el.angeleyes-第14部分

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　''The　Japanese　surgeons　put　in　a　prosthesis　of　a　material　that's　far　superior　to　human　bone。　It's　ten　times　more　flexible　and　one　hundred　times　as　strong。〃　She　gave　him　a　cold　smile。　〃But　since　you　asked；　there's　no　pain　on　wet　days；　no　unusual　friction；　nothing　that　reminds　me　that　the　hip　had　once　been　shattered。　Except　that　I　run；　jump；　and　twist　better　than　I　did　before　the　implant。〃
　〃In　any　event；　you　seem　to　have　gotten　out　of　the　tunnels　in　an　ingenious　fashion。〃　It　was　his　way　of　saying　he　believed　her；　but　at　the　same　time　he　had　confirmed　her　suspicion　that　Ariel　had　been　ordered　to　test　her。　Under　the　circumstances；　she　felt　it　to　be　an　inadequate　victory。
　She　continued　to　study　him。　〃You'll　never　admit　that　I　did　the　right　thing　by　going　to　my　friends　instead　of　using　your　people。〃
　〃The　truth　is　you　made　a　decision…one　of　many；　I　might　say…with　your　emotions　instead　of　your　brain；〃　Russell　said。　〃Worse；　you　could　not　see　the　danger　in　putting　yourself　in　the　hands　of　those　not　under　Mall　discipline。　I'm　afraid　you　left　me　no　choice。〃
　〃How　convenient　memory　can　be。〃
　〃We　all　believe　what　we　need　to　believe；　Tori。〃
　〃Except　for　Bernard。〃
　〃You　give　Bernard　entirely　too　much　credit；〃　Russell　said。　〃But　that's　no　doubt　because　Bernard　Godwin　recruited　you。　He　was　your　mentor。　But；　you　see；　Bernard　handed　the　reins　over　to　me。　You　never　understood　that；　or　never　wanted　to。　You　mistrusted　me　from　the　outset。〃
　''I　detested　the　callous　way　you　used　people。''
　Russell　smiled　at　her。　〃You　forget　that　Bernard　Godwin　was　my　mentor；　as　well。〃
　There　was　a　silence　for　a　time。　Tori　digested　both　the　tone　and　the　thrust　of　the　conversation。　At　length　she　said；　〃There's　really　nothing　you　can　say　that　will　change　my　mind。〃
　〃About　what？〃
　〃About　returning　to　the　Mall。〃
　〃That's　not　why　I　came　here。〃
　'　'Isn't　it？''　Tori　said。　She　matched　his　smile；　but　all　the　time　her　heart　was　beating　fast。　〃Perhaps　you're　right。　In　that　case；　you've　got　what　you　came　for。〃
　〃Right；〃　Russell　said。　〃Don't　want　to　overstay　my　wele。〃
　〃You　never　had　one。''
　He　laughed。　〃Thanks　for　the　drink。　You've　been　the　perfect　hostess。〃
　Tori　said　nothing。
　〃A　bientot；〃　Russell　said。　Until　we　meet　again。
　〃That'll　be　the　day。〃
　
　The　library；　so　cozy　and　snug　in　the　daytime；　was　now　wreathed　in　the　shadows　of　evening；　made　gloomy　and　depressing　by　her　dream　as　well　as　by　the　onset　of　night。
　Tori　sat　curled　in　the　huge　leather　chair；　still　feeling　Russell　Slade's　presence　as　if　it　had　somehow　been　imprinted　upon　her　flesh。　For　a　moment　she　was　suddenly　overe　by　panic。　Her　hip！　What　if　Russell　had　mentioned　it　to　her　mother？　Tori　had　never　told　her　parents　that　she　had　been　injured；　or　that　she　had　a　prosthetic　hip。　She　could　imagine　Russell　saying。　It's　wonderful　that　your　daughter　has　fully　recovered；　Mrs。　Nunn。　But　no；　she　knew　him　better　than　that。　Always　security…conscious；　Russell　never　said　any　more　than　he　had　to。　He　was　the　consummate　spy；　his　lies　were　largely　those　of　omission。
