ericlustbader.the ninja-第12章

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k；　I　know　what　time　it　is。'　His　voice　rattled　against　Nicholas's　ear；　an　odd　note　settled　in　it。　'It's　happened　again。　Florum　just　brought　in　another　body。　They're　photographing　it　now。'　The　wind　howling　in　through　the　broken　window　seemed　chill　to　Nicholas。　He　waited；　sweat　breaking　out　on　his　body。　He　looked　at　the　mess　on　the　floor：　the　black…furred　corpse；　the　red　blood；　seeping　still　as　if　seeking　something　or　someone。　'Nick；　the　body　has　been　cut　obliquely　from　shoulder…blade　to　hip　joint　as　neatly　as　…　It　was　one　cut。　Do　you　understand？'
　
　
　
　Tokyo　Suburbs
　Singapore；　Summer　1945
　Tokyo　Suburbs；　Winter　1951
　
　There　was　a　Shinto　temple　amid　the　lushest　forest　Nicholas　had　ever　seen；　a　mere　three　hundred　metres　from　the　extreme　eastern　edge　of　his　father's　land。　Then　it　was　another　hundred　and　fifty　or　so　to　the　house；　a　large；　delicate；　precisely　orchestrated　structure　of　traditional　Japanese　design。　The　front　was　L…shaped；　preceded；　as　one　came　upon　it；　by　an　exquisite　formal　garden　which；　needless　to　say；　required　tireless　attention　and　as　much　love　as　a　small　child。
　The　irony　of　the　location　would　e　later　when；　on　the　far　side　of　the　long　rolling　knoll　to　the　west；　they　would　construct　an　ultramodern　eight…lane　superhighway　to　aid　the　bustling　traffic　to　and　from　the　heart　of　Tokyo。
　The　last　traces　of　Japan's　military　might　had　been　ground　to　metal　powder；　its　imperial　daimyo　tried　and　serving　time　as　war　criminals。　The　Emperor　remained　but　everywhere　uniformed　Americans　basked　in　what　they　often　laughingly　referred　to　as　'the　atomic　sunshine*。
　Yet　Nicholas's　history　lessons　were　to　begin　in　another　country。

　On　February　15；　1942；　his　father　told　him　when　he　was　ten；　the　British　garrison　had　surrendered　Singapore　to　the　attacking　Japanese。　They　held　the　city　for　three　and　a　half　years　until　September　1945；　when　the　British　reoccupied　it。　There　his　father　had　met　his　mother；　a　kind　of　refugee　in　the　war…torn　city。　She　had　been　married　to　a　Japanese　garrison　mander　and　seeing　him　blown　to　bits　during　the　last　days　of　that　humid　trembling　summer　perhaps　unhinged　her　for　a　time。
　The　first　of　the　British　forces　were　already　infiltrating　the　outskirts　of　the　city　and　the　mander　had　moved　his　garrison　east　to　outflank　them　but；　overextending　his　position；　had　found　himself　outflanked。　Caught　in　a　murderous　crossfire；　he　had　cut　down　six　English　soldiers　with　his　katana　before　the　rest　had　sense　enough　to　step　back　and　loft　the　volley　of　grenades。　There　was　nothing　left　of　him；　not　even　bones。
　Years　later；　in　an　old　battered　shop　selling　ukiyo…e　prints　in　a　tiny　Tokyo　side　street；　Nicholas　had　e　across　a　certain　print　entitled　The　End　of　the　Samurai。　It　depicted　a　dismayed　warrior's　death；　his　great　katana　flung　from　his　hands　by　a　blast　of　gunpowder。　In　that　print　Nicholas　saw；　perhaps；　the　redemption　of　his　mother's　first　husband；　recognizing　the　historical　imperative　of　that　enemy。
　His　mother　had　always　been　a　totally　apolitical　woman。　She　had　married　out　of　love；　hardly　out　of　convenience。　But　with　the　eventual　defeat　of　the　Japanese　in　Singapore；　with　the　death　of　her　husband；　she　found　that　her　entire　world　had　exploded　into　a　wilderness　that　frightened　her。　This　she　found　utterly　consternating。　Life；　she　firmly　believed；　was　for　the　living。　One　mourned　one's　losses　and　moved　onwards。　Karma。　She　believed　in　that　above　all　else。　Not　a　predestiny　…　she　was　no　fatalist　as　many　Westerners　might　mistakenly　dub　her。　She　knew　rather；　merely　how　to　bow　before　the　inevitabilities　of　life。　As　the　death　of　her　husband。
　But　this　was　a　time　of　momentous　changes　and；　like　a　beautiful　flower　caught　up　in　an　inexplicable　maelstrom；　she　felt　adrift　in　the　riot　of　chattering　gunfire　and　mortar　explosions。
