ericlustbader.the ninja-第44章

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er　do　a　thing　like　that　in　her　house。'　She　sighed；　perfectly　serious　now。　'Sometimes　your　aunt　can　be　extremely　trying；　I　am　most　ashamed　to　admit。'
　'Itami　is　not　blood；　Mother。'
　She　put　a　slender　hand　over　his　and　smiled。　'Sometimes；　Nicholas；　the　spirit　is　more　binding　than　the　blood。　You　may　find　such　a　thing　out　for　yourself　as　you　grow　older。'　She　took　her　hand　away。　'Are　you　hungry？'
　'Yes。'
　'Good。　Tai　has　made　your　favourite。'　She　showed　him。
　'My　favourite　is　dim　sum；'　he　said。　'Tai　does　not　make　them　as　well　as　you　do；　though　you　tell　her　what　to　do。'
　Cheong　laughed　and　leaning　over；　kissed　his　cheek。　'All　right；　she　said　lightly。　'This　weekend　I'll　make　you　dim　sum。'
　'How　many　kinds？'
　'Enough；'　she　said。　'Enough。'
　She　stared　out　of　the　window。　The　sky　near　the　horizon　was　as　lemony　as　custard　but；　high　aloft；　the　blue　was　as　deep　as　midnight。　'You　do　not　get　to　see　this　sight　often　enough；　do　you？'
　'Bujutsu　takes　a　great　deal　of　time；　Mother。'
　'I　know。'　She　hesitated　fractionally。　'Your　school　work　isn't　suffering。'　It　did　not　seem　to　be　a　question。
　'There's　no　problem。'
　'You　know；　my　father'　…　she　called　So…Peng　her　father　just　as　if　he　had　sired　her　…　'used　to　say；　it　makes　a　great　deal　of　difference　where　you　have　been。　Your　ancestors　live　on　in　your　blood。'
　'I　don't　know；'　Nicholas　said。　'I　have　a　number　of　American　friends　who　do　all　they　can　to　break　away　from　such　things。　You　know；　their　parents　and　…'
　'Then　you　tell　me；　my　son；　if　their　ancestors　have　not　set　the　course　of　their　lives？'
　He　looked　at　her；　thinking　that　she　must；　after　all；　be　quite　correct。
　'Everything　your　grandfather　was；　am　I；'　Cheong　said。　'This　he　bequeathed　me　long　before　I　left　Singapore　with　your　father。　In　Asia；　this　is　quite　special；　quite'　…　she　sought　for　the　proper　word　…　'unique。　Now　I　am　able　to　do　the　same　thing　for　you。'
　〃But　I　know　so　little　about　him。'
　'In　time　you　will　learn。　You　are　young　yet。'
　'But　you　were　far　younger　than　I　am　when　you　began　to　…'
　'Those　were　different　times。　Dangerous　times。　I　am　very　grateful　that　you　could　be　spared　such　misery。　No　one　should　have　to　suffer　so。'　Her　beautiful　face　broke　into　a　smile。　'But　let　us　speak　of　more　pleasant　matters。'
　I　want　to　know；　he　told　her　in　his　mind。　I　very　much　want　to　know　what　happened。　But；　of　course；　this　was　something　he　could　not　say　to　her。　Never。　If　she　chose　to　tell　him　one　day。。。　But　she　would　not。　He　doubted　whether　even　his　father　knew。　Only　Cheong　and　So…Peng。　And　he　was　long　dead　now。
　'Your　aunt　asked　about　you　today；'　she　said；　breaking　into　his　train　of　thought。　'She　always　does　when　you　are　not　around。〃
　'It　was　kind　of　her　to　think　of　me。'
　'Yes。'　Cheong　smiled　and　touched　him。　'You　should　tell　her　that。　It　will　make　her　most　happy。'
　'I　cannot　think　…　that　is　to　say　…'
　'Nicholas；　Itami　thinks　of　us　…　all　of　us　…　as　part　of　her　family。　She　is　very　fond　of　you。'
　'Sometimes　…　it's　very　difficult　to　know　with　her。'
　'Yes；　well；　people　are　plex。　They　need　getting　to　know。　Seeping　in。　Patience。　This　is　perhaps；　difficult　for　you。　Your　father　makes　it　so。　He　is　patient　and　impatient。'　She　shook　her　head；　as。　if　bewildered。　'Very　inconsistent；　yes。　This　is　still　strange　to　me。'　She　stroked　the　nape　of　his　neck。　'You　are　so　much　like　him　in　that　way。　He　does　not　make　friends　easily　as　most　foreigners　seem　to　do。　But　then；　he　is　no　foreigner。
　Asia　is　his　home；　as　it　is　mine。　We　are　both　children　of　the　East；　forging　our　own　pasts。'
　'It　sounds　so　difficult；　so　plex。'
　She　smiled。　'We　could　live　no　other　way。〃
　Increasingly　now；　Satsugai　and　Itami　came　to　dinner。　His　aunt　had　always　been　somewhat　of　a　fixture　around　the　house　…　Cheong　saw　to　that。　However；　now　her　husband　began　to　acpany　her　more　frequently。
