el.angeleyes-第59节
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e was true。 Bernard Godwin had attached invisible strings to him…just as he had to Tori…and he had been pulling those strings all along。 Of course Tori and I fought like brother and sister； Russell thought。 Bernard made certain that both of us saw him the same way： as a father figure。 We were both 〃bred〃 to please him。
And now； watching her explain to him the inner workings of Japan； he knew he wanted to draw closer to her still。 He saw how she still idolized Bernard； how she would do anything he asked。 Russell； feeling his heart filling up with emotion； wondered when he would cut the strings Bernard had so painstakingly attached to her。 He knew he must begin by telling her the truth about Bernard； that he was ready to sacrifice her if it came to it。 But not now； Tori was not yet ready to hear anything negative about Bernard Godwin； her spiritual father。 Besides； Russell thought； on a purely selfish level； there were more important matters to resolve。
In the electric moment when he and Tori had been closeted together； everything had changed。 A door had been unlocked； and once opened； it could never again be closed。 The world was different now； at least the world as Russell Slade knew it。 And； in the ing days； he would have to determine just what he was going to do about it。
Tokyo。 They had traveled almost nine thousand miles on the transatlantic route； touching down for refueling in Cartagena； Santo Domingo； and Frankfurt。 They were only through Japanese Customs and Immigration； and Russell was already feeling like an alien。 The Japanese had developed the uncanny ability of being extremely polite while firmly keeping you at arm's distance。 And by so doing； they neatly managed to lock you out of anything of importance。 Everything here was form； there was no substance。 It was as if the entire country were in the process of enacting a gigantic Kabuki play。
Smiles without meaning； cardboard bows； saying yes when they meant no； an obsession with minute detail while talking around the edges of major issues。 Could there be a more unfathomable people； a more opaque culture on the face of the earth？ Russell asked himself on the long； traffic…choked drive in from Narita Airport。 Well； the Chinese； yes； of course； but in a fit of self…mutilation； the Chinese had dealt themselves out of international play for years to e； so they didn't count。
〃We going directly to Hitasura's？〃 Russell asked。
〃No。 I think it would be advisable to learn a bit more about hafnium first。 If Hitasura is Estilo's buyer； I want to go into the first meeting with him with as much armament as I can。〃
For once Russell found himself in agreement with Tori。 And； much to his surprise； it wasn't an altogether disagreeable feeling。
〃This guy Deke is a little weird；〃 Tori said。
Russell glanced at her。 〃How weird？〃
〃You tell me；〃 Tori said as she led him down the steps into a grimy tattoo parlor somewhere in the inprehensible tangle of Shinjuku。 The sun was out； but you'd never know it this deep in the heart of Tokyo。 There was only reflected light here； a colorless illumination bounced off ten thousand panes of glass。
Russell peered at phoenixes； dragons； lissome seminude ladies； spiders； serpents； warriors out of history and demons out of myth。 All were on display in astounding detail on the walls of the shop； which was lit with sodium lamps； giving it the appearance of a highway or an industrial park。
A Japanese who improbably seemed to be in his late teens looked up when they walked in。 He made no sign of recognition； returned to his work on the back of a very heavy individual。 He had a punk's spiky haircut and a laborer's ink…stained hands。 He wore sandals； long…legged Day…Glo surfer shorts； and a T…shirt cut off just above the navel that had PEPPERDINE U。 VOLLEYBALL TEAM emblazoned across the back。
〃Greetings from Tokyo General； dudette；〃 he said without looking up。
〃Howzit； Deke？〃
〃Bitchin'。〃 Deke dipped a small circle of needle…sharp wooden picks into colored ink； applied it beneath the skin。 He was an artist with his canvas。 〃As ever。〃
Tori stood behind him。 ''Got a problem for you。''
〃Solution's my middle name； dudette。〃
Tori displayed the dark metal pellet in its plastic envelope。 〃A to Z。〃 When he nodded； she slipped it into the pocket of his shorts。
〃One hour；〃 he said。 〃I just opened。〃 Deke opened for business after noon； worked late into the early hours of the morning。 He dipped the picks into the ink； applied it。 〃Go get a milkshake or something； you dudes are making my client nervous。〃
