el.the miko-第105部分

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　was　drenched。　His　head　hung；　chin　on　heaving　chest。　The　doctor　stepped　in　and　checked　his　pulse；　his　blood　pressure。
　〃Now　go　and　do　as　I've　ordered；〃　Protorov　said　to　Koten。　〃You　will　save　us　the　possibility　of　embarrassment　and　he　will　only　be　able　to　look　at　his　weapon　longingly。〃
　When　Koten　was　gone；　Protorov　dug　out　the　papers　his　spy　had　stolen　from　the　Tenshin　Shoden　Katori　ryu。　He　stared　at　Nicholas'　right　hand　hanging　by　the　straps　at　two　fingers　and　wrist。　Already　the　broken　digits　were　swollen　like　sausages；　the　flesh　was　darkening。
　〃How　will　the　pain　affect　him？〃　he　asked　the　doctor。
　〃It　should　rouse　him　a　bit。〃
　〃Will　it　interfere　with　cerebration　at　all？〃
　〃With　him；　I　would　say　no；　definitely　not。〃
　Protorov　nodded　and；　reaching　out；　took　a　handful　of　Nicholas'　wet　hair。　He　picked　up　the　head；　slapping　at　the　cheeks　until　the　eyelids　fluttered　open。　Then　he　shoved　the　first　page　of　coded　text　in　front　of　the　bleary…eyed　face。
　〃Focus；〃　he　manded　in　a　soft　voice。　〃Something　here　for　you　to　read；　Nicholas。　Something　you'll　enjoy。〃
　Nicholas　frowned。　Deep　down　he　felt　a　terrible　aching；　a　trident；　its　tines　coated　with　poison；　lancing　into　him。　It　seemed　very　far　away；　however；　as　if；　even；　it　might　be　part　of　a　dream　or　an　hallucination。
　It　seemed　important　to　focus　so　he　tried　to　do　so。　He　seemed　to　be　swimming　through　viscous　gas。　He　could　not　fathom　how　he　was　breathing　the　stuff　because　it　was　obvious　that　he　could　not　move　through　it。　He　flailed　and　stayed　still。　Or　was　it　that　he　only　thought　he　was　flailing。
　Black　and　white；　breaking　up；　coalescing；　only　to　dissolve　once　more。
　〃Focus；〃　came　the　mand　from　the　bright　pinpoint　which　seemed　directly　inside　his　brain。　So　he　thought　he　would　do　that。　Focus。
　Characters　swimming　by　him　like　schools　of　fish；　like　a　forest's　underbrush；　like　tongues　of　fire；　like　the　hissing　rain。　It　was　pouring。　Pouring　letters。
　Not　letters。　Ideograms。
　He　read。　And　came　face　to　face　with　that　which　he　had　sought　for　so　long。　Tenchi。
　〃Three　years　ago。。。　Hare　Maru　lost　at　sea　in　violent　typhoon　。。。　over　fifty　lives　lost。。。　sailors　and　civilians。。。　greatest　marine　disaster　in　twenty…five　years。。。。　Therefore　underwater　salvage　operations　begun　immediately　the　weather　cleared　at　spot　of　last　radio　message：　Nemuro　Straits。〃
　He　pushed　the　dulled　pain　away　from　him；　sealing　it　off；　he　closed　an　inner　door　on　the　white　pinpoint：　dum…tee…dum…t。。。
　Quiet。　He　moved　out　of　getsumei　no　michi；　which　had　been　no　shelter　at　all；　and　therefore　of　no　use　to　him。　He　menced　to　still　himself；　beginning　with　his　fingertips；　a　number　of　which；　for　some　reason；　he　could　not　feel。　Rising　inward；　the　moon　lifting　into　the　cloudy　heavens；　its　bright；　clear　face　reflecting　in　unending　undulations。
　Thus　he　began　to　pull　himself　together；　centering　slowly；　despite　the　enormous　amount　of　chemicals　inside　him。　While　he　began　the　difficult　process　of　breaking　them　down　into　harmless　ponents　which　would　then　be　flushed　out…a　ninjutsu　art　known　as　Ogawa…no…jutsu…he　did　precisely　what　Protorov　was　asking　him　to　do：　discover　the　secret　of　Tenchi。
　It　was　not　lost　on　him　that　what　he　was　reading　was　in　code。　The　Tenshin　Shoden　Katori　code。　He　also　grasped　that　if　his　enemy　was　showing　it　to　him　then　he　must　have　no　one　else　to　translate　it　for　him。　And　if　Nicholas　died；　that　would　be　the　end；　therefore　Protorov　would　have　nothing　to　transmit　or　to　use。
