ericlustbader.the ninja-第108节

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　Tomkin　opened　his　mouth　　to　speak；　bit　back　the　words　at　the　last　minute。　He　could　not　tell　Nicholas　what　he　had　done；　no　matter　what。　He　put　his　shaking　hand　inside　his　suit　jacket　and　felt　his　fingers　slip　in　sweat　against　the　warm　edge　of　his　gun。　He　felt　wildly　out　of　place；　a　piranha　stripped　of　its　teedi；　watching　the　shark　as　it　swam　ever　closer。　The　feeling　did　not　sit　well　with　him。　He　enjoyed　being　in　control　…　at　his　desk；　in　the　boardroom　in　the　midst　of　proxy　fights；　overseas　taming　recalcitrant　buyers　…　while　others　hung　precariously　on　to　the　twists　and　turns　of　a　destiny　he　was　creating。　Now；　for　this　moment；　others　controlled　his　life　and　he　felt　a　brief　stab　of　a　fear　he　had　not　known　since　one　sun…drenched　day　sixteen　years　ago；　the　house　on　Gin　Lane；　the　summer's　heat；　the　sound　the　wind　made　as　it　raced　through　　the　high　beach　grass；　the　dryness　of　the　sand　like　beads　of　glass；　sounds　on　the　sigh　of　the　wind；　a　rising　and　falling　tide；　moaning；　and　movement　and　…　Gelda。　My　God；　Gelda。Geldal
　His　heart　pounded　in　his　chest　as　upon　an　anvil　and　some…
　thing　sat　astride　his　intestines；　racing　up　from　his　genitals；　squeezing；　squeezing。
　'。。。　better　sit　down　and　do　as　I　told　you。'
　4　What？　What？'
　'Sit　down；　Tomkin。　He'll　be　ing　soon　now。'
　'ing？　Who？'
　'Saigo。　The　ninja。'
　Tomkin's　face　was　shiny　in　the　half…light　ing　in　through　the　wall　of　windows　to　his　left。　All　the　lights　were　off　on　that　floor。
　'They　didn't　get　him？'
　'I　think　not。'
　'What　about　all　those　men　…　down　there？'　He　was　thinking　of　them　as　lines　of　his　defence。　They　could　not　all　be　crumbling；　so　quickly；　so　easily。
　Nicholas　misunderstood　him。　I'm　　surprised　you　care。　This　wasn't　my　idea。　It　should　just　have　been　me　and　you　…　and　him。　They're　all　innocents　down　there。'
　'Meaning；'　Tomkin　said；　moving　a　little　towards　the　windows；　wondering　if　Nicholas　would　follow　him　as　the　ninja　had　suggested　he　might；　'that　we　…　you　and　me　and　the　cop　…are　not。'
　Nicholas　might　have　been　a　statue。　'No。　Up　here　on　Olympus　morality　has　little　meaning。　When　you　get　used　to　watching　people　from　such　a　lofty　distance　their　features　blur；　being　at　last　so　indistinct　that　they　bee　as　interchangeable　as　ants　…　and　as　insignificant。　What　does　one　less　ant　mean　to　the　course　of　history　？　It's　too　insignificant　even　to　think　about。'
　'You're　crazy；'　Tomkin　said。　'I　don't　know　what　the　hell　you're　talking　about。'　The　trouble　is；　he　thought；　I　do　know　what　he's　talking　about。　He　pressed　his　hands　against　his　temples；　squeezing　his　eyes　shut　against　the　sun…dazzle　tumble　of　images　limned　against　his　eyelids。　Gelda　and　another　girl。　How　his　pulse　raced？　Now　the　hatred　sluiced　like　venom　through　his　veins。　His　head　pulsed　as　if　being　blown　up　like　a　balloon。　How　could　she　have　。。。　He'd　meted　out　retribution　all　right。　Deservedly　so。　His　thoughts　began　to　race　dangerously。
　Where　had　the　days　of　innocence　got　to？　he　asked　himself。　The　Easter　egg　hunts　in　Connecticut；　the　school　dances；　the
