el.angeleyes-第31部分
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n the bank of the Moskva； on a cold； clear night； a night of the full moon。 He had fallen in with criminals； and he was selling… well； I don't know what； contraband of some kind； surely。 He was knifed； but whether by a potential customer or by a rival； we never found out。 Considering what my brother was up to； the police were understandably resistant to spending man…hours tracking down his killer。 Frankly； they just didn't care。 I got the impression they were glad he was dead。''
〃And the family？〃
〃Our family was so fragile anyway； the relationships so close to cracking。 My father had already been dead for many years。 I think； now； that it wouldn't have taken much at all to send us spiraling down。 But his； Yvgeny's； murder was like a detonation in our kitchen； our place of warmth and sustenance； the place I remember my mother always being； until the police brought us the news。 She disintegrated。 She ran out into the night without a coat or a care for herself。 She beat her breast； tore her hair； and； on the spot where they had found Yvgeny sprawled with the knife still between his ribs； she wailed for her son。 I remember dragging her away from there。 She was hysterical； screaming invectives I never suspected she knew。 I think she tried to bite me。 At that moment； I don't believe she knew who I was。〃
Mars allowed a silence to close over them。 The boisterous sounds of the restaurant seemed abruptly at odds with their own tiny world； and Irina found herself wanting to scream。 Shut up！ Shut up！ Why are you all so happy？
At last Mars said； 〃Is she still alive？〃
〃Only after a fashion；〃 Irina said。
〃I'm sorry。〃 He took her hand； stroked it with his thumb。 〃But words are so inadequate sometimes； aren't they？〃
Irina looked into his eyes； aware of some subtle difference。 It was like walking into a garden one had known all one's life； and finding that one rock had been shifted ever so slightly； but that this alteration had in some magical way transformed the aspect of the entire garden。
She said； 〃Sometimes nothing more is needed than being there。〃 Something had changed in her relationship with Mars。 But what was it？
The following Saturday； Mars asked her to go with him to visit his parents。 Irina agreed； although she did not really know why。 She suspected that she would be bored。
As it turned out； she was wrong。 Mars's parents lived in a beautiful old cream…colored house on Bolshaya Ordynka Street。 Its front was shaded with lime trees。 It was quite near the 350…year…old Church of St。 Nicholas of Pyzhi； whose architecture was so Eastern baroque； it reminded Irina of a wedding cake。
Mars's mother and father were wonderful people； warm and full of love for one another。 Irina watched them covertly； almost shyly。 And although they looked at each other or touched only rarely； they seemed always aware of one another's presence。
They loved the special foods she and Mars had brought； and Mars went out of his way to say that the Nova Scotia salmon was a special gift from Irina herself； Irina helped Mars's mother in the kitchen； and found that they had an easy and almost instantaneous rapport that stemmed from cooking。 They shared suggestions； then little secrets they had learned。 They laughed together。
Near to dinnertime； Mars's sister and her family arrived。 She looked like Mars； and was very beautiful。 But she seemed shy； and when Irina at length arranged to talk with her； confessed to being unhappy with her thick…waisted； heavy…legged body。 〃I am just what the American magazines portray Russian women to be like；〃 she said with a sigh。
Her children…two boys and a girl…were well…behaved； and they obviously adored their grandfather； who played games with them and loved tricking them； then telling them how he did so。 Often； there were gales of laughter。
The children's father； Mars's brother…in…law； worked as an architect。 Mostly； he said； he drew up plans for concrete housing developments； which Irina privately thought must be the height of boredom； like driving a bus back and forth along the same route all day long。 He was an altogether ordinary…looking fellow； whose face was transformed when he watched his children。
Gradually； as the afternoon turned into evening； and as the evening became night； Irina found herself sinking into the warmth and homeyness of this family's life； with the kind of bliss one feels when lying back on an eiderdown pillow。 For the first time in quite a while； she found herself relaxed。 And then； with an electric tingle； she knew there was more to it than that：
she was content。
At that moment Irina looked across the room at Mars Petrovich Volkov in an entirely different light。 So what that the physical part of our relationship doesn't quite connect？ she thought。 He has so much more to give me。 He can share with me what I've always wanted。 With him I can be part of a family。
Kasumigaseki； the downtown Tokyo district where Honno worked； meant 〃Shrouded Gate；〃 Big Ezoe was familiar with Kasumigaseki； though not in the ways Honno was。 He showed her places within the district she otherwise would never have guessed existed。
