ericlustbader.the ninja-第58部分

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t　look　at　all　well。　I　think　you'd　better　e　along　with　me。'
　'I　haven't　slept；　that's　all；'　Nicholas　said；　allowing　himself　to　be　led　into　the　house。　But　instead　of　taking　him　into　his　office；　Doc　Deerforth　led　him　to　the　kitchen。
　'A　good　breakfast　will　do　you　a　world　of　good；'　he　said。　He　opened　the　refrigerator；　took　out　a　carton　of　orange　juice；　handed　it　over。　'Here；　help　yourself。〃　He　looked　up。　'Bacon　and　eggs　all　right　with　you？'
　'Hey；　you　don't　have　to　…'
　Doc　Deerforth　waved　away　his　words。　'Course　I　don't　have　to。　I　want　to。'　He　smiled；　carrying　eggs　to　the　stove。　'Besides；　it's　been　a　while　since　I　had　a　guest　for　breakfast。　Do　me　good。　I've　been　sitting　around　too　much　lately。'　He　began　to　prepare　the　food。　He　got　more　coffee　going；　then　　　　put　up　the　bacon。　The　sizzling　of　the　meat　gave　。him　a　peculiarly　warm　feeling。　He　wondered　about　that　until　he　recalled　he　used　to　cook　breakfast　for　the　girls。　That　seemed　so　long　ago。　'I　s'pose　you　want　to　know　what　Florum's　been　up　to；〃　he　said。　Nicholas　sat　down　at　the　table；　poured　himself　some　juice。　He　looked　up　expectantly。　'Nothing；'　Doc　Deerforth　continued。　'There's　not　a　damn　thing　for　him　to　go　on。'
　'I'm　not　surprised；'　Nicholas　said。　He　told　the　other　about　what　had　taken　place　in　the　city。
　'Friends　of　yours；　huh？'　Doc　Deerforth　said　when　he　had　finished。　〃That's　a　bit　of　bad　luck。　I'm　sorry。'　He　turned　the　bacon。　'You　think　he's　really　after　Raphael　Tomkin？'
　Nicholas　nodded。
　〃Then　why　these　other　killings？　None　of　the　victims　seem　to　have　any　connection　with　Tomkin。'
　'They　don't。　At　least；　not　as　far　as　I　can　tell。'
　'Then　what's　he　up　to？　He　could　have　been　in　and　out　half　a　dozen　times　by　now。'
　'I've　thought　about　that。'　Nicholas　glanced　down　at　his　juice　as　if　he　might　find　answers　there。　'For　one　thing；　it's　not　so　easy　to　get　to　Tomkin。　That　kind　of　penetration　takes　time。'
　'All　the　more　reason　for　him　to　keep　a　low　profile。　They　don't　like　the　limelight。'　He　lifted　out　the　bacon；　started　on　the　eggs。
　'Normally　that's　true；'　Nicholas　agreed。　'But　this　man's　different。　He's　shrewder　than　most。　Look；　he's　going　up　against　a　man　who's　been　a　target　three　or　four　times　before。　There　arc　good　reasons　why　Tomkin　is　still　alive。　The　ninja　figures　a　simple　penetration　won't　do　it。　Something　a　bit　more　plex　is　called　for。　You　know　how　they　are。　He'll　have　to　go　in　himself。　There'll　be　no　remote…control　gadgets；　he　won't　use　the　long　gun。'
　'I　know。'　The　kitchen　was　filled　with　the　smell　of　the　food。　Doc　Deerforth　got　out　the　bread；　gave　it　to　Nicholas　to　toast。
　'All　right。　The　idea　is　to　confuse　the　enemy。　It's　an　ancient　form　of　strategy　in　kendo　and　on　the　battlefield。　Use　different　forms　of　attacks；　attack　from　different　sides。　While　your　enemy　is　wondering　what　you're　up　to；　you　attack　decisively　and　he's　defeated。〃
　Doc　Deerforth　eyed　Nicholas　as　he　brought　the　plates　over　to　the　table。　'And　you　think　this　is　what　the　ninja　is　doing？'
　'It　seems　logical；　yes。'
　Doc　Deerforth　began　to　eat；　frowning　in　concentration。　'You've　thought　of　other　possibilities；　naturally；'　he　said　after　a　while。
　Nicholas　looked　up。　'What　other　possibilities？'
　'I　don't　know。　But　they're　devious　bastards。　I　could　never　pretend　to　know　what　was　in　their　　　　　minds。'
　Nicholas　looked　away　for　a　moment。　'I　knew　several　in　Japan。'
　Doc　Deerforth's　eyes　blazed　briefly。　'Did　you？'
