el.angeleyes-第58部分

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　along　the　wet　tarmac　of　the　streets。
　The　Mercedes　slid　to　a　stop　in　front　of　an　udon…a　noodle　parlor。　Fukuda　took　Honno　through　the　dingy；　steamy　restaurant；　down　a　long　dark　hallway　that　echoed　with　the　tiny　sounds　of　the　city　seeping　through　the　walls　like　sweat。
　They　entered　what　was　obviously　a　Yakuza　gambling　house。　Long　low　tables　were　set　out　upon　the　floor；　around　which　were　arrayed　an　interesting　melange　of　men。　They　were　illuminated　by　wide…shaded　lamps　hung　by　cords　from　the　ceiling。
　Fukuda　and　Honno　kept　to　the　shadows　ringing　the　walls。　Honno　could　see　the　irizumi…covered　Yakuza；　their　fantastically　conceived　tattoos　given　a　life　of　their　own　by　the　movements　of　their　bodies　as　they　moved　packets　of　money　around　the　tables。
　This　was　no　local　gambling　house；　these　were　games　played　for　the　highest　possible　stakes。　And　now　Honno　began　to　concentrate　on　the　faces　that　belonged　to　the　gamblers：　the　conservatively　dressed；　immaculately　groomed；　sober…visaged　men；　men　such　as　she　had　seen　every　day　of　her　business　week　trooping　in　and　out　of　Kunio　Michita's　office。
　Fukuda　leaned　unobtrusively　toward　her；　whispered；　〃The　third　man　on　your　left。　The　one　with　the　pencil　mustache　and　the　largest　bets　in　the　house。　He　is　the　senior　vice…president　for　administration　for　Kaga。''
　Honno　watched　as　if　enwrapped　by　a　kind　of　enchantment；　as　the　senior　Kaga　officer　proceeded　to　lose　6；500；000　yen…　approximately　50；000…in　just　over　an　hour。　By　that　time　his　hair　was　disheveled；　his　tie　was　askew；　there　was　sweat　beading　his　pencil…thin　mustache；　and　he　was　frantically　writing　out　a　marker　for　an　equal　amount。　The　marker　was　passed　from　one　Yakuza　to　another　until；　at　length；　it　arrived　at　the　head　of　the　table。
　A　bald　man　with　the　image　of　a　dragon　tattooed　on　his　shining　skull　took　the　slip；　read　it。　Then　he　looked　up；　poker…faced。　With　a　little　thrill；　Honno　saw　that　he　was　looking　directly　at　Fukuda。　Fukuda　gave　an　almost　imperceptible　nod；　and　the　man　with　the　dragon　tattoo　pocketed　the　marker；　slapped　three　packets　of　yen　onto　the　table；　had　them　passed　to　the　Kaga　officer。
　Honno　was　wondering　just　how　deeply　Big　Ezoe's　claws　had　penetrated　the　Kaga　conglomerate　when　they　arrived　at　their　third　destination。　They　were　still　within　the　precincts　of　Shinjuku；　but　this　was　the　far　side；　where　sleazy　streets　were　inhabited　by　all　manner　of　nocturnal　creature；　where　it　was　often　not　safe　to　walk　deep　in　the　night　when　these　creatures　slithered　out　of　their　lairs。　Honno　had　certainly　heard　enough　stories　of　this　section　of　Shinjuku…every　resident　of　Tokyo　had；　she　imagined…but　she　had　never　been　near　it。
　〃Have　no　fear；　Mrs。　Kansei；〃　Fukuda　said；　as　if　reading　her　mind。　〃You　are　with　me。〃　They　stepped　out　onto　the　rainswept　streets。　It　was　now　well　after　midnight。
　There　was　a　scent　Honno　was　not　familiar　with。　It　was　the　stench　of　the　effluvia　of　a　large　city…any　city…where　a　certain　section　of　human　wreckage　congregated：　the　psychologically　halted；　the　emotionally　crippled；　the　perverse　and　the　perverted；　caged；　sent　down；　inhabiting　a　nighttime　netherworld　in　the　bowels　of　the　city。
　The　Mercedes　had　stopped　opposite　a　dark　bridge　over　which　rumbled　an　endless　line　of　trucks　which　only　had　access　to　Tokyo's　streets　during　the　night。
　Fukuda　did　not　lead　Honno　across　the　bridge；　but　rather　took　her　down　under　it。　She　could　hear　the　lapping　of　the　river　against　ancient　wooden　pilings；　and　the　stench　of　deposition　was　very　strong。
　They　went　into　a　building。　Honno　recognized　it　as　an　akachochin；　an　assignation　bar；　where　anything　and　everything　could　be　bought…for　a　price。
　In　the　unpleasant　crimson　illumination　of　its　interior；　Honno　saw　beautifully　clothed　and　coiffed　women　whispering　on　the　arms　of　salesmen；　low…level　businessmen　who　could　not　afford　the　more　affluent　after…hours　clubs　in　Nihonbashi　or　the　Ginza；　where　even　the　price　of　one　drink　could　take　your　breath　away。
