el.the miko-第10部分

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　〃You　and　I；　it　seems；　are　invited　to　Sato's　wedding。　It's　on　Saturday。〃
　Tomkin　grunted；　downed　the　remainder　of　his　drink　in　one　gulp。　〃Christ；〃　he　murmured；　〃just　what　we　need　now。〃　He　looked　up　as　he　poured　himself　another。　〃How　about　you？〃
　Nicholas　shook　his　head　and　Tomkin　shrugged。　〃Just　trying　to　get　your　liver　in　shape。　These　sonsabitch。es　drink　their　Suntory　Scotch　like　it　was　water。　You　go　out　with　them　of　an　evening；　you'd　better　be　prepared　for　the　onslaught。〃
　〃I　wouldn't　worry　about　that；〃　Nicholas　said　coldly。　〃I'm　well　aware　of　their　habits。〃
　〃Sure；　sure；〃　Tomkin　said。　〃Just　trying　to　be　friendly。　You　did　all　right　on　the　battlefield　with　those　two　jokers。〃　He　gestured　with　his　glass。　〃You　speak　to　Justine　yet？〃
　Nicholas　shook　his　head。　〃She　didn't　want　me　to　take　this　trip　at　all。〃
　〃Well；　that's　only　natural。　I'm　sure　she's　missing　you。〃
　Nicholas　watched　Tomkin　wade　through　his　second　Scotch　on　the　rocks　and　wondered　if　that　was　an　antidote　to　his　migraines。
　〃It's　more　than　that；〃　he　said　slowly。　〃When　Saigo　got　to　her　he　used　saiminjutsu　on　her；　a　little…known　art　even　among　ninja。〃
　〃A　kind　of　hypnosis；　wasn't　it？〃
　〃In　a　way；　in　Western　terms。　But　it　went　way　beyond　that。〃　He　sat　down　next　to　Tomkin。　〃She　tried　to　kill　me。　It　was　the　hypnotic　suggestion　Saigo　planted　within　her；　but　still。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃My　healing　broke　the　saiminjutsu　spell；　but　the　deep　remorse　she　feels。。。　I　was　not　able　to　erase。〃
　〃She　blames　herself？　But　it's　not　her　fault！〃
　〃How　many　times　have　I　assured　her　of　that。〃
　Tomkin　swirled　the　dregs　of　his　drink　around　and　around。　〃She's　a　tough　one。　Take　it　from　me；　I　know。　She'll　get　over　it。〃
　Nicholas　was　thinking　of　how　badly　Justine　had　taken　his　decision　to　work　for　her　father。　Her　bitterness　toward　what　she　saw　as　her　father's　manipulation　of　her　life　up　until　just　several　years　ago　was　understandable　to　him。　They　were；　he　felt；　two　people　unable　to　municate　with　each　other。　Tomkin　had　expected　certain　things　from　her　and；　not　finding　them；　had　reacted　in　his　typical　overbearing　manner。　Justine　simply　could　not　forgive　him　for　his　various　intrusions　into　her　life。
　Repeatedly　he　had　used　bribes　or　threats　to　discourage　a　succession　of　boyfriends。　〃My　father's　a　master　manipulator；　Nick；〃　she　had　told　him　over　and　over　again。　〃He's　a　bastard　without　a　heart　or　a　conscience。　He's　never　cared　about　anyone　but　himself；　not　me；　certainly　not　Gelda；　not　even　my　mother。〃
　Yet；　Nicholas　knew；　Justine　was　blind　to　the　kind　of　men　she　had　been　attracted　to。　They　had　been　manipulators　all…far　worse　than　her　father　ever　had　been。　No　wonder　Tomkin　had　been　so　hostile　toward　him　when　they　had　first　met。　He　naturally　assumed　that　Nicholas　was　another　in　the　long　line　bent　on　using　his　daughter。
　It　was　impossible　to　make　Justine　see　that　it　was　his　very　love　for　her　that　obliged　him　to　interfere　in　an　area　that；　up　until　now；　she　had　been　unable　to　handle。　This　did　not　absolve　Tomkin；　but　it　seemed　a　realistic　starting　point　for　the　two　of　them　to　e　together　and　possibly　understand　each　other。
　The　tirade　that　had　followed　Nicholas'　announcement　of　his　going　to　work　for　Tomkin　Industries；　if　only　temporarily；　had　been　followed　by　days　of　unfortable　silence；　Justine　had　simply　not　wanted　to　talk　about　it　further。　But　in　the　last　days　before　his　departure　it　had　seemed　to　Nicholas　as　if　she　had　relented　a　bit；　and　was　more　at　ease　with　his　decision。　〃After　all；〃　she　had　said　as　she　saw　him　off；　〃it's　only　for　a　while；　isn't　it？〃