　She　met　Nicholas's　father；　ironically　enough；　in　the　very　office　where　her　dead　husband　had　carried　on　the　mand　of　his　defeated　garrison。　She　had　wandered　in　there　as　if　it　were　some　Buddhist　temple；　sacrosanct　from　the　flames　of　war　that　rose　all　about　her。　Perhaps　she　had　e　there　because　it　was　one　of　the　only　places　left　in　Singapore　now　that　was　at　all　familiar　to　her。　Oddly　enough；　the　thought　of　fleeing　the　city　never　entered　her　mind。　Rather；　she　wandered　the　lethal　city　with　little　regard　to　her　personal　safety。
　So　much　of　the　city　had　changed　that　she　was　confused；　no　longer　certain　where　the　business　district　was　or　where　her　old　apartment　had　once　stood。　Piles　of　rubble　were　everywhere　and　the　streets　were　flooded　with　a　tide　of　children；　surging　and　calling；　as　if　in　the　aftermath　of　war's　bleak　nightmare　they　had　been　released　from　some　hideous　bondage。　It　recalled　to　her　the　happiness　she　had　felt　at　New　Year's　festivals　when　she　had　been　a　girl　…　liberated　for　a　time　from　the　cares　and　restrictions　of　the　world。　And　this；　too；　confounded　her。
　Thus　for　many　days　she　had　walked　the　steaming　streets；　whirling　into　dark　doorways　instinctively　as　she　heard　the　heavy　tramping　of　the　approaching　soldiers　…　she　was　beyond　differentiating　one　side　from　another。　Miraculously；　she　avoided　serious　misadventure。
　Karma；　she　would　say　later。　She　survived　at　the　sufferance　and　the　pity　of　those　Chinese　folk　who　spied　her　and　fed　her　almost　as　if　she　were　a　baby；　spooning　the　thin　rice　soup　between　her　slack　lips；　wiping　her；　chin　every　so　often；　for　she　could　not　perform　even　this　simple　act　herself。　She　relieved　herself　in　the　gutters　and　forgot　what　it　was　like　to　take　a　bath。　Those　times　when　she　came　across　running　water；　as　in　the　fountains　still　intact　which　she　stumbled　across　by　chance；　she　thrust　her　fingers　into　the　spray；　staring　at　it　as　if　it　were　something　she　had　never　seen　before。　When　it　rained；　she　stood　still　and　stared　upwards　at　the　billowing　clouds；　seeking；　perhaps；　a　glimpse　of　God。
　The　morning　she　staggered　into　the　garrison　office；　Nicholas's　father　was　in　the　middle　of　an　administrative　crisis。　Not　only　were　his　troops　obliged　to　mop　up　the　last　outlying　pockets　of　Japanese　opposition　but　now　orders　had　e　down　urging　him　to　see　to　it　that　his　men　policed　the　metropolitan　area　in　an　attempt　to　quell　the　increasingly　violent　outbreaks　between　the　Chinese　and　the　Malays　who　lived　constantly　in　an　uneasy　half…peace。　That　left　perhaps　an　hour　and　a　half　each　day　for　his　men　to　sleep；　it　was　clearly　a　situation　he　could　not　tolerate　and　he　was　in　the　process　of　seeking　some　conciliatory　alternative　to　actively　disobeying　a　direct　order。　He　had；　in　fact；　been　sitting　in　this　same　wooden　slatted　chair　…　the　one　that　had；　for　the　last　three　years；　been　the　sole　property　of　the　dead　Japanese　garrison　mander　…　since　the　morning　of　the　previous　day。
　Except　for　several　hurried　trips　to　the　washroom　to　relieve　himself；　Colonel　Denis　Linnear　had　been　right　where　he　was　when　the　dazed　woman　wandered　into　his　sanctum　sanctorum。　How　she　had　managed　to　slip　past　the　three　sets　of　guards　he　was　never　able　to　ascertain　to　his　satisfaction。　Yet　that　particular　point　only　manifested　itself　to　him　much　later。　At　the　time；　he　was　concerned　only　with　her　appearance　and；　as　he　jumped　up　from　behind　his　littered　desk；　his　aides　seemed　more　startled　by　his　movements　than　by　the　fact　that　there　was　an　unannounced　woman　in　the　room。
　'Danvers！'　the　Colonel　called　to　his　adjutant。　'Get　a　cot　in　here；　on　the　double　I'
　The　man　rushed　out　and　the　Colonel　was　reaching　for　the　woman　when　she　began　to　fall。　Her　eyes　fluttered　closed　and　she　collapsed　into　his　arms。
