el.the miko-第93部分

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le　for　her　to　say　where　one　left　off　and　the　other　began。
　Silently　they　passed　a　stand　of　tall；　whipthin　bamboo。　A　branch　of　one　older　tree　was　heavily　laden　with　ice…crusted　snow。　Surely　at　any　moment　it　must　break　beneath　its　burden。　But　no。　The　gusting　wind　caused　the　branch　to　bob　up　and　down　and　such　was　the　resilient　nature　of　the　wood　that　at　length　the　branch　sprang　upward　and　like　the　finest　of　bows　loosed　its　charge。　Snow　in　a　fine　spray　dusted　the　cold　air；　powdering　down　upon　them　in　bracing　fashion。　And　in　its　wake　they　saw　the　branch　of　the　bamboo　now　free　of　excess　weight。
　They　passed　on；　shoulders　hunched；　bunched　hands　in　the　pockets　of　their　coats　while　the　wind　continued　to　whistle　by　overhead。
　Within　the　shelter　of　a　dense　copse　of　pines　Saigo　stopped　them。　A　river　sang　merrily　to　their　left　and　below　them。　From　this　interior　space　it　was　impossible　to　see　either　the　industrial　sprawl　beyond　Kumamoto　or　even　the　looming　presence　of　Mount　Aso　with　its　plume　of　pumice　and　hot　ash。　It　was　possible　to　believe　for　a　moment　that　one　could　be　divorced　from　such　things；　that　the　heavily　layered　structuralism　of　life　had　momentarily　disappeared。
　Turning　his　back　to　the　gnarled　trunk　of　one　great　grandfather　tree；　Saigo　slid　down　until　he　was　on　his　haunches。　Akiko　knelt　beside　him　at　right　angles。　He　did　not　turn　toward　her　but　continued　？　to　stare　straight　ahead　at　the　puzzle　of　crisscrossing　branches；　white　with　snow　and　ice。
　Akiko　stared　at　his　proud　profile。　In　many　ways　he　was　still　an　enigma　to　her。　But　then　she　suspected　that　he　was　even　more　of　an　enigma　to　himself。　Though　he　was　inordinately　introspective　for　a　young　man；　it　was　not　self…examination　that　occupied　him。　The　eternal　flame　of　his　hate　had　to　be　nurtured　and；　on　occasion；　fanned。　Akiko　suspected　quite　rightly　that　with　the　cessation　of　his　hatred　Saigo　would　perish。　It　was　his　primary　nourishment；　mother's　milk　to　his　spirit。
　Already　she　suspected　that　he　was　wholly　evil。　Yet　she　was　drawn　to　him。　Was　it　despite　this　knowledge　or　because　of　it？　She　felt　frightened　when　she　was　near　him；　as　if　the　blight　eating　away　at　his　soul　was　contagious。　But　at　the　same　time　she　felt　a　distinct　lessening　of　the　anomie　which　at　times　buffeted　her　spirit　with　the　viciousness　of　a　riptide。
　With　Saigo　she　felt　that　she　belonged。　Time　and　place　coalesced　into　meaning；　for　he　had　the　spirit　of　the　outlaw　not　the　outcast；　which　she　had　always　assumed　herself　to　be。　An　outcast　had　no　status；　no　dignity；　no　honor。　She　recalled　her　feelings　that　night　in　the　restaurant　when　she　saw　the　geisha　with　their　snapping　black　teeth　and　faces　coated　with　white　rice　flour。
　It　occurred　to　her　then　that　she　thought　about　Ikan　infrequently；　and　then　it　was　with　a　painful　lurch　as　if　she　were　fighting　to　disengage　herself　from　a　particularly　loathsome　creature。　Ikan　had　no　status　save　that　of　tayu　oiran；　which；　of　course；　was　meaningless　outside　the　Yoshiwara。　Ever　since　Akiko　had　escaped　from　there；　her　contempt　for　courtesans　was　boundless。
　Had　not　Ikan　been　sold　into　what　was；　effectively；　slavery？　Had　not　the　very　fact　that　she　had　worked　in　the　happy　field　rendered　her　undesirable　as　a　wife？　Where　was　the　dignity　in　this　way　of　life？　Where　was　the　honor？
