el.the miko-第87部分

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wiped　his　face。　He　grinned。　〃It　just　so　happens　that　my　Number　Three　Cousin　is　438　of　the　Green　Pang。〃
　〃I　don't　want　to　owe　anyone　in　a　Triad　a　favor；〃　Nangi　said。
　〃No　sweat。〃　Fortuitous　Chiu　washed　away　his　words。　〃Number　Three　Cousin　owes　his　rise　in　the　Green　Pang　to　my　father。　He's　delighted　to　help。　No　strings　attached。〃
　Nangi　thought　he　could　go　into　culture　shock　talking　to　this　one。　〃Go　on；〃　he　said。
　〃It　seems　that　someone　else　is　plowing　the　same　fragrant　harbor　that　rade　Liu　is。〃
　〃And　who　might　that　be？〃
　〃I'm　not　a　miracle　worker。　I　need　some　time　to　find　out。　They've　been　very　careful　to　cover　their　tracks。〃　He　leered　at　Nangi。　〃Number　Three　Cousin　and　I　may　have　to　do　some　on…site　inspection　during　the　night。〃
　〃Does　the　Green　Pang　have　to　be　involved？〃
　〃I've　got　no　choice。　It's　their　turf。　I　can't　make　a　bowel　movement　over　at　the　Mid…Levels　without　letting　them　in　on　it。〃
　Nangi　nodded。　He　knew　well　the　power　of　the　Triads　in　Hong　Kong。　〃What　did　Succulent　Pien　say　to　get　you　started　on　this？〃
　〃Redman；〃　Fortuitous　Chiu　said。　〃Charles　Percy　Redman。　She　used　his　name。　Know　him？〃
　Nangi　thought　for　a　moment。　〃Shipping　tai…pan；　yes？　British　fellow。　Family　goes　way　back　in　Hong　Kong。〃
　〃That's　Redman；〃　Fortuitous　Chiu　acknowledged。　〃But　what　almost　no　one　else　knows　is　that　he's　an　agent　for　Her　Majesty's　Government。〃
　〃Redman　a　spy？　Madonna！〃　Nangi　was　genuinely　shocked。　〃But　what's　his　connection　to　Succulent　Pien？　Is　she　somehow　raiding　him？〃
　〃Looks　that　way；　doesn't　it？〃
　This　is　all　very　interesting；　Nangi　thought。　But　how　does　any　of　it　help　me　with　the　munists？　My　time　is　running　out。　If　I　don't　give　Liu　an　affirmative　by　phone　by　six　tonight；　the　deal's　off。　I've　got　no　capital；　the　All…Asia　will　fail　and；　eventually；　so　will　the　keiretsu。
　〃Is　there　more？〃　he　asked。
　〃Not　until　I　climb　into　bed　with　Succulent　Pien　and　see　what　she's　got　between　her　thighs。〃
　〃It's　a　pillow　like　all　the　rest；〃　Nangi　observed　tartly。　〃I　need　something　before　six。〃
　〃This　evening？〃　Fortuitous　Chiu's　eyes　opened　wide。　〃No　way；　Jose。　She's　home　and　not　going　anywhere。　She　had　her　amah　go　shopping　for　her。　I　think　she's　whipping　up　a　midnight　snack　for　a　friend。　Early　tomorrow　morning's　the　best　I　can　do。　I'm　sorry。〃
　Nangi　signed　deeply。　〃Not　nearly　as　much；　I'm　afraid；　as　I　am。〃
　Night。　The　drip…drop　of　rain　pattering　all　around　them。　The　sky　was　black　and　impenetrable　save　for　a　tiny　patch；　a　nacreous　gray　behind　which　the　full　moon　rode　as　ghostly　as　the　face　of　a　former　lover。　The　warm　water　moved　in　minute　wavelets　up　to　their　bare　flesh；　reflections　of　the　swinging　yellow　lanterns　in　the　trees　behind　them　in　a　white　spangle；　diffused　and　softened　to　a　rich　glow　by　the　stream　rising　all　about　them。
　A　double　strand　of　manmade　lights；　curved　like　a　string　of　lustrous　pearls　around　the　neck　of　an　exotic　African　princess；　showed　the　way　toward　a　black　humpbacked　shadow　rising　out　of　the　undulating　land。　And　behind　its　bulk　must　be　the　sea；　for　Nicholas　could　already　scent　the　salt　tang。
　Sato　stirred　beside　Nicholas；　sending　soft　ripples　away　from　them　both。　〃Out　there；〃　he　said　softly；　〃tell　me　that　sight　is　not　one　of　the　most　beautiful　in　the　world；　a　sight　that　makes　Japan　unique。〃
