el.the miko-第4部分

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holas　had　protected　him；　defeating　Saigo；　this　was　the　same　man　who；　Nicholas　was　certain；　had　ordered　the　death　of　Detective　Lieutenant　Lew　Croaker；　Nicholas'　best　friend。
　Nicholas　watched　the　profile　of　Tomkin's　powerful　face　without　seeming　to。　American　power；　Nicholas　had　e　to　learn；　was　often　merely　skin　deep；　and　for　him　to　incise　beneath　that　layer　to　the　soft　interior　was　not　difficult。'But　Tomkin　was　atypical　of　his　fellow　board　chairmen。　His　wa　was　very　strong　indeed；　proof　of　his　inner　determination　and　rock　solidness。
　This　interested　Nicholas　intensely　because　his　vow　to　himself　and　to　the　kami　of　his　dead　friend　was　to　gain　access　to　the　interior　of　this　man　and；　once　having　possession　of　that　knowledge；　sow　the　seeds　of　his　slow　destruction。
　He　recalled　his　thoughts　on　learning　that　Tomkin　had　ordered　Croaker's　seemingly　accidental　death　in　a　car　crash　just　outside　Key　West。　Croaker　had　been　there　on　his　own　time；　and　only　Nicholas　also　knew　that　he　had　been　running　down　the　one　solid　lead　in　the　Angela　Didion　homicide。　She　had　been　a　high…fashion　model　who　had　once　been　Raphael　Tomkin's　mistress。
　A　modern　rendering　of　a　well…known　tactic　of　Ieyasu　Toku…gawa；　greatest　of　all　of　Japan's　Shogun；　whose　family　ruled　for　more　than　a　thousand　years；　keeping　tradition　alive；　safe　from　dilution　from　the　West：　To　e　to　know　your　enemy；　first　you　must　bee　his　friend。　And　once　you　bee　his　friend；　all　his　defenses　e　down。　Then　can　you　choose　the　most　fitting　method　of　his　demise。
　Nicholas'　vow　of　revenge　had　led　him；　despite　Justine's　fervent　arguments；　to　accept　Tomkin's　offer　of　employment　a　year　ago。　And　from　the　first　day　on　the　job；　all　their　energies　had　been　directed　toward　this　moment。　Tomkin　had　been　brewing　this　proposed　merger　of　one　of　his　divisions　with　that　of　one　of　Sato　Petrochemicals'　kobun。　Any　deal　with　the　Japanese　was　a　difficult　enough　task；　but　this　kind　of　plex　merger　of　two　highly　sophisticated　entities　was　utterly　exhausting。　Tomkin　had　admitted　that　he　needed　help　desperately。　And　who　better　than　Nicholas　Linnear；　half…Oriental；　born　and　raised　in　Japan；　to　render　that　assistance。
　The　wheels　bumped　briefly　against　the　tarmac　and　they　were　down；　feeling　the　drag　as　the　captain　put　the　four　powerful　jet　engines　into　reverse　thrust。
　Now　as　they　unstrapped　and　began　to　reach　for　their　coats　in　the　overhead　partment；　Nicholas　watched　Tomkin。　Something　had　happened　to　him　since　he　had　first　made　his　vow。　In　ing　to　learn　about　Raphael　Tomkin；　in　gaining　his　trust　and；　thus；　his　friendship…a　gift　the　industrialist　did　not　give　often…Nicholas　had　e　to　see　him　for　what　he　really　was。
　And　it　was　clear　that　he　was　not　the　ogre　that　his　daughters；　Justine　and　Gelda；　were　convinced　he　was。　In　the　beginning　he　had　sought　to　municate　this　new　aspect　of　Tomkin　to　Justine；　but　these　discussions　inevitably　ended　in　bitter　fights　and　at　length　he　gave　up　trying　to　convince　her　of　her　father's　love　for　her。　Too　much　bad　blood　had　gone　on　between　them　for　her　ever　to　change　her　mind　about　him。　She　thought　he　was　monstrous。
　And　in　one　way　at　least　she　was　correct；　Nicholas　thought　as　they　walked　off　the　plane。　Though　increasingly　it　had　bee　more　difficult　for　him　to　believe　that　Tomkin　was　capable　of　murder。　Certainly　no　man　in　his　position　got　there　by　turning　the　other　cheek　to　his　enemies　or　those　whom　he　had　to　climb　over。　Broken　careers；　bankruptcies；　the　dissolutions　of　marriages；　this　was　the　detritus　that　such　a　man　as　Raphael　Tomkin　must　leave　behind　him　in　his　wake。
