ericlustbader.the ninja-第91节

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　'I　have　an　enemy　now。'　Don't　bother　ing　after。　'I　invaded　their　territory　1　Ignored　their　warning。　When　they　e；　I　must　be　prepared。'
　Beside　him；　Kansatsu　had　never　seemed　so　old　and　frail　as　he　stared　out　at　the　falling　snow。
　'I　am　afraid　there's　been　some　bad　news。'
　He　stood　with　his　bags　in　the　doorway　of　his　house。　Immediately　he　thought　of　Cheong。　'Where's　Mother？'
　'At　your　aunt's。　e　inside；　Nicholas。'　The　Colonel　seemed　pale　and　drawn。
　The　house　seemed　subtly　different。　Emptier。　'What's　happened？'
　'It's　Satsugai；'　the　Colonel　said　evenly。　He　had　his　pipe　in　one　hand；　unlit。　'We　tried　to　reach　you　in　Kumamoto。　I　finally　got　hold　of　Saigo　this　afternoon。　Itami　was　surprised　to　learn　Yukio　decided　to　stay　with　him。'
　Nicholas　felt　a　knife　twisting　inside　him。　All　my　loving　darling；　I　will　send　to　you。　There　was　a　silence。　He　could　hear　the　clock　on　the　mantel　in　the　Colonel's　study。　All　the　way　in　here。　Nothing　moved　outside。　It　was　as　if　the　world　had　frozen　over　in　a　new　ice　age。
　The　Colonel　cleared　his　throat。　'Satsugai's　been　killed。　I'm　sorry；　it's　a　hell　of　a　homeing。　I　can　see　you　didn't　have　the　best　of　trips。'
　Was　it　so　indelibly　etched　across　his　face；　skywriting　that　he　refused　to　face？
　'How　did　it　happen？'
　…The　Colonel　put　the　pipe　stem　to　his　lips；　blew　sharply　outwards　to　unclog　it。　He　looked　at　the　bowl。　'Robbery；　the　police　think。　Satsugai　must　have　surprised　the　thief。'
　'No　one　else　heard　him？'
　The　Colonel　shrugged。　'No　one　else　was　in　the　house　at　the　time。　Itami　was　at　her　sister's。〃
　'Which　one？　Ikura？'
　'No　Teoke。'
　Nicholas　disliked　Teoke。
　'Well。'　He　went　to　take　his　bags　into　his　room。　The　Colonel　stooped　to　help　him　and　together　they；　went　through　the　house。
　'It's　so　quiet；'　Nicholas　said。　'Nothing　seems　right。'
　'No；'　the　Colonel　agreed；　something　far　off　in　his　eyes。　'It's　never　the　same。'　He　sat　on　the　futon；　pressed　his　thumb　and　forefinger　against　his　eyelids。　'The　servants　have　gone　with　your　mother　and　Ataki　won't　e　today。'
　Nicholas　began　to　unpack；　separating　the　soiled　clothes　from　the　unworn　ones。　'Dad；'　he　said　after　a　time；　'what　do　you　know　of　the　ninja？'
　'Oh；　not　very　much。　Why？'
　He　shrugged；　looking　down　at　the　shirt　he　was　holding。
　'Kansatsu's　been　talking　about　them。　Did　you　know　that　when　firearms　were　first　introduced　here　in　1543　by　the　Portuguese　they　were　immediately　incorporated　into　ninjutsu　techniques？　No？　And　because　of　that；　firearms　were　shunned　by　the　majority　of　the　other　classes　…　most　especially　the　samurai　…　until　the　Meiji　Restoration。'
　The　Colonel　got　up；　went　across　the　room　to　stand　beside　his　son。　'Nicholas；'　he　said　gently；　'what　happened　between　you　and　Yukio？'　When　Nicholas　said　nothing；　he　put　his　hand　on　his　son's　shoulder；　said；　'Are　you　afraid　to　tell　me？'
　Nicholas　turned　round　to　face　him。　'Afraid？　No。　I　…　It's　just　that　I　know　how　you　felt　about　her。　You　disliked　her　from　the　beginning。'
　'So　now　you　won't　tell　me　…'
