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The wind snatched at his words； sent them hurtling among the snow laden pines。 Still he did not turn toward her。 There was a minute trembling to his head and she felt the tension in his frame。
〃You may have wondered at the identity of the girl I brought home some weeks ago。〃 His head lowered until his chin almost touched his chest。 〃She is the one that I love。〃 Akiko felt the knife in her ribs； turning slowly； as he had wished。 〃Her name is Yukio and she has betrayed me。 Betrayed me to my cousin； to a gaijin！ Iteki！〃 The last two epithets were spat with such vehemence that Akiko was obliged to close her eyes against the force of the rage。
Saigo's lips curled back in the semblance of a smile that was more a snarl。 〃You may well ask yourself how a gaijin came to be a cousin of mine。 Well； my mother； Itami； had a brother； a fierce and loyal man of great samurai blood。 His name was Tsuko and in the winter of 1943； following the death of his superior； he was given mand of the garrison at Singapore。
〃There he served his Emperor long and well until September of 1945 when； outnumbered； he tried to hold the city against the advancing British forces。 His men were surrounded。 They died defending the honor of Japan as befits true samurai。 Tsuko was the last to perish； shot many times by iteki while he slashed their limbs and heads with his katana。 The British； like all barbarians； have no concept of honor。
〃At the time of his death my uncle was married to a woman who was quite beautiful but of dubious parentage。 That is to say it was suspected that she was at least part Chinese。 She must have bewitched Tsuko； for he apparently ignored these rumors。
〃I know that she could not have been Japanese。 No samurai blood runs in the veins of a woman who will not avenge the murder of her husband。 This Cheong； instead； married the man who manded the enemy's attack on Singapore。 Perhaps he himself fired one of the bullets that fatally wounded my uncle。 She did not care。〃
Saigo's head lifted。 〃The offspring of Cheong and this barbarian Colonel is Nicholas Linnear。〃 With that one last foreign word Akiko felt a prescient thrill shoot up her spine。 Could it be so； she asked herself。 Could the wheel of life have brought her to the one person on earth who could truly help her。 For it had been this same Colonel Linnear； this iteki； as Saigo called him； who had pressed for public disclosure of Akiko's father's so…called indiscretions； thereby murdering him。 She concentrated further； anxious now to absorb it all。
〃It was he who came to the precincts of our ryu； hand and hand with his lover； Yukio；〃 Saigo continued。 〃She and I were lovers before he met her。 Like his halfbreed mother did to Tsuko； Nicholas has somehow seduced Yukio's spirit。 Now I must drug her or she would seek to escape and fly to him。 Now only I have her。〃
〃You make love to her。。。 still？〃
Saigo's head whipped around and his dead eyes glared at her； challenging her。 〃I take her whenever I choose to do so。〃 He turned again to stare out at the crosshatch of branches。 〃She betrayed me； she deserves no less。〃
Akiko remembered his words from before； There must be an ending。 〃Now you wish to kill her。〃
Saigo said nothing for a time。 Then； 〃I wish for revenge。 For myself； for my mother。 Most of all； for Tsuko。〃
And she thought； K'ai ho。 I see a gap； I must enter swiftly。 But softly she said； 〃Two weeks ago you left abruptly。 I did not see you at home or in the dojo for four days。〃
〃In Tokyo；〃 he said； 〃I attended the funeral of my father。〃 He closed his eyes。 〃I wished to take you but I could not。〃
She bowed to him。 〃I am honored。〃
〃He was a great man。〃 Again tension gripped him。 〃But eventually he was destroyed by the invading barbarians。。。 by Colonel Linnear。 The iteki garrotted him。 Now I have begun my revenge。 I have administered a poison to the Colonel。 It is absorbed through the pores of the skin and is untraceable。 It is slow acting； creating a deadly accretion day by day。〃
〃And then？〃
He nodded his head。 〃You are right。 Yukio must die。 But this fact must not reach my cousin； Nicholas。 He must wonder。。。 and wait until the time is right。 Then I will confront him and just before I deliver the death blow I will tell him of his beloved's fate。 Thus will all the unquiet kami who hover about me； demanding retribution and rest； be assuaged。〃
Death； death； and more death。 It surrounded them as if they were adrift in a sea of skulls。 The giri Saigo bore seemed a burden of unconscionable weight to Akiko。 No wonder his spirit was being trampled into dust。 How well she saw now the twining of their karma。
Without thinking she reached out； her fingers sliding up his arm。 His head whipped around； that red challenge back in his eyes； and she said； 〃Let me banish your kami。。。 if just for a moment。〃
Something seemed to melt inside him； a barrier swinging down； and the proud warrior collapsed into her embrace； a child at its mother's forting breast。
The cold was no deterrent to their fire； and for the first time in his life Saigo felt the hot surge of blood into his penis at a woman's touch。 Always； before； there had been a certain violence to his coupling with Yukio…and more often than not he would take her from behind as he did with his young men lovers； so that there was nothing about it that could be termed lovemaking。
But with Akiko it was different。 Perhaps it was because he had allowed Akiko to melt him； to take the lead。 It was he who now acquiesced to her lovemaking； responding as she led； using hard…calloused hands given to inflicting pain and death in long legato caresses across the snowy contours of her steaming body。
The moment he felt the movement of her moist lips beneath his； the moment he became aware of her tongue emerging； probing； he was as hard as a rock and as ecstatically eager as a virgin。
And in regard to lovemaking he was a virgin。 Tenderness and passion held no domain inside him。 Love was unknown。 Mi…chi。
Her breasts swelled to his touch； sensation buzzing from her erect nipples。 He wanted to enter her almost immediately； such was his excitement。 But Akiko persuaded him otherwise with her lips； her deft； knowing hands； and the clamp of her trembling thighs。
Near the end she held the base of his erection as tightly as she dared so that he would not ejaculate before either of them wanted him to。 Meanwhile she teased his nipples with the tip of her tongue； his scrotum with a wave of her fingers； the head of his penis with the tender flesh of her inner thighs。
She rolled him around and around in that pliant grip until the friction became unbearable and he was so engorged that she took pity on them both and placed him at the font of her vagina。
With a long drawn…out groan he pushed into her； his eyelids fluttering； his chest heaving； until his slender hips crashed into hers and he was fully hiked。
She would not let him move； fearful that just one bull thrust would send his twanging emotions over the edge。 Instead； she cupped her hands against his buttocks； fitting her to him as closely as possible。 Then she menced to squeeze and relax her inner muscles。 The resulting contractions caused far less friction th