el.the miko-第75部分

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　Now　she　watched　the　glowing　green　letters　springing　up　on　the　terminal　screen；　marching　across　in　dedicated　rows。　When　the　message　had　ended；　she　watched　the　pulsing　letters　hanging　there　for　a　moment　before　she　pushed　the　decode　button。　The　word　〃REALLY？〃　came　up　and　she　hit　a　six…digit　key　ultimate　access　sequence。　Now　the　decoded　message　wrote　itself　across　the　screen。　Now　she　had　one　minute；　no　more；　no　less；　to　digest　the　message。　If　she　did　not　depress　the　〃print〃　key　by　that　time　to　get　a　hard　copy；　ARRTS　would　dissolve　the　cipher　as　if　it　had　never　existed。
　She　went　pale　as　she　read　the　terse　message；　so　stunned　that　she　had　made　no　conscious　decision　whether　or　not　to　print　before　her　time　ran　out　and　the　message　disappeared　from　the　screen。　That　did　not　matter　much　since　it　still　glowed　behind　her　eyes。
　Silently　she　cursed　Minck　and　his　personal　problems。　Because　the　cipher　had　turned　〃Spearfish〃　from　a　potential　problem　into　an　active　one。　She　depressed　the　〃send〃　key；　posing　her　reply　as　she　did　so。　When　only　the　date　appeared；　she　was　reminded　that　codes　were　changed　weekly　and　this　was　the　day　to　get　a　new　one。　That　meant　Tony　Theerson。
　She　got　up　and　went　down　two　floors。　The　Boy　Wonder　had　his　digs　in　an　otherwise　unused　corner　of　the　floor。　His　only　panions　were　the　jumble　of　cardboard　and　wooden　crates；　shipping　labels；　and　huge　rolls　of　brown　wrapping　papers。　And　his　cipher　machines。
　Though　Minck　had　Theerson　working　on　the　Soviet　Alpha…three　ciphers　almost　around　the　clock；　it　was　also　his　devilish　little　brain　that　posed　the　Red　Section's　own　codes。　He　said　they　were　unbreakable；　Tanya　believed　him。
　When　she　came　in　on　him　he　was　sitting　up　on　the　Army　cot　he　had　asked　be　installed　in　his　work　space。　Tanya　suspected　that　the　Boy　Wonder　had　no　private　life　whatsoever；　he　certainly　slept　in　the　building　enough。　Also；　because　of　the　time　differential　between　Washington　and　the　areas　he　monitored；　primarily　Russia　and　Asia；　he　tended　to　have　odd　sleep…wake　patterns。
　〃Hey；〃　he　said　in　his　laconic　way。
　〃Want　some　coffee？〃
　He　offered　up　his　bare　arm；　he　was　dressed　in　a　T…shirt　with　〃Dépêche　Mode〃　written　on　it　and　a　pair　of　faded　blue　jeans。　〃Just　slip　the　needle　in　this　vein；　Doctor。〃
　Tanya　laughed　as　she　crossed　to　the　coffee　machine　and　filled　two　mugs。　She　gave　him　one。　〃Had　a　hard　night？〃
　He　sipped　at　the　strong　French　roast　and　groaned；　his　eyes　closing　in　ecstasy。　〃Food　of　the　gods。〃　He　downed　more　coffee。　〃I'm　having　a　bitch　of　a　time　breaking　this　new　one。〃　He　meant　the　Alpha…three。　He　put　the　empty　cup　aside。　〃Frankly；　I　don't　think　I'm　going　to　get　it。〃　He　rose　and　stretched；　yawning　widely。
　〃It's　that　time　again；　I'm　afraid；〃　Tanya　said。　She　had　hardly　touched　her　coffee；　preferring　tea。　But　she　had　not　wanted　to　appear　unfriendly。
　The　Boy　Wonder　groaned　again。　〃You　mean　another　week's　slid　by？　Oh；　God。〃　He　ran　his　fingers　through　his　hair。　〃I　need　a　shower。〃
　〃Business　first；　personal　hygiene　later；〃　Tanya　said；　putting　down　her　cup。　〃I'm　on　an　open　line。〃
　〃Gotcha。〃　Theerson　poked　through　a　box　of　floppy　disks。　He　pulled　one　out；　gave　it　to　her。　〃This　one's　a　doozy。〃
　〃They　all　are；〃　she　said；　heading　for　the　door。　〃Good　luck。〃
　He　grunted　sourly。　〃With　this　monster　I'm　gonna　need　it。〃
