el.angeleyes-第57部分

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　and　he；　Valeri　Denysovich　Bondasenko；　supreme　pragmatist；　could　not　reconcile　himself　to　this　reality。
　Dr。　Kalinin　turned　Valeri's　daughter　to　face　him；　and　Valeri　said；　〃Koshka。〃　Darling。　And；　despite　himself；　despite　the　presence　of　Dr。　Kalinin；　a　tear　leaked　out　of　his　eye；　ran　down　his　cheek　to　drop　at　his　feet。
　〃My　granny　once　told　me　a　proverb；　'Strangers　begin　with　your　own　family；'　〃　Big　Ezoe　said。　〃You　would　do　well　to　remember　that。〃
　Honno　said；　〃There　are　only　strangers　in　my　world　now。〃　She　used　the　word　hito；　which　could　be　translated　as　〃people；〃　but　always　with　a　pejorative　twist　to　it。　Hito　were　never　insiders；　they　were　always　strangers。
　''I　want　to　thank　you　for　moving　me　out　of　Eikichi's　house；''　Honno　went　on。　''I　have　asked　nothing　of　him　except　that　I　never　see　him　again。〃
　They　were　sitting　on　a　sofa　in　an　apartment　of　considerable　size。　Big　Ezoe　was　in　a　dark　business　suit；　Honno　in　a　pair　of　natural　silk　city　shorts　and　long　shirt…jacket；　an　outfit　she　had　just　bought。　Lamps　of　various　sizes　and　shapes　illuminated　a　room　filled　with　chic　contemporary　Western　furniture。　They　had　just　returned　from　a　long；　leisurely　dinner　in　a　rough；　smoky　restaurant；　surrounded　by　sumo　wrestlers　busily　consuming　everything　in　sight。
　Outside；　the　last　vestiges　of　moonlight　were　about　to　be　obscured　by　scudding　storm　clouds。
　〃I　trust　you're　pleased　with　your　new　acmodations；〃　Big　Ezoe　said；　spreading　his　arms　wide。
　〃It's　magnificent；''　Honno　said。　She　got　up；　went　to　the　windows。　〃I　always　dreamed　of　having　an　apartment　that　overlooked　the　Sumida。　Look！　Moonlight　on　the　river！　It's　like　a　woodblock　print。〃　She　felt　as　if　she　were　seeing　the　city　from　an　entirely　new　perspective。
　She　turned　to　face　Big　Ezoe。　''I'm　still　in　something　of　a　state　of　shock；　and　part　of　that；　I　suppose；　is　intimidation。　The　size　of　this　place　is　immense；　so　very　American。〃
　Big　Ezoe　laughed。　''It's　true　that　my　American　friends　feel　at　home　here。　They　always　feel　so　crowded　and　cramped　in　Tokyo；　they　tell　me。　They're　grateful　to　stay　here。〃
　〃You　needn't　worry；〃　Honno　said；　immediately　concerned。　''I　won't　be　here　long。〃
　Big　Ezoe　waved　a　hand。　〃Stay　as　long　as　you　need　to；〃　he　said。　〃I　have　many　such　apartments　all　across　Tokyo。〃
　〃Well；　there's　the　expense　to　think　of。〃
　〃Why　should　you　think　of　it？〃　Big　Ezoe　said。　〃I　don't。〃　Honno　looked　at　him；　and　he　nodded。　〃Now　you're　thinking；　Why　is　he　doing　this？　What　does　he　want　from　me；　and　when　is　he　going　to　exact　his　price？〃
　〃No；　I…〃
　〃It's　perfectly　natural　to　have　such　thoughts。　First；　I　am　Yakuza。　Second；　you　hate　my　guts。　You　yourself　said　as　much　when　we　met　again。　This　is　not　a　bination　to　inspire　a　sense　of　trust；　is　it？〃
　Honno　found　it　impossible　to　answer。　She　had　never　before　encountered　anyone　who　had　the　temerity　to　be　so　direct；　to　cut　through　the　layers　of　ritualized　fabrication　that　seemed　an　integral　part　of　every　conversation。
　''But　the　fact　is　that　my　interest　is　a　simple　one：　the　evidence　of　wrongdoing　your　friend　Kakuei　Sakata　left　behind　in　those　cryptic　ledgers。　I　have　many　important　ties　to　the　business　munity。　I　don't　know　what　Sakata　knew；　what　he　had　gotten　hold　of；　but　it　is　important　for　me　to　find　out；　before　anyone　else　does　and　leaks　it　to　the　authorities；　such　as　your　husband。''
　〃But…〃
　〃It　is　time　to　get　on　with　things。　Are　you　ready；　Mrs。　Kansei？〃　Big　Ezoe　produced　a　memo　pad；　tore　off　the　top　sheet　of　paper；　handed　it　to　her。　〃This　is　your　itinerary　for　tonight。　Please　follow　it。　I　promise　you　will　be　neither　disappointed　nor　bored。　There's　a　car　waiting　for　you　downstairs。　The　driver　has　a　copy　of　the　itinerary；　and　he's　familiar　with　all　the　venues。〃
　'　'But　what　about　Giin　and　the　ledgers？　〃
　〃I'll　meet　you　at　the　Ginza　club　at　six　tomorrow　morning；　and　we'll　discuss　everything　then。〃　Big　Ezoe　rose。　〃Now　I　must　leave　you。　Enjoy　yourself　tonight；　Mrs。　Kansei。〃
　There　was；　indeed；　a　driver　waiting　for　Honno　outside。　He　bowed；　opened　the　back　door　of　a　pearl…gray　560　SEL　Mercedes　with　tinted　windows。　The　night　air　was　already　heavy　with　hints　of　the　ing　bad　weather。　Honno　ducked　into　the　cool；　dimly　lit　interior；　found　someone　already　in　the　backseat。