　He　was　smart　and　most　assuredly　ruthless。　He　had　done　things　that　Nicholas　could　never　even　have　contemplated。　And　yet　these　seemed　a　long　way　from　ordering　a　death　in　cold　blood；　a　life　snuffed　out　with　Olympian　disdain。　His　genuine　love　for　his　daughters　should　have　precluded　such　a　psychotic　decision。
　Yet　all　the　evidence　Croaker　had　unearthed　had　led　directly　back　to　Raphael　Tomkin　summoning　his　bodyguard　and　authorizing　him　to　end　Angela　Didion's　life。　Why？　What　spark　had　ignited　him　to　do　such　a　desperate　thing？
　Nicholas　still　did　not　know；　but　he　meant　to　find　out　before　he　meted　out　his　revenge　on　this　powerful　and　plex　man。　Perhaps　this　quest　for　knowledge　would　delay　the　time　of　his　vengeance；　but　that　had　no　real　meaning　for　him。　He　had　taken　in　with　his　mother's　milk　the　concept　of　infinite　patience。　Time　was　as　the　wind　to　him；　passing　unseen　in　a　continuous　stream；　secrets　held　within　its　web；　enactment　inevitable　but　ing　only　at　the　propitious　moment；　as　Musashi　wrote；　Crossing　at　a　Ford。
　Thus　he　had　set　for　himself　the　task　of　first　ing　to　understand　his　enemy；　Raphael　Tomkin；　to　peer　into　every　nook　and　cranny　of　his　life；　stripping　away　flesh　and　bone　until　at　length　the　soul　of　the　man　lay　revealed　to　him。　Because　only　in　understanding　the　why　of　the　murder　could　Nicholas　find　salvation　for　himself　for　what　he　himself　must　eventually　do。
　If　he　should　fail　to　understand　Tomkin；　if　he　should　rashly　hurl　himself　down　the　narrow　bloodred　path　of　vengeance；　he　would　be　no　better　than　his　enemy。　He　could　not　do　such　a　thing。　His　cousin；　Saigo；　had　known　just　that　about　Nicholas　and；　using　it；　had　caused　the　death　of　Nicholas'　friends。　For　mad　Saigo　had　no　such　punctions　concerning　murder。　He　had　learned　how　to　destroy　life　through　Kan…aku　na　ninjutsu　and；　later；　through　the　feared　Kobudera。　But　somewhere　along　the　line　the　forces　he　was　attempting　to　tame　had　taken　him　over；　using　him　for　their　own　evil　designs。　Saigo　had　possessed　the　power　only　to　bee　possessed　by　it。　In　the　end　he　had　been　too　weak　of　spirit　and　it　had　driven　him　mad。
　Nicholas　took　a　deep　breath　and　shook　his　head　to　clear　his　mind　of　the　past。　Saigo　was　a　year　dead。
　But　he　was　back　in　Japan　and　so　the　past　had　begun　to　crowd　in　on　him　like　a　host　of　kami　chittering　in　his　ear；　all　clamoring　for　attention　at　once。　So　many　memories；　so　many　sensations。　Cheong；　the　Colonel；　Itami；　his　aunt；　whom　he　knew　he　must　eventually　see。　And　always　Yukio；　sad　doomed　Yukio。　Beautiful　Yukio　stunning　his　adolescent　mind　when　they　had　first　met　at　the　keiretsu　party。　The　first　contact　between　them　had　been　electric　with　sexual　promise。　Her　warm；　firm　thigh　between　his　legs　as　they　danced　through　the　chandeliered　room；　staring　into　each　other's　eyes；　oblivious　of　the　glare　the　young　Saigo　leveled　at　them　from　his　place　at　his　father's　side。
　Though　she　be　dead　at　Saigo's　hands；　still　her　kami　continued　to　haunt　him。　Though　he　loved　Justine　with　all　his　heart；　still　his　spirit　danced　that　first　dance　with　Yukio　in　a　kind　of　private　glowing　world　where　death　held　no　dominion。　The　mind　was　an　awesomely　powerful　instrument　and　if　the　dead　could　ever　be　said　to　have　been　resurrected；　Nicholas　had　brought　Yukio　back　from　her　watery　grave　with　the　power　of　his　memories。