　The　last　she　saw　of　him　he　was　putting　on　his　Walkman　headphones　as　he　sat　down　to　work。　With　the　Boy　Wonder；　business　came　before　anything。　Tanya　decided　to　draft　a　memo　to　Minck　suggesting　he　give　Theerson　some　enforced　vacation　time。
　Back　at　the　ARRTS　console　two　floors　up；　she　inserted　the　floppy　Theerson　had　given　her　and　punched　the　〃enter〃　button。　The　word　〃FILE：〃　came　up　and　she　typed　in；　〃SPEARFISH。〃　She　waited　for　the　cycle　to　plete；　then　entered　her　reply。　The　machine　would　automatically　use　the　new　cipher；　ARRTS　having　replaced　the　old　code　with　the　new　one　in　the　receiver。
　TRANSMIT　HOURLY　UPDATES。　WILL　BE　MOBILE　SOON。　WILL　GIVE　BACKUP　WITHIN　THIRTY…SIX　HOURS。　TERMINATE　'SPEARFISH'　WHEN　SITUATION　STABILIZES　AND　YOU　ARE　CERTAIN　OF　TARGET　VISIBILITY。
　Then　she　went　away　to　make　her　report。
　Nicholas　sat　on　the　backless　stone　seat　in　Sato's　garden。　He　had　been　there　for　perhaps　an　hour；　ever　since　his　hosts　had　retired。　He　had　made　a　show　of　going　to　his　room　so　that　they　would　not　be　obliged　to　share　his　insomnia。　But　he　hadn't　even　bothered　to　undress；　merely　waited　fifteen　minutes　before　returning　to　the　now　deserted　garden。
　With　infinitesimal　slowness；　light　came　into　the　garden。　In　a　way　it　was　a　shame；　since　before　only　cold　moonglow　had　distinguished　shadow　and　illumination；　causing　the　flower　scents　to　dominate。　Now　as　vision　took　hold；　the　perfumes　seemed　to　fade。
　Nicholas　became　aware　of　the　presence　behind　him　the　moment　it　crossed　the　threshold　of　Sato's　study　and　stepped　down　onto　the　glowing　pebbles。　The　predawn　atmosphere　was　aqueous　with　white　mist。　There　was　no　sound　save　the　waking　of　the　birds。
　He　knew　that　it　was　Akiko　without　having　to　turn　around　or　hear　her　voice。　Their　wa　had　locked　hours　before　and　that　had　been　enough　to　mark　her　in　his　mind。　The　system　was　as　primitive　as　it　was　sophisticated。　As　Akutagawa…san　had　said；　urban　life　had　bred　it　out　of　modern　human　beings。
　Because　of　this；　too；　he　knew　that　she　was　dangerous。　He　did　not　know　in　precisely　what　way　or　even　if　it　was　to　him　in　particular。　He　knew　she　was　sensei。　Very　few　individuals　would　have　been　able　to　make　that　determination　from　mere　visual　observation　and　the　imprint　of　her　spirit…even　other　sensei　without　all　of　Nicholas'　skills　and　ability。　But　he　was　different。
　〃Nicholas…san。〃
　Her　low　voice　shivered　him　and　he　willed　himself　to　remain　calm。　Still　his　pulse　beat　hard　in　his　temples　and　he　felt　a　sudden　rush　of　blood　to　his　head。
　〃Where　is　your　husband？〃
　〃Snoring　on　his　princely　pallet。〃
　What　was　in　her　voice？　Nicholas　strained　to　hear　all　of　the　echoes　and　nuances；　even　those　she　might　not　know　were　present。　Had　he　found　derision　there？
　〃Isn't　your　place　beside　him？〃　It　was　the　petulant　ment　of　a　jealous　lover；　and　he　cursed　himself。
　〃My　place；〃　she　replied　as　if　she　heard　no　overtones；　〃is　where　I　choose　to　be。〃　She　paused　as　if　uncertain　whether　to　go　on。　〃Do　you　think　that　unJapanese　of　me？〃
　He　shook　his　head。　〃Untraditional；　perhaps；　but　not　unJapanese。〃
　In　the　ensuing　silence　she　said；　〃Won't　you　turn　around　and　face　me？　Am　I　so　difficult　to　look　at？〃　。
　Her　words　stirred　the　hair　at　the　base　of　his　neck　and　he　wondered　how　carefully　she　had　chosen　them。　Slowly；　his　heart　beating　faster　than　he　would　have　wished；　he　turned　toward　her。　He　melted　inside。
