el.the miko-第116部分

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　his　kimono。　He　had　suspected；　rightly；　that　only　a　shock　of　the　first　magnitude　could　deflect　the　jaho　for　long　enough。
　He　fetched　up　hard　against　rocks　made　sharp　by　fissures　forming　in　their　midst；　dividing　them；　cracking　them　open　like　eggs。
　Nicholas　tried　to　regain　his　feet　but　the　earth　shudders　were　still　too　violent　and　he　tumbled　downward　again。　He　had　been　thrown　perhaps　ten　or　fifteen　meters　from　where　he　had　been　and　now　he　lifted　his　head；　searching　for　Akiko。　He　could　not　see　her；　but　that　was　not　surprising　in　all　the　chaos。
　He　was　in　the　midst　of　a　world　gone　mad。　Where　trees　had　been　was　nothing　now　but　great　holes　like　wounded　gums。　Those　trees　now　protruded　from　the　agonized　earth　like　arrows　shot　into　it　by　a　giant　archer　far　above　his　head；　their　webby　root　structures　shaking　themselves　free　of　huge　clods　of　earth。
　In　a　moment；　Nicholas　began　to　crawl　back　the　way　he　had　e。　It　took　him　some　time。　He　was　obliged　to　make　many　detours　and　to　stop　several　times　while　aftershocks　vibrated　beneath　his　hands　and　knees　like　the　angry　shouts　of　the　gods。
　He　came　finally　to　the　fissure；　a　mighty；　jagged　rent　in　the　universe。　It　was　awesome　to　see　open　space　where　just　moments　before　solid　ground　had　been。　It　gave　one　pause；　even　one　such　as　he　who　had　been　born　here　and　thus　was　not　a　stranger　to　quakes。　One　never　got　used　to　them　or　ceased　to　be　humbled　by　their　titanic　display　of　force。
　In　the　hollow　silence　after　the　grinding　of　the　quake；　he　thought　he　could　hear　a　voice。　Slowly；　he　crawled　to　the　edge　of　the　fissure。　Its　sides　were　as　jagged　and　irregular　as　was　its　face。
　He　saw　her　down　there。　Her　tiny　oval　face　leaped　up　to　him　through　the　jumble　of　debris…rent　rocks；　split　trees；　and　the　like。
　〃Nicholas。〃
　He　saw　those　eyes；　luminous　still。　Yukio's　eyes。　He　moved　forward　toward　her　and　felt　the　earth　begin　to　give　way　beneath　his　chest。　Dirt　crumbled　away　from　him　in　a　torrent　and　she　screamed。
　Head　cast　down　into　that　stygian　gloom；　he　inched　carefully　backward。　His　eyes　roved　for　another　way　down　to　her。　Perhaps　that　tree　just　above　her。　But　he　could　not　see　its　underpinning　and　if　he　was　wrong；　if　it　would　not　hold　his　weight；　she　would　be　instantly　crushed　by　its　descent。
　〃Nicholas！〃
　Something　in　her　voice　drew　his　attention　back　to　her。　He　peered　down。　No。　It　was　her　voice　itself。　It　seemed　to　have　changed　not　only　pitch　but　timbre　as　well。
　〃Don't　move；〃　he　cautioned　her。　〃I　can't　take　a　chance　on　ing　down　myself。　There's　too　much　instability　within　the　fissure。　I'm　going　to　find　vines　I　can　weave　into　a　rope　that　will　hold　you。〃
　〃No！〃
　The　amount　of　anguish　in　her　cry　froze　him。
　〃Don't　leave　me；　Nicholas。　Not　again！〃
　A　rumbling　had　begun；　deeper　this　time　as　if　truly　it　were　emanating　from　the　bowels　of　the　earth。　Had　he　heard　right？　Nicholas　asked　himself。　Had　she　said；　〃Not　again〃？
　〃Then　I'm　ing　down　after　you！〃　he　called。
　〃No；　no！　Amida；　no！〃　He　saw　her　face　limned　by　starlight　which　was　somehow　stronger　now　after　the　quake。　It　was　as　if　the　universe　were　awakening　from　a　deep　slumber。　〃You'll　be　killed！〃　There　was　movement　from　down　there。　He　had　already　lowered　himself　halfway　into　the　fissure；　his　bare　toes　searching　for　a　substantial　hold。
　He　saw　Akiko　reach　for　the　bottom　of　the　tree　substructure；　a　massive　tangle　of　roots　like　the　Gordian　knot。　But　she　had　no　magic　sword　and　could　not　unravel　it。
