ericlustbader.the ninja-第53章

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　'Normally　that's　true；'　Nicholas　agreed。　'But　this　man's　different。　He's　shrewder　than　most。　Look；　he's　going　up　against　a　man　who's　been　a　target　three　or　four　times　before。　There　arc　good　reasons　why　Tomkin　is　still　alive。　The　ninja　figures　a　simple　penetration　won't　do　it。　Something　a　bit　more　plex　is　called　for。　You　know　how　they　are。　He'll　have　to　go　in　himself。　There'll　be　no　remote…control　gadgets；　he　won't　use　the　long　gun。'
　'I　know。'　The　kitchen　was　filled　with　the　smell　of　the　food。　Doc　Deerforth　got　out　the　bread；　gave　it　to　Nicholas　to　toast。
　'All　right。　The　idea　is　to　confuse　the　enemy。　It's　an　ancient　form　of　strategy　in　kendo　and　on　the　battlefield。　Use　different　forms　of　attacks；　attack　from　different　sides。　While　your　enemy　is　wondering　what　you're　up　to；　you　attack　decisively　and　he's　defeated。〃
　Doc　Deerforth　eyed　Nicholas　as　he　brought　the　plates　over　to　the　table。　'And　you　think　this　is　what　the　ninja　is　doing？'
　'It　seems　logical；　yes。'
　Doc　Deerforth　began　to　eat；　frowning　in　concentration。　'You've　thought　of　other　possibilities；　naturally；'　he　said　after　a　while。
　Nicholas　looked　up。　'What　other　possibilities？'
　'I　don't　know。　But　they're　devious　bastards。　I　could　never　pretend　to　know　what　was　in　their　　　　　minds。'
　Nicholas　looked　away　for　a　moment。　'I　knew　several　in　Japan。'
　Doc　Deerforth's　eyes　blazed　briefly。　'Did　you？'
　'That　was　years　ago。'
　'Time　doesn't　mean　anything　to　them。'　Nicholas　knew　he　was　talking　about　his　own　experience。　He　put　down　his　fork；　said　nothing。　'They're　not　human；'　Doc　Deerforth　said　after　a　time。　It　was　so　quiet　between　the　words　that　Nicholas　could　hear　the　ticking　of　the　clock　on　the　wall。　'At　least；　there's　something　quite　inhuman　about　them　…　as　if　they　were　vampires　or　something。　Something　supernatural。'　His　eyes　had　turned　inwards　as　he　strung　out　the　banner　of　his　memory。
　'Our　war；'　he　continued；　'was　quite　different　from　any　other；　from　what　it　was　elsewhere。　Where　we　were；　it　was　never　a　matter　of　panies　taking　a　ridge　and　holding　it　in　the　face　of　an　enemy　counter…offensive。　There　were　no　front　lines；　separate　territories；　retreats　or　attacks。　There　was　only　a　kind　of　holding　on。　A　desperate　stubbornness　against　this　terrible　fluidity　which　brought　you　to　the　front　in　the　morning　and　behind　the　enemy　at　sunset　without　having　moved　at　all　during　the　day。
　'We　were　never　quite　sure　just　where　the　enemy　was。　Specific　orders　were　sporadic　at　best　and；　when　they　came；　it　seemed　clear　to　us　that　the　generals　had　no　idea　of　the　actual　situation。　We　lived　in　a　kind　of　loosely　controlled　state　of　anarchy。　It　was　our　only　protection　from　the　panic　which　continually　besieged　us。
　'The　time　I'm　telling　you　about　was　late　in　the　war。　Almost　all　of　us　had　been　in　the　Pacific　Theatre　from　the　beginning。　Many　of　us　were　in　no　condition　to　fight。　Malaria；　amoebic　dysentery；　those　and　other　diseases　I　had　never　encountered　before　were　what　we　lived　with。　But；　after　a　while；　we　began　to　fear　even　the　cholera　less　than　the　nights。
　'The　nights　brought　the　infiltrations；　silent　and　lethal。　We　'seemed　incapable　of　stemming　them。　We　doubled　the　perimeter　guard；　began　patrols　of　the　pound　itself。　Nothing　helped。　The　mander；　in　desperation；　mounted　a　series　of　night　patrols。　They　shot　at　shadows　or　the　calls　of　night　birds。　They　hit　nothing　and　were；　in　turn；　silently　killed。
　'These　incidents　built　themselves　eerily。　Then　some　idiot　？　mentioned　Dracula。　He　had　a　dog…eared　copy　of　the　Bram　Stoker　novel　and　it　quickly　made　the　rounds。　The　fear　magnified　itself。　What　else　could　you　expect　under　such　circumstances？　Man　is　notorious　for　inventing　creatures　to　explain　away　the　otherwise　inexplicable。　It　was　something　out　of　a　Gothic　horror　novel。　Even　now；　with　so　much　time　in　between；　it　doesn't　seem　like　a　joke。　We　were　used　to　fighting　soldiers　of　flesh　and　blood；　not　shadows　which　melted　away　in　the　light。　If　we　could　have　caught　just　one；　even　…　caught　a　glimpse　…we'd　have　had　some　idea　of　what　we　were　up　against。