　〃Good　evening；　Mrs。　Kansei；〃　a　thin　young　man　said　pleasantly。　He　wore　his　thick　hair　slicked　back　over　his　delicate　ears；　a　pair　of　wide；　masculine　sunglasses　was　wrapped　around　his　eyes。　He　was　dressed　in　an　immaculate　dove…gray　summer…weight　suit；　with　a　starched　white　shirt　and　a　rep　tie。　Honno　noticed　gold　cuff　links　and　a　ring　that　appeared　to　be　a　nugget　of　gold。　〃I　am　Fukuda；〃　he　said。　〃Big　Ezoe　asked　me　to　be　your　guide　tonight。　Will　that　be　convenient。〃　There　was　no　interrogative　at　the　end　of　the　sentence；　and　therefore　it　lost　its　usual　meaning。
　The　enormous　Mercedes　was　already　slipping　effortlessly　through　the　choked　Tokyo　streets。　How　it　was　able　to　do　that；　Honno　could　not　imagine。　It　was　as　if　she　had　entered　another　world；　someplace　that　most　people　never　knew　existed；　let　alone　ever　got　to　see；　a　world　where　the　natural　laws　of　physics；　economics；　and　social　customs　were　void；　a　world　of　smoke　and　dreams。　Honno　put　her　head　back；　luxuriating　in　the　feel　of　the　German　leather；　and　thought　of　nothing。
　Their　first　stop　was　in　Shinjuku。　Honno　and　Fukuda　rode　the　high…speed　elevator　to　the　fortieth　floor。　He　led　her　down　a　corridor　filled　only　with　the　hushed　whisper　of　the　air…conditioning。
　Fukuda　produced　a　key。　They　slipped　through　a　small　door　just　down　the　hall　from　a　set　of　imposing　double　doors　on　which　was　painted　one　character　in　kanji；　KAGA；　along　with　the　corporate　logo　in　three…dimensional　bronze；　which　was　as　universally　known　as　that　of　Mitsubishi　or　Panasonic。
　The　rooms　through　which　they　passed　like　ghosts　were　silent；　save　for　the　battery　of　fax　machines　running；　now　and　again；　like　arcane　radios；　picking　up　the　random　conversation　of　the　cosmos；　sending　out　their　own　messages　in　timed　sequence　to　Australia；　West　Germany；　me　United　States；　on　and　on；　a　bizarre　automated　munication　among　masses　of　electronic　circuits　and　silicone　chips；　whole　cities　of　a　new　civilization。
　At　length　Fukuda　turned　a　doorknob；　and　as　he　did　so；　he　put　his　forefinger　briefly　across　Honno's　lips。　Shhh。　Honno　found　herself　in　a　secretary's　anteroom。　The　window　behind　the　empty　desk　had　its　blinds　up；　and　a　brilliant　shaft　of　light　shot　outward。　Fukuda　led　her　around　to　an　area　of　shadow　where　they　could　stand　and　peer　into　the　inner　office；　assured　of　not　being　seen　themselves。
　Inside；　a　heavyset　middle…aged　man　was　busy　on　the　sofa　with　a　woman　who　had　her　skirt　up　over　her　hips。　Fukuda　put　his　lips　to　Honno's　ear。　〃The　man　is　Kaga's　senior　vice…president　of　finance。　Does　the　woman　look　familiar？〃
　Honno　looked；　was　stunned　to　recognize　Mama…san　from　the　house　that　Big　Ezoe　owned；　where　they　had　discovered　her　husband　with　his　lover。
　Honno　watched；　fascinated；　as　the　Kaga　vice…president　worked　assiduously　on　his　own　pleasure。　It　was　odd；　she　thought；　how　incongruous；　even　grotesque；　the　act　could　appear　without　the　elusive　ingredient　of　sexual　attraction。　The　one　true　magic　potion…passion…was　the　great　leveler　that　cut　through　race；　religion；　even　class。　Honno　considered　it　the　most　powerful　force　on　earth。　How　many　great　men　had　been　laid　low　by　their　lust？
　Fukuda　gestured；　and　Honno　followed　him　silently　back　through　the　maze　of　offices；　the　whining　fax　machines。
　Downstairs；　the　streets　were　slick　with　moisture。　A　kind　of　precipitation　was　falling　on　Tokyo　that　could　not　quite　be　called　rain。　It　had　picked　up　so　much　of　the　industrial　pollutants　in　the　air　that　it　fell　like　sleet；　though　the　temperature　was　warm。　One　day　the　Japanese　would　find　a　term　for　it；　just　as　they　would　find　a　way　to　describe　the　automatic　nocturnal　conversations　between　faxes。
　The　purring　Mercedes　took　Honno　and　Fukuda　onward；　through　the　nocturnal　traffic；　deep　into　the　heart　of　Shinjuku；　dark　with　forbidden　pleasures　despite　the　sprays　of　brilliant　neon　shooting　up　the　sides　of　buildings；　reflected　endlessly　in　glass　towers；　spreading　like　dye　along　the　wet　tarmac　of　the　streets。
　The　Mercedes　slid　to　a　stop　in　front　of　an　udon…a　noodle　pa