el.angeleyes-第49部分

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　Without　a　backward　glance；　Honno　walked　onto　the　bridge。　Centuries　ago　the　Nihonbashi　had　been　the　starting　point　of　the　Tokaido；　the　main　road　between　the　capital…Edo；　now　Tokyo…　and　Kyoto。　She　recalled　as　a　child　seeing　the　stylized　rendition　of　the　Nihonbashi　in　a　woodblock　print　by　Hiroshige。　Perhaps　it　was　at　that　moment；　engulfed　by　the　beauty　of　the　artist's　work；　the　point　where　myth　and　reality　converged；　that　she　had　fallen　in　love　with　Tokyo。
　Eight　o'clock。　Giin　was　at　the　center　of　the　bridge's　are；　waiting。　Behind　him　all　of　Honno's　beloved　Tokyo　was　arrayed　like　a　set　of　runes　whose　meaning　she　had　at　last　begun　to　decipher。
　He　saw　her　ing　and　his　face　went　white。　He　turned　to　run；　then　he　hesitated；　his　greed　gaining　the　upper　hand；　and　he　turned　back。　And　Honno　was　already　there。
　〃Why　did　you　run？〃　she　asked　turn。　〃Why　did　you　steal　the　ledgers？〃
　''You　don't　understand；''　Giin　said　hurriedly。　''I　need　money。　Desperately。〃
　''　You　could　have　asked　me　for　money。''
　He　laughed。　''Don't　be　absurd。　I　need　a　great　deal　more　than　you　could　ever　have。''
　〃How　do　you　know　that？〃　She　saw　Giin　pause。　〃You　should　have　asked。〃
　Giin　gave　her　a　tentative　smile。　He　bobbed　his　head。　〃Yes。　I　suppose　I　should；　now　that　I　think　about　it。　But　it　was　such　a　shock　to　see　you；　and　I…well；　I　found　myself　so　smitten　again。　It　didn't　matter　that　you'd　married。　I　wanted　everything　to　be　perfect　this　time。　For　you；　only　for　you；　Honno。　That's　why　I　need　the　money。　I　need　to　get　this　behind　me…this　emergency…　and　then　everything　will　be　perfect。〃
　Honno　seemed　not　to　have　been　listening。　〃You're　still　gambling。〃
　〃But　I　do　not！　I　told　you…''
　〃Why　are　you　lying　to　me？〃
　〃I　swear…〃
　〃You've　always　lied　to　me。〃
　〃'Honno；　what's　happened　to　you？〃
　〃Nothing；〃　she　said。　She　lifted　the　attache　case　that　contained　nothing。　〃Money；〃　she　said。　〃To　give　you　your　perfect　ending。〃
　Giin　nodded　uncertainly。　He　handed　a　sheet　of　paper　to　Honno。　〃The　information　contained　in　the　ledgers　is　fantastic。　I　can　hardly　believe　it's　true。　But　it　must　be。　Every　entry　is　cross…referenced　several　ways。　Look。　Times；　places；　numbers　of　meets；　amounts　transferred。　The　ledgers　detail　an　entire　network　of　bribes；　extortion；　a　web　of　corruption　so　wide　it's　almost　inconceivable。〃
　〃But　to　what　end？〃
　Giin's　smile　widened。　He　sensed　that　for　all　this　woman's　new　strangeness；　he　had　regained　the　upper　hand。　〃Ah；　that　will　have　to　remain　a　mystery　until　I　have　the　money；　and　you　get　the　balance　of　the　decoding。''
　〃I　want　it　all　now。〃
　〃Huh？〃
　〃I　want　everything　you've　decoded；〃　Honno　said。　Without　warning；　she　reached　out；　brought　Giin　toward　her　with　such　fierceness　that　his　teeth　raided。　〃You'll　tell　me　now；　before　the　transfer　of　money；　as　an　act　of　contrition　for　lying　to　me；　and　for　stealing　what　is　mine。〃
　〃You're　mad；〃　Giin　said。　〃Absolutely　mad。　I've　made　my　deal。〃
　〃You'll　tell　me　what　I　want　to　know；〃　Honno　said。　〃Or　I'll　kill　you　right　here；　right　now；　as　a　public　lesson；　a　reminder　to　those　who　lie　and　cheat　and　steal。〃
　〃I　don't…〃
　〃Your　particular　obsession　has　ended　right　here。〃　Honno　stuck　her　forefinger　into　that　soft　spot　just　below　Giin's　sternum。　He　winced；　collapsed　into　her。　Saliva　drooled　out　of　his　gasping　mouth。