　'That　was　years　ago。'
　'Time　doesn't　mean　anything　to　them。'　Nicholas　knew　he　was　talking　about　his　own　experience。　He　put　down　his　fork；　said　nothing。　'They're　not　human；'　Doc　Deerforth　said　after　a　time。　It　was　so　quiet　between　the　words　that　Nicholas　could　hear　the　ticking　of　the　clock　on　the　wall。　'At　least；　there's　something　quite　inhuman　about　them　…　as　if　they　were　vampires　or　something。　Something　supernatural。'　His　eyes　had　turned　inwards　as　he　strung　out　the　banner　of　his　memory。
　'Our　war；'　he　continued；　'was　quite　different　from　any　other；　from　what　it　was　elsewhere。　Where　we　were；　it　was　never　a　matter　of　panies　taking　a　ridge　and　holding　it　in　the　face　of　an　enemy　counter…offensive。　There　were　no　front　lines；　separate　territories；　retreats　or　attacks。　There　was　only　a　kind　of　holding　on。　A　desperate　stubbornness　against　this　terrible　fluidity　which　brought　you　to　the　front　in　the　morning　and　behind　the　enemy　at　sunset　without　having　moved　at　all　during　the　day。
　'We　were　never　quite　sure　just　where　the　enemy　was。　Specific　orders　were　sporadic　at　best　and；　when　they　came；　it　seemed　clear　to　us　that　the　generals　had　no　idea　of　the　actual　situation。　We　lived　in　a　kind　of　loosely　controlled　state　of　anarchy。　It　was　our　only　protection　from　the　panic　which　continually　besieged　us。
　'The　time　I'm　telling　you　about　was　late　in　the　war。　Almost　all　of　us　had　been　in　the　Pacific　Theatre　from　the　beginning。　Many　of　us　were　in　no　condition　to　fight。　Malaria；　amoebic　dysentery；　those　and　other　diseases　I　had　never　encountered　before　were　what　we　lived　with。　But；　after　a　while；　we　began　to　fear　even　the　cholera　less　than　the　nights。
　'The　nights　brought　the　infiltrations；　silent　and　lethal。　We　'seemed　incapable　of　stemming　them。　We　doubled　the　perimeter　guard；　began　patrols　of　the　pound　itself。　Nothing　helped。　The　mander；　in　desperation；　mounted　a　series　of　night　patrols。　They　shot　at　shadows　or　the　calls　of　night　birds。　They　hit　nothing　and　were；　in　turn；　silently　killed。
　'These　incidents　built　themselves　eerily。　Then　some　idiot　？　mentioned　Dracula。　He　had　a　dog…eared　copy　of　the　Bram　Stoker　novel　and　it　quickly　made　the　rounds。　The　fear　magnified　itself。　What　else　could　you　expect　under　such　circumstances？　Man　is　notorious　for　inventing　creatures　to　explain　away　the　otherwise　inexplicable。　It　was　something　out　of　a　Gothic　horror　novel。　Even　now；　with　so　much　time　in　between；　it　doesn't　seem　like　a　joke。　We　were　used　to　fighting　soldiers　of　flesh　and　blood；　not　shadows　which　melted　away　in　the　light。　If　we　could　have　caught　just　one；　even　…　caught　a　glimpse　…we'd　have　had　some　idea　of　what　we　were　up　against。
　'Fear　has　an　uncanny　way　of　escalating。　We　were　none　of　us　cowards。　We　had　all　done　our　share　of　killing。　Even　I　…　even　I　had　been　called　upon　several　times　。。。　We　were　in　danger　of　being　overrun。　But　now　we　were　experiencing　something　else　…　something　quite　beyond　our　ken。　It　sounds　foolish；　I　know；　but　believe　me；　Nicholas；　when　I　tell　you　what　happened。。。
　'We　were　struggling　across　Leyte。　The　enormous　naval　battle　of　Leyte　Gulf　was　behind　us。　On　the　sea　the　Japanese　were　destroyed；　but　on　land　it　was　another　matter　entirely。　We　did　not　yet　own　this　small　island　and　Luzon；　the　main　island；　was　still　in　Japanese　hands。　They　were　undermanned　and　frightfully　undersupplied。　We　thought　we　had　them　beaten　at　Leyte　Gulf；　that　it　was　the　end。　'It　wasn't。
