el.the miko-第95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！
te his natural defenses and kill him。
Without another thought； she put her fears aside and went to work on him。 For twenty minutes she labored with only one brief interruption。 As she had suspected； a fourth vertebra was involved； lower down than the others。 She did not know if any of the seikotsu aiki would work here。 She did not know whether to proceed。
Then she closed her eyes and sought the no…thought that was the Void。 Here； instinct…and something more…guided her： a sense of cosmic harmony。 Using both thumbs at kyusho…vital spots…on either side of the unaligned bone； she pressed inward and apart。 Heard the pop like a cork ing out of a bottle of champagne and thanked Buddha for strength and courage。
For a time after that； she knelt over him； slumped with fatigue and relief； her hot breath keeping the ice from forming on his naked back。
Then； gathering herself for the ordeal； she slung Saigo's still unconscious form across her shoulders； settling his weight as fortably as she could。 As a weight lifter will； she rose with her burden and started off home。
〃And that is how you came here；〃 he said。
Akiko nodded。 〃It was Saigo who told me of you； it was he who suggested that I seek entrance where he could not。〃
〃I consider that presumptuous of him；〃 he observed。 〃But hardly surprising。 He was not fit to stay here。 I do not believe that he is fit to stay anywhere for very long。〃
She resented his words bitterly； knowing that Saigo had deliberately paved the path for her that he had sought for himself but had been denied。
Kyoki broke into her thoughts。 〃What is it that you seek here； Akiko…san？ What do you believe I can provide you that others cannot？〃
〃I want to learn how to hide my spirit；〃 she said。 〃To exhibit perfect wa even when I am about to strike down my enemy。〃
Kyoki poured them both more tea。 He menced to sip his。 They sat cross…legged facing each other across the flagged stone floor。 The castle in which they sat； he had told her； had been built by Ieyasu Tokugawa sometime during the first decade of the seventeenth century for a woman who was half…Portuguese and half…Japanese。 A very special woman； Akiko had thought。
Outside； a komuso with a reed basket over his head played his bamboo flute in plangent fashion。
〃Tell me；〃 he said after a time； 〃how a young girl es to have so many deadly enemies。〃
There was no recourse but to tell him all of it： of Ikan and Fuyajo； of Shimada； her father； and those who had set the wak…izashi in his hands； guiding it in two powerful lifedenying strokes into his lower abdomen； destroying his hara。 His life。 Seppuku。
Kyoki closed his diamond…shaped eyes。 〃It is gratifying to see such an unwavering expression of filial piety in one so young。〃 He took up the goldthread fan lying beside him and began a soft； fluttering motion at his cheek。 It was feminine and； Akiko felt； unflattering。
Immediately Kyoki ceased this motion。 His eyes pierced her； penetrating her thoroughly。 The fan was a stilled butterfly at the side of his head。 〃Does my use of the fan disturb you； Akiko…san？〃
She had to stifle the urge to lie to him。 Saigo had cautioned her against this。 Kyoki…san will know； he told her； and at once you will be asked to leave。
The truth shamed Akiko and she felt blood rush into her cheeks。 〃The fan seems unbeing to a great warrior such as yourself。〃
〃Or yourself。〃
〃I am no great warrior； sensei。〃
〃But you aspire to be。〃
〃Hai。〃
〃Then you spurn the fan。〃
〃As a woman I…〃
She watched； openmouthed； as the fan hummed through the air； embedding itself in the exact center of a camphorwood chest across the expanse of the room。
〃Not as a woman；〃 Kyoki said； 〃but as a warrior。〃 Unconcernedly； he sipped more tea。 〃Please retrieve my weapon；〃 he said when he had put down his porcelain cup。
Akiko rose and went across the room。 She reached up and as she touched the thing； spread like the hand of Buddha； spearing the wood； he said； 〃This is no ogi； no mere fan； you pull from my chest； Akiko…san。 It is gunsen； a weapon of battle。〃
As she brought it back to him； he said； 〃All ten ribs are of hand…forged steel； the fan itself a membrane of steel mesh that can slice through skin； flesh； viscera。。。 even bone； with the proper strike。〃
In his hands again the gunsen fluttered back and forth at his cheek； the docile butterfly returned to its chrysalis。
〃Your room is on the second floor；〃 he said。 〃Directly below mine。〃
〃I have no parents； I make the heavens and the earth my parents。 I have no home； I make saika tanden my home。 I have no body； I make stoicism my body。 I have no eyes； I make the flash of lightning my eyes。 I have no strategy； I make sakkatsu jizai《 Free to kill and to restore life 》 my strategy。 I have no designs； I make kisan《 Taking opportunity by the forelock 》 my designs。 I have no principles； I make rinkiohen《 Adaptability to all circumstances 》 my principles。〃
Akiko； alone in the Room of All Shadows； knelt before the double line of joss sticks and long white tapers。 Both were lit and the resulting scents pervaded the chamber。 The atmosphere seemed to absorb her prayers as if it were listening。