　Nicholas　followed　the　direction；　saw　the　steep　falloff　of　the　cliffs　down　to　the　Pacific　and　on　its　heaving　bosom　the　rhythmic　bobbing　of　tiny　orange　lanterns　hung　from　the　prows　and　the　sterns　of　the　squid　boats　as　their　masters　and　crews　bent　to　their　task。
　〃They　seem　as　small　and　fleeting　as　fireflies；〃　Nicholas　said。　His　eyes　were　somnolent。　It　had　been　a　long；　hard　day　full　of　anxiety　and　fear　for　his　friend's　life。　And　now　the　hot　water　was　working　its　magic　on　his　tensed　body；　loosening　his　knotted　muscles；　the　cords　in　his　neck　and　shoulders　relaxing；　the　day's　accumulated　tension　leeching　away　from　him。
　It　was　not　that　his　anxiety　about　allowing　Sato　to　e　had　disappeared　entirely。　But　with　him　here　and　Koten　guarding　the　front　of　the　rotenburo；　he　felt　more　confident　than　he　had　at　the　outset。
　Sato　luxuriated　in　feeling　good。　He　stretched　his　long　legs　outward　into　the　gently　swirling　water；　sighing　deeply　with　the　sense　of　well…being　this　spa　engendered　in　him。
　It　was　then　he　felt　something　against　his　left　calf；　soft　and　warm；　bumping；　bumping；　bumping　with　an　odd　kind　of　insistence。
　Languidly；　he　leaned　forward；　imagining　himself　a　crane　gliding　through　the　currents　of　a　narrow　inlet　to　the　sea。　His　searching　fingers　grasped　what　felt　at　first　like　a　bed　of　seaweed。　Curious；　Sato　drew　it　upward　slowly。　It　had　great　weight。
　The　rain　let　up。　Racing　clouds　became　visible　as　the　lanterns'　glow　illuminated　their　billowing　undersides。　Now　they　slid　apart　and　the　cool；　opalescent　light　of　the　pocked　moon　crowned　the　silhouette　of　what　he　dragged　upward　from　the　steaming　water。
　Sato's　muscles　bulged　with　the　effort　and　he　was　obliged　to　use　his　hands　even　with　Nicholas　helping　him；　struggling　with　the　monstrously　heavy　thing　that　now　fell　across　his　legs　beneath　the　water。
　Slowly　it　rose　like　a　specter　out　of　the　deep；　and　Nicholas　made　a　sharp　movement　beside　him；　grunting。
　〃Oh；　Buddha！〃　Sato　whispered。　His　hands　shook　so　much　that　droplets　flew　from　the　thing　like　rain；　off　the　great　tiger　curving　around　one　shoulder；　flung　down　the　muscular　back；　the　extended　talons　of　the　rear　paws　indented　along　the　buckled　ridge　of　the　spine。　Movement　as　if　the　colored　tattoo　had　e　alive。
　〃Oh；what　have　they　done　to　you；　Phoenix？〃　Sato　cried　softly。
　Those　eyes；　milky　and　unseeing　in　death；　fixed　him　as　the　bloated　face　rose；　glittering　in　the　moonlight；　the　teeth　clamped　together　in　pain　and　determination。
　Akiko　was　thinking　about　the　promise　she　had　made　to　Saigo。　Or；　more　precisely；　to　Saigo's　kami。
　She　rolled　over　on　her　futon；　passing　ah　arm　across　her　eyes。　Red　light　blotted　out　the　darkness。　Giri。　It　bound　her　like　steel　manacles。　Not　for　the　first　time；　she　found　herself　wishing　that　she　had　not　been　born　Japanese。　How　free　it　must　be　to　be　American　or　English；　and　not　feel　gin。　Because　Akiko　knew　that　if　she　did　not　feel　giri　she　would　not　be　bound　by　it。　But　she　was　Japanese。　Samurai　blood　flowed　through　her　veins。　Oh；　not　the　blood　of　the　famed　Ofuda。　She　had　chosen　that　name　upon　her　majority　for　much　the　same　reason　that　Justine　had　chosen　to　call　herself　Tobin　instead　of　Tomkin；　she　wished　to　conceal　her　past。
　But　had　there　ever　been　a　time　when　she　had　thought　of　herself　as　Akiko　Shimada？　She　did　not　even　know　her　mother's　last　name。　In　Fuyajo　only　given　names　were　used；　and　oftentimes　those　were　not　real　ones。　Ikan。　Had　her　mother　been　born　with　that　name？　Had　she　taken　it　inside　Fuyajo？　Or；　what　was　just　as　likely；　had　those　who　ran　the　Castle　That　Knows　No　Night　assigned　it　to　her？
