按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Of course she had felt the spit of his spirit microseconds before that vicious emanation had been transmogrified into physical action。 She could have easily dodged the blow。 But what good would that have done？ Saigo's anger would have been further fueled and he would have e after her with more serious intent。
Besides； she sensed that he was a man so unsure of his own masculinity that he needed to physically dominate those people around him； men and women alike。 If she was ever to find an acmodation with him； she must first allow his natural tendencies to be made manifest to her。 Only then could she choose her own strategy； and then could she tame him。
Saigo was gone several hours。 During that time all light left the sky； the day burned out like the dregs of a Roman candle。 It was dinnertime and Akiko found herself hungry。 Since there was no food here she padded silently into the dojo and； opening her bag； dressed in her all…black gi。 She did forty minutes of centristic meditation leading ultimately to shinki kiitsu； the unity of soul； mind； and body that is so essential to reaching the very apex of all martial arts。 She felt the weight of the universe collecting in her lower abdomen。 Shitahara。
She breathed。 In： jitsu： fullness。 Out： kyo： emptiness。 Strike at the precise moment you feel kyo in your enemy； Sun Hsiung had said。 Strike at the precise moment you feel jitsu in yourself。 Thus will victory be assured。
Yet； he had told her over and over； if you are so foolish and full of ego that you allow yourself to think of victory then you are undone。 Attach your awareness on saika tanden； the breath of the Void。 From that central nothingness all strategies may be observed and formulated。
She did ninety minutes of formal exercise； increasing in difficulty until she was sweating profusely； working on her quickness and her timing； coordinating the two： alternating them and then bining them in sets of three； then six； then nine rapid…fire attacks and defenses。
Then； because she was still a student； still learning； because some essentials still had to be thought about consciously rather than acplished as second nature without any volition at all； she returned to saika tanden。
From her bag she unfurled a length of strong cotton…it was Sun Hsiung's only gift to her…which she folded twice and wrapped with deft economical movements about her abdomen so that the upper edge just touched the bottom ribs on either side。 It was very tight； it was a cincture； a constraint。 She worked on inhaling as deeply as she could down into her bowels。 She sat cross…legged； her body soft and pliable； her shoulders curved and relaxed； her torso bent well forward so that the tip of her nose hung approximately over her navel。 Saika tanden。 Every breath she takes。
And breathing was what consumed her still when her keen hearing detected soft padding outside the metal door。 In a moment the grate of the padlock could be heard。
Jitsu； kyo。 Fullness； emptiness。 In and out。
She heard Saigo in the dojo and her head came up。 She focused fully on him。
〃Get up；〃 he whispered。 〃e here。〃 He stood just inside the closed door。
She did just as she was told； rising and unwrapping the cloth she treasured though it was quite plain and could be bought at any neighborhood store。 Folding it reverently； she place it inside her loose black cotton blouse and moved to stand beside Saigo。
〃Listen；〃 he said。 His voice was as indistinct as the buzz of a mosquito in the distance。 They both stood quite still。 She would have known not to utter a sound even had he not cautioned her against doing so hours before。
There was nothing but the slight tickle of sawdust； a remnant of the original use to which this old building had been put。 No sounds from the streets three stories below made it through the thick walls and massive floorboards。 It was as silent as a tomb。
Someone coughed。 And again。 Akiko heard soft footfalls from behind the door。 She glanced at Saigo； whose entire being was focused at the closed door and what lay beyond。
Who was there？ Akiko wondered。 She listened。
〃What is it？ Where are we？〃 A female voice； whispered。
〃e on。〃 Male voice。 Then more insistently though no more loudly； 〃e on！〃 Presence faded but Akiko had at least a semblance of the two spirits。 Male and female。 Yin and Yang。
Hate burned itself across Saigo's face； turning him into a gargoyle。 So much hate twisting him； she thought。 Eating him up inside。 Hate was an emotion that she could understand。
Perhaps it was at this moment that she saw them as soulmates： Akiko and Saigo。 They were meant for each other； weren't they？
After a while the chalkiness flushed from his face and he was about to speak again。 But strangely； he said nothing further of the incident。
〃You waited；〃 he said。
〃Isn't that what you wanted me to do？〃 She watched his eyes； which were like dead stones at the bottom of a silkskinned lake。
If it were true that the eyes were windows to the soul then Saigo had surely been born without one。 She saw no anima there； only the gyring of emotions； dead weight like a corpse at the gibbet。
He nodded and she saw that he was pleased。 He felt； wrongly； that his physical strike had caused her to acquiesce。 Someone else of his personality type would have relaxed then； but he did not。 Akiko noted that。
〃It's late；〃 he said。 〃Time to leave。 Get dressed。〃
He did not turn away as she got out of her gi。 She felt his stony gaze on her at every moment； as she peeled down。 She had never felt the intense sense of embarrassment about her naked body that most Japanese apparently did。 Yet she was acutely conscious of Saigo's presence； his scrutiny。
It was not prurience she felt from him； exactly； at least not in the sense of simple lust。 That she would have had no trouble understanding。 On the other hand； there was no sense of a cold； calculating inventory of all her parts being made。 That too would have made some sense to her。 He was of another type entirely； one with which she had had no prior experience。
When she was fully undressed and toweling herself off； she confronted him； turning to him face to face。 〃What is it here that fascinates you so？〃 As she said this she twisted the towel back over her shoulder so there was nothing for him to miss。
〃If it's sex you're talking about；〃 he said； 〃I've had my share of it。〃 He seemed to be staring at a point below her navel。 Perhaps at the spot where her curling glossy pubic hair began。
〃I don't give it that freely；〃 she said simply。 〃What makes you think I'd give it to you。〃
〃You're naked； aren't you？ You barely know me。〃
〃If I was like this and I did know you well；〃 she observed； 〃there'd be far more of a chance。〃
〃You mean this isn't an invitation？〃
〃If you want me； that's your problem；〃 she said beginning to pull on her clothes。 〃It was you who did not allow me the privacy to undress。〃
He watched her for a moment； then abruptly swung away。 Striding to the metal door he unlocked it and busied himself with unfastening the square symbol of the ryu from the door。 He put it aside and began to work on the crimson lacquer so that no marks of its presence remained。
Akiko was curious