Being in Kasumigaseki was the equivalent of living underwater。 The light…what there was of it seeping through the steel and glass skyscrapers…had that aqueous quality that skin divers know well； and which can be approximated by peering through the bottom of a green glass bottle。
Big Ezoe had said； 〃Kakuei Sakata was a samurai； so you and I must begin to think like samurai。 If we cannot put ourselves in Sakata's mind； we will never solve me riddle he has left you。〃
Big Ezoe had turned the key Sakata had sent to Honno over and over in his hand。 〃A businessman would have a safety deposit box in a bank。 A Yakuza would have a lock box buried beneath the tatami in his bedroom。 What would a samurai have to keep his most valuable possessions safe？〃
Honno had looked at him。 〃I don't know。〃
Big Ezoe had grinned at her。 〃But I think I do。〃
And so he had led her back to the heart of the metropolis； to Kasumigaseki； the Shrouded Gate。 They were consumed by modern Tokyo。 There was industrial grit beneath the soles of their shoes； the exhaust of a half a million engines in their nostrils； a smog of pollutants in their eyes。 And； of course； the dense night was dispelled by the nearby spin and sputter of gigantic neon signs running up the sides of buildings； adorning entryways large enough to acmodate a conquering army； squatting atop steel superstructures。
But hidden away on a side street； dwarfed by the steel and glass monuments to the nation's burgeoning economic success； was a remnant of another； older way of life； when simple traditions； not economic imperatives； ruled Japan。
〃This is where Kakuei Sakata came when he needed to be alone； to contemplate or to invoke the kami of his world；〃 Big Ezoe said； indicating the wood and lacquer Shinto shrine。 He reached out； pulled a cord； and the clang of the bronze bell reverberated through the man…made canyons。 〃Wake up； spirits who inhabit the woods and the streams！〃 Big Ezoe laughed。 〃I wonder if there are modern kami； spirits who live atop steel girders and neon signs that say Sony； who ride high…speed elevators to the hundredth floor。〃 His face crinkled。 〃I wonder if kami get acrophobia。〃
Honno was not amused。 〃How can you be so disrespectful？''
〃I suppose it es naturally to me；〃 Big Ezoe said； but Honno did not know if he was serious or if this was just another of his endless jokes。 Joking was alien to Honno； like being waited upon； or having Eikichi remember where she put his socks or where she kept the sugar。
〃Nonsense；〃 she said。 〃When you were born； you cried； ate； evacuated； and slept。 These things were natural。 Everything else you learned。〃
〃Quite possibly；〃 Big Ezoe said with some amusement。 〃But then it would have been my granny who taught me to laugh at the world。 She raised me； you see。 She liked to make fun of the world； she said； because it was such a somber place； she otherwise would have mitted hara…kiri long ago。〃
〃That's just what I mean；〃 Honno said angrily。 〃I'm sure your granny harbored no such crazy notions。〃
〃Well； I think she did；〃 Big Ezoe replied。 〃And I'm in a better position than you to know it。 Besides； what makes you think laughing at the world is a crazy notion？〃
〃It's either crazy or it's wrong；〃 Honno said。 〃No wonder you became a gangster。〃
Big Ezoe grunted。 ''I don't think one bees anything； least of all a gangster。 My family is Yakuza； that is what I am。〃
〃No；〃 Honno said。 〃You say that as if you had no choice。 But you did。 It's perfectly clear why you became a gangster： you're in love with the life。〃
〃Perhaps I am；〃 he said thoughtfully。 〃But that's more than can be said for you。 At least I'm in love with something。〃
〃I love my husband；〃 Honno said immediately。
〃That birdbrain？〃 Big Ezoe laughed。 〃What is there to love in a drone like that？''
〃I don't think it's any of your business。 What do you know of Eikichi's world； anyway？〃
〃More than you could imagine。〃 Big Ezoe looked up； past the Shinto shrine's roof； to the towering structures of Kasumi…gaseki。 〃I know you're reluctant to talk to me any more than you feel you have to； but I'm curious。 What do you see in Eikichi Kansei that attracts you？''
Honno did not want to answer him； but she felt duty bound to defend her husband in the face of this mobster's insults。 〃There is great honor；〃 Honno said。 〃Also； he needs me。 And there is a solidness about him that makes me feel secure。〃
〃Security。 Ah； now we e to the heart of the matter。 By security； don't you really mean submission？ Isn't there； after all； a secret pleasure to be had in submitting to power； to giving up one's free will？ Just as there is surely a similar pleasure in the sacrifices a mother makes for the sake of her child。〃 Big Ezoe almost seemed to be talking to himself。 ''Eikichi makes you feel secure； no doubt； because of his strict adherence to rules and regulations。 At home； he barely talks to you。 When he wants you； he calls； Oi！ Hey！ He is your child； you see。〃 Big Ezoe was still looking upward。 〃So he needs you。 Yes。 He needs you to make his food for him。 To lay out his clothes in the morning。 And you are； a