　Akiko　could　not　even　summon　up　anger　at　her　mother；　her　emotions　had　gone　beyond　the　stage　where　she　resented　Lean's　inability　to　accept　her。　She　felt　only　contempt　for　what　her　mother　had　been；　what　she　had　done。
　Ikan　had　been　an　outcast；　and　without　even　knowing　it　Akiko　had　cast　herself　in　the　same　mold。　But　now　Saigo　had　shown　her　that　there　was　another　path　she　could　take。　For　an　outlaw　possessed　status；　dignity；　and　honor。　Japan's　ancient　tradition　of　the　nobility　of　failure…the　triumph　of　ideals　over　actions…proved　this　beyond　any　doubt。
　Beside　her；　Saigo　felt　a　spasm　grip　him。　He　felt　as　if　something　inside　him　were　being　pulled　in　opposite　directions。　Spite　surged　within　him；　and　a　fulminating　desire　to　hurt　her。　〃There　must　be　an　ending；〃　he　said。
　The　wind　snatched　at　his　words；　sent　them　hurtling　among　the　snow　laden　pines。　Still　he　did　not　turn　toward　her。　There　was　a　minute　trembling　to　his　head　and　she　felt　the　tension　in　his　frame。
　〃You　may　have　wondered　at　the　identity　of　the　girl　I　brought　home　some　weeks　ago。〃　His　head　lowered　until　his　chin　almost　touched　his　chest。　〃She　is　the　one　that　I　love。〃　Akiko　felt　the　knife　in　her　ribs；　turning　slowly；　as　he　had　wished。　〃Her　name　is　Yukio　and　she　has　betrayed　me。　Betrayed　me　to　my　cousin；　to　a　gaijin！　Iteki！〃　The　last　two　epithets　were　spat　with　such　vehemence　that　Akiko　was　obliged　to　close　her　eyes　against　the　force　of　the　rage。
　Saigo's　lips　curled　back　in　the　semblance　of　a　smile　that　was　more　a　snarl。　〃You　may　well　ask　yourself　how　a　gaijin　came　to　be　a　cousin　of　mine。　Well；　my　mother；　Itami；　had　a　brother；　a　fierce　and　loyal　man　of　great　samurai　blood。　His　name　was　Tsuko　and　in　the　winter　of　1943；　following　the　death　of　his　superior；　he　was　given　mand　of　the　garrison　at　Singapore。
　〃There　he　served　his　Emperor　long　and　well　until　September　of　1945　when；　outnumbered；　he　tried　to　hold　the　city　against　the　advancing　British　forces。　His　men　were　surrounded。　They　died　defending　the　honor　of　Japan　as　befits　true　samurai。　Tsuko　was　the　last　to　perish；　shot　many　times　by　iteki　while　he　slashed　their　limbs　and　heads　with　his　katana。　The　British；　like　all　barbarians；　have　no　concept　of　honor。
　〃At　the　time　of　his　death　my　uncle　was　married　to　a　woman　who　was　quite　beautiful　but　of　dubious　parentage。　That　is　to　say　it　was　suspected　that　she　was　at　least　part　Chinese。　She　must　have　bewitched　Tsuko；　for　he　apparently　ignored　these　rumors。
　〃I　know　that　she　could　not　have　been　Japanese。　No　samurai　blood　runs　in　the　veins　of　a　woman　who　will　not　avenge　the　murder　of　her　husband。　This　Cheong；　instead；　married　the　man　who　manded　the　enemy's　attack　on　Singapore。　Perhaps　he　himself　fired　one　of　the　bullets　that　fatally　wounded　my　uncle。　She　did　not　care。〃
　Saigo's　head　lifted。　〃The　offspring　of　Cheong　and　this　barbarian　Colonel　is　Nicholas　Linnear。〃　With　that　one　last　foreign　word　Akiko　felt　a　prescient　thrill　shoot　up　her　spine。　Could　it　be　so；　she　asked　herself。　Could　the　wheel　of　life　have　brought　her　to　the　one　person　on　earth　who　could　truly　help　her。　For　it　had　been　this　same　Colonel　Linnear；　this　iteki；　as　Saigo　called　him；　who　had　pressed　for　public　disclosure　of　Akiko's　father's　so…called　indiscretions；　thereby　murdering　him。　She　concentrated　further；　anxious　now　to　absorb　it　all。
　〃It　was　he　who　came　to　the　precincts　of　our　ryu；　hand　and　hand　with　his　lover；　Yukio；〃　Saigo　continued。　〃She　and　I　were　lovers　before　he　met　her。　Like　his　halfbreed　mother　did　to　Tsuko；　Nicholas　has　somehow　seduced　Yukio's　spirit。　Now　I　must　drug　her　or　she　would　seek　to　escape　and　fly　to　him。　Now　only　I　have　her。〃
