el.angeleyes-第84部分

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hrough　her。　Each　moment　she　seemed　to　alter；　flickering　like　a　series　of　dynamos　being　switched　on　one　after　another；　illuminating　the　darkness　of　the　night。
　〃Koi；〃　Honno　said　at　length。　〃I　like　Koi。〃　The　name　she　had　chosen　had　many　meanings　besides　the　magnificent　species　of　Japanese　carp；　it　meant；　variously；　dark；　strong；　the　power　of　the　Imperial　throne；　even；　as　a　verb；　to　change　one's　clothes。　All　these　meanings　seemed；　in　some　fashion；　to　fit　this　new　Honno。
　''Koi；''　Big　Ezoe　said　from　his　seat　behind　the　massive　black　rosewood　desk；　a　kind　of　free…form　sculpture　which　Americans　would　recognize　and　cherish　as　retro。
　〃Your　samurai　friend；　Kakuei　Sakata；　had　good　reason　to　mit　ritual　suicide。〃　He　shuffled　the　papers　he　had　taken　from　the　apartment　of　Asaku　Hitasura；　Giin's　protege。　〃These　are　the　plete　translations　of　the　ledgers　Sakata　kept。　He　was　a　meticulous　man。　Everything　is　here；　details　of　corruption：　bribes；　extortion；　ministerial　appointments　for　private　profit　and　professional　gain。　This　is　a　veritable　catalogue　of　sins：　greed；　lust；　envy；　gluttony；　pride；　you　name　it；　it's　certain　to　be　here。　And　the　trail　goes　from　the　industrialist；　Kunio　Michita…your　former　boss　and　Sakata's…all　the　way　to　the　Ministry　of　International　Trade　and　Industry。　And　what　do　you　know？　The　one　link　between　them　all；　the　go…between；　was　not　your　friend　Sakata…though　he　served　that　purpose　as　a　facade…but　my　old　enemy；　Hitasura。〃
　〃Hitasura；〃　Koi　said；　running　her　fingers　over　Kakuei　Sakata's　ledgers　which　she　had　liberated。　〃Isn't　that　the　last　name　of　the　man　I　killed　last　night？''
　For　a　moment　Big　Ezoe　said　nothing。　He　was　astounded　by　the　matter…of…fact　tone　in　her　voice。　Had　she　felt　nothing　at　all　when　she　had　crushed　Asaku　Hitasura's　windpipe？　Well；　good。　Fukuda　had　done　her　job　well；　then。　But　Big　Ezoe's　finely　tuned　sense　of　wa　sent　off　a　distant　alarm。
　This　woman　is　an　addict；　he　thought。　She　devours　power　in　the　same　way　others　consume　food。　She　cannot　help　herself；　she　needs　it　now　simply　in　order　to　exist。　For　one　such　as　she；　there　can　be　no　such　thing　as　honor　or　giri。　She　is　bound　on　the　wheel　of　her　addiction　as　surely　as　a　heretic　was　bound　to　the　rack。　I　pity　anyone　who　is　foolish　enough　to　get　in　her　way。
　〃Asaku　was　the　oyabun　Hitasura's　younger　brother；〃　Big　Ezoe　said。　〃Hitasura's　people　are　already　being　meddlesome；　bing　the　city　for　a　clue　to　the　identity　of　Asaku's　murderer。〃
　〃Let　them　look；〃　Honno　said。　〃No　one　knows　what　happened　except　you；　me；　and　Fukuda。〃
　〃I'll　say　one　thing　about　Asaku；〃　Big　Ezoe　said；　〃he　was　a　genius　at　cryptography。〃
　〃He　was　arrogant；〃　Koi　said。　〃He　dismissed　me　because　I　was　a　woman。　He　laughed　in　my　face。〃
　〃That　was　because　he　was　so　angry　at　how　easily　you　got　into　his　apartment。　You　scared　the　shit　out　of　him。〃
　〃That's　not　all　I　did　to　him；〃　Koi　said。
　Big　Ezoe　thought　of　the　moment　when　Honno；　or　Koi；　as　she　now　wanted　to　be　called；　crushed　Asaku　Hitasura's　windpipe。　He　had　seen　in　her　face　the　image　of　a　mask　in　a　Bunraku　puppet　play。　It　was　the　mask　of　a　god…though　which　god；　Big　Ezoe　could　not　now　recall…and　it　had　been　cleverly　painted　with　features　that　managed　to　exhibit　both　ecstasy　and　despair。　He　had　marveled　at　that　mask。　How　he　had　wanted　to　meet　the　artisan　who　had　so　masterfully　created　it。　And　yet　Big　Ezoe　had　never　inquired；　afraid　that　the　man　would　turn　out　to　be　mundane；　altogether　dull；　not　at　all　what　he　had　pictured　in　his　imagination。
　Then；　last　night；　he　had　magically　found　that　expression　reproduced　on　the　face　of　a　human　being。　How　absolutely　extraordinary！　Big　Ezoe；　who　loved　and　admired　rarities；　had　decided　that　Koi　was　the　rarest　of　the　rare。　He　had　sought　to　transform　her；　to　make　her…as　he　had　Fukuda…into　an　extension　of　his　psyche。
　Fukuda　had　e　to　him　essentially　as　Koi　had；　emotionally　maimed。　People…especially　women；　Big　Ezoe　had　discovered…were　peculiarly　vulnerable　when　they　were　bloodied。　Blood　meant　wounds　that　had　not　been　able　to　heal；　a　flaw　in　the　psyche。
