ericlustbader.the ninja-第113部分

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　'Migaurari　ni　tatsu？'
　'Yes；　that's　it。'
　'Are　you　certain？　Really　certain？〃
　'Yes。　Absolutely。　You　said　it　more　than　once。　What　does　it　mean？'
　'Well；　literally；　it　means；　〃to　act　as　a　substitute〃。'
　'I　don't　understand。'
　'In　Japanese　folklore　there　is　the　belief　that　a　person　may　give　his　or　her　life　in　order　to　save　another's。　It　needn't　even　be　a　person。　It　could　be　a　tree；　just　about　anything。'
　'What　were　you　dreaming　about？〃
　'I　am　not　certain。'
　'Nicholas；'　she　said　with　her　typical　objective　intuition；　'did　someone　give　their　life　for　you？　…　In　the　dream；　I　mean？'
　He　looked　at　her；　put　his　hand　up　to　her　cheek；　but　it　was　not　her　soft　flesh　he　seemed　to　stroke；　certainly　not　her　voice　he　heard　in　his　head　then。
　In　that　heated　room　of　perfect　death　with　his　toes　touching　the　hem　of　his　mother's　exquisite；　perfectly　folded　kimono　and；　just　a　little　way　beyond；　the　rivulets　of　blood　dropped　like　rubies　along　the　floor；　Itami　said；　'We　both　must　leave　now；　Nicholas。　There　is　nothing　left　here　for　outsiders　such　as　ourselves。'
　'Where　will　you　go？'　His　voice　was　as　dull　as　lead。
　'To　China。'
　His　eyes　tracked　upward　to　her　white　face。　'To　the　munists？'
　She　shook　her　head　slightly。　'No。　There　are　others　there　…who　were　there　long　before　the　munists。　Your　grandfather；　So…Peng；　was　one　such。〃
　'You　would　leave　Saigo？〃
　Her　eyes　were　as　bright　as　a　bird's。　'Nicholas；　did　you　ever　wonder　why　I　had　but　one　child？　But　no；　why　should　you？'　Her　lips　were　turned　in　a　grim　smile　that　chilled　him。　'I　can　only　say　that　with　me　…　with　me　…　it　was　totally　a　matter　of　choice；　though　Satsugai　believed　otherwise。　Oh　yes；　I　lied　to　him。　Willingly。　Are　you　surprised？　Well。'　She　stirred　slightly　like　a　sapling　in　a　sudden　gust　of　wind；　giving　way；　giving　way　minutely。　'I　would　not　have　another　like　him。〃　Her　dark　eyes　were　slits　now。　'Do　you　understand　me？　I　trust　you　do。'
　She　looked　down　briefly　at　her　katana；　standing　on　its　bloody　point。　'Do　you　hate　me？　I　would　not　be　surprised　。。。　But　no；　I　see　that　you　do　not。　That　gladdens　my　heart；　I　cannot　tell　you　how　much。
　'I　love　you；　Nicholas。　Were　you　my　own　I　could　not　love　you　more　but　I　think　you　already　knew　that　deep　inside　yourself。'　Her　head　jerked　as　if　she　had　been　abruptly　reminded　of　something。　'These　days　of　kwaidan　pass　through　my　fingers　like　so　much　sand。　Time　is　short　and　I　have　much　to　do。'
　He　stood　in　front　of　her；　pale　and　drawn。　He　shivered　once　though　no　breeze　stirred　in　the　room。
　'Will　you　tell　me；〃　he　said；　'what　honour　there　is　in　this？'
　'What　honour　there　remains　in　all　the　world；'　Itami　said　sadly；　'resides　in　this　room。　There　is　little　enough；　I　fear。　Little　enough。'
　'You　must　tell　me。　You　must。'　His　voice　was　almost　a　cry　and　he　was　certain　then　he　saw　tears　standing　out　like　soft　pearls　at　the　inner　corners　of　her　eyes。
　'Ah；　Nicholas。　These　tales　are　not　so　easily　told。　You　ask　me　to　expose　the　soul　of　Japan。　I　could　sooner　rip　a　blade　into　my　own　belly。'　Her　eyes　squeezed　shut　as　if　she　were　attempting　to　brush　away　a　vision　from　her　mind。　Her…voice　was　a　whisper。　'Ask　me　anything　else。　Anything。'
　'What　will　bee　of　you　…　Aunt？'
　Her　eyes　flew　open　and　she　smiled　kindly。　'In　China　I　shall　travel　until　I　reach　the　place　Cheong　bade　me　go　to　in　her　last　breath。　I　will　not　be　there　long。'　Her　hand　tightened　on　the　hilt　of　her　katana；　another　drop　of　blood　rolled　from　the　blade's　smooth　steel　surface　onto　the　bare　wooden　floor。
　I　must　see　Fukashigi；　Nicholas　thought　now；　staring　at　Jus…tine　in　the　semi…darkness；　time　to　renew　the　old　vows。　And　she　must　leave　here；　she　must　be　out　of　harm's　way。　Aa　i　ninjutsu　was　the　only　way　now　the　forces　of　Kan…aku　na　ninjutsu　were　stirring；　readying　themselves　to　e　against　him：　ancient；　implacable　enemies　arrayed　on　a　modern　battlefield。　He　would　need；　he　knew；　all　the　fearful　shades　of　steel　to　be　victorious　this　one　last　time。
　When　Saigo　awoke　he　was；　for　just　an　instant；　convinced　that　it　was　into　death's　dark　realm。　Death　held　no　horror　for　him　but　this　might　only　be　because　life　held　so　little　for　him。　It　was　the　meanest　of　gifts　and；　therefore；　it　meant　nothing　for　him　to　part　with　it。
