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er decision to train in the most demanding of the martial arts： man's work。 All her life she had fought to take her place beside men as an equal。
But now she was ing to see that that obsession had put her in the position of being a pawn to the drives and hatreds of those certain men who she had thought she was closest to： Kyoki； Saigo； and； ultimately； Vice…Minister Shimada。 She understood that more than any other person； her father had shaped the direction of her life。 Just as Saigo's father had done his。 They were the same； then； she and Saigo。 Exactly the same。 Totally evil。
Too late had she made this discovery。 It had taken the death of one she now knew she loved in a way she had loved no other man or woman。
She opened her mouth to speak； she opened her arms to show him her intent； but at that moment the earth beneath them menced to roll as if it had been transmuted into water by jaho beyond even her ken。
Cannonfire crossed them； echoing eerily into the night； the sound bouncing off obstructions that had just a moment before not been there。
For in truth the world was dissolving； had opened up like a pair of gaping jaws。 Wildflowers and bushes； trees and grasslands were eaten up； swamped down into the yawning pit that had no end。
Raw gases stung her nostrils； sulphur and the stench of molten metal。
And then she had lost her balance； was falling； rolling end over end； filled with vertigo so that she had no idea of where the sky was and where the earth。 All she could do was reach upward； stretching and grabbing at fistfuls of crumbling soil。
Nicholas； too； was tumbling and rolling in the grip of the first earthquake shock； whose epicenter； as the Soviet satellite had accurately predicted； was not more than a kilometer away to the east。
He was sent flying； in fact； away from the spot where he and Akiko had been kneeling； away from the glistening pools of blood which had spurted out when he had knifed into the freshly killed fox he had strapped like a cincture around his abdomen； beneath his kimono。 He had suspected； rightly； that only a shock of the first magnitude could deflect the jaho for long enough。
He fetched up hard against rocks made sharp by fissures forming in their midst； dividing them； cracking them open like eggs。
Nicholas tried to regain his feet but the earth shudders were still too violent and he tumbled downward again。 He had been thrown perhaps ten or fifteen meters from where he had been and now he lifted his head； searching for Akiko。 He could not see her； but that was not surprising in all the chaos。
He was in the midst of a world gone mad。 Where trees had been was nothing now but great holes like wounded gums。 Those trees now protruded from the agonized earth like arrows shot into it by a giant archer far above his head； their webby root structures shaking themselves free of huge clods of earth。
In a moment； Nicholas began to crawl back the way he had e。 It took him some time。 He was obliged to make many detours and to stop several times while aftershocks vibrated beneath his hands and knees like the angry shouts of the gods。
He came finally to the fissure； a mighty； jagged rent in the universe。 It was awesome to see open space where just moments before solid ground had been。 It gave one pause； even one such as he who had been born here and thus was not a stranger to quakes。 One never got used to them or ceased to be humbled by their titanic display of force。
In the hollow silence after the grinding of the quake； he thought he could hear a voice。 Slowly； he crawled to the edge of the fissure。 Its sides were as jagged and irregular as was its face。
He saw her down there。 Her tiny oval face leaped up to him through the jumble of debris…rent rocks； split trees； and the like。
〃Nicholas。〃
He saw those eyes； luminous still。 Yukio's eyes。 He moved forward toward her and felt the earth begin to give way beneath his chest。 Dirt crumbled away from him in a torrent and she screamed。
Head cast down into that stygian gloom； he inched carefully backward。 His eyes roved for another way down to her。 Perhaps that tree just above her。 But he could not see its underpinning and if he was wrong； if it would not hold his weight； she would be instantly crushed by its descent。
〃Nicholas！〃
Something in her voice drew his attention back to her。 He peered down。 No。 It was her voice itself。 It seemed to have changed not only pitch but timbre as well。
〃Don't move；〃 he cautioned her。 〃I can't take a chance on ing down myself。 There's too much instability within the fissure。 I'm going to find vines I can weave into a rope that will hold you。〃
〃No！〃
The amount of anguish in her cry froze him。
〃Don't leave me； Nicholas。 Not again！〃
A rumbling had begun； deeper this time as if truly it were emanating from the bowels of the earth。 Had he heard right？ Nicholas asked himself。 Had she said； 〃Not again〃？
〃Then I'm ing down after you！〃 he called。
〃No； no！ Amida； no！〃 He saw her face limned by starlight which was somehow stronger now after the quake。 It was as if the universe were awakening from a deep slumber。 〃You'll be killed！〃 There was movement from down there。 He had already lowered himself halfway into the fissure； his bare toes searching for a substantial hold。
He saw Akiko reach for the bottom of the tree substructure； a massive tangle of roots like the Gordian knot。 But she had no magic sword and could not unravel it。
The rumbling reached a crescendo and Nicholas heard the awful grinding of the world pulling itself apart。 Deep below him； plates shifted； the pressure shooting upward。 The fissure walls trembled and slid farther open。 Even the sky seemed to judder in pain； the starlight winking out； as the earth heaved in exquisite agony。
Nicholas could hear nothing above the rush of noise that filled his ears to overflowing。 He thought their drums might burst with the intensity of the vibration。 He saw the tree shifting downward。 He…opened his mouth to scream； then he was obliged to turn his full attention on raising himself out of the lethal pit before he was cast down。
When he was able to look again； it was as if he gazed upon an entirely different world/There was no tree； no split rocks； none of the rills and valleys that he had recorded in his mind preparatory to his attempted descent。
Like a fragrant； fertile valley re…formed out of sere desert； all that he had first gazed upon was gone。 And Akiko with it。
The first familiar person Nicholas saw when he left Toranomon Hospital in Tokyo was Tanya Vladimova。 He was not particularly surprised to see her。 He had never bothered to call Minck。
She was ing out of an elevator along the same bank in front of which Nicholas stood at the Okura。
〃What happened to you？〃 she said； checking herself in mid…stride。
Nicholas' elevator came and she got in with him。 〃You look like somebody put you through the meat grinder and forgot to turn the thing off。〃
〃Were you here for the quake？〃 It was the best he could do at the moment； and was not as inane a question as it seemed on the surface。
〃Oh； yes。〃 Her head nodded。 〃It was quite frightening； I must say。 The Japanese took it with just a bit m