el.the miko-第19部分

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　〃Does　that　include　the　police？〃
　〃What　the　hell　is　this？〃　Tomkin　cried。　〃What're　you　two　trying　to　pull？〃　He　stood　up。　〃C'mon；　Nick；　let's　get　out　of　here。〃
　Nicholas　made　no　move　to　rise。　His　gaze　was　locked　with　Sato's。　〃You　ask　for　a　great　deal。〃　His　voice　was　soft　but　nevertheless　carried　quite　distinctly　in　the　room。　Miss　Yoshida　had　e　out　of　her　anxiety…filled　reverie　and　now　stood　just　behind　Sato；　staring　fixedly　at　the　two　of　them。　Even　Tomkin　had　been　silenced。
　〃Hai。〃　Sato's　head　nodded。　Yes。　〃But　it　is　no　more　than　any　business　associate　would　ask　of　another。　This　is　family　now；　you　understand。〃
　〃Hai。〃　Nicholas'　head　bobbed　as　Sato's　had　a　moment　before。　〃My　pledge　stands。　It　includes　everyone。〃
　〃Well；〃　Tomkin　began；　〃I　want　no　part　of　this。　Nick；　if　you　think…〃　He　froze　as　Nicholas　looked　up　at　him；　the　force　of　will　behind　those　dark　eyes　so　powerful　he　sat　back　down　without　a　word。
　When　he　had　done　so；　Nicholas　turned　his　head　back　to　Sato。　〃That　goes　for　Tomkin…san　as　well。〃
　Sato　bowed。　〃Good。〃　He　stood　up。　〃Please　follow　me。〃
　They　were　met　at　the　elevator　by　Ishii　and　another　Japanese。　This　second　man　was　enormous。　He　was　dressed　in　montsuki　and　hakama；　his　blue…black　hair　was　intricately　coiffed　in　ichomage；　marking　him　as　yokozuna…a　sumo　grand　champion。　Sato　introduced　him　as　Koten。　There　was　no　doubt　that　he　was　a　bodyguard。
　Nicholas　stopped　them　in　the　corridor　before　the　steam　room。　The　steam　had　been　turned　off　in　the　room　but　still　Sato　suggested　they　take　off　their　jackets　before　entering。　Miss　Yoshida　draped　each　one；　carefully　folded；　over　her　left　arm。　She　remained　outside　the　door；　an　odd；　glazed…eye　guard。　No　one　else　was　around。
　〃Jesus　Christ；〃　Tomkin　said　when　he　saw　the　body　half　sprawled　across　the　tile　bench。
　〃Please　be　careful　of　the　blood；〃　Sato　said；　and　they　all　stayed　on　the　perimeter　of　the　room。　〃Kagami…san　was　found　just　moments　before　Miss　Yoshida　interrupted　our　meeting。〃
　Nangi；　standing；　swaying　slightly　on　his　walking　stick；　said　nothing。
　〃Do　you　see　his　cheek？〃　Sato　asked。　〃The　left　one。〃
　
　Tomkin　looked　at　Sato；　he'd　had　enough　of　staring　at　the　mess　lying　across　the　room。　〃You　sure　don't　seem　broken　up。〃
　Sato　turned　to　him。　〃He　is　dead；　Tomkin…san。　Karma。　There　is　nothing　I　can　do　that　will　bring　him　back。　But　he　was　with　us　for　many　years　and　I　will　miss　him。　The　privacy　of　grief　is　something　that　is　understood　here。〃
　Tomkin　turned　his　head　away；　put　his　hands　in　his　pockets。
　Sato　watched　for　a　time；　then　slowly　redirected　his　gaze。　〃Lin…near…san？〃　His　voice　was　quiet。
　Nicholas　had　not　moved　from　the　time　he　had　entered　the　steam　room　and　caught　sight　of　the　corpse。　His　gaze　had　been　immediately　drawn　to　the　man's　left　cheek。
　〃It　looks　to　me　like　a　character。　Kanji。〃　Sato's　voice　floated　in　the　room。
　〃All　I　see　is　blood；〃　Nangi　said　curtly。　〃He　was　cut　at　least　a　dozen　times。〃
　Without　a　word；　Nicholas　went　carefully　across　the　wet　tile　floor。　Pink；　stringy　puddles　were　everywhere　but　he　moved　with　such　care　and　grace　that　they　were　left　undisturbed。　Tomkin　had　seen　Nicholas　move　in　such　a　way　before；　the　night　in　his　office　building　when　Saigo　had　e　to　kill　him。
　With　an　abrupt　movement　like　the　skim　of　an　insect　across　a　still　lake；　Nicholas　removed　a　handkerchief　and　carefully　wiped　away　the　trickles　of　semicoagulated　blood　from　Kagami's　left　cheek。
