el.angeleyes-第67部分

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d　since　she　was　his　friend；　she　might　in　some　way　offset　the　damaging　effects　the　Limited　Distribution　report　on　the　Odin…Galaktika　II　cosmic　ray　experiments　had　had　on　the　interrogation。　The　bond　of　trust　that　had　been　forming　between　himself　and　the　Hero；　no　matter　how　tenuous；　had　been　ruptured。
　Mars　decided　that　Irina　being　here　at　this　moment　was　just　the　stroke　of　good　fortune　he　needed。　Though　he　did　not　altogether　believe　in　omens；　this　seemed　to　be　as　close　to　one　as　he　was　likely　to　encounter。
　〃All　right；〃　he　said；　taking　her　by　the　elbow。　〃If　that's　what　you'd　like；　I'm　sure　it　can　be　arranged。〃
　Irina　heard　the　lapping　of　the　pool　first；　then　the　siren　call　of　the　dolphin。　〃My　God；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃what　a　magnificent　creature！〃
　She　went　to　the　edge　of　the　pool；　knelt　down；　held　her　hand　out　to　touch　the　dolphin's　bottle　nose。　〃What's　your　name；　handsome？〃　Irina　said；　then　gave　a　tiny　startled　scream　as　the　Hero's　head　burst　up　through　the　water。
　〃Her　name's　Arbat；〃　Odysseus　said；　laughing　at　the　expression　on　Irina's　face。　〃What's　yours？〃
　Irina　forgot　all　about　the　dolphin。　She　stared　wide…eyed　at　the　Hero；　at　his　chiseled　features；　the　pale；　almost　phosphorescent　skin；　the　wide…apart　eyes。
　And　what　eyes！　Pilled　with　all…color/no…color；　she　saw　and　didn't　see　（perhaps　imagined）　in　their　depths　colors　she　never　suspected　existed。　His　eyes　were　absolutely　translucent；　like　scrims　across　the　front　of　a　stage；　at　once　revealing　and　concealing　what　lay　behind　them。
　Irina　was　utterly　captivated；　she　could　not　take　her　eyes　off　him；　as　if　she　could　devour　him；　absorb　into　herself　the　timeless　wavelength　that　she　felt　emanating　from　him。
　The　long　lashes　of　his　eyes　were　the　only　hair　on　his　face。　There　was　not　even　the　shadow　of　a　beard　on　his　cheeks　or　lips；　but　rather　than　making　him　seem　effeminate；　the　smoothness　somehow　increased　his　aura　of　sensuality。　It　was　almost；　Irina　told　herself；　as　if　she　were　face　to　face　with　a　merman；　some　mythical　being；　half　human；　half　dolphin。
　There　was　a　playfulness　about　him　that　seemed　similar　to　Arbat's；　but　Irina　could　sense　a　darkness　that　the　chattering　mammal　did　not　possess。　And　it　was　this　darkness　at　noon；　this　anomaly；　this　black　hole　in　his　human　horizon；　that　drew　her　inexorably；　until　he　was　the　only　thing　of　which　she　was　aware。
　She　heard　Natasha　saying；　One　day　you　will　meet　your　Albee；　and　he　will　change　your　life　utterly。　The　answer　for　you　is　to　seize　your　moment。　You　must　say　to　yourself；　〃Damn　the　risks！〃　and　plow　straight　ahead。
　〃Irina。　My　name　is　Irina；〃　someone　with　her　voice　whispered　over　the　water。
　〃Wele；　Irina；〃　the　Hero　said；　pulling　her　into　the　pool　with　him　so　that　Irina　felt　surrounded　by　the　sun；　the　moon；　the　stars。　A　universe　of　strange　music　was　washing　over　her；　making　her　vibrate　with　an　unknown　excitement　from　the　inside　out。　〃Call　me　Odysseus。〃
　Honno；　staring　out　over　the　vast　grid　of　Tokyo；　thought　how　much　the　city　resembled　a　pachinko　board。　Sunlight　coruscated　across　the　tops　of　the　massive　forest　of　high　rises；　steel　and　mirrored　glass　behemoths；　leaving　their　middle　floors　in　the　pale；　filtered　light　of　an　undersea　world；　their　lower　floors　in　deepest　shadow。
　She　thought；　I　have　only　to　open　my　hand；　flick　the　ball　of　my　wa…my　intrinsic　energy…outward；　set　it　careening　through　the　gutters　and　trenches　I　see　down　there。　Just　like　pachinko。
