el.angeleyes-第19部分

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ble　drinking　it　from　the　bottle。　He　was　dressed　in　a　pair　of　dark　blue　trousers；　a　polo　shirt　of　the　same　color；　and　a　handsome　jacket　of　soft　chocolate…colored　lambskin。　He　wore　highly　polished　John　Lobb　stalking　shoes　that　made　no　sound　when　he　walked。
　Tori　liked　the　way　he　moved…not　quickly；　but　lithely；　with　a　sense　of　purpose　always。　His　were　not　the　mannerisms　of　a　young　man；　but　they　certainly　weren't　the　mannerisms　of　an　old　man；　either。　Far　from　it。　Bernard　Godwin　had　obviously　put　his　years　to　good　use；　learning　as　he　went；　from　many　sources。　Tori　found　this　interesting。　In　fact；　she　found　Bernard　Godwin　altogether　fascinating；　but　after　the　incident　in　the　fugu　restaurant　when　he　had　so　effortlessly　seen　through　her；　she　was　careful　not　to　let　him　know　this。　He　wanted　something　from　her。　She　thought　that　the　chances　were　good　that　he　would　get　it；　but　it　was　she　who　wanted　to　set　the　price。
　〃You　said　something　about　a　proposition；〃　Tori　said；　flopping　down　beside　Bernard　Godwin　on　the　rolled…up　futon　she　slept　on　that　doubled　as　a　sofa。
　〃Yes；　indeed。〃　Bernard　had　stretched　out　his　long　legs；　crossing　them　at　the　ankles。　His　eyes　were　hooded；　as　if　the　sake　was　finally　catching　up　to　him　or　he　had　passed　his　bedtime。　〃This　is　something　I've　no　doubt　will　pique　your　interest。〃
　〃First　I'd　like　to　know　how　you　heard　about　me。〃
　Bernard　took　a　sip　of　the　Kirin。　''The　Yakuza　might　call　you　the　Wild　Child；　but　there　are　others　to　whom　you　are　known　as　the　Female　Ronin。''　He　turned　his　head　toward　her。　''In　certain　circles　you　really　are　quite　famous。''
　〃Like　a　celebrity。〃　Tori　got　up；　turned　on　the　stereo。　Jefferson　Airplane。　Stomping　backbeat；　swirling　melody。　Grace　Slick　singing　''White　Rabbit。''　Yeah；　Tori　thought。　You　tell　'em；　Gracie。　Who　knows　what　evil　lurks　in　the　hearts　of　men？　When　Tori　came　back　to　sit　beside　Bernard；　she　said；　〃What　circles？〃
　〃My　kind　of　circle；〃　he　said　in　his　sleepy　voice。　〃Yours；　too；　I　imagine。''　He　sucked　at　his　Kirin。
　〃Yeah？　What　makes　you　so　sure？〃
　〃You　want　it　straight？　Okay。　You're　an　angry　young　woman　looking　for　direction。　Right　now；　you'd　as　soon　throw　yourself　in　the　furnace　as　someone　else。　Right　now；　it　doesn't　matter　all　that　much　to　you　as　long　as　someone　burns。　But　I'm　here　to　tell　you　that　it　does　matter。　It　matters　very　much。〃
　〃Why？〃
　For　some　time　Bernard　Godwin　was　quiet。　Then　he　leaned　forward；　put　the　Kirin　bottle　on　the　free…form　glass　and　iron　coffee　table。　He　put　his　elbows　on　his　knees。　〃There　was　a　guy　I　know；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃This　was　a　long　time　ago。　This　guy　was　about　your　age；　perhaps　a　couple　of　years　younger。　His　mother　had　just　died；　and　all　through　the　funeral　he　was　hoping　his　father　would　walk　into　the　funeral　parlor…just　for　a　minute；　even…to　pay　his　respects。
　〃This　guy's　father　had　run　out　on　his　wife　when　his　son　was　five　years　old。　He　found　another　woman；　maybe；　or　maybe　he　liked　to　go　from　woman　to　woman；　who　knows？　Anyway；　the　guy　hadn't　seen　his　father　in　all　those　years。　He　hadn't　thought　that　he　really　wanted　to…harboring　in　his　heart　this　hatred　for　his　old　man…but　now　at　the　moment　when　the　minister　was　speaking　of　the　fulfilled　life　of　the　dearly　departed；　he　saw　the　eulogy　for　a　lie；　and　this　guy　knew　that　he　had　to　see　his　father　again。
　〃Soon　after　his　mother　was　buried；　the　guy　traveled　west　to　Chicago；　where　his　father　had　taken　up　residence。　He　ate　lunch　at　a　great　rib　soul　shack　on　the　South　Side；　where　he　was　served　by　a　black　woman　who　had　hickory　ash　in　her　hair；　then　he　walked　to　the　building　where　his　father　worked。
　''His　father　was　a　reporter　for　a　Chicago　paper；　and　when　his　son　asked　to　see　him；　the　guy　was　told　that　his　father　was　out　running　down　a　story。　No　one　knew　where　he　was　or　when　he　would　be　back。
　〃This　guy　said　he　was　the　reporter's　son；　that　he　hadn't　seen　his　father　in　years；　and　that　he'd　wait。　No　one　said　a　thing。
　〃He　was　shown　to　his　father's　desk；　and　he　sat　down　in　an　old　scarred　swivel　chair　that　squeaked　when　he　moved　it　back　and　forth。
