ericlustbader.the ninja-第45章

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and　even　large…scale　bombing　are　not　the　answer。　The　munists　are　far　too　well　organized　and；　in　any　event；　they　have　a　virtually　inexhaustible　supply　of　men。'
　'Vietnam　is　no　concern　of　ours。'　The　Colonel's　pipe　had　gone　out　but　he　appeared　not　to　notice。
　'Excuse　me；　my　dear　sir'　…　Satsugai　crossed　his　legs；　smoothing　down　the　centre　creases　of　his　worsted　trousers　…　'but　in　that　I　must　say　that　you　are　most　certainly　wrong。　If　Vietnam　falls；　Cambodia　must　certainly　be　next　and　then　what　happens　to　Thailand？　No；　the　so…called　Domino　Theory　is　all　too　real　a　possibility；　a　chilling　one；　at　that。'
　The　Colonel　appeared　to　be　half　asleep。　His　cold　blue　eyes　were　hooded；　the　irises　dark　beneath。　His　cold　pipe　was　still　stuck　firmly　in　the　corner　of　his　mouth。　He　listened　to　the　hypnotic　rattle　of　the　rain　against　the　windowpanes；　on　the　eaves；　his　thoughts　filled　with　history。
　So　much　idealism。　It　had　started　out　that　way；　in　any　case。　But　MacArthur　was　such　a　paranoid　bastard。　By　1947；　the　time　of　the　American　'reverse　course'　in　Japan；　the　United　States　was　no　longer　so　desirous　of　strict　war　reparations　as　such。　After　all；　Japan　was　demilitarized；　that　was　enough。　What　began　to　concern　them　more　and　more　was　that　Japan　should　bee　their　watchdog　against　munism　in　the　Far　East　and　to　this　end　they　began　two　separate　but　contiguous　courses　of　action。　First；　they　restored　many　of　the　formerly　suspect　powerful　right…wing　politicians　and　businessmen　to　power　and；　second；　they　poured　millions　of　dollars　into　the　Japanese　economy　until　now　over　80　per　cent　of　the　old　prewar　structure　and　industry　were　back　in　operation。　In　doing　so；　they　allowed　a　totally　Japanese…inspired　campaign　to　scour　out　suspected　munists　and　leftist　radicals；　doing　what　they　had　done　in　Spain　and　Iran　and　South　America。　Over　and　over。　Only　this　time；　it　had　hit　home。
　Outside；　the　wind　had　picked　up；　throwing　the　rain　in　hard　brittle　bursts　against　the　windowpanes。　There　was　no　colour　left　in　the　low　sky。
　That　small　but　intrepid　group　of　men　so　full　of　enthusiasm　in　1945；　certain　that　their　far…reaching　vision　for　a　truly　democratized　Japan；　free　from　feudal　encumbrances；　was　the　correct　choice　for　the　country。　How　naive　we　all　were！　the　Colonel　thought　sadly；　echoing　Satsugai's　words。　All　of　them；　all　my　friends　are　gone　now。　He　watched　the　rain　streaking　the　glass　like　tears；　cold　and　forlorn。　A　violent　eddy　of　wind　caught　the　wet　leaves　that　had　fallen　since　Ataki　had　last　been　at　the　house；　sent　them　skimming　through　the　air；　whirling　and　spinning　like　miniature　airships　of　alien　design。　In　his　twenty…three　years　in　the　Far　East；　the　Colonel　had　never　felt　more　of　an　alien　than　he　did　now。　His　isolation　seemed　to　him　both　plete　and　irreversible。　One　by　one；　the　members　of　that　inner　circle　of　minds　linked　in　friendship；　that　core　of　policy　advisers　to　MacArthur；　were　either　transferred　or　dismissed。　In　truth；　they　were　unaware　of　the　political　machinations　that　went　on　around　them　or　of　the　increasing　instability　of　MacArthur　himself。　Still；　they　had　hung　on　tenaciously；　even　after　the　reversal　in　1947；　hoping　against　hope　that　their　bined　influence　could　help　stem　the　tide　and　return　the　new　Japan　to　the　beginnings　of　democratization。　Now；　in　retrospect；　it　was　so　obvious；　easy　to　see　just　how　impotent　they　had　been　all　along。　Policy　had　been　determined　on　the　other　side　of　the　world　and　they　were　expected　to　implement；　not　ment。　No　one　had　told　them　that　in　the　beginning。　Terlaine　had　spoken　out　and　had　been　summarily　dismissed；　McKenzie　had　been　crushed；　transferred　back　to　the　States；　and　Robinson　had　left　two　years　ago；　retired；　having　been　ground　down　into　the　dirt　as　long　as　he　could　take　it。　Only　the　Colonel　remained；　the　iron　man；　outwardly　the　same。　But　inside　he　was　sick　at　heart　and　terribly　disillusioned。　He　could　not　bear　to　believe　that　his　life's　work　had　been　utterly　meaningless；　that　what　he　had　fought　for　so　long　and　with　such　unwavering　intensity　would　never　bee　a　reality。
