ericlustbader.the ninja-第94章

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d　death。
　The　tip　of　the　katana　begins　to　quiver　as　the　killing　energy　is　built　up。　One　cannot　use　the　iai　in　this　situation　…　the　great　scream　that　releases　so　much　energy。　How　does　she　know　this？　she　wonders。　One　must　draw　the　power　upwards　from　the　lower　abdomen　…　more；　more；　the　muscles　are　so　weak。
　And　it　is　at　this　moment；　as　the　katana　mences　its　dark　downward　rush；　that　her　core；　at　last　seeing；　begins　to　uncurl。
　No！　she　screamed　to　herself。　No　no　no！
　But　the　blade　was　already　a　blur；　cleaving　the　air　as　it　went　down　and　down　and；　despairing；　she　knew　that　it　was　far　too　late。
　In　flight；　his　spirit　seemed　to　take　on　the　characteristics　of　an　old　man。　Not　any　old　man　but　a　particular　one。
　Nicholas；　unbound；　was　old　yet　seemed　not　to　feel　the　years。　Rather；　they　hung　over　one　bare；　insubstantial　arm　like　a　series　of　silk　scarves；　each　one　a　different　colour；　corresponding　to　its　memories。
　In　the　sky　of　the　new　day　he　danced　the　dance　of　life；　a　delighted　child　who　has　nevertheless　seen　many　things；　experienced　many　days　and　nights。　He　fashioned　stalks　of　wheat　from　the　stuff　of　the　clouds　and；　grasping　one　in　each　fist；　swirled　them　around　and　around　his　head　like　crepe　paper　streamers。
　Below　him　the　continent　of　Ask　stretched　itself　like　an　enormous　tiger；　yawning　in　the　early　morning；　just　beginning　to　stir。　Yet　it　was　the　Asia　of　another　time；　before　the　advent　of　heavy　industrialization；　the　revolution　in　China；　the　devastation　of　Vietnam　and　Cambodia。　The　air　was　like　incense。
　Nicholas　became　aware　of　Justine　and　the　katana　at　the　same　instant。　Had　he　not　been　so　far　away；　the　haragei　would　have　picked　up　the　intent　far　sooner。　But　he　was　relaxed　and；　for　that　moment　went　unaware。
　But　in　this　last　instant　he　had　heard　the　bolt　of　black　thunder　and　was　already　turning　as　the　katana　rushed　down　upon　him。
　There　was；　of　course；　no　time　for　cerebration。　Had　he　paused　to　think；　even　for　the　barest　of　instants；　he　would　have　died。　As　it　was；　it　was　closer　than　he　liked　to　think　about。
　There　are　various　methods　of　winning　a　battle　without　a　sword。　The　one　he　knew　best　was　Letting　Go　the　Hilt　and　he　used　it　now；　instinctively　reaching　up　with　his　arms　crossed　just　past　the　wrists　so　that　he　came　hi　within　the　arc　of　the　blade；　slamming　Justine's　forearms　away　and　up。
　He　was　on　his　feet　and　she　came　at　him　with　a　horizontal　cut　from　left　to　right　and　he　knew　then　what　had　happened。
　With　a　shattering　cry；　he　extended　his　left　leg；　bending　at　the　knee；　and　crossed　hi　right　arm　over　his　left；　applying　a　blow　to　her　fists　with　the　flat　of　his　hand。
　He　stamped；　startling　her；　and　broke　towards　the　katana。　Half　way　there；　he　realized　that　the　blow　he　was　about　to　deliver　would　shatter　the　bones　in　her　wrists　and　instead　grasped　them；　wrenching　backwards；　right　over　left；　until　she　cried　out　and　the　blade　clattered　to　the　floor。
　Her　knee　came　up　and　struck　him　in　the　pit　of　his　stomach。　He　bent　over　and　she　pounded　his　back　with　both　her　fists。
　The　breath　whooshed　out　of　him　but；　in　falling；　he　managed　to　use　his　forearms　to　sweep　her　off　her　feet。　She　fell　heavily　half　on　top　of　him　and　immediately　began　to　strike　out。
　Nicholas　reached　up　through　the　rain　of　blows；　touched　the　side　of　her　neck。　Something　screamed。　It　came　from　her　wide…open　mouth；　it　used　her　vocal　cords；　but　she　never　could　have　made　that　sound　on　her　own。　Her　strange　black　eyes　flew　upwards　in　their　sockets　until　only　the　whites　showed　and　then　the　lids　came　down　and　she　slumped；　unconscious；　across　him；　her　long　hair　half…covering　the　shining　steel　blade　of　the　abandoned　katana。