　'I　love　her；'　Nicholas　said　in　anguish。　'And　she　told　me　she　loved　me。　And　then。　And　then；　it　all　fell　apart　just　as　if　it　had　never　existed。'　The　Colonel's　heart　ached　at　the　look　he　saw　on　Nicholas's　face。　'How　could　she　go　off　with　Saigo？　How　could　she　do　it？'　Tears　stood　in　the　corners　of　his　eyes。　'I　don't　understand　any　of　it。'
　When　he　had　seen　Nicholas　standing　there　in　the　doorway；　the　Colonel　had　felt　an　enormous　urge　to　tell　him　everything；　to　confess。　Now　he　knew　that　he　would　never　do　that；　it　would　be　far　too　selfish。　It　was　a　burden　designed　for　him　alone。　How　unfair　to　make　Nicholas　carry　it　for　the　rest　of　his　life。　But　he　wanted　desperately　to　say　something　forting　to　his　son。　He　was　dumbfounded　now　by　his　inarticulateness。　Is　this　how　I　have　been　with　him　all　his　life？　he　wondered。　I　don't　know　what　to　say；　what　would　calm　him。　He　wished　that　Cheong　were　here　now　and　was　instantly　ashamed　of　the　thought。　My　God；　he　thought；　am　I　that　estranged　from　my　own　son？　Is　this　what　my　work　has　done　to　me？　It　seemed　to　the　Colonel　to　be　the　final　irony。　And　now　he　realized　how　he　had　envied　Satsugai's　close　relationship　with　Saigo。　It　was　something　he　could　never　have　with　Nicholas。　The　fault；　he　saw；　lay　within　himself。
　He　heard　the　door　chimes　ringing。　'e　on；'　he　said；　and　they　both　went　to　answer　it。
　A　detective　sergeant　of　the　Tokyo　Metropolitan　Police　stood　on　the　steps。　He　was　a　heavy…set　youngish　man；　seeming　ill　at　ease；　he　knew　all　too　well　where　he　was。　He　saluted　smartly　as　the　Colonel　opened　the　door。
　'Colonel　Linnear；'　he　said。　He　had　restless　brown　eyes。　'Lieutenant　Tomomi　asked　me　to　inform　you　of　the　investigation's　progress。'　He　did　not　have　to　say　which　investigation。　'Our　latest　findings　indicate　that　your　brother…in…law　…'
　'He's　not　my　brother…in…law。'
　'Sir？'
　'Never　mind；'　the　Colonel　said。　'Carry　on。'
　'Yes；　sir。　We　have　ruled　out　burglary。　At　least；　it's　no　longer　at　the　top　of　our　list。'
　'Oh？'
　'The　coroner's　report　indicates　a　double　fracture　of　the　cricoid　cartilage。　In　the　larynx。　He　was　garroted。　And　by　a　professional。　Lieutenant　Tomomi　believes　there　is　now　reason　to　consider　a　radical　left…wing　connection。'
　'You　mean　assassination？'
　'Yes；　sir。　We　are　bringing　suspects　in　now。　You　know；　the　usual　activists　from　the　JSP；　the　munists；　so　forth。'　'Thank　you　for　informing　me；　Sergeant。'
　'No　trouble　at　all；　sir。　Good　day。'　He　turned　away。　Gravel　crunched　under　his　high　black　boots。
　In　the　weeks　that　followed；　the　family　life　slowly　restored　itself　to　a　semblance　of　order。　But；　as　the　Colonel　had　remarked；　it　was　not　the　same。
　There　was　Satsugai's　funeral；　of　course；　a　strictly　formal　ceremony；　delayed　for　a　time　until　Saigo　returned　home。
　Nicholas　found　no　sadness　inside　himself　at　Satsugai's　death。　This；　of　course；　was　not　surprising。　But　he　also　found　himself　oddly　anticipating　the　funeral　and　did　not　realize　what　it　was　he　was　anticipating　until　he　saw　Saigo　and　Itami　arrive。　Then　his　heart　sank。　Yukio　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。　For　his　part　Saigo　neither　looked　nor　talked　to　anyone　save　his　mother。
