el.angeleyes-第6部分

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f　she　had　been　dropped　into　me　center　of　a　whirlpool；　in　the　grip　of　forces　she　could　no　longer　hold　in　check。　She　was　out　of　control；　she　knew　it；　and　still　the　exhilaration　rose　in　her；　blotting　out　everything　but　Ariel。
　She　crushed　herself　against　him；　feeling　her　nipples　erect；　feeling　the　long　dormant　liquid　heaviness　in　her　thighs　and　pelvis。　She　trembled　in　his　embrace；　and　he　lifted　her　off　her　feet。
　The　taste　of　lust　was　in　her　mourn；　the　fire　in　her　body　given　full　reign；　conscious　thought　driven　away　on　the　wings　of　her　passion。
　She　was　so　hungry…not　only　her　loins　but　her　empty　heart　yearned　to　be　filled　again；　to　throb　at　the　sight　of　a　precious　lover；　to　anticipate　his　love　like　the　ing　of　night；　and　then　to　feel　it　gushing　through　her　like　a　mountain　stream　at　the　first　thaw　of　spring。
　She　wept　as　he　kissed　her　breasts；　her　thighs；　her　wet　sex。　She　murmured　endearments　when　she；　in　turn；　took　him　in　her　mouth；　feeling　him　growing；　growing；　the　taste　of　him　intoxicating。
　She　cried　out　when　he　entered　her；　her　nails　scoring　his　back　as　he　slid　all　the　way　up　her　and　she　was　filled　to　bursting；　her　heart　thundering；　her　thighs　lifting；　enclosing　him。　Their　breaths　mingled；　he　kissed　her　ears；　her　nose；　the　ers　of　her　eyes　where　her　flesh　was　as　thin　and　soft　as　a　baby's。　He　inhaled　the　musk　at　the　hollow　of　her　throat；　licked　the　swelling　tops　of　her　breasts。
　And；　oh；　it　was　good。　Not　only　the　pleasure　they　were　creating　together；　but　the　letting　go；　like　dancing　in　the　rain　or　rushing　naked　into　the　sea。　Tori's　heart　sighed；　contented；　as　she　was　buried　breathlessly　toward　an　ending；　a　thunder　in　her　soul；　the　sun　in　her　eyes；　the　rain　of　their　sweat　flying　as　they　ground　together；　the　sweet　collision　of　flesh　and　emotion　that　only　making　love　can　produce。
　Then　he　was　gasping　and　heaving。　She　felt　him　shudder；　arch　into　her；　and　something　touched　her　core。　Everything　shattered；　like　walking　into　and　through　a　mirror；　arriving　at　a　new　reality；　a　plane　of　existence　once　only　hinted　at。
　〃Oh；　my　God。　。　。　Ohhh！〃
　She　moved…when　she　could　gather　herself　to　stir　again…to　the　beat　of　his　heart　as　well　as　her　own。　The　feeling　was　so　sweet；　so　intense；　that　she　felt　tears　e　again。　It　was　something　to　feel　like　a　woman　once　more；　soft　and　vulnerable。　It　was　so　different　from　how　she　had　been　trained：　she　had　been　instructed　to　bee　as　hard　as　a　man；　so　she　had　bee　harder；　she　had　been　instructed　to　replace　emotion　with　logic；　so　she　had　bee　harder；　she　had　been　instructed　to　replace　logic　with　instinct；　so　she　had　bee　harder　still；　so　immersed　in　her　studies　she　had　no　time　for　personal　considerations。　An　economy　of　movement；　speech；　thought　had　overtaken　her；　defining　her　new　life。
　And　everything　else　had　withered　within　her。　She　had　seen　this　as　good；　a　purging；　an　exorcism　of　the　toxins　that　had　embittered　her　previous　life；　that　had　driven　her　to　Japan；　to　a　land　and　a　philosophy　that　was　as　far　as　she　could　get　from　what　she　had　once　been。　Up　until　this　moment。
