Dr. Itoh keeps watching the presenter's eyes in silence, sometimes nodding here and there.
When the president Sano finishes his strong request a moment, he opens his mouth at last with a gentle look.
"It is difficult for me to accept your request in my present situation, so I would like you to take my talk as a generalization. ... Most of the auditoriums of colleges and universities are built in Gothic style of all ages and everywhere. We commonly call them a college Gothic. That Yasuda Auditorium of our university by Mr. Uchida's group is Gothic style, too, as a matter of fact. A clock is up on the tower facade."
Saying so, Dr. Itoh looks back and points out over the window.
"The tall facade is, as you can see, the most outstanding in appearance. If the patterns of the Four Gods were put up on the facade instead of the clock, it would be the most strange."
The visitors stand up and watch the tall clock tower.
"The Gothic style as well as the Renaissance style and the baroque style afterward is a building taken root in the Christianity, which basically rejects any kind of monsters and ghosts of animism."
Dr. Itoh continues.
"All the same, neither Buddhism nor Islam accepts such a kind. All three of them are a monotheistic religion, so they only accept the animals allowed by the Bible, Buddhist scriptures and the Koran respectively. No other animals can appear in, on or around any buildings of these religions. Therefore first of all, the Four-God Statues cannot be accepted by Gothic buildings and the buildings of the latter architectural styles."

On the contrary, the animism common before the Medieval Age is a primitive and indigenous religion which worshipped animals, plants and natural phenomena. Monsters and ghosts were most popular in there.
Sano and the professors have already known that the relieves of the Four Gods (four kinds of monsters) are an obstacle for the modern architectures like Gothic style based on a monotheistic religion.
They accept their Four Gods are never got rid of.

"Then, what about Romanesque style before Gothic style? This style was prevalent among temple buildings in Europe until around 12th century. Some of them remain existing now, so you probably saw them over there. They are the buildings when the animism religion was rooted in, and so they are decorated here and there with monsters and ghosts."
The visitors understand his talk up here.
Dr. Itoh continues calmly.
"But ..., the Romanesque style is immature in architecture. It was suitable for a temple with monsters during the medieval times in Europe all right, however, it is inappropriate for a modern architecture. ..., it has some structural problems, too, ... and it is dark in image."

Professor Hori bows to president Sano and speaks with rather nervous look.
"We have been repeating the study meetings on the architectural styles in our school. We, at first, considered no other than the Gothic style, but some professors insisted that we had to select the Romanesque style in order to make the most of the Four-God statues."
Dr. Itoh takes over Hori's speech.
"The point is here. Surely Romanesque style has an influence of Islamic culture and includes arabesque patterns. That's why it is multi-cultural and can be free to express monsters. This multi-culture itself was destined to be an evil course in the monotheistic world in later generations. But anyway, even if it is the spiritual pillar of your college, this whole Four-God statue of the Western-style embrem in the Roman mythology together with the Chinese caricatures of three monsters is remote from the idea of Romanesque style, too. I cannot help thinking a little odd."
It is what professor Hori himself has also been anxious about, but he does not seem to give up the idea.
Dr. Itoh flatly speaks.
"As I said, the Gothic and other later styles are completely out of the question, unless the Four Gods were removed."
Hori leans forward in hesitation, crosses his arms and murmurs his asking for the impossible.
"Then what and how should we do?"
Dr. Itoh is forced to agree and says to Hori.
"It is really difficult. In order to make the most of the spirit of your school implanted into the Four-God Statues, we cannot follow the conventional Romanesque style as it is either. But no other special style cannot easily be produced, and I don't have any such wisdom."
Since Sano and the visitors know quite well Dr. Itoh is also a leading figure in the architectural history field, too, they just keep still with no words to return.
Dr. Itoh says to Matsui, his pupil.
"What do you think of it?"
Matsui answers to him.
"Difficult indeed, sir. I am caught between a rock and a hard place to my regret. However, you Dr. Itoh, have got over a number of impossible matters and difficulties until now, ..."
The pupil, putting his hand on the back of his head, returns the vague and seemingly encouraging words.
"Even if you would like to accept the project, I am much afraid you are unable to manage all the works. And please do not forget you have just started the works requested by Old Okura. There are several other jobs you have to carry out. How are you going to handle them, sir?"
The visitors from the school are watching the two talkers in uneasiness respectively. Fujii of Kanematsu almost gives up for a pile of difficult problems. Prof. Minobe stays on the sidelines deep in the seat, keeping a friendly smile on his face.
After a while Sano says, not knowing what to do.
"I entrust everything to you Dr. Itoh."
A long silence continues. While the visitors are holding their breath, Dr. Itoh takes the documents on the table in hand overlooking them, crosses his legs again, ...
He suddenly stands up and walks to the window. He fixes his eyes on Yasuda Auditorium rising stately. It is a four-story building with an eight-story clock tower produced by Shozo Uchida and Hideto Kishida. Prof. Uchida is his colleague, about ten years younger than him, and he has the on-the-job experience and is lively in school.
Dr. Itoh mildly turns around and says.
"Could you let me have a little more time to think? I have to answer you early even if I reject it... As for my other works, it is considerably difficult how to deal with them."
Sano says in a hoarse voice.
"Thank you very much."
Dr. Itoh answers while fully opening the window.
"I would like to inform you in some way in a week or 10 days."
Swinging on a mild breeze, a piece of ginkgo leaf landed gently on the table.