　easy；　laughing　summers　when　the　girls　would　e　in　from　the　surf　like　two　brown…skinned　mermaids。
　Caught　in　faded　photographs；　irretrievably　caught　between　Kodak　paper　and　photographic　chemicals；　as　real　as　Coleridge's　dream　of　Xanadu；　gone　up　in　smoke　like　an　addict's　hopes。
　'You　said　he's　ing。'　Tomkin's　voice　was　clotted　with　emotion　and　he　had　to　clear　his　throat　before　he　could　continue。　'What　are　you　going　to　do？'
　'Sit　down；'　Nicholas　said。　'I　want　you　away　from　the　windows。'
　'I　want　to　know　1'　Tomkin　shouted。　'It's　my　life　I'
　'Sit　down；　Tomkin。'　Nicholas's　voice　was　even　lower　than　it　had　been　a　moment　before。　'Keep　yelling　and　you　will　guide　him　right　to　you。'
　Tomkin　glared　at　him　for　a　long　moment。　His　chest　heaved　beneath　his　suit　jacket。　Then；　abruptly；　he　collapsed　into　his　chair。
　Nicholas　turned　his　head　towards　the　rear　of　the　office。　Next　to　the　open　door　of　the　bathroom　was　a　narrow　hallway　leading　first　to　the　electrical　and　air…conditioning　circuits　for　the　floor　and　then　to　the　offices　on　the　far　side　of　the　floor。
　He　did　not　believe　that　Saigo　would　e　through　the　front　doors。　For　one　thing；　they　were　bulky　and　slow…moving。　Too　much　time　and　effort　was　involved　in　opening　them。　He　could　not；　of　course；　discount　the　ledge　outside　the　windows　but；　as　in　the　manner　of　most　newer；　centrally　temperature…controlled　buildings；　these　windows　could　not　be　opened。　Certainly　they　were　easily　breached　but　that　also　would　take　time　and；　worse；　an　inordinate　amount　of　sound。
　It　was　logical；　then；　to　expect　the　attack　from　the　rear　of　the　office。　He　thought　briefly　about　positioning　himself　more　advantageously；　in　the　air…conditioning　alcove；　perhaps。　But　if　Saigo　chose　another　way　in；　he　might　take　too　long　recovering　and　he　could　not　chance　that。
　That　Saigo　was　at　this　moment　on　his　way　up　he　had　no　doubt。
　It　was　quiet　now；　just　the　gentle　white…noise　hissing　in　the　inner　ear；　as　of　the　aftermath　of　a　violent　tornado。　With　the　front　doors　secured；　no　sound　seeped　in　from　the　street；　all
　the　glass　was　in　place　here。
　He　could　hear　the　sound　of　Tomkin's　heavy　breathing；　as　if　he　were　an　asthmatic　with　his　mouth　partly　open。　Where　he　sat；　behind　his　desk；　he　was　in　total　shadow。
　'Move　a　bit　to　your　right；'　Nicholas　said　softly。　'No；　with　the　chair。　That's　right。'　He　turned　his　head。　'Now　keep　still。'　A　bar　of　light　shone　over　a　portion　of　the　steel…grey　hair；　quartering　the　head。
　The　place　was　alive　with　them。
　But；　of　course；　that　was　to　be　expected。
　Two　at　the　entrance　to　the　stairwell；　three　more　guarding　the　cage　elevator。　He　had　not　even　considered　using　the　main　elevator　bank。
　The　easiest　thing　would　have　been　to　use　hypnosis。　The　。plan　was　practical　as　well　as　amusing。　The　idea　of　having　one　of　those　plain…clothesmen　shepherding　him　skyward　in　the　elevator　appealed　to　him。　But　that　would　depend　on　a　very　specific　set　of　circumstances。　Given　time；　he　had　no　doubt　that　he　could　execute　them。　He　did　not；　at　this　point；　think　that　he　had　the　time。　They　would　have　begun　to　sort　things　out　down　there。　They'd　turn　on　the　lights；　tot　up　the　casualty　figures　and　send　for　reinforcements。　He　did　not　want　to　risk　a　get…out　through　a　cordon　of　a　score　of　men　all　on　the　hair…trigger　lookout　for　one　thing　and　one　thing　alone。
