el.the miko-第76部分

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　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　boiling　up。　There　was　a　fever　in　his　brain。　There　was　no　control。
　His　lips　came　down　over　hers　and　he　tasted　her　essence　as　he　felt　the　dart　of　her　tongue　inside　him。
　For　the　first　time　in　her　life　Akiko　was　open　to　the　universe。　Nothing　in　all　her　long；　arduous　training　had　caused　this　ignition　inside　of　her。
　She　was　so　dizzy　that　she　was　doubly　grateful　for　his　strong　arms　about　her。　All　breath　had　left　her　as　he　had　uttered　her　name。　And　it　was　her　name！　How　was　that　possible？　But；　oh；　he　tasted　wonderful　and；　oh；　how　she　ached　for　him！　Her　thighs　were　like　water；　unable　to　support　her。　She　felt　a　kind　of　ecstasy　at　his　touch　she　thought　only　possible　in　orgasm。
　What　was　happening　to　her？　Swept　away；　still　a　dark　part　of　her　mind　yammered　to　be　heard。　What　strange　force　had　invaded　her　mind？　What　had　turned　her　plans　of　vengeance　inside　out？　What　made　her　feel　this　way　about　a　hated　enemy？　And　why　had　she　lied　to　him？　She　was　not　Yukio；　she　was　Akiko。
　And　then　with　the　power　of　his　wa　surrounding　her；　with　her　heart　beating　in　her　inner　ear　like　thunder；　with　the　press　of　his　hard　chest　against　her　breasts；　the　answer　exploded　in　her　mind　with　the　force　of　fireworks。
　As　Akiko　she　was　nothing。　She　had　e　from　nothing　and　nothing　was　her　future。　As　Yukio　she　was　someone。　Here　there　was　more　for　her　than　kyomu；　that　which　Kyoki　preached：　nihility。
　From　the　moment　she　had　left　Sun　Hsiung's　loving　tutelage　she　had　felt　herself　to　be　doshi　gatai；　beyond　salvation。　Without　any　other　anchor　in　her　life　what　else　could　she　expect？
　Now；　abruptly；　with　Nicholas　Linnear's　appearance；　Yukio　had　bee　a　reality。　She　was　no　more　idea；　no　more　means　to　an　end；　no　more　two…dimensional　schemata。　She　lived。
　The　force　of　Nicholas　Linnear's　love　for　her　had　brought　her　back　from　the　dead。
　Justine　saw　him　on　her　second　day　at　the　hotel。　The　first　time　was　near　the　pool　bar　in　the　shade　of　the　overhang　and　she　thought　that　she　must　be　mistaken。　But　the　second　time　was　at　the　crescent　beach　while　she　was　wading　out　into　the　jade　ocean；　snorkel　and　mask　in　one　hand；　black　fins　on　her　feet。　This　time　there　was　no　doubt。　It　was　Rick　Millar。
　At　first　she　couldn't　believe　it。　After　all；　she　was　six　thousand　miles　from　New　York　on　a　rambling　world…class　resort　in　the　midst　of　a　23；000…acre　pineapple　plantation。　She　was　in　West　Maui；　in　one　of　the　most　remote　areas　on　the　island；　far　from　the　strip　of　high…rise　hotels　at　Kaanipali　where　most　tourists　to　this　paradisical　spot　stayed。
　She　watched；　transfixed；　the　tide　lapping　around　her　waist　as　he　headed　into　the　surf　toward　her。　His　body　was　lean　and　trim；　with　narrow　hips　and　wide　shoulders。　He　did　not　have　the　wrist　and　chest　development　nor　the　overall　muscle　definition　that　Nicholas　had。　But　then　Rick　was　a　tennis　player；　not　a　human　killing　machine。
　Tears　erupted　through　her　quivering　lids；　stinging　her　eyes；　and　she　turned　away；　out　to　sea　and　the　hazy　outline　of　Molokai。
　〃Justine…〃
　〃You've　got　some　helluva　nerve　ing　here。〃
　〃I'd　only　heard　about　the　famous　Tobin　temper　before。　Everything　they　said　was　an　understatement　to　the　real　thing。〃　His　voice　was　deliberately　light；　bantering。
　〃Did　you　give　Mary　Kate　back　her　job？〃　She　felt　the　pumping　of　her　heart　like　a　weight　of　granite　hanging　inside　her。
