el.the miko-第115部分

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　〃He　deserved　no　less；〃　she　said　with　venom。　〃As　does　his　friend；　Tanzan　Nangi。　He　has　yet　to　experience　my　terrible　power。　Together　they　conspired　to　destroy　my　real　father；　Hiroshi　Shi…mada。〃
　Nicholas　was　truly　surprised。　〃Your　father　was　Vice…Minister　Shimada？〃　He　knew　the　name　well　and　in　a　quite　personal　way　because　Shimada　had　been　one　of　the　Colonel's　prime　postwar　targets。　〃But　his　wife　bore　him　only　two　sons。〃
　〃His　mistress　was　my　mother；〃　Akiko　said　proudly。　〃She　was　tayu　oiran　in　the　Yoshiwara。　She　was　the　best　there　was。〃
　〃Shimada　mitted　seppuku。　There　was　a　huge　scandal…〃
　〃Cleverly　concocted　by　Nangi；　Sato；　and　their　mentor；　Yoi…chiro　Makita。〃
　Nicholas　knew　that　this　was　patently　untrue。　The　evidence　against　Shimada　had　been　overwhelming　and　incontrovertible。
　〃They　made　up　lies；　half…truths；　innuendoes。　It　was　enough〃…　her　face　was　twisted　with　her　hate…〃more　than　enough　in　an　atmosphere　that　bordered　on　phobic　hysteria　when　it　came　to　the　subject　of　the　war。〃　He　felt　a　gathering　of　her　forces。　〃But　it　was　your　father；　Colonel　Denis　Linnear；　who　insisted　on　making　these　falsehoods　public　knowledge。　Linnear　had　wanted　my　father　out　of　the　way　ever　since　he　had　championed　a　hard　line　against　SCAP's　interference　into　MCI　policies。〃
　Nicholas　remembered　what　his　father　had　told　him　on　the　day　Vice…Minister　Shimada　was　found　near　his　wife　in　a　pool　of　blood。　〃Never　rejoice　over　the　death　of　another　human　being。　Rather　take　satisfaction　that　a　source　of　evil　has　been　expunged。　In　this　case　elements　within　MCI　were　perpetuating　the　power　factions　begun　years　ago　by　members　of　the　prewar　zaibatsu；　in　their　kanmin　ittai；　control　associations。　If　a　man　aligns　himself　with　evil；　we　have　our　duty　before　us。　We　must　act。　Mankind　could　not　long　tolerate　life　without　this　weeding…out　process。〃
　〃There　was　nothing　false　in　the　accusations　leveled　against　your　father；　Akiko；〃　he　said。　〃You　cannot　deny　the　symmetry　of　crime　and　punishment。〃　But　his　words　seemed　distant　to　his　ears　for　he　found　it　enormously　difficult　to　disassociate　himself　from　the　face　so　close　before　him。　It　seemed　to　make　no　difference　that　he　knew　that　she　was　not；　in　fact；　Yukio。　That　was　an　intellectual　response；　and　what　he　was　feeling　was　emotional。　It　bypassed　the　intellect；　the　rational　pletely。　What　did　he　see　inside　her　that　caused　him　to　react　this　way？
　It　did　not　vitiate　in　any　way　the　danger　he　felt　himself　to　be　in；　it　merely　clouded　the　issue；　turning　the　translucent　into　the　opaque。
　And　he　was　truly　amazed　in　an　entirely　different　manner　as　well。　Despite　what　Itami　had　told　him；　despite　what　he　already　knew　of　Akiko；　plus　what　he　suspected；　it　came　as　a　shock　to　probe　and　feel　nothing　but　the　glow　of　her　wa。　Harmony。　Whatever　she　was　actually　feeling　toward　him　he　could　not　say。　He　felt　no　aggression；　no　animosity；　nothing　negative　whatsoever。　And　again　he　found　himself　wondering　whether　this　was　what　the　mysterious　Masashigi　Kusunoki　had　felt　just　before　Akiko　had　reached　out　with　her　jaho　and　had　freed　him　from　life。
　〃They　used　the　Colonel；〃　she　said。　〃You　must　see　that。〃　Eyes　like　stones。　〃They　fed　him　their　garbage　and　he　ate　it　all　up。〃
　〃Whatever　Sato　and　Nangi　deserved　had　no　bearing　on　the　three　innocent　people　you　destroyed　in　the　process；〃　he　said；　ignoring　her　line。