　〃He　saw　the　clutter　on　his　father's　desk　and　thought　of　the　clutter　of　his　mother's　life。　He　saw　the　old　IBM　typewriter　on　his　father's　desk　and　thought　of　how　often　his　mother　longed　to　hear　from　his　father；　walking　to　the　mailbox　with　an　expression　of　hope；　returning　with　the　weight　of　a　secret　defeat。　Only　it　hadn't　been　a　secret　from　her　son；　who　saw　everything；　and　hurt　when　she　hurt。
　''This　guy　opened　the　drawers　of　his　father's　desk　one　by　one　as　if　he　hoped　to　reveal　the　ghosts　of　the　past　he　could　not　remember；　the　specters　of　a　past　that　might　have　been。　In　the　lower　right…hand　drawer；　underneath　a　half…empty　box　of　Kleenех；　he　pulled　out　a　framed　picture　of　his　mother　and　himself　as　a　small　boy。　He　could　not　remember　the　picture　having　been　taken。　He　put　the　photograph　away；　as　if　he　were　not　really　certain　that　little　boy　was　him。
　〃Time　passed；　day　into　night。　The　son　fell　asleep；　his　head　on　his　folded　arms；　his　arms　on　his　father's　desk。　When　he　awoke；　he　saw　his　father　standing　in　front　of　the　desk；　peering　down　at　him。
　''　'　Son；'　his　father　said；　'what　the　hell　are　you　doing　here？'　''
　There　was　silence　for　some　time。　Even　Grace　Slick　had　the　sense　to　keep　quiet。　Tori　did　not　stir；　though　she　felt　the　need　to　cut　the　silence　with　music。
　At　last　Bernard　Godwin　got　up；　fetched　two　more　Kirins　for　them　from　the　refrigerator。　Tori　heard　the　tops　popping；　and　it　was　a　kind　of　music。　She　took　the　bottle　Bernard　offered　her；　but　she　didn't　drink　it　right　away。
　Bernard　said；　〃I　guess　in　my　case　the　truth　was　simple：　my　father　was　a　dyed…in…the…wool　sonuvabitch。　People　who　knew　him　better　than　either　I　or　my　mother　did　said　he　had　to　be　like　that　to　be　such　a　good　reporter；　but　I　didn't　give　a　damn　what　they　said。　As　far　as　I　could　see；　he　was　an　abject　failure。　But　there　you　are；　everyone　has　to　have　his　own　opinion。〃
　〃Maybe　we're　not　so　different；〃　Tori　said　at　last。
　Bernard　Godwin　took　a　thoughtful　swig　of　his　beer。　〃Well；　if　life　has　taught　me　anything；　it's　this：　truth　is　a　plex　ani…mal。　Every　time　you　think　you've　caught　it　by　the　tail；　it　turns　around　and　bites　you　on　the　ass。〃
　Tori　laughed；　but　she　knew　he　was　serious。
　As　the　gray　end　of　the　night　became　the　pearl…blue　beginning　of　a　new　day；　Tori　and　Bernard　Godwin　strolled　through　a　Tokyo　filled　with　the　last　rumblings　of　delivery　trucks。　The　bridges　were　filled　with　them。　From　the　Sumida　River　horns　sounded　as　fishing　boats　neared　the　Taikiji　wholesale　fish　market。
　Tori　found　herself　recalling　how　Bernard　had　done　nothing；　not　even　twitch；　when　Godzilla　had　lifted　him　off　the　floor。　Now　she　wondered　what　would　have　happened　if　she　had　not　intervened。　She　was　not　at　all　certain　that　she　would　have　put　money　on　Godzilla。　She　thought　she　would　give　anything　to　see　Bernard　Godwin　at　work。
　〃I　guess　now's　as　good　a　time　as　any　to　present　your　proposition；〃　Tori　said。　The　sky　above　Tokyo　looked　clean　this　early　in　the　morning；　and　the　city　seemed　immense；　a　world　unto　itself。
　〃I　want　you　to　work　for　me；〃　Bernard　Godwin　said。
　〃Is　the　work　legal？〃
　''I　take　it　as　a　good　sign　that　you　asked。''　Bernard　took　a　last　swallow　of　beer；　gave　a　little　belch。　〃Pardon　me。〃
　Tori　smiled。
　''What　I　do…and　what　you　will　do　should　you　decide　to　join　me…is　legal　in　the　broadest　sense　of　the　word。''
　〃Meaning？〃
　〃Meaning　that　no　matter　what　we　bee　involved　in；　we　would　never　be　brought　before　a　court　of　law。''
　〃But。　。　。　？〃
　〃What　we　do　is；　in　another　sense；　amoral。　We　are　beyond　the　laws　man　constructs。　This　does　not　mean　that　we　are　lawless。　Far　from　it。　Much　like　the　Japanese；　whom　you　obviously　love　and　admire　so　much；　we　create　and　define　our　own　set　of　laws。〃　Bernard's　eyes　seemed　to　have　closed；　as　if　he　were　on　the　verge　of　sleep。　〃Interested？〃
　Tori　almost　said；　God；　yes；　how　soon　can　I　start？　Instead　she　drank　half　her　Kirin；　looked　up　at　the　forest　of　monstrous　towers　through　which　they　were　walking；　and　said；　〃I'll　give　it　some　thought。〃
　Three　days　later　Tori　gave　Bernard　Godwin　the　answer　she　knew　she　would　give　him　from　the　first。　The　trouble　was；　she　did　not　want　to　go　home。　He　understood　this；　just　as　he　seemed　to　und