el.the miko-第39部分

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the　skipper　was　breaking　out　the　inflatable　rubber　dinghy。　Several　of　the　oiled　men　were　helping　him。　The　women　were　gaping。
　The　skipper　lowered　the　dinghy；　and　the　Red　Monster　with　one　capable　palm　tucked　beneath　Alix's　chin　swam　slowly　toward　safety。
　They　were　lifting　Alix's　body　up　onto　the　deck　as　Bristol's　fish　broke　the　surface。　It　was　a　marlin；　and　by　all　rights　it　should　have　whipped　him　out　of　his　chair　and　into　the　sea　during　its　fight　for　life。
　Bristol　watched　the　long　arch　of　her　golden　body；　raised　like　a　rainbow　being　lifted　into　position。　Her　hair；　darkened　by　the　sea；　hung　down　like　seagrape；　obscuring　one　shoulder。
　Moments　later；　after　the　Red　Monster　had　given　her　mouth…to…mouth；　she　rolled　over。　Sea　water　ran　from　her　mouth　in　a　torrent。　Someone　came　over　and　put　a　baseball　cap　on　her　head　to　keep　off　the　sun。　The　skipper　draped　a　towel　across　her　shoulders；　and　the　Red　Monster　took　her　below。
　Bristol　looked　down　into　the　huge；　glistening　eye　of　the　marlin。　Its　long　body　whipped；　its　tailfin　sending　a　spray　of　cool　water　up　into　his　face。
　The　fish　was　very　close；　and　as　Bristol　leaned　over　the　side　with　his　landing　hook　at　the　ready　he　saw　the　marlin　for　what　it　really　was：　not　a　game　fish；　not　a　trophy　stuffed　over　the　mantel　in　his　apartment；　but　another　life。
　He　thought　of　the　burning　car；　the　fight　he　had　had　to　put　up　in　order　to　escape　death；　and　he　saw　that　the　marlin's　desperate
　battle　had　been　no　different。　They　were　both　gallant　soldiers；　and　this　creature　deserved　to　die　no　more　than　Bristol　did。
　He　stared　once　more　into　that　round　eye；　so　alien　yet　for　all　that　so　full　of　life。　He　could　not　take　that　away　from　the　creature。　Dropping　his　landing　hook；　he　dug　in　his　pocket　for　the　knife。　He　used　the　blade　to　slash　through　the　line　just　beyond　the　hook。
　For　just　an　instant　the　marlin　lay　there；　close　to　the　boat；　floating；　its　eye　on　him。　Then　with　a　flash　of　its　mighty　tail；　it　leaped　away；　its　blue…green…black　body　arcing；　sunlight　spinning　off　its　scales；　and　then　there　was　only　a　narrow　foaming　wake；　a　tiny　incision　in　the　skin　of　the　sea　to　mark　where　it　had　once　been。
　Tengu　was　the　name　his　sensei；　as　tradition　dictated；　had　given　him。　He　was　another　of　Viktor　Protorov's　agents　inside　the　precincts　of　the　Tenshin　Shoden　Katori　ryu。　As　such　he　walked　a　fine　line；　and　even　his　sleep　had　developed　a　crack　in　it　upward　to　the　more　alert　alpha　layers　so　that　he　might　never　be　caught　off　guard。　As　Tsutsumu　had。
　Always　he　was　conscious　of　being　in　a　hive　filled　with　buzzing；　angry　bees。　That　anger；　he　knew　very　well；　needed　only　one　word　of　accusation　to　be　leveled　at　him。　Never　had　he　experienced　the　kind　of　conglomerate　emotional　upheaval　that　had　e　from　the　unexpected　and　unexplained　death　of　Masashigi　Kusunoki；　the　erstwhile　leader　of　this　ninja　ryu。
　Tengu　had　e　from　a　large　rural　family　in　Kyushu　and　he　remembered　the　day　his　father　had　died。　The　family　reunited　silently；　moving　almost　as　a　single　unit。　But　even　that　display　of　togetherness　could　not　pare　with　the　singleminded　will　which　apparently　pervaded　all　levels　of　the　society　here。　Jonin；　leader…sensei；　chunin；　the　tactical　unit　leaders；　and　genin；　as　well　as　the　students　such　as　himself　were　all　affected　to　a　frightening　degree。
