el.angeleyes-第79节

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ly　to　redistribute　their　weight　as　they　ran；　their　center　of　gravity　rotating　away　from　each　leg　as　it　struck　the　ground。
　At　length　the　corridor　ended　and　Tori　found　herself　at　a　bank　of　elevators。　She　could　see　that　they　were　all　shut　down。　To　her　right　was　a　wide　flight　of　sculpted　marble　stairs　curving　upward　in　the　classical　style　that　in　this　venue　seemed　wildly　out　of　place。
　Tori　mounted　the　stairs。　The　way　to　ascend　under　these　circumstances　was　with　her　back　to　the　wall。　The　idea　was　to　put　herself　in　Fukuda's　mind　and　try　to　outthink　her。
　One　quarter　of　the　way　up；　Tori　paused；　she　could　feel　a　kind　of　grit　on　the　stairs。　Otherwise　the　marble　was　immaculately　smooth。　Just　in　this　spot。。。
　Tori　squatted　down。　Another　shuriken！　In　the　feeble　light　she　saw　the　glint　of　the　miniblade　not　two　paces　in　front　of　her；　stuck　between　two　squares　of　the　marble　wall。　She　examined　the　blade。　It；　too；　was　dark　with　some　kind　of　herb　toxin。
　Tori　reached　down　beneath　her　feet；　picked　up　some　of　the　grit　on　her　fingertip；　rubbed　it。　Fukuda　had　cleverly　carved　out　a　slitlike　niche　for　the　blade　in　the　grout　between　the　marble　slabs。
　Keeping　her　fingers　away　from　the　darkened　tip；　Tori　carefully　pulled　the　blade　from　the　wall；　took　it　with　her。
　Now　she　went　directly　up　the　center　of　the　stairs；　peering　intently　ahead　as　she　wound　her　way　up　to　the　second…floor　gallery。
　She　was　almost　at　the　top　of　the　stairs　when　a　ball　of　darkness　came　hurtling　down　at　her。　It　struck　her　folly　on　her　chest；　and　she　crashed　backward　down　the　staircase　until　she　landed　painfully　against　the　curved　marble　wall。
　Hot　breath　in　her　face；　claws　digging　into　the　flesh　of　her　shoulders；　she　had　no　space　in　which　to　work　and；　worse；　her　position　left　her　no　chance　to　use　either　momentum　or　her　greater　weight　against　the　creature。
　She　saw　the　red　eyes　of　the　Akita；　knew　immediately　it　had　been　trained　as　a　guard　dog。　It　was　utterly　silent；　all　its　efforts　directed　at　subduing　her。　It　was　very　powerful；　and　she　was　still　slightly　dazed　from　its　initial　attack。　She　knew　she　had　to　disable　it　quickly　or　its　teeth　would　eventually　find　her　throat。
　She　jammed　her　elbow　far　back　into　its　mouth；　reached　down　for　the　poisoned　blade　she　had　taken　from　the　wall；　slammed　it　all　the　way　into　the　Akita's　belly。　The　paws　scrabbled　at　her；　but　their　fall　power　was　already　waning。
　Tori　threw　the　creature　off　her；　scrambled　over　it；　gaining　the　second…floor　gallery。
　Silence。
　Then　a　slight　singing；　as　of　a　draft　through　a　grate　or　a　cord　being　vibrated。　Tori　looked　around；　there　was　something　odd　about　the　bank　of　elevators。
　As　soon　as　she　moved　cautiously　toward　them；　she　saw　that　one　of　the　doors　was　open；　revealing　a　gaping　shaft；　the　source　of　the　singing。　Tori　could　see　the　main　cable　moving　against　the　auxiliary　one。　Gripping　either　side　of　the　doorway；　she　looked　down；　and　could　just　make　out　Fukuda；　already　below　the　first…floor　level；　descending　the　cable。