　It　had　been　that　second　cut。　Left　to　right。　Justine　was　right…handed　and　would　have　cut　from　right　to　left。　It　was　not　Justine　who　wielded　the　blade。　In　any　event；　she　would　not　have　been　able　to　handle　the　katana　so　well。　'
　Saiminjutsu　…　the　art　of　ninja　hypnotism　…　was　just　one　of　the　sub…specialties　he　had　learned　years　ago。　He　worked　over　her　for　more　than　four　hours　…　to　undo　was　far　more　difficult　than　to　do　…　using　everything　he　had　been　taught；　to　exorcize　the　demon　that　had　been　planted　in　her。
　Sweat　dripped　off　them　both　like　rain；　mingling　on　the　wooden　floor；　as　he　worked　on　and　on　until；　at　last；　her　body　shuddered　in　his　arms　and　she　gave　a　fierce；　startled　cry。
　Within　moments；　she　was　in　a　sound　sleep。　But　he　would　not　give　her　up；　even　then；　and　held　her；　cradled　protectively　in　his　arms　and　lap；　leaving　her　only　once　during　the　long；　heating　day　to　relieve　himself　and　to　wet　a　towel　with　cool　water　so　that　he　could　place　it　over　her　forehead。
　For　almost　all　of　the　time；　he　stared　down　into　her　face；　his　features　somehow　different　from　what　they　had　been　earlier。　Once；　the　sound　of　the　quiet　bubbling　of　the　fish　tank　intruded　upon　his　thoughts　and　he　looked　briefly　over　at　the　denizens　of　the　deep　at　play　among　the　tall　green　columns　of　vegetation　and　the　spiny　backs　of　coloured　rocks。　They　regarded　him　impassively　from　beyond　the　glass；　from　another　world　entirely。
　By　the　third　day　she　had　recovered　fully。　Before　that；　she　slept　on　and　off　most　of　the　time　as　one　does　when　fighting　off　an　evil　disease。
　During　that　time；　Nicholas　fed　her　and　washed　her；　not　minding　at　all。　He　would　sit　on　the　porch　for　long　hours　at　a　time；　staring　out　at　the　sea；　past　the　bathers　and　the　sun　worshippers　as　if　they　did　not　exist；　but　he　did　not　go　onto　the　beach　nor　near　the　water。　He　would　not　go　that　far　away　from　her。
　And　when　that　day　dawned　when　she　opened　her　eyes　and　they　were　perfectly　clear；　the　tiny　scarlet　motes　in　the　left　one　as　brilliant　as　fires　on　a　plain；　he　put　his　arms　around　her　and　kissed　her。
　It　was　not　until　he　had　made　them　breakfast　and　she　had　taken　in　the　paper　that　he　told　her　what　had　happened。　He　told　her　everything　because　this　was　something　she　must　know；　to　understand　that　she　had　had　the　strength　and　the　courage　to　pull　through。　Because　he　never　could　have　acplished　it　on　his　own。　She　had　fought　the　Kobudera　from　the　beginning。
　'I　am　strong　now。'　She　laughed。　'As　strong　as　you。'
　'In　a　way；'　he　said；　more　seriously　than　she；　'yes。'　^She　shuddered。　'Such　power　needs　getting　used　to。'
　She　read　the　paper　while　he　cleaned　up　and　the　soft　clatter　of　the　dishes　in　the　sink　as　he　washed　them　made　her　feel　cozy　and　warm。
　'Afterwards；'　she　said；　'let's　go　out　on　the　beach。'
　'We　should。　Summer's　almost　gone。　We　should　make　the　most　of　these　last　days　out　here。　Anyway'　…　he　wiped　his　hands　…　'there　are　a　couple　of　people　in　the　city　I　want　you　to　get　to　know　…'
　'Nick　…'　She　looked　up　from　the　paper。
　He　came　over　to　where　she　was　sitting。　'Why　the　look？'　He　kissed　her。
　'Look　at　this。'　She　pushed　the　folded　paper　towards　him。
　He　took　it；　dropped　his　gaze　from　her　worried　face。
　'I　ought　to　call　Gelda；〃　she　said　as　if　from　a　distance。
　Local　Policeman　Dead　in　Crash　（he　read）。　The　dateline　was　Key　West；　Florida。　'Detective　Lieutenant　Lewis　J。　Croaker　was　found　dead　late　yesterday　in　a　rented　car；　a　spokesman　for　the　Monroe　County　Police　Department　reported。　The　car　had　apparently　left　the　highway　at　high　speed　six　miles　east　of　Key　West；　rolled　down　an　embankment　and　caught　fire。　Heavy　rains　and　high　winds；　which　have　plagued　this　area　for　a　day　and　a　half；　may　have　contributed　to　the　accident；　the　spokesman　said。
　'Detective　Lieutenant　Croaker；　43；　was　apparently　in　Key　West　on　vacation。　Contacted　at　his　office　at　One　Police　Plaza；　Captain　Michael　C。　Finnigan；　Detective　Lieutenant　Croaker's　immediate　superior；　mented。。。'
