el.the miko-第99部分

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　Carefully；　Nangi　slid　the　red　envelope　away　next　to　the　document　that　lay　like　a　lead　weight　against　his　heart。　He　pushed　away　from　the　table　and；　taking　up　his　cane；　rose　and　walked　awkwardly　out　of　the　Sun　Wa　Trading　pany　to　where　his　chauffeured　car　was　waiting　for　him。
　There　was　no　aspect　of　nightlife　that　interested　him　so　he　went　directly　back　to　the　hotel。　Food　tasted　like　ash　and　stuck　in　his　throat　as　if　it　were　the　contract　itself　that　Liu　and　his　masters　had　coerced　him　into　signing。　Stoically　he　went　on　eating　until　his　plate　was　clean；　and　then　could　not　remember　what　it　was　that　he　had　ordered。　It　did　not　matter。
　Undressed；　he　lay　atop　his　bed　and　stared　up　at　the　ceiling；　at　the　river　of　the　past。　As　always；　kanryodo　consumed　him。　Once　a　warrior；　always　a　warrior；　he　thought。　It　was　impossible　to　hang　up　your　katana；　even　if；　as　in　his　case；　it　was　figurative　rather　than　literal。
　The　face　of　Makita；　his　sempai；　floated　through　the　clouds　of　his　memory　as　it　often　did。　Rather　than　allow　them　to　take　out　his　diseased　stomach；　he　had　mitted　seppuku。　He　had　asked　Nangi　to　be　his　second　and；　acquiescing；　Nangi　had　taken　up　his　mentor's　long　sword　and　with　one　swift　overhand　strike　had　ended　the　excruciating　pain　of　the　two　wakizashi　slashes；　the　first　lateral；　the　second　vertical；　that　Makita　had　managed　to　inflict　himself。
　And　though　it　had　been　the　honorable　thing　to　do；　though　Nangi　had　had　no　choice　but　to　ply　with　his　sempai's　wishes；　still　he　was　ashen　as　he　stared　at　the　bloody　blade；　his　friend　and　surrogate　father's　head　on　the　tatami；　he　shook　all　over　as　if　he　had　contracted　ague。　His　skin　felt　feverish　and　dry　and　there　was　no　saliva　with　which　to　swallow。
　Surely；　Nangi　had　thought；　Christ　could　not　have　wished　such　a　thing。　And　he　had　fled　to　church　where；　in　the　Confessional；　he　had　spewed　out　what　he　had　done　in　rapid…fire　bursts　like　retching。　But　even　that　could　not　cleanse　him　and　he　spent　the　next　six　hours　on　his　knees　before　the　image　of　Christ　on　the　Cross；　praying　for　forgiveness。
　It　had　been　Sato　who　had　e　for　him；　persuading　him　to　leave　that　sanctuary　where　the　real　world　could　not　intrude。　〃My　friend；〃　Sato　had　said　softly；　〃you　cannot　possibly　blame　yourself。　You　did　what　had　to　be　done；　what　any　samurai　would　do。　You　stood　by　your　friend　when　he　needed　you　the　most。　What　more　can　you　ask　of　yourself？　It　was　gin。〃
　Nangi's　eyes　had　been　full　of　pain　and　self…loathing。　〃It　was　not　the　Christian　thing　to　do；　Seiichi…san。〃
　To　which　Sato　had　had　no　reply　but　to　get　Nangi　out　of　there。
　Thoughts　of　Makita　inevitably　led　Nangi　back　to　mabiki；　the　decades…long　weeding…out　process　he　had　performed　at　MITI　for　his　sempai。　How　many　had　he　〃slain〃　in　this　way；　destroying　any　chance　they　had　for　advancement　in　Japanese　bureaucracy？　Always　he　asked　himself　that　question；　because　always　he　was　uneasy　with　what　he　had　done。
　Shimada　had　been　the　first　one；　Shimada　had　been　the　beginning　of　mabiki。　He　had　paid　for　his　greed　and　his　shortsightedness。　He　could　not　see　change　ing；　and　thus　Nangi　had　doomed　him　to　humiliation　or　death。　Shimada　had　chosen　the　honorable　path　and　had　mitted　seppuku；　opening　the　way　for　Makita's　immediate　appointment　as　first　vice…minister　of　MITI。
　Shimada　had　been　the　hardest　one。　After　that；　the　mabiki　was　easier　to　handle；　the　concept　easier　for　Nangi　to　accept。　Kanry…odo's　precepts　had　hardened　his　heart。
