ericlustbader.the ninja-第26部分

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　In　its　place　was　…　what？　As　she　pondered　this；　she　heard　him　say；　'I'll　have　to　tell　you　now。'
　She　reacted　better　than　he　might　have　expected。　It　was　tantamount　to　saying：　You　have　cancer。
　'Are　you　sure？'　she　asked。
　'I　wouldn't　tell　you　if　I　wasn't。　I　can't　say　that　I　understand　it　yet　but　that　animal　crashing　in　here　was　no　accident。　It　was　a　ninja　warning。'
　'I　may　be　way　off　base；'　she　said　levelly；　'but　didn't　you　tell　me　that　one　of　the　ninja's　traits　was　to　strike　without　warning？'
　He　nodded。　'Yes。　That　was　true；　most　of　the　time。　But　there　were　occasions　…　a　blood　feud；　for　instance；　or　where　it　was　specifically　ordered　or　where　the　ninja　wished　to　boast　of　invincibility　…　when　a　ritual　warning　was　given。〃
　'But　it's　crazy；'　she　protested。　'What　would　a　ninja　want　with　me？　I've　had　no　connection　。。。'　She　paused　but　he　said　nothing；　waiting　to　see　if　she　would　figure　it　out　for　herself。　He　did　not　think　he　would　have　to　help　her。
　She　got　up　off　the　sofa；　walked　nervously　about　the　living…room；　snapping　her　fingers。　She　stopped　in　front　of　the　bar；　mixed　herself　a　long　white　rum　on　the　rocks　without　offering　him　one；　she　was　too　engrossed。　She　came　back　to　the　sofa；　sipped　at　her　drink。
　'There's　only　one　thing　I　can　think　of；'　she　said；　still　somewhat　unsure　of　herself。
　'Let's　see　if　we　came　to　the　same　conclusion。'
　'My　father。'
　'Your　father；'　Nicholas　echoed。　'Raphael　Tomkin。'　He　got　up　and　poured　himself　a　bitter　lemon。　'Tell　me；　what　do　you　know　of　his　business　dealings？'
　She　shrugged。　'Not　much　more　than　anyone　else；　I'm　afraid。　I　never　took　much　interest　in　it。　You　know；　the　basic　facts。　Oil　is　the　mainstay。　The　corporation　is　multinational。　That's　about　it。'
　'In　other　words；　not　much。'
　She　winced。　'I　told　you　so。'
　'All　right。　Let's　leave　that　for　a　while。　Now　…'
　But　she　had　already　put　a　long　forefinger　against　his　lips。　'Don't；　Nick。　Don't　ask　me。　Not　now。　Not　yet。　Let's　leave　things　the　way　they　are。　Please。　Please。'
　He　watched　her　eyes；　wondered　what　was　missing。　Perhaps　nothing　or　then　again　everything。　He　did　not　want　that。　But　now　he　wanted　her　more　and　that　called　for　a　promise。　It　was　an　uneasy　one；　at　best；　he　knew。　Talking　was　always　better　than　not　talking；　that　was　a　fundamental　underpinning　to　all　human　relationships。　Still；　perhaps　she　was　right　after　all　and　this　was　the　wrong　time。　He　swallowed　half　of　his　bitter　lemon。
　'What　are　we　to　do　now？'
　A　good　question；　Nicholas　thought；　looking　at　her。　The　ninja　meant　to　kill　her；　of　that　there　seemed　little　doubt。　This　was　something　he　accepted　as　given；　although　he　could　not　discount　the　importance　of　motivation。　But　there　would　be　no　immediate　answer　to　that；　thus　he　put　it　out　of　his　mind　for　the　moment。　What　truly　concerned　him　was　the　nature　of　the　ninja。　It　was　rare　enough　to　encounter　a　modern…day　villain　although；　as　he　had　indicated　to　Vincent　and　Doc　Deerforth；　a　number　did　operate　clandestinely　as　independent　agents　on　the　highest　levels。　But　to　find　one　adept　at　the　Niten　school　was　quite　alarming。　It　was　one　of　the　most　difficult　of　kenjutsu　styles　to　master　and　it　might　be　indicative　of　other　elements。　There　was；　Nicholas　knew　well；　more　than　one　kind　of　ninja。　Was　it　a　coincidence？
