ericlustbader.the ninja-第102部分

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do　now　but　I　doubt　if　you　do。　Please　take　my　advice　and　return　home。　Take　some　time　to　think　…'
　'There　are　some　answers　I　want　from　you；'　Nicholas　said　harshly。　'You　set　me　up　for　this。　You　knew　…'
　'I　knew　nothing。　As　I　said。　Now　I　know；　as　do　you。　That　is　better；　you　will　admit；　than　being　unsure。　No　decisions　can　be　accurately　made；　no　course　of　action　taken；　in　such　circumstances。　That　is　basic。　You　understand　that。'　There　was　a　slight　interrogative　at　the　end。
　'Yes。'
　'All　right。'　Kansatsu　sighed　and　stood　up。　They　faced　each　other　across　the　low；　lacquered　table。　'Let　me　tell　you　that　which　I　withheld　from　you　was　for　your　own　benefit…'
　'My　own　benefit'
　Kansatsu　held　up　one　hand。　'Please　allow　me　to　finish　my　thought。　I　had；　at　the　time；　only　conjecture　to　go　on　as　regards　Saigo。'　His　tone　of　voice　changed；　softening　somewhat。　'As　for　yourself；　I　told　you　what　was　in　my　mind。　Working　here　will　no　longer　well　serve　either　of　us。　That　you　have　survived　your　journey　to　Kumamoto　is　proof　enough　of　that　…　if　you　might　be　inclined　to　mistrust　my　word。'
　'I　would　never　…'
　'No。　I　know。　You　would　not。'　Kansatsu　came　round　the　table；　touched　Nicholas　on　the　biceps。　It　was　the　first　such　gesture　he　had　ever　made　towards　Nicholas。　'You　have　been　my　finest　pupil。　But　the　time　has　e　for　us　to　part　ways。　You　must　grow　along　your　own　path；　Nicholas。　Too　long　in　this　ryu；　any　ryu；　can　be　detrimental　to　that　growth。　But'　…　he　raised　a　long　forefinger　…　'before　you　decide　on　where　to　go；　your　mind　must　be　clear。　And　you　will　admit　that　you　cannot　claim　such　clarity　now；　hm？'
　Nicholas　was　silent；　thinking。
　'Take　several　days；　as　long　as　you　need；　in　fact。　Then；　when　you　feel　you　are　ready；　e　to　me。　I　will　be　here。　I　shall　answer　all　your　questions　as　best　I　can。　And；　together；　we　will　decide　on　your　future。'
　'There　is　something；'　Nicholas　said　at　last；　'that　cannot　be　ignored。'
　'And　what　is　that。'
　'I　have　an　enemy　now。'　Don't　bother　ing　after。　'I　invaded　their　territory　1　Ignored　their　warning。　When　they　e；　I　must　be　prepared。'
　Beside　him；　Kansatsu　had　never　seemed　so　old　and　frail　as　he　stared　out　at　the　falling　snow。
　'I　am　afraid　there's　been　some　bad　news。'
　He　stood　with　his　bags　in　the　doorway　of　his　house。　Immediately　he　thought　of　Cheong。　'Where's　Mother？'
　'At　your　aunt's。　e　inside；　Nicholas。'　The　Colonel　seemed　pale　and　drawn。
　The　house　seemed　subtly　different。　Emptier。　'What's　happened？'
　'It's　Satsugai；'　the　Colonel　said　evenly。　He　had　his　pipe　in　one　hand；　unlit。　'We　tried　to　reach　you　in　Kumamoto。　I　finally　got　hold　of　Saigo　this　afternoon。　Itami　was　surprised　to　learn　Yukio　decided　to　stay　with　him。'
　Nicholas　felt　a　knife　twisting　inside　him。　All　my　loving　darling；　I　will　send　to　you。　There　was　a　silence。　He　could　hear　the　clock　on　the　mantel　in　the　Colonel's　study。　All　the　way　in　here。　Nothing　moved　outside。　It　was　as　if　the　world　had　frozen　over　in　a　new　ice　age。
　The　Colonel　cleared　his　throat。　'Satsugai's　been　killed。　I'm　sorry；　it's　a　hell　of　a　homeing。　I　can　see　you　didn't　have　the　best　of　trips。'
　Was　it　so　indelibly　etched　across　his　face；　skywriting　that　he　refused　to　face？
　'How　did　it　happen？'
　…The　Colonel　put　the　pipe　stem　to　his　lips；　blew　sharply　outwards　to　unclog　it。　He　looked　at　the　bowl。　'Robbery；　the　police　think。　Satsugai　must　have　surprised　the　thief。'
　'No　one　else　heard　him？'
　The　Colonel　shrugged。　'No　one　else　was　in　the　house　at　the　time。　Itami　was　at　her　sister's。〃
　'Which　one？　Ikura？'
　'No　Teoke。'
　Nicholas　disliked　Teoke。
　'Well。'　He　went　to　take　his　bags　into　his　room。　The　Colonel　stooped　to　help　him　and　together　they；　went　through　the　house。
　'It's　so　quiet；'　Nicholas　said。　'Nothing　seems　right。'
　'No；'　the　Colonel　agreed；　something　far　off　in　his　eyes。　'It's　never　the　same。'　He　sat　on　the　futon；　pressed　his　thumb　and　forefinger　against　his　eyelids。　'The　servants　have　gone　with　your　mother　and　Ataki　won't　e　today。'
　Nicholas　began　to　unpack；　separating　the　soiled　clothes　from　the　unworn　ones。　'Dad；'　he　said　after　a　time；　'what　do　you　know　of　the　ninja？'
