ericlustbader.the ninja-第103部分

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　She　tried　to　get　her　mind　in　gear；　to　think　coherently；　but　the　screaming　mouth　confused　her　and　she　lay　idling　like　a　car　in　neutral。
　The　words　the　mouth　was　screaming　at　her　poured　down　on　her　like　hard　rain；　making　her　mind　hurt　until　the　only　thing　she　wanted　to　do　was　to　put　her　hands　over　her　ears　to　blot　out　the　terrible　noise。　But　it　went　on　and　on　and　on。
　The　only　way　to　make　the　mouth　stop　was　to　do　what　it　said。
　Now　she　wanted　to　wake　up。　Or　she　did　not。　She　could　not　tell　which。　She　began　to　whimper　and　cry。　In　her　dream？　Or　for　real？　Which　did　she　want　to　do？　Wake　up？　Or　continue　to　sleep？　She　was　terrified　and　every　moment　she　remained　asleep　her　fear　intensified。
　She　began　to　struggle。　She　felt　steel　crossing　the　palms　of　her　hands。
　Then　her　eyes　snapped　open。
　Nicholas　was　on　his　knees；　sitting　straight…backed；　facing　the　windows；　the　water　and　the　dawn；　when　Justine　came　into　the　room。　His　eyes　were　closed；　the　handle…less　cup　of　green　tea　steaming　in　front　of　him。　His　spirit　expanded；　gyring　high　into　the　clear　sky；　reaching　towards　the　high　clouds。
　Justine；　eyes　opened　wide　and　burning　quiet　cold　fire；　stole　silently　past　the　bubbling　fish　tank。　Her　pale　yellow　nightgown　swirled　about　her　as　if　she　were　immersed　in　mist；　rising　up　from　the　floor　she　walked；　enwrapping　her　torso。
　She　turned　and；　reaching　upwards　with　her　two　hands；　unsheathed　the　katana　which　hung　on　the　wall　just　below　Nicholas's　dai…katana。　She　would　have　taken　that　but　it　was　just　out　of　her　reach。
　Now　she　turns；　transfigured。　Her　eyes　are　not　her　own。　The　colour　is　all　wrong　and　the　crimson　motes　have　been　obscured　by　the　new　blackness　of　the　irises。　Her　face；　she　feels　with　a　mixture　of　terror　and　exhilaration；　is　no　longer　feminine；　though　her　figure　is　not　altered。　Like　dark　lightning　flickering：　adder；　ant；　man…thing。　She　shakes　her　head　as　her　vision　blurs。　Colours　seem　strange；　shapes　bulk　at　her　in　different　proportions。　All　of　it　has　lost　the　extra　dimensions　with　which　she　once　saw　the　world。　It　is　a　cold　and　hateful　place；　joyless　and　as　sere　as　the　'　great　Gobi。
　Air　bellows　in　and　out　of　her　lungs　as　if　through　some　baleful　force　outside　her　ken　and　she　curls　up　inside　herself；　crying　and　shivering。
　Still　her　hands　are　calm　and　controlled　as　she　places　them　one　over　the　other　around　the　wound　leather　handle　of　the　katana；　feeling　its　weight　and　its　balance；　knowing　…　and　not　knowing　how　she　knows　…　the　perfection　of　it。
　Now　her　bare　feet　are　placed　slowly　one　before　the　other；　at　precise　angles；　as　she　draws　ever　closer　to　the　muscular　back　at　the　front　of　the　room。
　Cool　light　floods　her　as　she　es　out　from　the　shadows　and　she　pauses　a　moment　to　allow　her　eyes　to　adjust　to　the　glare。
　Now　she　is　so　close　that　it　seems　her　harsh　breath　must　brush　his　skin。　Her　arms　are　raised　high　over　her　head　in　preparation　for　the　one　lethal　blow。　One　instant　and　it　is　all　over：　the　striking　of　a　match　in　the　dark；　the　flick　of　one　fingernail　against　another。　The　difference　between　life　and　death。
　The　tip　of　the　katana　begins　to　quiver　as　the　killing　energy　is　built　up。　One　cannot　use　the　iai　in　this　situation　…　the　great　scream　that　releases　so　much　energy。　How　does　she　know　this？　she　wonders。　One　must　draw　the　power　upwards　from　the　lower　abdomen　…　more；　more；　the　muscles　are　so　weak。