　The　breath　whistled　through　Nangi's　half　open　lips。　〃It　u　a　character：　Ink。〃
　〃What's　it　mean？〃　Tomkin　asked。
　〃Wu…Shing；〃　Nicholas　said。　He　could　not　believe　what　he　was　seeing。　The　blood　pounded　in　his　temples　like　a　hammer　on　an　anvil。　He　felt　lightheaded；　as　if　reality　were　slipping　away　from　him。
　〃That's　Chinese；　I　know；〃　Sato　said。　〃And　old　Chinese　at　that。　But　without　seeing　the　character　I　don't　know　what　it　means。〃
　Nicholas　turned　around；　his　face　pale。　It　had　been　a　decided　effort　to　break　away　from　the　sight　of　this　bloody　crimson　character；　glowing　with　evil　intent。　He　looked　at　all　of　them。　〃Wu…Shing；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃are　a　series　of　ritual　punishments　of　Chinese　criminal　law。〃
　There　was　silence　for　a　time。　Sato　looked　from　Nicholas　to　the　pathetic　drained　corpse　of　his　employee　and　friend。　When　he　looked　back　again；　he　said；　〃There's　more；　isn't　there？〃
　Nicholas　nodded。　His　eyes　were　sad。　He　had　never　thought　to　say　this　in　his　life。　He　turned　back　and　again　gazed　at　the　glyph；
　etched　into　human　flesh；　terrible　and　mocking。　〃This　is　Mo；〃　he　said。　〃It　means　tattooing　of　the　face。　And　it　is　the　first　of　the　mutilating　punishments　taught　at　the　Tenshin　Shoden　Katori。〃　His　heart　was　breaking　as　he　turned　back　to　them；　he　could　look　at　the　glowing　character　no　more。　〃That　is　the　ninja　ryu　from　which　I　came。〃
　Nicholas　was　on　his　way　to　Tomkin's　room　when　the　call　came　through；　that　fragile　line　connecting　them　so　tenuously。　Justine's　voice；　thin　and　stretched　out　by　the　electronics　of　the　medium；　made　it　seem　as　if　he　had　been　away　from　her　for　weeks。　〃I　miss　you　so；　Nick。　West　Bay　Bridge　isn't　the　same　without　you。　I'd　love　to　be　in　a　foreign　place　with　you。〃
　〃Japan's　not　foreign；〃　he　said　without　thinking。　〃It's　too　much　like　home。〃
　〃Even　now？　After　all　this　time？〃
　Belatedly；　he　heard　the　terror　in　her　voice；　but　he　could　do　nothing　about　it。　〃My　soul　is　Japanese；〃　he　said。　〃I　told　you　that　when　we　first　met。　Outwardly；　perhaps；　I　am　my　father's　son。　But　inside。。。　the　kami　of　my　mother　resides。　I　can　no　more　do　anything　about　it　than　I　can　pull　the　clouds　down　from　the　sky。　I　wouldn't　want　to。〃
　There　was　silence　for　a　time；　the　gentle　wheezing　of　the　unquiet　wire　unable　to　hide　from　him　the　soughing　of　her　breath。
　〃You　won't　want　to　stay；　will　you？〃　Her　voice　as　tiny　as　a　child's。
　He　laughed。　〃Permanently？　Good　God；　no。　Whatever　gave　you　that　idea？〃
　〃Please　let　me　e；　Nick。　I　can　be　on　a　plane　tonight。　I　promise　I　won't　be　in　the　way。　I　just　want　to　be　near　you。　To　hold　you　again。〃
　〃Justine；〃　he　said　as　gently　as　he　could；　〃it's　just　not　possible。　There's　too　much　to　do　here。　We'd　have　no　time　together。〃
　〃Not　even　at　night？〃
　〃This　isn't　a　nine…to…five　business。〃
　〃I　think　I　liked　you　better　when　you　were　doing　nothing。〃
　〃I'm　happier　now；　Justine。〃
　〃Nick；　please　let　me　e。　I　won't　be…〃
　〃It's　out　of　the　question。　I'll　be　home　soon　enough。〃
　That　singing　down　the　wire；　as　if　kami；　hovering；　were　growing　restless。
　〃The　truth　is；　I'm　frightened；　Nick。　I've　been　having　a　recurring　dream；　a　kind　of　。。。premonition。　I'm　scared　something　awful　is　going　to　happen　to　you。　And　I'll　be　left　here…〃　Her　voice　choked　off　abruptly。　〃Then　there'll　be　no　one。〃
　〃Justine；〃　he　said　quietly；　〃everything's　fine　and　it's　going　to　stay　that　way。　As　soon　as　I　get　back；　we'll　get　married。　Nothing's　going　to　prevent　that。〃　Silence。　He　pushed　the　thought　of　the　murder　out　of　his　mind。　〃Justine？〃