　〃You　make　love　to　her。。。　still？〃
　Saigo's　head　whipped　around　and　his　dead　eyes　glared　at　her；　challenging　her。　〃I　take　her　whenever　I　choose　to　do　so。〃　He　turned　again　to　stare　out　at　the　crosshatch　of　branches。　〃She　betrayed　me；　she　deserves　no　less。〃
　Akiko　remembered　his　words　from　before；　There　must　be　an　ending。　〃Now　you　wish　to　kill　her。〃
　Saigo　said　nothing　for　a　time。　Then；　〃I　wish　for　revenge。　For　myself；　for　my　mother。　Most　of　all；　for　Tsuko。〃
　And　she　thought；　K'ai　ho。　I　see　a　gap；　I　must　enter　swiftly。　But　softly　she　said；　〃Two　weeks　ago　you　left　abruptly。　I　did　not　see　you　at　home　or　in　the　dojo　for　four　days。〃
　〃In　Tokyo；〃　he　said；　〃I　attended　the　funeral　of　my　father。〃　He　closed　his　eyes。　〃I　wished　to　take　you　but　I　could　not。〃
　She　bowed　to　him。　〃I　am　honored。〃
　〃He　was　a　great　man。〃　Again　tension　gripped　him。　〃But　eventually　he　was　destroyed　by　the　invading　barbarians。。。　by　Colonel　Linnear。　The　iteki　garrotted　him。　Now　I　have　begun　my　revenge。　I　have　administered　a　poison　to　the　Colonel。　It　is　absorbed　through　the　pores　of　the　skin　and　is　untraceable。　It　is　slow　acting；　creating　a　deadly　accretion　day　by　day。〃
　〃And　then？〃
　He　nodded　his　head。　〃You　are　right。　Yukio　must　die。　But　this　fact　must　not　reach　my　cousin；　Nicholas。　He　must　wonder。。。　and　wait　until　the　time　is　right。　Then　I　will　confront　him　and　just　before　I　deliver　the　death　blow　I　will　tell　him　of　his　beloved's　fate。　Thus　will　all　the　unquiet　kami　who　hover　about　me；　demanding　retribution　and　rest；　be　assuaged。〃
　Death；　death；　and　more　death。　It　surrounded　them　as　if　they　were　adrift　in　a　sea　of　skulls。　The　giri　Saigo　bore　seemed　a　burden　of　unconscionable　weight　to　Akiko。　No　wonder　his　spirit　was　being　trampled　into　dust。　How　well　she　saw　now　the　twining　of　their　karma。
　Without　thinking　she　reached　out；　her　fingers　sliding　up　his　arm。　His　head　whipped　around；　that　red　challenge　back　in　his　eyes；　and　she　said；　〃Let　me　banish　your　kami。。。　if　just　for　a　moment。〃
　Something　seemed　to　melt　inside　him；　a　barrier　swinging　down；　and　the　proud　warrior　collapsed　into　her　embrace；　a　child　at　its　mother's　forting　breast。
　The　cold　was　no　deterrent　to　their　fire；　and　for　the　first　time　in　his　life　Saigo　felt　the　hot　surge　of　blood　into　his　penis　at　a　woman's　touch。　Always；　before；　there　had　been　a　certain　violence　to　his　coupling　with　Yukio…and　more　often　than　not　he　would　take　her　from　behind　as　he　did　with　his　young　men　lovers；　so　that　there　was　nothing　about　it　that　could　be　termed　lovemaking。
　But　with　Akiko　it　was　different。　Perhaps　it　was　because　he　had　allowed　Akiko　to　melt　him；　to　take　the　lead。　It　was　he　who　now　acquiesced　to　her　lovemaking；　responding　as　she　led；　using　hard…calloused　hands　given　to　inflicting　pain　and　death　in　long　legato　caresses　across　the　snowy　contours　of　her　steaming　body。
　The　moment　he　felt　the　movement　of　her　moist　lips　beneath　his；　the　moment　he　became　aware　of　her　tongue　emerging；　probing；　he　was　as　hard　as　a　rock　and　as　ecstatically　eager　as　a　virgin。
　And　in　regard　to　lovemaking　he　was　a　virgin。　Tenderness　and　passion　held　no　domain　inside　him。　Love　was　unknown。　Mi…chi。
　Her　breasts　swelled　to　his　touch；　sensation　buzzing　from　her　erect　nipples。　He　wanted　to　enter　her　almost　immediately；　such　was　his　excitement。　But　Akiko　persuaded　him　otherwise　with　her　lips；　her　deft；　knowing　hands；　and　the　clamp　of