　How　far　she　had　e！　How　distant　her　other　life　seemed　to　her　now；　a　set　of　fading　photographs；　ill…lit；　slightly　out　of　focus；　best　packed　away　in　some　dust…strewn　attic；　forgotten。　Another　person's　life；　surely。
　〃Mrs。　Kansei。〃
　Who　is　Mrs。　Kansei？　Honno　thought　as　she　watched　a　747…SP；　silver　in　the　brilliant　sunshine；　begin　its　descent　into　Narita　Airport　miles　away。
　〃I　want　another　name；〃　Honno　said　abruptly；　turning　away　from　the　glittering；　enthralling　grid　of　Tokyo。　〃Isn't　there　something　of　a　custom　for　Yakuza　to　take　a　new　name？''
　Big　Ezoe　nodded。　〃Sometimes；　yes。〃　He　was　watching　Honno　carefully；　trying　to　absorb　the　changes　firing　through　her。　Each　moment　she　seemed　to　alter；　flickering　like　a　series　of　dynamos　being　switched　on　one　after　another；　illuminating　the　darkness　of　the　night。
　〃Koi；〃　Honno　said　at　length。　〃I　like　Koi。〃　The　name　she　had　chosen　had　many　meanings　besides　the　magnificent　species　of　Japanese　carp；　it　meant；　variously；　dark；　strong；　the　power　of　the　Imperial　throne；　even；　as　a　verb；　to　change　one's　clothes。　All　these　meanings　seemed；　in　some　fashion；　to　fit　this　new　Honno。
　''Koi；''　Big　Ezoe　said　from　his　seat　behind　the　massive　black　rosewood　desk；　a　kind　of　free…form　sculpture　which　Americans　would　recognize　and　cherish　as　retro。
　〃Your　samurai　friend；　Kakuei　Sakata；　had　good　reason　to　mit　ritual　suicide。〃　He　shuffled　the　papers　he　had　taken　from　the　apartment　of　Asaku　Hitasura；　Giin's　protege。　〃These　are　the　plete　translations　of　the　ledgers　Sakata　kept。　He　was　a　meticulous　man。　Everything　is　here；　details　of　corruption：　bribes；　extortion；　ministerial　appointments　for　private　profit　and　professional　gain。　This　is　a　veritable　catalogue　of　sins：　greed；　lust；　envy；　gluttony；　pride；　you　name　it；　it's　certain　to　be　here。　And　the　trail　goes　from　the　industrialist；　Kunio　Michita…your　former　boss　and　Sakata's…all　the　way　to　the　Ministry　of　International　Trade　and　Industry。　And　what　do　you　know？　The　one　link　between　them　all；　the　go…between；　was　not　your　friend　Sakata…though　he　served　that　purpose　as　a　facade…but　my　old　enemy；　Hitasura。〃
　〃Hitasura；〃　Koi　said；　running　her　fingers　over　Kakuei　Sakata's　ledgers　which　she　had　liberated。　〃Isn't　that　the　last　name　of　the　man　I　killed　last　night？''
　For　a　moment　Big　Ezoe　said　nothing。　He　was　astounded　by　the　matter…of…fact　tone　in　her　voice。　Had　she　felt　nothing　at　all　when　she　had　crushed　Asaku　Hitasura's　windpipe？　Well；　good。　Fukuda　had　done　her　job　well；　then。　But　Big　Ezoe's　finely　tuned　sense　of　wa　sent　off　a　distant　alarm。
　This　woman　is　an　addict；　he　thought。　She　devours　power　in　the　same　way　others　consume　food。　She　cannot　help　herself；　she　needs　it　now　simply　in　order　to　exist。　For　one　such　as　she；　there　can　be　no　such　thing　as　honor　or　giri。　She　is　bound　on　the　wheel　of　her　addiction　as　surely　as　a　heretic　was　bound　to　the　rack。　I　pity　anyone　who　is　foolish　enough　to　get　in　her　way。
　〃Asaku　was　the　oyabun　Hitasura's　younger　brother；〃　Big　Ezoe　said。　〃Hitasura's　people　are　already　being　meddlesome；　bing　the　city　for　a　clue　to　the　identity　of　Asaku's　murderer。〃
　〃Let　them　look；〃　Honno　said。　〃No　one　knows　what　happened　except　you；　me；　and　Fukuda。〃
　〃I'll　say　one　thing　about　Asaku；〃　Big　Ezoe　said；　〃he　was　a　genius　at　cryptography。〃
　〃He　was　arrogant；〃　Koi　said。　〃He　dismissed　me　because　I　was　a　woman。　He　laughed　in　my　face。〃
