el.angeleyes-第46部分

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　Big　Ezoe　looked　off　into　the　night。　There　were　fireflies　out；　and　here　beside　the　koi　pool；　beneath　the　maples；　it　was　possible　to　forget　all　about　Tokyo；　the　hypermodern　superstructures；　the　official　bribery　and　corruption；　the　race　into　the　twenty…first　century；　which　was　the　national　task　that　the　Japanese　had　set　for　themselves。　Now　only　the　essence　remained；　the　hard；　cruel　lessons　of　a　far　simpler　time；　the　time　of　the　warrior　for　which　Yukio　Mishima　longed；　about　which　Big　Ezoe　knew　so　much。
　''It　has　nothing　to　do　with　what　you　think　you　are；〃　Big　Ezoe　said。　〃It　is　him。　What　Eikichi　Kansei　is：　a　product　of　the　times。　As　Mama…san　tried　to　tell　you。　She　knows　your　husband　far　better　than　you　do。〃
　Eikichi's　sadistic　invective　echoed　in　her　mind。　The　humiliation　of　her　pathetic　lot　in　life　overwhelmed　her；　and　she　thought　she　was　going　to　be　sick　again。　She　had　been　systematically　beaten　down　at　home；　first　by　her　father；　and　then　by　Eikichi；　whom　she　could　see　now　was　the　only　kind　of　man　she　could　have　chosen　to　be　her　husband：　rigid；　brutal；　repressive。　How　could　she　have　mistaken　such　inhumanity　for　honor？　Obedience　had　blinded　her。
　And　as　for　her　job？　Now　she　understood　her　role　there；　as　well。　She　served　the　same　purpose　as　the　wallpaper　in　the　halls：　she　was　elegant；　soothing；　ever　obedient。　This　was　not　only　the　definition　of　what　she　was；　but　what　she　would　always　be。　She　had　as　much　knowledge　and　schooling　as　the　male　executives　beside　whom　she　served　daily。　But　no　one　would　listen　to　her　opinions　or　ideas。　What　place　did　a　woman　have　in　business？　Kunio　Michita　had　given　her　the　answer　to　that　when　he　had　ignored　her　idea　for　Tandom　Polycarbon。　Again　she　had　been　betrayed　by　her　sense　of　obedience。　And　she　realized　in　a　thoroughly　disheartening　moment　that　she　had　always　known　what　her　place　was　in　business；　and　at　home。
　Home？　What　home？　Her　childhood　had　been　a　cruel　mockery；　and　her　marriage　an　absolute　sham。
　She　felt　as　if　she　had　just　awakened　from　a　long　dream；　from　a　sojourn　in　a　world　where　she　must　hold　her　tongue；　underu…tilize　her　brain；　instead　look　cool　and　beautiful；　be　the　whipping　girl　for　her　bitter　father；　be　an　obedient　automaton　for　Michita　and　a　walking　billboard　for　Eikichi。
　Honno　at　last　gathered　the　strength　to　look　up　at　Big　Ezoe。　〃Now　I　see　there　are　worlds　within　worlds；〃　she　said。　〃Like　this　private　bower　within　the　city。　And　worlds　within　those　worlds；　like　this　koi　pond　within　this　bower。　Which　is　the　real　world？〃
　Big　Ezoe；　sitting　across　the　expanse　of　dark；　lapping　water；　said；　〃You　have　just　learned　that　lesson；　Mrs。　Kansei。　There　is　no　real　world。　There　is　only　your　world。〃
　
FIVE
LLANO　NEGRO

　On　a　tree　at　the　near　edge　of　the　llano　negro；　Tori　discovered　a　series　of　carvings。　They　were　crude　yet　powerful。　They　depicted　a　baby；　a　bent；　old　man；　a　man　with　no　legs；　a　man　nailed　to　a　cross；　a　man　with　no　eyes：　a　dead　man。
　〃What　the　hell　does　this　mean？〃　Russell　said。
　〃Myth；〃　Estilo　said。
　〃I　don't　believe　in　myths；〃　Russell　said；　turning　away。　He　was　scanning　the　immediate　environment；　a　quadrant　at　a　time。
　Estilo　said；　''Jorge　Luis　Borges；　our　most　famous　poet；　wrote　that　myth　is　merely　reality　simplified　to　a　point　where　it　can　be　understood。〃
　Russell　turned　around。　〃And　you　believe　that？〃
　Tori；　ing　up　to　Russell；　said　softly；　〃It's　important　to　believe　it　here　in　the　field。　Especially　here　in　the　jungle　we　don't　know。　It's　dangerous　to　assume　that　reality　and　myth　are　two　separate　entities；　because　out　here　they　serve　the　same　purpose。〃
　〃Why　do　you　always　feel　the　need　to　show　me　how　superior　you　are？''　Russell　said。
　〃Because；〃　Tori　told　him；　〃you're　a　man　and　I'm　not。〃
　〃So　what？〃
　〃So　isn't　that　part　of　why　you　think　I　'm　unreliable？''
　〃You're　out　of　your　mind。''
　〃Am　I　？〃
　He　looked　at　her　for　what　seemed　a　long　time。　〃It's　getting　late。〃
　They　pushed　on　past　the　carvings；　through　the　trees　and　the　encroaching　underbrush；　until　they　were　swallowed　up　by　llano　negro；　the　black　jungle。
