el.the miko-第17部分

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d　jet。
　〃Who…〃　he　began；　abruptly　finding　his　voice。
　But　now　the　fan　was　moving；　ing　away；　revealing　the　soft　smile　on　her　face。　A　beautiful　face。　It　made　Kagami　sigh　with　its　exquisite　line　and　youth。　Then；　lagging　far　behind；　recognition　came；　flooding　him　like　a　spotlight。　And　in　his　mind's　eye　the　oval；　high…cheeked　face　turned　into　a　painted　demon's　mask。
　〃You…！〃　The　scream　bubbled　out　of　his　open　mouth　like　a　geyser。
　The　fan　struck　him　edge　on；　twisting　at　the　very　last　instant；　wielded　by　a　master。　It　sliced　through　sweating　skin　and　warm　flesh；　scraping　most　painfully　along　the　cheekbone。
　Kagami　was　slow　to　recoil。　The　strike　was　so　unexpected；　so　skillfully　administered　and　with　such　a　razor　sharp　edge；　that　he　was　barely　aware　of　what　had　taken　place。
　Kagami's　first　thought　was　to　protect　his　genitals　and　thus　he　offered　no　real　resistance。　The　great　gilt　fan　flicked　out　again；　again；　again。　He　cried　out　each　time　he　was　cut　but　he　steadfastly　refused　to　bring　his　hands　away　from　between　his　thighs。
　The　torso　of　the　woman　flowed　toward　him　like　smoke　borne　on　the　gentle　wind　of　a　cloudless　summer's　day。　Her　presence　seemed　to　fill　the　room；　blotting　out　all　light；　all　air。　It　was　as　if　she　were　sucking　all　life　into　herself；　creating　only　the　ultimate　blackness　of　a　vacuum　before　her。
　Kagami　shrank　before　her；　cowering　and　trembling；　filaments　of　pain　streaking　through　him　like　tracers。　He　was　appalled　at　how　much　blood　was　around　him；　how　hard　his　heart　beat　in　his　ears；　how　small　his　penis　had　bee　cupped　in　his　protective　palms。
　Then　the　fan　flickered　with　a　brief　whistle。　Kagami's　eyes　bulged　and　his　mouth　opened　wide。　He　felt　the　fierce　bite　of　steel　across　his　windpipe；　the　atlas　vertebrae　of　his　neck。
　His　mind　screamed　hysterically　and　at　last　he　understood　the　ultimate　goal　of　this　attack。　His　hands　came　up；　his　fingertips　trying　desperately　to　fend　off　the　attack。　A　fan？　his　mind　gibbered。　A　fan？　His　head　whipped　back　and　forth　and　he　began　to　climb　up　the　slick　tiles　of　the　wall。　Anything　to　get　away；　to　regain　life。
　His　problems　with　his　wife；　with　Toshiro　now　seemed　laughable　to　him。　How　trivial　they　were　pared　to　the　primeval　struggle　for　life。　For　life！　I　will　not　die！　his　mind　screamed　at　him。　Save　me！
　Wildly　he　flung　out　his　fists；　trying　to　strike　back　at　his　assailant。　But　he　had　no　training　and　the　lurid　image　of　what　he　had　seen　on　the　insides　of　her　thighs　rose　within　him　and　he　despaired。
　He　knew　what　she　was；　though　all　logic；　all　tradition　cried　out　to　him　that　it　could　not　be　so。
　Kagami　knew　what　it　was　that　had　a　grip　on　him。　He　felt　in　the　midst　of　a　nightmare　from　which　he　would　never　awake。　Yet　still　he　fought　on　because　hope　was　all　he　had　now；　and　for　a　time　it　sustained　him。　He　clung　to　life；　he　held　it　to　him；　he　exulted　in　the　knowledge　of　his　existence。
　Then　the　forged　steel　blades　struck　once　more　and　what　little　oxygen　was　seeping　through　to　him；　through　his　strangling　windpipe；　ceased。　Blood　rushed　to　nowhere；　lungs　heaved　fearfully；　then　fitfully　as　carbon　dioxide　filled　them　and；　through　their　porous　fibers；　the　whole　body。
　Kagami's　eyelids　fluttered；　his　eyes　began　to　cross。　He　saw　her　fearful　visage　before　him；　his　ineffectual　fingers　slid　against　her　sweat…streaked　flesh　like　a　child　digging　into　sand。　His　mind；　the　last　to　go；　tried　to　fight　on；　not　prehending　that　the　body　to　which　it　was　still　attached　was　already　falling　into　a　dreamless；　depthless　slumber。