　'Fear　has　an　uncanny　way　of　escalating。　We　were　none　of　us　cowards。　We　had　all　done　our　share　of　killing。　Even　I　…　even　I　had　been　called　upon　several　times　。。。　We　were　in　danger　of　being　overrun。　But　now　we　were　experiencing　something　else　…　something　quite　beyond　our　ken。　It　sounds　foolish；　I　know；　but　believe　me；　Nicholas；　when　I　tell　you　what　happened。。。
　'We　were　struggling　across　Leyte。　The　enormous　naval　battle　of　Leyte　Gulf　was　behind　us。　On　the　sea　the　Japanese　were　destroyed；　but　on　land　it　was　another　matter　entirely。　We　did　not　yet　own　this　small　island　and　Luzon；　the　main　island；　was　still　in　Japanese　hands。　They　were　undermanned　and　frightfully　undersupplied。　We　thought　we　had　them　beaten　at　Leyte　Gulf；　that　it　was　the　end。　'It　wasn't。
　'A　new　Japanese　mander　had　arrived　from　Tokyo　just　before　the　battle　began。　Vice…Admiral　Onishi　of　the　First　Naval　Air　Fleet　in　Manila。　Two　days　after　he　arrived；　he　travelled　to　Mabalacat；　a　small　town　fifty　miles　to　the　northwest。　It　was　the　site　of　the　Two　Hundred　and　First…Air　Group。　There　he　chaired　a　meeting　that　was；　although　none　of　us　knew　it　then；　one　of　the　war's　most　fateful　conferences。
　'Not　long　after；　we　heard　the　first　reports。　Many　of　us；　knowing　the　wildness　of　rumour；　did　not　believe　it。　But　then；　no　more　than　a　week　later；　we　saw　it　for　ourselves。　At　first　we　thought　the　Zeros　were　after　us　but　they　screamed　by　overhead　as　if　we　had　not　existed。　Then　we　saw　our　ships　out　to　sea；　an　aircraft　carrier　and　two　destroyers。　They　did　not　strafe　our　ships；　these　Zeros；　nor　did　they　dive…bomb　them。　They　merely　careened　into　them。　We　were　certain　that　the　first　one　had　been　hit　and　crashed。　But　as　they　one　after　another　followed　the　same　suicidal　course；　we　began　to　understand。　Yet　we　understood　not　at　all。　How　could　rational　men　do　this？　It　seemed　inconceivable。　We　thought　perhaps　they　had　been　brainwashed；　the　Japanese　were　notorious　for　their　methods。　Anyway；　that　was　the　prevailing　opinion。
　'Yet　something　about　this　theory　stuck　in　my　mind。　I　could　not　believe　it。　Psychological　reorientation　takes　time；　I　knew　that。　Certainly　it　could　not　have　been　acplished　overnight。　It　took　time　and　that　was　the　one　thing　the　Japanese　did　not　have。　No；　I　was　convinced　it　had　to　be　something　else。　But　what？
　'It　was　the　season　of　rain；　there　seemed　no　dry　ground　on　the　whole　of　Leyte。　We　made　progress　but　not　without　casualties；　of　course。　One　night　the　unit　was　forced　to　move　on。　There　were　a　number　of　wounded　who　needed　taking　care　of。　I　volunteered　to　stay　behind　for　a　short　time　so　that　I　could　bandage　them　properly。　There　was　a　relief　column　due　in　the　morning。　But　the　situation　was　far　too　volatile　and　my　C。O。　insisted　I　move　out　with　the　rest　of　the　unit。　We　made　camp　just　before　dawn。　Many　of　us　were　too　tired　to　fall　asleep。　We　sat　around　and　talked　about　Dracula。　Three　men　had　been　killed　the　night　before；　the　vampire　theories　were　at　their　height。
　'At　last　I　left　them；　pitched　my　tent　and　crawled　inside。　For　a　time　I　could　hear　their　voices　as　they　continued　to　talk；　then　the　sounds　stopped。　I　wasn't　sure　whether　I　had　fallen　asleep　or　they　had　just　broken　up　for　the　night。
　'I　was　in　that　odd　state　between　sleeping　and　wakefulness。　I　thought　I　dreamed　someone　was　there；　watching…me。　I　tried　to　wake　myself　but　couldn't。　My　head　felt　like　it　was　too　heavy　to　lift　up。　I　strained　but　nothing　happened。　It　was　as　if　my　consciousness　had　somehow　been　severed　from　the　nerve　impulses　which　mechanized　the　muscles。　I　wanted　to　look　behind　me；　you　know；　over　my　head；　certain　that　was　where　the　danger　was　ing　from。　I　could　make　no　move。