　Therefore；　Nicholas　decided；　after　he　had　finished　reading　this　document；　he　must　die。　And　even　as　his　mind　reeled　with　the　fantastic　knowledge　of　just　what　Tenchi　was；　even　as　he　recalled　Sato's　wish　for　Japan　to　end　its　childhood　of　dependence　on　the　rest　of　the　world；　to　enter　the　adulthood　of　self…sufficiency；　he　began　the　process。
　Just　a　foot　away　from　him；　Protorov　could　not　tell　whether　Nicholas　was　just　looking　or　reading。　Did　he　know　the　code　or　didn't　he？
　〃Tell　me　what　this　says；〃　he　repeated　over　and　over；　brandishing　all　four　sheets。　〃Tell　me；　tell　me；　tell　me。〃　But　Nicholas'　eyes　kept　crossing　and　Protorov　noticed　that　his　client's　color　was　fading。
　The　doctor　stepped　between　them。　〃That's　enough；〃　he　said；　putting　the　flat　of　his　stethoscope　over　Nicholas'　heart。　Immediately；　he　ripped　the　ear　plugs　off　and　began　to　pound　on　Nicholas'　chest；　fist　against　the　flat　of　his　hand。
　〃I　warned　you　against　this；〃　he　managed　between　grunts。　〃We're　going　to　lose　him。〃
　〃No！〃　Protorov　cried。　〃You　must　save　him！　I　order　it！〃
　The　doctor　gave　a　grim　laugh。　〃Unlike　you；　rade；　I　know　that　I　am　not　a　god。　I　cannot　create　life　out　of　death。〃　He　allowed　his　hands　to　drop。　He　stared　at　them；　then　turned　around　to　glare　at　Protorov。　〃I　cannot　undo　what　you　have　done；　Colonel。〃
　〃Rouse　him；　Doctor！〃　Protorov　was　beside　himself。　〃He　has　told　me　nothing！　Nothing　at　all！〃
　〃That's　always　the　risk　one　takes　in　these　neuropharmacological　matters。　The　balance　is　ever　so　deli…〃　He　recoiled；　bounding　off　Nicholas'　frame；　as　Protorov　hit　him　with　his　fist。　〃That　will　cost　you；　Colonel；〃　he　said；　wiping　at　his　split　lip。　〃Central　will　hear　about　this。〃
　〃You！〃　Protorov's　voice　was　a　low；　guttural　growl。　〃You　killed　him！　It　was　your　doing！〃　His　hands　were　shaking　with　the　force　of　his　rage。　Tenchi；　the　GRU…KGB　summit；　the　great　coup；　all　dust　in　the　wind　now；　as　ephemeral　as　wishes。　〃Russilov！〃　he　cried。　〃Take　him　into　protective　custody。　If　he　gives　you　any　trouble　at　all　put　a　bullet　through　his　head。〃　He　grabbed　the　doctor　by　his　shirtfront；　jerking　him　forward。　〃You've　made　your　last　empty　threat；〃　he　said；　just　before　he　threw　the　doctor　away　from　him。
　Russilov；　one　hand　on　his　holstered　pistol；　took　the　man's　arm　in　a　viselike　grip。
　Watching　them　depart；　Protorov　tried　vainly　to　control　the　rage　sweeping　through　him；　shaking　him　like　a　tree　in　a　storm。　He　could　not　believe　it。　How　could　this　happen？　he　thought。　It　was　outrageous；　inconceivable。　He　would　not　believe　it。
　He　turned　back　to　Nicholas'　limp　body。　He　looked　upon　it　as　one　does　one's　own　failings。　He　despised　it　with　a　fierceness　that　bordered　on　pain。　He　remembered　striking　down　an　icon　once；　a　Crucifix　made　of　wood；　painted　in　gilt　and　white；　bright　red　where　drops　of　blood　leaked　at　open　palms；　crossed　ankles；　bethorned　forehead。
　It　broke　when　it　fell；　and　he　ground　it　underfoot　with　the　heel　of　his　polished　boot。　The　agony　it　had　conveyed；　which；　for　the　owner；　at　least；　had　been　transmuted　into　a　constancy　of　faith；　had　been　incoherent　to　him。
　Yet　now　the　extreme　of　pain　the　Crucifixion　represented　was　revealed　to　him。　It　was　as　much　a　shock　to　him　as　if　he　had　woken　up　in　the　morning　to　find　that　his　legs　had　been　amputated。　Abruptly　the　world　was　not　the　same　anymore；　and　never　would　be　again。　A　certain　peace…a　wholeness　not　only　of　flesh　but　of　spirit　as　well…was　gone；　and　in　its　stead　rose　a　torment；　engulfing　and　endless。