　The　rumbling　reached　a　crescendo　and　Nicholas　heard　the　awful　grinding　of　the　world　pulling　itself　apart。　Deep　below　him；　plates　shifted；　the　pressure　shooting　upward。　The　fissure　walls　trembled　and　slid　farther　open。　Even　the　sky　seemed　to　judder　in　pain；　the　starlight　winking　out；　as　the　earth　heaved　in　exquisite　agony。
　Nicholas　could　hear　nothing　above　the　rush　of　noise　that　filled　his　ears　to　overflowing。　He　thought　their　drums　might　burst　with　the　intensity　of　the　vibration。　He　saw　the　tree　shifting　downward。　He…opened　his　mouth　to　scream；　then　he　was　obliged　to　turn　his　full　attention　on　raising　himself　out　of　the　lethal　pit　before　he　was　cast　down。
　When　he　was　able　to　look　again；　it　was　as　if　he　gazed　upon　an　entirely　different　world/There　was　no　tree；　no　split　rocks；　none　of　the　rills　and　valleys　that　he　had　recorded　in　his　mind　preparatory　to　his　attempted　descent。
　Like　a　fragrant；　fertile　valley　re…formed　out　of　sere　desert；　all　that　he　had　first　gazed　upon　was　gone。　And　Akiko　with　it。
　The　first　familiar　person　Nicholas　saw　when　he　left　Toranomon　Hospital　in　Tokyo　was　Tanya　Vladimova。　He　was　not　particularly　surprised　to　see　her。　He　had　never　bothered　to　call　Minck。
　She　was　ing　out　of　an　elevator　along　the　same　bank　in　front　of　which　Nicholas　stood　at　the　Okura。
　〃What　happened　to　you？〃　she　said；　checking　herself　in　mid…stride。
　Nicholas'　elevator　came　and　she　got　in　with　him。　〃You　look　like　somebody　put　you　through　the　meat　grinder　and　forgot　to　turn　the　thing　off。〃
　〃Were　you　here　for　the　quake？〃　It　was　the　best　he　could　do　at　the　moment；　and　was　not　as　inane　a　question　as　it　seemed　on　the　surface。
　〃Oh；　yes。〃　Her　head　nodded。　〃It　was　quite　frightening；　I　must　say。　The　Japanese　took　it　with　just　a　bit　more　equanimity。〃
　She　was　evincing　a　light　tone　and　forcing　it。　Nicholas　wondered　why。
　〃How　about　you？〃
　〃No；〃　he　said。　〃I　missed　the　worst　of　it。〃
　She　waited　patiently　while　he　opened　the　door　to　his　room。　〃I　was　in　L。A。　once　when　a　minor　quake　hit；〃　she　said　conversationally。　〃It　was　like　here；　really；　though　this　one；　I'm　told；　was　far　worse。　No　one　paid　the　slightest　attention　to　it。　It　was　as　if　it　did　not　exist。〃
　〃That's　not　at　all　how　the　Japanese　view　it；〃　Nicholas　said　as　he　went　into　the　bathroom　and　turned　on　the　taps；　the　shower。　He　was　obliged　to　raise　his　voice　over　the　sound　of　all　the　rushing　water。　〃They　accept　earthquakes　as　part　of　nature。　To　Californians　it's　like　death：　they'd　rather　not　think　about　it。〃
　Fifteen　minutes　later；　after　a　long；　steaming　shower　followed　by　an　icy　one；　he　emerged；　wreathed　in　towels。　He　stripped　off　the　plastic　bag　used　to　keep　his　newly　bandaged　fingers　dry。　〃I'm　glad　you're　here；　actually。〃
　〃Oh；　good；〃　she　said；　staring　at　his　hand。　〃I've　e　as　Minck's　messenger　girl；　really。　The　focus　of　our　hunt　has　shifted　since　your　meeting　with　him　last　week。　Away　from　Protorov；　toward　Tenchi。〃
　Perhaps　it　was　the　fatigue　that　gripped　him　or　else　Akiko　was　still　on　his　mind：　how　wholly　she　had　bee　Yukio　or　some　semblance　of　Yukio　that　he　still　held　sacrosanct　and　pristine　in　his　memory。　Perhaps　it　was　only　his　imagination　but　it　was　his　decided　feeling　that　the　kami　of　his　first　beloved　had　somehow　taken　hold　of　her　lookalike　at　the　end；　filling　her　heart　with　love　and　passion　where　before　there　had　been　only　hate　and　a　burning　need　for　revenge。　In　the　end；　that　might　have　been　foolish　of　him；　but　he　did　not　think　so。　He　was　too　aware　of　the　intertwining　of　life　and　death。
