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！
tween his thighs。
The torso of the woman flowed toward him like smoke borne on the gentle wind of a cloudless summer's day。 Her presence seemed to fill the room； blotting out all light； all air。 It was as if she were sucking all life into herself； creating only the ultimate blackness of a vacuum before her。
Kagami shrank before her； cowering and trembling； filaments of pain streaking through him like tracers。 He was appalled at how much blood was around him； how hard his heart beat in his ears； how small his penis had bee cupped in his protective palms。
Then the fan flickered with a brief whistle。 Kagami's eyes bulged and his mouth opened wide。 He felt the fierce bite of steel across his windpipe； the atlas vertebrae of his neck。
His mind screamed hysterically and at last he understood the ultimate goal of this attack。 His hands came up； his fingertips trying desperately to fend off the attack。 A fan？ his mind gibbered。 A fan？ His head whipped back and forth and he began to climb up the slick tiles of the wall。 Anything to get away； to regain life。
His problems with his wife； with Toshiro now seemed laughable to him。 How trivial they were pared to the primeval struggle for life。 For life！ I will not die！ his mind screamed at him。 Save me！
Wildly he flung out his fists； trying to strike back at his assailant。 But he had no training and the lurid image of what he had seen on the insides of her thighs rose within him and he despaired。
He knew what she was； though all logic； all tradition cried out to him that it could not be so。
Kagami knew what it was that had a grip on him。 He felt in the midst of a nightmare from which he would never awake。 Yet still he fought on because hope was all he had now； and for a time it sustained him。 He clung to life； he held it to him； he exulted in the knowledge of his existence。
Then the forged steel blades struck once more and what little oxygen was seeping through to him； through his strangling windpipe； ceased。 Blood rushed to nowhere； lungs heaved fearfully； then fitfully as carbon dioxide filled them and； through their porous fibers； the whole body。
Kagami's eyelids fluttered； his eyes began to cross。 He saw her fearful visage before him； his ineffectual fingers slid against her sweat…streaked flesh like a child digging into sand。 His mind； the last to go； tried to fight on； not prehending that the body to which it was still attached was already falling into a dreamless； depthless slumber。
With his last ounce of strength； Kagami stared at that face； projecting his bitter hatred as if that were a physical weapon。 And in truth it was a rage of such depth that it convulsed already dying muscles。 His fingers clenched； grabbing。
But it was a futile gesture for his lower belly was rippling； his eyes rolling up into his head； blinding him； leaving only the unseeing whites to stare blankly up at the steaming tiles； the drifting mist； the rivulets of blood circling one another； mazelike； as they slowly slid down the drain in the center of the otherwise empty room。
Nangi stood up； walking on his stiff； ungainly legs away from the conference table。 It was the signal for a break in the proceedings。
While Tomkin rose heavily and left the room； Nicholas strolled to one of the high windows overlooking Shinjuku。 Beads of rain swirled downward upon the sea of umbrellas； taking what was left of the delicate cherry blossoms； strewing them along the gutters or park walkways where they were soon ground to fine dust underfoot。
Nicholas stared blankly at the mist…enshrouded city。 For the past three and a half hours they had been 。locked like deadly batants on the field of battle： Sato； Nangi； Suzuran； their attorney； Masuto Ishii； vice president of operations and Sato's right…hand man； bolstered by three of Sato's division heads； Tomkin； Greydon； the Tomkin Industries' counsel； and himself。 Now it was rush hour with hordes of people racing homeward or to dinner rendezvous along the bright…lit Tokyo side streets。
But up here in Sato's spacious offices there was no movement at all。 Inwardly； Nicholas sighed。 Sometimes even he found dealing with the Japanese a trying experience Their seeming reluctance to e to any decision； though an obvious negotiating tactic； was often taken to an extreme。 Patience was one thing； but Nicholas was often convinced that weeks； even months from now； Sato and Nangi would still be reworking the same points they had all brought up within the first hour and a quarter of this initial agenda。
There had seemed some hope of a break an hour ago when the division heads； Oito； vice president of acquisitions； Kagami； v。p。 of finance； and Sosuro； v。p。 of research and development； had made their profuse excuses and； with a double round of formal bowing； had taken their leave。
Nicholas had seen the subtle hand sign Sato had given them and had taken heart。 His belief then had been that the negotiations were about to reach a level that the Japanese； who were usually more fortable bolstered by a contingent of executives； thought should be limited strictly to the principals。
But what had followed had been disappointing： yet another one of the seemingly endless discussions batting around the same major areas of difference。 One was the monetary split between Sphynx and Nippon Memory。 The other was somewhat more bewildering to Nicholas since it was a topic about which he had not been briefed prior to the negotiating session。
This concerned where the Sphynx…Sato manufacturing plant should be built。 Apparently Tomkin had done almost eighteen months of cost estimates paring construction timetables； weather pattern analyses； production and shipping logistics； all of which pointed to building the plant in Misawa； on land owned by the keiretsu。 The plant's only neighbor in this small town in the extreme northwest of Honshu； Japan's main island； was an American Army base。
But； as Sato had pointed out during the opening negotiations； that piece of land had already been designated for use as an expansion site for the keiretsu's Niwa Mining kobun。
Around and around it had gone； with no side gaining or giving any ground。 It was maddening； Nicholas thought now。 Ordinarily it wouldn't matter much。 In different times he was confident that they could outlast Sato and Nangi； Nicholas' own patience would have ensured that。
However； he was recalling the discussion he had had with Tomkin just before they had left the hotel to get into the limo Sato had sent for them。
He had been struck by the paleness of the other man but Tomkin had only dismissed his query disdainfully。 〃Just a bout with the flu；〃 he had said。 〃If you'd been up all night with diarrhea； you wouldn't look in the pink either； iron man。〃
〃Just keep calm no matter what happens in there；〃 Nicholas had advised。 〃They'll do everything they can to slow down the pace； to equivocate while subtly needling us。
〃They'll want to get a glimpse inside our guard so they can study our strategy。 Also they will need to know just how far they can push us。 To go beyond that would lose them great face。〃 He had shrugged。 〃It's strictly S。O。P。〃
Tomkin's haggard face leaned into his so that he could smell the