ericlustbader.the ninja-第30部分

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aves　his　action　might　cause。　Not　that　he　was　intimidated　by　Saigo's　close　princely　protection　of　her；　rather　he　was　burdened　by　the　secrecy　of　the　father；　whose　relationship　with　the　Colonel　was　stormy　at　best。
　There　was　no　one's　counsel　he　could　seek　but　his　own　and；　in　the　end；　he　decided　that　he　was　worrying　about　something　that　had　significance　only　for　him。
　Accordingly；　he　approached　them。　It　was　Yukio　herself　who　provided；　the　opening；　for　she　immediately　began　to　ask　him　questions　about　Tokyo；　which　she　had　not　visited　for　some　time；　his　immediate　impression　was　that　she　was　fairly　well　confined　to　Kyoto　and　its　environs。
　Saigo；　as　might　be　anticipated；　took　a　rather　dim　view　of　his　interference　and　was　about　to　voice　his　displeasure　when　his　father　called　for　him　and；　reluctantly；　he　excused　himself。
　As　he　led　her　onto　the　dance　floor；　Nicholas　had　time　to　admire　her　kimono。　It　was　dove…grey　with　platinum…coloured　threads　running　through　it。　It　was　embroidered　with　the　design　of　a　midnight…blue　wheel…and　spoke　pattern　typical　of　the　standard　of　a　daimyo　in　feudal　times。
　She　seemed　weightless　as　they　danced　to　the　slow　music　and；　holding　her　close；　he　felt　the　heat　from　her　body；　the　subtle　shifting　of　her　flesh　beneath　the　thin　kimono。
　'We　two　are　both　too　young　to　remember　the　war；'　she　said；　her　voice　husky。　'Yet　we　are　so　much　affected　by　it。　Doesn't　that　seem　odd　to　you？'
　'Not　really。'　He　was　breathing　in　the　musk　of　her　skin　and　it　seemed　to　him　as　if　her　very　sweat　were　perfumed。　'Isn't　history　continuous？　Incidents　don't　happen　in　a　vacuum　but　cause　ripples　spreading　outward；　interacting　with　other　ripples；　changing　their　courses　and；　in　turn；　being　themselves　changed。'
　'My；　what　philosophy。'　And　he　thought　that　she　might　be　mocking　him　until　she　laughed　and　said；　'But　I　like　that　theory。　Do　you　know　why？　No？　Because　it　means　that　what　we　do　here　will　affect　our　histories。'
　'What；　you　mean　us？'
　'Yes。　The　two　of　us。　A　duo。　White　；and　black。　Yin　and　Yang。'
　Now　while　she　spoke　she　had　contrived；　without　Nicholas's　being　in　the　least　aware；　to　slide　closer　to　him。　Abruptly；　as　they　swayed　to　the　music　he　found　her　left　leg　between　his。　She　pushed　discreetly　forward　and　he　felt　the　hot　contact　with　her　thigh　and　then；　incredibly；　her　pubic　mound。　She　continued　talking；　staring　up　into　his　eyes；　while　she　rubbed　herself　lightly　back　and　forth　against　him。　It　was　as　if　they　were　joined　by　a　hardening　fulcrum。　Nicholas　scarcely　dared　to　breathe　lest　some　precipitous　move　of　his　dislodge　them　from　this　position。　It　was　an　astoundingly　intimate　gesture；　ing　as　it　did　in　the　midst　of　six　hundred　or　so　people；　lavishly　dressed；　still　disdainful　of　new　ways　or　liberal　viewpoints。　Its　highly　clandestine　nature　thrilled　him　especially　when；　turning　her　around；　his　gaze　fell　upon　Saigo　staring　at　them　from　the　edge　of　the　dance…floor；　still　engaged　in　a　discussion　from　which　his　father　would　not　release　him。　It　was　the　only　time　Nicholas　would　think　kindly　of　the　man。
　They　danced　for　what　seemed　like　endless　moments　but　when；　at　length；　they　parted　…　with　not　one　word　exchanged　about　the　intimacy　…　he　was　unaware　that　he　would　not　see　her　again　for　nearly　four　years。