　In　any　event；　he　missed　the　falseness　to　her　voice　that　normally　he　might　have　picked　up。　He　was　not　fully　attuned　to　this　conversation；　his　thoughts　were　elsewhere。　Relaxing　his　overworked　muscles　he　was　diffused；　without　concentration；　and　therefore　vulnerable。
　〃That's　just　as　well；〃　he　said；　turning　away　from　her　to　rummage　through　his　dresser　for　fresh　clothes；　〃because　Protorov　has　ceased　to　be　a　threat　to　anyone。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　Tanya　said；　though　she　knew　very　well。
　〃I　mean；〃　Nicholas　said；　〃that　I　killed　him。〃　He　turned　back　in　time　to　see　the　surprise　in　her　eyes　when　he　said；　〃I've　also　broken　Tenchi　wide　open。〃
　Tanya　felt　as　if　she　had　been　struck　by　lightning。　After　Rus…silov's　terrible　news；　she　had　lost　much　of　her　hope。　With　Protorov　gone；　what　chance　did　they　now　have　for　the　KGB…GRU　summit。
　She；　too；　knew　Mironenko。　In　fact；　he　had　been　her　first　lover。　Thus　had　she　brought　him　into　Protorov's　axis。　This　had　been　just　before　her　graduation　from　the　academy　in　the　Urals。　Mironenko　and　several　other　up…and…ing　GRU　officers　had　been　given　a　three…day　tour　of　the　premises　and　facilities。
　Of　all　the　visitors；　Protorov　judged　Mironenko　to　be　of　the　most　use　to　him　in　the　future；　that　had　been　the　reason　for　extending　him　an　invitation　in　the　first　place。
　Protorov　had　sent　Tanya　into　his　room　at　night。　She　had　been　sex…starved；　the　passion　of　her　emotions　mingling　with　her　physical　needs。　The　bination　had　proved　irresistible　to　Mironenko…　as　it　would　have　been　for　almost　any　man。
　Tanya　was　his　first　link　with　Protorov。　After　the　visit　he　did　not　want　to　give　her　up　and；　in　fact；　their　affair　lasted　through　the　spring　and　into　the　summer。
　But　summer　meant　Tanya's　graduation；　and　because　he　had　another　assignment　for　her；　one　far　more　risky；　one　that　only　she　could　perform；　Protorov　contrived　to　have　Mironenko's　wife　bee　aware　of　his　passion。　Chastened；　he　left　Tanya's　side。　But；　partially　because　Protorov's　subsequent　intervention　saved　his　marriage…and　his　career　as　well…and　partially　because　his　own　political　bent　was　similar；　he　moved　into　Protorov's　camp。
　In　the　meantime；　Protorov　had　moved　Tanya　out　of　the　academy；　allowing　her　to　find　her　own　way　into　the　midst　of　her　brother's；　Mikhail's　dissident　apparatus。　From　his　own　point　of　view　there　was　no　risk；　of　course。　He　knew　quite　well　that　Tanya's　heart　belonged　to　her　father；　that　she　had　seen　Mikhail's　behavior　as　a　betrayal　to　the　family。　He　had　had　his　instructors　work　on　that　angle　in　oblique　manners　during　her　schooling。
　Mikhail；　for　his　part；　was　overjoyed　to　see　her。　To　him　it　meant　that　she　had　matured。　It　simply　was　inconceivable　to　him　that　she　might　be　a　KGB　apparatchik。
　Now；　as　hope　returned　to　Tanya；　she　automatically　abandoned　her　backup　plan　to　kill　Nicholas　and；　reporting　back　to　Minck　in　Washington；　put　a　bullet　through　his　brain。　With　Tenchi's　secret　safe　inside　her　mind；　she　would　contact　Russilov　to　initiate　an　escape　route　for　her。
　Of　course　she　would　not　tell　him　of　her　discovery。　Rather　let　him　think　that　she　was　returning　to　Central　a　disgrace；　having　been　blown　by　Linnear。　After　what　had　transpired　in　the　safe　house　in　Hokkaido；　he'd　have　no　trouble　swallowing　that。
　Then　across　the　frontier；　through　the　Kurile　chain；　to　Mironenko。　There　was　still　time　to　make