el.the miko-第63部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　to　channel　the　natural　forces　which　he　had　hitherto　found　frightening…for　they　were　the　forces　which　had　robbed　him　of　his　father　and　mother…but　also　the　spiritual　forces　whirling　within　himself。
　Yukio's　power　over　him　was　obvious。　She　had　spoken　to　his　spirit　before　he　had　even　known　fully　of　its　existence。　Her　attraction　had　bypassed　his　conscious　mind；　the　rational　decision…making　sector　on　which　he　had　e　to　rely　so　heavily。　He　was　drawn　to　her　and　he　did　not　know　why。　He　had　bee　frightened　of　her　and　of　himself。　Oddly；　this　had　served　only　to　deepen　his　love；　to　etch　it　on　his　heart　like　a　black　tattoo　that　could　never　be　erased。
　As　he　raced　through　the　rain…filled　Tokyo　night；　spangled　with　pink　and　orange　neon；　he　was　conscious　only　of　nearing　Yukio　again。　Impossible　but　true。　Which　was　the　dream　and　which　reality？　His　body　had　quivered　with　the　certain　knowledge　that　soon　he　would　find　out。
　But　to　his　bitter　disappointment　Sato　had　told　him　in　response　to　his　query　that　Akiko　was　still　away　in　Kyushu；　visiting　her　infirm　aunt。　He　saw　only　Koten；　the　sumo　bodyguard；　lurking　in　the　background　like　a　well…trained　Doberman。
　Drinks　first；　then　food。　At　night　tea　was　subordinate　to　liquor　for　the　modern　Japanese。　For　this；　too；　they　had　the　West　to　thank。
　Nicholas　thought　Suntory　Scotch　vile　but　he　drank　it　anyway；　grateful　that　Allonge；　half　Scotch；　was　not　here　to　witness　firsthand　what　had　been　done　to　his　nation's　most　treasured　asset。
　As　was　the　habit　of　the　Japanese；　they　spoke　of　everything　but　what　was　on　their　minds。　That　would　e　later。　Sato　mentioned　that　Nangi…san　was　on　his　way　to　Hong　Kong　to　close　an　important　business　deal。
　〃Would　you　consider　it　impolite；〃　Nicholas　inquired；　〃if　I　told　you　that　my　opinion　is　that　Nangi…san　does　not　see　this　merger　in　a　favorable　light？〃
　〃Certainly　not；〃　Sato　said。　〃We　are　drinking　together；　Linnear…san。　This　makes　us　friends。　This　binds　us　more　than　our　business　ever　will。　Businesses　are　not　like　marriages；　you　know。　They　rise　and　fall　of　their　own　accord。　The　whims　of　the　market。　Economic　factors　that　have　nothing　to　do　with　us。〃
　Sato　paused　for　a　moment。　〃But　you　must　try　to　understand　Nangi…san。　The　war　left　its　imprint　on　him　like　a　tiger's　clawing。
　Each　day　he　wakes　he　cannot　forget　that　we　live　with　the　atomic　sunshine。　You　understand　me。　The　fallout's　effects　seem　never…ending。　He　is　childless　and　therefore　without　any　true　family　but　me　because　of　it。〃
　〃I　am　sorry；　Sato…san；〃　Nicholas　said。　〃Truly。〃
　Sato　eyed　him；　his　wooden　chopsticks　suspended　above　the　steaming　food；　three　kinds　of　cooked　fish；　sashimi；　glass　noodles；　steamed　rice；　cucumber；　and　sea　urchin　in　sweet　rice　vinegar。
　〃Yes；　I'm　sure　you　are；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃I　see　quite　a　bit　of　your　father　in　you。　But　then　there　is　the　other　side。　That　part　I　do　not　know。〃　He　resumed　serving　his　guest。
　For　a　time　they　ate　in　silence；　with　rapid；　economical　movements。　Sato　drank　more　than　he　ate　and　he　ate　quite　a　bit。　It　was　obvious　he　wanted　to　talk　openly　and　without　restraint。　That　was　quite　impossible　to　do　for　a　Japanese　under　normal　circumstances。　Once　drunk；　all　actions；　all　words　were　immediately　excusable　and　allowable。　Therefore　Nicholas　drank　with　him。　There　would　be　no　point　to　the　session　if　only　Sato　drank　and；　besides；　that　would　be　insulting；　as　if　Nicholas　was　saying；　I　don't　want　to　be　friends。
