el.angeleyes-第41部分

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Something　unknown　inside　her　was　melting。
　〃You're　not　required　to　say　anything；〃　Giin　said　gently。　〃You　are　only　required　to　sit　here　so　that　I　can　look　at　you　once　more　for　as　long　as　the　night　will　last。〃
　〃You　did　what！〃　Big　Ezoe　said。
　〃I　gave　him　the　ledgers；〃　Honno　said。
　〃I　can't　believe　it！〃
　It　was　the　next　evening。　Honno　had　e　to　Big　Ezoe's　warehouse。
　〃But　that　was　the　plan；〃　Honno　said。　〃It　was　what　I　was　supposed　to　do。〃
　〃You　were　supposed　to　tell　him　about　the　existence　of　the　ledgers！　See　if　he'd　agree　to　crack　the　code　for　us！〃
　'　'But　he　did　agree；''　Honno　said。　''And　stop　shouting　at　me。〃
　〃I'll　stop　shouting；〃　Big　Ezoe　shouted；　〃when　we　get　those　ledgers　back　from　him！''
　〃You　should　have　seen　Giin。　He　was　so　eager　to　get　back　to　what　he　had　been　doing　years　ago。　That's　why　I　gave　him　the　ledgers　right　away。''
　〃Your　eyes　are　shining；〃　Big　Ezoe　said。　〃It's　disgusting。〃
　Honno　laughed。　''You　have　no　right　to　speak　to　me　that　way。　And　why　should　you　care？　Are　you　envious？〃
　〃Of　what？　A　beaten…down　old　gambler？〃
　〃He　doesn't　gamble　anymore；〃　Honno　said；　somewhat　stiffly。
　Big　Ezoe's　eyes　narrowed。　〃Where　did　you　hear　that？〃
　〃Giin　told　me　himself。　He　confessed…〃
　Big　Ezoe　groaned。　〃And　you；　you　little　lovestruck　girl；　believed　him。〃
　〃Of　course；　I…〃
　〃Fool！〃
　〃Don't…〃
　〃But　you　are　a　fool；　Mrs。　Kansei。〃
　Angry　and　confused　now；　Honno　said；　〃Would　you　kindly　tell　me　what's　going　on？〃
　〃It's　simple；〃　Big　Ezoe　said。　〃He's　conned　you。〃
　〃No；　you're　wrong；〃　Honno　said。　〃I　know　Giin。〃
　〃And　I　know　gamblers。　They　don't　change。　Ever。　They　only　say　they　do。　I'm　afraid；　Mrs。　Kansei；　when　it　es　to　human　nature；　you've　got　a　lot　to　learn。〃
　〃If　you'd　stop　making　generalizations；〃　Honno　said；　〃you'd　be　far　better　off。〃
　Big　Ezoe　shook　his　head。　〃I　see　you　need　to　be　convinced；〃　he　said。　〃Do　you　know　where　he　lives？〃　And　when　Honno　nodded；　he　ordered；　〃Take　me　there。〃
〃Now？〃
　〃Right　now！〃　Big　Ezoe　said；　taking　her　arm　and　guiding　her　out　of　his　office。
　〃There's　no　answer；〃　Honno　said；　ringing　the　bell　to　Giin's　apartment　for　the　third　time。　''He　must　be　out　to　dinner。''
　Big　Ezoe　grunted。　〃Sure　he　is。〃　He　extracted　a　length　of　metal　from　his　pocket；　slid　it　deftly　into　the　lock。　As　he　began　to　manipulate　it；　Honno　said；　〃What　are　you　doing？〃
　〃What　does　it　look　like？〃　Big　Ezoe　said；　turning　the　knob　and　opening　the　door　inward。
　As　they　stepped　across　the　threshold；　Honno　said；　〃Isn't　there　a　law　against　this　sort　of　thing？''
　〃If　there　is；〃　Big　Ezoe　said；　〃I'm　not　aware　of　it。〃
　He　closed　the　door　behind　them；　turned　on　the　light。　Honno　gasped。　Big　Ezoe　said；　〃Shit！〃
　Giin's　apartment　was　in　chaos。　Furniture　was　upended；　drawers　were　thrown　here　and　there；　their　contents　strewn　around　the　floor。　Cushions　were　ripped；　as　were　sections　of　the　carpet。　The　mess　extended　throughout　the　three　rooms　of　the　small　apartment。
　〃In　the　name　of　heaven；　what　happened　here？''　Honno　said。　
　〃No　Giin；　no　ledgers；〃　Big　Ezoe　said。　He　looked　at　her。　〃They're　both　gone。〃
　Honno　was　horrified。　〃Now　do　you　see　how　wrong　you　were　to　suspect　him？　Someone's　taken　him；　along　with　the　ledgers。　Dear　God；　what　have　I　gotten　him　into？　Giin　could　be　hurt…or　worse！〃　Her　heart　constricted。　There　were　tears　in　her　eyes　as　the　past；　for　so　long　held　in　check；　echoed　through　her　like　a　crack　of　thunder。
　〃Did　you　enjoy　meeting　my　family？〃　Mars　Volkov　asked　Irina。　〃I　hope　you　weren't　bored。〃
　〃Not　in　the　least；〃　she　said。　〃I　adored　every　minute　of　it。〃
　They　were　standing　in　the　smoke…filled　lobby　of　the　old　Moscow　Arts　Theater　during　intermission　of　Chekhov's　Three　Sisters。　Irina　had　recognized　Natasha　Mayakova；　the　actress　Valeri　had　had　the　assignation　with；　the　moment　she　came　on　stage。　There　was　something　about　her　makeup　that　made　her　seem　somehow　sinister；　like　the　Marquise　de　Merteuil；　the　older　woman　in　Dangerous　Liaisons；　the　film　Irina　had　smuggled　back　from　America　on　videocassette。