　And　it　is　at　this　moment；　as　the　katana　mences　its　dark　downward　rush；　that　her　core；　at　last　seeing；　begins　to　uncurl。
　No！　she　screamed　to　herself。　No　no　no！
　But　the　blade　was　already　a　blur；　cleaving　the　air　as　it　went　down　and　down　and；　despairing；　she　knew　that　it　was　far　too　late。
　In　flight；　his　spirit　seemed　to　take　on　the　characteristics　of　an　old　man。　Not　any　old　man　but　a　particular　one。
　Nicholas；　unbound；　was　old　yet　seemed　not　to　feel　the　years。　Rather；　they　hung　over　one　bare；　insubstantial　arm　like　a　series　of　silk　scarves；　each　one　a　different　colour；　corresponding　to　its　memories。
　In　the　sky　of　the　new　day　he　danced　the　dance　of　life；　a　delighted　child　who　has　nevertheless　seen　many　things；　experienced　many　days　and　nights。　He　fashioned　stalks　of　wheat　from　the　stuff　of　the　clouds　and；　grasping　one　in　each　fist；　swirled　them　around　and　around　his　head　like　crepe　paper　streamers。
　Below　him　the　continent　of　Ask　stretched　itself　like　an　enormous　tiger；　yawning　in　the　early　morning；　just　beginning　to　stir。　Yet　it　was　the　Asia　of　another　time；　before　the　advent　of　heavy　industrialization；　the　revolution　in　China；　the　devastation　of　Vietnam　and　Cambodia。　The　air　was　like　incense。
　Nicholas　became　aware　of　Justine　and　the　katana　at　the　same　instant。　Had　he　not　been　so　far　away；　the　haragei　would　have　picked　up　the　intent　far　sooner。　But　he　was　relaxed　and；　for　that　moment　went　unaware。
　But　in　this　last　instant　he　had　heard　the　bolt　of　black　thunder　and　was　already　turning　as　the　katana　rushed　down　upon　him。
　There　was；　of　course；　no　time　for　cerebration。　Had　he　paused　to　think；　even　for　the　barest　of　instants；　he　would　have　died。　As　it　was；　it　was　closer　than　he　liked　to　think　about。
　There　are　various　methods　of　winning　a　battle　without　a　sword。　The　one　he　knew　best　was　Letting　Go　the　Hilt　and　he　used　it　now；　instinctively　reaching　up　with　his　arms　crossed　just　past　the　wrists　so　that　he　came　hi　within　the　arc　of　the　blade；　slamming　Justine's　forearms　away　and　up。
　He　was　on　his　feet　and　she　came　at　him　with　a　horizontal　cut　from　left　to　right　and　he　knew　then　what　had　happened。
　With　a　shattering　cry；　he　extended　his　left　leg；　bending　at　the　knee；　and　crossed　hi　right　arm　over　his　left；　applying　a　blow　to　her　fists　with　the　flat　of　his　hand。
　He　stamped；　startling　her；　and　broke　towards　the　katana。　Half　way　there；　he　realized　that　the　blow　he　was　about　to　deliver　would　shatter　the　bones　in　her　wrists　and　instead　grasped　them；　wrenching　backwards；　right　over　left；　until　she　cried　out　and　the　blade　clattered　to　the　floor。
　Her　knee　came　up　and　struck　him　in　the　pit　of　his　stomach。　He　bent　over　and　she　pounded　his　back　with　both　her　fists。
　The　breath　whooshed　out　of　him　but；　in　falling；　he　managed　to　use　his　forearms　to　sweep　her　off　her　feet。　She　fell　heavily　half　on　top　of　him　and　immediately　began　to　strike　out。
　Nicholas　reached　up　through　the　rain　of　blows；　touched　the　side　of　her　neck。　Something　screamed。　It　came　from　her　wide…open　mouth；　it　used　her　vocal　cords；　but　she　never　could　have　made　that　sound　on　her　own。　Her　strange　black　eyes　flew　upwards　in　their　sockets　until　only　the　whites　showed　and　then　the　lids　came　down　and　she　slumped；　unconscious；　across　him；　her　long　hair　half…covering　the　shining　steel　blade　of　the　abandoned　katana。
　It　had　been　that　second　cut。　Left　to　right。　Justine　was　right…handed　and　would　have　cut　from　right　to　left。　It　was　not　Justine　who　wielded　the　blade。　In　any　event；　she　would　not　have　been　able　to　handle　the　katana　so　well。　'
