el.the miko-第96部分

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aming　tea。　He　bowed　low　to　her　and　she　followed　suit；　extending　her　torso　forward。　Her　forehead　touched　the　tatami　on　the　other　side　of　the　moon　gate。
　Whisper；　as　of　silk　against　flesh　or。。。
　Galvanized；　her　adrenals　pumping　furiously；　she　tucked　her　head　under　and　launched　herself　forward；　rolling；　ball…like；　forward　across　the　tatami。
　Behind　her　the　metal　blade　hurtled　downward　from　the　apex　of　the　moon　gate　arc；　slicing　through　the　reed　mat　at　the　precise　spot　where　the　exposed　back　of　her　neck　had　been　a　split　second　before；　burying　itself　in　the　floor　beneath。
　Akiko　bounded　to　her　knees　and　stared　wide…eyed　at　her　sensei；　who　was　calmly　sipping　at　his　tea。
　〃How？〃　she　said　wonderingly。　〃I　felt　not　even　the　tiniest　ripple　in　your　wa。　There　was　nothing。。。　nothing　at　all。〃　…
　〃This　is　why　you　are　here；〃　Kyoki　said　simply。　〃Jaho　masks　my　wa。〃
　〃Jaho；〃　Akiko　echoed。　〃Magic？〃
　The　sensei　shrugged。　〃Call　it　what　you　will。　It　goes　by　many　names。　Which　one　you　use　is　unimportant。〃
　〃It　exists。〃
　〃Were　you　aware　of　my　intentions？〃
　〃I　might　have　died。　Would　you　really　have　allowed　that？〃
　〃Once　the　blade　is　released　I　can　no　longer　control　it；〃　he　said。　〃As　always；　you　were　the　master　of　your　own　fate。　And　I　am　pleased　to　see　you　here　beside　me。　You　are　not　the　first　woman　who　has　ever　e　here　seeking　that　which　was　meant　for　man。　Women；　traditionally；　seek　to　control　power　and　in　that　way　possess　it。　It　is　an　oblique　strategy；　a　female　stratagem。　In　this　way　in　our　society　a　mother　controls　her　son；　a　wife　controls　her　husband。　It　is　rare　indeed　for　the　woman　to　seek　a　more　direct　means；　to　possess　absolute　dominion　over　men　through　her　own　strength。
　〃As　I　have　indicated；　several　have　tried。　AH　have　failed。　Perhaps；　now；　you　will　be　the　first　miko。〃　He　rose；　held　out　his　hand　palm　up。　〃e。　It　is　time　we　begin　your　true　education。〃
　He　was　a　face　in　the　rain。　She　saw　him　and　did　not　see　him。　He　was　there　beside　her　and　he　was　not。　Quick　as　a　kami；　he　flickered；　a　blazing　light；　and　then　was　gone。
　Though　she　had　spent　years　with　him；　though　he　had　held　the　key　to　her　world；　and　had　passed　it　on　to　her；　there　came　a　time　when　she　began　to　doubt　that　she　had　ever　been　to　Yami　Doko。
　The　Swiss　Alps　rose　all　about　the　vast　chalet　in　which　she　lay　swathed　in　pure　white　bandages。　She　could　not　see　and　most　of　the　time　there　was　nothing　of　interest　to　hear。　She　fed　off　her　memories。
　Kyoki　became　a　dream；　as　insubstantial　as　smoke　rising　from　a　forest　floor。　But　not　what　she　had　absorbed　from　him。
　Every　day　white…suited　nurses　wheeled　her　outside　into　the　thin　sunshine　for　exactly　forty　minutes。　The　Swiss　were　as　precise　as　the　Japanese　about　some　things。　Schedules　were　one　of　them。
　She　remembered　the　moment　the　wild　boar　came　crashing　out　of　the　underbrush　to　confront　them。　She　stood　her　ground　as　the　snorting　creature　bore　down　upon　her。　She　was　aware　of　the　boar's　tusks；　rough　textured　and　oily　looking；　curving　outward　from　that　lowered　jaw；　set　to　impale　her。
　She　made　no　move；　however。　Her　spirit　was　like　an　untroubled　lake。　She　opened　her　mouth。　From　it　emanated　a　kiai　known　as　toate…no…ate；　the　distant　strike。
　The　boar　spun　in　the　air；　emitting　a　high…pitched　squeal；　quickly　cut　off　as　if　a　powerful　grip　had　been　put　on　its　throat。　It　fell　heavily　on　its　side　and　was　still　until；　as　Kyoki　had　taught　her；　she　chose　to　end　her　shout。