When they returned； just over an hour later； there was no one in the tattoo parlor。
〃Where'd this weirdo split to with my evidence？〃 Russell said suspiciously。
〃Deke's space goes all the way to the next street；〃 Tori told him。 〃In the back of the shop is his lab。〃
〃Isn't this kid a bit young to be running sophisticated diagnostic tests？ I mean； he might set his diapers on fire。〃
Tori smiled。 〃Deke is young；〃 she said。 〃But he's also brilliant。 Don't let his age prejudice you。 In Japan it's often best to keep an open mind。〃
At that moment Deke appeared。 He had on thick rubber gloves； a heavy apron； and was grasping the pellet at the end of a pair of metal tongs。 Around his neck was a filtering mask。 He peered at Tori。 〃You still playing v…ball； dudette？ We got a bitchin' game going this P。M。〃
〃I'm a little short on play time this trip；〃 Tori said。 〃Catch you next。〃 She nodded at what he was holding。 〃First； you scope the traces of white shit on the pellet？ 〃
〃Colombian； mon。 Happenin' premium stuff。〃 Deke smacked his lips。 〃Mmm mmm good。〃
〃Is that all？〃
〃What else were you expecting？〃
Tori glanced at Russell； then said to Deke； 〃Let's hear the rest。〃
〃Cool；〃 Deke said。 〃This here's a pellet of hafnium；〃 he said； nodding at the pellet。 〃Good quality shit。〃 He looked at Tori。 〃You have any more of this stuff to sell？〃
〃Not in the business；〃 Russell said tersely。
〃Can you give us some background on hafnium？〃 Tori said； before Russell's American aggressiveness could get them into trouble。
〃No sweat；〃 Deke said。 He plopped the pellet into Ton's hand。 〃Hafnium is a by…product of zirconium mining。 It's used to make control rods for nuclear reactors。 These rods are like dynamic controllers； meaning they move in and out of the reactor core so that they can like absorb more or less of the neutrons given off by the atomic reaction。 You like control the power output that way。
〃Usually； boron is like used for the control rods； but boron wears out； and new rods have to be fitted。 Hafnium's advantage over like boron and the other similar control rod substances is that it has an enormous capacity for absorbing neutrons。 See； like the neutrons bombarding it change it into another substance which also has the capacity to absorb neutrons。
〃Because of this property；〃 Deke continued； 〃hafnium is used most often in like the nuclear reactors of submarines。 The longer such a reactor can go without replacement； the longer the sub can stay underwater without refueling。〃
〃What kind of time are we talking？〃 Tori asked。
〃Boron would give you like maybe six months；〃 Deke said。 〃But with rods of hafnium in your reactor； you could stay underwater like over two years。''
〃Okay；〃 Russell said。 〃You said control rods； but these are pellets。 Does this mean what we have here is raw hafnium？〃
〃Solid choice。〃 Deke nodded。 〃But wrong。〃 He looked at Russell。 〃What you gave me to analyze isn't raw； dude。 It's the refined； finished stuff。〃
''Yet it's not a rod。 This must be some special stuff；'' Russell said。
〃Uh…huh。 Now you're in the loop。〃 Deke's eyes gleamed。 〃This here's something better than a rod。 It's a fixed poison。 Meaning it's like part and parcel of the reactor's core itself。 Which means that this kind of core is something new。 I'd sure like to get my hands on it。〃
〃You'll have to get in line；〃 Tori said。
''I hear you； dudette。''
Russell said； 〃What would you use this kind of new reactor for？〃
Deke shrugged。 〃Hard to say。 A sub could stay independent for like five years； maybe more。〃
〃Any other possibilities？〃 Tori asked。
Deke thought for a moment。 〃Well； with like a fixed poison of this kind of hafnium； I suppose it would be theoretically possible to construct a miniature reactor of a much higher potency than what we already have。''
〃How potent？〃 Russell asked。
Deke scrunched up his face in concentration。 〃If you got the right brains together； I imagine you could e up with a backpack…size reactor that could…well； it could like power just about anything。 Care to name your poison； dude？〃
〃Christ on the cross；〃 Russell said sometime later。 〃One murder has taken us from a mission involving cocaine running to a multinational conspiracy to create the ultimate portable power source。 Tori； imagine it！ An atomic reactor you could carry on your back！ Think of the possibilities！''
〃I am。〃 Tori shuddered。 〃And in this context they're all monstrous。〃
〃Another bit of interesting news；〃 Russell said。 〃According to the tests Deke ran； the cocaine being manufactured at Estilo's Colombian factory in the llano negro is normal； not the killer stuff the Japanese are manufacturin