　'The　only　thing　to　do；　for　the　moment；　is　to　stay　with　you。'
　Justine　nodded。　Oddly；　this　did　not　fill　her　with　fear。　Quite　the　opposite；　in　fact。　She　might　even　begin　to　relax　with　it。　God　knew；　she　wanted　to。　Yes；　she　thought；　I　do　want　to。
　Suddenly　she　was　feeling　much　better。
　Doc　Deerforth　was　dreaming。　He　lay　on　the　hammock　tied　to　his　porch　beams；　swaying　slightly。　The　delicate；　insistent　drone　of　the　unceasing　rain　had　lulled　him　to　sleep。
　He　dreamed　of　a　forest；　gleaming　like　a　great　emerald；　dripping　with　moisture。　But　it　was　not　a　place　of　pleasure　or　beauty。　Not　for　him。　He　ran　through　the　angled　underbrush　and；　from　time　to　time；　as　he　twisted　his　head　to　peer　fearfully　behind　him；　he　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　hideous　beast　that　pursued　him　relentlessly。　It　was　a　tiger。　Fully　ten　feet　long；　the　beast　seemed　to　move　effortlessly　through　the　thick　foliage　that　otherwise　sought　to　pull　him　down。　Its　massive　muscles　worked　with　astounding　fluidity　beneath　its　glossy　striped　coat。　Now　and　again；　Doc　Deerforth's　eyes　would　lock　on　those　of　his　foe。　They　glowed　green　in　the　night　like　lambent　beacons；　lighting　the　way　before　it。　Yet　they　were　not　the　shape　of　cats'　eyes　but　the　unmistakable　oval　…　epicanthic　fold　and　all　…　of　a　human：　a　Japanese；　to　be　more　specific。
　They　were　the　eyes　of　the　ninja　Doc　Deerforth　had　encountered　just　before　war's　end　in　the　jungles　of　the　Philippines。
　Now　his　way　was　balked　by　an　enormous　stand　of　bamboo。　No　matter　which　way　he　looked；　there　was　no　passage　forward。　He　turned　to　see　the　man…beast　open　its　mouth。　Hot　flame　poured　out　like　a　river；　inundating　him　in　a　jelly…like　substance　that　clung　to　him；　stinging　like　a　man…of…war。　He　writhed；　slapping　at　himself　to　rid　himself　of　the　burning　substance。　Still　it　clung　to　him　tenaciously　as　if　it　were　sentient。　He　had　acquired　a　second　skin：　a　malignancy　which　now　started　to　eat　into　his　flesh。　His　skin　curled　and　cindered；　peeling　away　to　tendon　and　sinew。　Only　this　was　left　to　him；　as　the　substance　saturated　him；　piercing　his　bones。　These　were　slowly　powdered。　And　all　the　while　the　tiger　with　the　ninja's　face　grinned　at　him。　Then；　as　he　felt　all　strength　running　out　of　him；　as　if　he　were　urinating　his　life　away；　puddling　it　on　the　ground　before　him；　the　beast　lifted　its　right　forepaw。　It
　was　a　human　arm　that　had　been　amputated　at　the　elbow。　Above；　the　skin　was　black；　the　muscles　gone；　the　arm　…　what　was　left　of　it　…　virtually　fleshless；　as　if　it　had　been　crisped　in　some　terrible　swift　blast。　The　tiger　with　the　ninja's　face　lifted　this　limb　up　to　him　as　if　to　say；　'See　this　and　remember。'　On　the　inside　of　the　arm　was　tattooed　a　seven…digit　number。　Camp；　he　thought　over　and　over。　Camp；　camp；　camp。　He　was　a　jellyfish　now；　shorn　of　manhood；　even　his　ape　heritage。　Beyond　that；　he　now　swayed　in　the　jungle；　when　man　was　still　a　part　of　the　gravid　seas；　before　the　spark；　before　the　first　fish　crawled　to　the　edge　of　its　world　and　became　an　amphibian；　before　the　land　was　fit　for　life。　In　this　jungle　sea；　he　drifted　with　his　implacable　foe。　'See；　see；　see；'　said　the　beast；　moving　towards　him　who　hung　helpless　on　the　tides；　the　evolutionary　avatar。　'No！'　cried　the　jellyfish。　'Don't　you　see？　You'll　destroy　everyone！'　But；　unheeding；　the　man…tiger　was　upon　him。　〃This　I　do　for　my　…'