　〃Don't　talk　to　me　of　innocence；〃　she　spat。　〃There　is　no　innocence　inside　that　pany　at　all。　Two　are　guilty；　all　are　equally　to　blame。〃
　Nicholas　thought　of　Miss　Yoshida　and　he　was　as　sad　for　this　woman　sitting　not　a　handsbreadth　away　as　he　was　for　her。　Look　what　can　bee　of　life；　he　thought。　After　this；　there　is　no　hope。
　But　he　had　acplished　one　of　his　goals；　had　found　out　all　that　he　needed　to　know。　By　her　words　he　knew　that　she　would　not　allow　him　to　rise　and　walk　away；　that；　whatever　her　personal　feelings　might　be；　she　had　been　trained　too　well；　her　spirit　in　the　end　as　weak　as　her　first　husband's；　the　spell　of　jaho　taking　her　over。　He　could　never　convince　her　of　the　truth。　As　Akutagawa…san　had　said；　the　force　of　jaho　was　so　corrosive　to　mind　and　spirit　that　one　always　ran　the　terrible　risk　of　succumbing　to　it　rather　than；　as　one　did　with　all　martial　arts；　harnessing　it　to　one's　own　needs。
　Now　he　gazed　upon　her　with　eyes　filled　with　new　knowledge。　For　at　last　he　saw　who　it　was　he　was　truly　facing。　She　was　miko；　a　sorceress　who　could　reach　out　at　any　time；　masking　her　true　intent；　and　snuff　out　his　life。　It　could　e　in　the　midst　of　a　kiss　or　an　embrace；　he　would　never　know　the　difference；　never　feel　the　flickering　of　her　wa；　the　breakup　of　harmony　by　the　spitting　of　aggression。　He　would　never　even　know　that　she　had　reached　for　the　Void。
　Her　intent　was　forever　beyond　his　knowing；　and　he　knew　that　he　had　been　right　to　wait　up　in　the　tree　for　so　long。　He　knew　that　he　faced　death。　It　did　not　seem　ironic　to　him　that　it　should　e　to　him　in　the　form　of　his　first　true　love；　only　just　and　fitting。　If　he　should　die　now；　hers　would　be　the　last　face　that　he　would　see。　He　would　go　down　dreaming　of　Yukio。
　〃It　is　very　still；〃　Akiko　said　softly。　〃The　animals　are　hiding；　the　birds　are　nested；　the　insects　sleep。　Even　the　wind　has　ceased　to　blow。　All　for　us。〃
　Her　eyes　were　luminous。　He　imagined　that　he　could　see　the　moon　reflected　in　their　convex　surfaces。　They　had　the　sheen　of　finest　silk；　they　reminded　him　so　much　of　Yukio's　eyes。
　〃For　we　are　lovers；　Nicholas。　The　last　two　true　lovers　alive　on　the　face　of　the　world。　When　we　made　love　it　was　not　just　our　bodies　that　were　entwined；　penetrating　and　being　penetrated。　It　was　our　spirits　as　well。
　〃The　clouds　and　the　rain　made　our　spirits　one；　Nicholas。　Now　we　have　our　own　tattoos；　as　indelibly　etched　as　my　dragons。　We　shall　know　each　other　for　all　time。　However　we　may　be　reincarnated；　whatever　our　karma　dictates　we　must　be；　still　will　we　recognize　one　another。　As　human　or　badger；　plover　or　serpent。　The　spirit　dance　we　performed　will　preserve　our　link。〃
　Had　she　moved　perceptibly　closer？　Nicholas　could　not　tell。　Her　words　had　bee　as　luminous　as　her　eyes；　as　the　starlight　that　partially　enveloped　them　where　broad　fans　of　shadow　from　the　surrounding　trees　did　not。
　Was　she　leaning　forward　now？　Did　he　feel　the　hard　press　of　her　jutting　breasts　against　his　chest？　Did　he　feel　her　warmth　bathing　him；　her　breath　like　the　scent　of　lilac　on　his　cheek？　In　all　the　states　he　summoned　up；　both　exalted　and　mon；　he　felt　only　her　wa；　a　glowing　beacon；　as　constant　as　the　sea。
　He　remembered　their　fevered　night　in　Sato's　garden　and　thought　he　wanted　that　onrush　all　over　again。　Sato。　Felt　one　of　her　arms　ing　around　his　back；　lying　along　his　shoulder；　fingertips　caressing　the　side　of　his　neck。　Remember　Sato；　he　thought；　and　how　you　failed　him。　Failed　in　your　sacred　oath　to　protect　him。　There　was　only　one　possible　way　out　for　him　now。