　She　put　her　hands　down　between　her　thighs；　cupping　herself。　She　could　still　feel　the　aftertremors；　the　expansion　of　her　inner　flesh　that　Nicholas'　stroking　had　caused。　She　would　never　be　the　same　now。　And；　terrifyingly；　was　not　sure　that　she　wanted　to　be。
　Then　what　of　her　vow？　Revenge　had　shaped　so　much　of　her　life；　had　given　her　purpose　when　she　thought　that　she　had　none。　Without　the　solace　of　revenge　to　warm　her　soul；　she　might　have　withered　and　died。　Those　who　had　driven　her　out　of　Fuyajo　were　long　dead；　put　to　endless　sleep　as　she　hovered　over　them　in　the　night。　But　they　were　old　men；　and　that　was　not　true　justice　as　she　saw　it。　She　could　do　nothing　about　their　longevity；　to　her　way　of　thinking　they　had　seen　the　procession　of　too　many　days。　Still　she　had　avenged　herself。
　Life　must　have　a　shape。　Revenge　was　her　destiny。　She　must　have　been　someone　evil　in　a　previous　life；　she　had　thought；　for　her　karma　in　this　one　to　be　so　unremitting。
　Now　Nicholas　Linnear　threatened　that　dark　harmony。　She　supposed　that　she　had　known　it　from　the　moment　she　had　first　seen　him　in　person　at　Jan　Jan。　He　had　melted　a　heart　she　had　thought　made　of　granite　and　ice。　She　thought　in　her　arrogance　that　she　was　beyond　love。
　She　was　wrong。
　As　she　wept　on　her　futon　in　the　otherwise　deserted　house　of　her　husband　and　her　prey；　she　beseeched　the　Amida　Buddha　only　for　absolution　and　death。　For　the　thought…oh；　Buddha！　the　knowledge…that　she　could　love　just　like　any　other　mortal　sent　waves　of　panic　through　her。　She　had　set　her　life　on　a　certain　course；　believing　specific　things　about　herself。
　But　now　the　ache　she　felt　through　to　the　core　of　her　spirit　whenever　she　thought　of　Nicholas　Linnear…which　was　to　say　all　the　time…blasted　her　in　the　furnace　of　revelation。　For　she　was　sworn　to　destroy　him。
　She　thought　about　turning　away　from　her　vow；　of　letting　peace　flow　down　around　her。　She　dreamed　of　surcease。
　But　then　she　parted　her　naked　thighs　and　stared　down　at　the　delicate　flesh　of　their　insides。　On　each　writhed　a　flaming　horned　dragon；　multicolored　tattoos　of　fantastic　workmanship。
　And　she　knew　that　peace　was　not　for　her；　or　love　either。　For　Kyoki　had　marked　her　soul　just　as　surely　as　he　had　her　flesh。　There　was　no　hope　of　surcease。
　She　had　had　her　respite；　the　one　lull　in　the　storm；　and　for　that　time　had　reveled　in　the　joy　of　another　life。　Giri　bound　her；　heart　and　spirit。　What　had　begun　must　be　seen　to　its　final　conclusion。
　She　thought　of　Saigo　again；　standing　strong　and　handsome　in　the　forest　glade　in　Kyushu；　the　sunlight　striking　his　shoulders；　silvering　his　hair。　How　his　presence　had　altered　her　life！
　She　rose　and　went　through　the　silent　house。　It　already　seemed　dead　and　buried；　the　thick　bars　of　sunlight　beating　against　the　closed　panes　of　glass；　seeking　entry。　But　this　was　a　house　of　the　dead；　the　sun　no　longer　held　any　dominion　here。
　Akiko　glided　from　room　to　room　as　if　fixing　each　space；　each　object　in　her　mind　for　the　last　time。　She　touched　everything；　she　moved　everything。　In　this　manner　she　came　upon　the　mini　tape　recorder　by　which　Koten　had　been　eavesdropping　on　her　husband。
　When　she　rewound　the　tape　and　pressed　〃Play；〃　she　heard　all　that　Phoenix　had　said　to　Sato。
　Rain　puckered　the　skin　of　the　rotenburo；　splashing　against　their　shoulders；　beating　against　the　tops　of　their　heads。　Neither　of　them　felt　a　drop。
　In　the　distance　the　beckoning　amber　lights　of