el.angeleyes-第17部分

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　〃No　you　don't；〃　Tori　said。　〃Don't　lay　this　off　on　Ariel。〃　She　came　across　the　room；　stood　looking　down　at　him。　〃You　have　no　idea　why　he　was　murdered　or　even　who　did　it；　because　if　you　did；　you　wouldn't　be　wasting　your　time　debriefing　me。〃　No；　she　thought；　you　need　me；　Russell。　That's　why　you're　here。　I　passed　your　reentrance　exams　and　now　you　want　me　back。
　Russell　was　shaking　his　head。　〃What　a　waste。　If　only　you'd　consented　to　allow　our　specialists　to　look　after　you　following　the　incident。　Don't　you　see；　by　insisting　on　your　own　doctors　…　Japanese　doctors　who　we　could　neither　vet　nor　vouch　for…you　put　the　entire　Mall　network　in　jeopardy。　I　had　no　choice　but　to　sever　our　ties　at　once。　You　brought　on　your　own　fate　with　us。〃
　〃I　did　what　I　had　to　do　in　order　to　save　myself；〃　Tori　said。　〃I　knew　nothing　about　your　specialists；　but　I　did　know　mine。　They　are　friends；　and　they　are　the　best　at　reconstructive　surgery。〃
　〃That　all　may　well　be　true；　but…〃
　〃You　still　don't　get　it；　do　you？''　Tori　shook　her　head。　''Without　this　body；　without　it　being　able　to　do　everything　it　did　before；　I　would　have　been　nothing。　I　would　not　have　been　able　to　live　with　myself。〃
　〃I　fully　understand　your　concern　for　your　body。　But　our　people　were　just　as　good　as　your　Japanese　surgeons；　and　they　had　the　highest　security　clearance。　Who　knows　what　you　could　have　revealed　about　the　Mail　under　anesthesia？　I　had　all　of　my　people　to　think　about；　not　just　you。〃
　〃Clever；〃　Tori　said；　〃but　it's　not　enough。　You　used　that　incident；　but　that　wasn't　the　real　reason　you　severed　me。　That's　the　one　thing　you　haven't　lied　about。　We　were　like　siblings。　I　was　your　major　petition　with　Bernard；　and　you　wanted　me　out　of　the　way；　and　you　got　what　you　wanted　because　in　the　end　the　Mall's　like　every　other　place；　a　bastion　of　male　superiority。''
　〃Control　was　never　a　place　for　you；　you're　quite　right　about　that。〃　Russell　stood。　〃But　now　you're　not　on　any　missions；　either。　That　must　be　a　source　of　considerable　pain　for　you。〃　his　eyes　were　on　her。　〃As　far　as　the　hip　is　concerned…〃
　''The　Japanese　surgeons　put　in　a　prosthesis　of　a　material　that's　far　superior　to　human　bone。　It's　ten　times　more　flexible　and　one　hundred　times　as　strong。〃　She　gave　him　a　cold　smile。　〃But　since　you　asked；　there's　no　pain　on　wet　days；　no　unusual　friction；　nothing　that　reminds　me　that　the　hip　had　once　been　shattered。　Except　that　I　run；　jump；　and　twist　better　than　I　did　before　the　implant。〃
　〃In　any　event；　you　seem　to　have　gotten　out　of　the　tunnels　in　an　ingenious　fashion。〃　It　was　his　way　of　saying　he　believed　her；　but　at　the　same　time　he　had　confirmed　her　suspicion　that　Ariel　had　been　ordered　to　test　her。　Under　the　circumstances；　she　felt　it　to　be　an　inadequate　victory。
　She　continued　to　study　him。　〃You'll　never　admit　that　I　did　the　right　thing　by　going　to　my　friends　instead　of　using　your　people。〃
　〃The　truth　is　you　made　a　decision…one　of　many；　I　might　say…with　your　emotions　instead　of　your　brain；〃　Russell　said。　〃Worse；　you　could　not　see　the　danger　in　putting　yourself　in　the　hands　of　those　not　under　Mall　discipline。　I'm　afraid　you　left　me　no　choice。〃
　〃How　convenient　memory　can　be。〃
　〃We　all　believe　what　we　need　to　believe；　Tori。〃
　〃Except　for　Bernard。〃
　〃You　give　Bernard　entirely　too　much　credit；〃　Russell　said。　〃But　that's　no　doubt　because　Bernard　Godwin　recruited　you。　He　was　your　mentor。　But；　you　see；　Bernard　handed　the　reins　over　to　me。　You　never　understood　that；　or　never　wanted　to。　You　mistrusted　me　from　the　outset。〃
　''I　detested　the　callous　way　you　used　people。''
　Russell　smiled　at　her。　〃You　forget　that　Bernard　Godwin　was　my　mentor；　as　well。〃
　There　was　a　silence　for　a　time。　Tori　digested　both　the　tone　and　the　thrust　of　the　conversation。　At　length　she　said；　〃There's　really　nothing　you　can　say　that　will　change　my　mind。〃
　〃About　what？〃
　〃About　returning　to　the　Mall。〃
　〃That's　not　why　I　came　here。〃
　'　'Isn't　it？''　Tori　said。　She　matched　his　smile；　but　all　the　time　her　heart　was　beating　fast。　〃Perhaps　you're　right。　In　that　case；　you've　got　what　you　came　for。〃