　Doc　Deerforth　awoke　with　a　start。　He　was　drenched　in　sweat　and　his　cotton　shirt　was　twisted　to　one　side　so　that　he　felt　as　if　he　were　inside　a　strait　jacket。　He　gasped；　taking　several　deep　breaths。　The　rain　had　ceased　some　time　while　he　was　asleep　but　water　still　dripped　from　the　eaves；　making　him　think　of　the　sea　and　the　jellyfish　and　the　ninja　and　annihilation。
　Terry　was　almost　killed　on　his　way　to　meet　Vincent。　This；　in　itself；　held　no　import　for　him；　he　was　far　too　busy　with　his　thoughts。
　He　was　thinking　about　Hideoshi　as　he　stepped　off　the　kerb　at　Sixth　Avenue；　walking　east　on　Forty…sixth　Street。　He　was　meeting　Vincent　at　Michita；　a　small　Japanese　restaurant　on　Forty…sixth　between　Sixth　and　Fifth　avenues。　This　place；　run　in　the　traditional　style　…　a　sushi　bar　and　tatami　rooms　…　was　open　virtually　twenty…four　hours　a　day　because　it　catered；　in　large　part；　for　the　many　Japanese　businessmen　new　to　the　country；　still　on　Tokyo　time。　It　was　a　favourite　haunt　of　Nicholas's；　Vincent's　and　his　because　they　all　felt　quite　at　home　there。
　He　was　against　the　light　and；　in　the　gutter；　he　was　almost
　run　down　by　an　old　rattling　Checker　cab；　hurtling　up　the　avenue。　The　shrill　blast　of　the　horn　snapped　him　out　of　his　reverie　and　he　leaped　back　onto　the　sidewalk　amid　the　screech　of　brakes　and　the　heartfelt　curses　of　the　obese；　shaggy…haired　driver。　'Fuckin'　asshole　gook！'　he　heard　as　the　taxi　swerved　past　him。　He　felt　the　cool　breeze　of　its　close　passage　and　then　it　was　accelerating　uptown。
　This　incident；　however；　did　not　long　deter　him　from　his　inner　contemplation。　Upstairs　in　the　dojo；　while　he　had　been　preparing　his　bokken　for　the　ing　matches；　he　had　observed　the　man　at　work　on　his　aikido　and；　somewhat　later；　at　karate。　He　had　been　appalled　at　the　man's　strength　and　agility。　Also；　it　was　obvious　after　a　few　short　moments　that　he　knew　far　more　about　strategy　than　did　Terry's　instructors。　Since　opening；　the　dojo　had　rapidly　built　a　reputation　as　being　one　of　the　finest　facilities　of　its　kind；　not　only　in　America；　but　in　all　the　world。　Much　of　this；　of　course；　came　from　Terry's　astute　selection　of　sensei。　To　a　man；　his　instructors　were　top…level　masters　in　each　of　their　specialities。　To　see　them'　thus　handled　was　disquieting　indeed。　As　he　went　through　Michita's　thick　blond…wood　and　iron　door；　he　wondered　whether　he　should　tell　Vincent　of　Hideoshi's　visit。
　Eileen　went　shopping　after　leaving　the　dojo。　She　went　cross…town　to　Bloomingdale's　and　bought　several　new　pieces　of　lingerie。　On　a　whim；　she　picked　up　a　bottle　of　a　cologne　she　had　been　meaning　to　try。　On　the　way　back　to　Terry's　she　stopped　at　a　liquor　store　and　bought　a　bottle　of　1970　Dom　P