　She　remembered　the　touch　of　Kyoki's　kimono　against　the　back　of　her　hand。　The　passage　of　his　presence　during　long　afternoons　of　sleep；　when　he　seemed　to　stalk　her　dreams；　as　if　even　her　sleep　at　Yami　Doko　was　part　of　her　training。
　She　longed　for　his　lessons　the　way　a　young　man　longs　for　sex；　aches　for　it；　dreams　about　it；　bees；　at　length；　obsessed　with　it。
　There　was　a　chasteness　to　their　relationship　which　she　could　never　remember　having　with　a　man　before。　He　was　not　saintly；　but　she　did　not　desire　him。　Because　she　lusted　after　what　he　possessed　more。　He　had　jaho；　and　she　longed　for　that　until　it　became　her　lover。
　She　remembered　their　parting。　She　had　been　with　him　seven　years；　which　was　a　significant　number　to　both　of　them；　a　magic　number。　It　was　time　to　return　to　the　world　and　claim　her　revenge。
　A　face　in　the　rain；　flickering。
　Behind　her；　she　half　suspected　the　castle　to　fall　into　ruin；　disappearing　amid　new　foliage　magically　springing　up。　Rain　beat　down　on　her　shoulders　in　rhythm　with　the　komuso's　melody。　Before　her；　rabbits　skittered　out　of　her　way　and　a　lone　hawk　flew　over　the　treetops；　searching　while　it　rode　the　inconstant　currents。
　ing　down　off　the　frosty　Asama　kogen；　mingling　with　tourists　and　Tokyo　residents　alike　in　the　rolling　parklands；　it　occurred　to　her　that　the　person　she　missed　most　was　Saigo；　that　Kyoki's　lessons　had　been　her　lover　for　seven　years　because　Saigo　could　not　be。　She　had　deliberately　put　the　thought　of　him　aside　so　as　not　to　torture　herself。
　He　was　no　longer　in　Kumamoto；　she　was　told　by　telephone；　so　she　traveled　to　the　outskirts　of　Tokyo；　where　he　had　told　her　his　family　lived。
　She　had　had　no　contact　with　him　in　seven　years；　yet　as　the　gleaming　railroad　took　her　toward　her　destination；　it　seemed　to　her　no　more　than　seven　minutes。　One　inhalation　of　time。　There　was　no　space　between　them；　no　sense　of　change　or　alienation。
　Occasionally；　Saigo　had　spoken　of　his　parents…and　of　course　she　had　seen　the　devastation　written　across　his　face　when　he　spoke　of　his　father's　death…but　nothing　he　had　said　prepared　her　for　the　splendor　of　that　house。
　For　one　thing　it　was　large…a　rare　quality　in　Japanese　homes；　for　another；　it　was　surrounded　by　the　most　beautiful　gardens　and　orchards。　Space　was　so　highly　prized　that　Akiko　was　slightly　stunned　to　see　so　much　in　the　hands　of　one　family。
　Deeper　was　her　surprise　when　she　found　that　the　〃family〃　now　consisted　of　Saigo's　mother　and　a　dozen　servants。　No　brothers　or　sisters；　no　other　family　members。
　She　was　a　diminutive　woman　with　delicate　bones　and　the　beautiful　manding　face　of　a　samurai　lady。　Tradition　meant　a　great　deal　to　her。
　As　a　weled　traveler；　Akiko　was　met　at　the　door　by　a　servant　and　escorted　to　a　room　where　another　servant　unpacked　her　bags　while　a　third　led　her　to　the　bath。　Afterward；　she　was　fed　broiled　fluke　fin　in　soy　sauce；　a　superb　cold　seaweed　salad；　chicken　yakitori；　rice；　and　a　pale　gold　tea　the　taste　of　which　was　unfamiliar　to　her。
　By　this　time　it　was　late　in　the　evening。　A　fourth　servant　appeared　when　she　was　finished；　led　her　back　to　her　room；　where　her　futon　had　been　prepared　for　sleep。　Thus　she　spent　her　first　sixteen　hours　in　the　house　without　ever　meeting　her　hostess。
　The　next　morning　Akiko　arose　and　dressed　in　her　best　kimono；　which；　she　observed　sadly　as　she　saw　herself　in　the　mirror；　was　not　very　fine　at　all。　Her　life　up　until　now　had　left　precious　little　room　for　her　to　be　concerned　with　the　niceties　of　being　a　woman。
