el.angeleyes-第68部分

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　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　the　desk；　stood　with　her　as　she　surveyed　the　city。　The　sky　had　already　clouded　up。　Pollutants　turned　the　pristine　morning　blue　sky　to　a　sickly　yellow…gray。　Fujiyama；　the　great　mountain　that　symbolized　Japan；　was　swallowed　whole　in　man…made　mist。
　〃But　Hitasura　will　suspect　my　involvement。〃　Big　Ezoe　was　acutely　aware　of　Koi　as　he　stood　beside　her；　aware　of　the　enormous　power　of　her　wa；　and　he　felt　as　gratified　as　an　artist　with　his　masterpiece。　〃It　is　only　inevitable。　Sooner　or　later；　he　will　e。　And　when　he　does；　he　will　not　be　alone。〃
　〃So？　Let　him　e。〃　That　extraordinary　expression　was　reforming　on　her　face；　the　confluence　of　ecstasy　and　despair　that　had　about　it　now　an　air　of　expectancy。　The　air　around　Koi　seemed　to　alter；　as　it　does　just　before　the　onset　of　a　storm。　〃I　will　wele　Hitasura　with　open　arms。〃
　With　an　enormous　sense　of　satisfaction；　Big　Ezoe　could　see　what　happened：　he　had　made　of　Koi　a　warrior　whose　scars　he　had　annealed　by　his　own　form　of　cauterization；　until；　unlike　Fukuda；　Koi　had　absolutely　no　room　for　the　soft　emotions　of　pity；　sympathy；　or　passion。　
　And　Big　Ezoe；　giving　a　tiny　shudder；　thought　with　enormous　satisfaction；　Yes；　you　bastard　Hitasura；　e。　I　have　a　surprise　for　you。　I　want　you　to　meet　my　darting　creation。　My　hard　machine。

NINE
TOKYO

　Tori　was　once　again　studying　the　photograph　of　Ariel　Solares　as　he　stood；　smiling　into　the　camera　lens；　in　the　tiny　park　near　his　house　in　San　Francisco。
　She　kept　studying　the　people　in　the　background…the　man　and；　farther　away；　the　couple…as　if　in　their　faces　she　could　discover　what　it　was　about　the　photo　that　Ariel　had　found　so　significant。　But　she　could　not　make　them　out。　She　turned　the　photo　over；　saw　the　date　it　was　taken　digitally　printed　on　the　back；　March　21　of　this　year。　Was　the　date　important？　Not　according　to　the　Eyes　Only　dossier　on　me　manufacture　and　distribution　of　the　Japanese　supercocaine　she　had　been　shown　at　Mall　Central。
　Russell　and　Bernard　Godwin　had　been　desperate　to　bring　Tori　back　into　the　Mall　because　Ariel　had　determined　that　the　Japanese　had　created　this　lethal　new　form　of　cocaine；　and　were　beginning　to　disseminate　it。　Bernard　wanted　her　to　find　out　why。　But　Tori　saw　now　that　this　was　not　the　only　question　she　needed　to　find　an　answer　to。　The　new　coke　was　in　some　way　bound　up　with　the　hafnium　pipeline。　When　the　coke　left　the　factory　in　the　llano　negro　of　Colombia；　so　did　the　hafnium。　But　what　happened　to　the　soft　cell　when　it　reached　Japan？
　And　who　was　manufacturing　it？　From　Deke's　tests　of　the　residue　on　the　hafnium　pellet　Russell　had　taken　from　the　llano　negro　factory；　it　was　clear　the　coke　being　refined　there　was　〃clean。〃　If　Estilo　was　telling　the　truth　about　Hitasura　being　the　buyer　of　his　soft　cell；　then　Ariel's　intelligence　was　correct：　the　killer　coke　was　being　manufactured　here　in　Japan。　And　Hitasura　would　know　where　and　why。
　Tori　closed　her　eyes；　went　into　prana；　deepening　and　strengthening　her　breathing；　slowing　her　pulse。　She　had　to　admit　to　herself　that　because　her　trust　in　Estilo　had　been　shaken；　her　big　fear　was　discovering　that　Hitasura　was　involved　in　what　the　Mall　had　termed　〃Ice　Cream；〃　the　supercoke。　If　that　turned　out　to　be　so；　another　important　link　from　her　past；　her　network；　would　have　proved　unreliable。
