el.the miko-第20部分

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　naturally；　they　want　them　back。〃
　Nicholas　got　up　from　the　bed。　〃Recent　reports　tell　us　that　there　are　over　forty　thousand　Russian　troops　currently　stationed　in　the　Kuriles。　Quite　recently　they　sent　in　a　squadron　of　twelve　supersonic　MIG…21　fighter…bombers　to　replace　the　subsonic　MIG…17s；　which　they　obviously　felt　were　overmatched　by　the　F…20s。　They've　got　an　air　base　on　Etorufu；　or；　as　they　call　it；　Iturup。〃
　〃You　sure　seem　to　know　a　lot　about　this。〃
　〃It　concerns　Japan；　Tomkin；〃　Nicholas　said　evenly。　〃So　it　concerns　me。　The　situation's　serious；　Grey　don's　got　every　right　to　be　anxious。　I　hope　you　gave　him　the　weekend　off。　We've　only　got　the　wedding　tomorrow　and　negotiations　won't　resume　until　Monday。〃
　〃He's　booking　his　flight　now；〃　Tomkin　said　archly。　〃That　meet　with　your　approval？〃
　〃If　Greydon's　son　doesn't　make　it　back　from　that　flight；　you'll　be　happy　you　let　him　see　the　kid。〃
　There　was　silence　for　a　time。　The　phone　rang　again　but　neither　of　them　made　a　move　to　answer　it。　In　a　moment　it　stopped；　and　the　tiny　red　light　on　the　base　began　to　wink　on　and　off。
　〃I　told　you　before；〃　Tomkin　said　at　last；　〃that　my　old　man　was　a　real　sonuvabitch。　I　can't　tell　you　how　much　I　hated　him　sometimes。〃　He　put　his　palms　together　as　if　he　were　praying。　〃But　I　loved　him；　too；　Nick。　No　matter　what　he　did　to　me　or　my　mother。　He　was　my　father。。。。　Do　you　understand？〃　It　was　a　rhetorical　question；　and　Nicholas　remained　silent。
　Tomkin　sighed。　〃I　guess　in　some　ways　I　turned　out　just　like　him。　Years　ago　I　could　not　have　believed　such　a　thing　possible。　But　the　passing　time。。。〃　His　voice　fell　off。　〃Time　has　3　way　of　molding　people　to　its　own　ends。　You　remember　Chris…I　know　Justine　must've　told　you　about　him。　He　was　the　last　of　her　boyfriends　before　she　met　you。　He　was　the　biggest　bastard　of　the　lot。　He　was　sexy　as　hell。　He　seduced　her；　made　her　move　to　San　Francisco。　She　was　using　her　real　name；　Tomkin；　then。　She　got　a　monthly　stipend　from　me。　It　was　very　generous　and　she　took　it　all。　It…〃　His　eyes　slid　away　for　a　moment；　searching；　perhaps；　for　a　place　to　hide。　He　took　a　deep；　shuddering　breath。　〃It　made　me　feel　better　that　she　took　it　all。　It　assuaged　my　guilt　for　all　the　years　I'd　accepted　her　presence；　her　demands　on　my　time；　only　when　it　suited　me。
　〃They　were　fucking　like　bunnies　out　there；　the　relationship　was　all　sex。　Or　so　I　thought。　Justine　wanted　more　money；　then　more　still。　Finally；　I　hired　a　team　of　detectives　to　find　out　just　what　the　hell　was　going　on。　Two　weeks　later　I　took　the　corporate　jet　and　flew　out。　I　presented　my　darling　daughter　with　all　the　evidence。　I　packed　her　up　and　took　her　home　that　afternoon　before　Chris　got　back。〃
　Tomkin　seemed　to　be　having　difficulty　breathing　as　the　emotions　surged　within　him。　〃The　shit　was　using　my　money…〃　He　stopped　abruptly；　his　eyes　wide　and　feverish。　〃Justine's　money；　to　finance　an　ongoing　cocaine　deal。　He　was　a　user　himself；　and　besides。。。　He　was　unfaithful　to　her　every　day　of　their　relationship。〃　He　made　a　disgusted　sound。
　〃She　hates　me　for　interfering；　though。　That's　a　helluva　laugh；　isn't　it？　He　was　slowly　killing　her　with　his　infidelities　and　his　craziness。　He'd　beat　her　and…〃　His　throat　seized　up　on　him。　He　ran　a　hand　through　his　damp　hair。　〃But　at　least　she　has　you　now；　Nicky。　That's　the　most　important　thing。〃