　〃You've　caused　too　many　people　far　too　much　pain；〃　Honno　told　him。　The　finger　jammed　inward　again；　and　Giin's　eyes　opened　so　wide　she　thought　the　eyeballs　would　pop　out。　〃I'm　the　one；　little　Honno；　who　you　thought　so　little　of；　who　you　condescended　to。　I　am　going　to　put　an　end　to　it。〃
　Once　more　the　finger　moved；　curling　upward　toward　his　heart。　〃To　your　own　suffering　as　well；　since　you　are　obviously　incapable　of　helping　yourself。　You're　just　spiraling　deeper　and　deeper　into　deceit　and　self…delusion。〃
　Honno　brought　Giin　so　close　against　her　she　could　hear　the　frightened　beating　of　his　heart。　Her　wa　was　fully　expanded；　and　there　was　a　peculiar　triumph　burning　like　a　fire　inside　her。　She　thought　of　Fukuda　and　transformations。　Was　she；　Honno；　fully　transformed　by　the　warrior　spirit？　Not　yet。　But　soon。
　〃I　'm　going　to　break　your　back；''　she　said。　''Not　kill　you；　not　yet。　You　thought　I　was　still　trapped　by　your　spell；　that　you　could　con　me　yet　again　with　your　soft　voice　and　your　honeyed　words。　But　I　know　what　you　are　now；　you　have　no　effect　on　me。　And　I　want　what　I　want。〃
　〃But　I　don't　know。〃　Giin's　voice　was　filled　with　pain　and　tears。　〃I've；　oh　no；　over　the　years　I've　lost　my　abilities　to　decode。　Age　was　playing　。　。　。　playing　tricks　on　my　mind。　So　I　found　a　protege。　He　did　the　decoding。　He。　。　。　he　has　everything　you　。　。　。　you　want。〃
　〃Name；〃　Honno　said；　tightening　her　hold。　〃Address。〃
　Giin　told　her；　his　head　lolling　on　her　neck　like　an　infant。　And　Honno；　the　warrior；　was　abruptly　disgusted　by　his　weakness…just　as　she　had　been　disgusted　by　her　father's　weakness；　she　realized。　All　these　years　she　had　been　too　much　the　good　girl；　the　Honno　her　parents　had　raised　her　to　be；　to　question　her　own　emotions；　to　recognize　her　disgust。
　With　a　cry；　Honno's　arms　contracted。　She　heard　the　snap…snap　snap！　like　twigs　breaking　underfoot　as　Giin's　vertebrae　popped。　Then　she　threw　him　over　the　side　of　Nihonbashi；　the　symbol　of　a　beginning；　into　the　sluggish　waters　of　the　Sumida；　over　whose　pristine　surface　the　moon　had　dreamily　cast　its　light　just　last　night。
　Then　the　warrior　had　picked　up　the　empty　attache　case　and　walked　calmly　back　toward　the　waiting　limo。　In　her　mind's　eye　she　could　see　the　lone　cryptomeria；　and　now；　truly；　she　understood　all　the　layers　of　its　existence。　Just　as　the　curve　of　its　trunk　softened　the　pitilessly　hard　edges　of　the　city　surrounding　it；　its　strength　lent　meaning　to　her　suffering。　The　cryptomeria　was　proof　that　purpose　could　be　found　in　the　thickest　fog；　the　darkest　night；　the　deepest　pain。　And　with　that；　the　past　melted　away；　and　only　the　future；　shining　and　limitless；　remained。
　The　city…her　Tokyo…pulsed　on　all　around　her；　its　myriad　streets　radiating　out　in　every　direction；　beckoning。　But　the　warrior　had　already　chosen　her　path。　The　one　that　had　led　her　to　what　she　wanted　most：　freedom。

SEVEN
MACHINE…GUN　CITY/TOKYO

　Estilo　was　all　for　killing　Cruz　the　moment　they　landed　back　in　Medellin；　but　Russell　said　absolutely　not。　Tori　had　told　them；　during　the　flight　back　to　Machine…Gun　City；　of　her　promise　to　Sonia。　Dawn　was　breaking；　the　heavy　disk　of　the　sun　painting　the　clouds　with　golds　and　reds；　as　if　it　had　set　them　on　fire。
　〃We　are　not　assassins；〃　Russell　said；　being　his　usual　meticulously　logical　self；　reminding　them　point　by　point　of　how　life　must　be　led。　〃I　do　not　want　to　involve　ourselves　with　these　people　any　more　than　we　already　are。　And　I　can't　see　any　reason　to　do　the　Orolas'　dirty　work　for　them。〃