　〃It　wasn't　her　job　to　give　back；　Justine。〃　He　was　closer　to　her　than　she　wanted　him　to　be。　〃I　told　you　I　had　found　the　better　person　to　fill　it。〃
　She　whirled　on　him；　her　eyes　blazing。　〃You　used　me；　you　bastard！〃
　He　remained　calm。　〃You　know；　the　trouble　with　you　is　that　you're　a　scared　child　in　a　woman's　body。　e　off　it；　Justine。　I　didn't　use　you　any　more　than　I'd　use　anyone　else。　It's　the　wrong　term。　Mary　Kate　wasn't　working　out。　In　the　adult　business　world　you　don't　fire　an　executive…at　any　level…until　you've　hired　his　or　her　replacement。　I'd　be　remiss　in　my　duty　to　the　pany　if　I'd　gone　about　it　in　any　other　way。〃
　〃But　we're　friends。〃
　〃That's　incidental。　But　if　it　means　anything　to　you；　I'm　sorry　that　had　to　enter　into　it。〃　He　smiled；　testing　the　waters。　〃There　was　nothing　sinister　in　it；　I　assure　you。　I'd　seen　some　of　your　free…lance　work；　I　spoke　to　several　of　my　executives　who'd　used　you　over　the　past　year。　They　all　thought　you　were　great。〃　He　smiled　again。　〃All　of　them　warned　me　about　your　temper；　by　the　way。〃
　〃I　see　that　didn't　deter　you。〃　She　wished　now　that　she　hadn't　been　crying　when　he　came　up。
　〃I　liked　your　work　too　much。　You've　got　a　singular　mind　when　it　es　to　advertising　concepts。　That's　an　invaluable　quality。〃　He　looked　away　for　a　moment　and　his　expression　gave　him　the　appearance　of　a　little　boy。　〃Anyway；　I　thought　I　could　tame　you〃。　I　saw　it　as　a　challenge。〃　His　eyes　swung　back。　〃I'd　give　anything　if　we　could　start　over　from　the　beginning。〃
　〃Is　that　why　you　followed　me？〃
　He　shook　his　head；　standing　his　ground　as　a　large　wave　made　it　through　the　coral　reef　out　at　the　headland　to　the　crescent　bay；　began　to　surge　toward　them。　〃Not　really。　I　found　that　the　office　seemed　very　empty　without　you。〃
　When　the　wave　hit；　it　rose　the　water　up　to　chin　level；　knocking　them　sideways；　forcing　them　together。
　Nangi　put　his　ruined　legs　up　on　the　chaise　as　he　settled　back　and　stared　out　at　the　South　China　Sea　as　it　ran　up　onto　the　pale　yellow　beach　at　Shek…O。　He　was　on　the　south　side　of　Hong　Kong　Island；　nearer　to　Aberdeen　than　he　was　to　Central　District；　the　〃downtown〃　and　financial　hub　of　the　Crown　Colony。
　Shek…O　was　one　of　the　four　or　five　areas　within　Hong　Kong　reserved　for　the　truly　wealthy　in　this　teeming　city　of　enormous　wealth　and　abject　poverty。
　But　things　had　changed　in　the　year　and　a　half　since　he　had　been　here。
　For　one；　the　beautiful　old　hotel　at　Repulse　Bay　had　been　torn　down　in　order　to　erect　another　group　of　high…rise　houses。　It　was　not　solely　that　Nangi　had　spent　many　a　glorious　sun…spangled　afternoon　at　tea；　doing　business　on　the　expansive　Colonial　porch　of　that　hotel；　that　he　mourned　its　passing。　It　was　just　as　much　the　thought　of　the　old　ways　passing；　the　sunny；　serene　days　transplanted　by　the　lust　for　profits　that　the　building　boom　had　created　during　five　or　six　years　of　the　Crown　Colony's　high…speed　growth　in　the　middle　and　late　seventies。
　That　was　what　had　ultimately　brought　him　here。　The　collapse　of　that　real　estate　boom。　And　in　that　light　the　destruction　of　the　。　Repulse　Bay　Hotel　was　even　more　bitter。
　Now　Nangi　was　alone　in　the　tile　and　stucco　villa　watching　a　young　nubile　Chinese　girl　brave　the　pollution　of　the　South　China　Sea　as　she　ran　down　the　beach　and　into　the　mild　surf。　No　one　else　was　about　although　a　pitcher　of　iced　tea　and　two　tall　glasses　sat　on　a　pebble　glass…topped　table　at　Nangi's　left　elbow。