　'Sir？'　Lieutenant　McGivers　said　'About　this　…'
　'Oh；　for　pity's　sake；　man；　get　me　a　cold　cloth；'　the　Colonel　barked　irritably。　'And　get　Grey　in　here。'
　Grey　was　the　garrison　surgeon；　a　tall　angular　man　with　a　bushy　moustache　and　sun…reddened　skin。　He　arrived　just　as　Danvers　was　manhandling　the　cot　through　the　doorway。
　'Give　him　a　hand；　McGivers；　there's　a　good　lad；'　the　Colonel　said　to　the　reappearing　Lieutenant。　And　together　they　maneuvered　the　cot　into　the　room。
　The　Colonel　lifted　the　woman　up；　noting　her　fine　Asian　features　under　the　layers　of　dirt　and　dust；　and　lowered　her　gently　onto　the　cot。
　He　let　Grey　take　over　then；　going　back　behind　his　desk；　working　on　the　tail　end　of　his　problem　with　one　eye　cocked　across　the　room　until；　at　length；　the　surgeon　stood　up。
　'All　right；　Lieutenant；'　the　Colonel　said　wearily；　'get　everyone　out　of　here。　We'll　reconvene　at　0800　hours。'　He　stood　up；　passing　his　long　fingers　through　his　hair；　and　crossed　to　where　Grey　stood　looking　down　at　his　patient。
　When　they　were　alone　in　the　room；　he　said；　'How　is　she？〃
　The　surgeon　shrugged。　'It's　hard　to　say　until　she　es　round　and　I　can　run　a　few　more　tests。　She's　obviously　suffering　from　shock　and　exposure。　Several　good　meals　will　fix　her　up；　I　shouldn't　wonder。'　He　wiped　his　hands　on　the　cloth　he　had　used　to　clean　her。　Look　here；　Denis；　I've　a　lot　of　young　boys　to　see。　If　you　suspect　a　problem　when　she　es　round；　have　Danvers　e　and　fetch　me。　Otherwise；　I　think　you　know　what　she　needs　as　well　as　I　do。'
　The　Colonel　summoned　Danvers　and　sent　him　to　scrounge　up　some　hot　soup　and　any　pieces　of　boiled　chicken　he　could　find。　Then　he　knelt　beside　the　woman；　watching　the　soft　pulse　along　the　long　column　of　her　neck。
　Thus　the　first　thing　Cheong　saw　when　she　opened　her　eyes　was　the　close　face　of　the　Colonel。　What　struck　her　immediately；　she　recalled　later　in　recounting　the　story　to　Nicholas；　were　his　eyes。　'They　were　the　kindest　eyes　I　had　ever　seen；〃　she　said　in　her　light　singsong　voice。　'They　were　the　very　deepest　blue。　I　had　never　before　seen　blue　eyes。　I　had　been　outside　the　city　when　the　British　had　first　e；　prior　to　the　outbreak　of　the　war。
　'I　often　think　that　it　was　those　blue　eyes　which　so　startled　me；　brought　me　round。　Suddenly　I　remembered　the　long　days　after　Tsuko　had　been　killed　as　if　they　were　part　of　a　film　being　run　off　whole　for　the　first　time；　the　pieces　at　last　had　knit　together。　I　no　longer　had　gauze　in　front　of　my　eyes　and　cotton　wool　stuffed　into　my　head。
　'With　that；　it　all　began　to　pass　away　from　me　…　as　if　I　were　recalling　events　from　some　other　person's　life　…　the　dark　terrible　last　days　of　the　war。
　That　is　when　I　knew　that　your　father　was　part　of　my　karma；　in　that　first　moment　I　saw　him；　for　I　have　no　remembrance　of　entering　the　garrison　house；　of　encountering　any　British　soldiers　there　before　him。'
　The　Colonel　took　her　home　at　the　day's　end；　in　the　midst　of　the　long　shimmering　emerald　and　lapis　lazuli　twilight；　with　the　city　choked　with　swirling　dust；　Jeeps　clattering　down　the　streets　and　soldiers　running　quick…time　along　the　sidewalks　while　the　Chinese　and　the　Malays　paused　in　their　　　　　homeward　journeys；　standing　quite　still；　resolute　and　quiescent　and　eternal　in　their　cotton　drawstring　shorts　and　sloping　reed　sedge　hats。
　As　usual　it　was　teeming；　and　the　Colonel　had　the　Jeep　brought　round；　though　he　was　often　fond　of　walking。　It　took　him　twenty　minutes　on　average　to　make　the　journey　from　the　garrison　located　near　Keppel　Harbour　almost　due　north　through　the　city　to　the　house　he　now　occupied。　As　may　be　imagined；　the　mand　was　not　over　fond　of　his　making　this　trek　on　foot　and　dius　he　was　perforce　obliged　to　be　acpanied　by　two　armed　men　from　his　garrison　as　escort　from　door　to　door。　The
　Colonel　found　this