　Until　last　night；　when　he　had　seen　the　godlike　expression　on　Koi's　killing　face；　he　had　considered　Fukuda　to　be　his　crowning　achievement。　It　was　then　that　Big　Ezoe　began　to　suspect　that　Koi　would　far　outstrip　his　first　model。
　And　later；　when　he　had　taken　Koi　back　to　the　apartment　he　had　given　her；　he　had　watched　her　while　she　took　her　cleansing　bath。　He　had　rolled　up　his　sleeves；　had　covered　her　with　soap；　then　sponged　her　down。　Spraying　her　with　cool　water；　watching　the　suds　spiral　down　the　drain；　uncovering　in　sections　her　hard；　unblemished　body。　Big　Ezoe　had　caught　himself　eyeing　her　enviously。
　After　hosing　down　the　tub　to　get　rid　of　the　residues　of　dirt　and　soap；　Koi　had　filled　it　with　steaming　hot　water；　lay　back　to　soak；　and　spoke　the　first　words　since　her　second　act　of　murder。　She　said；　〃I　was　taught　that　women　enter　this　world　already　bearing　a　guilt　we　can　never　fully　rid　ourselves　of。　We　are　unclean。　Our　bodies　regularly　run　with　blood；　proof　of　the　evil　passions　we　cannot　control。〃　She　stared　at　Big　Ezoe。　〃How　much　more　fully　this　applies　to　me；　a　hinoeuma　woman；　born　in　the　year　of　the　husband　killers。〃
　Big　Ezoe　had　said　nothing。　He　was　content　now　to　watch　and　to　listen　as　he　had　done　the　night　of　the　Bunraku　play；　as　if　he　were　again　one　of　many；　sitting　in　the　darkness　of　the　huge　theater。
　Koi　had　raised　her　arms；　bringing　her　hands　out　of　the　water。　Her　clear　skin　was　steaming；　gleaming　in　the　bathroom　lights；　center　stage。　Water　dripped　from　her　fingertips；　and　for　the　first　time　Big　Ezoe　noticed　that　her　nails　were　lacquered　the　color　of　blood。
　〃But　now；〃　Koi　had　said；　〃now　I　know　I　have　the　power　to　exercise　my　evil　passions　as　I　see　fit。　I　can　exploit　them；　as　I　did　tonight；　or　I　can　make　them　lie　quiescently　by　my　side　like　a　slumbering　lover。〃　She　put　her　head　back；　her　eyes　closed　as　she　slipped　lower　into　the　water；　so　that　to　Big　Ezoe　her　body　already　seemed　insubstantial；　its　outline　wavering。　〃The　choice　is　mine。〃
　And　today　she　had　chosen　her　new　name：　Koi。　Like　stepping　out　of　old　clothes；　into　new。　Darkness。　Depth。　Power。
　〃No　one　knows；〃　Koi　said　again　now。
　Big　Ezoe　came　around　from　behind　the　desk；　stood　with　her　as　she　surveyed　the　city。　The　sky　had　already　clouded　up。　Pollutants　turned　the　pristine　morning　blue　sky　to　a　sickly　yellow…gray。　Fujiyama；　the　great　mountain　that　symbolized　Japan；　was　swallowed　whole　in　man…made　mist。
　〃But　Hitasura　will　suspect　my　involvement。〃　Big　Ezoe　was　acutely　aware　of　Koi　as　he　stood　beside　her；　aware　of　the　enormous　power　of　her　wa；　and　he　felt　as　gratified　as　an　artist　with　his　masterpiece。　〃It　is　only　inevitable。　Sooner　or　later；　he　will　e。　And　when　he　does；　he　will　not　be　alone。〃
　〃So？　Let　him　e。〃　That　extraordinary　expression　was　reforming　on　her　face；　the　confluence　of　ecstasy　and　despair　that　had　about　it　now　an　air　of　expectancy。　The　air　around　Koi　seemed　to　alter；　as　it　does　just　before　the　onset　of　a　storm。　〃I　will　wele　Hitasura　with　open　arms。〃
　With　an　enormous　sense　of　satisfaction；　Big　Ezoe　could　see　what　happened：　he　had　made　of　Koi　a　warrior　whose　scars　he　had　annealed　by　his　own　form　of　cauterization；　until；　unlike　Fukuda；　Koi　had　absolutely　no　room　for　the　soft　emotions　of　pity；　sympathy；　or　passion。　
　And　Big　Ezoe；　giving　a　tiny　shudder；　thought　with　enormous　satisfaction；　Yes；　you　bastard　Hitasura；　e。　I　have　a　surprise　for　you。　I　want　you　to　meet　my　darting　creation。　My　hard　machine。

NINE
TOKYO

　Tori　was　once　again　studying　the　photograph　of　Ariel　Solares　as　he　stood；　smiling　into　the　camera　lens；　in　the　tiny　park　near　his　house　in　San　Francisco。
　She　kept　studying　the　people　in　the　background…the　man　and；　farther　away；　the　couple…as　if　in　their　faces　she　could　discover　what　it　was　about　the　photo　that　Ariel　had　found　so　significant。　But　she　could　not　make　them　out。　She　turned　the　photo　over；　saw　the　date　it　was　taken　digitally　printed　on　the　back；　March　21　of　this　year。　Was　the　date　important？　Not　according　to　the　Eyes　Only　dossier　on　me　manufacture　and　distribution　of　the　Japanese　supercocaine　she　had　been　shown　at　Mall　Central。
　Russell　and　Bernard　Godwin　had　been　desperate　to　bring　Tori　back　into　the　Mall　because　Ariel