　'Oh；　not　very　much。　Why？'
　He　shrugged；　looking　down　at　the　shirt　he　was　holding。
　'Kansatsu's　been　talking　about　them。　Did　you　know　that　when　firearms　were　first　introduced　here　in　1543　by　the　Portuguese　they　were　immediately　incorporated　into　ninjutsu　techniques？　No？　And　because　of　that；　firearms　were　shunned　by　the　majority　of　the　other　classes　…　most　especially　the　samurai　…　until　the　Meiji　Restoration。'
　The　Colonel　got　up；　went　across　the　room　to　stand　beside　his　son。　'Nicholas；'　he　said　gently；　'what　happened　between　you　and　Yukio？'　When　Nicholas　said　nothing；　he　put　his　hand　on　his　son's　shoulder；　said；　'Are　you　afraid　to　tell　me？'
　Nicholas　turned　round　to　face　him。　'Afraid？　No。　I　…　It's　just　that　I　know　how　you　felt　about　her。　You　disliked　her　from　the　beginning。'
　'So　now　you　won't　tell　me　…'
　'I　love　her；'　Nicholas　said　in　anguish。　'And　she　told　me　she　loved　me。　And　then。　And　then；　it　all　fell　apart　just　as　if　it　had　never　existed。'　The　Colonel's　heart　ached　at　the　look　he　saw　on　Nicholas's　face。　'How　could　she　go　off　with　Saigo？　How　could　she　do　it？'　Tears　stood　in　the　corners　of　his　eyes。　'I　don't　understand　any　of　it。'
　When　he　had　seen　Nicholas　standing　there　in　the　doorway；　the　Colonel　had　felt　an　enormous　urge　to　tell　him　everything；　to　confess。　Now　he　knew　that　he　would　never　do　that；　it　would　be　far　too　selfish。　It　was　a　burden　designed　for　him　alone。　How　unfair　to　make　Nicholas　carry　it　for　the　rest　of　his　life。　But　he　wanted　desperately　to　say　something　forting　to　his　son。　He　was　dumbfounded　now　by　his　inarticulateness。　Is　this　how　I　have　been　with　him　all　his　life？　he　wondered。　I　don't　know　what　to　say；　what　would　calm　him。　He　wished　that　Cheong　were　here　now　and　was　instantly　ashamed　of　the　thought。　My　God；　he　thought；　am　I　that　estranged　from　my　own　son？　Is　this　what　my　work　has　done　to　me？　It　seemed　to　the　Colonel　to　be　the　final　irony。　And　now　he　realized　how　he　had　envied　Satsugai's　close　relationship　with　Saigo。　It　was　something　he　could　never　have　with　Nicholas。　The　fault；　he　saw；　lay　within　himself。
　He　heard　the　door　chimes　ringing。　'e　on；'　he　said；　and　they　both　went　to　answer　it。
　A　detective　sergeant　of　the　Tokyo　Metropolitan　Police　stood　on　the　steps。　He　was　a　heavy…set　youngish　man；　seeming　ill　at　ease；　he　knew　all　too　well　where　he　was。　He　saluted　smartly　as　the　Colonel　opened　the　door。
　'Colonel　Linnear；'　he　said。　He　had　restless　brown　eyes。　'Lieutenant　Tomomi　asked　me　to　inform　you　of　the　investigation's　progress。'　He　did　not　have　to　say　which　investigation。　'Our　latest　findings　indicate　that　your　brother…in…law　…'
　'He's　not　my　brother…in…law。'
　'Sir？'
　'Never　mind；'　the　Colonel　said。　'Carry　on。'
　'Yes；　sir。　We　have　ruled　out　burglary。　At　least；　it's　no　longer　at　the　top　of　our　list。'
　'Oh？'
　'The　coroner's　report　indicates　a　double　fracture　of　the　cricoid　cartilage。　In　the　larynx。　He　was　garroted。　And　by　a　professional。　Lieutenant　Tomomi　believes　there　is　now　reason　to　consider　a　radical　left…wing　connection。'
　'You　mean　assassination？'
　'Yes；　sir。　We　are　bringing　suspects　in　now。　You　know；　the　usual　activists　from　the　JSP；　the　munists；　so　forth。'　'Thank　you　for　informing　me；　Sergeant。'
　'No　trouble　at　all；　sir。　Good　day。'　He　turned　away。　Gravel　crunched　under　his　high　black　boots。
　In　the　weeks　that　followed；　the　family　life　slowly　restored　itself　to　a　semblance　of　order。　But；　as　the　Colonel　had　remarked；　it　was　not　the　same。
　There　was　Satsugai's　funeral；　of　course；　a　strictly　formal　ceremony；　delayed　for　a　time　until　Saigo　returned　home。
　Nicholas　found　no　sadness　inside　himself　at　Satsugai's　death。　This；　of　course；　was　not　surprising。　But　he　also　found　himself　oddly　anticipating　the　funeral　and　did　not　realize　what　it　was　he　was　anticipating　until　he　saw　Saigo　and　Itami　arrive。　Then　his　heart　sank。　Yukio　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。　For　his　part　Saigo　neither　looked　nor　talked　to　anyone　save　his　mother。
　With　Saigo's　return；　Nicholas　had　expected　Cheong　to　return　home。　Such　was　not　the　case。　She　continued　to　stay　with　Itami　for　more　than　a　week。　She　might　have；　perhaps；　stayed　indefinitel