el.angeleyes-第57部分

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　　　〃Don't　you？　But　you　must　understand。　You're　the　mystic　in　the　family；　Tori。　That's　why　you　came　here　to　study；　isn't　it？　Me；　I'm　the　pragmatist。　The　mathematician；　the　pilot；　soon　to　be　the　man　in　the　moon。　I　hope。　But　first；　I've　e　here　to　see　you。''　He　looked　at　her。　'　'You　don't　understand。''
　　　〃No。〃
　　　Greg　nodded。　〃Okay。　After　how　you　defended　me；　I　guess　you　deserve　to　hear　this；　and　anyway；　we're　far　too　drunk　to　have　it　make　a　difference。〃　He　took　a　deep　breath。　〃I　imagine　you　always　thought　I　loved　the　pool；　the　diving。〃
　　　〃Well；　sure；〃　Tori　said；　confused。　〃You　were　always　so　good　at　it。〃
　　　〃Not　always；〃　Greg　said。　〃You　see；　I　never　wanted　to　dive。　Never。　Never。　Dad　made　me。　He　shamed　me　into　it。　I　was　afraid　to　get　on　the　diving　board；　so　one　night　he　made　me　go　with　him　to　the　UCLA　Olympic　diving　plex。　Dad　had　done　all　their　new　outdoor　lighting；　so　he　had　access　to　everything　on　campus。
　　　''He　took　me　by　the　scruff　of　the　neck　and　climbed　with　me　all　the　way　to　the　top　of　the　high…dive　board。　By　this　time　I　had　a　good　idea　of　what　he　was　going　to　do；　so　I　was　crying。　Even　after　all　this　time；　I'm　ashamed　to　admit　that。　I　was　so　frightened；　I　almost　wet　my　pants。
　　　〃Dad　took　me　to　the　edge　of　the　board。　He　pushed　my　head　down；　forced　me　to　look。　Arc　lights　on　the　water。　It　was　such　a　long　way　down！　My　teeth　were　chattering；　and　he　had　to　hold　me　up。
　　　〃　'Go　on！'　he　shouted　at　me。　〃The　only　way　you'll　learn　to　dive　is　to　dive！'
　　　〃　'But　I　don't　want　to　dive！'　I　protested。
　　　〃　'You're　too　young　to　know　what　you　want！'　he　shouted。　'Do　as　I　say！'　And　with　that　he　shoved　me　off　the　end　of　the　board。〃
　　　Greg　shuddered。　〃Christ；　but　it　was　a　long　way　down。　I　remember　the　wind　whistling　in　my　ears　and　the　world　turning；　turning。　I　think；　for　just　an　instant；　I　saw　him　standing　at　the　end　of　the　diving　board；　smiling。　Or　maybe　I　just　thought　I　saw　him。　I　don't　know。　The　lane　lines　painted　on　the　bottom　of　the　pool　were　rushing　up；　so　goddamned　clear　I　was　sure　there　was　no　water　in　the　pool。　Then　I　hit　the　water　and　all　me　breath　exploded　out　of　me。
　〃Dad　came　and　got　me。　I　was　limp　as　a　noodle；　but　he　just　lapped　me　on　the　back　a　couple　of　times　to　make　sure　all　the　water　was　out　of　me。　And　up　we　went　again。　This　time　I　gritted　my　teeth　and　went　down　on　my　own。　By　the　fourth　clumsy　dive；　I　ached　all　over　and　I　was　ready　to　listen　to　his　instructions。〃
　Greg's　eyes　were　bleak　as　he　looked　at　Tori。　〃That　was　how　I　learned　to　love　diving。〃
　〃But　it　was　horrible！　How　could　you　ever　have　loved　it　after　such　an　introduction？〃
　〃That；〃　Greg　said；　〃is　what　I've　been　asking　myself　ever　since　then。〃
　〃Tori？〃　Russell　Slade　said　in　the　present　of　futuristic　Roppongi。　Across　the　kissaten　the　bank　of　Quotron　machines…Free　Use　to　Patrons！…flashed　their　minute…by…minute　update　of　the　progress　of　the　stock　market。　〃Where　have　you　been　these　past　several　minutes？〃
　〃I…〃　Tori　made　an　effort　to　e　fully　back　to　the　present。　〃I　was　thinking　of　what　Deke　said　about　the　hafnium。〃　Why　am　I　lying　to　him？　she　asked　herself。　〃All　the　terrible　possibilities；　given　the　kind　of　minds；　the　evil　out　in　the　world。〃
　''Yeah；　well；　there's　no　use　dwelling　on　nightmares；''　Russell　said。　〃We'd　just　better　make　sure　the　nightmares　never　occur。　Where　is　this　hafnium　ending　up？　That's　what　we've　got　to　find　out。　The　question　now　is；　will　Hitasura　help　us？〃