　With　Saigo's　return；　Nicholas　had　expected　Cheong　to　return　home。　Such　was　not　the　case。　She　continued　to　stay　with　Itami　for　more　than　a　week。　She　might　have；　perhaps；　stayed　indefinitely　had　not　Itami　insisted　she　leave。
　The　tragedy　had　aged　his　mother；　Nicholas　saw；　as　much　as　or　even　more　than　it　had　his　aunt。　She　rarely　smiled　and　she　seemed　distant　as　if　holding　herself　together　by　a　supreme　act　of　will。
　Further；　and；　to　Nicholas；　quite　inexplicably；　something　had　changed　in　her　relationship　with　the　Colonel。　For　as　long　as　Nicholas　could　remember　this　had　been　an　unwavering　bulwark　in　his　life；　the　backbone　he　could　always　count　on。　True；　the　shift　was　subtle　and；　perhaps；　an　outsider　might　not　have　picked　it　up；　but　it　was　there　nonetheless　and　it　frightened　him。　It　was　almost　as　if　she　blamed　the　Colonel　for　the　tragedy。　He　had　saved　Satsugai's　life　once；　wasn't　that　enough？　Nicholas　asked　himself。　He　felt　she　was　being　unreasonable　and；　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　he　felt　himself　being　pulled　by　the　increasing　polarization　of　his　parents。
　Itami　came　almost　every　day　for　lunch。　On　several　occasions　she　brought　Saigo　along　when　he　was　in　town。　Nicholas　missed　these　meetings；　being　either　at　the　ryu；　talking　with　Kansatsu；　or　at　classes　at　Todai；　Tokyo　University；　but　Cheong　spoke　to　him　about　them　when　he　returned　home　in　the　evenings。
　The　Colonel　had　taken　a　week　off　from　work；　though　he　had　not　taken　a　vacation　in　almost　a　year　and　a　half。　He　said　he　was　ill　and；　for　the　first　time　since　Cheong　had　known　him；　he　went　to　a　physician。　He　seemed　pale　and　drawn　but　she　was　relieved　to　find　that　there　was　nothing　physically　amiss。
　For　his　part；　Nicholas　became　engulfed　in　college　life。　It　was　a　strange　business；　Todai；　but　he　soon　got　the　hang　of　it。　Once　he　had　passed　the　enormously　difficult　entrance　exams；　he　found　that　he　had　bee　a　member　of　the　famed　Gakubatsu；　the　university　clique。　He　found　that　Todai　was　one　of　the　world's　most　exclusive　clubs；　grooming　its　graduates　for　top…line　executive　positions　in　government。　Had　not　five　of　the　post…war　prime　ministers　e　from　Todai？
　This　period　of　intense　self…involvement　took　Nicholas　away　from　his　family　and　it　wasn't　until　weeks　later　that　he　recognized　something　was　amiss。　The　Colonel　had　extended　his　leave　of　absence。　He　would　rise　early　in　the　morning；　as　was　his　habit；　and　wander　around　the　house　touching　objects　as　if　for　the　first　time。　Often　he　got　underfoot　and　the　servants；　quite　good…naturedly；　would　steer　him　into　another　room　or；　increasingly　…　as　he　had　a　tendency　to　wander　aimlessly　back　…　outdoors。　Then　he　would　spend　long　hours　sitting　by　the　side　of　the　Zen　garden　as　if　studying　the　swirling　lines　of　the　gravel。　For　a　man　who　had　been　both　strong　and　extremely　active　all　his　life；　this　behavior　was　most　out　of　character。
　Itami；　when　she　visited；　seemed　totally　attached　to　Cheong。　Increasingly　now；　she　spent　the　week…ends；　often　taking　long　walks　with　Cheong　through　the　cryptomeria　and　pine　wood　to　the　Shinto　temple　where　she　had　taken　Nicholas　that　afternoon　so　long　ago。　Perhaps　they　even　passed　through　the　s