　Now；　sweating　in　a　hotel　room　in　a　foreign　colony　clinging　with　the　tenaciousness　of　woodbine　to　the　very　tip　of　the　Asian　continent；　his　great　dream　lost　to　him；　he　wondered　piteously　whether　he　had　murdered　in　the　name　of　Christ。
　He　was　never　quite　certain　whether　the　ringing　of　the　telephone　had　roused　him　out　of　slumber　or　deep　thought。　In　any　case；　he　rolled　over　and　grabbed　for　the　instrument。　The　glowing　dial　of　his　wristwatch　told　him　that　it　was　thirteen　minutes　before　four　A。M。　A　Chinese　might　have　found　this　an　inauspicious　numerical　bination；　Nangi　did　not　care。
　〃Yes？〃
　〃It's　Fortuitous　Chiu；〃　came　the　thin　voice　down　the　wire。　〃I'm　on　Po　Shan　Road；　a　block　from　Succulent　Pien's　flat。〃　He　sounded　a　bit　out　of　breath。
　Nangi　sat　up。　〃Haven't　you　been　able　to　find　a　way　in　yet？〃
　〃Been　in　and　out　already。〃　Now　Nangi　recognized　the　excitement　in　the　other's　voice。　〃I　think　you'd　better　get　down　here　pronto。〃
　〃What　is　it？〃
　〃Forgive　my　bluntness；　sir；　but　I　don't　think　you'd　believe　me　if　I　told　you　outright。　If　you　see　for　yourself；　that'll　be　another　story。〃
　〃I'm　on　my　way；〃　Nangi　said；　his　heart　beginning　to　beat　fast。　The　sweat　had　dried　on　his　skin。　Swinging　his　legs　over　the　side　of　the　bed；　he　reached　for　his　cane。
　The　vault　was　as　airless　as　it　was　lightless。　Behind　him　Nicholas　could　hear　the　circular　door　through　which　he　had　stepped　sighing　closed。　He　heard　the　pneumatics　and　was　not　cheered。
　Alone　and　in　total　darkness；　he　moved　to　where　his　haragei　told　him　was　the　center　of　the　vault。　Then　he　stood　still；　his　senses　questing。　A　desk　and　several　chairs；　a　lamp　unlit；　some　machinery　which　it　was　beyond　him　to　identify　in　the　absence　of　visuals。　A　kind　of　wooden　scaffolding　whose　purpose　was　also　a　mystery　to　him。
　Took　stock。　He　was　on　Hokkaido　but　he　did　not　know　where　since　Koten　had　blindfolded　him　after　binding　him　hand　and　foot。　He　had　then　been　carried　to　what　he　could　only　guess　was　the　trunk　of　the　Soviets'　car　and　locked　in。　They　had　driven　for　just　under　an　hour。　Giving　the　car　an　average　speed　of　forty…five　m。p。h。　put　him　in　a　radius　of　approximately　thirty…five　to　forty　miles　from　the　rotenburo。　He　knew　that　was　not　good　enough。
　Humming　invading　the　void　of　darkness　in　which　he　stood；　broke　through　his　thoughts。　It　was　subtle；　might　not　have　been　discerned　by　a　normal　man。
　Immediately　Nicholas　went　toward　the　sound；　sniffing　like　an　animal；　quick；　shallow　breaths。　Scented　it　when　he　was　fifteen　feet　away　from　the　vent　high　up　in　the　wall　and　turned　away；　getting　away　from　that　side　of　the　room。　It　would　only　prolong　the　time　that　he　had　left　before　the　chloroform　derivative　took　effect　on　him。　But　he　needed　all　the　time　he　could　get　now。
　〃I　don't　see　why　we're　waiting　so　long；〃　the　doctor　said　pointedly。　〃It　only　takes　the　gas　three…and…a…half　minutes　to　fully　permeate　the　vault　space。〃　He　waggled　the　wrist　on　which　his　chronometer　was　fastened　so　that　those　around　him　would　not　miss　the　fact　that　it　had　been　almost　fifteen　minutes　since　the　gas…an　interesting　mixture　of　a　soporific　in　the　chloroform　group　and　a　powerful　peyote　concentrate；　altered　to　be　effective　when　inhaled　rather　than　ingested…had　been　pumped　into　the　room。
　〃Patience；　Doctor；〃　Viktor　Protorov　said　calmly。　〃I　fully　appreciate　your　enthusiasm　to　sink　your　spikes　into　a　new　client；　but　I　think　I　know　what　is　best　in　this　case。〃