　He　perceived　from　the　moment　Sato　himself　had　met　him　at　the　door　to　the　house　that　the　older　man　needed　his　friendship　and　support。　Whatever　was　behind　the　Wu…Shing　slayings　was　far　more　important　to　him　than　holding　pat　in　resisting　the　merger　as　originally　outlined　by　Tomkin。　Whatever　fear　had　erupted　in　Sato　and　Nangi　of　the　ritual　punishments　overrode　their　normal　caution　and　preference　for　hard　dealing。
　And　within　this　softening　of　his　stance　Nicholas；　trained　to　dissect　every　situation　in　evaluating　the　elements　which　created　it；　perceived　a　weakness。
　It　did　not　make　him　feel　particularly　noble　or　honorable　to　use　this　weakness　to　gain　the　advantage；　yet　he　desperately　needed　an　opening　into　Tenchi。　He　knew　quite　well　that　under　almost　any　other　circumstance　he　would　have　e　up　against　a　stone　wall　where　Tenchi　was　concerned。　However；　in　this　instance　the　kei…retsu's　secret　work　made　them　vulnerable　to　outside　scrutiny。　Sato　had　made　it　clear　that　no　police　were　to　be　involved。　Nicholas　was　the　only　person　who　could　conceivably　break　the　chain　of　the　Wu…Shing；　thus　he　had　a　powerful　bargaining　point　from　which　to　open　the　negotiations。
　〃Fah！〃　Sato　exclaimed；　focusing　Nicholas'　attention。　He　threw　his　cup　to　the　floor。　He　was　wearing　a　kimono　posed　of　the　flaming　colors　of　autumn。　He　had　generously　offered　one　of　his　own…the　one　with　the　angular　Ndh　pattern　that　he　had　been　wearing　the　night　Akiko　had　brought　him　his　last　gift　before　they　were　married…and　Nicholas　was　now　wearing　it。　Dregs　of　the　brown　liquor　flew　up　the　sleeve；　lying　in　beads　like　decoration。　〃This　Scotch　is　no　true　liquor　at　all。〃　He　turned　red…rimmed　eyes　on　his　guest。　〃Linnear…san；　you　pick　our　drink　for　the　evening。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Sato…san。〃　Nicholas　bowed。　〃I'd　very　much　like　some　sake。　Hot；　if　that's　possible。〃
　〃Possible！〃　Sato　exploded。　〃Why；　it's　the　only　way　to　drink　it！〃　He　lurched　heavily　to　his　feet；　padded　in　his　low　white　socks　to　the　bar　against　the　longer　of　the　two　inner　walls　of　the　room。　It　was　fairly　large　by　Japanese　standards；　sixteen…tatami。　The　wet　bar　also　contained　a　black　iron…and…boxwood　naga…hibachi；　smaller　than　the　one　in　the　other　side　of　the　house。　This　one　was　never　touched　by　the　women　of　the　household　but　was　reserved　expressly　for　the　use　of　the　host。
　As　he　went　about　heating　the　rice　wine；　Sato　hummed　quietly　to　himself　an　ancient　folk　tune　his　Oba…chama　had　crooned　to　him　when　he　and　Gotaro　were　children。　It　seemed　to　fill　the　house　with　a　warmth　that　was　not　exactly　physical；　as　if　he　had　summoned　up　the　attention　of　good　kami。
　But　when　he　returned　to　the　low　lacquer　table　with　the　sake；　his　face　was　set　into　somber　lines。　〃I　fear　we　have　fallen　on　evil　times；　Linnear…san；〃　he　said　as　he　poured。　〃This　Wu…Shing。。。〃　He　shuddered。　〃I　am　samurai　but　this。。。　this　is　simply　barbaric。　I　am　not　at　all　surprised　that　its　origins　are　Chinese。　How　very　indiscriminate　we　Japanese　are；　eh；　to　take　the　worst　from　them　along　with　the　best。　The　Yakuza　are　nothing　more　than　glorified　Triads；　and　the　ninja　have　their　origins　there　as　well。〃
　His　eyes　crossed　for　a　moment　as　if　he　had　just　forgotten　something　important；　and　then　his　head　went　down。　〃Forgive　me；　Linnear…san。　An　old　man's　tongue　runs　on　and　on　late　at　night。〃
