el.angeleyes-第111部分

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　added　a　moment　of　unexpected　amusement　to　an　otherwise　serious　discussion。〃
　〃What's　struck　you　so　funny？〃　She　had　not　wanted　to　give　him　the　satisfaction　of　asking；　but　she；　too；　could　not　help　herself。
　〃Mmm。　I　suppose　you　could　not　have　forgotten　Tom　Royce。　No；　I　see　by　the　expression　on　your　face；　you　have　not。　Then　there　is　Tok　Murashito。　I　know　you　remember　him。　What　an　interview　you　had　with　him；　you　the　avenging　angel　out　to　nail　him　for　killing　that　idiot　Royce。''
　Tori　was　astonished。　〃How　do　you　know　about　my　meeting　with　Murashito？〃
　〃Well；　it　wasn't　from　you；　was　it？〃　Hitasura　cocked　his　head。　〃Figure　it　out　for　yourself。　Having　trouble？　Okay；　I'll　go　on。　Murashito　killed　Royce；　all　right；　but　he　didn't　do　it　because　Royce　had　raped　his　daughter。　The　funny　thing　is　that　I　think　Tom　Royce　was　fully　capable　of　rape；　but　Murashito　was　far　too　clever　to　allow　his　daughter　anywhere　near　Royce。
　〃No；　Murashito　killed　Royce　because　he　was　ordered　to。　By　whom？　you　are　about　to　ask。　Why；　by　Bernard　Godwin。　Royce　had　begun　his　own　investigation　into　Godwin's　involvement　here　in　Japan；　and　the　deeper　he　got；　it　seems　the　less　he　liked　what　he　saw。　That's　why　he　angled　to　take　the　assignment　to　e　to　Japan　to　brief　you。　Godwin　let　him　e；　until　that　moment；　he　had　not　been　sure　that　Royce　was　the　one　doing　the　burrowing　behind　his　back。　Once　he　was　sure；　Royce's　fate　was　sealed。　He　was　a　dead　man。　So　you　can　see　how　empty　a　threat　you've　just　made。　No　one　from　the　Mall　will　e　to　avenge　your　death…　or　that　of　Mr。　Slade。　There　will　no　doubt　be　an　investigation；　but　Bernard　will　handle　it　himself。　The　circumstances　dictate　it；　after　all。〃　Another　laugh　was　squeezed　out　of　him；　and　Tori　shivered。
　Hitasura　cocked　his　head　again；　responding　to　the　dumbfounded　look　on　Tori's　face。　〃Are　you　shocked？　Perhaps　I've　gone　too　fast　and　you're　not　following　me。　Shall　I　slow　down？〃
　All　she　could　think　of　was　Bernard　Godwin：　how　he　had　manipulated　everyone　around　him；　including　her。　She　had　thought　of　him　as　a　surrogate　father；　when　all　along　he　had　been　using　her。　She　heard　Russell's　voice；　Bernard　told　me　what　to　do　to　you　if　your　undisciplined　methodology　got　in　the　way。　He　told　me　to　terminate　you。　How　right　Russell　had　been　about　him。
　〃Go　on；〃　she　said；　concentrating　now　on　the　present。　〃I　assume；　then；　that　you've　been　working　for　the　Mall　for　years。''
　〃Oh；　no。　Not　the　Mall。　For　Bernard　Godwin　himself。〃　Hitasura　permitted　himself　another　small　smile；　as　if　he　were　a　dieter　doling　himself　sweets。　〃Working　with　individuals；　I've　found；　is　far　more　rewarding　than　being　part　of　a　machine。　I　think　you　understand　that　well；　Tori…san。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃I　must　admit　I　never　understood　your　consenting　to　e　back　to　them。　Why　did　you　do　that？〃
　〃Because；〃　Tori　said；　〃I　had　nothing　else。〃
　Hitasura　pursed　his　lips。　〃Poor　girl。　If　I　had　known…〃
　〃Forget　it。　I　wouldn't　have　been　interested。〃　She　put　her　head　in　her　hands。　〃How　could　I　have　been　so　wrong　about　Bernard。　He's　trafficking　in　that　supercoke；　after　all。〃
　''Are　you　kidding？''　Hitasura　said。　〃He'd　try　to　skin　me　alive　if　he　knew　what　I　was　up　to。〃
　Tori　raised　her　head；　staring　at　him。　She　had　the　sensation　of　her　heartbeat　being　slow　and　painfully　heavy；　as　if　her　heart　was　being　set　in　cement。　〃What　are　you　saying？〃
　〃In　some　important　matters；　Bernard　is　slightly　behind　the　times。　I　attribute　it　to　his　essentially　altruistic　nature。　I　find　that　odd　in　a　man　who　must；　in　his　chosen　profession；　be　so　profoundly　pragmatic。　But　there　you　are。　People　are　often　far　more　plex　than　you　ever　give　them　credit　for　being。〃
　〃You　were　supplementing　what　he　was　paying　you；　is　that　it？〃
　Hitasura　nodded。　〃Essentially；　yes。　Bernard's　an　excellent　business　partner　in　some　respects；　but　in　others　he's　sorely　lacking。　His　obsession　to　free　the　Soviets　from　their　Russian　masters　has　blinded　him　to　many　things；　including　my　method　of　getting　the　hafnium　into　Japan。　He　didn't　ask；　and　I　didn't　tell。　He　was　too　busy　making　sure　those　teeny…tiny　hafnium…controlled　reactor　cores　were　being　fitted　inside　some　kind　of　prototype　nuclear　devices。〃
