el.angeleyes-第112部分

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　〃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？''
　〃I　don't　want　to　kill　you；〃　Hitasura　said。　〃Not　really。〃
　Tori　shook　her　head。　〃Too　late　for　remorse。〃
　〃Not　remorse。　Regret。　You　were　a　good　friend；　while　it　lasted。〃
　〃While　it　suited　you；　you　mean。〃
　Hitasura　shrugged。　〃I　have　no　interest　in　semantics。〃
　〃I've　no　doubt；〃　Tori　said。　〃You　can't　make　a　profit　on　it。〃
　〃It's　exceedingly　odd；〃　Hitasura　said　with　some　admiration；　〃but　in　many　ways　you　are　not　at　all　gaijin…not　at　all　the　foreigner。〃　He　shrugged。　〃I　suppose　there　are　still　some　things　in　the　world　I　do　not　understand。〃
　〃I　would　like　to　know　one　thing；〃　Tori　said。　〃Who　are　you　sending　the　nuclear　units　to？　Who　is　Bernard's　contact　inside　Russia？〃
　〃A　last　request；〃　Hitasura　said；　then　shrugged。　〃Why　not？　Who　are　you　going　to　tell？''　He　laughed。　''Bernard's　befriended　a　man　named　Valeri　Denysovich　Bondasenko。　The　man's　a　Ukrainian；　he's　spent　his　entire　career；　it　seems；　suppressing　minorities　for　the　Kremlin　while　secretly　working　for　their　unification。　Sounds　like　my　kind　of　guy；　but　I　don't　know。　From　what　Bernard　says；　Bondasenko　genuinely　hates　the　Russians；　but　then　again　he　could　be　KGB。　It's　happened　before；　I　understand。　I　don't　personally　trust　any　of　these　Russians。　Far　too　inscrutable。　What　is　it　they　want；　anyway？　To　bury　the　West　or　to　make　money　from　it？　It's　tough　to　put　your　trust　in　a　schizophrenic；　but　apparently　that's　just　what　Bernard's　done。
　''And　now　God　help　him；　because　we　just　got　an　emergency　coded　cable：　something's　happened　in　Moscow；　and　the　situation　is　rapidly　getting　out　of　hand。　Bondasenko's　White　Star　organization　has　sprung　a　serious　leak。　Knowing　that；　I've　washed　my　hands　of　Bernard　as　quick　as　you　can　slide　a　clam　down　your　throat。　There's　a　dead　drop　we　use　at　the　Hotel　Rossiya　in　Moscow；　addressed　to　a　Mrs。　Kubysheva。　I　wouldn't　use　it　now　if　you　paid　me　fifty　million　yen。　I　don't　need　any　of　the　plications　that　inevitably　e　from　trying　to　be　a　saint。　In　this　day　and　age；　a　saint　is　synonymous　with　a　sucker。〃
　Hitasura　looked　at　her。　〃Is　that　it　for　your　last　request？　Can　we　get　on　with　it？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Tori　said。
　Hitasura　pulled　the　trigger。　The　explosion　was　loud　in　the　booth；　but　amid　the　sound　and　vision　of　pachinko；　no　one　noticed。　Besides；　the　booth's　glass　panels　were　both　bullet…　and　soundproof。
　Tori　was　slammed　back　against　the　glass；　a　hole　torn　in　her　jacket　just　over　her　heart。　She　collapsed；　and　Hitasura　was　across　the　booth　in　one　stride。　He　stood　over　her；　much　as　he　had　stood　over　Big　Ezoe　in　the　corridor　of　the　Kaijin　tea　house　in　Shim…bashi。
　He　kicked　Tori's　thigh　with　the　toe　of　his　shoe；　but　there　was　no　sign　of　movement。　He　squatted；　put　the　muzzle　of　his　pistol　against　her　forehead　in　preparation　for　the　shot　that　would　make　certain　she　was　dead。
　At　that　moment　Koi　tore　open　the　door　to　the　glassed…in　booth。　Hitasura；　hearing　her；　swung　the　pistol　in　an　arc　toward　her。
　And　in　that　instant　of　hesitation；　Tori's　right　hand　blurred　upward；　her　hardened　heel　smashing　into　the　base　of　his　nose　with　such　force　it　drove　the　cartilage　in　one　piece　back　through　his　sinuses；　into　his　brain　cavity。
　Hitasura's　expression　was　one　of　dismay。　It　was　frozen　on　his　face　as　his　upper　torso　tumbled　backward。　His　head　hit　against　the　leg　of　one　of　the　chairs；　but　he　was　past　caring。
　Koi　came　over　to　where　Tori　sat　with　her　back　against　the　glass　panel。　Koi　stared　down　into　Hitasura's　face；　then　she　knelt　beside　Tori。
　〃Are　you　all　right？〃
　〃He's　dead；　isn't　he？〃　Tori's　voice　seemed　far　away。
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Another　part　of　me　gone。''　Tori　closed　her　eyes。　Her　heart　was　pounding　furiously；　and　no　amount　of　prana　would　slow　it。　〃I　didn't　want　to　hurt　him。　I　never　came　to　hate　him。〃　Then　she　looked　up　into　Koi's　face。　〃This　killing　must　stop。〃
　Koi　nodded；　reached　over；　picked　Tori　up。　She　put　her　hand　beneath　Tori's　jacket；　her　blouse。　〃Wearing　this　Kevlar　vest　was　a　risk；〃　she　said。　〃What　if　he'd　aimed　his　first　shot　for　your　head？〃
