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〃Who are you？〃 he said hoarsely。 〃I must know。〃
Her eyes searched his。 〃Who do you think I am？〃 There was no coyness； rather he sensed a deeply buried desperation he could put no name to。
〃I don't know。〃
Somehow the distance between them was closing。 There seemed to be no conscious volition on either of their parts。
〃Tell me；〃 she whispered。 'Tell me。〃
He could feel her breath on him； smell the scent of her； feel the heat of her flesh from beneath the silk kimono。 Her eyes were half shut； her lips partly open as if some emotion inside her was on a runaway tear。
〃Yukio。。。〃 Her name was torn from his heart like a tattered battle pennant。 It was irrational that he should utter her name； irrational that he should think this was who stood before him。 Yet he said it again； 〃Yukio； Yukio。。。；〃 seeing her eyes flutter closed as if in thrall； felt the melting of her upper body in against his； her head ing back； the long arch of her neck merging with the image； the memory he had carried with him for so many years。
There was a burning inside him as he reached for her； to embrace her or to stop her from falling he did not know。 All his organs had turned to water and were boiling up。 There was a fever in his brain。 There was no control。
His lips came down over hers and he tasted her essence as he felt the dart of her tongue inside him。
For the first time in her life Akiko was open to the universe。 Nothing in all her long； arduous training had caused this ignition inside of her。
She was so dizzy that she was doubly grateful for his strong arms about her。 All breath had left her as he had uttered her name。 And it was her name！ How was that possible？ But； oh； he tasted wonderful and； oh； how she ached for him！ Her thighs were like water； unable to support her。 She felt a kind of ecstasy at his touch she thought only possible in orgasm。
What was happening to her？ Swept away； still a dark part of her mind yammered to be heard。 What strange force had invaded her mind？ What had turned her plans of vengeance inside out？ What made her feel this way about a hated enemy？ And why had she lied to him？ She was not Yukio； she was Akiko。
And then with the power of his wa surrounding her； with her heart beating in her inner ear like thunder； with the press of his hard chest against her breasts； the answer exploded in her mind with the force of fireworks。
As Akiko she was nothing。 She had e from nothing and nothing was her future。 As Yukio she was someone。 Here there was more for her than kyomu； that which Kyoki preached： nihility。
From the moment she had left Sun Hsiung's loving tutelage she had felt herself to be doshi gatai； beyond salvation。 Without any other anchor in her life what else could she expect？
Now； abruptly； with Nicholas Linnear's appearance； Yukio had bee a reality。 She was no more idea； no more means to an end； no more two…dimensional schemata。 She lived。
The force of Nicholas Linnear's love for her had brought her back from the dead。
Justine saw him on her second day at the hotel。 The first time was near the pool bar in the shade of the overhang and she thought that she must be mistaken。 But the second time was at the crescent beach while she was wading out into the jade ocean； snorkel and mask in one hand； black fins on her feet。 This time there was no doubt。 It was Rick Millar。
At first she couldn't believe it。 After all； she was six thousand miles from New York on a rambling world…class resort in the midst of a 23；000…acre pineapple plantation。 She was in West Maui； in one of the most remote areas on the island； far from the strip of high…rise hotels at Kaanipali where most tourists to this paradisical spot stayed。
She watched； transfixed； the tide lapping around her waist as he headed into the surf toward her。 His body was lean and trim； with narrow hips and wide shoulders。 He did not have the wrist and chest development nor the overall muscle definition that Nicholas had。 But then Rick was a tennis player； not a human killing machine。
Tears erupted through her quivering lids； stinging her eyes； and she turned away； out to sea and the hazy outline of Molokai。
〃Justine…〃
〃You've got some helluva nerve ing here。〃
〃I'd only heard about the famous Tobin temper before。 Everything they said was an understatement to the real thing。〃 His voice was deliberately light； bantering。
〃Did you give Mary Kate back her job？〃 She felt the pumping of her heart like a weight of granite hanging inside her。
〃It wasn't her job to give back； Justine。〃 He was closer to her than she wanted him to be。 〃I told you I had found the better person to fill it。〃
She whirled on him； her eyes blazing。 〃You used me； you bastard！〃
He remained calm。 〃You know； the trouble with you is that you're a scared child in a woman's body。 e off it； Justine。 I didn't use you any more than I'd use anyone else。 It's the wrong term。 Mary Kate wasn't working out。 In the adult business world you don't fire an executive…at any level…until you've hired his or her replacement。 I'd be remiss in my duty to the pany if I'd gone about it in any other way。〃
〃But we're friends。〃
〃That's incidental。 But if it means anything to you； I'm sorry that had to enter into it。〃 He smiled； testing the waters。 〃There was nothing sinister in it； I assure you。 I'd seen some of your free…lance work； I spoke to several of my executives who'd used you over the past year。 They all thought you were great。〃 He smiled again。 〃All of them warned me about your temper； by the way。〃
〃I see that didn't deter you。〃 She wished now that she hadn't been crying when he came up。
〃I liked your work too much。 You've got a singular mind when it es to advertising concepts。 That's an invaluable quality。〃 He looked away for a moment and his expression gave him the appearance of a little boy。 〃Anyway； I thought I could tame you〃。 I saw it as a challenge。〃 His eyes swung back。 〃I'd give anything if we could start over from the beginning。〃
〃Is that why you followed me？〃
He shook his head； standing his ground as a large wave made it through the coral reef out at the headland to the crescent bay； began to surge toward them。 〃Not really。 I found that the office seemed very empty without you。〃
When the wave hit； it rose the water up to chin level； knocking them sideways； forcing them together。
Nangi put his ruined legs up on the chaise as he settled back and stared out at the South China Sea as it ran up onto the pale yellow beach at Shek…O。 He was on the south side of Hong Kong Island； nearer to Aberdeen than he was to Central District； the 〃downtown〃 and financial hub of the Crown Colony。
Shek…O was one of the four or five areas within Hong Kong reserved for the truly wealthy in this teeming city of enormous wealth and abject poverty。
But things had changed in the year and a half since he had been here。
For one； the beautiful old hotel at Repulse Bay had been torn down in order to erect another group of high…rise houses。 It was not solely that Nangi had spent many a glorious sun…spangled afternoon at tea； doing business on the expansive Colonial porch of that hotel； that he mourned its passing。 It was just as much the thought of