el.the miko-第89部分

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　Saunders'　head　turned。　〃Sit　on　it；　your　clowns；〃　he　said　sotto　voce；　〃we　got　pany。〃
　They　all　turned　their　heads；　saw　a　trenchcoated　figure　ing　down　the　corridor。　None　of　them　liked　what　they　saw。
　〃Oh；　holy　Christ；〃　Spinelli　said　under　his　breath；　〃it's　a　fuckin'　woman。〃
　〃Gentlemen；〃　she　said　as　she　came　up；　〃who's　in　charge　here？〃
　〃Detective　Sergeant　Harry　Saunders；　ma'am；〃　Saunders　said；　taking　a　step　forward。
　〃At　ease；　Sergeant；〃　she　said　with　a　straight　face；　〃I'm　not　about　to　make　a　grab　for　your　clusters。〃　She　took　a　quick　look　around。　〃Anything　been　touched　here？〃
　〃No；　ma'am。〃
　〃He's　just　as　you　found　him？　Exactly？〃
　Saunders　nodded　and　then　swallowed；　angry　at　himself　for　being　dry…mouthed　in　front　of　this　woman。　〃Can　I　ask　what　your；　er；　affiliation　is？〃
　She　turned　away　from　him；　running　her　gaze　carefully　across　the　area　immediately　surrounding　the　body。　〃You　may　ask　your　captain　that；　Sergeant　Saunders。　He　may　be　more　willing　to　assuage　your　curiosity。〃
　Saunders　clenched　his　teeth；　biting　back　a　sour　ment　while　Spinelli　smirked　at　him　from　a　distance。
　〃Sergeant。〃　She　was　kneeling　down　now　beside　the　corpse。　〃I　won't　need　your　help　anymore。　Why　don't　you　and　your　men　retire　to　the　barricades　and　assist　with　crowd　control。　I'll　call　you　if　I　need　you。〃
　〃Yes；　ma'am；〃　Saunders　said　with　exaggerated　politeness　and；　turning　sharply；　jerked　his　head　at　the　other　three；　who　followed　him　silently　down　the　faintly　echoing　corridor　of　the　mall　to　where　their　units；　red　lights　flashing；　were　parked。
　When　they　were　gone；　Tanya　Vladimova　confirmed　her　initial　I。D。　The　body　was；　indeed；　that　of　Jesse　James。　Quickly；　she　opened　up　a　small　kit　and　set　about　taking　a　set　of　prints　off　the　bloody　glass　shard　that　still　pierced　James'　chest。　For　the　first　time　she　allowed　herself　to　think　of　what　had　gone　wrong。　But　she　knew　the　answer　without　having　to　go　through　any　process　at　all。
　It　had　been　foolish　to　allow　Alix　Logan　to　live。　Foolish　and；　from　a　security　point　of　view；　sloppy。　But　men　were　weak；　she　thought　now；　even　a　man　as　powerful　and　intelligent　as　C。　Gordon　Minck；　It　had　been　Minch；　after　all；　who　had　insisted　she　be　kept　alive；　over　Tanya's　vigorous　protests。
　And　not　for　any　humanitarian　reasons；　but　because　he　had　been　making　love　to　her　on　a　regular　basis；　flying　into　Key　West　on　clandestine　weekends　when　he　was　supposed　to　be　sailing　his　boat　on　the　Chesapeake。　Like　Scheherazade；　Alix　Logan　had　wrapped　Minck　up　and　in　so　doing　had　stayed　the　date　of　her　execution。
　〃Pajalsta　zameretse　no　myeste；　Gospadin　Linnear。〃　Please　stay　where　you　are；　Mr。　Linnear。
　He　saw　the　gun　muzzle　looming　dark　and　impossibly　large。
　〃If　you　make　a　move　I　will　shoot　you　dead。〃
　Nicholas　was　not　giving　away　any　knowledge　he　had　of　the　language　so　he　took　a　step　in　the　direction　of　the　gun。　The　night　exploded　for　a　second　time　and　a　clot　of　asphalt　screamed　upward；　erupting　in　flying　fragments　so　close　they　stung　his　ankles　and　calves。
　〃I　know　you　can　understand　me；　Gospadin　Linnear。　The　next　shot　will　take　off　the　top　of　your　head。〃
　To　his　left　the　twisted　remains　of　the　rental　car　lay　partially　on　its　side。　Smoke　coiled　about　its　stark　sculpture　like　a　loosed　cage　of　serpents。