　Irina　wanted　to　burn　this　Natasha　Mayakova　with　her　eyes；　although　she　could　not　quite　understand　why　she　should　be　so　enraged。　What　could　Valeri　Bondasenko　mean　to　her　now？　Nothing；　she　told　herself　firmly。　Nevertheless；　she　had　been　tense　all　through　the　first　act；　and　when　intermission　came；　she　embraced　it　with　a　profound　sense　of　relief。
　〃Well；　my　parents　can　be　trying　at　times；〃　Mars　said；　〃although　I　suppose　I　would　be　the　only　one　aware　of　it。〃
　〃You　look　very　much　like　your　mother；〃　Irina　said。　〃There　is　a　strength　about　her；　a　sense　of　her　family　and　of　herself　that　I　admire　tremendously。　I'm　afraid　I'll　never　get　around　to　the　one；　and　I'm　not　very　good　at　the　other。〃
　''Perhaps　you're　not　one　to　settle　down；''　Mars　said。　''I　sense　in　you　a　restlessness　of　spirit。''
　They　spoke　for　a　time　about　mundane　things：　the　play；　the　production；　the　acting。　Irina　mentioned　that　Natasha　Mayakova　had　played　her　namesake　in　the　play；　wanting　perhaps　to　discover　if　Mars　found　her　attractive；　but　all　she　got　was　a　non…mittal　answer。　Mars　made　a　joke　and　Irina　laughed；　but　she　was　suddenly　very　unfortable。　In　a　moment　of　sheer　panic　she　realized　that　she　had　been　contemplating　blurting　out　her　secret：　her　involvement　with　Valeri；　seeing　him　on　the　street　with　the
actress；　Natasha　Mayakova；　her　feelings　of　betrayal。　What　would　Mars　think　if　he　knew　she　was　betraying　him　in　much　the　same　way？
　But；　of　course；　that　was　different。　She　had　not　made　any　promises　to　Mars　nor　had　she　claimed　purity。　She　had　never　lied　to　him；　although　she　had　no　illusions　that；　sooner　or　later；　she　would　be　pelled　to　do　so。
　What　she　was　doing　was　for　herself；　for　Irina　Viktorovna　Ponomareva。　Or　was　it？　Had　she　been　doing　nothing　but　rationalizing　to　herself　about　her　betrayal　of　Mars　to　Valeri？　Because　betrayal　it　was。　It　hadn't　bothered　her　three　days　ago；　but　that　had　been　before　Mars　had　taken　her　home　to　his　family；　before　she　had　seen　how　little　Valeri　thought　of　his　relationship　with　her。　Before　it　became　clear　how　thoroughly　Valeri　was　using　her。
　Now；　she　thought；　everything's　changed。
　She　looked　at　Mars　Volkov　as　if　for　the　first　time；　drawing　aside　the　scrims　of　her　own　anger；　selfishness；　and　power　lust。　What　she　saw　was　a　very　down…to…earth　man；　handsome；　desirable；　who；　despite　his　immense　charm；　had　to　struggle　in　the　Politburo　and　the　People's　Congress　against　the　immense　power　of　Valeri　Bondasenko。　A　man　who；　unlike　Valeri；　was　not　obsessed　with　power；　with　imprinting　his　conception　of　the　world　on　everyone　around　him；　with　power　as　the　only　consideration　or　form　of　currency。
　One　day；　she　thought；　Mars　would　even　be　the　head　of　his　own　family；　and　that　would　be　enough　to　make　him　content。　That　idea　made　her　feel　warm　and　fortable。
　And；　with　that　truth；　came　another　one：　it　wasn't　her　own　freedom　that　Valeri　had　offered　her　when　he　had　enrolled　her　in　his　scheme　to　get　inside　Mars's　mind；　but　a　chance　to　take　on　a　measure　of　his；　Valeri's；　own　sins。
　〃Chekhov　always　sets　me　to　thinking；〃　Irina　said；　not　only　because　it　was　the　truth；　but　because　she　was　determined　to　cover　her　unease。　〃I　suppose　that's　because　his　plays　are　like　modern　paintings；　they　seem　somehow　unfinished　or；　at　any　rate；　about　such　familiar　themes　they　require　your　own　participation　to　flesh　them　out。''
　〃But　it　wasn't　really　Chekhov　that　seemed　to　interest　you；〃　Mars　said。　〃It　was　the　actress；　Natasha　something；　isn't　it？〃
　〃I　don't　know　her　name；〃　Irina　lied。　〃I　was　just　curious。　She's　a　type；　men　often　find　actresses　appealing；　and　I　wanted　a　man's　point　of　view。〃
　〃Too　much　makeup；〃　Mars　said　as　they　were　called　in　for　the　start　of　the　second　act。　〃I　wouldn't　know　what　she　really　looked　like　beneath　all　that　paint。〃
　The　blue　light　from　Vosstaniya　Square　filtered　through　the　windows　of　Mars's　bedroom。　It　was　deep　enough　into　the　night　so　that　the　building's　gastronome　was　closed　and　the　cinema　marquee　below　was　dark。　The　sky　was　low　with　thick；　metallic…looking　clouds；　and　although　it　was　late　spring；　there　was　a　feeling　in　the　air　of　snow　that　was　somehow　melancholy。　Or　perhaps；　Irina　thought　as　she　undressed；　it　was　the　play　that　has　depressed　me。　Of　course；　it　can't　possibly　have　been　the　sig