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〃Oh； my God！〃 She gripped him。 〃But that's wonderful！ How fabulous！ Oh； I've got to give him a kiss for not getting himself killed！〃
Nicholas laughed； delighted that her reaction mirrored his。 〃At seven；〃 he said； 〃you can do whatever you want with him…within reason； that is！〃
They both laughed at that。 Relief and a cessation of tension dissolved them into fits of giggles that did not stop for a long time。 Their sides ached with the laughter； but still they did not stop。 It felt far too good。
Nicholas met Croaker in the tiny exquisite park in Toranomon…cho's san…chome。 They went up the steps to the building on the thirteenth block that overlooked the small temple and Atago Hill。
How long ago it seemed since he had first entered these doors； Nicholas thought。 Like another lifetime。 He and Justine were both so different now。 And Croaker was there beside him。
In the locker room they changed out of their street clothes； Nicholas climbing into his gi； Croaker into the simple loose…fitting white cotton trousers and blouse he found neatly folded in the locker he opened。
It was very quiet in the do jo。 Classes had been over for some hours。 There was no one about； and so they went in search of Kenzo； the sensei who had almost defeated Nicholas the first time he was here。
He was telling this to Croaker； who was saying how nervous and naked he felt without his gun。 〃You know us cops； Nick；〃 he said； 〃we even take a shower with our piece strapped under our armpits。〃
They had e through the dojo proper and were now in the sensei's quarters； a series of small； tatami'ed rooms separated by rice…paper shoji。
〃I've been thinking I'm getting too old for this。 I'm tired of caring more for my piece than I do for the woman beside me。 They pound that into you at the Academy； at least they did in my day。 Your piece's the only thing between you and a hole in your chest。 Can't say the same about your woman。〃 He tried to smile but could not make it work。
〃Does that include Gelda？〃 Nicholas asked。
〃Gelda。 I don't know。 But it seems to me that if she can't make it on her own we won't make it together。 I'm just no good as a crutch。 It won't be long before I e to hate her。〃 At that moment he had a piercing image of Alix in the safe house； Matty the Mouth's apartment。 She was sitting with her hands clasped between her knees； staring into the darkness。 Traffic hissed by outside； uncaring。 Was it a true image？ he wondered。 Was she really waiting there for him to e back？ Or was she gone from his life； a puff of smoke he had once felt beside him and nothing more？ On the covers of Vogue and Bazaar she bore an unattainable demeanor。 But he had felt her head on his chest； had seen the despair opaquing her caged eyes。 He had taken her hand and in its trembling had been privy to her vulnerability。 He was astounded by the depth of his hope that she had not fled Matty's into the endless night。 Away from him。
〃Then you're through being a cop。〃
〃If only I knew what that meant；〃 Croaker said。 〃But I don't。〃
〃You knew it well enough with Tanya；〃 Nicholas observed。
〃Yah；〃 Croaker said； 〃I did at that。〃
There was a shadow beyond the last shoji。 It could have been a human figure。
〃Sensei？〃 Nicholas called。 There was no answer。 He reached out and slid aside the shoji。
〃Oh； Jesus Christ！〃 Croaker said； staring。
Kenzo； the sensei of this dojo； was strung up from the ceiling； a length of nylon cord lashed around his ankles。 His legs were white as bone； his face the color of a ruddy sunset。 His blackened tongue protruded from between his engorged lips。
Nicholas saw the slash through Kenzo's heart； neat as an incision； and knew instantly what weapon had been used to kill him。
〃Goddamn！〃 Croaker cried。 〃I told you I felt naked without my piece！〃 He turned； running back through the path of the open shoji toward the staircase and the locker room where his gun was locked up； thinking； A cop's what I am； it's what I'll always be。 The beat of my heart。
〃No！〃 Nicholas cried； spinning。 〃Lew； stop！〃 Running after his friend。
But Croaker did not hear him。 He was in a foreign land and he felt terribly vulnerable without his gun。 He was in the second room。 Nicholas increased his speed； lunging forward just as Croaker sprinted through into the first room。
Grabbed at his cotton blouse； pulling backward and down。
But there was already a whirring in the air； a dazzling blur； the brief wind of an insect passing close by。
〃Ah； God！〃 It was Croaker's voice； full of surprise and pain。
There was blood and a flurry of bodies rolling。 Nicholas was up in a crouch。 Only an expertly wielded katana could have made that lethal cut in Kenzo； and that was what he had feared。 The strike he was trying to protect Croaker from had been meant for him。
He saw his friend kneeling on the tatami； his right hand gripping his left。 Blood poured out of the wound at the open wrist that had abruptly bee a stump。 Fearful shades of steel had sliced through flesh and bone alike。
That peculiar silvery tone was in the air； a lethal shimmer； an oning rush of wind that would slice him open if he let it。 Used tobi ashi； the flying step； launching himself upward and over the oning strike。
Koten laughed harshly。 〃All your ninja acrobatics will avail you nothing。 I have the dai…katana。〃
And indeed it was as Nicholas had feared the moment he saw the expert incision through Kenzo's heart。 Koten was wielding Nicholas' own sword； Iss…Hogai。 Fleetingly； Nicholas found himself wondering how a yokozuna…a sumo grand champion…such as Koten had had time to learn kenjutsu。
He was wearing montsuki and hakama just as if he were about to step into the dohyo to begin a match。 His gleaming black hair was immaculately coiffed in ichomage。 Even the dai…katana with its thirty…inch blade appeared thin and puny so near his great girth。 He was an enormously powerful man； and Nicholas had to be constantly aware of the discipline in which he was sensei。
Sumo was a bit more limited in range than many other martial arts。 Perhaps just over two hundred binations were possible； stemming from thirty…two key techniques based on pushing with the hands…tsuki； with the entire body…oshi； and clinching… yon。
But Koten was also a sumai sensei。 All contact with such a sumo could be instantaneously dangerous since their size bined with their huge hara gave them leverage normally unheard of for a human being unaided by mechanical means。 Unarmed； Koten was decidedly lethal。
Koten extended the blade and moved forward in quick crablike steps。 He was close to the ground…almost squatting…where he was most fortable and the strongest。
Nicholas burst backward through the last of the shoji； found himself in the dojo proper。 He looked for the katana； but their ceremonial spot was empty。
Koten slashed downward in an oblique strike； the dai…katana piercing wood and rice paper； ripping up the shoji only centimeters from Nicholas' retreating leg。
〃I'll cut into your ankles first；〃 Koten said； 〃and make you scream。〃 He came crashing through the rent shoji like a wild boar。 〃I made sumo scream； too。 In the dohyo。〃 Iss…Hogai swept through the air left to right； then abruptly revers