　〃Let's　go　find　out；〃　Tori　said。
　Getting　an　audience　with　Hitasura　was　approximately　as　difficult　as　finding　the　treasure　chamber　inside　the　Pyramid　of　Cheops。　He　was　a　cautious　man…some　said　paranoid；　but　these　were　his　enemies；　and　their　envy　evidently　distorted　their　judgment。　There　had　never　been　an　assassination　attempt　made　on　Hitasura；　and　this　spoke　volumes　for　his　strategy　and　caution。
　This　was　not　to　say　that　he　was　inactive。　On　the　contrary；　Hitasura　was　a　hands…on　oyabun。　He　was　as　yet　perhaps　too　young　to　feel　fortable　with　delegating　power　to　his　lieutenants。　Just　as　well。　In　the　three　years　since　he　had　e　to　power；　he　had　already　found　it　necessary　to　execute　two　lieutenants　whose　loyalty　was　to　the　yen　rather　than　to　himself。
　Tori　had　met　Hitasura　ten　years　ago；　when　she　and　Greg　had　been　hiding　out　from　the　members　of　the　Yakuza　family　who　had　sought　to　avenge　the　shooting　of　the　man　with　the　fire…spitting　demon　on　his　wrist。　That　family　was　the　chief　rival　of　Hitasura's　family；　and　Hitasara…a　mere　lieutenant　then…had　taken　it　upon　himself　to　protect　Tori　and　her　brother。
　Some　years　later　Hitasura's　sister　had　been　kidnapped　by　members　of　that　same　family　on　an　unrelated　matter　of　giri；　and　it　had　been　Tori　who　had　penetrated　the　stronghold　where　she　was　being　kept。　The　family　had　thought　themselves　clever；　stashing　Hitasura's　sister　in　a　Western　brothel　where　they　were　certain　Hitasura　would　never　e　because　he　would　stand　out　like　a　peony　in　a　patch　of　dandelions。
　In　the　process　of　getting　her　out；　Tori　had　killed　four　Yakuza　of　the　rival　family；　and　had　been　wounded　in　the　left　shoulder。　At　that　moment　Hitasura　had　sworn　eternal　friendship。　The　giri　he　felt　toward　Tori　was　immutable；　absolute。　It　would　be　unthinkable　to　question　his　loyalty。
　Tori　made　half　a　dozen　calls；　all　from　different　phone　booths　on　the　streets　and　in　hotel　lobbies；　before　she　got　the　response　she　had　been　seeking。
　Twenty　minutes　later　a　red　750　BMW　swooped　them　up　in　the　Ginza。　They　were　squeezed　into　the　front　seat　while　wax　plugs　were　put　in　their　ears　from　behind　and　they　were　blindfolded。　The　BMW　stopped　and　they　were　transferred　to　the　roomier　backseat。　It　accelerated　into　the　city。
　Neither　of　them　spoke。　Tori　had　cautioned　Russell　against　any　untoward　word　or　gesture。　〃Just　sit　back　and　relax；〃　she　had　told　him。　〃Let　what's　going　to　happen　happen。〃　Russell　had　not　protested；　yet　another　sign　that　the　new　side　of　his　personality　that　had　emerged　in　Medellin　was　gaining　dominance。　Now　he　sat　with　uncharacteristic　calm　while　they　hurtled　through　the　innards　of　Tokyo。
　A　sense　of　acceleration；　the　centrifugal　force　generated　by　turns；　and　the　passage　of　time；　were　the　only　clues　left　to　give　them　an　inkling　of　where　they　were　being　taken。　Tori　had　an　intimate　knowledge　of　the　city；　but　this　was　like　trying　to　back　down　a　mountainside　in　a　snow　storm：　calculating　vectors　and　distances　was　next　to　useless；　memory　and　feel　were　the　only　things　that　mattered。
　Where　would　I　be　if　I　were　Hitasura？
　Somewhere　on　the　streets。　Tori　started　at　this　point　and　let　her　intuition　unravel　the　puzzle。　While　one　part　of　her　brain　was　busy　with　time；　turns；　and　speed；　the　other　part　was　occupied　with　solving　the　mystery　of　where　they　were　being　taken。　She　knew　of　three　of　Hitasura's　bases；　but　she　had　to　take　into　account　that　she　might　be　a　year　out　of　date。　It　could　be　very　useful　to　know　where　Hitasura　was　taking　them；　especially　if　he　had　no　idea　that　they　knew。