　Tori　leaned　out　and；　gripping　the　cable；　wrapped　her　legs　around　it。　Down　she　went。　It　was　not　easy。　The　cable　was　thick；　coated　with　grease。　She　put　a　great　deal　of　tension　in　her　thighs；　knees；　and　ankles。
　It　took　her　several　moments　to　get　the　hang　of　it；　but　then　she　was　making　good　progress。　She　had　just　passed　the　main　floor　when　she　felt　the　cable　grow　taut。　Beside　her　the　auxiliary　cable　began　to　move　and；　soon；　she　saw　the　counterweight　soaring　upward　past　her　and　knew　what　was　happening。　Fukuda　was　sending　the　elevator　car　down。
　Tori；　trapped　between　the　main　floor　and　the　basement；　looked　up；　saw　the　car　plummeting　down　on　her。　Its　shadow　was　already　covering　her；　and　she　could　feel　the　kineticism　in　the　cable　she　was　gripping　so　tightly。
　She　realized　there　was　only　one　thing　to　do；　released　her　grip　with　ankles；　knees；　and　thighs　and；　using　only　her　hands　to　guide　her；　shot　down　the　cable。
　Without　the　grease　coating；　she　knew　the　friction　would　have　flayed　the　flesh　off　her　palms。　As　it　was；　she　felt　the　abrasion　building；　but　the　elevator　was　still　gaining　and；　in　the　instant　she　raised　her　head　to　glance　at　its　progress；　she　missed　the　basement　level；　shot　on　past；　heading　for　the　subbasement
　Here　there　were　no　doors；　and　the　shaft　ended　abruptly。　With　mounting　honor；　Tori　looked　down　at　the　concrete　bed　of　the　elevator　shaft：　a　dead　end。
　Shadows　descending；　a　hot　wind　on　her　neck。　She　felt　the　encroachment　of　the　oning　car；　thought。　What　have　I　to　lose？　and　let　go　pletely。
　She　dropped　the　last　fifteen　feet；　willed　herself　to　relax。　She　landed　in　a　ball　on　the　oil…stained　concrete；　rolled；　came　out　of　her　tuck；　took　a　great　leap　sideways。　Behind　her；　with　a　whir　and　a　whine；　the　elevator　settled　into　its　bed。
　Tori　heard　swift　footfalls　echoing　in　the　chamber　of　the　sub…basement。　She　turned；　headed　in　their　direction。　Bare　bulbs　burned　in　sockets　along　the　walls。　By　their　light　she　could　see　that　the　subbasement　of　this　new　building　was　far　from　finished。　Rough　concrete　walls　were　interspersed　with　spackled　wall…board　on　which　hurried　instructions　for　electrician　or　plumber　had　been　scribbled。
　She　put　on　her　shoes；　the　floor　was　poured　concrete；　filthy　with　oil　and　debris。　But；　often；　gaping　holes　opened　into　noisome　trenches　strung　with　enormous　bundles　of　cables；　the　lifelines　of　the　Kinji…to。
　Tori　leaped　over　these　holes；　moving　farther　into　the　building's　interior。　Abruptly　she　came　to　the　far　side　of　the　Kinji…to；　the　end　of　the　subbasement。　There　was　no　wall；　but　rather　a　vast　space　opening　onto　the　Japanese　solution　to　the　utter　lack　of　parking　space　in　Tokyo。　An　automated　parking　tower　had　been　incorporated　in　the　design　of　the　Kinji…to。　It　was　made　up　of　a　kind　of　vertical　Ferris　wheel　of　steel　slots　onto　which　cars　were　driven；　then　parked；　which　were　then　rotated　like　a　dry　cleaner's　rack　to　get　to　the　car　needed。
　Tori　turned　briefly　back　the　way　she　had　e；　but　she　could　neither　see　nor　hear　any　sign　of　Fukuda。　She　stepped　onto　the　steel　slot　of　the　parking　tower；　and　it　immediately　began　to　move　upward。
　Behind　her；　through　immense　green　glass　windows；　Tokyo　glittered　like　a　toy　city　within　a　glass　ball。