　On　Sundays　the　Colonel　slept　late。　This　luxury　he　permitted　himself　perhaps　because；　on　a　day　when　he　did　not　work；　he　was　delighted　to　smash　routine　to　smithereens；　though　he　awoke　six　mornings　a　week　at　precisely　six　o'clock；　he　rolled　out　of　bed　whenever　he　wished　on　that　first　day　of　the　week。
　No　one　disturbed　him　then　save　Cheong；　who　seemed　invulnerable'　to　his　infrequent　wrath。　At　times　she　would　stay　on　the　futon　with　him　until　he　was　awake　but　at　other　times　she　was　up　early；　working　in　the　kitchen；　having　shooed　the　servants　away。
　Cheong　prepared　the　meals　at　the　weekend。　She　would　have　cooked　every　day；　Nicholas　knew；　because　she　loved　to　do　it；　but　the　Colonel　forbade　it。　'Let　Tai　do　the　cooking；'　he　told　her　somewhat　crossly　one　day。　'That　is　what　she　is　paid　for；　after　all。　Your　time　should　be　your　own；　to　do　with　what　you　want。'　'Do　what？'　she　had　said。　'You　know　very　well　what　I'm　getting　at。'　'Who；　me？'　She　pointed　to　herself。　'Me　only　ignorant　Chinee；　Colonel…san。'　She　said　this　in　pidgin　English；　though　she　had　superb　grasp　of　that　language。　She　bowed　to　him　over　and　over。　The　Colonel　was　exasperated　by　her　parodies　…　she　was　a　brilliant　mimic；　picking　up　individual　accents　and　idiosyncrasies　with　astounding　rapidity　…　because　they　struck　so　close　to　reality。　He　did　not　like　to　recall　those　aspects　of　the　hazed　Asian　shore　so　close　to　them　across　the　genkainada：　the　utter　disdain　with　which　the　English　and　the　Americans　alike　treated　the　Chinese　and　the　Malay；　as　if　they　were　some　subhuman　species；　suitable　only　for　menial；　and　sexual　labours。　The　Colonel　had　taken　Cheong　in　his　strong　sun…browned　arms　and　kissed　her　hard　on　the　lips；　holding　her　tight　around；　knowing　from　experience　that　this　was　the　only　way　to　silence　her；　that　the　expression　of　his　anger　would　only　egg　her　on。
　That　particular　Sunday　morning；　Cheong　was　already　up　and　slicing　fresh　vegetables　when　Nicholas　came　into　the　kitchen。
　Oblique　bars　of　sunlight　jazzed　the　windows；　turning　them　sparkly。　The　drone　of　a　distant　plane　could　be　heard；　preparing　to　land　at　Haneda。　Low　on　the　horizon　he　could　see　the　flying　V　of　the　geese；　moving　away　from　the　ellipse　of　the　rising　sun。
　He　kissed　her　and　her　arms　went　around　him。
　'Will　you　go　to　the　dojo　today？'　she　asked　quietly。
　'Not　if　Father　will　be　home。'
　She　split　green　beans。　'I　think　he　has　a　surprise　for　you　today。　I　was　hoping　you　would　decide　to　stay。'
　'I　felt　I　should　be　here；'　he　said。　'I　wanted　to　be。'
　'There　may　e　a　time；'　Cheong　said　without　looking　up　from　her　cooking；　'when　that　will　not　be　possible。'
　'You　mean　with　Father？'
　'No；　this　applies　to　you。'
　'I　don't　think　I　understand。'
　'When　your　father　and　I　left　Singapore；　So…Peng　was　already　dying。　It　was　to　be　a　relatively　slow　death　and　he　had　much　to　acplish　before　the　end。　But　as　he　said　to　me；　it　would　be　the　last　time　we　would　see　each　other；　and　he　was　right。'　Her　hands　moved　in　a　blur　along　the　wooden　counter；　blithely　dissociated　from　her　words。　'I　knew　that　I　must　take　your　father　and　leave　Singapore　behind　forever；　our　life　lay　elsewhere；　it　lay　here。　But　my　heart　broke　at　leaving　So…Peng。　He　was　my　father；　so　much　more　than　a。　father　and　I　so　much　more　than　a　daughter。　Perhaps　that　was　so　because　we　had　chosen　each　other；　it　was　our　minds　rather　than　our　blood　that　were　the　same。
　'That　day；　as　we　left；　I　paused　on　the　porch　of　his　house　as　I　had　done　so　many　times　when；　as　a　child；　I　was　about　to　go　out；　when　So…Peng　put　a　hand　on　my　arm。　It　was　the　first　and　last　time　he　touched　me　as　an　adult。　Your　father　was　already　somewhat　ahead　on　the　street。　〃Now　you　are　me；　Cheong；〃　he　said　to　me　in　the　peculiar　Mandarin　dialect　we　used　only　among　ourselves　in　the　household。'