　Just　the　first　hint　of　dawn　blushed　her　face　in　radiant　light。　She　had　changed　into　a　pale　yellow　kimono　with　ice　green　and　silver　thread　embroidered　in　the　shape　of　stands　of　pine　trees。　A　lone　golden　heron　flew　at　full　wing　over　her　left　breast。　Her　hair　was　down；　a　gleaming　blueblack　cascade　stretching　straight　down　her　back。　She　wore　no　jewelry　whatsoever。　Her　nails　shone　with　clear　lacquer　but　were　cut　short　as　would　befit　one　of　her　training。　He　thought　he　could　discern　the　slightest　tremor　in　her　face；　a　fleeting　tic　along　the　upper　lid　of　one　eye。　Then　both　were　gone　and　she　was　in　control　again。
　〃Was　that　so　hard？〃　she　breathed　into　the　soft　wind。　Mist　swirled　at　her　back；　danced　around　his　shoulders。
　〃You　are　beautiful　to　look　at；　Akiko。〃　He　had　not　meant　to　make　any　such　admission。　Immediately　he　felt　as　if　he　had　lost　a　battle。
　She　came　toward　him；　gliding　along　the　pebble　path。　She　seemed　to　him　to　be　emerging　from　out　of　the　ending　of　the　night。　〃Why　do　I　feel　as　if　I　have　been　with　you　before？〃
　What　she　said　startled　them　both。　It　was　as　if；　naked；　they　were　embracing　and　Sato　had　walked　in　on　them。　Blood　flooded　Akiko's　face　and　her　eyes　flicked　away　from　his　face。　The　tremble　was　back　within　her。
　All　sense　of　reality　had　slipped　from　Nicholas'　mind。　Lost　within　the　white　mist；　he　saw　only　her。　Yukio　rose　before　him；　a　kami　who　had　been　granted　a　second　life。　Then　he；　too；　reached　out　for　the　stability　of　the　Void；　seeking　an　answer　to　the　unanswerable。　As　if　in　a　dream；　he　rose　from　the　hard　stone　seat　and　came　toward　her　until　they　were　but　a　hand's　breadth　apart。　He　fought　with　himself　to　say　the　words　that　had　been　roiling　through　his　consciousness　ever　since　she　had　slipped　the　fan　from　in　front　of　her　face。　They　were　words　he　longed　to　say；　words　that　would　free　him；　perhaps；　from　his　inner　torment　but　which　would　also　certainly　make　him　vulnerable　to　her。
　What　to　do？　The　moment　was　here。　In　Japanese　society　one　had　very　few　moments　alone　with　another　man's　wife。　This　moment　would　never　have　e　but　for　Akiko。　What　did　she　want　of　him？　Was　she　Yukio？　Did　she　want　to　hear　him　call　her　name？　If　so；　why　was　she　torturing　him　so？　He　was　assailed　by　questions　which　led　to　riddles　which　in　turn　brought　him　to　enigmas。　It　seemed　to　him　now　that　all　his　life　had　been　an　enigma；　a　fitfully　understood　succession　of　events　from　which　he　had　constantly　turned　away。
　〃Who　are　you？〃　he　said　hoarsely。　〃I　must　know。〃
　Her　eyes　searched　his。　〃Who　do　you　think　I　am？〃　There　was　no　coyness；　rather　he　sensed　a　deeply　buried　desperation　he　could　put　no　name　to。
　〃I　don't　know。〃
　Somehow　the　distance　between　them　was　closing。　There　seemed　to　be　no　conscious　volition　on　either　of　their　parts。
　〃Tell　me；〃　she　whispered。　'Tell　me。〃
　He　could　feel　her　breath　on　him；　smell　the　scent　of　her；　feel　the　heat　of　her　flesh　from　beneath　the　silk　kimono。　Her　eyes　were　half　shut；　her　lips　partly　open　as　if　some　emotion　inside　her　was　on　a　runaway　tear。
　〃Yukio。。。〃　Her　name　was　torn　from　his　heart　like　a　tattered　battle　pennant。　It　was　irrational　that　he　should　utter　her　name；　irrational　that　he　should　think　this　was　who　stood　before　him。　Yet　he　said　it　again；　〃Yukio；　Yukio。。。；〃　seeing　her　eyes　flutter　closed　as　if　in　thrall；　felt　the　melting　of　her　upper　body　in　against　his；　her　head　ing　back；　the　long　arch　of　her　neck　merging　with　the　image；　the　memory　he　had　carried　with　him　for　so　many　years。
　There　was　a　burning　inside　him　as　he　reached　for　her；　to　embrace　her　or　to　stop　her　from　falling　he　did　not　know。　All　his　organs　had　turned　to　water　and　were　boi