　And　now　his　feet　were　back　on　his　native　soil　for　the　first　time　in　over　ten　years。　It　seemed　like　centuries。　Closer　to　Yukio　now；　to　all　that　had　happened　to　him。　Dance；　Yukio；　I'm　holding　you　tight　and　as　long　as　I　do　nothing　can　e　between　us；　nothing　can　harm　you　anymore。
　〃Good　afternoon；　gentlemen。〃　A　young　Japanese　woman　stood；　bowing；　before　them。　〃Sato　Petrochemicals　weles　you　to　Japan。〃　Just　behind　her　and　to　the　left　was　a　young　Japanese　male　in　a　dark　business　suit　and　wraparound　sunglasses。　He　reached　out　and　took　their　bag　claim　checks。　They　had　just　cleared　Customs　and　Immigration。　〃Junior　will　take　care　of　your　luggage。〃　Her　smile　was　sweet。　〃Won't　you　follow　me；　please？〃
　Nicholas　hid　his　surprise　at　being　met　by　a　woman。　Of　course　he　would　not　tell　Tomkin　this　but　it　did　not　bode　well　for　their　ing　negotiations。　He　might　find　this　creature　charming　and　Tomkin　might　not　care　either　way；　but　to　any　Japanese　this　would　constitute　a　serious　insult。　The　more　important　the　emissary　of　the　pany　who　met　you；　the　higher　your　status　in　the　eyes　of　that　pany。　In　Japan；　women　were　very　far　down　the　executive　ladder　indeed。
　She　took　them　through　the　congested　heart　of　Narita；　past　scurrying　tour　groups；　their　leaders　brandishing　stiff　calligraphied　banners　to　rally　them　just　as　generals　on　the　ancient　battlefields　of　Japan　had　once　done　with　their　troops。　Past　regimented　school…children；　uniformed　and　gaping　at　all　the　incredibly　tall　gaijin　stumbling　bewilderedly　by　them。　Around　old　couples　with　brown　paper　shopping　bags；　sidestepping　one　brilliantly　colored　bridal　party　being　seen　off　on　their　honeymoon。
　Tomkin　was　huffing　by　the　time　the　young　woman　brought　them　out　into　the　vapid　sunshine　and　across　to　the　waiting　limousine。
　She　paused　as　she　held　the　back　door　open　for　them。　〃I　am　Miss　Yoshida；　Mr。　Sato's　administrative　assistant；〃　she　said。　〃Please　forgive　the　discourtesy　of　my　not　introducing　myself　earlier　but　I　felt　it　prudent　to　remove　all　of　us　from　that　tumult　most　expeditiously。〃
　Nicholas　smiled　inwardly　at　the　endearing　awkwardness　of　her　English。　He　watched　her　as　she　bowed　again；　returning　her　gesture　automatically；　murmuring；　〃There　was　no　discourtesy；　Miss　Yoshida。　Both　Mr。　Tomkin　and　I　appreciate　your　thoughtfulness；〃　in　idiomatic　Japanese。
　If　she　was　at　all　startled　by　his　use　of　her　language　she　gave　no　outward　sign　of　it。　Her　eyes　were　like　glass；　set　in　her　oval；　seamless　face。　In　any　other　country　she　might　have　made　millions　putting　that　countenance　on　display　before　the　camera。　But　not　here。　Sato　Petrochemicals　was　her　second　family；　and　she　owed　it　all　the　loyalty　she　devoted　to　her　blood　family；　Nicholas　knew。　What　it　asked　of　her　she　performed　flawlessly　and　without　question。　This；　too；　was　tradition　handed　down　from　the　time　of　the　Tokugawa　Shogunate。
　〃Won't　you　please　take　advantage　of　the　car's　forts？〃
　〃Jesus；　I　could　use　some　real　fort；〃　Tomkin　growled　as　he　ducked　his　head　and　entered　the　black　gleaming　limo。　〃That　trip's　a　ball　breaker。〃
　Nicholas　laughed；　pretending　it　was　a　mysterious　gaijin　jest；　relieving　Miss　Yoshida　of　her　embarrassment。　She　laughed　lightly　in　concert　with　him；　her　voice　musical。　She　wore　a　rather　severely　cut　business　suit　of　raw　silk；　its　forest　green　contrasting　nicely　with　the　toffee…colored　blouse　with　its　deep　maroon　string　tie　at　the　tiny　rounded　collar。　On　one　lapel　she　wore　a　discreet　gold　and