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　He　had　fallen　asleep　with　that　thought　in　his　mind　and　had　awakened　just　before　dawn　with　the　idea　blooming　already。
　There　was　a　way　to　free　Satsugai；　he　was　quite　certain　of　that　now；　but　to　implement　the　plan　would　involve　tremendous　risk。　He　had　no　doubt　that　he　could　talk　the　SCAP　tribunal　into　going　along　with　him。　It　was　purely　a　matter　of　whether　he　wanted　to　go　ahead　with　it。
　In　the　end；　he　knew　he　had　little　choice。　He　already　understood　the　precariousness　of　the　advisory　board　of　which　he　was　a　member　and　now　he　thought　of　his　plan　as　a　kind　of　insurance　policy　against　the　day　his　job　should　go　sour。
　He　knew　a　good　deal　about　Satsugai's　background；　in　fact　a　good　deal　more　than　Satsugai　himself　was　aware。　The　Fukuoka　connection　was　too　obvious　to　ignore。　The　Genyosha　had　never　been　an　outlaw　organization　in　Japan；　records　were　not　too　difficult　to　unearth。　The　Colonel　had　taken　a　clandestine　trip　south　to　Kyushu　and　had　found　out　the　truth。　Satsugai　was　a　Genyosha　leader。
　At　this　particular　point　in　time；　that　sort　of　information　was　incendiary。　If　it　came　to　the　attention　of　the　SCAP　tribunal；　it　would　not　matter　how　many　incriminating　documents　Satsugai　had　destroyed　in　time；　he　would　be　executed。
　However；　the　Colonel　had　absolutely　no　intention　of　divulging　that　piece　of　information　to　anyone。　In　any　event；　Satsugai's　death　would　serve　no　purpose。　The　society　would　simply　elevate　another　member　and　go　on　with　its　work。　That　work　was　totally　counterproductive　to　what　the　Colonel　perceived　as　the　correct　course　towards　Japan's　future。　He　wanted　the　Genyosha　destroyed。　If　Satsugai　were　exonerated；　he　would　be　a　dog　on　a　leash　…　the　end　of　which　the　Colonel　had　firm　hold　of。　Sooner　or　later；　Satsugai　would　lead　the　Colonel　home　to　the　centre　of　the　Genyosha。
　The　Colonel　turned　his　gaze　from　the　weeping　glass　into　the　warmth　of　his　study。　He　watched　the　slanted　Mongol　eyes　of　his　adversary；　so　well　trained　that　he　could　see　nothing　below　the　surface；　nothing　that　the　man　did　not　want　him　to　see。
　It　seems　a　long　time　ago；　the　Colonel　thought　now；　that　I　let　him　go　and　he　has　led　me　nowhere。　He　has　known　from　the　beginning。　He　knew　what　I　wanted。　I　have　managed　to　neutralize　him　as　a　force　but　he　has　otherwise　stymied　me。　The　Colonel　felt　a　deep　sadness　inside　himself。　It　was　always　his　game　to　win；　he　thought。　I　was　a　fool　to　think　otherwise。
　That　Satsugai　hated　him　came　as　no　surprise　to　the　Colonel。　After　all；　they　were　from　opposite　sides　of　the　political　spectrum。　And　while　the　Colonel　understood　better　than　any　Westerner　in　Japan　the　importance　of　the　maintenance　of　its　traditions；　its　heritage；　knowing　that　without　those　things　the　country　would　disintegrate；　yet　he　also　understood　that　the　kind　of　traditionalism　that　Satsugai　represented　was　as　evil　and　self…serving　as　anything　in　Japan　could　be。　This　was　a　country　of　heroes；　he　knew；　not　of　villains。　Those　were　few　and　far　between。　At　that　moment；　as　he　stared　into　those　baleful　eyes　across　the　warm　expanse　of　his　study；　the　Colonel　knew　that　he　had　missed　something　elementary　in　the　puzzle。　There　was　a　piece　missing　that　was；　he　was　convinced；　the　key　to　it　all。　He　had　believed　that　he　had　pierced　Satsugai's　secret　life　many　years　ago　and　all　his　actions　since　then　had　stemmed　from　that　assumption。　He　now　suspected　that　assumption；　was　angry　at　himself　for　having　been　so　easily　fooled。　He　played　with　me　as　if　I　were　a　child；　the　Colonel　thought　furiously。