　Not　that　he　could　not　do　it　but　it　was　foolish　to　take　such　risks　when　there　was　absolutely　no　need　to。
　In　the　shadows；　he　reached　out　four　pads　from　his　belt。　These　he　carefully　tied；　one　on　each　soft…soled　shoe　and　over　the　palm　of　each　hand。　He　slung　his　katana　obliquely　across　his　back。　He　could　take　no　step　now　without　attracting　attention；　for　sprouting　from　the　outer　side　of　the　pads　were　two…inch　steel　spikes　set　in　a　plex　pattern。
　Saigo　unwrapped　from　his　waist　a　long　nylon　cord；　weighted　on　one　end　by　a　small；　sharp　triangular　hook。　He　looked　up；　studying　the　sides　of　the　atrium　though　he　already　knew　them　quite　well。　He　found　what　he　was　looking　for　and　began　to　twirl　the　weighted　cord　about　his　head。
　He　let　it　go　and　it　shot　high　into　the　atrium；　arcing　around　a
　transverse　iron　beam。　It　was　close　enough　to　the　wall　so　that；　as　he　flung　himself　upwards；　he　was　swung　inwards　by　his　momentum。　He　drew　his　legs　up　so　that　the　soles　of　his　shoes　faced　outwards。　He　felt　the　impact　as　the　spiked　foot　pads　dug　into　the　pitted　face　of　the　pseudo…marble　facing。
　This　was　one　of　the　most　ancient　of　ninjutsu　techniques；　used　for　centuries　in　infiltrating　an　enemy's　castle　stronghold。　Mere　walls；　no　matter　how　sheer；　could　not　confound　a　ninja。
　Upwards　he　went　with　appalling　rapidity。　A　fly　on　the　wall；　he　was　quite　invisible　to　those　below；　even　had　they　chanced　to　look　this　far　up。　He　had；　once　again；　total　security。
　To　the　shocked　and　bewildered　men　on　the　atrium's　floor　it　was　as　if。　he　had　vanished　into　thin　air　and　this　was　what　they　reported　to　Croaker　via　walkie…talkie。
　The　hallucinogen　was　raging　full　force　within　him。　His　involvement　with　his　immediate　environment　was　total。　He　could　see…smell…taste…hear…feel　simultaneously　as　he　crawled　up　the　wall。
　Small　sounds；　brittle　and　three…dimensional；　drifted　to　him　from　below；　funnelled　by　the　peculiar　acoustics。　It　was　curious　because　he　could　hear　specific　sounds　with　more　clarity　from　this　vantage　point　than　he　might　have　if　he　were　still　down　below：　voices　talking；　shoes　pounding　against　the　cool　flooring　as　they　called　for　the　ambulances。　Do　you　no　good；　he　thought。　Talking；　unanswered。　The　walkie…talkie；　he　thought。　No　matter。
　The　fine　dust　of　his　passage　took　to　the　slowly　swirling　air；　a　minute；　ineffectual　cyclone　passing　through　the　light。
　There　was　silence　on　the　top　floor；　this　was　Nicholas's　doing；　this　was　why　he　had　insisted　that　none　of　Croaker's　men　be　on　the　floor。　Sound　was　his　greatest　potential　enemy　now。
　'I　want　you；'　he　had　said　to　Tomkin　some　time　before；　'to　face　away　from　him　when　he　es。　Do　you　think　you　can　do　that　？'　Because　it　was　a　most　difficult　thing　to　turn　your　back　on　someone　who　meant　to　kill　you。　But　this　was　essential。　Nicholas　was　afraid　of　what　the　Kuji…fyri　might　do　to　Tomkin。　Kick　out　the　glass　and　take　one　last　step　down；　that　was　only　one　possibility。
　'Yes；　I　ca