　Up　until　this　moment　there　had　never　been　any　real　doubt　in　his　mind　that　he　would　achieve　his　goals。　Lofty　or　not；　they　would　be　his。　He　was　clever　and　he　was　ruthless。　Like　Einstein；　he　was　an　intuitive　thinker　who　could　make　great　leaps　that　bypassed　plodding　logic。　That；　he　knew；　was　as　close　as　man　would　ever　get　to　traveling　at　the　speed　of　light。
　Now　he　had　to　face　the　crushing　reality　that　that　was　not　enough。　He　would　not　learn　the　secret　of　Tenchi；　he　would　not　make　his　summit；　there　would　therefore　be　no　coup。　No　greatness　for　Viktor　Protorov。　History　would　not　enthrone　him。　It　would　now　not　even　notice　him。
　Protorov　looked　at　Nicholas　Linnear　with　a　murderous　glare　and　saw　only　his　own　undoing。　He　saw　how　close　he　had　e　to　ultimate　victory。。。　and　how　far　away。　It　was　knowledge　that　he　could　not　tolerate。
　A　man　berserk；　he　railed　at　the　cool　flesh；　pounding　it　over　and　over　again　while　great　gasping　grunts　emanated　from　him　in　such　profusion　and　with　such　clarion　pealing　that　even　Russilov　dared　not　reenter　the　vault。
　But　even　this　physical　venting　of　his　rage　and　pain　was　not　enough。　The　body　was　manacled；　an　absolute　prisoner。　To　strike　his　late　client　thus…a　man　who　had　caused　him　to　lose　everything…both　diminished　Protorov　and　increased　his　agony。
　Swiftly；　still　grunting　like　a　wild　boar；　he　unfastened　the　leather　straps　that　bound　Nicholas　to　the　wheel。　First　fingers　and　wrists　were　freed；　then　thighs　and　ankles。　Lastly　the　waist　strap　came　undone；　and　the　form　fell　onto　him　with　the　force　of　a　sack　of　cement。
　Clawing　and　kicking；　Protorov　thrust　the　body　away　from　him　while　at　the　same　time　seeking　to　follow　it　to　attack　it　anew　now　that　it　had　been　freed　and；　in　his　mind　at　least；　was　fair　game　for　him。
　What　could　he　think　then　when；　in　the　midst　of　his　red；　red　rage；　a　corpse　pronounced　deceased　by　his　neuropharmacologica　expert　reached　an　arm　out　and　grasped　the　side　of　his　corded　neck？
　For　the　Western　mind　death　is　a　difficult　modity　to　e　by。　Because　there　is　no　acceptance　of　it；　because　there　is　no　thought　as　to　its　confluence　with　life；　human　beings　are；　more　often　than　not；　most　difficult　to　kill。
　The　simple　fact　is　that　the　organism　does　not　want　to　die。　To　this　end　it　will　cling　tenaciously　to　life；　it　will　push　the　body　to　superhuman；　inexplicable　feats　of　strength　and　endurance。　Cars　have　been　moved　by　quite　ordinary　people　in　this　kind　of　situation；　extraordinary　jumps　have　been　made；　exposure　to　the　elements　sustained　beyond　all　measure。
　Then　there　is　the　body　itself。　A　bullet　to　the　head　may　be　turned　aside　by　the　skull。　Similarly；　a　knife　thrust　can　be　deflected　by　an　intervening　rib。
　In　the　East；　however；　where　traditionally　death　means　nothing；　it　is　different。　Death　es　with　the　speed　of　a　lightning　bolt；　giving　the　spirit　of　the　organism　no　time　to　react　at　all。　Ancient　teachings；　as　well；　allow　an　assailant　to　actually　use　the　human　body　against　itself。
　And　that　was　precisely　how　death　came　to　Viktor　Protorov；　how　Nicholas　Linnear　did；　indeed；　bee　C。　Gordon　Minck's　terrible　swift　sword。　Perhaps　he　knew　to　what　use　he　had　been　put。　Certainly　he　did　not　care。
　Nothing　was　in　his　mind…his　spirit　was　as　clear　as　a　mountain　lake　after　a　strong　rain…as　he　pressed　inward　with　the　thumb　of　his　left　hand；　breaking　apart　Protorov's　collar　bone　and　using　it　a