　It　gave　him　little　fort　at　the　moment　that；　by　his　intervening；　he　had　put　Satsugai　in　an　agonizing　situation。　He　was　in　debt　to　the　Colonel；　a　man　he　despised。　It　was　an　intolerable　situation　for　a　Japanese；　yet　Satsugai　bore　it　well。　I　have　to　give　him　that；　the　Colonel　thought。
　My　God；　he　thought；　what　is　it　that　he　has　hidden　from　me　all　these　years？　The　old　warrior　is　shrewd　yet。　And　then　the　Colonel　understood　what　he　must　do。　There　had　already　been　too　much　time　wasted　in　an　obviously　fruitless　plot。　He　had；　as　Satsugai　himself　had　just　said；　to　face　reality。　And　the　reality　of　this　situation　was　that　he　must　break　the　stalemate　in　whatever　way　was　possible。　There　was　only　one　way　now。
　The　Colonel　knew　only　too　well　that；　as　far　as　Satsugai　was　concerned；　he　was　invulnerable。　He　could；　for　instance；　insult　Satsugai　and　the　other　would　not　…　could　not　…　take　action　against　him。　There　was　an　obligation　to　be　met。　Satsugai　must　grin　and　bear　it。　The　reverse；　however；　did　not　hold　true。
　For　a　brief　moment；　the　Colonel　was　filled　with　a　deep　regret。　Nicholas　was　still　so　young。　There　had　been　so　little　time　and　there　were　promises　he　had　made　that　could　not　now　be　kept。
　The　Colonel　stared　out　at　the　wide　expanse　of　his　property；　the　trees　dripping　with　moisture；　bending　in　the　wind。　He　looked　for　the　wren　but　it　had　long　gone；　perhaps　preferring　the　storm　to　idleness。　So　much　beauty　out　there；　but　this　day　he　could　feel　no　joy。
　'What　have　you　learned　from　the　Go　Rin　No　Sho？'　Kansatsu　said　one　day　at　the　dojo。
　'Some　of　it　is　obviously　quite　useful；'　Nicholas　said；　'though　it's　mostly　mon　sense。'
　'Many　consider　it　a　revelatory　work。'　Kansatsu's　tone　was　entirely　neutral；　giving　Nicholas　no　clue　as　to　whether　or　not　he　thought。　it　was　so　important。　His　eyes　glittered　like　glass；　quite　opaque。　Behind　him　the　long　afternoon　slid　into　the　muffled　mauve　of　twilight。　The　sun　was　lost　in　a　steep　bank　of　haze；　the　resulting　light；　reflective　and　diffuse；　suffused　the　sky；　laminated　the　trees　until　the　world　seemed　monochromatic。
　'I　almost　wish　you　hadn't　given　it　to　me。'
　'Could　you　be　more　specific？'
　'Well；　there　is　something　…　I　don't　know　…　disturbing　about　it。'
　Kansatsu　said　nothing；　merely　stood　waiting。　Behind　him；　the　soft　clash　of　bokken；　the　exhaled　breaths　in　unison；　filled　the　place。
　'Some　might　say　its　purity　is　its　ultimate　virtue；'　Nicholas　said　carefully。　'But；　to　me；　it's　more　of　a　monomania。　There　is　something　intrinsically　dangerous　in　that。'
　'Can　you　tell　me　what；　precisely？'
　'Exclusion。'
　As　if　he　had　been　thinking　of　this　all　the　time；　Kansatsu　said；。'　Do　you　know　anything　of　the　life　of　Musashi？'
　'Not　really；　no。'
　'Miyamoto　Musashi　was　born　in　1584；'　Kansatsu　said　seriously。　'As　you　no　doubt　know；　this　was　not　the　best　of　times　for　Japan。　There　was　and　had　been　terrible　internal　strife　brought　about　by　the　constant　internecine　warfare　waged　by　the　numerous　daimyo。
　'Musashi　was　a　ronin；　little　more　than　a　brigand；　really。　His　family　came　from　the　south；　in　Kyushu；　but　by　the　age　of　twenty…one　he　had　travelled　north　to　Kyoto　and　there　fought　his　first　battle；　decimating　a　family　which　had；　years　before；　been　responsible　for　his　father's　demise。