　This　was　basic　tradecraft：　knowing　where　you　were　at　all　times；　whether　you　were　with　friend　or　foe。　Still；　Tori　had　another　motivation；　one　that　disturbed　her　profoundly。　After　Estilo's　betrayal；　she　was　unsure　of　everything　and　everyone。　Caution　was　one　thing；　but　full…blown　paranoia　could　paralyze　you。　You　had　to　know　which　way　to　jump　at　any　minute；　or；　not　knowing；　sometimes　trust。　If　trust　was　gone；　only　a　great　black　chasm　remained；　yawning　below　her；　waiting　for　the　moment　when　she　would　fall。
　The　BMW　came　to　an　abrupt　stop　and　Tori　and　Russell　were　bundled　out　of　the　car。　Tori　could　not　shake　the　odd　feeling　that　they　had　gone　around　in　circles。　But　she　knew　that　the　Ginza　was　not　Hitasura's　territory；　so　that　was　out。　Or　was　it？
　They　were　helped　up　a　short　set　of　stairs　and；　kept　bent　almost　double；　ushered　through　what　seemed　like　a　tunnel。　Then　they　were　allowed　to　stand　up。　They　were　pushed　backward　until　they　felt　something　soft　behind　their　legs。　They　sat。
　At　last　their　earplugs　and　blindfolds　came　off。　At　the　same　instant　a　muffled　roar　of　a　diesel　engine　sounded。　A　moment　later　the　unmistakable　sensation　of　motion。
　Of　course；　Tori　thought。　A　vehicle！　We　had　been　driven　in　a　circle　to　confuse　us；　to　make　us　think　we　had　gotten　to　another　part　of　the　city；　when　all　along　this　van　had　been　waiting　around　the　corner。　As　soon　as　Hitasura's　men　had　determined　that　she　and　Russell　had　not　been　followed；　they　had　called　for　the　van。
　Tori　looked　around；　blinking　in　the　dim　light。　They　were　in　what　appeared　to　be　a　miniature　living　room。　They　were　sitting　on　a　sofa　upholstered　in　an　Oriental　cotton　print　of　blues；　greens；　and　deep　yellows。　There　was　a　brass　coffee　table；　Chinese　ginger　jar　lamps　on　matching　mahogany　side　tables；　a　pair　of　dark　blue　upholstered　wing　chairs；　even　a　couple　of　pleasant　well…framed　landscape　prints　on　the　walls。　No　windows；　however。　It　was　surprisingly　fortable；　nonetheless。
　〃Where　in　the　hell　are　we？〃　Russell　said。
　〃A　moving　van；〃　a　deep　rich　voice　said。　They　looked　up；　saw　Hitasura；　a　tall；　slender；　dark…skinned　Japanese；　enter　the　mobile　living　room。　〃One　of　many　in　my　fleet。〃　He　smiled　warmly。　〃Should　the　need　arise　for　you　to　move；　one　of　these　vans　will　handle　everything　in　one　load；　you　here　in　fort；　while　below　and　behind　you；　your　containerized　possessions　are　safely　stored；　fumigated；　and　sanitized。〃
　Hitasura　sat　across　from　them　in　one　of　the　wing　chairs。　It　was　large　enough　to　acmodate　his　height。　〃Tori；　it　is　good　to　see　you　again。〃　He　might　have　been　a　handsome　man；　but　there　was　no　moderation　to　his　features。　He　had　hard　eyes；　a　sharp　nose；　and　an　unforgiving　mouth。　There　was　a　tea…colored　melanin　birthmark　on　the　left　side　of　his　neck　that　ran　up　his　jaw　and　encroached　on　the　lower　portion　of　his　cheek。
　〃Hitasura…san；〃　Tori　said　formally；　〃this　is　Russell　Slade。　A　friend。〃
　〃Mr。　Slade。〃　Hitasura　inclined　his　head。　〃Perhaps　you　will　forgive　the　melodrama　when　I　tell　you　that　these　rather　elaborate　precautions　were　necessary。〃
　〃What's　happened？〃　Tori　said；　picking　up　on　his　tone。
　Hitasura　sat　back；　made　a　bridge　with　his　fingertips。　〃I　hardly　know　where　to　begin。　It　may　be　a　war　is　brewing；　Tori…san；　though　I　hope　I　am　overreacting。''　He　looked　at　her。　〃My　only　brother　is　dead。〃
　〃How？〃
　〃He　was　murdered；〃　Hitasura　said。　〃Much　mor