　Something　was　happening　within　the　dojo　that　Tengu　did　not　understand；　some　unconscious　whirlwind；　some　spiritual　flashpoint　of　which　he　was　not　part。　He　tried…and　pretended　to　be　a　part　to　those　around　him…but　he　knew　inwardly　that　it　was　useless。　He　was　lost　here　and　he　could　not　say　why。　Had　he　been　able　to　step　outside　of　himself　and　observe　the　totality　of　the　circumstances　within　which　he　found　himself；　he　would　have　seen　that　he　simply　lacked　the　dedication；　the　intense　concentration　of　energies　that　would　have　allowed　him　to　bee　a　part　of　the　mourning；　the　renewed　dedication　of　spirit　that　came　with　Kusunoki's　passing。
　Tengu　developed　many　fears　during　these　volatile　days　when　he　was　obliged　to　expend　tremendous　amounts　of　psychic　energy　in　concealing　his　true　mission　at　the　Tenshin　Shoden　Katori　from　those　about　him。　But　none　was　as　acute　or　as　draining　as　the　fear　he　developed　of　Phoenix。
　Next　to　Kusunoki　himself；　Phoenix　was　the　most　powerful　of　the　jonin。　In　fact；　to　Tengu's　way　of　thinking；　Phoenix　was　more　of　a　threat　than　Kusunoki　ever　had　been。　For　one　thing；　he　was　younger；　his　vitality　at　the　peak。　For　another；　he　was　an　explorer　of　pathways　it　seemed　to　Tengu　that　Kusunoki　had　long　ago　turned　away　from。　Foolishly。
　Too；　Phoenix　had　always　spent　more　time　with　the　lowly　genin　than　Kusunoki　ever　had；　at　least　during　Tengu's　tenure　at　the　dojo。　The　old　sensei　had　increasingly　seemed　to　devote　himself　to　quiet　contemplation　and　the　instruction　of　certain　favored　pupils；　among　them　the　lone　female；　Suijin。
　So　it　was　that　just　before　dawn　Tengu　would　slip　silently　back　into　his　cubicle；　exhausted　and　utterly　drained　after　a　night　spent　alternately　hiding　and　searching；　his　heart　pounding　heavily　every　time　he　sensed　the　approach　of　another。
　Terror　stalked　him。　He　lived　in　fear　that　Phoenix　would　bee　aware　of　his　clandestine　activities。　The　thought　of　ing　under　the　scrutiny　of　that　glowering　countenance　was　too　milch　for　him　to　contemplate　for　long。　Better　by　far　to　die　by　his　own　hand　than　to　be　delivered　up　to　the　vengeance　of　such　a　one。
　To　Tengu；　who　had　been　brought　up　with　all　the　superstition　and　ritualism　of　country　folk；　it　was　like　trying　to　battle　a　kami。
　Phoenix　was　a　shade；　something　that　Tengu　could　not　understand。　Seeing　him；　seeing　the　fiercely　visaged　tattooed　tiger　rampant　across　his　shoulder　and　back；　Tengu　was　gripped　by　a　primal　paralysis　that　he　could　not　break。　Therefore；　despite　what　Protorov　had　advised；　he　kept　his　boldness　in　check；　masking　himself　against　discovery　while　he　continued　his　recreancy。
　When　Nangi　returned　to　the　larger　office　suite　his　face　was　entirely　posed。　He　had　done　all　he　could　for　the　moment。　It　was　now　up　to　Allan　Su　and　his　staff　to　go　through　Anthony　Chin's　books　and　ferret　out　just　what　had　been　done　to　All…Asia；　to　see　if　it　was　still　a　viable　entity。　Su　had　advised　that　they　close　their　doors　until　the　matter　was　determined　but　Nangi；　knowing　how　rumors　flew　in　the　Colony；　had　decided　to　keep　the　bank　open　and　to　issue　an　immediate　story　about　Anthony　Chin's　dismissal　for　fiduciary　improprieties　to　both　the　Chinese…　and　English…language　newspapers。　He　had　no　punction　about　ruining　the　career　of　the　man　who　had　brought　his　bank　to　the　brink　of　financial　destruction。
　The　waters　in　Hong　Kong　must　be　muddied；　Nangi　had　told　Su。　〃We　must　do　whatever　we　can　to　buy　time；〃　he　had　said。　〃I　do　not　want　to　transfer　in　capital　from　here　to　cover　a　run　in　an　already　skittish　atmosphere。　I　will　not　throw　good　money　after　bad。　Remember　that；　Mr。　Su。　Your　job　and　those　of　all　the　others　under　you　is　in　your　hands。　Please　don't　fail。〃