　Saiminjutsu　…　the　art　of　ninja　hypnotism　…　was　just　one　of　the　sub…specialties　he　had　learned　years　ago。　He　worked　over　her　for　more　than　four　hours　…　to　undo　was　far　more　difficult　than　to　do　…　using　everything　he　had　been　taught；　to　exorcize　the　demon　that　had　been　planted　in　her。
　Sweat　dripped　off　them　both　like　rain；　mingling　on　the　wooden　floor；　as　he　worked　on　and　on　until；　at　last；　her　body　shuddered　in　his　arms　and　she　gave　a　fierce；　startled　cry。
　Within　moments；　she　was　in　a　sound　sleep。　But　he　would　not　give　her　up；　even　then；　and　held　her；　cradled　protectively　in　his　arms　and　lap；　leaving　her　only　once　during　the　long；　heating　day　to　relieve　himself　and　to　wet　a　towel　with　cool　water　so　that　he　could　place　it　over　her　forehead。
　For　almost　all　of　the　time；　he　stared　down　into　her　face；　his　features　somehow　different　from　what　they　had　been　earlier。　Once；　the　sound　of　the　quiet　bubbling　of　the　fish　tank　intruded　upon　his　thoughts　and　he　looked　briefly　over　at　the　denizens　of　the　deep　at　play　among　the　tall　green　columns　of　vegetation　and　the　spiny　backs　of　coloured　rocks。　They　regarded　him　impassively　from　beyond　the　glass；　from　another　world　entirely。
　By　the　third　day　she　had　recovered　fully。　Before　that；　she　slept　on　and　off　most　of　the　time　as　one　does　when　fighting　off　an　evil　disease。
　During　that　time；　Nicholas　fed　her　and　washed　her；　not　minding　at　all。　He　would　sit　on　the　porch　for　long　hours　at　a　time；　staring　out　at　the　sea；　past　the　bathers　and　the　sun　worshippers　as　if　they　did　not　exist；　but　he　did　not　go　onto　the　beach　nor　near　the　water。　He　would　not　go　that　far　away　from　her。
　And　when　that　day　dawned　when　she　opened　her　eyes　and　they　were　perfectly　clear；　the　tiny　scarlet　motes　in　the　left　one　as　brilliant　as　fires　on　a　plain；　he　put　his　arms　around　her　and　kissed　her。
　It　was　not　until　he　had　made　them　breakfast　and　she　had　taken　in　the　paper　that　he　told　her　what　had　happened。　He　told　her　everything　because　this　was　something　she　must　know；　to　understand　that　she　had　had　the　strength　and　the　courage　to　pull　through。　Because　he　never　could　have　acplished　it　on　his　own。　She　had　fought　the　Kobudera　from　the　beginning。
　'I　am　strong　now。'　She　laughed。　'As　strong　as　you。'
　'In　a　way；'　he　said；　more　seriously　than　she；　'yes。'　^She　shuddered。　'Such　power　needs　getting　used　to。'
　She　read　the　paper　while　he　cleaned　up　and　the　soft　clatter　of　the　dishes　in　the　sink　as　he　washed　them　made　her　feel　cozy　and　warm。
　'Afterwards；'　she　said；　'let's　go　out　on　the　beach。'
　'We　should。　Summer's　almost　gone。　We　should　make　the　most　of　these　last　days　out　here。　Anyway'　…　he　wiped　his　hands　…　'there　are　a　couple　of　people　in　the　city　I　want　you　to　get　to　know　…'
　'Nick　…'　She　looked　up　from　the　paper。
　He　came　over　to　where　she　was　sitting。　'Why　the　look？'　He　kissed　her。
　'Look　at　this。'　She　pushed　the　folded　paper　towards　him。
　He　took　it；　dropped　his　gaze　from　her　worried　face。
　'I　ought　to　call　Gelda；〃　she　said　as　if　from　a　distance。
　Local　Policeman　Dead　in　Crash　（he　read）。　The　dateline　was　Key　West；　Florida。　'Detective　Lieutenant　Lewis　J。　Croaker　was　found　dead　late　yesterday　in　a　rented　car；　a　spokesman　for　the　Monroe　County　Police　Department　reported。　The　car　had　apparently　left　the　highway　at　high　speed　six　miles　east　of　Key　West；　rolled　down　an　embankment