　The　hems　of　both　sleeves　were　threadbare；　and　the　silk　of　which　it　was　made　was　hardly　of　the　finest　quality。
　By　contrast；　Itami　was　splendidly　attired。　But　then；　Akiko　thought；　she　would　be　so　even　in　the　pany　of　the　greatest　ladies　in　Japan。
　They　met　in　one　of　the　sixteen…tatami　rooms　where　Akiko　was　led　as　soon　as　she　was　dressed　and　properly　coiffed。　The　young　woman　who　had　first　seen　her　to　her　room　had　knocked　quietly　and　politely　on　the　shoji；　entering　only　when　she　was　bade；　to　kneel　behind　Akiko；　spending　almost　an　hour　brushing；　bing；　and　putting　up　her　hair　with　the　implements　Akiko　had　handed　her：　the　tsuge　wood　kushi　that　had　been　Ikan's；　the　matching　set　of　kanzashi　that　had　been　presented　to　her　by　Shimada。
　Handed　the　mirror　by　the　servant；　Akiko　was　struck　by　how　much　she　resembled　her　mother。　How　many　years　had　it　been　since　she　had　had　her　hair　like　this？　She　could　not　remember；　could　not　even　say　whether　she　liked　herself　this　way。
　A　tea　set　separated　them；　of　superb　workmanship　and　material　of　equal　quality：　the　porcelain　was　translucent　and　as　thin　as　skin。　The　intricacies　of　the　ceremony　Itami　was　performing　with　the　tea　served　a　dual　purpose。　It　alleviated　the　tension　and　un…fortableness　strangers　inevitably　feel　when　first　they　meet。　It　also　served　to　focus　their　attention　on　Zen；　on　the　formation　of　harmony。
　At　the　end　of　the　ceremony；　if　they　were　not　exactly　friends；　neither　were　they　strangers。
　〃It　pleases　me　that　you　have　e；〃　Itami　said。　She　had　a　pleasant；　well…modulated　voice　and　her　manner；　though　formal　in　the　sense　of　ancient　tradition；　was　nevertheless　fueled　by　a　genuine　warmth　that　served　to　put　Akiko　at　her　ease。　〃My　son　has　spoken　of　you　several　times。〃　There　was　more　that　she　wanted　to　say　on　this　score；　Akiko　sensed。
　〃You　have　arrived　at　a　fortuitous　time；〃　Itami　continued；　〃for　while　Saigo　is　not　here；　he　is　scheduled　to　arrive　in　a　week's　time。　You　will　stay；　of　course。〃
　〃I　could　not　think　of　intruding　for　so　long；〃　Akiko　said。　〃But　1　thank　you　for　your　offer。〃
　〃An　offer　is　nothing　unless　it　is　accepted；〃　Itami　replied。　〃As　you　can　see；　this　house　is　large…some　might　say　overlarge　for　one　woman。　My　days　are　sometimes　lonely；　one's　life　can　be　filled　with　too　much　contemplation。　It　would　please　me　greatly　to　have　a　panion。　Will　you　favor　me？〃
　〃If　you　wish　it；　of　course。　I　have　never　seen　such　a　beautiful　house。　It　is　exhilarating　to　be　here。〃
　〃Now　you　are　exaggerating；〃　Itami　said；　but　Akiko　could　see　that　she　was　pleased　by　the　genuine　pliment。
　Late　in　the　afternoon　of　the　next　day；　Itami　said；　〃After　poor　Yukio's　untimely　death；　I　was　afraid　that　Saigo　had　turned　his　heart　away　from　women。　He　loved　her　so；　his　spirit　was　crushed　by　her　death。　Of　course；　it　came　on　top　of　my　husband's　death　and；　well。。。　he　and　Saigo　were　always　very　close。〃　And　Akiko　thought；　Filial　piety　binds　us　all；　twisting　us　to　its　will。
　She　found　herself　liking　the　older　woman　immensely。　She　had　contrived　to　make　Akiko　at　home　without　voicing　the　usual　battery　of　questions　directed　at　the　woman　to　whom　a　son　is　attracted：　What　is　your　family？　Where　do　you　e　from？　What　is　your　father's　station？　And　his　father's？　So　on。　Rather；　Itami　seemed　content　to　accept　Akiko　at　face　value；　and　this　touched　Akiko　deeply。
　〃Today；〃　Itami　said；　〃all　things　are　different。　The　time　when　t