ。少し冷えてきた風が髭を撫で付けてくる。
「よし、いざ行かん」
軽快な足取りで目的地へと向かう。当然吾輩は猫なのでお行儀良く碁盤目の道路を進む必要は無い、ご近所の庭や塀の上を堂々と突っ切って真っ直ぐ進んで行く。超人的な身体能力を手に入れた吾輩は、体長の何倍もある障害物でもヒョイと一跳びするだけで簡単に乗り越えてしまう。この軽やかさも一度味わってしまうとクセになるな。まるで月面を歩いているようで、鉄のような体を引きずって歩く人間どもが憐れに思えてくる。
ただし車には気を付けた方が良い。ヤツらは人にあらずんば遠慮なく轢き殺しに来るし、トラックなどに至ってはジェット機が突っ込んで来るやうなもので、猫の身体だと近くを通っただけでコッチが吹っ飛ばされそうになる。慣れないうちは大きい通りを歩くのは止めておこう。
猫の姿と共に新しい発見を楽しんでいるうちに某レストランまでたどり着いてしまった。
今日は定休日なので明かりは点いておらず、住宅街の奥にひっそりと佇んでいる。週末なのにお休みとはなかなか根性のある店だ。まあ、目的地はこの裏の空き地なのでお休みでも問題ないのであるが、ちょっくら店の脇を通って裏手へ廻らせてもらおうと思ったその時。何やら奇妙なモノが視界に映ったのでふと立ち止まる。
お店の入り口――。『NOIR』と書かれた看板の後ろに何か吊るしてあるようだ。
はて、ココは洋食屋さんのはずであるが、何故か場違いな干し柿がぶら下がっている。これは一体、何かの魔よけかしらん。はたまた猫目だけに見える亡霊か・・・・・・。
見てると何だか気味が悪くなってきたのでサッサと空き地へ行くことにしよう。
猫だと思って甘く見たか。思いのほか店の壁と塀の隙間が窮屈で、通り抜けるときにちょっと身体が汚れてしまった。ヤレヤレ、帰ったらまたシャワーを浴びないと。
裏手へ回ってみるとお店の勝手口があり、反対側の空き地とはブロック塀の一部が取り壊されて地続きになっている。コイツは有難いことだ。
とりあえず頭だけをヒョイと覗かせて空き地の様子を窺ってみる。
ふむ、もともと民家が建ててあったのを取壊して更地にしたようだ。中央は開けているが隅っこの方は大分雑草が伸びてブロック塀には蔓が張っている。
「あら、こんばんは」
ふと、天の方から声が聞こえてきたので見上げてみると、塀の上に一匹の猫が横たわっている。
その姿を見た瞬間。吾輩の中に眠る詩人の境地が蘇って来た。
朧月夜に流れる黄金色の体毛、ふくよかながらマニアックな肉付きと真実を見つめる青い瞳。――可憐だ。人間であれば絵筆を取って画を一枚描き上げるところであるが、猫となってしまった今では叶わぬ夢か。
「やあ、お月さんが綺麗ですね」
「ええ、ほんとうに」
「あなたが今日の新人さん?」
「さよう、満毒斉でござる」
月が静かに見守る中でしばし見つめ合う。長い宴の夜が始まりを告げようとしている。
Appreciate this post. Will try it out.
Also visit my web-site: lkq greer sc inventory
There is perceptibly a bunch to identify about this. I believe you made various nice
points in features also.
Review my blog post – napa dallas
Your means of telling everything in this post is truly pleasant, all can without difficulty understand it,
Thanks a lot.
Here is my blog post – auto parts stores
F*ckin’ amazing issues here. I’m very glad to look your post.
Thanks so much and i’m looking forward to touch you. Will you please drop me
a mail?
Here is my homepage: pick a part okc
Hello I am so thrilled I found your website, I really found
you by error, while I was researching on Bing for something else, Regardless I am here now
and would just like to say cheers for a incredible post and a all round exciting blog
(I also love the theme/design), I don?t have time to go through it all at the minute but I have bookmarked it and also added in your
RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read more, Please do keep up the awesome
jo.
Visit my web site sell my car to a junkyard for money
I like what you guys are up too. Such smart work and reporting!
Keep up the excellent works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to
my blogroll. I think it’ll improve the value of my web site
:).
My webpage junk yards
What’s Happening i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve discovered It absolutely useful and it has helped me out loads.
I am hoping to give a contribution & help different users like its aided me.
Great job.
My webpage :: pick your part auto wrecking san bernardino
Hello, Neat post. There’s a problem together with your website in internet explorer, might check this?
IE still is the marketplace leader and a good part of other people will omit your excellent writing because of this problem.
Also visit my web site :: advance auto johnstown
I have read so many articles or reviews on the topic
of the blogger lovers except this piece of writing is
truly a nice article, keep it up.
Review my website dodge 4.7 replacement engine
Exactly what I was searching for, thank you for posting.
Here is my web page steve junkyard
I was suggested this website by means of my cousin.
