el.angeleyes-第27部分

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　〃Hafnium。〃
　Irina　blinked。　What　language　was　he　speaking？　〃What？〃　Mars　repeated　the　word　without　looking　up。　〃It's　a　high…tech　metal　used　to　make　control　rods　for　certain　types　of　nuclear　reactors；　especially　those　installed　in　submarines。〃　He　turned　over　a　page；　as　if　he　were　reading　directly　from　the　file。　〃We　need　hafnium。　We　never　have　enough。　But　the　Western　alliance；　CO〃…Irina　knew　he　meant　the　Coordinating　mittee　for　Multilateral　Export　Controls…〃forbids　its　member　nations　to　sell　us　any　because　it's　classified　a　strategic　metal；　suitable　for　military　purposes。''
　Mars　lit　another　Turkish　cigarette　from　the　butt　of　the　one　he　had　finished。　''It　has　taken　us　years；　but　we　have　found　a　reliable　source　in　the　West　for　hafnium。　That　is；　until　CO　found　out　about　it　and　cut　off　the　supply　at　its　source：　Japan。　At　least；　that's　what　we　believed；　since　the　hafnium　supply　line　ceased　to　function　shortly　after　the　source　was　shut　down。〃
　He　rose；　poured　himself　more　coffee　and　vodka。　Back　at　his　desk；　he　sat　sipping　and　smoking　for　so　long　that　Irina　became　convinced　that　he　had　forgotten　his　train　of　thought。
　At　last　she　said；　〃What　happened　to　the　hafnium　meant　for　delivery　here？〃
　〃Ah。〃　Mars　put　his　cup　down。　〃At　first　we　assumed　that　it　had　been　confiscated　by　the　Tokyo　police　and　handed　over　to　the　Tokuso；　the　Tokyo　District　Special　Prosecutor's　Office。　That's　standard　operating　procedure　there。　A　week　later；　however；　we　received　a　reliable　report…　which　we　were　later　able　to　verify　from　an　independent　source…that　the　last　shipment　of　hafnium　had　gone　out　before　the　raid；　and　we　were　discreetly　asked　for　payment。　The　trouble　was；　we　had　never　received　the　hafnium。''
　Irina　sat　up。　〃You　said　the　supply　line　had　ceased　to　function。〃
　Mars　threw　the　file　to　one　side；　got　up；　came　over　to　the　bed。　〃In　a　sense；　that's　true。〃　He　looked　down　at　her。　〃When　we　sent　people　back　down　the　pipeline　to　trace　the　whereabouts　of　that　last　shipment；　they　found　only　death。　Each　link　had　had　his　tongue　neatly　cut　off；　jammed　down　his　throat。　To　asphyxiate　is　far　from　pleasant；　but　to　die　in　that　way　is　monstrous。〃
　Irina　shuddered。　But　the　fact　was；　she　was　fascinated。　〃Do　you　know　what　happened　to　the　hafnium？''
　〃That　is；　as　the　Americans　say；　the　six…hundred…million…dollar　question。〃　Mars　sat　beside　her。　He　was　staring　at　her　nakedness；　and　she　could　clearly　see　the　effect　she　was　having　on　him。　She　could　feel　his　tension　like　a　song　in　the　darkness。　''It　was　logical　to　assume　that　terrorists　from　another　nation　had　seized　the　hafnium；　but　inquiries　were　made；　and　this　avenue　of　speculation　eventually　came　to　a　dead　end。　That　was　three　weeks　ago。〃
　〃Then　where　is　it？''　Irina　closed　her　fingers　around　the　thickening　snake　between　his　thighs。　She　leaned　over；　kissed　his　nipple。　〃You　know；　don't　you？〃
　〃I　do；〃　Mars　said　thickly。　〃And　I　don't。〃　He　closed　his　eyes。　〃The　hafnium　is　here；　inside　Russia。〃　his　breath　quickened。　〃But　oddly；　frighteningly；　we　do　not　know　who　has　it。〃
　Honno　Kansei　had　promised　herself　that　she　would　never　see　Big　Ezoe　again；　but　converging　events　now　dictated　that　she　must。　Karma。
　Big　Ezoe　inhabited　a　large；　almost　warehouselike　space　on　the　eastern　edge　of　Tokyo。　Honno　knew　that　he　must　be　very　rich　to　be　able　to　have　so　much　room　around　him。　That　was　unsurprising；　since　Big　Ezoe　was　oyabun；　overlord；　of　Tokyo's　most　powerful　Yakuza　family。　The　Yakuza　were　gangsters；　turning　the　shadowed　alleyways　of　Tokyo　into　their　own　private　underworld。　But　they　were　also　close…knit　families　of　gamblers；　eternal　losers　when　it　came　to　tossing　the　dice　of　heaven；　and　thus；　among　the　Japanese；　they　had　attained　something　of　the　status　of　myth。
　If　the　Yakuza　inhabited　an　almost　mythical　underworld；　then　Big　Ezoe　was　their　Charon；　for　he　had　so　many　fingers　in　a　multitude　of　legitimate　pies　that　surely　he　had　ferried　more　unsuspecting　souls　across　the　River　Styx　into　the　dangerous　land　the　Yakuza　controlled　than　anyone　else。　One　of　those　unfortunates　had　been　Honno　Kansei's　father。