　
　〃What？〃　he　said　now；　setting　his　concern　for　her　back　in　its　niche　in　the　shadows　of　his　mind。
　〃I　asked　who　Sato's　marrying；〃　Tomkin　said。
　Nicholas　looked　down　at　the　invitation。　〃A　woman　named　Akiko　Ofuda。　Do　you　know　anything　about　her？〃
　Tomkin　shook　his　head。
　〃She's　the　newest　major　interest　in　your　partner's　life；〃　Nicholas　said　seriously。　〃I　think　it's　time　you　thought　about　hiring　a　new　team　of　researchers。〃
　With　great　difficulty　Tanzan　Nangi　turned　fully　around。　At　his　back　the　snow…clad　slopes　of　Fuji…yama　were　fast　disappearing　into　a　vast　golden　haze　the　consistency　of　bisque。　Tokyo　buzzed　at　his　feet　like　a　giant　pachinko　machine。
　〃I　don't　like　him；〃　he　said；　his　voice　like　chalk　scraping　a　blackboard。
　〃Tomkin？〃
　Nangi　arched　an　eyebrow　as　he　extracted　a　cigarette　from　its　case。　〃You　know　very　well　whom　I　mean。〃
　Sato　gave　him　a　benevolent　smile。　〃Of　course　you　don't；　my　friend。　Isn't　that　why　you　assigned　Miss　Yoshida…a　woman…　to　meet　them　at　the　airport？　Tell　me　which　Japanese　business　associate　of　ours　you　would　have　insulted　in　that　fashion。　None；　I　can　tell　you！　You　even　disapprove　of　the　amount　of　responsibility　I　accord　her　here　because　it　is；　as　you　say；　man's　province；　and　not　the　traditional　way。〃
　〃You　have　always　run　this　kobun　as　you　have　seen　fit。　I　begrudge　you　nothing；　as　you　know　quite　well。　But　as　for　these　iteki；　I　saw　no　earthly　reason　why　we　should　lose　valuable　man…hours　by　reassigning　an　upper…echelon　executive　for　their　convenience。〃
　〃Oh；　yes；〃　Sato　said。　〃Tomkin　is　a　gaijin　and　Nicholas　Linnear　is　something　far　worse　to　you。　He's　only　half　Oriental。　And　then　it　has　never　been　determined　to　anyone's　satisfaction　how　much　of　that　is　Japanese。〃
　〃Are　you　saying　that　I　am　a　racist？〃　Nangi　said；　blowing　out　smoke。
　〃Not　in　the　least。〃　Sato　sat　back　in　his　swivel　chair。　〃Merely　a　patriot。〃　He　shrugged。　〃But　in　the　end　what　does　Cheong　Lin…near's　lineage　mean　to　us？〃
　〃It's　a　potential　lever。〃　Nangi's　odd　triangular　eyes　blazed　with　a　dark　light。　〃We　are　going　to　need　every　weapon　in　our　arsenal　to　bring　down　these　brash　iteki…these　barbarians　who　think　of　us　as　so　much　rice　they　can　gobble　up。〃　Nangi's　shoulders　quivered　at　odd　moments　as　if　they　had　a　will　of　their　own。　〃Do　you　think　it　means　anything　to　me　that　his　father　was　Colonel　Linnear；　the　'round…eyed　savior　of　Japan'？〃　His　face　screwed　up　in　contempt。　〃How　could　any　iteki　feel　for　us；　Seiichi；　tell　me　that。〃
　〃Sit　down；　old　friend；〃　Sato　said　softly；　taking　his　eyes　off　the　older　man　to　save　him　face。　〃You　already　hurt　enough　as　it　is。〃
　Nangi　said　nothing　but；　walking　awkwardly；　managed　to　sit　at　right　angles　to　Sato；　his　back　erect；　his　thin　buttocks　against　the　very　edge　of　the　chair。
　Sato　knew　that　Nangi　was　lucky　to　be　alive。　But　of　course　life　was　a　relative　thing　and　this　thorny　enigma　was　never　far　from　his　thoughts；　even　now　after　thirty…eight　years。　Did　the　man　tied　to　the　iron　lung　think　life　was　worthwhile？　So；　too；　Sato　sometimes　wished　to　crawl　inside　his　friend's　head　for　just　the　moment　it　would　take　to　learn　the　answer　to　the　riddle。　And　in　those　moments　shame　would　suffuse　him；　precisely　the　same　kind　of　shame　he　had　felt　when　his　older　brother；　Gotaro；　had　found　him　sitting；　sexually　aroused　by　their　father's　book　of　shunga；　erotic　prints。
