“Better to be caught in sudden, complete catastrophe than to be gnawed by the cancer of imagination.”
The story goes on and brings us to 1941. The third book opens with Honda on a business trip in Bangkok, Thailand, as a legal consultant. Once he concluded his legal affairs, Honda decides to extend his stay in the country, accompanied by a corporate guide. Among the many beauties of Thailand, Honda is particularly astonished by the beauty of the Temple of Dawn in Bangkok. In admiration of the golden embellishments that adorn the temple, Honda nonchalantly reveals to his guide that he once was friends with two Siamese princes, Prince Pattanadid (Chao P) and his cousin Prince Kridsada (Kri). The guide is taken aback by this revelation and endeavors to arrange a reunion. However, constrained by the short notice, he manages only to arrange a meeting with Chao P's seven-year-old daughter, Princess Chantrapa (Ying Chan). On the way to the meeting, the guide cautions Honda, revealing that Ying Chan is considered eccentric and isolated by her family, as she openly claims to be the reincarnation of a Japanese boy. Honda's intrigue deepens immediately. From the beginning of the meeting, Ying Chan claims to recognize Honda and declares that she is Isao and wants to return to Japan. Honda is intrigued even more: could she be the third reincarnation of his dear late friend Kiyoaki? Only one detail stops Honda from drawing this conclusion: he cannot find the three moles identical in position and size on Ying Chan's body to the ones that Kiyoaki and Isao had. Confused by the events, Honda goes to India to learn about reincarnation. Once back in Japan, the Second World War outbreaks, but Honda does not pay attention to it because he is too busy studying the reincarnation philosophy and working on court cases. As the war advances, Honda is more than ever isolated from the outside world, too busy preparing for important lawsuits. He wins many of these legal cases and uses part of the money to buy a new property that overlooks Mount Fuji. At this new villa, Honda forms a close friendship with one of his neighbors, Keiko Hisamatsu, a beautiful woman with great taste in art. One fateful day, in an antique shop, Honda stumbles upon the emerald ring that once belonged to Prince Chao P, lost during his earlier stay in Japan. A premonition is realized as Honda later that day discovers that Ying Chan has arrived in Japan to pursue her studies, following her father's journey during the time Kiyoaki was alive. Desperate to establish a connection with her and confirm her as Kiyoaki's reincarnation, Honda extends invitations and orchestrates various encounters, but his efforts prove inconclusive. Finally, Ying Chan joins a pool party Honda has organized at his villa and shows no signs of the three moles while wearing her swimming suit. At this point, Honda is completely obsessed with Ying Chan and cannot stop himself from spying on the guest, even during the night, through a hole in the wall that his room shares with hers. It's only at this point that he finally sees the three moles and finds peace. The story jumps forward to 1967, when Honda receives an invitation to a dinner party at the American Embassy in Tokyo. Here, he encounters the head of the American Cultural Center in Bangkok and his wife, who shockingly bears a strong resemblance to Ying Chan. Honda is initially relieved, thinking she has survived beyond her prophetic twentieth birthday. However, upon conversing with her, he discovers that she is, in fact, Ying Chan's twin sister, and Ying Chan herself passed away at the age of twenty.
The third book in this tetralogy diverges from the political themes of the first two books, instead delving deeply into the exploration of reincarnation with profound references to Hinduism and Buddhism. It provides intricate descriptions of Honda's journeys to India and Thailand. Within this book, Honda undergoes a remarkable transformation. Once a rational and composed individual with a firm grip on his emotions, he becomes consumed by the idea of his late friend's reincarnation. His behavior turns irrational and childlike, as he becomes obsessed with proving himself right at any cost.