　Nicholas'　body　had　twitched　when　he　had　heard　the　muffled　explosion；　the　reaction　of　an　animal　in　flight　for　its　life。　Skidding　out　into　the　night；　he　had　confronted　the　dying　flames　of　the　initial　fireball。　Blackened　parts　of　Seiichi　Sato　lay　smoldering　in　three　separate　spots　on　the　tarmac。　Rain　pounded　it　all…charred　flesh　and　scorched　metal…into　rivulets　black　against　the　black　of　the　parking　lot。
　Immediately　he　had　ducked　back　into　the　concealing　shadows　of　the　rotenburo's　cedar　eaves。　The　Russian；　with　a　sharp　eye　and　even　sharper　ear；　had　found　him　anyway。　Nicholas　suspected　that　this　had　been　the　one　who　had　executed　Phoenix　after　Koten　had　incapacitated　him。
　He　was　carrying　one　of　the　newest　of　the　Kalishnikovs；　the　AKL…1000；　a　short　doublebarreled　shotgun　that　threw　anti…personnel　projectiles。　It　was　so　pact　it　could　be　used　with　one　hand。　There　was　absolutely　nothing　Nicholas　could　do　against　it。
　So　he　came　out　into　the　night　and　was　pelted　by　the　rain。
　〃That's　better；〃　the　voice　said；　still　speaking　Russian。　〃Now　I　don't　have　to　guess　where　you　are。〃
　〃With　that　thing　all　you　need　is　a　guess；〃　Nicholas　said。
　〃Precisely。〃
　Nicholas　could　see　him　now；　a　tall　square…shouldered　man…　most　probably　a　soldier；　judging　by　his　bearing　and　gait…in　a　long；　black…belted　raincoat。　He　wore　no　hat　and　Nicholas　could　see　his　face　clearly　in　the　harsh　spill　of　the　overhead　lights：　beak　of　a　nose　below　brows　that　would　in　middle　age　bee　beetling　and　would　dominate　his　rather　handsome　face。　Now　that　face　was　dominated　by　wide…apart　pale　blue　eyes。
　The　Russian　smiled　thinly。　〃I　am　interested　in　intelligent　men。。。no　matter　what　their　ideological　perversion。〃　His　head　gave　a　formal　nod。　〃Pyotr　Alexandrovitch　Russilov。〃
　〃I　was　expecting　Protorov。〃　He　had　only　words　to　work　with　at　the　moment　and　he　intended　to　make　the　most　of　them。
　Russilov's　face　closed　down；　his　amiable　expression　wiped　away。　〃What　do　you　know　of　Protorov？〃
　〃How　did　you　know　I　spoke　Russian？〃　Nicholas　countered。　〃Let's　have　an　exchange　of　information。〃
　The　Russian　spat；　gestured　with　the　AKL…1000。　〃You're　in　no　position　to　bargain。　Move　out　farther　into　the　light。〃
　Nicholas　did　as　he　was　told。　He　sensed　movement　behind　him　in　the　doorway　to　the　building；　and　a　moment　later　Koten　emerged。　He　looked　transformed。　In　the　bad　light　it　appeared　as　if　his　already　considerable　girth　had　been　added　to；　his　shoulders　enormously　wide；　humped　with　unnatural　muscle。　Then；　as　he　came　out　from　beneath　the　dripping　eaves；　Nicholas　saw　that　he　had　a　body　slung　across　his　shoulders。
　Using　a　short　stepping　trot　he　moved　easily　with　his　burden；　keeping　away　from　Russilov's　line　of　sight；　finally　depositing　the　body　at　the　Russian's　feet　like　a　retriever。
　〃The　ninja　is　beyond　reclamation。〃　It　was　odd　to　hear　him　speaking　Russian。　〃That　one〃…he　shrugged　in　Nicholas'　direction…〃hit　him　once　too　often。〃
　Russilov　did　not　even　glance　downward。　〃Did　you　find　it？〃
　Koten　held　up　a　tightly　rolled　oilskin　pouch。　It　looked　minuscule　in　his　huge　fist。　〃It　came　out　of　him　when　he　died。〃　And　then　he　laughed；　a　high…pitched　squeak；　seeing　the　Russian's　hesitation。　〃Go　on；　take　it。〃　He　proffered　the　thing　in　his　open　palm。　It　looked　no　less　tiny。　〃The　rain's　washed　it　clean。〃
　Quickly；　with　his　free　hand；　Russilov　pocketed　the　cylinder。　And　there　goes　Tenchi；　Nicholas　thought。　He　remembered　Sato's　words；　They　have　the　power　to　destroy　us…all　of　us…if　they　discover　Tenchi。　What　was　Tenchi　that　its　infiltration　by　a　foreign　power　could　ignite　a　world　war？　Nicholas　knew　that　he　must　find　out。　And　soon。