　He　saw　the　girl's　bobbing　head　in　the　water。　She　had　not　bothered　to　tie　up　her　hair　or　to　wear　a　cap。　The　dark　tail　of　hair　flung　down　her　naked　back；　spreading　out　in　the　water　like　a　sea　anemone；　tendrils　waving　on　the　tide。
　Wu…Shing。　The　words　kept　intruding　on　his　conscious　thoughts　and　that　was　a　problem。　Three　deaths；　three　questions　to　be　answered。　Nangi　wondered　what　connection　there　could　be　between　the　Wu…Shing　murders　and　Tenchi。
　These　days；　when　anything　unexplainable　occurred　he　immediately　thought　of　Tenchi。　That　was　logical　enough。　He　knew　the　Russians　would　stop　at　nothing　to　wrest　Tenchi　from　Japan。。。　if　they　knew　what　Tenchi　was。　As　for　the　Americans；　he　could　imagine　them　attempting　to　sabotage　the　operation。　Ever　since　the　end　of　the　war　America　had　been　dependent　upon　Japan　to　be　its　anti…munist　watchdog　in　the　East。　But　America　wanted　Japan　subservient　so　that；　like　a　willow；　it　would　bend　to　the　will　of　the　victorious　country。　And　it　was　true　that　Japan　was　dependent　on　America。
　But　Tenchi　would　change　all　that。　Nangi　feared　that　if　the　Americans　got　wind　of　the　operation　they　would　move　as　quickly　as　the　Soviets　to　short…circuit　it。　This　could　not　be　allowed。
　For　the　first　time　in　many　decades　Japan　found　itself　totally　alone　and；　oddly　enough；　it　was　a　frightening　experience。　He　was　being　increasingly　aware　that　he　could　no　longer　cling　to　his　dreams　of　what　Japan　had　once　been。　All　that　was　gone　now；　wiped　out　by　the　atomic　sunshine　and　the　period　of　high…speed　growth　in　which　he　had　played　such　a　crucial　role。
　He　closed　his　eyes；　knowing　that　there　were　no　easy　answers　in　life；　nothing　was　so　neat　in　reality　as　it　was　in　fiction。　One　problem　at　a　time；　he　thought。　I　must　surmount　the　Chinese　obstacle　before　I　again　think　about　ancient　and　arcane　punishments。
　Though　he　had　been　alone　in　the　villa　when　he　had　arrived；　he　now　heard　the　soft　footfalls；　opening　and　closing　of　doors　that　foretold　the　mencement　of　his　assignation。
　He　reached　for　the　pitcher　of　iced　tea　and　poured　himself　a　glass。　It　was　bracing　and　delicious；　just　the　tonic　for　this　already　steamy　day。
　Nangi　did　not　turn　his　head　as　his　keen　ears　picked　up　another's　approach　but　remained　where　he　was；　sipping　his　drink；　staring　out　at　the　girl　now　emerging　like　a　water　nymph　from　the　rolling　South　China　Sea。
　〃Good　afternoon；　Mr。　Nangi。〃
　By　mutual　agreement　they　spoke　only　English　here。　It　was　foreign　to　both　of　them　but　at　least　they　hated　it　with　an　equal　passion。
　〃Mr。　Liu。〃　Nangi　nodded　his　head　to　no　one　in　particular。　He　heard　the　creak　of　the　chaise　beside　him；　the　musical　clink　of　ice　against　glass　and　only　then　turned　his　head。
　Once　this　man's　ancestors　must　have　been　purebred　Manchu；　for　he　had　the　long；　high…domed　skull　structure　peculiar　to　them。　He　was　tall　for　an　Oriental；　he　knew　it　and　used　this　advantage　as　an　intimidating　tool　even　when　he　was　seated。
　Liu　was　smiling　now　as　he　sipped　at　his　drink。　He　put　his　head　back　against　the　chaise。　〃And　how　is　the　business　climate　in　Japan；　these　days；　Mr。　Nangi？〃　Liu　had　the　habit　of　beginning　topics　as　if　they　had　been　spoken　about　previously。
　〃Very　strong；〃　Nangi　said　shortly；　thinking；　I'll　give　him　nothing　to　chew　on　until　I'm　ready。　〃The　forecast　is　formidable。〃
　〃Ah；〃　the　Chinese　said；　moving　his　head。　〃Then　your；　ah；　keiretsu　is　not　so　much　involved　in