　She　knew　that　Russell　must　be　impatient　for　her　to　begin　interrogating　Hitasura　on　the　subject。　But　the　crisis　of　Hitasura's　imminent　war　with　Big　Ezoe…and　the　reemergence　of　Fukuda…was　providing　Tori　an　excuse　for　procrastination。
　Part　of　her　wanted　more　than　anything　to　steal　a　moment；　to　take　Hitasura　aside；　to　get　it　over　with　and　find　out　the　truth。　But　it　was　not　only　her　fear　that　made　it　impossible；　this　was　Japan；　and　the　iron　dictates　of　custom　made　such　a　direct　Western　approach　unthinkable。　Tori　knew　that　she　would　have　to　find　just　the　right　moment；　just　the　right　way　to　approach　Hitasura。
　Russell　came　up　to　her　while　Hitasura　was　receiving　last…minute　information　on　the　mobile　phone。　〃Isn't　it　about　time　you　told　me　the　origins　of　your　blood　feud　with　this　female　assassin；　Fukuda？〃
　''　She　tried　to　kill　me　once；''　Tori　said；　but　Russell　only　stared　at　her。　It's　only　fair　I　tell　him　everything；　she　thought。　〃Do　you　remember　what　I　was　doing　for　you　when　I　got　hurt？〃
　Russell　nodded。　〃Sure。　You　had　picked　up　the　improbable　rumor　of　a　joint　Japanese…Russian　venture　hidden　from　even　the　ubiquitous　Japanese　bureaucracy。　To　be　frank；　I　thought　it　was　a　waste　of　your　time　and　the　Mall's　money　to　keep　you　on　it；　but　Bernard　insisted。　You　know　how　fanatical　he　is　about　the　subject　of　the　Soviets。　Even　more　so　now；　if　that's　possible。〃　He　looked　at　her　out　of　his　penetrating　blue　eyes。　〃I　wish　I　had　held　my　ground　on　that　one。　You'd　still　have　both　your　hips。〃
　Tori　studied　him　for　a　moment；　as　if　she　could　not　make　up　her　mind　about　him。　〃That's　kind　of　you　to　say；　but　the　fact　is　I　wouldn't　be　able　to　do　physically　what　I　can　do　now　without　the　aid　of　the　Japanese…designed　prosthesis；　so　you　see；　in　a　way　you　did　me　a　favor。〃　She　gave　him　a　tentative　smile；　as　if　she　were　afraid　to　allow　him…and　herself…to　see　what　she　was　really　feeling。
　''Anyway；　it　seemed　there　was　something　to　the　rumor　of　the　Japanese…Russian　venture；''　she　said；　''though　I　ran　into　Fukuda　before　I　got　in　deep　enough　to　find　out　what　exactly　was　happening。〃
　''How　did　you　happen　to　meet　her？　〃
　''There　was　a　man；''　Tori　said。　''He　was　no　more　than　a　boy；　really。　Just　twenty。　But　there　was　something　about　him；　both　personally　and　professionally。　I　had　heard　of　him　through　Deke；　who　said　he　was　tsukuru…hito；　a　'maker。'　In　street　slang；　that　means　a　go…getter；　someone　who　is　admired；　who　has　great　hara；　great　inner　strength；　which　the　Japanese　prize　above　everything　else。〃
　〃Was　this　young　man　Yakuza？〃
　〃Now　that　was　the　most　interesting　part；〃　Tori　said。　〃He　wasn't。　And　yet　it　seemed；　because　he　was　tsukuru…hito；　many　Yakuza　sought　his　advice　in　plicated　affairs　of　business。　I　suppose；　in　ways　to　circumvent　international　law；　because　the　tsukuru…hito　was　an　international　lawyer。　He　called　himself　Yen　Yasuwara；　though　it　seemed　to　me　he　had　taken　that　first　name　as　a　kind　of　joke。　Yen　was　like　that；　sardonic；　always　laughing　at　the　world　through　which　he　moved　with　such　ease；　though　always　in　a　dark　way。
　〃He　despised　convention；　an　odd　bias　for　a　Japanese。　And　he　hated　burying　his　true　nature　beneath　the　countless　layers　that　convention　required　him　to　form　in　order　to　survive　in　Japanese　society。
　〃But　Yen's　goal　wasn't　to　survive；　it　was　to　succeed；　to　blaze　like　a　shooting　star　across　the　firmament　of　the　Japanese　business　munity。　I　use　those　words　because　of　their　poetic　nature。　Yen　used　them；　and　it's　essential　you　get　a　plete　picture　of　him。