　But　the　Colonel　could　not　give　up；　even　now；　it　was　simply　not　in　his　nature　to　contemplate　such　a　thing。　He　had　thought　that　he　had　been　cleverer　than　all　the　rest；　he　had　an　ace　to　play；　after　all；　that　the　others　knew　nothing　about。
　It　seems；　he　thought；　that　I've　played　the　game　and　lost。　The　fox　somehow　outsmarted　me。　But　it's　not　over　yet。　It　can't　be。　I　won't　let　it。
　The　germ　of　the　idea　had　e　to　him　the　day　after　Satsugai　had　been　arrested　by　the　SCAP　Military　Police　late　in　1946。　Ostensibly；　there　was　nothing　the　Colonel　could　do　about　it。　Satsugai　was　well　known　in　Japan；　a　powerful　reactionary　who　was　head　of　one　of　the　monstrous　zaibatsu　bines。　It　was　inevitable　that　he　should　e　under　suspicion　and；　subsequently；　be　arrested　as　a　war　criminal。
　Itami　withstood　the　shame　stoically；　as　she　withstood　everything　else　in　life。　But　Cheong　was　hysterical。　That　night；　as　they　lay　in　bed；　she　pleaded　with　the　Colonel　to　intervene。　He　was　high　up　in　the　SCAP　hierarchy；　an　adviser　to　General　MacArthur　himself。　Surely　there　was　some　way　he　could　help　Satsugai。
　'My　darling；'　he　had　said；　'matters　are　not　as　simple　as　that。　This　is　a　highly　charged　time。　Besides；'　he　added　reasonably；　'Satsugai　may　indeed　be　guilty　of　all　they　say　he　is。'
　But　this　only　served　to　infuriate　Cheong　further。　'It　does　not　matter；'　she　said　simply。　'He　is　family。'
　'You　mean　therefore　he　is　no　criminal？'
　'Yes。'
　'Darling；　you're　talking　foolishness。'
　'Maybe　so。'　Her　voice　was　quite　serious；　containing　the　undercurrent　of　strength　the　Colonel　recognized。　'But　I　tell　you　that　your　duty　is　to　your　family　and　if　there　is　a　way　to　help　Satsugai　you　must　do　it。　Kakujin　wa　hombun　wo　tsukusa　neba　narimasen。'　Everyone　must　do　his　duty。
　Cheong　is　a　most　intelligent　person；　the　Colonel　thought；　but　she　can　be　inordinately　stubborn　at　times。　He　had　known　there　was　no　way　to　deflect　her　from　her　purpose；　knew；　too；　that　there　would　be　no　peace　for　him　at　home　until　he　had　proved　to　her　that　he　had　done　his　best　to　enforce　his　influence。
　He　had　fallen　asleep　with　that　thought　in　his　mind　and　had　awakened　just　before　dawn　with　the　idea　blooming　already。
　There　was　a　way　to　free　Satsugai；　he　was　quite　certain　of　that　now；　but　to　implement　the　plan　would　involve　tremendous　risk。　He　had　no　doubt　that　he　could　talk　the　SCAP　tribunal　into　going　along　with　him。　It　was　purely　a　matter　of　whether　he　wanted　to　go　ahead　with　it。
　In　the　end；　he　knew　he　had　little　choice。　He　already　understood　the　precariousness　of　the　advisory　board　of　which　he　was　a　member　and　now　he　thought　of　his　plan　as　a　kind　of　insurance　policy　against　the　day　his　job　should　go　sour。
　He　knew　a　good　deal　about　Satsugai's　background；　in　fact　a　good　deal　more　than　Satsugai　himself　was　aware。　The　Fukuoka　connection　was　too　obvious　to　ignore。　The　Genyosha　had　never　been　an　outlaw　organization　in　Japan；　records　were　not　too　difficult　to　unearth。　The　Colonel　had　taken　a　clandestine　trip　south　to　Kyushu　and　had　found　out　the　truth。　Satsugai　was　a　Genyosha　leader。
　At　this　particular　point　in　time；　that　sort　of　information　was　incendiary。　If　it　came　to　the　attention　of　the　SCAP　tribunal；　it　would　not　matter　how　many　incriminating　documents　Satsugai　had　destroyed　in　time；　he　would　be　executed。