　〃No！〃
　His　cry　echoed　into　the　night。　〃I　cannot　allow　this！　I　cannot　love　you；　a　miko！〃
　And　as　he　pulled　away　from　her　half…embrace；　he　withdrew　the　short…bladed　knife　he　had　taken　from　Itami's　house。　Though　it　belonged　in　her　kitchen　still　its　blade　was　finely　honed；　still　it　was　a　weapon　of　honor。
　Without　hesitation　Nicholas　drove　the　blade　to　the　hilt　into　his　abdomen。　Blood　flashed　out；　black　in　the　darkness；　glinting　on　his　knees；　the　grass；　Akiko's　lap。
　Nicholas'　face　was　distorted　by　agony。　His　head　trembled　as　he　slashed　horizontally　from　left　to　right　across　his　lower　belly。　The　place　where　ham　resided。
　Akiko　was　in　shock。　Her　eyes　were　open　wide。　〃Amida！〃　she　breathed。　There　was　so　much　blood！　It　ran　in　a　torrent　from　him；　from　the　center　of　his　being；　draining　him　of　strength；　of　life。
　So　many　conflicting　emotions　strived　for　dominance　inside　her。　Elation　and　sorrow；　shock　and　panic。　Satisfaction　and　fear。　Was　this　the　end　she　had　been　seeking？　Was　this　the　culmination　of　her　long　thought　out　vengeance？
　She　knew　that　it　was；　but　now　she　was　beginning　to　suspect　that　it　was　not　what　she　wanted。　She　had　struggled　all　her　life；　it　seemed；　to　be　free　of　woman's　traditional　role　as　servant　to　man。　Her　rejection　of　all　that　her　mother　had　been；　her　revulsion　for　that　lofty　state　of　tayu　had　this　as　its　basis。　As　did　her　decision　to　train　in　the　most　demanding　of　the　martial　arts：　man's　work。　All　her　life　she　had　fought　to　take　her　place　beside　men　as　an　equal。
　But　now　she　was　ing　to　see　that　that　obsession　had　put　her　in　the　position　of　being　a　pawn　to　the　drives　and　hatreds　of　those　certain　men　who　she　had　thought　she　was　closest　to：　Kyoki；　Saigo；　and；　ultimately；　Vice…Minister　Shimada。　She　understood　that　more　than　any　other　person；　her　father　had　shaped　the　direction　of　her　life。　Just　as　Saigo's　father　had　done　his。　They　were　the　same；　then；　she　and　Saigo。　Exactly　the　same。　Totally　evil。
　Too　late　had　she　made　this　discovery。　It　had　taken　the　death　of　one　she　now　knew　she　loved　in　a　way　she　had　loved　no　other　man　or　woman。
　She　opened　her　mouth　to　speak；　she　opened　her　arms　to　show　him　her　intent；　but　at　that　moment　the　earth　beneath　them　menced　to　roll　as　if　it　had　been　transmuted　into　water　by　jaho　beyond　even　her　ken。
　Cannonfire　crossed　them；　echoing　eerily　into　the　night；　the　sound　bouncing　off　obstructions　that　had　just　a　moment　before　not　been　there。
　For　in　truth　the　world　was　dissolving；　had　opened　up　like　a　pair　of　gaping　jaws。　Wildflowers　and　bushes；　trees　and　grasslands　were　eaten　up；　swamped　down　into　the　yawning　pit　that　had　no　end。
　Raw　gases　stung　her　nostrils；　sulphur　and　the　stench　of　molten　metal。
　And　then　she　had　lost　her　balance；　was　falling；　rolling　end　over　end；　filled　with　vertigo　so　that　she　had　no　idea　of　where　the　sky　was　and　where　the　earth。　All　she　could　do　was　reach　upward；　stretching　and　grabbing　at　fistfuls　of　crumbling　soil。
　Nicholas；　too；　was　tumbling　and　rolling　in　the　grip　of　the　first　earthquake　shock；　whose　epicenter；　as　the　Soviet　satellite　had　accurately　predicted；　was　not　more　than　a　kilometer　away　to　the　east。
　He　was　sent　flying；　in　fact；　away　from　the　spot　where　he　and　Akiko　had　been　kneeling；　away　from　the　glistening　pools　of　blood　which　had　spurted　out　when　he　had　knifed　into　the　freshly　killed　fox　he　had　strapped　like　a　cincture　around　his　abdomen；　beneath　his　kimono。　He　had　suspected；　rightly