I’m now not certain whether this post is written via him as
nobody else recognise such special approximately my trouble.
You are amazing! Thanks!
Feel free to visit my site: sell junk cars
This website was… how do I say it? Relevant!!
Finally I have found something which helped me. Appreciate it!
Here is my blog post :: agen s128
Hi, i think that i saw you visited my web site so i came to ?return the favor?.I’m trying to find things to improve my website!I suppose its ok to use
some of your ideas!!
Also visit my web site :: ford parts
Heya i’m for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It
truly useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to give something
back and help others like you aided me.
My web site car junk yards that buy cars
Heya superb website! Does running a blog such as this
require a lot of work? I’ve absolutely no understanding of programming however I had been hoping to start my
own blog in the near future. Anyways, if you have any ideas or techniques
for new blog owners please share. I understand this is off
subject but I simply had to ask. Appreciate it!
Feel free to surf to my homepage – money for cars
Hey there! Someone in my Myspace group shared this website with us so I came to give
it a look. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting
this to my followers! Exceptional blog and great design.
Feel free to surf to my site :: login judi online
Appreciate it for helping out, superb information.
my web site – napa auto newport
If you are going for most excellent contents like I do, just go to see this
web page daily as it provides feature contents, thanks
Also visit my web blog ayam sabung
Appreciate this post. Will try it out.
Here is my web page … o reilly eagle pass
Lovely just what I was looking for. Thanks to the author for taking his time
on this one.
my web site places to sell scrap metal
FBI’s dark web investigations hampered by inefficiencies, overlapping objectives of different units
The FBI should set up a “formalized bureau-wide dark web strategy” to address operational shortcomings in how it
tackles illegal darknet activities, a Department of Justice (DoJ) audit
has recommended. The DoJ’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) figured the
status quo – whereby FBI units involved in dark web
investigations develop their very own strategies in isolation –
led to inefficiencies, overlaps in remit,
and misallocated resources. Following a audit (PDF), the OIG
has issued five recommendations that should clarify “investigative responsibilities among operational units, cause more effective and affordable approaches to investigative tool development and acquisition, provide strategic continuity during periods
of turnover, and provide baseline data collection guidelines which will enable the FBI to raised report its dark web accomplishments.”
Investigative shortcomings
Highlighting the urgency of the proposals, the redacted
report stated that darknet marketplaces used to sell and distribute malware,
data breach records, drugs, firearms, and child sexual
abuse material are “one of the greatest impediments to [the bureau’s] efforts to
disrupt cybercriminal activities.
The OIG unearthed that operational units’siloed strategies had “varying examples of comprehensiveness” and some were not even documented, with the Hi-Tech
Organized Crime Unit’s strategy for pursuing opioid traffickers credited as “the most comprehensive.
The Hi-Tech Organized Crime Unit and Major Cyber Crimes
Unit, meanwhile, had “overlapping strategies” that can lead
to “redundancies, inefficiencies, or investigative assignments that aren’t properly aligned with skillsets,
capabilities, tools, and resources.
The OIG also noted that the Remote Operations Unit’s
efforts to produce and acquire investigative tools have been hamstrung by budgetary cuts, and
that the team had prioritized tools useful for national security
investigations, leaving operational units “with out a mechanism” for
pooling technologies useful for dark web investigations.
Deconfliction
My web page; Рынок гидры
Hi there colleagues, good piece of writing and good urging commented here,
I am in fact enjoying by these.
Neat blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download
it from somewhere? A theme like yours with a
few simple adjustements would really make my blog jump out.
Please let me know where you got your theme. Cheers
Howdy I am so happy I found your weblog, I really found you by mistake, while I was
researching on Askjeeve for something else, Anyways I am here
now and would just like to say kudos for a marvelous
post and a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to browse it all at the minute but I have saved it and
also added in your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be
back to read more, Please do keep up the fantastic jo.
You made some nice points there. I did a search on the issue and found most guys will agree with your blog.
I Ƅelieve everythіng publishеd made a great ɗeal of
sense. Howеvеr, think on this, what if you typed a ϲatchier title?
I am not suggeѕting your information isn’t solid, however
supp᧐se yοu added something to maybe get a person’s
attention? I mean 猫の気持ち 其の五 – 極楽行業
is kinda vanilla. You could peek at Yahoo’s front page and note how they create article heаdlines to ɡet viewers intereѕted.
You might try addіng a video or a pic or two to grab readerѕ excited about what you’ve got to
say. Just my opinion, it сould bring your postѕ a little
livelier.
I’m impressed, I must say. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s both
educative and interesting, and without a doubt, you have hit the
nail on the head. The issue is something which too few people
are speaking intelligently about. Now i’m very happy I found this in my search for something
concerning this.
Very rapidly this site will be famous among all blog visitors, due to it’s good posts
If some one wishes expert view about blogging and
site-building afterward i suggest him/her to go to see this website, Keep up the good work.
only real complaint is how huge it is.