　Then　he　remembered　that　he　had　not　yet　killed　Nicholas　and　he　knew　that　this　was　life　only　into　which　sleep　had　yet　again　deposited　him。
　There　was　much　to　be　said　for　revenge；　yes。　It　was　all　that　kept　his　heart　pumping　now。　He　thought　of　all　the　money　in　his　swollen　bank　accounts；　the　vast　acres　of　land；　the　four　small　but　rapidly　growing　electronics　konzerns。　What　did　it　all　amount　to？　Not　even　a　part　of　the　smallest　steel　filing　from　a　master　sword　smith's　forge　…　ah；　no！
　Money　was　merely　the　sere　gateway　to　power；　and　power；　well；　all　that　was　good　for　was　manoeuvrability。　Once　you　could　manoeuvre　in　this　atom　age；　you　could　acplish　anything。
　Yet　there　was　but　one　thing　that　Saigo　now　wished　to　acplish　and　that　was　to　seek　out　and　expunge　a　life。
　Tonight；　he　thought　savagely；　lying　naked　on　the　futon。　Pale　grey　light　filtered　through　the　blinds；　traipsing　across　the　ceiling　like　an　itinerant　priest；　his　korom　torn　and　tattered；　its　ragged　ends　taken　by　the　wind。
　He　marvelled　at　the　weakness　of　Americans。　Such　cowards；　they　surely　could　not　have　powerful　spirits。　How　they　had　won　the　war　he　still　could　not　imagine。　It　would　give　him　great　pleasure　to　see　the　look　on　Raphael　Tomkin's　face　as　he　died　beneath　the　blade　of　steel。　To　think　that　he　believed　a　deal　could　be　so　easily　arranged。　No　deal；　was　possible；　not　after　the　mencement　of　a　buy。
　No；　death　would　e　to　him　tonight；　just　as　it　would　e　to　Nicholas。
　Perhaps；　even；　there　would　be　a　stalemate　between　them　and　death　would　e　to　both。　This　did　not　concern　him。　On　the　contrary；　he　might　have　even　looked　forward　to　it；　knowing　that　the　importance　of　death　lay　not　in　the　dying　itself　but　in　the　manner　of　one's　death。　How　one　died　was　recorded　by　history　and　one　was　remembered　as　much　for　the　manner　of　one's　death　as　for　one's　life。
　For　Saigo；　as　for　all　Japanese　warriors　from　time　immemorial；　there　were　only　two　honourable　ways　to　die：　in　battle　or　by　one's　own　hand　with　calmness　and　ritual。　To　the　otherwise　would　mean　terrible；　insupportable　shame　throughout　eternity；　an　awful　karma　brought　into　the　next　life　or；　far　worse；　carried　into　the　infinity　of　limbo。
　This　intimate　thanatopsis　had　made　him　hard　and　he　almost　regretted　having　killed　the　Chinese　boy。　He　had　been　so　good。　But　there　had　been　no　choice　just　as；　long　ago；　there　had　been　no　choice　…
　Somewhere　in　the　night　he　had　been　full　of　hate；　a　pernicious　boiling　that　had　all　but　swamped　in　his　long；　exquisite　training。　It　is　a　true　measure　of　how　emotions　can　warp　the　soul；　he　told　himself　now；　sitting　up　on　his　single　black　futon；　and　he　cursed　the　day　that　Yukio　had　e　into　his　life。　O　Amida！　he　cried　silently。
　But　this　early　hour　was　like　crystal　for　him。　He　had　thought；　in　the　dark；　to　blunder　into　them　tonight。　To　move　fast；　fast；　fast；　to　catch　them　both　quickly；　Nicholas　and　Tomkin。　But　while　he　had　slept　in　the　land　of　death；　his　mind　had　been　at　work　and　now　he　knew　that　there　might　be　more　for　him　than　just　the　death　of　those　two。　He　thought　of　the　straits　and　shuddered。　Voices　seemed　to　fill　his　mind；　screaming　louder　as　he　inhaled；　moaning　like　the　autumn　wind　as　he　exhaled。　He　held　his　breath；　squeezed　his　eyes　shut　for　long　moments　until　the　voices　faded。
　Yes；　he　thought；　rising　and　beginning　to　bathe；　his　training　had　taught　him　that　there　were　things　far　worse　for　an　enemy　than　merely　slitting　his　belly。
　The　world；　he　knew；　was　one　great　wheel；　an　ellipse　one　was　bound　to　by　karma。　Wheels　within　wheels；　plans　within　plans。　By　day's　end；　his　mind　would　be　tranquil。　Then；　if　death　should　e；　he　would　fling　wide　his　arms　and　wele　it。
　It　was　a　splendid　day；　clear　and　still　cool　with　just　a　few　touches　of　gauzy　cirrus　clouds　high　up　in　the　west。　Far　too　splendid　to　spend　hanging　around　the　house；　Justine　thought；　as　she　threw　her　bags　on　the　bed。
　The　beach　on　Dune　Road　looked　inviting　as　she　went　round　the　side　of　the　house　and　took　the　car　out　on　to　the　road。
　She　went　east　on　the　highway；　having　no　specific　desti