el.angeleyes-第67部分

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ble。
　〃No　sweat；〃　Deke　said。　He　plopped　the　pellet　into　Ton's　hand。　〃Hafnium　is　a　by…product　of　zirconium　mining。　It's　used　to　make　control　rods　for　nuclear　reactors。　These　rods　are　like　dynamic　controllers；　meaning　they　move　in　and　out　of　the　reactor　core　so　that　they　can　like　absorb　more　or　less　of　the　neutrons　given　off　by　the　atomic　reaction。　You　like　control　the　power　output　that　way。
　〃Usually；　boron　is　like　used　for　the　control　rods；　but　boron　wears　out；　and　new　rods　have　to　be　fitted。　Hafnium's　advantage　over　like　boron　and　the　other　similar　control　rod　substances　is　that　it　has　an　enormous　capacity　for　absorbing　neutrons。　See；　like　the　neutrons　bombarding　it　change　it　into　another　substance　which　also　has　the　capacity　to　absorb　neutrons。
　〃Because　of　this　property；〃　Deke　continued；　〃hafnium　is　used　most　often　in　like　the　nuclear　reactors　of　submarines。　The　longer　such　a　reactor　can　go　without　replacement；　the　longer　the　sub　can　stay　underwater　without　refueling。〃
　〃What　kind　of　time　are　we　talking？〃　Tori　asked。　
　〃Boron　would　give　you　like　maybe　six　months；〃　Deke　said。　〃But　with　rods　of　hafnium　in　your　reactor；　you　could　stay　underwater　like　over　two　years。''
　〃Okay；〃　Russell　said。　〃You　said　control　rods；　but　these　are　pellets。　Does　this　mean　what　we　have　here　is　raw　hafnium？〃
　〃Solid　choice。〃　Deke　nodded。　〃But　wrong。〃　He　looked　at　Russell。　〃What　you　gave　me　to　analyze　isn't　raw；　dude。　It's　the　refined；　finished　stuff。〃
　''Yet　it's　not　a　rod。　This　must　be　some　special　stuff；''　Russell　said。
　〃Uh…huh。　Now　you're　in　the　loop。〃　Deke's　eyes　gleamed。　〃This　here's　something　better　than　a　rod。　It's　a　fixed　poison。　Meaning　it's　like　part　and　parcel　of　the　reactor's　core　itself。　Which　means　that　this　kind　of　core　is　something　new。　I'd　sure　like　to　get　my　hands　on　it。〃
　　〃You'll　have　to　get　in　line；〃　Tori　said。　
''I　hear　you；　dudette。''
　　Russell　said；　〃What　would　you　use　this　kind　of　new　reactor　for？〃
　Deke　shrugged。　〃Hard　to　say。　A　sub　could　stay　independent　for　like　five　years；　maybe　more。〃　
　〃Any　other　possibilities？〃　Tori　asked。　
　Deke　thought　for　a　moment。　〃Well；　with　like　a　fixed　poison　of　this　kind　of　hafnium；　I　suppose　it　would　be　theoretically　possible　to　construct　a　miniature　reactor　of　a　much　higher　potency　than　what　we　already　have。''
　〃How　potent？〃　Russell　asked。
　Deke　scrunched　up　his　face　in　concentration。　〃If　you　got　the　right　brains　together；　I　imagine　you　could　e　up　with　a　backpack…size　reactor　that　could…well；　it　could　like　power　just　about　anything。　Care　to　name　your　poison；　dude？〃
　〃Christ　on　the　cross；〃　Russell　said　sometime　later。　〃One　murder　has　taken　us　from　a　mission　involving　cocaine　running　to　a　multinational　conspiracy　to　create　the　ultimate　portable　power　source。　Tori；　imagine　it！　An　atomic　reactor　you　could　carry　on　your　back！　Think　of　the　possibilities！''
　〃I　am。〃　Tori　shuddered。　〃And　in　this　context　they're　all　monstrous。〃
　〃Another　bit　of　interesting　news；〃　Russell　said。　〃According　to　the　tests　Deke　ran；　the　cocaine　being　manufactured　at　Estilo's　Colombian　factory　in　the　llano　negro　is　normal；　not　the　killer　stuff　the　Japanese　are　manufacturing。　So　at　least　he's　not　involved　in　that　side　of　it。〃
　〃Small　fort；〃　Tori　said。
　They　were　sitting　at　a　window　table　at　a　second…floor　kissaten…one　of　thirty　thousand　such　coffee　shops　in　Tokyo…overlooking　the　trendiest　street　in　the　trendy　Roppongi　district。　The　decor　was　highly　futuristic；　both　inside　the　kissaten　and　out　in　the　street。
　Red　neon　strips　hidden　by　pink　lacquer　sconces　that　ran　the　length　of　the　interior　of　the　coffee　shop　lit　stainless…steel　sculptures　of　bonsai　trees；　waves；　cranes　in　flight。　Old　symbols　in　a　new　medium。　It　was　as　if　the　Japanese；　in　stepping　boldly　forward　into　the　future；　were　duty…bound　to　drag　their　past　with　them。
　Outside；　people　passed　like　peacocks；　their　clothes　so　outlandish　they　could　be　considered　costumes。　Russell　noticed　that　the　futuristic　domes　were　almost　colorless：　black；　white；　putty；　simple　hues　that　allowed　the　fantastic　cuts　and　shapes　of　the　blouses；　skirts；　and　jackets　to　take　center　stage　and；　like　sculpture；　to　make　their　own　impact　in　the　purest　state。
