el.angeleyes-第60部分

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　or　later。　It　didn't　matter；　because　that　one　end　would　e；　inevitably；　tragically。
　Honno　focused　on　the　senior　vice…president　of　administration　for　Kaga　without　Fukuda　having　to　tell　her。　He　had　just　lost　another　round　and　was　scrabbling　in　his　pocket。　He　pulled　out　a　pad；　wrote　out　another　marker；　signed　it。　How　many　did　that　make　tonight？　How　much　money　did　the　pile　of　markers；　in　concert；　represent？　My　God；　Honno　thought；　how　often　can　he　afford　to　do　this？
　The　Kaga　senior　vice…president　passed　his　marker；　and　he　followed　it　with　his　avid　eyes　as　it　made　its　way　from　Yakuza　to　Yakuza；　all　the　way　down　the　table；　until　it　came　to　rest　before　the　bald　man　with　the　dragon　tattooed　on　his　gleaming　skull。　The　dragon　man　did　not　even　look　at　the　marker。　Instead；　his　gaze　rose　to　meet　Fukuda's。
　Fukuda　made　no　move。　She　whispered　to　Honno；　〃What　would　you　have　me　do？　Accept　Kaga's　marker　or　turn　it　down？''
　〃I　haven't　any　of　the　facts；〃　Honno　said。
　〃They're　irrelevant；〃　Fukuda　said。　〃Yes　or　no。　Tell　me。〃
　〃I　don't　know　what　to　do。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Fukuda　said。　〃You　know　as　well　as　I　do　what　must　be　done。　It　is　time　you　took　the　responsibility　for　it。　Your　war…rior's　spirit　needs　responsibility　in　order　to　survive　and　to　flourish。〃
　Honno　stared　from　the　dragon　man　to　the　Kaga　official。　She　should　have　been　thinking　of　her　father；　of　his　terrible　agony；　the　suffering　of　his　family；　and　perhaps　she　was；　but　hardly　in　the　way　she　had　expected。　She　found　that　she　harbored　no　sympathy　for　the　Kaga　man。　This　was　his　obsession；　and　she　knew　from　bitter　experience　that　he　was　already　too　far　gone　to　be　helped。　Besides；　she　discovered；　much　to　her　surprise；　that　she　had　no　desire　to　help　him。　She　saw　her　father's　obsession；　his　fate　now　from　a　different　window；　and　like　the　moonlight　being　chopped　to　bits　on　the　face　of　the　Sumida　River；　there　were　other　realities　besides　the　one　that　she　had　been　living　all　her　life。　And　in　this　last　moment　of　indecision；　she　understood　everything　she　had　seen　tonight；　every　cryptic　sentence　Fukuda　had　spoken。　Now　nothing　was　cryptic；　all　was　revealed；　and　there　was　no　longer　indecision。
　〃Take　his　marker；〃　the　warrior　with　Honno's　voice　said。
　Fukuda　nodded；　and　the　dragon　man　pocketed　the　marker；　slapped　three　thick　stacks　of　yen　on　the　table。　They　made　their　way　to　the　Kaga　senior　vice…president；　who　was　already　devouring　them　with　his　eyes。
　The　Mercedes　pulled　up　in　front　of　the　unobtrusive　entrance　to　Big　Ezoe's　club　in　the　Ginza　at　three　minutes　to　six。　The　rain　had　been　blown　away　on　a　freshening　breeze　from　the　east。　Dawn　was　already　painting　the　sky　high　above　Tokyo's　towers　a　dove　gray；　the　exact　hue　of　Fukuda's　suit。　
　〃You're　not　going　in　with　me；〃　Honno　said。　
　〃No；〃　Fukuda　said。　〃I　have　other　work　to　see　to　now。〃　
　〃Will　I　see　you　again？〃
　The　driver　had　e　around；　opened　Honno's　door。　
　〃That　will　be　entirely　up　to　you；　Mrs。　Kansei；〃　Fukuda　said。　〃The　power　is　yours。　Your　fate　is　in　your　own　hands。〃
　And　Honno；　stepping　out　into　the　brightening　Tokyo　dawn；　thought；　At　last。
*　*　*
　〃We've　found　him；〃　Big　Ezoe　said　as　Honno　walked　into　the　granite…clad　restaurant。
　〃Do　you　mean　Giin　is　still　alive？〃　Honno　slipped　into　the　chair　opposite　him。　''Has　he　been　harmed？''
　Big　Ezoe　laughed。　〃Your　university　professor　is　very　much　alive；　Mrs。　Kansei；　and　quite　unharmed。〃　He　shrugged。　〃Why　shouldn't　he　be？　There　was　no　one　to　hurt　him。〃
　''I　don't　understand。''
　Outside；　sunlight　was　spreading　downward；　across　the　faces　of　Shinjuku's　gigantic　office　towers。　The　nocturnal　denizens　among　whom　Honno　had　walked　just　hours　ago　would　already　be　back　in　their　lairs；　sleeping；　waiting　again　for　the　return　of　night。　She　was　reminded　of　that　lone　cryptomeria；　stark；　bent　in　pain；　an　oblique　counterpoint　to　the　endless　right　angles　of　the　city；　and　she　wanted　to　return　to　it；　to　somehow　pay　homage　to　it；　so　that　its　suffering　should　continue　to　have　meaning。
　〃Your　friend　Giin　is　a　clever　boy；〃　Big　Ezoe　said。　〃He　engineered　his　own　kidnapping。〃
