el.angeleyes-第72部分

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o　another　part　of　the　city；　when　all　along　this　van　had　been　waiting　around　the　corner。　As　soon　as　Hitasura's　men　had　determined　that　she　and　Russell　had　not　been　followed；　they　had　called　for　the　van。
　Tori　looked　around；　blinking　in　the　dim　light。　They　were　in　what　appeared　to　be　a　miniature　living　room。　They　were　sitting　on　a　sofa　upholstered　in　an　Oriental　cotton　print　of　blues；　greens；　and　deep　yellows。　There　was　a　brass　coffee　table；　Chinese　ginger　jar　lamps　on　matching　mahogany　side　tables；　a　pair　of　dark　blue　upholstered　wing　chairs；　even　a　couple　of　pleasant　well…framed　landscape　prints　on　the　walls。　No　windows；　however。　It　was　surprisingly　fortable；　nonetheless。
　〃Where　in　the　hell　are　we？〃　Russell　said。
　〃A　moving　van；〃　a　deep　rich　voice　said。　They　looked　up；　saw　Hitasura；　a　tall；　slender；　dark…skinned　Japanese；　enter　the　mobile　living　room。　〃One　of　many　in　my　fleet。〃　He　smiled　warmly。　〃Should　the　need　arise　for　you　to　move；　one　of　these　vans　will　handle　everything　in　one　load；　you　here　in　fort；　while　below　and　behind　you；　your　containerized　possessions　are　safely　stored；　fumigated；　and　sanitized。〃
　Hitasura　sat　across　from　them　in　one　of　the　wing　chairs。　It　was　large　enough　to　acmodate　his　height。　〃Tori；　it　is　good　to　see　you　again。〃　He　might　have　been　a　handsome　man；　but　there　was　no　moderation　to　his　features。　He　had　hard　eyes；　a　sharp　nose；　and　an　unforgiving　mouth。　There　was　a　tea…colored　melanin　birthmark　on　the　left　side　of　his　neck　that　ran　up　his　jaw　and　encroached　on　the　lower　portion　of　his　cheek。
　〃Hitasura…san；〃　Tori　said　formally；　〃this　is　Russell　Slade。　A　friend。〃
　〃Mr。　Slade。〃　Hitasura　inclined　his　head。　〃Perhaps　you　will　forgive　the　melodrama　when　I　tell　you　that　these　rather　elaborate　precautions　were　necessary。〃
　〃What's　happened？〃　Tori　said；　picking　up　on　his　tone。
　Hitasura　sat　back；　made　a　bridge　with　his　fingertips。　〃I　hardly　know　where　to　begin。　It　may　be　a　war　is　brewing；　Tori…san；　though　I　hope　I　am　overreacting。''　He　looked　at　her。　〃My　only　brother　is　dead。〃
　〃How？〃
　〃He　was　murdered；〃　Hitasura　said。　〃Much　more　than　that　I　do　not　know。　It　happened　sometime　shortly　after　midnight。　His　apartment　was　broken　into。　Some　things；　perhaps；　were　stolen；　although　we　can　rule　out　robbery　as　a　motive。　His　money　and　valuables　were　not　touched。〃
　Tori　said；　〃Have　you　any　idea　who's　responsible？〃
　〃Nothing　conclusive；〃　Hitasura　said。　The　pain　was　apparent　in　his　dark　eyes；　in　the　new　lines　in　his　face。　The　pressure　of　being　an　oyabun　was　massive。　〃But　yesterday　morning；　early；　a　woman　hurled　my　brother's　mentor；　a　university　professor　named　Giin；　from　the　parapet　of　the　Nihonbashi。　Giin　had　been　teaching　my　brother　his　method　of　deciphering　codes。〃
　〃Who　killed　this　man；　Giin？　Fukuda？〃
　〃That　would　have　been　my　guess；　since　Fukuda　works　for　Big　Ezoe；　and　he　is　my　chief　rival。　But　the　odd　thing　is　that　Fukuda　was　busy　elsewhere　at　the　time　of　Gun's　demise。〃
　〃Another　female　assassin？〃　Tori　said　doubtfully。　〃Who？〃　
　〃You've　e　back　to　me　at　a　most　propitious　time；　Tori…san。〃　Hitasura's　eyes　were　burning。　〃I　have　begun　to　mobilize　all　of　Tokyo　to　find　out。''
　〃We　have　a　fix；〃　Hitasura　said　with　the　receiver　of　the　mobile　phone　to　his　ear。
　〃On　who？〃　Tori　said。　〃You　have　no　description　of　the　woman　who　killed　Giin；　and　you　can't　even　say　whether　it　was　she　who　murdered　your　brother。〃
　〃We　know　where　Fukuda　is；〃　Hitasura　said。　〃Fukuda　knows。　We　must　persuade　Fukuda　to　tell　us　what　she　knows。〃
　''Who　is　this　Fukuda？''　Russell　asked。　''Did　I　hear　you　right？　She's　some　kind　of　female　Yakuza　assassin？　〃
　〃That's　right；〃　Tori　said。
　The　anonymous　moving　van　rumbled　through　the　streets　of　Tokyo。　Hitasura　was　on　the　mobile　phone；　getting　the　latest　information　on　the　citywide　search　for　his　brother's　murderer。
　〃But　I　thought　the　Yakuza　had　no　use　for　women；〃　Russell　said。
　〃Generally　speaking；　that's　true；〃　Tori　said。　〃But　Fukuda　is　an　exception。〃
　〃In　many　ways；〃　Hitasura　added。　He　had　cradled　the　phone　receiver。　〃Fukuda　has　a…oh；　shall　we　say；　a　history　in　Yakuza　lore。〃