　Honno　could　never　be　certain；　but　she　suspected　that　Big　Ezoe　had　killed　her　father。　Not　directly；　perhaps；　but　what　did　that　matter？　Honno's　father　had　been　an　inveterate　gambler。　Nothing　she　or　her　mother　could　say　had　any　effect　on　him。　He　gambled　at　the　Yakuza　parlors　and　lost。　And　when；　at　length；　he　had　lost　so　much　that　he　could　not　possibly　repay　them；　he　had　slipped…or；　Honno　suspected；　was　pushed…off　a　crowded　curb　into　the　path　of　an　oning　bus。　He　had　ended　up　beneath　the　wheels　with　his　back　broken　and　his　blood　running　in　a　river　along　the　gutter。　He　had　died　before　the　ambulance　could　get　him　to　the　hospital。
　As　Honno　approached　Big　Ezoe's　place；　she　could　remember　vividly　their　first…and　only…meeting。　She　had　walked　meekly　into　the　place；　asked　politely　to　see　Big　Ezoe。　When　she　was　refused；　she　said；　〃Tell　him　that　Noboru　Yamato's　daughter　is　here　to　repay　his　debts。〃
　Three　minutes　later　she　was　shown　into　Big　Ezoe's　office。　He　had　a　huge　smile　on　his　face。　Honno　had　stood　in　front　of　him；　drinking　in　the　sight　of　the　man　she　believed　to　be　her　father's　murderer。　Then；　her　heart　hammering　painfully　in　her　chest；　she　had　pulled　out　a　small　pistol；　aimed　it　at　Big　Ezoe's　head。
　Big　Ezoe　never　ceased　to　smile；　not　even　when　she　said；　〃You　broke　my　father's　back　and　his　spirit。　Why　are　you　smiling　at　me？〃
　Big　Ezoe　said；　〃To　show　fear　in　the　face　of　death　would　be　shameful。〃
　And　it　was　at　that　moment　that　Honno　had　understood　the　full　ramifications　of　what　she　was　about　to　do。　And；　simultaneously；　she　knew　that　she　could　not　do　it。　As　much　as　she　mourned　the　unnecessary　death　of　her　father；　she　could　not　avenge　it　in　this　way；　by　taking　the　life　of　another。　She　had　lowered　the　gun；　placed　it　on　Big　Ezoe's　desk。
　Now；　just　a　year　later；　desperation　had　driven　her　to　return　here；　the　last　place　on　earth　she　wanted　to　be。　It　sickened　her　to　have　to　e　here；　but　Big　Ezoe　had　a　power　she　needed。　He　was　a　monstrous　creature　and；　like　a　mythical　dragon；　an　unpredictable　one。
　As　Honno　entered　the　warehouse；　she　had　a　sense　of　displacement；　as　if　she　were　returning　to　the　past　and；　in　so　doing；　everything　else　was　about　to　be　lost　to　her。
　A　garden　had　grown　up　in　her　absence。　A　skylight　had　been　installed　in　the　center　of　the　high　ceiling；　and　below　it　a　perfect　square　was　displayed：　a　pebble　stream　with　a　steep　rock　bank　on　one　side；　a　grouping　of　ferns；　hostas；　a　dwarf　maple　on　the　other　side。　A　mini…stand　of　emerald…green　moso　bamboo　filled　one　corner；　creating　asymmetry；　the　tension　a　counterpoint　to　the　repose　that　was　essential　for　contemplation。
　Honno　was　taken　past　the　garden；　down　the　warren　of　corridors；　into　Big　Ezoe's　office。　He　regarded　her　silently　as　she　was　ushered　in；　left　alone　with　him。　The　room　was　filled　with　rarities：　antiques　both　delicate　（a　translucent　Chinese　celadon　vase）　and　earthy　（a　magnificent　suit　of　seventeenth　century　samurai　armor）；　a　wood…block　print　of　the　Great　Wave　by　Hokusai；　tran…scendant　with　power；　hanging　above　a　monumental　black　stone　Noguchi　fountain　that　gleamed　magically　with　an　endless　rippling　of　water　that　appeared　as　black　as　the　stone。
　Honno　took　this　all　in；　thinking。　How　could　a　man　as　base　as　he　is　have　the　good　taste　to　surround　himself　with　elements　of　such　ethereal　beauty？
　It　was　a　long　time　before　Big　Ezoe　moved。　When　he　did；　it　was　to　open　a　drawer；　reach　inside；　and　place　on　the　desk　the　pistol　Honno　had　aimed　at　him　one　year　ago。
　〃I　suppose；〃　he　said；　〃that　you've　returned　for　this。〃
　Honno　stared　at　the　gleaming　face　of　the　pistol。　Big　Ezoe　had　carefully　turned　the　barrel　away　from　her。　She　saw　in　the　bits　of　chrome　and　steel　the　mirror　of　her　past；　and　the　wound　of　her　father's　death　seemed　fresh　and　raw　again。
　〃If　the　hate　is　still　inside　you；〃　Big　Ezoe　said　placidly；　〃you　have　another　chance　to　act　on　it。''
　But　Honno　saw　only　another　chance　at　damnation。　〃You　keep　it；〃　she　said　thickly。　She　regained　control　of　herself　slowly　and　painfully。　〃Perhaps　you'll　find　some　use　for　it。〃
　Big　Ezoe　nodded。　〃As　you　wish。〃　his　huge　hand　covered　the　pistol；　and　he　opened　the　chambers　for　her　to　see。　〃It　wasn't　loaded；　but　you　though