　Nicholas　lifted　his　left　arm　as　if　to　make　a　gesture　and　in　so　doing　caught　the　hem　of　his　sleeve　on　the　lip　of　the　delicate　porcelain　sake　pitcher。　It　made　a　tiny　sound　as　it　shattered。　Clear　liquid　ran　across　the　table。
　Nicholas　jumped　up。　〃A　thousand　pardons；　Sato…san。　Please　forgive　my　Western　clumsiness。〃
　Sato　calmly　wiped　away　the　liquor　and　quickly　gathered　up　the　shards　of　porcelain。　〃There　is　nothing　to　forgive；　my　friend。　Akiko　is　not　here　to　serve　us　from　the　best　porcelain。　This　was　an　old　and　timeworn　piece　that　needed　throwing　out。　In　fact　it　is　only　my　laziness　which　had　precluded　me　from　disposing　of　the　pitcher　myself。〃
　Thus　did　Nicholas　cleverly　negate　his　host's　acute　embarrassment；　gaining　enormous　face　in　Sato's　eyes　while　saving　face　for　his　host。
　When　Sato　returned　from　heating　more　sake；　there　was　new　respect　in　his　eyes。　He　bowed　as　he　pushed　the　filled　cup　across　the　table。
　〃Domo　arigato。〃　Nicholas　returned　the　bow。
　Sato　downed　more　sake　before　he　spoke　again。　〃It　is　my　opinion；　Linnear…san；　that　the　Wu…Shing　is　being　directed　at　us…that　is；　Nangi…san　and　myself…even　though　the　three　deaths　have　seriously　undermined　the　effectiveness　of　the　konzern。　There　is　something　personal　in　the　manner　of　the　deaths。　With　each　one；　Kagami…san；　Yoshida…san；　Ishii…san；　we　e　closer　and　closer　to　the　core　of　the　pany。　The　path　is　indeed　terrifying　to　contemplate。〃
　He　stared　down　at　his　empty　cup；　and　Nicholas　realized　that　even　with　so　much　alcohol　inside　him　this　was　a　difficult　moment。　All　Nicholas　could　do　was　to　remain　silent。
　〃I　have　thought　much　about　these　ritual　punishments。〃　Sato's　head　came　up。　〃And　I　now　believe　that　we　are　being　stalked　by　our　past。　Can　you　understand　that？　Yes；　I　thought　so。　You　of　all　people。〃
　〃Have　you　and　Nangi…san　discussed　the　possible。。。　origins　of　these　punishments。〃
　〃No。　Nangi…san　is　sempai。〃
　〃Yes。　I　see。〃
　〃Besides；〃　Sato　admitted；　〃Nangi…san　is　no　good　when　it　es　to　the　past。　There　are　many　things　that　he　would　rather　forget；　some　because　they　are　too　hateful；　others　because　they　are　just　too　full　of　intimate　emotion。　You　may　think　Nangi…san　cold　and　heartless　but　this　is　not　true。　No；　no。　On　the　contrary；　emotion　is　quite　dear　to　him。
　〃He　wept　bitterly　when　my　Oba…chama　died。　He　was　heartsick　at　having　to　sell　a　pair　of　her　T'ang　Dynasty　cups。　Sadly；　we　were　forced　to　do　so　in　order　to　e　to　Tokyo　and　begin　our　careers　just　after　the　war　ended。
　〃These　cups；　you　know；　were　superb　examples　of　the　genius　of　those　faraway　Chinese　artisans；　as　limpid　as　a　mountain　stream。　But　beyond　their　undeniable　aesthetic　value　I　believe　a　ponent　of　Nangi…san's　attachment　to　them　stemmed　from　the　poignant　circumstances　under　which　my　Oba…chama　received　them。〃　He　told　Nicholas　the　story　of　his　grandmother's　distant　relative　fleeing　the　firebombing　of　Tokyo。　〃I　think　for　Nangi…san　this　incident　more　than　any　other　exemplified　the　useless　cruelty　of　the　war。
　The　past　is　dear　to　him；　and　I　think　you　can　understand　why　he　would　not　wish　to　speak　of　it。〃
　Sato　shook　his　head。　〃I'm　afraid　he　cannot　be　counted　on；　there。　Memory　is　an　affliction　with　him。　He　will　not　speak　of　the　past；　even　with　me。〃
　〃Then　it　must　be　up　to　you；　Sato…san。〃
　〃I　know；〃　the　older　man　said　miserably；　〃but　up　to　now　I　have　been　able　to　remember　nothing　out　of　the　ordinary。　You　know　what　it　was　like　here　after　the　war。　Those　were　extraordinary　times。　More　often　than　not　survival　called　for　taking　extraordinary　measures。　Regimes　came　and　went。　Alliances　were　hastily　formed　and　just　as　hastily　diss