　Tori　said；　as　they　stepped　over　Hitasura's　body；　〃Then　that　would　have　been　me　lying　there。　It　would　be　all　over。〃
　Tori's　knees　buckled；　and　Koi　caught　her。
　〃Now　you　must　repay　me　for　helping　you；〃　Koi　said。　〃There　is　something　I　must　do；　and　I　fear　I　cannot　do　it　alone。〃
　Sengakuji。　The　resting　place　of　history's　revered　heroes；　the　splendid　forty…seven　ronin。　The　place　where　Kakuei　Sakata　had　purified　his　spirit；　where　he　had　regained　his　honor　by　mitting　seppuku；　ritual　suicide。
　In…ibuki；　Koi's　soft　abdominal　breathing；　changed　to　yo…ibuki；　the　hard；　aggressive　breathing　of　battle　and　stress。　Wordlessly；　she　pressed　the　translations　of　Sakata's　ledgers　into　Tori's　hands；　then　knelt　on　the　carpet　of　grass。
　Among　the　gaily　waving　flowers　her　white　garb　stood　out　starkly。　She　hoped　that　this　one　spot　of　purity　among　the　vibrant　colors　would　remain　in　Tori's　memory　as　it　had　in　hers　from　the　day　of　Sakata…san's　death。　She　could　still　remember　the　wind　whipping　his　loose　white　leggings；　the　glare　of　sunlight　on　his　blade　at　the　instant　before　he　reversed　it；　plunging　it　into　his　lower　belly。
　Tori　bent　down；　closed　her　hand　over　Koi's　where　it　clasped　the　short　killing　sword。　〃Don't　do　this；〃　she　said　urgently。　〃I　beg　you　to　reconsider。　There　are　alternatives。〃
　〃For　you；　perhaps；〃　Koi　said；　〃but　not　for　me。　I　see　now　that　I　have　trod　too　long　and　too　heavily　down　one　path。''
　''But　you　have　a　friend　now；''　Tori　said。　''Your　life　is　already　changing。〃
　But　Koi　was　already　shaking　her　head。　〃An　illusion。　A　pleasant　one；　I've　no　doubt　you　think；　but　also　a　treacherous　one；　for　no　matter　how　much　I　may　fight　against　the　violence　inside　me；　it　will　overtake　me。　If　not　today；　then　tomorrow　or　the　day　after。　My　spirit　is　unclean。　It　longs　to　be　purified。〃
　She　turned　her　head　toward　Tori；　and　Tori　could　see　the　tears　in　her　eyes。
　〃Oh；　my　dear；〃　Tori　whispered。
　The　tears　ran。　〃It's　not　me　I　think　of　now；　but　others　I　no　longer　wish　to　harm。　You。〃
　With　that；　Koi　plunged　the　blade　to　the　hilt　into　herself。
　〃Koi！〃
　Koi's　lips　rounded　and　a　tiny　〃Oh！〃　escaped　her　bloodless　lips。　She　drew　her　elbows　in。　Her　whole　body　was　shaking。　With　an　effort　that　Tori　found　unimaginable；　she　dragged　the　buried　blade　from　left　to　right；　cutting　herself　open。
　The　stench　was　appalling。　Steam　came　from　her；　like　a　mist　over　spectral　fields。　She　slumped　over　the　buried　blade；　her　bloodied；　white…knuckled　fists。　Blood　crawled　down　her　thighs；　soaking　into　the　grass。
　〃It　grows　dark；〃　Koi　whispered。　〃Don't　go。〃
　〃I'm　here；〃　Tori　said。　Despair　and　helplessness　mingled　inside　her。　In　her　mouth　was　the　nauseating　taste　of　fresh　blood。
　〃It　grows　darker　still。　But　the　mountains　。。。　the　mountains　are　alive　。　。　。　with　light。〃
　Death　came　to　Koi　like　a　cloud　obscuring　the　moon；　a　film　covering　her　staring　eyes；　seeing　their　mysterious　mountains；　alive　with　a　light　only　she　could　see。
　It　took　a　long　time　to　fill　Russell　in；　but　after　what　had　happened　in　the　pachinko　parlor；　it　was　no　longer　in　Tori's　interest　to　remain　in　Tokyo；　so　Tori　locked　herself　in　with　him　in　the　main　cabin　of　their　727　and；　as　the　jet　took　off；　went　over　everything　she　had　been　told　and　had　discovered　a　step　at　a　time。
　She　told　him　about　the　coalition　of　Michita；　Yen；　and　Hitasura　that　Bernard　had　created。　She　told　him　about　Hitasura　having　Ariel　Solares　murdered　because　Ariel；　like　Tom　Royce　before　him；　had　begun　his　own　investigation　of　the　clandestine　affairs　within　the　clandestine　affairs　of　Mall　Central。　She　even　detailed　her　own　unwitting　role　in　playing　watchdog　to　Hitasura　and　in　helping　Bernard　e　up　with　Kunio　Michita；　a　far　better　and　more　powerful　business　partner　than　Tok　Murashito　had　been。
　It　was　good　for　her　to　have　to　explain　everything　to　someone　else。　She　had　had　so　many　shocks　in　so　short　a　time；　she　needed　to　talk　about　these　things　out　loud　in　order　to　make　sense　of　them。　Still；　it　surprised　her　how　calmly　Russell　took　the　revelations。
　〃You　were　right　on　target　with　Bernard；〃　Tori　said。　〃It　tears　me　apart　to　think　how　he　used　both　of　us。　How