　For　all　this　time　Tomkin　had　not　taken　his　eyes　off　Nicholas。　He　was　a　shrewd　man　with　an　acute；　analytical　mind。　His　intolerance　of　foreign　custom　and　his　lack　of　patience　in　no　way　negated　that　fact。
　
　〃Now　it's　your　turn。　You're　dragging　your　feet　about　something。〃　His　voice　was　quiet　with　more　strength　in　it　than　had　been　apparent　for　several　days。　He　sounded　almost　like　a　father。　〃I　think　you'd　better　tell　me　what　it　is　because　I　have　a　funny　feeling　in　my　gut　it　has　to　do　with　that　Wo　Ching　or　whatever　you　call　it。〃
　〃Tomkin…〃
　〃Nick；　you've　got　a　duty　to　me。　You've　gotta　tell　me　what　you　know。　All　of　it。〃
　Nicholas　sighed。　〃I　had　hoped　not　to　tell　you。〃
　〃Why；　for　Christ's　sake？　I've　got　a　right　to　know　if　I'm　putting　my　neck　on　the　chopping　block。〃
　Nicholas　nodded。　〃Yes。　You　do。〃　He　looked　directly　at　Tomkin。　〃But　the　simple　truth　is　I've　got　nothing　definite；　no　cold　facts　and　figures　like　the　Soviet　buildup　in　the　Kuriles。　Here；　as　happens　often　in　Japan；　there　is　nothing　but　legend。〃
　〃Legend？〃　Tomkin　laughed　uneasily。　〃What　is　this；　the　start　of　a　vampire　movie？〃　He　cocked　an　ear。　〃Jesus；　I　hear　the　wolves　howling；　Nick。　It　must　be　a　full　moon　tonight。　We'd　better　stay　indoors　and　hang　up　all　the　garlic。〃
　〃Stop　it；〃　Nicholas　said　shortly。　〃This　is　precisely　why　I'd　hoped　not　to　tell　you。〃
　Tomkin　proffered　an　upraised　palm。　〃All　right。〃　He　crossed　back　to　the　bed；　sat　down。　〃I　promise　to　be　a　good　boy　and　listen。〃
　Nicholas　stared　at　him　for　a　moment　before　beginning。　〃At　the　Tenshin　Shoden　Katori　ryu　where　I　received　my　ninjutsu　training；　where　the　Wu…Shing　was　taught；　this　legend　was　told。。。　and　believed。
　〃In　the　old　days　when　only　the　Ainu　inhabited　the　Nippon　Islands　and　true　civilization　had　not　yet　spread　southeast　from　China；　ninjutsu　was　in　its　infancy　on　the　Asian　continent。　It　was　still　too　early　in　the　discipline's　life　for　there　to　have　been　sensei…　true　masters…or　even；　as　there　are　now；　jonin…ryu　patriarchs…　simply　because　the　differentiated　schools　of　ninjutsu　were　barely　formed。
　〃There　was　much　more　ritual　then；　more　superstition。　The　thinking'among　what　sennin…adepts…existed　was　rigid　and　unyielding；　principally　because　the　forces　they　were　working　with　were　still　so　newly　strange　and　deadly　potent。　Thus　any　deviation　was　summarily　condemned　wholesale。〃
　Nicholas　paused　here　to　pour　himself　a　glass　of　water。　He　drank　half　of　it　and　continued。　〃As　the　legend　goes；　there　was　one　sennin　more　powerful　than　the　rest。　His　name　was　Hsing；　which　has　many　meanings　in　kanji。　His　meant　'shape。'
　〃It　is　said　that　Hsing　walked　only　in　the　darkness；　that　it　was　his　only　lover。　His　devotion　to　his　craft　caused　him　to　be　celibate。　And；　also　unlike　his　patriots；　he　took　only　one　pupil；　a　strange　wild…haired　boy　from　the　steppes　far　to　the　north　where　the　Mongols　dominated。
　〃This　student　of　Hsing's；　it　was　whispered；　could　not　speak　any　civilized　dialect；　nor　could　he　read　Mandarin。　Yet　he　conversed　fluently　with　Hsing。　No　one　knew　how。
　〃Yet　the　other　sennin　began　to　suspect　that　Hsing　was　slowly　expanding　his　scope　of　ninjutsu　knowledge；　experimenting　in　the　darker　unknown　aspects　which　the　others　shunned。　I！is　power　grew　even　greater　and　at　last　in　fear…or　perhaps　simple　envy…　the　other　sennin　massed　against　him　and　destroyed　him。〃