　〃My　God。〃　Our　worst　nightmare　has　e　true；　Tori　thought。
　But　either　Hitasura　didn't　get　it；　or　he　didn't　care。　He　laughed。　〃It　was　rather　neat；　I　thought；　using　Bernard's　altruism　to　make　me　rich。　Until　you　came　back；　nosing　around。　What　a　pest　you've　bee；　Tori…san。　Such　a　disappointment；　especially　in　a　friend。〃
　Tori　was　appalled。　Her　head　was　throbbing；　and　she　felt　as　if　she　had　been　struck　in　the　stomach；　but　she　knew　she　had　to　press　on；　get　all　the　poison　out　at　once　in　order　for　some　sense　of　healing　to　begin。　〃And　Ariel　Solares？〃
　〃Oh；　him。''　This　discussion　appeared　on　the　verge　of　boring　Hitasura。　〃He　was　like　Royce；　nosing　around；　getting　suspicious　of　what　might　be　happening　under　his　nose；　behind　closed　doors。　He　had　bee　a　liability　to　Bernard…and　to　me。　I　had　him　killed。〃
　With　her　heart　in　her　throat。　Ton　said；　〃Did　Bernard　order　Ariel's　murder？〃
　Hitasura　laughed。　〃God；　no。　Bernard　hadn't　the　stomach　for　it。　We　discussed　it；　of　course。　But　he　was　too　afraid　of　Solares's　friendship　with　Estilo。　But　I　knew　better。　I　knew　that　Solares　had　got　further　in　his　investigation　of　us　than　Bernard　suspected。　I　did　what　had　to　be　done　for　the　good　of　all　of　us。〃
　Tori　slumped　in　her　chair。　There　was　a　feeling　of　desolation　inside　her；　the　same　terrible　sensation　one　got　when　one　squeezed　the　life　out　of　another　human　being。　Every　time　it　happened；　she　felt　somehow　diminished；　as　if　a　piece　of　her　soul　were　being　chipped　away；　falling　into　a　fathomless　blackness　from　which　it　could　never　be　retrieved。
　Now　she　saw　another　reason　had　prompted　Estilo　to　warn　her。　It　was　not　only　a　question　of　friendship；　of　his　caring　about　her。　It　was　also　revenge。　Tori　remembered　the　eerie　story　Estilo　had　told　her　about　the　German　twins　in　Buenos　Aires　who　had　been　so　cruel　to　him；　and　how　he　had　waited　to　gain　his　revenge　on　them　by　turning　their　love　and　trust　in　each　other　into　fear　and　hate。　Estilo　lived　by　his　own　unique　brand　of　justice。　Not　for　him　the　bullet　in　the　back　of　the　head；　that　was　too　quick。　His　definition　of　revenge　was　dominated　by　the　verb　''to　suffer。''
　It　seemed　clear　now　that　Ariel　had　told　Estilo　of　his　suspicions　about　Bernard；　and　when　Ariel　was　murdered；　it　was　natural　for　Estilo　to　think　that　Bernard　had　ordered　the　hit　in　order　to　protect　himself。
　This　was　to　be　Estilo's　revenge：　he　wanted　her　to　find　out　everything　so　she　could　bring　Bernard　down　for　him。
　With　an　effort　of　will；　Tori　brought　herself　back　to　the　present。　〃You　were　Bernard's　eyes　and　ears　inside　Kaga；　weren't　you？〃
　Hitasura　nodded。　〃My　people　are　very　highly　placed　in　many　useful　industries。　We　may　not　control　them　yet；　but　we　certainly　can　manipulate　them　when　there　is　a　need。''
　〃And　me？　Why　did　Bernard　seek　me　out　all　those　years　ago？　If　he　had　you　and　Murashito；　what　did　he　need　me　for？〃
　〃That　I　can't　say　for　certain；〃　Hitasura　admitted；　〃though　knowing　Bernard　as　I　do；　I　suspect　he　wanted　someone　to　keep　an　eye　оn　mе。〃
　〃I　guess　I　didn't　do　such　a　hot　job。〃
　〃I　don't　know　about　that。　You　know　what　I'm　doing；　and　Bernard　doesn't。〃
　Tori　said；　〃Tell　me　something。　What　would　have　happened　to　me　if　I　hadn't　bought　Murashito's　bullshit　about　Royce　raping　his　daughter？　What　if　I　had　gone　ahead　and　killed　him？　〃
　Hitasura　shrugged。　〃Nothing；　I'm　quite　certain。　By　exposing　Murashito；　you　effectively　killed　him；　anyway。　He　became　useless　to　Bernard。〃
　〃So　you　two　had　to　find　someone　to　take　his　place；〃　Tori　said。　〃Enter　Kunio　Michita。〃
　〃That's　right。　In　fact；　you　did　us　a　favor。　Kunio　Michita's　far　more　venal　than　Murashito　ever　was。　He's　more　powerful；　too。〃
　〃God；　what　a　fool　I've　been。〃
　''In　America；''　Hitasura　said；　''history　shows　that　your　countrymen　make　heroes　of　fools。〃　His　hand　slid　around　the　grip　of　his　pistol。　He　lifted　it；　aiming　it　at　Tori's　chest。　〃It's　a　pity　you'll　never　see　America　again。''
　Tori　stood　up；　and　she　felt　his　tension　soar。
　〃Don't；〃　he　said；　tracking　her　with　the　muzzle　of　the　pistol。
　〃Why　not　do　what　I　want；〃　Tori　said；　〃if　you're　going　to　shoot　me　all　the　same？''