　'Above　me　a　face　hovered　in　the　air；　disembodied。　I　don't　know　when　my　eyes　had　actually　opened　or　whether　they　had　ever　really　been　closed。　My　chest　felt　heavy　and　I　seemed　to　have　trouble　breathing。　I　felt　cold。　Not　as　if　the　night　was　chill　but　from　inside。　I　shivered。
　〃It　was　a　Japanese　face；　coal…black　as　if　it　had　been　coated　with　charcoal　or　lampblack。　It　was　dull　so　that　no　light　would　reflect　off　it。　His　eyes　seemed　very　large。　They　had　an　odd　light　to　them　as　if；　while　they　stared　right　at　me；　they　were　focused　on　another　universe。　It　was　eerie。　I　had　seen　something　like　it　once　in　a　hospital　when　I　was　in　my　last　year　of　medical　school。　We　went　into　the　psycho　wing　and　I　saw　several　patients。　One　was　a　young　man；　not　far　past　twenty。　His　hair　was　cropped　close。　He　had　high　cheekbones　and　a　long　thin　nose。　He　could　have　been　a　scholar。　He　was　in　a　strait　jacket。　I　watched　his　eyes　for　a　long　time；　while　beside　me　the　resident　droned　his　spiel　like　a　carnival　barker。　This　man；　this　。。。　creature　was　far　beyond　the　supposedly　modern　and　humane　treatment　the　resident　was　describing　in　such　loving　detail。　This　man　had　reverted。　He　was　certainly　no　longer　human　but　had　returned　to　the　animal　state　of　his　ancestors。　There　was　no　hint　of　what　we　might　term　〃intelligence〃　in　his　eyes；　at　least　not　as　modern　man　defines　intelligence。　But　I　saw　cunning　there；　of　a　kind　and　in　a　strength　which　terrified　me。　For　a　moment　I　fantasized　what　it　would　be　like　having　this　man　loose　in　the　world。　Richard　Speck？　Gary　Gil…more？　Jack　the　Ripper？　It　was　beyond　imagining。　For　this　was　a　man　who　was　clearly　beyond　morality。
　'Now　you　know　some　of　what　I　saw　in　the　eyes　hovering　above　me　that　night　on　Leyte。　But　not　all。　To　call　this　〃madness〃　would　be　to　seriously　underestimate　it；　for　it　was　far　more。　Ours　is　a　world　of　order；　ruled　by　laws。　From　science　to　morality　there　are　parameters　within　which　we　all　live。　This　man　did　not。　He　lived　outside　time　as　if　residing　within　him；　lending　him　all　its　ferocious　energy；　was　the　essence　of　chaos。　I　don't　know　how　to　describe　it　better；　but　seeing　him　thus　in　the　flesh　only　underscored　the　fact　rather　than　the　fiction　of　his　supernatural　origins。　Perhaps；　after　all；　our　vampire　stories　had　not　been　so　far　off　the　mark。　I　know；　I　know；　this　all　sounds　rather　fanciful　…　pulled　out　to　give　a　good　Gothic　kick　to　this　story。　I　assure　you　that　nothing　could　be　further　from　the　truth。
　'While　I　thought　of　all　this；　I　felt　his　movement。　He　produced　a　matt　black　length　of　cloth　and；　folding　it　upon　itself；　wrapped　it　painfully　tight　across　my　mouth。　He　was　quite　close　to　me　now　and　I　saw　that　he　was　dressed　all　in　black。
　'He　hauled　me　out　of　the　tent　and；　stooping；　slung　me　over　his　shoulder。
　'He　ran。
　'He　ran　without　sound。　No　shadow　trailed　behind　us；　we　were　never　in　the　light。　He　took　a　route　out　of　the　encampment　that　was　neither　direct　nor　circuitous。　It　was　merely　un…detectable；　as　if　he　were　following　a　path　no　one　else　suspected　of　being　there；　a　path　made　just　for　him。
　'I　didn't　struggle。　I　found　myself　wondering　why　I　hadn't　been　killed　as　the　other　victims　of　these　silent　infiltrations　had　been。　I　was　amazed。　Even　upside　down　I　could　see　well　enough　to　know　that　he　was　a　magician。　No　one　I　knew　could　possibly　have　got　in　and　out　of　our　encampment　totally　undetected　as　this　man　had。　He　moved　without　seeming　motion。　That　must　sound　like　a　contradiction　but　it's　not。　He　ran　with　such　fluidity　that　there　was　no　up…and…down　motion；　merely　the　sensation　of　forward　movement。
　'We　were　in　the　jungle　now；　travelling　e