　〃Tori；〃　Russell　said；　〃why　is　it　that　everything　in　Japan　is　a　symbol？〃
　〃That's　not　so　hard　to　figure；〃　Tori　said。　〃The　Japanese　fixation　on　symbols　is　merely　a　reflection　of　their　culture：　say　one　thing；　act　another　way。　Too　many　people　in　too　little　space。　And　because　of　chronic　earthquakes；　the　traditional　housing　construction　was　of　wood　and　paper…easier　to　rebuild　after　a　quake　has　leveled　your　house。　But　both　these　factors　made　for　an　acute　lack　of　privacy。　Did　you　ever　try　to　tell　someone　a　secret　in　a　room　whose　walls　are　made　of　rice　paper？　Don't　bother。
　〃In　Japan；　everyone　shares；　everyone　is　part　of　a　series　of　groups；　so　it　was　natural　that　an　elaborate　system　of　politeness　and　protocol　should　arise。　The　obsession　with　symbols　is　an　outgrowth　of　these　things。　A　symbol　is　easily　identifiable　for　groups；　something　happily　embraced　by　many。''
　〃I'm　with　you　so　far；　dudette；〃　Russell　drawled；　and　they　both　smiled。　〃But　if　you　take　the　time　to　look　behind　these　symbols；　you　find　that　they　have　no　meaning。〃
　〃Right。　And　that　makes　sense；　too；　if　you　can　learn　to　think　like　a　Japanese。　What　is　on　the　surface　is　to　be　admired；　but　not　necessarily　adhered　to。　As　long　as　form　and　protocol　are　outwardly　satisfied；　what　difference　does　it　make　what's　really　on　your　mind　or　in　your　heart？　Under　these　circumstances；　it's　far　better　for　the　symbols　to　be　meaningless。　That　way；　there's　no　chance　of　an　entanglement　that　could　cause　shame　and　loss　of　face。〃
　Tori　thought；　I　am　so　Japanese；　yes。　All　the　while　I'm　expounding　like　a　professor　on　their　culture；　I　am　part　of　it；　a　living　symbol。　I　am　talking；　hearing　myself　talk；　but　that　is　only　the　surface；　the　gleaming　shell；　all　that　I'm　allowing　Russ　to　see。　To　show　him　more　would　bring　me　shame；　a　loss　of　face。
　Tori　was　trying　desperately　to　e　to　terms　with　her　own　emotions。　Ever　since　she　had　seen　Russell　in　the　Medellin　cor…rida；　about　to　die；　something　had　changed　inside　her。　She　knew；　deep　down；　that　it　was　not　merely　a　sense　of　decency　or　even　guilt　that　had　motivated　her　to　leap　into　the　corrida；　climb　upon　the　bull's　humped　back。
　And　later；　in　the　727　on　the　way　to　Tokyo；　when　he　had　burst　in　on　her；　had　held　her　while　she　was　racked　with　the　pain　of　the　trust　she　had　lost　in　Estilo。　She　had　been　so　certain　that　Russell　would　reprimand　her；　push　her　face　into　the　uncertainty　that　now　loomed　before　her：　could　she　trust　any　of　the　network　of　friends　she　had　so　slowly；　so　painstakingly　nurtured；　cultivated；　relied　on？　Her　network　was　her　eyes　and　ears　on　the　clandestine　movements　of　the　world。　And　now　that　that　network　had　so　clearly　sprung　a　leak；　now　that　she　was　bleeding；　was　the　time　for　the　Russell　Slade　she　knew　to　hit　her；　hit　her　hard；　so　that　he　could　at　last　wrest　the　reins　of　control　from　her。　Because　she　had　been　convinced　that　this　was　Russell's　weakness：　he　was　a　control　freak；　and　the　fact　that　she　had　her　own　way　of　running　a　mission　drove　him　crazy。
　And　yet。。。　Russell　had　not　acted　in　character。　Just　the　opposite；　in　fact。　He　had　been　gentle；　kind；　understanding；　all　traits　she　could　not　reconcile　with　the　Russell　Slade　she　had　known　in　the　past。
　The　fact　was；　she　had　gotten　a　great　deal　of　pleasure　from　driving　Russell　crazy。　And　the　fact　that　she　was　so　obviously　successful　with　her　unorthodox　methodology　should　have　shown　him　his　own　weakness　as　clearly　as　if　it　were　a　mirror。　It　hadn't。　She　hadn't　counted　on　his　stubborn　streak…and　the　depth　of　his　weakness。　Control　was　everything。
　Tori　had　promised　herself　on　the　day　he　had　severed　her　from　the　Mall；　that　one　day　she　would　create　a　laboratory　experiment　where　Russell's　sense　of　control　was　stripped　from　him。
　This　new　mission　had　presented　just　the　opportunity　she　had　been　looking　for。　Since　it　was　clear　Russell　and　Bernard　were　desperate　to　have　her　back；　she　had　decided　to　exact　her　revenge　on　Russell。　The　field　was　the　greatest　laboratory　she　could　hope　to　find。　There　was　no　control　in　the　field；　where　one　was　continually　bombarded　with　the　randomness