　With　his　last　ounce　of　strength；　Kagami　stared　at　that　face；　projecting　his　bitter　hatred　as　if　that　were　a　physical　weapon。　And　in　truth　it　was　a　rage　of　such　depth　that　it　convulsed　already　dying　muscles。　His　fingers　clenched；　grabbing。
　But　it　was　a　futile　gesture　for　his　lower　belly　was　rippling；　his　eyes　rolling　up　into　his　head；　blinding　him；　leaving　only　the　unseeing　whites　to　stare　blankly　up　at　the　steaming　tiles；　the　drifting　mist；　the　rivulets　of　blood　circling　one　another；　mazelike；　as　they　slowly　slid　down　the　drain　in　the　center　of　the　otherwise　empty　room。
　Nangi　stood　up；　walking　on　his　stiff；　ungainly　legs　away　from　the　conference　table。　It　was　the　signal　for　a　break　in　the　proceedings。
　While　Tomkin　rose　heavily　and　left　the　room；　Nicholas　strolled　to　one　of　the　high　windows　overlooking　Shinjuku。　Beads　of　rain　swirled　downward　upon　the　sea　of　umbrellas；　taking　what　was　left　of　the　delicate　cherry　blossoms；　strewing　them　along　the　gutters　or　park　walkways　where　they　were　soon　ground　to　fine　dust　underfoot。
　Nicholas　stared　blankly　at　the　mist…enshrouded　city。　For　the　past　three　and　a　half　hours　they　had　been　。locked　like　deadly　batants　on　the　field　of　battle：　Sato；　Nangi；　Suzuran；　their　attorney；　Masuto　Ishii；　vice　president　of　operations　and　Sato's　right…hand　man；　bolstered　by　three　of　Sato's　division　heads；　Tomkin；　Greydon；　the　Tomkin　Industries'　counsel；　and　himself。　Now　it　was　rush　hour　with　hordes　of　people　racing　homeward　or　to　dinner　rendezvous　along　the　bright…lit　Tokyo　side　streets。
　But　up　here　in　Sato's　spacious　offices　there　was　no　movement　at　all。　Inwardly；　Nicholas　sighed。　Sometimes　even　he　found　dealing　with　the　Japanese　a　trying　experience　Their　seeming　reluctance　to　e　to　any　decision；　though　an　obvious　negotiating　tactic；　was　often　taken　to　an　extreme。　Patience　was　one　thing；　but　Nicholas　was　often　convinced　that　weeks；　even　months　from　now；　Sato　and　Nangi　would　still　be　reworking　the　same　points　they　had　all　brought　up　within　the　first　hour　and　a　quarter　of　this　initial　agenda。
　There　had　seemed　some　hope　of　a　break　an　hour　ago　when　the　division　heads；　Oito；　vice　president　of　acquisitions；　Kagami；　v。p。　of　finance；　and　Sosuro；　v。p。　of　research　and　development；　had　made　their　profuse　excuses　and；　with　a　double　round　of　formal　bowing；　had　taken　their　leave。
　Nicholas　had　seen　the　subtle　hand　sign　Sato　had　given　them　and　had　taken　heart。　His　belief　then　had　been　that　the　negotiations　were　about　to　reach　a　level　that　the　Japanese；　who　were　usually　more　fortable　bolstered　by　a　contingent　of　executives；　thought　should　be　limited　strictly　to　the　principals。
　But　what　had　followed　had　been　disappointing：　yet　another　one　of　the　seemingly　endless　discussions　batting　around　the　same　major　areas　of　difference。　One　was　the　monetary　split　between　Sphynx　and　Nippon　Memory。　The　other　was　somewhat　more　bewildering　to　Nicholas　since　it　was　a　topic　about　which　he　had　not　been　briefed　prior　to　the　negotiating　session。
　This　concerned　where　the　Sphynx…Sato　manufacturing　plant　should　be　built。　Apparently　Tomkin　had　done　almost　eighteen　months　of　cost　estimates　paring　construction　timetables；　weather　pattern　analyses；　production　and　shipping　logistics；　all　of　which　pointed　to　building　the　plant　in　Misawa；　on　land　owned　by　the　keiretsu。　The　plant's　only　neighbor　in　this　small　town　in　the　extreme　northwest　of　Honshu；　Japan's　main　island；　was　an　American　Army　base。