Kyoki's castle lay nestled in a glen shaggy with white birch and larch； acres of bright； blooming giant azaleas and stands of peach trees； one thousand meters above sea level in Asama kogen。 These were the highlands…cool in summer； frosted in winter… just over 130 kilometers from Tokyo； northeast of the sprawling； jammed supertropolis； almost squarely in the center of Honshu； Japan's main island。
The kogen were dominated by 2；500…meter Asama…yama； an active volcano whose upper slopes were kept sere and utterly barren by frequent eruptions。
On the opposite side of the highlands from where Kyoki's castle stood； sweeping northeast off Asama…yama's skirt； was Onio…shidashi； a black； blasted lavascape aptly named after the monstrous outpouring of the earth's depths in 1783； 〃The Devil's Discharge。〃
Parkland and villas of the rich were strewn all about here but none within seeing distance of the castle； named Yami Doko… Kite in the Darkness…by Kyoki soon after he came to live here。
Akiko had as little an idea when that was as she had about anything else in the sensefs background。 With her eyes alone she could tell that he was at least part Mongol： the slant to his eyes； the width and flatness of his cheekbones； as well as the hue of his skin。 She could envision his ancestors； wrapped in wolf skins and beaten metal corselets； descending on horseback from the Chinese steppes； snowy wind at their backs； to raid the villages of the plains。
They worked within a rigidly formulaic framework that wa without even the most minute deviation。 This was in direct counterpart to her two years at the ryu in Kumamoto。 Every moment of Akiko's time in Asama was mapped out and had to be assiduously accounted for。 A blank spot was cause for punishment。 Excuses of any kind were not tolerated。 Neither was illness； which was treated by Kyoki with various natural poultices and herbal binations。 He was a giftedyogen…chemist…and Akiko； who was rarely sick in any case； inevitably found herself recovered within ten hours。 Meanwhile her studies…even the most taxing physical exercises…were performed uninterrupted。
For weeks at a time they lived in the wilderness； leaving the castle far behind。 Often this occurred during inclement weather… in the dead of winter or during late summer and early autumn when successions of typhoons lashed the island's southern coast； sending dark； whipping squalls into the interior like a dragon's raking claws。
This was purposeful。 He taught her how to use the elements and even； in many cases； to tame them。 With them they took only rokugu； the ninja's 〃six tools for traveling。〃 Five were all contained within the sixth； uchitake； a three…meter length of hollowed…out bamboo。 Inside was stored medicine； a stone pencil； towel； hat； and musubinawa； an eight…meter coil of rope made out of women's hair； lighter than regular rope and stronger。
They lived in trees and in the bush； by low…lying alpine streams； on rock outcroppings along Shiraito Falls； a staggeringly beautiful network of narrow water chutes climbing up a sheer； foliage…encrusted cliff face。
Tsuchigumo was a technique that Kyoki claimed had been passed down to him through his father from Jinnai Ukifune； an assassin in the service of Nobunaga Oda； powerful feudal daimyo； unique among all ninja because he was a dwarf。
Tsuchigumo was； as Kyoki put it； 〃bat in the rafters。〃 He taught her to cling to the tops of rooms where crossbeams and such could be employed with the aid of nekode； cat's claws of forged steel。 Hour after hour they hung in the darkness of the night； using arcane breath…control techniques to slow their metabolisms and therefore remain motionless until just before dawn。
At that time they would drop lithely and silently down onto the stone flooring； free of muscle knots and cramps； ready…if this were a real situation…to deliver a lethal blow to an unsuspecting enemy。
One evening； perhaps a year and a half after she had first entered the castle； Kyoki summoned her to a room which she had never seen before。 It was large and had an arching ceiling so high its upper reaches were lost in gloom。 It was divided by an odd…looking doorway that had the aspect of a Chinese moon gate； almost circular in nature。
There were tatami； the first she had seen at Yami Doko。 Kyoki knelt on one of these just beyond the arc of the moon gate。 Before him was a lacquer tea service； a small plate piled with rice cakes。
Akiko bowed low and； doffing her boots； knelt opposite him。 The moon gate rose above them and between them； the demar…kation between sensei and pupil。
All was quiet in the room； all was serene。 Akiko； questing as he had taught her to do； felt only the harmony of his wa。 She watched him prepare the green tea； she had not known that he had these skills。 She was mesmerized by the movements。 She felt languid and calm。 Almost at peace。
Kyoki put aside the whisk and； turning the porcelain cup one half a revolution； presented her with the steaming tea。 He bowed low to her and she followed suit； extending her torso forward。 Her forehead touc