　Now　she　saw　the　other　side：　how　the　forging　of　her　spirit　in　the　crucible　of　her　extraordinary　training　had　distanced　herself　from　everything…the　good　as　well　as　the　bad…that　had　dwelt　inside　her。　And　she　was　immensely　grateful　to　Ariel　Solares　for　giving　her　back　that　part　of　herself　she　knew　she　could　not　live　without。
　She　wanted　to　make　love　again；　now；　before　thought　crept　back　through　her　drunk　mind；　but　her　bladder　was　bursting；　and　she　staggered　naked　off　the　sofa；　down　the　hallway；　into　the　bathroom。
　She　was　finished；　splashing　cold　water　on　her　face；　when　she　heard　the　sound。　Or；　perhaps；　felt　it　would　be　more　accurate。　Her　first　thought　was　that　an　earthquake　had　hit。　She　lurched；　grabbing　onto　the　cool　porcelain　of　the　sink。　Ariel's　toothbrush　rattled　in　its　holder　and　a　bottle　of　cologne　crashed　to　the　tile　floor。
　But　dimly　Tori　was　aware　of　the　aftermath　of　a　percussion。　Alarm　flooded　through　her。　She　pulled　open　the　door；　leaped　over　the　shards　of　glass；　ran　down　the　hall。
　All　her　senses　were　alert。　The　air　was　thick。　Plaster　dust；　smoke；　and　me　smell　of　burning　filled　the　air；　choking　her。　She　smelled　the　acrid　chemical　by…products　of　plastique　explosives。
　〃Ariel？〃　she　called。　Then　more　urgently；　〃Ariel！〃
　She　found　him　crouched　on　the　other　side　of　the　room。　The　sofa　on　which　they　had　been　making　love　but　moments　before　was　demolished；　charred　as　if　in　a　fire。　Its　pieces　had　been　thrown　halfway　across　the　floor。　The　doors　to　the　balcony　had　exploded　outward；　shards　of　glass　glittered　in　the　city　light。　There　was　a　hole　in　the　wall　behind　where　the　doors　had　been；　and　the　cruel　San　Francisco　evening　wind　whipped　the　tattered　drapes；　impaling　them　on　the　iron…tipped　Amazonian　spears。
　Tori　threw　herself　down　beside　Ariel。　He　was　making　hideous　gasping　sounds；　he　was　covered　in　blood。　She　tried　to　hold　him；　but　he　shrugged　her　away；　and　she　saw　that　he　was　desperately　trying　to　get　to　something。　his　fingers　scrabbled　at　a　cabinet　door。　He　fumbled　it　open；　then　seemed　to　lose　all　energy。　his　shoulders　slumped　heavily　and　his　forehead　rested　against　the　carpet。
　Tori　turned　him；　stifled　a　scream。　There　wasn't　much　left　of　his　chest。　How　he　was　still　breathing；　let　alone　able　to　open　a　cabinet；　was　beyond　her。
　Her　mind　refused　to　work。　It　was　as　if　she　were　stuck　in　tar。　What　had　happened？　How　could　this　have　taken　place　in　the　few　moments　she　had　been　at　the　other　end　of　the　house？
　Ariel　Solares　was　dying；　but　he　did　not　seem　focused　on　that；　he　had　more　urgent　business。　Still　in　her　arms；　he　flopped　like　a　landed　fish　until　his　right　hand　could　reach　into　the　cabinet。　He　drew　out　a　hardwood　box。　It　trembled　in　the　grip　of　the　spasm　that　racked　him。
　Then　Ariel　pressed　the　box　into　her　hand。　his　lips　moved；　his　eyes　searching　hers；　and　Tori　bent　down。
　〃What　is　it；　Ariel？〃　she　whispered。　〃Oh；　my　God；　my　God。〃
　Because　his　mouth　was　suddenly　filled　with　blood。　Bubbles　formed　at　the　corners　of　his　lips　as　he　drowned　in　his　own　fluids。