　〃The　man　directly　in　front　of　you；〃　Fukuda　said　unexpectedly；　〃the　distinguished　one　with　the　thick　gray　hair；　is　the　chairman　of　Kaga。　He　es　here　because　of　his　sexual　proclivities。　He　is　certain　that　no　one　who　would　recognize　him　would　ever　frequent　such　a　dive。〃
　〃But　he's　wrong；〃　Honno　said。　〃You've　recognized　him。〃
　〃We　are　always　wrong；〃　Fukuda　said　cryptically。　〃Big　Ezoe　owns　this　akachochin。　You　would　be　astounded　at　the　wide　range　of　information　that　may　be　acquired　in　places　such　as　this。〃　Fukuda　nodded。　〃Now　watch　as　we　walk　past　the　creature　who　has　the　chairman's　undivided　attention。〃
　Honno　kept　her　eyes　on　the　beautifully　dressed　woman　on　the　Kaga　chairman's　arm。　As　they　passed　the　couple；　Honno　stifled　a　gasp　of　recognition。　The　woman　was　a　man。　A　transvestite。
　Outside　the　akachochin；　Honno　breathed　deeply。　She　weled　the　rain　pattering　down　on　her。　How　her　perceptions　had　changed。　The　night　air；　filled　with　deposition；　seemed　almost　pure　pared　to　the　atmosphere　inside；　gravid　with　sinister　lusts。
　In　the　sanctuary　and　fort　of　the　Mercedes；　they　slipped　across　the　river；　headed　toward　the　bright　lights；　the　modern　high　rises　of　an　entirely　different　Tokyo。
　In　the　Akasaka　district　the　Mercedes　sped　them　toward　the　Capitol　Tokyo　Hotel。　In　the　Origami　Coffee　House；　Fukuda　ordered　them　the　justly　famous　German　apple　pancakes。　Honno　found　that　she　had　no　appetite。　She　watched　in　a　kind　of　numbed　silence　as　Fukuda　ate　his　food　then；　determining　she　had　no　intention　of　eating　hers；　cut　into　her　pancakes。
　Five　minutes　after　he　had　finished；　as　if　on　cue；　he　turned　toward　the　entrance　to　the　restaurant。　Honno　followed　his　gaze；　saw　to　her　amazement　her　boss；　Kunio　Michita；　walk　through　the　door。　He　spoke　briefly　to　the　hostess；　who　seated　him　at　a　table　with　a　man　Honno　had　not　noticed　before。　Now　she　did。　He　was　the　finance　minister　of　Japan。
　The　two　men　bowed　cordially　to　one　another　and　began　to　talk　in　animated　fashion。　They　ordered　only　coffee；　but　hardly　touched　their　order。　Minutes　later　they　got　up　to　leave。
　Fukuda　paid　the　check　and　took　Honno　out。　They　followed　the　two　men　out　into　the　semidarkness　of　the　night。　All　around　them　glittering　high　rises　bespoke　the　enormous　wealth　of　the　new　Japan。
　Honno　could　find　nothing　strange　in　this　assignation。　She　saw　only　two　men　meeting　for　a　friendly　discussion。　It　was　then　that　she　saw　the　buff…colored　envelope　pass　from　Kunio　Michita's　hand　to　that　of　the　finance　minister's。　It　was　quickly　put　away　in　the　finance　minister's　inside　jacket　pocket。　The　men　continued　their　stroll；　their　talk；　as　if　nothing　had　happened。　Ten　minutes　later　they　parted。
　Fukuda　and　Honno　continued　their　walk　through　Akasaka。　Honno　thought　of　the　fantastic　run　of　luck　Michita　Industries　had　had　over　the　past　year：　winning　bids；　ing　in　at　just　the　right　time　on　government…sponsored　projects；　always　being　eligible　for　government　incentives　in　new　and　emerging　industries；　closing　down　divisions　just　before　the　ministries　declared　their　product　obsolete　or　nonpriority。　Now　she　knew　that　luck　had　nothing　to　do　with　it。　No　wonder　it　had　not　rubbed　off　on　her。
　All　around　them；　the　superstructure　of　Tokyo　rose　into　the　clouds　and　the　rain。　The　sky　was　so　low；　it　was　bright　with　the　city's　efflorescence。　Tokyo　stood　as　a　modern　miracle　of　terra…forming。　Honno　had　always　loved　this　city；　but　now；　as　if　with　a　twist　of　a　kaleidoscope；　she　was　seeing　it　from　another　vantage　point。
　She　remembered；　at　the　beginning　of　this　evening；　looking　out　the　window　of　the　apartment　Big　Ezoe　had　given　her；　seeing　the　moonlight　play　across　the　bosom　of　the　Sumida　River。　A　dream　of　hers　had　been　fulfilled。　But　now　she　had　been　exposed　to　the　opposite　side　of　that　dream；　a　nightmarish　world　that　harbored　every　form　of　perversion；　corruption；　and　deceit。　And　these　two　worlds　were　part　of　the　same　Tokyo。　Her　Tokyo。　My　God；　she　thought。　What　I've　witnessed　is　monstrous。　How　will　I　ever　fall　in　love　with　Tokyo　again？
　Fukuda　led　her　into　a　small　park。　There　was　one　stone　bench。　Honno　could　hear　the　soft　tinkling　of　a　stream　but　she　could　not　see　it。　They　sat　on　the　bench；　which　had　a　view　of　the　park's　lone　tree；　a　cryptomeria　that　leaned　far　to　its　right；　as　if　caught　in　a　high　wind。
　''I