　There　was　no　privacy　in　Japan；　it　was　often　said。　The　crowding　because　of　the　lack　of　space　that　had　existed　for　centuries；　the　building　materials…oiled　paper　and　wood…that　the　islands'　frequent　and　devastating　earthquakes；　the　seasonal　typhoons　dictated　be　used　in　order　to　facilitate　speedy　rebuilding：　these　factors　went　a　long　way　in　guiding　the　flow　of　Japanese　society。
　Because　real　privacy；　as　a　Westerner　understands　it；　is　physically　impossible；　the　Japanese　have　developed　a　kind　of　inner　privacy　that；　outwardly；　manifests　itself　by　the　many…layered　scheme　of　formality　and　politeness　that　each　individual　lives　by　because　it　is　his　only　bulwark　against　the　encroachment　of　chaos。
　That　was　why　the　thought　of　stepping　into　someone　else's　mind；　especially　so　close　a　friend；　brought　the　sweat　of　shame　out　on　Sato。　Now　he　riffled　through　the　file　they　had　piled　on　Tomkin　Industries　in　order　to　cover　his　intense　disfort。
　〃As　for　Tomkin；　we　should　not　underestimate　him；　Nangi…san；〃　he　said　now。　Nangi　looked　up　as　he　heard　the　note　of　weariness　in　the　younger　man's　voice。
　〃How　so？〃
　〃His　blustering　barbarian　ways　cannot　mask　for　long　his　keen　mind。　He　hit　us　squarely　when　he　said　that　we're　much　too　dependent　on　foreign　energy　sources　to　allow　ourselves　to　bee　isolated　from　the　rest　of　the　world。〃
　Nangi　waved　away　Sato's　words。　〃A　mere　stab　in　the　dark。　The　man's　an　animal；　nothing　more。〃
　Sato　gave　a　deep　sigh。　〃And　yet　he's　quite　correct。　Why　else　would　we　be　laboring　so　long　and　hard　on　Tenchi；　eh？　It　is　something　that　is　critically　draining　our　financial　resources；　it　is　the　most　desperate　gamble　Japan　has　taken　since　Pearl　Harbor。　In　many　ways　it　is　more　crucial　to　this　country's　future　than　the　war　ever　was。　We　were　able　to　rebound　from　that　defeat。〃　Sato　shook　his　head。　〃But　if　Tenchi　should　fail　or　if…Buddha　forbid！…we　should　be　found　out；　then　I　fear　that　there　will　be　nothing　left　of　our　beloved　islands　but　atomic　ash。〃
　〃Tsutsumu's　dead；　along　with　Kusunoki。〃　The　voice　was　flat　and　cold。　It　might　have　been　conveying　the　message；　〃Here　are　ten　pounds　of　rice。〃
　〃Before　or　after？〃　By　contrast　this　voice　was　heavy；　thick　with　foreign　inflection。　'That　is　the　only　thing　that　matters。〃
　〃Before。〃
　There　was　a　muffled　curse　in　a　language　the　first　man　could　not　understand。　〃Are　you　certain？　Absolutely　certain？〃
　〃I　was　thorough　enough　to　do　an　anal　search。　He　had　nothing　on　him。〃　There　was　a　slight　pause。　〃Do　you　wish　me　to　withdraw？〃　Still　the　voice　was　emotionless；　as　if　all　feeling　had　been　trained　out　of　it。
　〃Certainly　not。　Stay　just　where　you　are。　Any　sudden　movement　on　your　part　could　only　bring　down　suspicion　and　these　people　are　not　to　be　underestimated。　They're　fanatics；　exceptionally　dangerous　fanatics。〃
　〃Yes。。　。I　know。〃
　〃You　have　your　orders；　adhere　to　them。　The　dojo's　bound　to　be　in　turmoil　for　the　next　few　days　at　least。　Even　they　need　time　to　gather　themselves。　They　haven't　picked　Kusunoki's　successor　yet；　have　they？〃
　〃There　are　meetings　going　on　to　which　I　am　not　privy。　As　yet　there　have　been　no　announcements。　But　tension　is　high　all　through　the　dojo。〃
　〃Good。　Now　is　the　time　to　burrow　in。　Get　as　close　as　you　dare。　Strike　in　the　midst　of　this　confusion；　our　tactics　are　more　efficient　in　this　atmosphere。〃
　〃Kusunoki's　death　has　turned　them　into　alarmists；　they　see　hostiles　in　the　movem