　〃I　heard　you。〃　Her　voice　was　so　still；　he　had　to　strain　to　hear　her。
　〃I　love　you；〃　he　said；　hanging　up　the　phone。
　Was　there　something　more　he　could　have　said？　he　wondered。　Sometimes　her　irrationality　was　impossible　to　control。　Fears　in　the　night。　Phobias。　The　terror　of　darkness。　These　were　all　alien　to　him　and　he　had　difficulty　understanding　the　fixity　of　their　power　over　others　not　like　him。
　〃Nick；　what　the　hell's　going　on　here？〃　Gray…faced；　Tomkin　hung　onto　the　door　frame　leading　from　the　bedroom　of　the　suite　to　the　large　bath。　〃I　e　to　Tokyo　to　negotiate　a　straight…ahead　business　merger　and　suddenly　we're　involved　with　a　weird　cultlike　murder。　I　could've　gone　to　Southern　California　if　I'd　wanted　that。〃
　Nicholas　smiled　thinly　at　the　semblance　of　humor；　sat　down　on　the　corner　of　the　king…size　bed。　They　were　back　at　the　Okura。　It　was　late　in　the　evening　and　neither　had　eaten　since　breakfast　which；　for　Tomkin；　had　been　nothing　more　than　tea　and　toast；　which　he　had　immediately　vomited　up。
　〃Let's　eat　first；〃　Nicholas　said。　〃We'll　talk　afterwards。〃
　〃The　hell　we　will；〃　Tomkin　said　as　he　came　unsteadily　into　the　bedroom。　〃You　seem　to　know　more　about　this…what　did　you　call　it？〃
　〃Wu…Shing。〃
　〃Yeah。　You're　the　expert。　Give　me　an　explanation。〃
　Nicholas　ran　his　fingers　through　his　hair。　〃Traditionally　there　are　five　punishments；　each　one　a　response　to　a　more　serious　of…fense。　Therefore　each　punishment　is　more　severe　than　the　last。〃
　〃So　what's　that　got　to　do　with　Sato　Petrochemicals？〃
　〃I　don't　know。〃
　For　a　moment　Tomkin　peered　down　at　the　younger　man；　then　he　went　slowly　to　his　dresser　and　pulled　on　a　pair　of　faded　jeans；　a　blue　chambray　workshirt。　He　slipped　on　a　pair　of　shiny　black　handstitched　moccasins。　〃I　guess　you're　as　hungry　as　a　bear。〃
　Nicholas　looked　up。　〃Aren't　you？〃
　〃Frankly；　the　sight　of　food　nauseates　me。　I'm　running　a　low…grade　fever　so　that　doesn't　surprise　me。　I'll　let　this　thing　run　its　course。〃　He　paused。　〃And　don't　look　at　me　like　that。　You　remind　me　of　my　mother　when　you　do。　I'm　perfectly　all　right。〃
　The　phone　rang　and　Tornkin　went　to　answer　it。　He　spoke　in　low　tones　for　some　time；　then　cradled　the　receiver。　〃That　was　Greydon。　He　wanted　permission　to　go　up　to　Misawa　to　see　his　son。　Apparently　the　boy's　stationed　at　the　air　base　there。　He's　a　fighter　pilot　and　is　scheduled　to　go　up　on　one　of　the　first　test　runs　of　those　new　F…20s　we've　just　imported。　I　think　Greydon　feels　there's　some　danger。〃
　〃He's　quite　right；〃　Nicholas　said。　〃Stationed　at　Misawa　puts　those　supersonic　jets　just　375　air　miles　from　the　Soviet　Union's　Pacific　coast　and　Vladivostok。〃
　Tomkin　shrugged　his　shoulders。　〃So？　What　harm　can　they　possibly　do？〃
　〃Those　F…20s　have　nuclear　capacity；〃　Nicholas　said。　〃And　the　Russians're　worried　as　hell　about　them。　Which　is　why　we've　seen　an　increased　Soviet　military　buildup　in　the　Kuriles　over　the　past　year　of　an　alarming　size。〃
　〃The　Kuriles？〃
　〃The　Kurile　Islands。　They're　the　chain　just　to　the　north　of　Hokkaido；　Japan's　most　northerly　island…the　one　where　the　winter　Olympics　were　held　in　1976。　In　effect；　they　connect　the　southeast　of　Russia　to　Japan　in　a　series　of　stepping…stones。
　〃The　Kuriles　had　been　Japanese　territory　until　they　were　seized…　the　Japanese　say　illegally…in　1945　at　the　close　of　the　war。　Quite　naturally；　they　want　them　back。〃
　Nicholas　got　up　from　t