　Koten's　dark　eyes　slid　toward　Nicholas。　〃Shall　I　take　care　of　him　now？〃
　〃Keep　away　from　him；〃　Russilov　said　sharply。　Koten　glowered　at　him。
　〃You've　just　lost　him　face；　Pyotr　Alexandrovitch；〃　Nicholas　said。
　〃The　two　of　you　are　far　too　dangerous　to　pit　one　against　the　other。〃
　〃Really？〃　This　exchange　was　beginning　to　interest　him。　How　in　the　world　did　this　KGB　operative　know　so　much　about　him？　〃Surely　you　can't　have　a　file　on　me。　I'm　a　private　citizen。〃
　〃Oh？〃　Russilov's　dark　eyebrows　lifted。　〃Then　what　are　you　doing　here？〃
　〃Sato…san　and　I　are…were…friends　as　well　as　business　partners。〃
　〃And　that's　all。〃　The　Russian's　voice　was　brimming　with　irony。
　There　was　no　point　in　keeping　things　at　this　level。　〃That　car　bomb　couldn't've　been　meant　only　for　Sato。　There's　no　way　you　could　have　been　certain　that　just　he　would　be　at　the　car　when　he　opened　the　door。〃
　〃If　you　went；　so　much　the　better。　As　long　as　we　got　this〃…　he　patted　the　pocket　where　he　had　dropped　the　packet…〃we　didn't　need　either　of　you。　If　our　agent　had　been　intercepted…〃
　〃By　Phoenix　or　myself。〃
　〃Oh；　I　believe　Koten　here　would　have　found　some　way　to　deter　you。　But　as　I　was　saying；　had　our　agent　been　intercepted；　we　would　have　brought　you　in。〃
　〃If　you　want　to　live；〃　Nicholas　observed；　〃you'd　do　well　to　shoot　me　now。〃
　〃I　plan　to。〃
　〃Then　you'll　never　know　the　modifications　we　recently　made　in　Tenchi。〃
　〃We？〃　For　the　first　time　Russilov　seemed　uncertain。
　〃Why　do　you　think　Tomkin　Industries　is　merging　one　of　its　panies　with　Sato　Petrochemicals？　Not　for　the　sheer　pleasure　of　it；　I　assure　you。〃
　〃You're　lying；〃　the　Russian　said。　〃I　don't　know　anything　about　this。〃
　Of　course　you　don't；　Nicholas　thought。　But　you　can't　be　sure。　And　if　you　don't　get　me　to　Protorov　it　might　be　a　grave　error。　Time　is　short；　this　is　no　time　to　blunder。
　〃Well　there　is　something　you　don't　know　then。〃　Part　of　his　training　had　been　in　speaking。　Just　as　kiai　was　used　as　a　war　shout　to　terrify　and；　in　some　cases；　paralyze　one's　opponent；　so　there　was　a　more　subtle　offshoot；　ichi。　In　this　case　it　meant　〃position〃　because　of　what　the　wielder　could　acplish　with　inflection　and　intonation。　It　was　immensely　difficult　to　master。　This；　bined　with　the　fact　that　ichi　was　often　affected　by　outside　factors　beyond　the　wielder's　control；　made　it　virtually　a　lost　art。　Akutagawa…san　had；　among　other　things；　been　an　ichi　sensei　and　he　had　seen　in　Nicholas　an　apt　and　willing　pupil。　〃I　was　beginning　to　think　of　Gospadin　Protorov　as　omniscient。〃　He　thought　that　ichi　just　might　save　his　life　now。
　〃Kill　him；〃　Koten　growled。　〃Shoot　him　now　or　I　will　kill　him　for　you。〃
　〃Quiet；　you；〃　Russilov　said。　He　had　not　taken　his　eyes　off　Nicholas　during　the　entire　exchange。　He　cocked　his　head。　〃e　here；　rade　Linnear；〃　he　said　as　thunder　rumbled　east　to　west　above　their　heads。　The　rain　beat　down　on　them；　silvered　as　it　spun　through　the　lights。　〃You　are　going　to　get　your　wish；　after　all。〃
　And　Nicholas　thought；　Protorov！
　
　KUMAMOTO/ASAMA　KOGEN/SWITZERLAND　AUTUMN…WINTER　1963…SPRING　198？
　This　is　how　Akiko　came　to　save　Saigo's　life　and　how　he　paid　her　back　in　kind。　The　autumn　of　1963　was　a　cold　and　dismal　one；　filled　with　an　inordinate　amount　of　rain；　sleet；　and　even　snow；　premature　and　the　color　of　silver；　dying　upon　the　ground　like　stranded　carp。
　Already；　in　Kyushu；　where　Sun　Hsiung　sent　Akiko　for　the　next