　Feeling　a　bit　calmer；　Tori　got　off　the　chair；　went　to　the　desk。　She　put　her　hands　on　the　box　Ariel　had　given　her。　She　opened　it　once　again；　took　out　the　color　snapshot；　stared　at　it。　It　was　a　photo　of　Ariel；　clearly　taken　recently；　perhaps　only　weeks　before　he　had　e　down　to　Buenos　Aires。　In　the　background　Tori　could　see　trees；　walkways；　benches；　one　of　San　Francisco's　small　parks。　Tori　could　see　Russian　Hill　in　the　distance；　so　the　park　was　close　to　where　Ariel　had　lived。　His　face　was　in　partial　shade；　but　it　must　have　been　quite　sunny　because　his　eyes　were　crinkled　up　against　the　light。　He　was　smiling。　Just　behind　him　was　what　looked　like　a　bronze　sundial　and；　beyond；　a　child　at　play。　At　the　edge　of　the　park　a　couple　was　walking　toward　the　camera；　and　a　bit　closer　there　was　a　man　in　the　left…hand　corner　of　the　frame。　They　were　all　too　distant　for　her　to　be　able　to　make　out　their　faces。
　Tori　had　studied　this　photograph　endlessly　since　she　had　e　home；　searching　for　a　clue　as　to　what　might　make　it　important　enough　for　Ariel；　at　me　point　of　death；　to　entrust　her　with　it。　But　she　could　find　nothing　out　of　the　ordinary。　It　was　just　a　photo　of　a　man　in　the　park。　Ariel。　Was　this　the　sum　total　of　him；　all　that　might　pass　for　a　legacy？
　There　was　a　soft　knock　on　the　library　door；　and　Laura　Nunn　entered。　〃Darling；　it's　so　late。　We　were　waiting　dinner　for　you。〃
　Tori　glanced　at　her　watch。　'　'But　it's　only　six…thirty。　Mother。''
　Laura　Nunn　smiled。　〃Seven…thirty。　We　turned　the　clocks　ahead　this　morning。　It's　Daylight　Saving　Time。　Summer's　on　its　way。〃　She　cocked　her　head。　〃You're　hungry　aren't　you？〃
　Tori；　putting　away　the　mysterious　photo　of　Ariel；　said；　〃As　a　matter　of　fact　I　am。〃
　
　And　speaking　of　Zen　policemen；　Tori　thought；　hours　later　when　she　was　alone　in　her　room；　there　was　Bernard　Godwin；　the　father　figure　in　her　life。　She　had　met　him　and　her　life　had　changed；　as　if　he　had　been　a　bolt　of　lightning；　or　a　Zen　policeman。
　She　was　sitting　at　the　art　deco　vanity…a　Christmas　gift　from　her　mother…where；　years　before；　Laura　Nunn　had　put　ribbons　in　her　hair；　tying　them　just　so；　the　perfect　mother　making　her　daughter　in　her　image。　Perfect。　Tori；　running　her　brush　through　her　thick　hair　now；　shuddered。　She　stared　at　herself　in　the　mirror；　and　remembered　。　。　。
　Almost　ten　years　ago　she　had　been；　in　the　current　street　patois；　a　wild　child…what　the　society　of　sixteenth　century　feudal　Japan　would　have　called　a　ronin…a　masterless　samurai。
　Those　were　the　days　when　Tori　haunted　the　wicked　back　streets；　the　evil　bars　squatting　in　the　putrid　backwaters；　bastard　splinters　of　Tokyo's　monolithic　nature。
　There　were　so　many　empty　spaces　in　Tori's　mind；　she　could　afford　little　sleep；　because　in　rest　she　would　be　forced　to　look　into　the　emptiness　and　see；　perhaps；　what　she　was　not　ready　to　confront。　Instead　she　walked　the　line　closest　to　the　abyss　of　death　in　order　to　prove　to　herself　that　she　was　still　alive。
　It　was　inconceivable　to　her；　for　instance；　that　she　might　be　homesick。　Oh；　she　missed　Greg；　but　that　was　a　given　for　her。　It　never　occurred　to　her　that　she　might　long　to　see　her　father　again；　to　gain　from　him　what　she　never　had　been　able　to；　a　sense　of　her　own　worth；　a　knowledge　seen　in　his　eyes；　heard　in　his　tone　of　voice　if　not　directly　from　his　words；　that　he　was　proud　of　her；　the　way　he　was　proud　of　Greg。　There　had　never　been　room　for　her　in　a　family　fixated　on　continual　praise　for　Gregory　Nunn；　pilot；　astronaut；　and　it　was　far　less　painful　to　relinquish　all　hope　than　to　be　forever　disappointed。
　The　fact　was；　had　she　been　able　to　admit　it　to　herself；　Tori　would　have　seen　that　she　loved　her　father　as　she　loved　Greg。　Both　were　extraordinary　people　in　much　the　same　way。　But　Tori's　burning　need　to　be　recognized　in　her　own　right　by　her　father　made　it　impossible　for　her　to　see　him　with　the　same　objectivity　she　saw　Greg。