　〃Forgive　me　for　saying　so；　Senor　Slade；〃　Estilo　broke　in；　〃but　you're　missing　the　point。　It　is　a　matter　of　honor。　This　is　no　longer　business；　otherwise　I　would　wholeheartedly　agree　with　you。　It's　personal。〃
　Tori　glanced　at　Estilo。　She　had　never　known　him　to　be　so　bloodthirsty　before。　He　was　a　chanta；　a　slick　operator。　Pointing　a　gun　at　someone's　head　and　pulling　the　trigger　was　not　good　business。　Ask　Cruz。　He　had　done　that　to　Ruben　Orola；　and　just　look　what　had　happened：　almost　assassinated　twice；　stalked　by　his　own　mistress；　about　to　be　betrayed　by　everyone　on　this　plane。　Not　that　he　deserved　anything　less。　It　was　merely　a　lesson　to　be　learned。
　〃I　'm　concerned　with　neither　honor　nor　emotion；　merely　with　getting　out　of　here　in　one　piece；〃　said　Russell；　the　pragmatist。　〃The　Medellin　Cartel　has　bought　the　local　police；　the　judiciary；　maybe　even　members　of　the　Colombian　government　and　our　own　DEA；　which　was　driven　pletely　out　of　Cruz's　territory　two　years　ago。〃
　〃How　about　justice？〃　Tori　asked　him。　〃Without　Sonia's　help　at　Cruz's　apartment；　we　never　would　have　lived　to　get　to　the　llano　negro　and　the　cocaine　factory。　We　never　would　have　found　this。''　She　lifted　up　the　glassine　tube　filled　with　the　dark　metallic　pellets：　the　center　of　the　soft　cell　they　had　discovered　in　the　bags　of　coke。
　〃Fuck　justice；〃　Russell　said。　〃This　is　Colombia。　No　one　here　ever　heard　of　justice。''
　Russell　was　reminded　of　how　he　had　met　Bernard　Godwin。　It　had　been　near　the　end　of　his　graduate　studies　at　Wharton。　Bernard　had　e　to　lecture　on　the　nature　of　justice；　which；　he　had　contended；　was　a　wholly　man…made　concept；　and　therefore　subject　to　the　distortions　and　rationalizations　only　humans　could　bring　to　something　of　their　own　creation。　In　nature；　Bernard　had　argued；　there　is　no　such　thing　as　justice；　only　life　and　death。
　Russell　recalled　how　taken　he　had　been　with　the　lecture；　and　with　Bernard　Godwin。　Years　later　he　realized　that　Godwin　had　e　to　the　campus　on　a　recruiting　mission　for　the　Mall；　but　even　that　knowledge　could　not　diminish　his　admiration　of　Godwin's　mind。
　Godwin　had　known　Russell's　background：　how　his　peculiar　genius　with　logic　and　numbers　had　estranged　him　from　his　family。　As　prodigies　often　will；　he　had　frightened　his　parents　and　had　caused　his　brother　to　feel　stupid。
　〃We're　both　people　who　are　all　alone；〃　Bernard　had　said　to　Russell。　〃People　who　can　understand　the　depth　of　mitment　to　an　abstract：　a　concept；　an　ideal。〃
　〃Like　justice？〃　Russell　had　said。
　And　Bernard　Godwin　had　laughed；　put　his　arm　around　the　young　Russell　Slade。　〃Just　so。〃
　Now；　sitting　in　a　smuggler's　airplane；　on　his　way　back　from　the　llano　negro；　Russell　could　still　hear　Bernard's　voice　speaking　softly；　seductively；　in　his　ear。　So　much　power。　Hooking　up　with　Bernard　had　been　like　having　a　pipeline　directly　to　God；　Russell　thought。　But　so　much　has　changed　since　then。
　The　cockpit　grew　warm　as　the　sun；　lifting　above　the　cloud…bank　to　their　rear；　streamed　through　the　windows；　following　them　back　to　Medellin。　Tori　broke　off　large　chunks　of　a　candy　bar；　handed　them　around。　Estilo　manned　the　radio；　monitoring　traffic；　speaking　softly　into　the　mike　now　and　then。
　〃Have　you　forgotten；〃　Tori　said　to　Russell；　〃that　it　was　Cruz's　sicarios　who　came　after　us　on　the　way　in　from　the　airport？〃
　〃Okay；　while　we're　on　the　subject；　it　was　Cruz　who　loaned　us　one　of　his　helicopters　so　we　could　get　to　llano　negro；''　Russell　pointed　out。
　〃Jesus；〃　Estilo　said。
　Tori　said；　〃Let's　by