　'What　did　he　mean？'
　'I　don't　know　…　I　only　suspect。'　She　wiped　her　hands；　dipped　them　in　a　bowl　of　cold　lemon　water；　began　to　slice　again；　swiftly　and　deftly；　this　time　it　was　cucumbers。　'I　cried　all　the　way　through　the　forest　until　we　reached　the　clearing　where　the　Jeep　was　parked。　Your　father；　of　course；　said　nothing；　though　I've　no　doubt　he　wanted　to；　he　would　not　shame　me　that　way。'
　'Did　you　have　to　leave？'　Nicholas　asked。
　'I　did；　yes；'　she　said；　for　the　first　time　looking　up　from　her　work。　'I　had　my　duty　to　your　father。　That　is　my　life。　I　knew　it　that　day　and　so　did　So…Peng。　It　would　have　been　inconceivable　to　him　that　I　should　stay　with　him；　that　I　should　abandon　my　duty。　It　could　not　happen。　To　abandon　duty　is　to　destroy　that　which　makes　any　individual　unique　and　capable　of　prodigious　feats。
　'Duty　is　the　essence　of　life；　Nicholas。　It　is　the　only　thing　over　which　death　has　no　dominion。　It　is　true　immortality。'
　As　it　turned　out；　the　Colonel　had　the　entire　day　free　and；　it　being　spring；　he　took　Nicholas　to　the　Jindaiji　Botanical　Park　in　the　city　for　the　traditional　cherry…blossom　viewing。
　On　the　way　they　dropped　Cheong　at　Itami's；　she　had　promised　her　she　would　go　with　her　to　see　her　uncle　who　was　ill。
　The　morning's　haze　had　lifted　and　a　strong　easterly　wind　had　already　banished　the　low…lying　mist；　wispy　cirrus　arced　like　a　series　of　Impressionist　paintings　newly　hung　in　a　museum's　vast　gallery。
　So；　too；　the　park　seemed　to　have　been　dropped　wholesale　from　out　of　the　heavens。　The　heavily　flowering　trees；　their　long　branches　bent　low　under　the　weight　of　the　palest　pink　blossoms；　took　on　an　ethereal　other…worldliness。　At　other　times　of　the　year　the　park　perhaps　showed　its　rather　austere　beauty。　But　this　was　April　and　the　splendor　displayed　here　was　breathtaking。
　Kimonos　and　brightly　coloured　oiled　paper　parasols　were　much　in　evidence　as　they　made　their　leisurely　way　along　the　winding　paths　beneath　the　two　skies；　one　low　and　fragrant；　the　other　far　out　of　reach。　They　stopped　by　a　vendor　selling　sweet　tofu。　The　Colonel　bought　them　each　a　portion　and　they　ate　the　confection　slowly　as　they　moved　on。　Laughing　children　passed　them；　indulged　by　their　parents；　and　young　couples；　arm　in　arm。　There　were　many　Americans。
　'Father；　will　you　tell　me　something　about　the　zaibatsu？'　Nicholas　asked。
　The　Colonel　spooned　a　bit　of　tofu　into　his　mouth；　chewed　reflectively。　'Well；　I'm　sure　you　know　quite　a　bit　already。'
　'I　know　what　the　zaibatsu　are；'　Nicholas　said。　'Four　of　the　largest　industrial　plexes　in　Japan。　And　I　know　that　for　a　brief　time　just　after　the　war　many　of　the　zaibatsu's　top　executives　were　tried　for　war　crimes。　I　don't　really　understand　that。'
　The　Colonel　was　obliged　to　stoop　slightly　as　they　passed　beneath　low…hanging　branches。　They　might　have　been　flying；　passing　through　rose…coloured　banks　of　clouds。　Modern　Tokyo　seemed　never　to　have　existed；　to　be；　rather；　a　manifestation　of　some　science　fiction　tale。　An　Easterner　walking　here　at　this　time　would　have　no　difficulty　in　understanding　this。　Symbols　abounded　in　Japan；　acquiring　their　own　potency。　For　the　Japanese　there　was　perhaps　no　more　powerful　symbol　than　the　cherry　blossom。　It　stood　variously　for　renewal；　purification；　love　and　ineffable；　timel