　However；　the　Colonel　had　absolutely　no　intention　of　divulging　that　piece　of　information　to　anyone。　In　any　event；　Satsugai's　death　would　serve　no　purpose。　The　society　would　simply　elevate　another　member　and　go　on　with　its　work。　That　work　was　totally　counterproductive　to　what　the　Colonel　perceived　as　the　correct　course　towards　Japan's　future。　He　wanted　the　Genyosha　destroyed。　If　Satsugai　were　exonerated；　he　would　be　a　dog　on　a　leash　…　the　end　of　which　the　Colonel　had　firm　hold　of。　Sooner　or　later；　Satsugai　would　lead　the　Colonel　home　to　the　centre　of　the　Genyosha。
　The　Colonel　turned　his　gaze　from　the　weeping　glass　into　the　warmth　of　his　study。　He　watched　the　slanted　Mongol　eyes　of　his　adversary；　so　well　trained　that　he　could　see　nothing　below　the　surface；　nothing　that　the　man　did　not　want　him　to　see。
　It　seems　a　long　time　ago；　the　Colonel　thought　now；　that　I　let　him　go　and　he　has　led　me　nowhere。　He　has　known　from　the　beginning。　He　knew　what　I　wanted。　I　have　managed　to　neutralize　him　as　a　force　but　he　has　otherwise　stymied　me。　The　Colonel　felt　a　deep　sadness　inside　himself。　It　was　always　his　game　to　win；　he　thought。　I　was　a　fool　to　think　otherwise。
　That　Satsugai　hated　him　came　as　no　surprise　to　the　Colonel。　After　all；　they　were　from　opposite　sides　of　the　political　spectrum。　And　while　the　Colonel　understood　better　than　any　Westerner　in　Japan　the　importance　of　the　maintenance　of　its　traditions；　its　heritage；　knowing　that　without　those　things　the　country　would　disintegrate；　yet　he　also　understood　that　the　kind　of　traditionalism　that　Satsugai　represented　was　as　evil　and　self…serving　as　anything　in　Japan　could　be。　This　was　a　country　of　heroes；　he　knew；　not　of　villains。　Those　were　few　and　far　between。　At　that　moment；　as　he　stared　into　those　baleful　eyes　across　the　warm　expanse　of　his　study；　the　Colonel　knew　that　he　had　missed　something　elementary　in　the　puzzle。　There　was　a　piece　missing　that　was；　he　was　convinced；　the　key　to　it　all。　He　had　believed　that　he　had　pierced　Satsugai's　secret　life　many　years　ago　and　all　his　actions　since　then　had　stemmed　from　that　assumption。　He　now　suspected　that　assumption；　was　angry　at　himself　for　having　been　so　easily　fooled。　He　played　with　me　as　if　I　were　a　child；　the　Colonel　thought　furiously。
　It　gave　him　little　fort　at　the　moment　that；　by　his　intervening；　he　had　put　Satsugai　in　an　agonizing　situation。　He　was　in　debt　to　the　Colonel；　a　man　he　despised。　It　was　an　intolerable　situation　for　a　Japanese；　yet　Satsugai　bore　it　well。　I　have　to　give　him　that；　the　Colonel　thought。
　My　God；　he　thought；　what　is　it　that　he　has　hidden　from　me　all　these　years？　The　old　warrior　is　shrewd　yet。　And　then　the　Colonel　understood　what　he　must　do。　There　had　already　been　too　much　time　wasted　in　an　obviously　fruitless　plot。　He　had；　as　Satsugai　himself　had　just　said；　to　face　reality。　And　the　reality　of　this　situation　was　that　he　must　break　the　stalemate　in　whatever　way　was　possible。　There　was　only　one　way　now。
　The　Colonel　knew　only　too　well　that；　as　far　as　Satsugai　was　concerned；　he　was　invulnerable。　He　could；　for　instance；　insult　Satsugai　and　the　other　would　not　…　could　not　…　take　action　against　him。　There　was　an　obligation　to　be　met。　Satsugai　must　grin　and　bear　it。　The　reverse；　however；　did　not　hold　true。
　For　a　brief　moment；　the　Colonel　was　filled　with　a　deep　regret。　Nicholas　was　still　so　young。　There　had　been　so　little　time　and　there　were　promises　he　had　made　that　could　not　now　be　kept。
　The　Colonel　stared　out　at　the　wide　expanse　of　his　property；　the　trees　dripping　with　moisture；　bending　in　the　wind。　He　looked　for　the　wren　but　it　had　long　gone；　perhaps　preferring　the　storm　to　idleness。　So　much　beauty　out　there；　but　this　day　he　could　feel　no　joy。
　'What　have　you　learned　from　the　Go　Rin　No　Sho？'　Kansatsu　said　one　day　at　the　dojo。
　'Some　of　it　is　obviously　quite　useful；'　Nicholas　said；　'though　it's　mostly　mon　sense。'
　'Many　consider　it　a　revelatory　work。'　Kansatsu's　tone　was　entirely　neutral；　giving　Nich