　Tori　looked　above　and　below　her；　but　she　could　not　find　Fukuda。　It　seemed　unsafe　to　stay　in　one　spot；　so　she　began　to　climb　from　slot　to　slot。　This　was　not　difficult；　as　the　slots　were　immense　gridworks　of　iron　and　steel；　affording　ample　hand　and　footholds。
　To　be　the　master　of　your　enemy's　fate。　Sun　Tzu　wrote；　one　must　be　as　unknowable　as　one　is　silent。
　Fukuda　is　doing　a　good　job　of　it；　Tori　thought。　So　far。　She　is　leading　me　in　circles：　up；　down；　up。　Why　is　she　doing　that？　Tori　looked　down；　past　the　gridwork　of　the　parking　tower；　past　the　skeleton　of　the　Kinji…to's　subbasement；　into　the　deep　strata　below　Tokyo　itself；　and　she　knew：　up；　down；　up；　down。
　Thoomp！　Her　head　jerked　up　at　the　sound。　She　had　just　enough　time　to　glimpse　Fukuda　in　the　center　of　the　parking　tower　where　the　machinery　was　housed；　before　her　grinning　face　was　blotted　out。　A　black　sphere；　expanding　as　it　approached。　Tori　saw　immediately　that　the　sphere…some　kind　of　gas…propelled　and　inflated　projectile　that　Fukuda　had　invented…would　fill　the　entire　area　of　the　slot　on　which　she　stood　by　the　time　it　hit。
　There　was　no　time　to　climb　upward。　Tori　leaped　downward　onto　the　next　slot。　But　by　then；　with　the　movement　of　the　parking　tower；　she　was　again　level　with　Fukuda。
　Thoomp！　The　sphere　exploding；　expanding　toward　her。
　Leap　down　onto　the　next　slot。
　Thoomp！　The　sphere　exploding；　expanding　toward　her。
　Leap　down　onto　the　next　slot。　She　had　a　vision　of　Sisyphus　rolling　his　burden　up　the　hill；　only　to　see　it　roll　down　again。
　Thoomp！　The　sphere　exploding；　expanding　toward　her。
　And　Tori；　coiled　into　a　ball；　leapt　backward；　kicking　out　at　the　last　instant；　the　soles　of　her　shoes　crashing　through　a　window　panel。　She　extended　herself；　reaching　out　and　backward　simultaneously。　Gripped　a　horizontal　steel　rim。　Glass　cut　her　hands；　and　she　gritted　her　teeth。　Blood　ran　down　her　wrists。
　She　was　alone　in　the　night；　hanging　from　the　sloping　side　of　the　pyramid　of　Kinji…to。　Wind　brushed　her　cheek。　She　could　hear　the　sounds　of　the　city；　a　vast　engine　humming　on　like　a　star　spinning　endlessly　in　its　orbit。　It　seemed　so　far　away。
　But　at　least　she　was　off　Sisyphus'　hill；　the　dreadful　treadmill　that　Fukuda　had　devised　for　her。
　Tori　refused　to　look　down；　she　did　not　want　to　know　how　high　up　she　was；　how　far　away　the　pavement　was　from　where　she　hung。　The　weight　on　her　shoulder　sockets　was　increasing　with　every　moment　she　stayed　in　one　position。
　Carefully；　she　felt　for　purchase　with　her　feet；　she　encountered　nothing　but　smooth　glass。　Her　only　chance　was　to　curl　upward　so　that　her　thighs　were　pressed　tight　against　her　chest；　until　her　feet　were　over　the　sill　of　the　steel　window　rim。　In　her　contorted　position　she　could　barely　breathe；　she　was　sweating　profusely；　and　her　heartbeat　was　dangerously　high。
　She　hung　on　a　moment　more；　going　into　prana；　her　deep；　controlled　breathing。　Then；　having　marshalled　herself；　she　gave　one　final　heave；　felt　herself　launched　upward　and　forward　toward　the　building。　Her　backside　cleared　the　steel　rim；　and　she　let　go