　〃That　was　because　he　was　so　angry　at　how　easily　you　got　into　his　apartment。　You　scared　the　shit　out　of　him。〃
　〃That's　not　all　I　did　to　him；〃　Koi　said。
　Big　Ezoe　thought　of　the　moment　when　Honno；　or　Koi；　as　she　now　wanted　to　be　called；　crushed　Asaku　Hitasura's　windpipe。　He　had　seen　in　her　face　the　image　of　a　mask　in　a　Bunraku　puppet　play。　It　was　the　mask　of　a　god…though　which　god；　Big　Ezoe　could　not　now　recall…and　it　had　been　cleverly　painted　with　features　that　managed　to　exhibit　both　ecstasy　and　despair。　He　had　marveled　at　that　mask。　How　he　had　wanted　to　meet　the　artisan　who　had　so　masterfully　created　it。　And　yet　Big　Ezoe　had　never　inquired；　afraid　that　the　man　would　turn　out　to　be　mundane；　altogether　dull；　not　at　all　what　he　had　pictured　in　his　imagination。
　Then；　last　night；　he　had　magically　found　that　expression　reproduced　on　the　face　of　a　human　being。　How　absolutely　extraordinary！　Big　Ezoe；　who　loved　and　admired　rarities；　had　decided　that　Koi　was　the　rarest　of　the　rare。　He　had　sought　to　transform　her；　to　make　her…as　he　had　Fukuda…into　an　extension　of　his　psyche。
　Fukuda　had　e　to　him　essentially　as　Koi　had；　emotionally　maimed。　People…especially　women；　Big　Ezoe　had　discovered…were　peculiarly　vulnerable　when　they　were　bloodied。　Blood　meant　wounds　that　had　not　been　able　to　heal；　a　flaw　in　the　psyche。
　Until　last　night；　when　he　had　seen　the　godlike　expression　on　Koi's　killing　face；　he　had　considered　Fukuda　to　be　his　crowning　achievement。　It　was　then　that　Big　Ezoe　began　to　suspect　that　Koi　would　far　outstrip　his　first　model。
　And　later；　when　he　had　taken　Koi　back　to　the　apartment　he　had　given　her；　he　had　watched　her　while　she　took　her　cleansing　bath。　He　had　rolled　up　his　sleeves；　had　covered　her　with　soap；　then　sponged　her　down。　Spraying　her　with　cool　water；　watching　the　suds　spiral　down　the　drain；　uncovering　in　sections　her　hard；　unblemished　body。　Big　Ezoe　had　caught　himself　eyeing　her　enviously。
　After　hosing　down　the　tub　to　get　rid　of　the　residues　of　dirt　and　soap；　Koi　had　filled　it　with　steaming　hot　water；　lay　back　to　soak；　and　spoke　the　first　words　since　her　second　act　of　murder。　She　said；　〃I　was　taught　that　women　enter　this　world　already　bearing　a　guilt　we　can　never　fully　rid　ourselves　of。　We　are　unclean。　Our　bodies　regularly　run　with　blood；　proof　of　the　evil　passions　we　cannot　control。〃　She　stared　at　Big　Ezoe。　〃How　much　more　fully　this　applies　to　me；　a　hinoeuma　woman；　born　in　the　year　of　the　husband　killers。〃
　Big　Ezoe　had　said　nothing。　He　was　content　now　to　watch　and　to　listen　as　he　had　done　the　night　of　the　Bunraku　play；　as　if　he　were　again　one　of　many；　sitting　in　the　darkness　of　the　huge　theater。
　Koi　had　raised　her　arms；　bringing　her　hands　out　of　the　water。　Her　clear　skin　was　steaming；　gleaming　in　the　bathroom　lights；　center　stage。　Water　dripped　from　her　fingertips；　and　for　the　first　time　Big　Ezoe　noticed　that　her　nails　were　lacquered　the　color　of　blood。
　〃But　now；〃　Koi　had　said；　〃now　I　know　I　have　the　power　to　exercise　my　evil　passions　as　I　see　fit。　I　can　exploit　them；　as　I　did　tonight；　or　I　can　make　them　lie　quiescently　by　my　side　like　a　slumbering　lover。〃　She　put　her　head　back；　her　eyes　closed　as　she　slipped　lower　into　the　water；　so　that　to　Big　Ezoe　her　body　already　seemed　insubstantial；　its　outline　wavering。　〃The　choice　is　mine。〃
　And　today　she　had　chosen　her　new　name：　Koi。　Like　stepping　out　of　old　clothes；　into　new。　Darkness。　Depth。　Power。
　〃No　one　knows；〃　Koi　said　again　now。
　Big　Ezoe　came　around　from　behind