　Listening　to　Satsugai　talk；　Nicholas　began　to　understand　how　Japan　had　been　led　blindly　into　the　disastrous　war　by　this　man　and　others　like　him　in　the　powerful　zaibatsu。　Not　that　Satsugai　ever　spoke　of　events　before　the　war　or　even　of　the　war　itself。　As　far　as　he　was　concerned；　the　war　might　as　well　never　have　occurred。　Ostrich…like；　he　seemed　utterly　blind　to　the　still　quite　visible　scars　strewn　throughout　the　cities　and　the　countryside。
　'The　munists　have　always　been　a　problem　in　Japan；　Colonel；'　Nicholas　recalled　his　saying　one　chill　autumn　evening。　The　sky　was　darkening　from　russet　to　plum　and　there　was　a　bitter　edge　to　the　wind　as　it　moaned　through　the　pines　and　the　neighbouring　cryptomeria；　a　harbinger　of　the　ing　winter。　A　fine　rain　fell　obliquely；　streaming　against　the　large　study　windows；　rolling　like　silent　tears。　One　wretched　wren　puttered　nervously　in　a　tightening　circle　beneath　the　inadequate　awning　of　a　carefully　pruned　hedge　just　outside　the　window　where　the　rain　had　caught　like　pearls　on　the　oval　overlapping　leaves；　a　liquid　spider's　web　spun　in　glistening　precision　across　the　expanse　of　the　foliage。　The　wren　kept　its　head　cocked；　eyeing　the　sky；　impatient　to　be　。off。
　'The　Party　is　not　so　large；　even　now；'　the　Colonel　had　replied。　He　tamped　down　the　tobacco　in　his　pipe　and　carefully　lit　up。　Sweet　blue　smoke　filled　the　room。
　'My　dear　Colonel；'　Satsugai　said；　'one　cannot　use　mere　numbers　to　define　danger；　especially　here　in　Japan。'　He　spoke　as　if　Nicholas's　father　were　some　visitor　to　the　country。　'One　must　take　into　account　the　virulence　of　the　enemy。　These　are　more　than　dedicated　people　we　are　discussing。　They　are　fanatics　to　the　cause　of　world　munism。　One　mustn't　make　the　mistake　of　underestimating　them。　That　is　the　way　they　achieve　their　first　foothold。'
　The　Colonel　said　nothing；　being　busy　achieving　the　proper　draw　on　his　pipe。　It　was　an　umber；　rough…hewn　brier　with　a　curved　stem　and　a　high　bowl。　It　had　been　with　him　all　through　the　war　and；　as　such；　had　bee　quite　dear　to　him。　It　was　a　private　symbol　to　him　and；　though　he　had　well　over　twenty…five　pipes　in　his　collection；　this　was　the　one　he　invariably　smoked　now。
　One　gets　some　peculiar　notions　in　war；　the　Colonel　thought。　Perfectly　understandable　really　because；　in　the　end；　when　the　days　are　dark　with　death　and　the　overcast　nights　filled　with　a　jungle　terror；　when　manders　are　mowed　down　by　machine…gun　fire　and　mates　are　blown　to　bits　by　mines　a　pace　away　from　you　or　slit　from　throat　to　navel　by　a　silent　invader；　those　peculiar　notions　are　all　that　stand　between　you　and　utter　madness。
　The　Colonel　had　got　it　into　his　head　that　as　long　as　he　had　that　pipe；　as　long　as　he　could　pull　his　hand　away　from　the　hot　grip　of　his　smoking　Sten　gun；　reach　inside　his　uniform　pocket　and　feel　the　irregularity　of　the　outside　of　its　bowl；　everything　would　turn　out　all　right。
　He　recalled　with　vivid　clarity　the　morning　in　the　early　summer　of　1945　when　his　unit　had　begun　its　assault　on　the　perimeter　of　Singapore。　They　had　just　broken　camp　and　were　making　their　way　slowly　southward；　the　units　in　constant　walkie…talkie　contact。
　In　the　jungle；　the　Colonel　had　reached　for　the　forting　bowl　of　the　pipe；　found　it　gone。　He　paused；　peering　at　the　ground　behind　him；　but　could　find　nothing　in　the　muddy　tangle　of　gnarled　roots　but　centipedes　and　leeches。　A　creeping　sense　of　panic　had　overe　him　and；　without　thinking　further；　he　called　for　his　men　to　backtrack　with　him　until　they　had　returned　to　the　camp　area。　He　found　the　pipe　half…buried　in　the　silty　soil　and；　brushing　it　off；　was　about　to　order　his　men　out　when　he　heard　the　first　of　the　rolling　reports。　The　ground　shook　as　if　in　an　earthquake。　Southward；　they　saw　the　violent　geysering　of　earth　and　foliage；　stained　red。
