He sighed. How foolish it was to try to fathom the truth in an area where only faith would suffice. He would have to work without questioning the motives which made him work and content himself with the thought that the eventual victory, however it was brought about, would be sweet indeed.

His first move was to send Hino to the village to spend a few days. His arm had been giving him some trouble and Rector was not enough of a medical expert to determine whether it had healed improperly or whether Hino was simply rebelling against the tedious work in the print shop, using the stiffness in his arm as an excuse. In any event Rector sent him to the local hospital to have it checked, telling him to keep his ears open while he was in the village to see if he could find out what Kayabashi was planning.

Hino was elated at the prospect. He was allowed to spend his nights at an inn near the hospital and he was given some extra money to go to the pachinko parlor -- an excellent place to make contact with the enemy. He left with all the joyous spirit of a child going on a holiday, nodding attentively as Rector gave him his final instructions. He was to get involved in no arguments; he was to try to make no converts; he was simply to listen and report back what he heard.

It was a ridiculous situation and Rector knew it, for Hino, frankly partisan, openly gregarious, would make a poor espionage agent. If he wanted to know anything, he would end up asking about it point-blank, but in this guileless manner he would probably receive more truthful answers than if he tried to get them by indirection. In all of his experience in the mission field Rector had never seen a convert quite like Hino. From the moment that Hino had first walked into the mission to ask for a job, any job -- his qualifications neatly written on a piece of paper in a precise hand -- he had been ready to become a Christian. He had already been studying the Bible; he knew the fundamentals, and after studying with Fletcher for a time he approached Rector, announced that he wanted to be baptized and that was that.