　The　doctor　shrugged　his　shoulders；　began　a　ragged　rendition　of　〃The　Czarist　and　the　Revolutionary；〃　a　folk　song　his　grandmother　had　taught　him　when　he　was　a　child；　just　to　show　these　others　that　he　was　not　the　total　Protorov　puppet　that　they　were。
　With　the　doctor　and　Protorov　were　Pyotr　Alexandrovitch　Rus…silov；　Koten；　and　a　pair　of　junior　lieutenants　under　Russilov's　direct　mand。　The　most　recent　Alpha…three　codes　had　brought　Protorov　word　that　Yvgeny　Mironenko；　the　GRU　colonel；　had　received　enough　vouchers　from　his　patriots　for　Protorov　to　hold　a　special　session　of　the　General　Staff。　All　the　senior　generals　would　be　in　attendance。　All　that　was　required　now；　Mironenko's　most　recent　munique　had　said；　was　for　Protorov　to　bring　the　generals　proof　of　his　power。
　Proof　of　my　power；　Protorov　thought　now。　Tenchi！　Then；　for　the　first　time　in　history；　the　GRU　and　the　KGB　will　be　united　in　a　mon　cause。　The　Kremlin　will　shake　to　the　sound　of　our　bootsteps；　the　old　men　will　fall　before　us　like　stalks　of　wheat；　the　day　of　the　bureaucrat　will　be　a　memory；　all　the　Russians　will　be　on　the　march。　The　day　of　the　Second　Revolution　will　have　dawned！
　With　great　difficulty　he　kept　his　elation　concealed；　not　even　Russilov　must　suspect　the　vast　changes　forming　on　the　horizon。　Not　yet。　He　will　have　his　hands　full　running　the　Ninth；　Protorov　thought。　I　do　not　want　to　give　him　too　much；　too　soon。
　〃All　right；　clear　the　vault；〃　he　ordered。
　One　of　the　junior　lieutenants；　responding　to　a　hand　sign　from　Russilov；　shut　one　valve；　opened　another。　A　pair　of　150　h。p。　suction　fans　drew　the　noxious　fumes　out　of　the　room。　When　the　red　light　ceased　to　glow；　replaced　by　the　green　one；　Protorov　ordered　the　vault　door　unsealed。
　Koten　went　first；　then　Russilov　and　the　two　junior　lieutenants。　The　doctor　and　Protorov　brought　up　the　rear。　Inside；　they　could　smell　nothing。　The　air　was　pure　and　clean　again。
　The　men　fanned　out　into　the　vault　as　if　they　were　a　line　of　gentlemen　on　the　hunt：　arrogant　in　the　knowledge　of　their　elite　status；　yet　wary　of　a　new　and　extremely　dangerous　prey。
　〃He　seems　quiescent　enough；〃　the　doctor　said；　pushing　his　glasses　back　up　the　bridge　of　his　nose。　〃I　don't　think　there　is　going　to　be　anything　different　about　him。〃
　Thinking　him　a　fool；　Protorov　signed　to　Koten。　As　the　enormous　sumo　moved　across　the　room；　Protorov　paced　him　at　a　tangent　that　took　him　to　a　spot　directly　in　front　of　where　Nicholas　lay　on　his　left　side。
　〃Breathing　is　deep　and　regular；〃　the　doctor　said；　circling　the　fallen　figure　〃No　eyelid　flicker；　pulse　is　slowed；　skin　color　is　consistent　with　deep　delta　unconscious　state。〃　He　recited　these　medical　observations　like　a　litany　against　that　which　he　did　not　understand　and　therefore　could　not　control。
　From　his　position；　Protorov　signed　to　Russilov　to　move　into　position　just　behind　Nicholas。　〃All　right；〃　he　told　Koten。
　Nicholas　launched　himself　feet　first　at　the　oning　hulk。　It　had　not　been　difficult　for　him　to　cease　to　breathe　a　sufficient　amount　of　the　gas　to　put　him　under。　At　least　eight　separate　forms　of　ninjutsu　discipline　had　as　their　bases　the　breath　and　autonomic　system　regulation　that　Tibetan　Yogi　practiced。　This　extended　to　body　temperature　control　as　well。
　The　doctor　yelped；　skittering　away　as　Nicholas　careened　into　the　oning　sumo；　the　heels　of　his　feet　directed　at　Koten's　knees　not；　as　someone　unfamiliar　with　a　sumo's　strength　would　have　done；　at　his　v