　Silently；　the　Colonel　waved　them　out　and　they　crept　forward；　zigzagging　through　the　dense　jungle　only　to　find　the　entire　pany　ripped　apart；　those　who　had　not　been　caught　in　the　cleverly　planted　minefield　had　been　taken　by　sniper　fire。　The　Colonel　felt　in　his　pocket　for　the　pipe。　The　brier　was　warm　under　his　calloused　fingers。　He　hefted　his　Sten　gun　and　took　his　men　west；　through　the　stinking　mangrove　swamp；　skirting　the　bloody　deathscape；　before　turning　south　again。　In　the　dead　of　night　they　came　upon　the　Japanese　encampment　from　the　rear。　They　took　the　perimeter　guards　out　without　a　sound；　stringing　them　up　in　the　trees　as　mute　witnesses。　The　Colonel　sent　half　his　men　into　the　southeast。　At　0400　hours　precisely；　the　Colonel　and　his　men　opened　fire　from　their　position　just　south　of　the　encampment。　Lead　sizzled　the　air　and　the　Sten　guns　smoked　merrily。　Fully　half　the　encampment　went　down　under　that　withering　fire。　The　other　half　were　not　so　fortunate。　They　retreated　directly　into　the　line　of　fire　of　the　second　contingent　of　the　Colonel's　unit。　Caught　in　a　crossfire；　they　danced　like　psychotic　marionettes　until　their　bodies　literally　disintegrated。
　At　another　time　the　Colonel　might　have　thought　it　a　terrible　waste　of　precious　ammunition；　but　not　that　searing　blast　furnace　night；　a　Walpurgisnacht。
　'Satsugai；'　the　Colonel　said　calmly；　the　war　still　vibrating　behind　his　eyes　as　he　languidly　blew　out　a　cloud　of　aromatic　smoke；　'you　know　the　history　of　your　country　as　well　as　anyone；　I　daresay。　munism　is　not　a　reality　for　Japan；　you　know　that。　There　is　far　too　much　tradition　against　that　kind　of　idealized　egalitarianism。　The　idea　of　muneizing　Japan　is　ludicrous；　the　people　would　never　stand　for　it。'
　Satsugai's　face　held　a　hint　of　a　steely　smile。　'Whatever　I　believe　is　of　little　importance；　hai？　It　is　what　the　Americans　believe　that　matters。　They　understand　the　munist　menace；　they　know　that　we　of　the　zaibatsu　are　this　country's　greatest　bulwark　against　munism。　You　can't　fight　it　with　liberal　reform。　Your　MacArthur　found　that　out　in　1947。'
　The　Colonel's　eyes　blazed。　'We　all　had　high　hopes　for　the　future　of　Japan；　then　…'
　'Hopes；　Colonel；　are　for　the　naive；'　the　other　said　blandly。　'Realities　must　be　faced。　The　mainland　is　only　just　across　the　genkainada　from　Fukuoka。　Their　threat　is　quite　real；　I　assure　you；　they　will　never　stop　trying　to　infiltrate；　to　subvert　the　government　of　Japan。　That's　why　we　require　firm　measures　and　the　strictest　enforcement　of　regulations。　Liberalism　cannot　be　tolerated　here。　Surely　you　can　recognize　that。'
　'I　see　only　a　country　being　twisted　for　the　ends　of　certain　interests；　just　as　it　was　during　the　war。'
　For　a　moment　the　eyes　of　the　two　men　locked　and　it　was　as　if　sparks　flew　from　the　dynamic　friction　of　the　contact。
　'If　things　had　been　the　way　they　are　now　in　1873；'　Satsugai　said　softly；　'the　seikanron　would　never　have　gone　down　to　defeat。〃　He　was　speaking　of　the　Genyosha's　advocacy　of　a　military　campaign　against　Korea　in　that　year。　Its　failure　to　be　passed　instigated　the　first　overt　act　of　violence　by　the　Genyosha　against　the　Meiji　government；　an　attempted　assassination　of　Tomomi　Iwakura。　'Do　not　forget；　Colonel；　that　if　the　seikanron　had　met　with　success　there　would　have　been　no　fighting　in　Korea；　the　munists；　when　they　came；　would　have　been　bottled　up　in　Manchuria。　As　it　is'　…　he　shrugged　…　'the　Americans　hurl　themselves　from　war　to　war　without　any　whole…heartedness。'
　'How　do　you　mean？'
　'It's　obvious；　isn't　it？　You　yourself　fought　in　the　jungles　of　the　Asian　continent。　There　American　tanks　and　artillery　and　even　large…scale　bombing　are　not　the　answer。　The　munists　are　far　too　well　organized　and；　in　any