　'There　^re　many；　many　tales　told　concerning　Musashi　and　one　must　be　most　careful　in　reading　these　accounts。　As　is　the　case　with　most　historical　figures　from　this　country's　feudal　past；　Musashi's　history　is　awash　with　myth。　This　blurring　of　fact　and　fancy　is　all　well　and　good　for　the　reader　wishing　for　simple　entertainment。　But　for　the　serious　student　of　history　…and　this　should　include　all　who　study　bujutsu　…　it　can　be　a　dangerous　trap。'
　'But　myth　sometimes　sustains　the　samurai；'　Nicholas　said。
　'Not　so。'　Kansatsu's　tone　was　emphatic。　'It　is　history　which　must　sustain　the　warrior。　History　and　duty；　Nicholas。　Nothing　more。　Myth　cannot　enter　into　it；　for　myth　distorts　judgement。　Even　the　senses　bee　infected　then。
　'In　bujutsu　we　deal　with　most　serious　matters。　The　defence　of　life；　yes；　but　that　is　not　all。　Methods　of　dealing　death　occupy　us　daily　and　there　is；　literally；　no　known　number　to　that　catalogue。　One　cannot　be　taught　these　things　without　the　conitant　use　of　responsibility。　And　myth　is　the　chief　eroder　of　this　responsibility。　Without　bushido；　you　see；　we　would　be　nothing　more　than　ninja；　mon　criminals　stalking　the　streets。　And　it　is　so　easy　to　slip　into　myth。　So　very　easy。'
　He　put　his　hand　out；　indicating　that　Nicholas　should　sit。　'You　have　e　a　long　way；'　he　continued。　'Your　technique　is　flawless　and　your　capacity　for　learning　seems　inexhaustible。　However；　I　believe　you　have　gone　as　far　as　you　can　here。　There　remains　for　you　but　one　more　hurdle　and　it　is　the　most　difficult。　In　fact；　I　must　tell　you　that　most　students　who　have　e　this　far　never　go　any　further。
　'Nicholas；　you　must　now　find　that　hurdle　within　yourself　and　make　the　leap。　I　can　no　longer　aid　or　even　guide　you。　Either　it　will　be　there　or　it　will　not。'
　'Does　this　mean　you　want　me　to　leave　the　ry〃？'　Nicholas　found　that　he　was　having　difficulty　in　swallowing。
　Kansatsu　shook　his　head。　'I　mean　nothing　of　the　sort。　You　are　perfectly　free　to　stay　here　for　as　long　as　you　wish　to　stay。'
　Nicholas　knew　that　he　was　missing　something　and；　furiously；　he　backtracked　over　the　conversation；　trying　to　think　what　it　was。　Kansatsu　did　not　seem　disappointed　with　him。　On　the　contrary；　there　was　a　subtle　undercurrent　of　excitement　running　through　him。　Think　1　What；　had　he　missed？
　Kansatsu　stood　up。　'In　lieu　of　a　lesson　today；'　he　said。　Td　like　you　to　give　a　demonstration　for　the　class。'　He　stared　down　at　Nicholas。　'e'　along　now。'
　He　went　out　into　the　centre　of　the　floor；　clapped　his　hands　together　once。　All　sound；　all　motion　immediately　ceased　and　all　heads　turned　expectantly　towards　him；　student　and　sense：　alike。
　Kansatsu　picked　four　students　at　what　appeared　to　be　random。　They　were　all　last…year　students　and　among　the　biggest　physically　in　the　ryu。　All　were　older　than　Nicholas。
　Kansatsu　turned　and　beckoned　to　Nicholas；　who　walked　out　to　stand　beside　him。　In　his　right　hand　he　carried　a　bokken。　'Please　form　up　around　Nicholas；'　Kansatsu　said　to　the　students；　they　moved　around　him　in　a　rough　circle。　Kansatsu　beckoned　to　a　sensei；　who　gave　over　his　bokken　to　the　master。　Kansatsu　delivered　this　up　to　Nicholas。　'Now；'　he　whispered　so　that　only　Nicholas　could　hear；　'we　shall　see　how　well　you　have　digested　the　words　of　the　Niten　ryu；　Musashi's　school。〃
　He　backed　away；　leaving　Nicholas；　a　bokken　in　each　hand；　surrounded　by　the　four　students。　They　were　all　armed　with　single　bokken。　All　of　them　had　been　at　the　ryu　longer　than　he。
　Darkness　falling　like　a　final　curtain　and　he　encircled；　the　stealthy　pad　of　bare　feet　aga