　Running　over　it　all　again；　he　was　certain　that　he　had　covered　everything。　Now　it　was　in　the　hands　of　God。　Let　Him　decide　the　fate　of　All…Asia。　Of　course　he　had　not　told　Su　that　the　keiretsu　could　not　afford　a　major　transfer　of　funds。　But　if　the　bank　could　not　provide　it；　capital　would　have　to　e　from　somewhere。
　Satisfied　for　the　moment；　he　turned　his　full　attention　to　matters　within　Sato's　office。　He　remembered　what　he　was　going　to　ask　Linnear　when　the　phone　call　had　deflected　him。　He　stopped　behind　the　back　of　the　sofa　on　which　Nicholas；　Sato；　and　Ishii　were　sitting。　Tomkin　was　now　sprawled　in　an　oversized　chair；　facing　them。
　〃Linnear…san；〃　he　said；　extracting　another　cigarette　and　producing　his　lighter；　〃before　I　was　inopportunely　called　away；　you　said　that　it　was　highly　unusual　for　death　itself　to　be　associated　with　this　Mo。〃
　Nicholas；　his　face　pale；　said　nothing；　and　Nangi；　staring　hard　as　he　lit　up；　wondered　whether　he　had　hit　a　nerve　that　would　somehow　serve　him　in　his　quest　for　dominance　of　the　gaijin。
　〃I　wonder；〃　Nangi　continued；　pouring　blue　smoke　from　his　half…open　mouth；　〃whether　you　would　be　kind　enough　to　tell　me　the　Wu…Shing's　purpose。〃
　Now　Nicholas　had　a　choice　of　losing　face　or　possibly　causing　a　panic　among　the　Japanese　and　thus　endangering　the　negotiations　Tomkin　had　made　eminently　clear　must　be　pleted　this　week。　He　had　told　Tomkin　part　of　it　back　in　the　hotel　room　on　Friday；　and　now　he　had　told　them　all　a　little　more。　But　only　he；　Nicholas；　knew　it　all；　and　the　ramifications　were　so　terrifying　that；　at　least　for　the　moment；　he　preferred　not　to　think　about　them。　Yet　tenacious　Nangi；　intelligent　Nangi　was　about　to　force　his　hand　and　in　so　doing　wreck　how　many　years　of　Tomkin's　planning？
　His　mind　was　racing；　working　on　the　problem；　when　his　head　turned　as　if　of　its　own　volition。　Haragei…his　peculiar　sixth　sense…　was　warning　him。。。　of　what？　Tomkin！　What　was　wrong？　Nicholas　began　to　move　even　before　fully　coherent　conclusions　had　been　made。
　Raphael　Tomkin's　brown　eyes；　usually　so　full　of　cunning　and　impenetrable　guile；　were　now　liquid　and　runny；　as　if　all　the　color　of　the　irises　were　drooling　out　across　his　lower　lids。　His　pupils　were　dilated　and　he　seemed　to　be　having　trouble　focusing。
　Nicholas　touched　him；　felt　the　minute　vibration　in　his　torso；　arhythmic；　fluttery；　abnormal。
　〃Quickly；〃　Nicholas　said；　〃call　for　a　doctor。〃
　〃There's　one　in　the　building；〃　Sato　said；　motioning　to　Ishii；　who　was　already　halfway　to　the　door。　〃He's　ours　and　he's　very　good：〃
　Tomkin　tried　to　open　his　mouth　and　could　not　speak。　His　hands　grasped　at　Nicholas'　jacket；　crumpling　the　fabric　in　thick　swatches　beneath　his　clawed　fingers。　Within　his　eyes　jumped　the　red　spark　of　fear　and　terror。
　〃It's　all　right；〃　Nicholas　said；　his　tone　soothing；　〃there's　a　doctor　on　his　way。〃　Something　was　trying　to　surface　within　his　mind；　a　half…remembered　memory；　tiny；　fleeting；　seemingly　insignificant　at　the　time。　What　was　it？
　Tomkin's　face　was　mottled　and　so　close　to　him　Nicholas　could　feel　the　beat　of　his　pulse　like　an　engine　gone　wild。　He　put　his　forefinger　against　the　underside　of　the　other　man's　trembling　wrist。　After　a　moment；　he　moved　his　finger；　then　again。　His　mind　was　numb　with　disbelief。　He　could　not　find　a　pulse！
　Tomkin's　mouth　was　working　and　he　pulled　Nich