　Big　Ezoe　must　have　already　ordered；　because　breakfast　arrived；　American…style：　orange　juice；　eggs；　bacon；　corn　muffins；　black　coffee。　Honno　had　never　seen　so　much　food　at　breakfast；　but　she　found　that　she　was　famished。
　She　should　have　been　surprised　by　what　Big　Ezoe　was　telling　her；　but　somehow　she　seemed　inured　to　surprise。　The　warrior's　spirit；　having　surfaced；　was　now　gaining　ascendancy。
　〃Giin　merely　used　the　kidnapping　as　a　way　to　disappear　for　a　little　while　without　you　clinging　to　his　coattails；〃　Big　Ezoe　continued。　〃When　he　had　made　his　plans　and　was　ready　to　implement　them；　he　surfaced。　In　the　middle　of　my　world。　That　was　the　easiest　part；　since　he　was　already　something　of　an　habitue。〃
　Big　Ezoe　looked　at　her。　〃You're　taking　this　news　with　a　great　deal　more　equanimity　than　I　expected；　Mrs。　Kansei。　Didn't　Giin　swear　to　you　that　he　had　given　up　gambling；　that　he　had　put　his　past　behind　him？〃
　〃He　did。　But　then　my　father　said　the　same　thing　to　my　mother。　Many　times。〃
　''You　seemed　more　than　willing　to　believe　your　friend　several　nights　ago。〃
　Honno　considered　this。　It　occurred　to　her　that　several　nights　ago　seemed　more　like　a　lifetime　ago。　She　looked　at　Big　Ezoe；　said；　〃He　wants　to　sell　back　the　Sakata　ledgers　he　stole　from　me。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Big　Ezoe　said。　〃And　no。　I　think　he　wants…needs…money　very　badly。　His　debts　in　my　gambling　houses　have　mounted　of　late。　But　I　also　think　he's　too　smart　to　give　up　the　ledgers　for　one　score。　He's　had　a　chance　to　decipher　Sakata's　code。　That's　why　it　took　him　this　long　to　surface　with　an　offer。　Now　he　knows　what　the　ledgers　contain；　and　he　has　no　doubt　discovered　that　they're　far　too　valuable　for　him　to　give　up。〃
　〃What　does　he　plan　to　do？〃
　〃Figure　it　out；〃　Big　Ezoe　said。　〃It　isn't　so　difficult。〃
　Honno　thought　for　a　moment。　〃He's　going　to　try　to　take　our　money　and　give　us　nothing…or；　perhaps；　just　a　little…in　return。〃
　Big　Ezoe　said；　〃Like　all　amateurs；　Giin　believes　that　he　can　outsmart　the　professional。　That's　a　proven　fact。　Why　else　would　he　e　back　night　after　night　to　my　gambling　houses？　He　has　set　up　a　meeting　for　eight　this　morning；　in　the　center　of　the　Nihonbashi　bridge。　I　will　bring　him　the　money；　and　he　will　give　me　one　deciphered　page　from　the　ledgers。　Then；　when　I'm　satisfied　as　to　their　value；　he'll　give　me　an　address　where　I'll　supposedly　find　the　entire　ledgers；　along　with　the　rest　of　the　decoded　pages。　Only　they　won't　be　there；　and　he'll　begin　the　process　of　bleeding　me　dry。〃
　〃But　that's　so　terribly　dangerous　for　him。〃
　〃It　certainly　is；〃　Big　Ezoe　said；　〃but　in　a　way　he　doesn't　yet　begin　to　suspect。　He's　chosen　to　deal　with　me。　That's　because　he　knows　me…or；　at　any　rate；　he　thinks　he　does。　In　fact；　he's　very　close　to　the　edge；　and　in　danger　of　falling　a　long；　long　way。
　〃You　see；　Mrs。　Kansei；　what　Giin　hasn't　counted　on　is　you。〃
　''You　loved　Giin；　once；''　Big　Ezoe　said　in　the　tone　one　would　use　when　beginning　a　fairy　tale。　〃But　now　your　warrior　spirit　has　shown　you　that　it　wasn't　Giin　you　loved　at　all；　but　an　image　of　Giin。　An　image　your　own　needs；　desires；　and　misconceptions　created。　Just　as　they　created　the　Eikichi　Kansei　you　thought　you　had　married。　There；　too；　the　truth　was　something　altogether　different。〃
　Honno　and　Big　Ezoe　were　in　his　limo；　on　their　way　to　Nihonbashi。　They　passed　through　a　city　that　looked　as　if　it　were　waking　up　from　a　long；　troubled　slumber。
　〃What　do　you　plan　to　do？〃　Honno　said。
　〃I？〃　Big　Ezoe　looked　at　her。　〃I　plan　to　do　nothing　at　all。〃
　The　limo　pulled　into　the　curb；　and　the　driver　got　out。　In　a　moment　Honno's　door　was　opening。　The　driver　handed　her　a　slim　attache。　It　came　as　no　surprise　to　this　new　Honno。　She　emerged　into　the　busy　street。
　She　said；　〃What　is　in　the　case？　〃But；　really；　it　was　a　question　to　which　she　already　had　the　answer。　She　could　hear　Fukuda　saying。　Whatever　you　want　to　be　in　there；　and　the　warrior　with　Honno's　voice　repeated　the　answer　out　loud。
　Behind　her；　she　heard　Big　Ezoe's　voice　saying；　〃I　will　remain　here　until　the　matter　is　resolved。〃
　Without　a　backward　glance；　Honno　walked　onto　the　bridge。　Centuries　ago　the　Nihonbashi　had　been　the　starting　point　of　the　Tokaido；　the　main　road　betw