　'A　new　Japanese　mander　had　arrived　from　Tokyo　just　before　the　battle　began。　Vice…Admiral　Onishi　of　the　First　Naval　Air　Fleet　in　Manila。　Two　days　after　he　arrived；　he　travelled　to　Mabalacat；　a　small　town　fifty　miles　to　the　northwest。　It　was　the　site　of　the　Two　Hundred　and　First…Air　Group。　There　he　chaired　a　meeting　that　was；　although　none　of　us　knew　it　then；　one　of　the　war's　most　fateful　conferences。
　'Not　long　after；　we　heard　the　first　reports。　Many　of　us；　knowing　the　wildness　of　rumour；　did　not　believe　it。　But　then；　no　more　than　a　week　later；　we　saw　it　for　ourselves。　At　first　we　thought　the　Zeros　were　after　us　but　they　screamed　by　overhead　as　if　we　had　not　existed。　Then　we　saw　our　ships　out　to　sea；　an　aircraft　carrier　and　two　destroyers。　They　did　not　strafe　our　ships；　these　Zeros；　nor　did　they　dive…bomb　them。　They　merely　careened　into　them。　We　were　certain　that　the　first　one　had　been　hit　and　crashed。　But　as　they　one　after　another　followed　the　same　suicidal　course；　we　began　to　understand。　Yet　we　understood　not　at　all。　How　could　rational　men　do　this？　It　seemed　inconceivable。　We　thought　perhaps　they　had　been　brainwashed；　the　Japanese　were　notorious　for　their　methods。　Anyway；　that　was　the　prevailing　opinion。
　'Yet　something　about　this　theory　stuck　in　my　mind。　I　could　not　believe　it。　Psychological　reorientation　takes　time；　I　knew　that。　Certainly　it　could　not　have　been　acplished　overnight。　It　took　time　and　that　was　the　one　thing　the　Japanese　did　not　have。　No；　I　was　convinced　it　had　to　be　something　else。　But　what？
　'It　was　the　season　of　rain；　there　seemed　no　dry　ground　on　the　whole　of　Leyte。　We　made　progress　but　not　without　casualties；　of　course。　One　night　the　unit　was　forced　to　move　on。　There　were　a　number　of　wounded　who　needed　taking　care　of。　I　volunteered　to　stay　behind　for　a　short　time　so　that　I　could　bandage　them　properly。　There　was　a　relief　column　due　in　the　morning。　But　the　situation　was　far　too　volatile　and　my　C。O。　insisted　I　move　out　with　the　rest　of　the　unit。　We　made　camp　just　before　dawn。　Many　of　us　were　too　tired　to　fall　asleep。　We　sat　around　and　talked　about　Dracula。　Three　men　had　been　killed　the　night　before；　the　vampire　theories　were　at　their　height。
　'At　last　I　left　them；　pitched　my　tent　and　crawled　inside。　For　a　time　I　could　hear　their　voices　as　they　continued　to　talk；　then　the　sounds　stopped。　I　wasn't　sure　whether　I　had　fallen　asleep　or　they　had　just　broken　up　for　the　night。
　'I　was　in　that　odd　state　between　sleeping　and　wakefulness。　I　thought　I　dreamed　someone　was　there；　watching…me。　I　tried　to　wake　myself　but　couldn't。　My　head　felt　like　it　was　too　heavy　to　lift　up。　I　strained　but　nothing　happened。　It　was　as　if　my　consciousness　had　somehow　been　severed　from　the　nerve　impulses　which　mechanized　the　muscles。　I　wanted　to　look　behind　me；　you　know；　over　my　head；　certain　that　was　where　the　danger　was　ing　from。　I　could　make　no　move。
　'Above　me　a　face　hovered　in　the　air；　disembodied。　I　don't　know　when　my　eyes　had　actually　opened　or　whether　they　had　ever　really　been　closed。　My　chest　felt　heavy　and　I　seemed　to　have　trouble　breathing。　I　felt　cold。　Not　as　if　the　night　was　chill　but　from　inside。　I　shivered。
　〃It　was　a　Japanese　face；　coal…black　as　if　it　had　been　coated　with　charcoal　or　lampblack。　It　was　dull　so　that　no　light　would　reflect　off　it。　His　eyes　seemed　very　large。　They　had　an　odd　light　to　them　as　if；　while　they　stared　right　at　me；　they　were　focused　on　another　universe。　It　was　eerie。　I