　Tori　grunted。　〃What　Hitasura…san　means　is　that　she　broke　her　way　into　Yakuza　society。　Forcibly。　She　made　the　Yakuza　oyabun　notice　her；　and　accept　her。〃
　〃Some；〃　Hitasura　corrected。　〃Others　will　never　accept　a　woman　doing　a　man's　job。''
　〃Better　than　most　men　can　do　it；〃　Tori　said。
　Hitasura　glowered　at　her；　then　abruptly　laughed。　〃Tori…san；　too；　is　an　exception。　I　do　not　hold　her　sex　against　her。〃　He　said　this　in　a　tone　of　voice　that　indicated　he　should　be　congratulated　for　his　insight。
　''If　I　read　Hitasura…san's　thinking　right；''　Tori　explained；　''he　feels　sure　that　if　there　is　another　female　assassin　working；　she　had　to　have　been　trained　by　Fukuda。　Fukuda　is　the　key。''
　〃Wait　a　minute。〃　Russell　looked　from　one　to　the　other。　〃Even　if　you　manage　to　capture　her；　what　makes　you　think　that　this　highly　trained　assassin　is　going　to　tell　you　anything？〃
　Hitasura　glanced　at　Tori。
　Russell　said　immediately；　〃What　am　I　missing？〃　He　looked　at　Hitasura；　but　the　oyabun　turned　away。　〃Tori？〃
　Ton　said　nothing。　Instead；　she　took　his　hand　in　hers；　placed　the　flat　of　it　over　her　left　hip。　It　was　an　extraordinary　gesture；　full　of　echoes　of　the　past：　their　meeting　in　the　library　in　L。A。　when　he　had　e　to　re…recruit　her；　and　had　touched　her　there。　How　does　it　feel？　But　there　were　also　intimations　of　the　future；　an　intimacy　about　which　neither　of　them　was　at　the　moment　able　to　speak。　It　was　in　some　sense　a　tribal　gesture；　a　tremor　of　intent；　primitive；　powerful；　a　symbol　full　of　meaning；　in　a　land　posed　of　meaningless　symbols。
　''Fukuda　broke　your　hip？''
　It　was　a　whisper；　but　Tori　winced；　as　if　she　were　experiencing　again　the　bright　blue…white…green　flash　searing　her　eyes；　singeing　her　brows　and　fuzz　of　hair　on　her　arms；　feeling　anew　the　weird　sense　not　of　falling；　but　of　floating　in　the　subway　tunnel　far　below　the　streets　of　Tokyo。　Feeling　nothing　for　an　instant；　and　then　as　if　the　percussion　is　hitting　her　all　over　again；　the　agonizing；　teeth…grinding　pain　as　the　shock　dissipates。　Then　the　extreme　heaviness　of　her　own　body；　as　if　it　now　weighs　tons。　Crashing　to　the　tracks；　the　shining　steel　coated　with　a　hot；　sticky　substance；　dark；　running　out　of　her　in　a　stream。　And　Fukuda　pausing　a　moment　in　the　semidarkness　of　the　subway　tunnel；　her　face　alight　with　triumph。　I　told　you　not　to　get　in　my　way；　but　you　didn't　listen。　You　took　from　me　something　that　was　very　precious。　Now　that　you'II　pay　with　your　life；　perhaps　you　will　understand　just　how　precious。　The　gloating　is　cut　with　her　rage　and　her　hate。　You　backed　the　wrong　horse。　Sooner　or　later；　we'II　take　Hitasura　down；　just　as　we've　taken　you　down。　No　big　thing。　Easy　does　it。　Then　she　had　disappeared；　and　in　her　place　was　the　rumbling　of　the　oning　train；　sweeping　around　a　curve；　its　startlingly　brilliant　headlight　firing　the　steel　tracks；　the　light　racing　toward　Tori；　who　lay　on　the　tracks；　immobile　。　。　。
　〃Tori！　Tori！〃　Russell　was　shaking　her。　〃Are　you　all　right？〃
　White…faced；　Tori　turned　her　head　toward　him。　〃No；〃　she　said；　her　voice　a　hoarse　whisper。　Her　eyes　locked　with　his。　They　were　dark；　swirling　with　emotion。　〃I've　e　full　circle；　Russ。　I　beat　death　once。　Now　I　see　I've　got　to　do　it　all　over　again。''
　

EIGHT　
ARKHANGELSKOE/STAR　TOWN/MOSCOW/TOKYO

　〃rade；　have　you　heard　the　latest　news？　They've　done　it　again。〃
　〃Who's　done　it　again？〃　Valeri　said。
　〃White　Star；〃　the　young　man　with　the　strawberry　birthmark　said。　〃Their　elite　cadres　are　better　armed；　more　well…trained。　White　Star　is　no　longer　merely　a　ragtag　guerrilla　organization　made　up　of　disparate　dissident　minorities。　They　are　a　full…fledged　army　now。　And　elements　of　this　new　army　have　attacked　the　Kyshtym　Industrial　plex。　It　is　entirely　destroyed！〃
　Valeri　Bondasenko　was　sitting　on　the　bench　overlooking　the　large　birch　tree；　outpost　of　the　forest　on　the　other　side　of　which　were　the　grounds　of　Arkhangelskoe。　On　one　side　of　him　was　the　young　man　with　the　strawberry　birthmark；　on　the　other；　his　daughter；　silent；　imperturbable。　At　their　backs；　up　the　sloping　incline；　bulked　the　almost　Victorian　exterior　of　the　insane　asylum。
　''Is　that　so？''　Valeri　said。　''I　had　heard　the　story　diff