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ty…four hours he would do just that as he boarded the plane bound for Tokyo。 Too； his Eastern side…and his training… made him a private man； inward directed； the enigma of the blank wall。 Nicholas suspected that his father； the Colonel； had been much the same way though he had been fully Occidental。 Both father and son had secrets even from the women they loved the most in life。
He took a deep breath now； felt the change in pressure； the ozoned air； so thin and dry it clung to the back of the nose。
The 747…SP was banking to the left in a slow； lazy arc； chasing the streaking cloud layer until pale green fields； striped with perfectly regimented furrows； began to appear。 Then； in the distance； the snow…capped crown of Fuji…yama； majestic and immutable。 He was home again。
Then they were into the heavy smog layer； lying like a pall over a festive party； drifting in an ever…widening circle from the intensely industrialized areas of the swarming metropolis。
〃Christ；〃 the stocky…muscled man beside him said； craning his neck for a better look； 〃I should've brought my goddamned gas mask。〃 A pudgy finger stabbed out at what lay beyond the Perspex window。 〃They've got an inversion layer worse than the San Fernando Valley。〃
His lined； aggressive face was absorbed in the disappearance of the rising landscape outside。 He had the eyes； Nicholas thought； of a seasoned Roman general； canny and weary at the same time。 Both were a result of hard…fought experience； battles on two arenas； the huns in front and the political infighting behind。
The man's hair was short cropped； a gunmetal gray； he was dressed in a handmade lightweight business suit of a conservative cut。 He was a man who over the years had bee accustomed to a measured degree of luxury； but the twist of his nose； the thickness of the lips indicated that such had not always been the case。 He had not been born to money； Raphael Tomkin； millionaire industrialist for whom Nicholas now worked。 He was the man whom Saigo had been paid to kill； and though Nicholas had protected him； defeating Saigo； this was the same man who； Nicholas was certain； had ordered the death of Detective Lieutenant Lew Croaker； Nicholas' best friend。
Nicholas watched the profile of Tomkin's powerful face without seeming to。 American power； Nicholas had e to learn； was often merely skin deep； and for him to incise beneath that layer to the soft interior was not difficult。'But Tomkin was atypical of his fellow board chairmen。 His wa was very strong indeed； proof of his inner determination and rock solidness。
This interested Nicholas intensely because his vow to himself and to the kami of his dead friend was to gain access to the interior of this man and； once having possession of that knowledge； sow the seeds of his slow destruction。
He recalled his thoughts on learning that Tomkin had ordered Croaker's seemingly accidental death in a car crash just outside Key West。 Croaker had been there on his own time； and only Nicholas also knew that he had been running down the one solid lead in the Angela Didion homicide。 She had been a high…fashion model who had once been Raphael Tomkin's mistress。
A modern rendering of a well…known tactic of Ieyasu Toku…gawa； greatest of all of Japan's Shogun； whose family ruled for more than a thousand years； keeping tradition alive； safe from dilution from the West： To e to know your enemy； first you must bee his friend。 And once you bee his friend； all his defenses e down。 Then can you choose the most fitting method of his demise。
Nicholas' vow of revenge had led him； despite Justine's fervent arguments； to accept Tomkin's offer of employment a year ago。 And from the first day on the job； all their energies had been directed toward this moment。 Tomkin had been brewing this proposed merger of one of his divisions with that of one of Sato Petrochemicals' kobun。 Any deal with the Japanese was a difficult enough task； but this kind of plex merger of two highly sophisticated entities was utterly exhausting。 Tomkin had admitted that he needed help desperately。 And who better than Nicholas Linnear； half…Oriental； born and raised in Japan； to render that assistance。
The wheels bumped briefly against the tarmac and they were down； feeling the drag as the captain put the four powerful jet engines into reverse thrust。
Now as they unstrapped and began to reach for their coats in the overhead partment； Nicholas watched Tomkin。 Something had happened to him since he had first made his vow。 In ing to learn about Raphael Tomkin； in gaining his trust and； thus； his friendship…a gift the industrialist did not give often…Nicholas had e to see him for what he really was。
And it was clear that he was not the ogre that his daughters； Justine and Gelda； were convinced he was。 In the beginning he had sought to municate this new aspect of Tomkin to Justine； but these discussions inevitably ended in bitter fights and at length he gave up trying to convince her of her father's love for her。 Too much bad blood had gone on between them for her ever to change her mind about him。 She thought he was monstrous。
And in one way at least she was correct； Nicholas thought as they walked off the plane。 Though increasingly it had bee more difficult for him to believe that Tomkin was capable of murder。 Certainly no man in his position got there by turning the other cheek to his enemies or those whom he had to climb over。 Broken careers； bankruptcies； the dissolutions of marriages； this was the detritus that such a man as Raphael Tomkin must leave behind him in his wake。
He was smart and most assuredly ruthless。 He had done things that Nicholas could never even have contemplated。 And yet these seemed a long way from ordering a death in cold blood； a life snuffed out with Olympian disdain。 His genuine love for his daughters should have precluded such a psychotic decision。
Yet all the evidence Croaker had unearthed had led directly back to Raphael Tomkin summoning his bodyguard and authorizing him to end Angela Didion's life。 Why？ What spark had ignited him to do such a desperate thing？
Nicholas still did not know； but he meant to find out before he meted out his revenge on this powerful and plex man。 Perhaps this quest for knowledge would delay the time of his vengeance； but that had no real meaning for him。 He had taken in with his mother's milk the concept of infinite patience。 Time was as the wind to him； passing unseen in a continuous stream； secrets held within its web； enactment inevitable but ing only at the propitious moment； as Musashi wrote； Crossing at a Ford。
Thus he had set for himself the task of first ing to understand his enemy； Raphael Tomkin； to peer into every nook and cranny of his life； stripping away flesh and bone until at length the soul of the man lay revealed to him。 Because only in understanding the why of the murder could Nicholas find salvation for himself for what he himself must eventually do。
If he should fail to understand Tomkin； if he should rashly hurl himself down the narrow bloodred path of vengeance； he would be no better than his enemy。 He could not do such a thing。 His cousin； Saigo； had known just that about Nicholas and； using it；