　But；　as　Sato　had　pointed　out　during　the　opening　negotiations；　that　piece　of　land　had　already　been　designated　for　use　as　an　expansion　site　for　the　keiretsu's　Niwa　Mining　kobun。
　Around　and　around　it　had　gone；　with　no　side　gaining　or　giving　any　ground。　It　was　maddening；　Nicholas　thought　now。　Ordinarily　it　wouldn't　matter　much。　In　different　times　he　was　confident　that　they　could　outlast　Sato　and　Nangi；　Nicholas'　own　patience　would　have　ensured　that。
　However；　he　was　recalling　the　discussion　he　had　had　with　Tomkin　just　before　they　had　left　the　hotel　to　get　into　the　limo　Sato　had　sent　for　them。
　He　had　been　struck　by　the　paleness　of　the　other　man　but　Tomkin　had　only　dismissed　his　query　disdainfully。　〃Just　a　bout　with　the　flu；〃　he　had　said。　〃If　you'd　been　up　all　night　with　diarrhea；　you　wouldn't　look　in　the　pink　either；　iron　man。〃
　〃Just　keep　calm　no　matter　what　happens　in　there；〃　Nicholas　had　advised。　〃They'll　do　everything　they　can　to　slow　down　the　pace；　to　equivocate　while　subtly　needling　us。
　〃They'll　want　to　get　a　glimpse　inside　our　guard　so　they　can　study　our　strategy。　Also　they　will　need　to　know　just　how　far　they　can　push　us。　To　go　beyond　that　would　lose　them　great　face。〃　He　had　shrugged。　〃It's　strictly　S。O。P。〃
　Tomkin's　haggard　face　leaned　into　his　so　that　he　could　smell　the　other's　sour　breath；　rising　from　his　empty　roiling　intestines。　〃Then　you　do　something　to　shake　'em　out　of　their　standard　operating　procedure；　Nick。　I　don't　give　a　goddamn　how　you　do　it；　just　get　it　done。　I'm　not　one　of　those　candyasses　ing　to　Japan　hat　in　hand　begging　for　an　operating　license。〃
　〃Fine。　Then　all　we　have　to　do　is　wait　them　out。　Do　I　have　to　tell　you　again　that　patience　is　everything　here？　It's　the　one　quality　they　cannot　conceive　of　in　a　foreign　devil。　Don't　worry。　I'll　get　you　what　you　want　from　them。〃
　But　Tomkin's　voice　changed　and　he　clung　onto　Nicholas'　arm　like　a　child。　〃No；　no；〃　he　breathed；　〃you　don't　understand；　Nicky。　There　isn't　any　time。　This　deal's　got　to　be　set　by　next　week　the　latest。〃　His　brown　eyes　turned　inward。　〃I。。。　I　have　mitments　I　can't　turn　my　back　on。。。。　There're　great　sums　of　money　dependent　on　this　merger。。。　Loans　that　e　due。。。　Payments　to　be　made。。。　Above　all；　payments。。。　Debts　to　be　fulfilled。〃　Then；　refocusing；　the　eyes　came　to　rest　on　Nicholas'　face。　〃You　won't　let　me　down；　Nicky。　Not　now。　Why；　you're　almost　my　son…in…law。〃
　Nicholas　turned　away　from　the　rain…streaked　window　as　he　heard　Tomkin　return。　In　a　moment　he　felt　the　big　man's　presence　beside　him。
　〃Now's　the　time；　Nicky；〃　Tomkin　whispered。　〃I　almost　hit　Nangi　a　couple　of　minutes　ago。　They're　like　goddamned　mules。〃
　〃It　doesn't　mean　anything；〃　Nicholas　began。　'They're　doing　just　what　I　told　you　they　would　do。　It's　only　a　matter　of…〃
　But　Tomkin　had　him　by　the　coat　sleeve。　〃Now；　Nicky。　We　can't　afford　to　wait。　You　know　that。　You've　seen　the　reports；　for　Christ's　sake。　We'll　be　eaten　alive　back　home。〃
　〃Then　let's　give　them　Misawa。　We　can　build…〃
　〃No！〃　Tomkin's　tone　was　sharp。　〃Misawa's　a　non…negotiable　point…no　matter　what；　understand？〃
　Nicholas　took　a　hard　look　at　his　boss。　〃Are　you　all　right？　Maybe　I　should　call　a　doctor。〃
　Tomkin　winced。　〃Goddamned　Japanese　bug。　I'm　getting　it　from　the　inside　as　well　as　the　outside。〃　He　gave　a　short　bark　as　if　to　dispel　Nicholas'　concern。　〃Whatsamatter