　Nicholas'　eyes　were　alight　and　although　it　was　now　deepest　night　outside　and　though　the　lamps　in　the　suite　were　turned　low　still　Tomkin　saw　him　clearly；　every　detail　etched　against　the　light　glow。　For　a　moment　the　bustling　modern　world　had　faded　and　the　mist…shrouded　Asian　past　was　being　recreated　before　him；　plunging　him　into　a　world　of　arcane　laws。
　〃The　murderous　sennin；〃　Nicholas　continued；　〃were　content　with　driving　off　the　wild…haired　student；　shouting　derisively　to　him　that　he　should　return　to　the　northern　steppes　from　whence　he　had　e。
　〃But　they　had　not　reckoned　with　Hsing's　power。　Apparently　his　death　had　e　too　late；　for　he　had　already　created　from　his　pupil　akuma；　what　the　Japanese　call　an　evil　spirit；　a　demon　with　jit　suryoku…superhuman　powers。〃
　〃Oh；　please；　Nick；　This's…〃
　〃You　asked　to　hear　this；　Tomkin。　Kindly　have　the　courtesy　to　hear　the　legend　through。〃
　〃But　this　is　the　stuff　of　fairy　tales。〃
　〃Hsing　had　taught　the　pupil　all　he　knew　about　jaho；〃　Nicholas　said；　ignoring　him。　〃A　kind　of　magic。　Oh；　there's　nothing　supernatural　about　this。　I'm　not　speaking　now　of　spells　and　incantations；　demons　out　of　some　fictitious　hell　dreamed　up　by　the　mind　of　man。
　〃Saigo　had　studied　the　Kobudera…that　is；　jaho。　He　practiced　saiminjutsu　on　your　daughter；　that；　too；　is　a　form　of　jaho。〃
　Tomkin　nodded。　〃Okay；　I　can　accept　that。　But　what's　all　this　got　to　do　with　the　murder？〃
　Nicholas　took　a　deep　breath。　〃The　only　recorded　instance　of　death　in　conjunction　with　the　first　four　Wu…Shing…the　fifth　ritual　punishment　is　death…concerns　Hsing's　pupil；　who　began　a　series　of　just　such　murders　in　Kaifeng。　Bloody；　horrific；　terrifying；　they　enacted　a　perverse　poetic　justice　on　those　who　had　destroyed　his　sennin。
　〃He　had　bee　mahd…zukai。　A　sorcerer。〃
　Akiko　Ofuda　wore　a　snow…white　kimono；　heavy　with　hand…stitched　brocade。　Over　it　she　wore　a　light　silk　dress　the　precise　shade　of　the　last　of　the　cherry　blossoms　bobbing　in　the　breeze　above　her　head。
　Her　hair　was　hidden　beneath　the　ornate　tresses　of　a　gleaming　wig。　These　swirls　and　plex　loops　were　surmounted　by　a　Tsu…nokakushi…the　hornhider…a　ceremonial　white　hat　with　wide　brim　said　to　be　worn　to　hide　whatever　bad　parts　of　a　woman　existed。
　Her　eyes　were　large　and　clear　through　the　delicate　makeup。　Her　face　was　very　white；　her　lips　a　startling　splash　of　crimson。　She　wore　no　earrings　or　other　jewelry。　In　her　right　hand　was　clutched　a　closed　fan。
　Saturday　had　dawned　bright　and　clear　with　just　a　hint　of　the　crispness　of　March；　the　preceding　month。
　The　enormous　crimson　camphorwood　torii；　symbol　of　the　Shinto　shrine；　rose　over　the　heads　of　the　still　assembling　guests　who；　according　to　the　final　count　of　RSVPs；　were　going　to　number　over　five　hundred。
　Morning　mist　still　clung　to　the　steep　hillsides；　feathering　the　boles　of　the　cedars　and　fir；　obscuring　the　sapphire　glint　of　the　lake　far　below。　At　the　guests'　backs　huddled　the　dense　and　hazy　superstructure　of　the　northwestern　edge　of　Tokyo。
　The　four　buildings　of　the　temple　spread　out　in　a　rough　horseshoe；　their　cedar…beamed；　canted　roofs　with　the　raised　ribs　striping　the　sunlight　into　shadow　and　gloss。
　The　guests　milled　about；　chattering　among　themselves；　menting　on　the　fine　weather；　gossiping　about　late　arrivals　or　even；　in　one　or　two　instances；　forging　the　underpinnings　of　an　important　deal。　A　great　majority　of　the　country's　foremost　business　and　bureaucratic　leaders　were　in　attendance。
　Seiichi　Sato　looked　from　the　beautiful　face　of　his　bride　to　the　milling　throng　of　guests。　As　he　recognized　a　face　from　business　he　recited　to　himself　the　man's　name　and　position