　In　a　way；　it　was　odd　that　she　put　no　blame　on　her　brother　for　the　praise　lavished　on　him。　Shouldn't　she　see　it　as　his　fault　that　when　the　family　spotlight　swung　on　him；　it　left　her　in　shadow？　Yet　she　did　not。　Perhaps　her　love　for　Greg　was　so　plete　that　it　never　occurred　to　her　to　hate　him。　Certainly　she　envied　his　relationship　with　Ellis　Nunn；　and　yet　whatever　her　lack；　she　saw　it　as　her　father's　fault；　not　Greg's。
　But；　in　another　way；　it　was　perfectly　understandable　that　she　should　hold　her　brother　blameless　for　the　excesses　of　her　family。　Greg　was　her　lone　ally　in　her　skirmishes　with　her　parents；　and　to　exclude　him　from　her　life　would　be　to　threaten　her　very　existence。
　But　with　Greg　gone　from　Diana's　Garden；　Tori　discovered　that　her　desire　to　get　as　far　away　from　Los　Angeles　as　possible　overshadowed　everything　else。
　Japan。
　Where　a　fire　awaited　her；　burning　in　the　darkness　of　her　night。
　Perhaps　sensei　discerned　the　blackness　inside　her；　but　if　so；　he　made　no　ment　on　it。　Sensei　was　a　believer　in　hard　work　…　in　discipline；　he　once　told　Tori；　is　the　answer　to　every　problem。
　Either　he　was　mistaken　or　Tori　was　unable　to　absorb　his　teachings　deeply　enough。　In　either　case；　Tori　graduated　from　his　arduous　course　of　training…the　only　woman　to　make　it　all　the　way　through…without　having　successfully　confronted　the　specters　within　her　own　night。
　This　was　the　state　in　which　Bernard　Godwin　found　her：　dangerous；　her　nerves　hair…trigger　fine；　walking　the　edge　between　trouble　and　death；　and　getting　a　hell　of　a　kick　out　of　it。
　In　fact；　when　she　remembered　the　moment　of　her　first　meeting　with　Bernard　Godwin；　what　stuck　out　most　was　that　she　had　almost　gotten　him　killed。
　He　had　found　her　in　an　akachochin　called　The　Happily　Ever　After。　The　after…hours　club　was　in　the　wrong　end　of　Nihon…bashi…God　knows　how　Bernard　even　found　it。　Walking　into　the　place　was　like　being　sucked　into　a　whirlpool　in　the　center　of　a　cesspit。
　A　Yakuza　underboss　approximately　as　large　as　Godzilla　was　hitting　on　her。　She　didn't　mind；　she　liked　his　tattoos：　flames；　everywhere　flames；　eating　gods；　demons；　mythical　animals；　and　fierce　swordsmen　with　indiscriminate　greed。　The　flames　made　her　think　of　exorcism；　turning　filth　to　oily　smoke；　purging　sacred　ground　that　had　been　made　profane；　purifying　the　night。
　Just　before　Bernard　Godwin　came　down　the　stairs　in　The　Happily　Ever　After；　she　remembered　posing　the　first　line　of　a　reply　to　the　letter　she　had　just　received　from　her　brother：　It's　all　right；　Greg。　I'm　doing　the　best　I　can。　Smiling　up　at　Godzilla；　the　Japanese　gangster　full　of　fantastic　flames。　Yessir；　she　thought。　He's　evil；　he's　nasty；　and　he's　all　mine。
　Then　Bernard　Godwin　had　introduced　himself。　It　was　not　a　happy　moment；　for　either　Tori　or　Godzilla。　Neither　of　them　wanted　to　be　interrupted。　Then　Bernard　Godwin　said　that　he　had　a　proposition　for　Tori；　but　first　she　must　e　away　with　him　out　of　this　place；　and　all　hell　broke　loose。
　Godzilla　might　have　been　huge；　but　he　was　astonishingly　quick。　This　was　his　turf；　and　he　was　nothing　if　not　intensely　territorial。　Bernard　had　muscled　in　on　his　property；　and　Godzilla　was　enraged。　He　displayed　his　displeasure　by　picking　Bernard　up　in　one　meat…hook　fist　and　shaking　him　until　Bernard's　teeth　rattled。
　〃Stop　it！〃　Tori　said。
　Godzilla　ignored　her。　A　small　blade　snicked　into　his