　Toward　midday　they　paused　for　a　break。　It　was　hideously　hot　and　humid；　and　all　of　them　were　drenched　in　sweat。　They　passed　around　food　and　water。　Russell　said；　〃Estilo；　what　did　those　carvings　signify？〃
　Estilo　grunted。　〃We　are　born；　we　age；　are　maimed；　are　punished　for　our　sins；　and　die。〃　He　chewed　on　some　dried　beans。　〃It　was　a　warning；　I　suppose。　There　is　a　great　deal　of　superstition　among　the　campesinos　out　here。　This　is　the　edge　of　the　world　as　they　understand　it。　The　llano　negro　defines　the　boundary　of　what　is　known　and　what　is　unknown。〃
　〃Who　d'you　think　put　the　carvings　there？〃　Russell　said。
　Estilo　nodded　in　the　direction　they　were　headed。　〃Whoever　this　land　belongs　to。〃
　〃Any　idea　who　that　might　be？〃
　〃Why　speculate？〃　Estilo　got　up；　dusted　himself　off。　〃We'll　soon　find　out。〃
　They　set　out　again；　and　within　the　space　of　twenty　minutes　came　to　the　bank　of　the　Manacacias　River。　It　was　brown；　sluggish；　muddy。　Downed　trees；　a　forest　of　branches；　clogged　its　flow；　and　it　was　not　difficult；　using　these；　to　ford　the　water。
　〃According　to　Cruz's　flight　jockey；　the　cocaine　factory　shouldn't　be　far　now；〃　Russell　said　when　they　had　gained　the　far　shore。
　〃Estilo；〃　Tori　said　quietly；　〃listen　to　me　carefully。　Don't　move。　And　don't…don't…turn　your　head。''　She　walked　around　so　that　Estilo　could　see　her。　She　could　see　Estilo's　eyes　opened　wide　with　fear。　〃Look　at　me。　Look　at　me！　There's　a　stone　beetle　on　you。〃
　Estilo's　lips　barely　moved。　〃Where？〃　He　barely　breathed　it。
　〃The　base　of　your　neck。〃
　〃Tori。''　Estilo's　eyes　closed　and　a　tiny　tremor　passed　through　him。
　Tori　could　see　he　was　praying。　She　could　also　see；　out　of　the　corner　of　her　eye；　Russell　walking　up　behind　Estilo。　Without　a　word　Tori　reached　out；　caught　him　by　the　wrist　just　as　he　was　about　to　pluck　the　stone　beetle　off　Estilo。　It　was　very　large；　almost　the　length　of　her　forefinger；　blunt　and　ugly；　its　articulated　carapace　black　and　as　shiny　as　chrome。
　〃I'm　just　going　to　get　it　off　him；〃　Russell　said。
　〃If　you　try　it；　Estilo　will　die。〃　Tori　indicated　the　insect。　〃Do　you　see　those　forward　pincers？　They're　already　buried　in　his　flesh。　Even　if　you　were　fast　enough；　it　would；　at　the　point　of　death；　reflexively　release　its　poison。〃　She　looked　at　him。　〃Do　you　know　why　this　is　called　a　stone　beetle？　Its　venom　paralyzes　the　central　nervous　system　of　its　prey。　It's　as　if　they've　turned　to　stone。〃
　〃Just　like　Circe's　gaze；〃　Russell　said。　And　when　she　did　not　answer；　〃I　was　thinking　of　the　merging　of　myth　and　reality。〃　He　looked　at　her。　〃What　are　we　to　do？　I　have　no　experience　with　stone　beetles。〃
　〃There's　only　one　way；〃　Tori　said。　〃Don't　move　and；　no　matter　what；　don't　make　a　sound。〃　She　turned　toward　Estilo；　contemplated　the　giant　insect　at　the　base　of　his　neck。　It　crouched　there；　dark　and　deadly。　She　could　see　its　pincers　with　their　lethal　poison　embedded　in　Estilo。　She　began　to　sweat。
　She　lifted　her　right　hand　and；　separating　her　fingers；　lowered　the　little　finger　toward　the　beetle's　back。　When　the　long；　curved　nail　was　millimeters　from　the　creature；　she　paused。　A　tremor　went　through　her；　she　knew　she　would　have　only　one　chance　to　paralyze　the　insect　through　the　single　chink　in　the　armor　of　its　carapace。　If　she　missed；　if　she　used　too　little　or　too　much　force；　Estilo　would　die。
　Tori；　too；　said　a　little　prayer。　She　went　into　prana；　extending　her　breathing；　slowing　down；　allowing　her　wa；　her　intrinsic　force；　to　expand；　to　explore　the　environment　around　her；　and　to　wash　away　her　apprehension　and　fear。　Then；　with　a　soft　exhalation；　she　slid　her　nail　through　the　slit　between　the　plates　of　the　beetle's　carapace。　There　was　some　kind　of　obstruction；　and　she　pushed　on　through　it。　For　an　instant　she　panicked；　thinking　she　had　gone　too　far　and；　in　its　death　spasm；　the　beetle　would　shoot　its　venom　into　Estilo's　bloodstream。　Paralysis　and　death。　She　took　another　deep　breath。
　In　a　moment　she　said；　〃Estilo；　are　you　all　right？〃
　〃Get　that　thing　off　me；　damnit！''
　Tori　almost　laughed　in　relief。　The　stone　beetle　was　paralyzed。　She　grasped　its　sides　with　her　left　hand　and；　making　sure　to　keep　her　fingernail　in　place；　pulled　on　the　beetle。　She　saw　its　pincers　em