　And　there　was　nothing　Tori　could　do　but　hold　him；　rocking　him　gently；　looking　down　at　him　to　let　him　know　she　was　there；　thinking　of　the　last　line　of　the　Borges　fragment　he　had　quoted　before。
　Shortly　before　his　death；　he　discovers　that　the　patient　labyrinth　of　lines　traces　the　image　of　his　own　face。
　
　
　
　BOOK　ONE
　
　
　

THE　SOFT　CELL
　
　

Men　of　action　are；　after　all；　only
the　instruments　of　men　of　thought。
　AFTER　HEINRICH　HEINE


ONE
VIRGINIA　COUNTRYSIDE/LOS　ANGELES

　〃She　was　meant　to　be　canned…and　she　was　canned。〃
　'　'What　you　should　say　is　that　you　canned　her。''
　〃Should？〃
　〃Yes。　This　is；　essentially；　what　is　operative　here。〃
　The　two　men…one　younger；　black…haired；　hawk…nosed；　with　penetrating　blue　eyes；　the　other；　older；　lanky；　stoop…shouldered；　with　an　aureole　of　cotton…candy　hair…paused　along　the　blue…stone　path　laid　out　in　concentric　circles　around　an　immaculately　manicured　formal　English　garden。
　The　late　afternoon　sun　slid　in　and　out　of　the　elhis　and　alders；　catching　in　its　burnished　glow　a　spray　of　hyacinth　here；　a　twist　of　ancient　vine　there。　Just　behind　the　men　a　large　Tudor…style　stone　and　half…timber　manor　house　was　snuggled　in　among　rustling　beech；　sheared　cypresses；　and　well…established　magnolia。
　〃I　don't　understand　you；〃　the　younger　man　said。　He　was　dressed　in　a　white　shirt　open　at　the　neck；　the　sleeves　rolled　up　to　expose　his　burly　forearhis；　and　blue　jeans；　the　bottohis　of　which　were　tucked　neatly　into　blue　Tony　Lama　lizard　cowboy　boots。　He　wore　a　belt　studded　with　silver　Navajo　conchos。
　'　'You　don't？''　The　older　man　could　have　added　〃That's　odd；''　but　didn't。　He　had　the　face　of　a　born　mander：　powerful；　shrewd；　disarmingly　gentle　in　its　deceit。　Now；　however；　the　fissures　of　time　had　scored　his　sunken　cheeks；　thinned　his　hair；　unearthed　the　tic　of　a　railing　nerve。　Only　the　eyes　retained　the　full　cunning　of　his　youth。　They　were　the　eyes　of　the　boy　down　the　block　who　dared　you　to　climb　the　tallest　tree；　to　ride　the　back　bumper　of　the　local　bus；　and；　maddeningly；　disdained　you　whether　or　not　you　acceded　to　his　dares。
　''When　I　was　somewhat　younger　than　you　are　now；''　the　older　man　said；　〃I　spent　a　great　deal　of　time　with　our　cousins　in　London。''　He　gestured　at　the　cherry　and　hawthorn　trees；　the　sea　of　crihison　and　lavender　azalea　bobbing　beneath　them。　〃That's　where　I　discovered　my　love　of　gardens。〃
　〃But　not　gardening。〃　Russell　Slade；　the　younger　man；　could　not　keep　the　sardonic　tone　out　of　his　voice。　〃The　Brits　love　to　tend　their　gardens。''
　'　'And　so　they　should。''　Bernard　Godwin；　the　older　man；　nodded　approvingly。　his　summer…weight　Henry　Poole　hunting　jacket　was　as　immaculate　as　his　garden。　his　sturdy　John　Lobb　country　shoes　positively　glittered　in　the　sunlight。　〃When　one　has　little　space　one　can　call　one's　own；　it　is　only　prudent　to　mind　it　as　best　one　can。〃　Godwin　swung　abruptly　around　to　face　Slade；
their　eyes　locked。　It　was　essential；　Slade　knew；　not　to　look　away；　for　Godwin　would　take　that　as　a　sign　of　weakness。　〃But　this　is　America；　Russell；　and　here　space　is　not　a　problem。　This　land　goes　on　almost　forever。　The　cowboys　learned　that　the　hard　way　a　hundred　years　or　more　ago。　But　the　same　holds　true　today。　That's　our　one　absolute　advantage　over　the　English；　the　Europeans；　the　Japanese。''
　〃What；　our　land？〃
　〃Not　the　land；　per　se。　But；　rather；　how　having　land　as　a　natural　resource　makes　us　act　and　react。　And　it's　our　one　true　link　with　the　Soviets。〃　Bernard　Godwin　never　said　Russians。　It　was　always　Soviets…and　there　was　a　vast　difference　between　the　two　terms。　The　Russians　were　only　one　people　who　inhabited　the　Union　of　Soviet　Socialist　Republics　along　with　the　Lithuanians；　Estonians；　Latvians；　the　people　of　the　Baltic　Republics；　the　Georgians　and　the　Armenians；　the　trans…Caucasians；　the　Ukrainians；　not　to　mention　the　Moslem　minorities；　who　were　part　of　a　whole　other　microuniverse。　Godwin　had　studied　them　all　in　depth。　So；　of　course；　had　Russell　Slade；　it　was　just　that　his　conclusions　differed　from　those　of　Godwin。　As　long　as　the　Soviet　minorities　were　a　collective　thorn　in　Russia's　side；　so　much　the　better；　he　believed。　Let　the　Russian　government　be　distracted　and　drained　by　internal　prob