　〃Yen　once　confided　in　me　that　his　dream　was　to　put　together　an　international　deal　of　such　proportions　that　it　would　stand　all　Japan　on　its　ear。〃
　〃Like　maybe　a　Japanese…Russian　deal？〃
　Tori　nodded。　''That's　why　I　went　to　see　him。　'What　this　country　needs　is　a　swift　kick　in　the　ass；'　he　told　me　after　I　got　to　know　him　well；　and　I'm　certain　he　meant　it。〃
　〃Just　how　well　did　you　get　to　know　him？〃　Russell　asked。
　〃Don't　get　ahead　of　the　story；〃　Tori　told　him。　〃Yen　worked　at　Budoko　Associates；　an　exclusive　Tokyo　law　firm。　It　isn't　large；　but　its　prestige　is　first…rate。　Yen　came　from　the　right　family…his　father　and　Budoko's　senior　partners　were　born　in　the　same　Honshu　village；　he　went　to　the　right　schools；　and　got　the　right　grades。　In　short；　until　the　moment　he　was　hired　by　Budoko；　Yen　was　the　very　paradigm　of　Japanese　convention。
　〃　'Then；'　he　told　me；　'when　I　got　where　I　wanted　to　go；　I　started　the　process　of　fomentation。'　''
　〃Fomentation？〃　Russell　said。　〃What　the　hell　did　he　mean　by　that？〃
　''I　to　not　certain；''　Tori　said。　''But　making　an　educated　guess；　I'd　say　that　Yen　wanted　to　in　some　way　undermine　the　modern　system　of　Japanese　society。　Like　the　author；　Yukio　Mishima；　who　mitted　ritual　suicide　to　protest　what　he　saw　as　the　softening　of　the　powerful　Japanese　martial　culture。　Yen　saw　the　problems　hidden　within　the　astounding　economic　successes　of　modern…day　Japan。　I　think　he　saw　the　Japan　of　today　as　placent。　I　think　he　was　sickened　by　the　sight　of　his　countrymen　running　all　over　the　world；　buying　out　Tiffany's；　Fred's；　Cartier's；　Ungaro's；　you　name　it；　gathering　up　real　estate；　building　resorts…mini…Tokyos…all　over　Hawaii；　unwrapping　their　endless　rolls　of　money　to　snap　up　anything　that　caught　their　fancy。　〃The　Japanese；'　Yen　said　to　me；　'are　the　technology…rich　Ugly　Americans　of　the　fifties；　the　oil…rich　Arabs　of　the　seventies。　Now　we　are　no　better　than　the　rednecks　of　any　culture。　Progress　has　made　a　shambles　of　us。'　〃
　〃Christ；　just　what　was　this　philosopher　turned　international　lawyer　up　to？〃　Russell　said。
　〃Now　you're　beginning　to　see　the　attraction；〃　Tori　said。　〃But　there　was　another　side　of　Yen　that　you　wouldn't　be　able　to　see。　He　was　enormously　charismatic　in　a　physical　sense。　I　didn't　count　on　that　when　I　first　approached　him。
　〃I　did　it　in　the　prescribed　method。　I　manufactured　a　seemingly　accidental　meeting　while　he　was　away　for　the　weekend　in　Kyoto。　I　did　my　homework；　and　contrived　to　bump　into　him　on　the　bullet　train。
　〃He　was　exceptionally　charming。　He　had　this　way　of　engaging　you　in　conversation　that　was　actually　a　two…way　street。　He　thrived　on　dialogue；　not；　as　is　true　with　so　many　people；　in　telling　you　what　he　thought。
　〃He　was　on　his　way；　he　told　me；　to　the　Kokedera；　the　famous　Moss　Temple；　whose　magnificent　garden　is　posed　of　forty　varieties　of　moss。　Unless　you've　been　there；　you　cannot　imagine　the　peacefulness　of　that　place：　the　mist　dusting　the　pellucid　lake；　the　sunlight　filtered　through　the　tall　cryptomeria　and　black　pines；　spreading　a　light　like　fairy　dust　over　the　low…mounded　emerald　moss。　It's　a　heavenly　spot；　and　a　holy　one　as　well。　When　you're　at　Kokedera；　it's　impossible　to　imagine　time　moving。　It's　as　if　the　temple's　reality　is　so　powerful　it　defeats　even　time's　march。
　〃I　don't　expect　I'm　describing　this　adequate