　〃Right；〃　Russell　said。　〃Don't　want　to　overstay　my　wele。〃
　〃You　never　had　one。''
　He　laughed。　〃Thanks　for　the　drink。　You've　been　the　perfect　hostess。〃
　Tori　said　nothing。
　〃A　bientot；〃　Russell　said。　Until　we　meet　again。
　〃That'll　be　the　day。〃
　
　The　library；　so　cozy　and　snug　in　the　daytime；　was　now　wreathed　in　the　shadows　of　evening；　made　gloomy　and　depressing　by　her　dream　as　well　as　by　the　onset　of　night。
　Tori　sat　curled　in　the　huge　leather　chair；　still　feeling　Russell　Slade's　presence　as　if　it　had　somehow　been　imprinted　upon　her　flesh。　For　a　moment　she　was　suddenly　overe　by　panic。　Her　hip！　What　if　Russell　had　mentioned　it　to　her　mother？　Tori　had　never　told　her　parents　that　she　had　been　injured；　or　that　she　had　a　prosthetic　hip。　She　could　imagine　Russell　saying。　It's　wonderful　that　your　daughter　has　fully　recovered；　Mrs。　Nunn。　But　no；　she　knew　him　better　than　that。　Always　security…conscious；　Russell　never　said　any　more　than　he　had　to。　He　was　the　consummate　spy；　his　lies　were　largely　those　of　omission。
　Feeling　a　bit　calmer；　Tori　got　off　the　chair；　went　to　the　desk。　She　put　her　hands　on　the　box　Ariel　had　given　her。　She　opened　it　once　again；　took　out　the　color　snapshot；　stared　at　it。　It　was　a　photo　of　Ariel；　clearly　taken　recently；　perhaps　only　weeks　before　he　had　e　down　to　Buenos　Aires。　In　the　background　Tori　could　see　trees；　walkways；　benches；　one　of　San　Francisco's　small　parks。　Tori　could　see　Russian　Hill　in　the　distance；　so　the　park　was　close　to　where　Ariel　had　lived。　His　face　was　in　partial　shade；　but　it　must　have　been　quite　sunny　because　his　eyes　were　crinkled　up　against　the　light。　He　was　smiling。　Just　behind　him　was　what　looked　like　a　bronze　sundial　and；　beyond；　a　child　at　play。　At　the　edge　of　the　park　a　couple　was　walking　toward　the　camera；　and　a　bit　closer　there　was　a　man　in　the　left…hand　corner　of　the　frame。　They　were　all　too　distant　for　her　to　be　able　to　make　out　their　faces。
　Tori　had　studied　this　photograph　endlessly　since　she　had　e　home；　searching　for　a　clue　as　to　what　might　make　it　important　enough　for　Ariel；　at　me　point　of　death；　to　entrust　her　with　it。　But　she　could　find　nothing　out　of　the　ordinary。　It　was　just　a　photo　of　a　man　in　the　park。　Ariel。　Was　this　the　sum　total　of　him；　all　that　might　pass　for　a　legacy？
　There　was　a　soft　knock　on　the　library　door；　and　Laura　Nunn　entered。　〃Darling；　it's　so　late。　We　were　waiting　dinner　for　you。〃
　Tori　glanced　at　her　watch。　'　'But　it's　only　six…thirty。　Mother。''
　Laura　Nunn　smiled。　〃Seven…thirty。　We　turned　the　clocks　ahead　this　morning。　It's　Daylight　Saving　Time。　Summer's　on　its　way。〃　She　cocked　her　head。　〃You're　hungry　aren't　you？〃
　Tori；　putting　away　the　mysterious　photo　of　Ariel；　said；　〃As　a　matter　of　fact　I　am。〃
　
　And　speaking　of　Zen　policemen；　Tori　thought；　hours　later　when　she　was　alone　in　her　room；　there　was　Bernard　Godwin；　the　father　figure　in　her　life。　She　had　met　him　and　her　life　had　changed；　as　if　he　had　been　a　bolt　of　lightning；　or　a　Zen　policeman。
　She　was　sitting　at　the　art　deco　vanity…a　Christmas　gift　from　her　mother…where；　years　before；　Laura　Nunn　had　put　ribbons　in　her　hair；　tying　them　just　so；　the　perfect　mother　making　her　daughter　in　her　image。　Perfect。　Tori；　running　her　brush　through　her　thick　hair　now；　shuddered。　She　stared　at　herself　in　the　mirror；　and　remembered　。　。　。
　Almost　ten　years　ago　she　had　been；　in　the　current　street　patois；　a　wild　child…what　the　society　of　sixteenth　century　feudal　Japan　would　have　called　a　ronin…a　masterless　samurai。
　Those　were　the　days　when　Tori　haunted　the　wicked　back　streets；　the　evil　bars　squatting　in　the　putrid　backwaters；　bastard　splinters　of　Tokyo's　monolithic　nature。
　There　were　so　many　empty　spaces　in　Tori's　mind；　she　could　afford　little　sleep；　because　in　rest　she　would　be　forced　to　look　into　the　emptiness　and　see；　perhaps；　what　she　was　not　ready　to　confront。　Instead　she　walked　the　line　closest　to　the　abyss　of　death　in　order　to　prove　to　herself　that　she　was　still　alive。
　It　was　inconceivable　to　her；　for　instance；　that　she　might　be　homesick。　Oh；　she　missed　Greg；　but　that　was　a　given　for　her。　It　never　occurred　to　her　that　she　might　long　to　see　her　father　again；