　But　Nicholas　had　already　stopped　reading。　There　was　a　pounding　in　his　chest；　a　hollow　kind　of　thudding；　echoing　away　as　if　he　stood　inside　an　empty　shrine。　His　vision　blurred　and　he　seemed　unaware　that　the　paper　was　shredding　through　his　clenched　fingers。
　'Nicholas。。。'　Justine　stood　beside　him；　arms　crossed；　hands　clasping　her　elbows　impotently；　the　physical　for　the　moment　put　precariously　at　bay　by　the　emotional。　'I　can't　believe　it。'
　But　he　could；　with　that　typically　Asian　perspective　of　the　acceptance　of　events　as　they　evolve。　Karma；　he　thought　savagely。　But　Croaker's　death　was　like　a　knife　thrust　into　his　bowels；　a　kind　of　seething　pain　that　would　not　dissipate。
　Then　he　recalled　why　Croaker　had　gone　to　Key　West。　He　read　the　article　again；　this　time　from　first　sentence　to　last。　On　vacation；　indeed。　As　if　Croaker's　T｛ami　hovered　in　close　asylum　at　his　right　hand；　he　heard　again；　He's　a　murderer；　Nick。　If　I　had　any　lingering　doubts　as　to　Tomkin's　plicity　in　the　Angela　Didion　case；　they　went　bye…bye　with　that　order　to　officially　shut　down。　He's　a　shark；　man。　You'd　better　face　up　to　it。　A　hot　wind　from　the　cemetery；　out　from　the　shade　elms；　assailed　him　as　he　began　to　see　past　events　in　a　chill　new　light。　The　confrontations　between　Tomkin　and　Croaker　had　been　deliberate。　Croaker　had　wanted　to　needle　Tomkin；　perhaps　provoking　him　into　making　some　precipitous　move；　like　an　attempt　to　silence　Croaker。　Now　it　had　e；　the　whisper　of　the　gibbet。　And　Frank；　Tomkin's　chief　bodyguard；　had　been　gone　several　days；　who　knew　where？
　I've　gotta　nail　him　on　this。　It's　a　matter　of　honour。　Every　remembered　word　a　knife　twist。　If　I　don't　do　it；　nobody's　gonna　be　able　to。
　He　got　up　and　went　to　the　phone；　his　mind　abruptly　quite　clear；　and　dialled　a　number。　His　whole　body　seemed　to　ache　as　if　he　had　been　recently　beaten。　He　did　not　think　it　fair　that　this　should　have　happened　to　them；　friendship　as　special　as　this　was　meant　to　be　savoured；　not　snatched　away　by　a　thief　in　the　night。　He　felt　strongly　as　if　they　had　both　been　cheated。　This；　he　knew；　was　Western　thinking　and　he　set　it　aside；　partmentalizing　it；　as　he　had　been　taught；　just　as　someone　places　a　treasured　item　on　a　high　shelf；　out　of　harm's　way。　Still；　for　the　briefest　moment；　he　could　picture　the　four　of　them　on　a　long　sleek　sloop；　wet　from　the　salt　spray；　laughing　and　carefree；　the　sun　in　their　eyes。　Then　he　banished　the　vision；　letting　it　part　from　him　as　if　it　were　the　last　ray　of　the　sun　slipping　below　the　dark　horizon。　But　did　that　change　anything？　Not　at　all；　as　he　had　already　seen。　Love　and　friendship　were　inextricably　entwined　in　Japan　and　he　was；　after　all　the　time　in　the　West；　the　clothes；　the　new　veneers；　an　Easterner；　now　and　forever。　He　knew　this　with　an　abrupt　and　wrenching　conviction　that　both　thrilled　and　calmed　him。　He　had　a　sense　of　place　now；　as　well　as　a　sense　of　time。
　Arid…sacrifice；　revenge；　the　cornerstones　of　Japanese　history；　were　both　a　part　of　him；　too。　This　had　been　Itami's　last　message　to　him；　though；　at　the　time；　he　had　not　fully　understood。
　Croaker's　death　made　it　all　too　plain。
　Now　a　quote　attributed　to　leyasu　Tokugawa　flew　through　his　head　like　a　bird　of　prey；　circling　in　the　sky　of　his　mind。　He　knew　what　to　do。
　'What　is　it？'　Justine　asked　him。　Her　voice　was　thick　as　if　she　were　still　in　shock。
　He　put　his　finger　to　his　lips；　said　into　the　phone；　'Is　he　in？　It's　Nicholas　Linnear。'　He　waited　a　moment。　Justine　came　up　behind　him；　entwining　her　arms　around　him。
　Frank　answered。　So　he　had　returned。　Bastard。　But　his　voice　was　controlled　as　he　said；　'Had　a　good　vacation？　Yeah。　Too　bad　you　missed　all　the　excitement。'　He　felt　the　press　of　her　breasts　against　his　ba