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〃It was premeditated；〃 Ishii broke in。 〃Is that what you're saying？〃
〃I am；〃 Nicholas said。 〃For one thing； the murderer left no discernable footprints outside the door； even though that area's constantly saturated with moisture。〃
Sato groaned heavily and glanced at Nangi。 When the other did not return his gaze； Sato stood up and walked to the bar。 Though it was only a little past ten he fixed himself a drink； and it was a measure of his agitation that he forgot his manners pletely and failed to offer anyone else a refreshment。
He took a long swallow and； staring at nothing in the mirror behind the bar； cleared his throat。 〃Linnear…san； you said there were a number of abnormalities。〃
〃Why don't you wait for the police？〃
A Westerner would have； of course； given an answer。 Sato merely stared at Nicholas。 And what his eyes said was； That is why you were allowed inside Sato Petrochemicals business； because we want no police intervention。
Nicholas had asked the question because he had to be certain of these people。 Why they did not relish the thought of police involvement did not concern him； why they had involved him did。
〃I fear Kagami…san was not killed quickly。〃
〃Pardon me； but what do you mean？〃 Ishii asked。
〃He was struck many times；〃 Nicholas said； 〃by a sharp…bladed weapon。〃
〃Do you know what kind？〃 Sato asked。
〃I'm not certain；〃 Nicholas said。 〃It could be any number of shuriken。〃
Sato had gone through half his long whiskey。 Otherwise there was no outward sign of his agitation。 〃Linnear…san；〃 he said； 〃when you first mentioned this Wu…Shing； you said it was a series of punishments。 May we deduce that because it uses the character Wu； there are five of them？〃
Nicholas looked unfortable。 〃Yes； that's correct。 Mo is the first and therefore the least of the punishments。〃
〃What can be more severe than death？〃 Nangi said somewhat angrily。
〃I was referring to Mo itself。〃 Nicholas looked at him。 〃Strictly speaking； it should only have been that： tattooing of the face。〃
Nangi's cane click…clacking across the short expanse of bare wooden floor that separated Sato's true office space from the informal conference area where the rest of them stood or sat announced his approach。 〃Then this murdering of the victim as well is unusual。〃 He had pounced on it immediately。
〃Highly unusual；〃 Nicholas said。 He sat quite still； his hard hands clasped between his knees。 He forced an absolute calm onto his face； into every aspect of his physical being。 The last thing he wanted was either of them to bee aware of his inner feelings。 His mind was still reeling from the thought that someone from his own ryu； someone steeped in the arcane ways of aka…i…ninjutsu； could perpetrate such an act。 It was quite unthinkable。 And yet it had happened。 He had seen the grisly evidence and he knew there could be no doubt at all。 Fervently he prayed that no one would ask him the one question that might detonate the whole situation。
〃There's something I don't understand；〃 Tomkin said； and Nicholas prepared himself to answer the unanswerable。 〃This Wo…Ching or however it's pronounced； is Chinese you said。 What's with this cross…referencing between Japanese and Chinese？ I thought the two cultures were separate and distinct。 I thought only igno…ramous Westerners say they can't tell one from the other。〃
The phone rang in the ensuing silence and Ishii launched himself away from the bar to pick it up。 They waited while he spoke softly into the receiver。 He had left instructions that they not be disturbed。
He punched a button； hung up。 〃It's a call for you； Nangi…san；〃 he said。 What dark emotion swam within his eyes？ Nicholas wondered。 〃Apparently it cannot wait。〃
Nangi nodded。 〃I'll take it in the other room。〃 He went back across the office； through the open passageway to the tokonoma where Nicholas had first caught sight of him。
The tension in the room was thick and now Nicholas used his training to seek a way of dissipating that high level of energy； as well as diverting interest away from areas he was still reluctant to discuss here。 〃Why an ancient form of Chinese punishment should be taught in an essentially Japanese discipline is simple；〃 he began。 〃It is said…and not I think without a great deal of merit…that ninjutsu had its origins on the Asian continent somewhere； more specifically in northeastern China。 Certainly it had existed long before Japan became civilized。
〃But then so have many of the more ancient customs and traditions in Japan。〃 He got up and went across the room； his movements pantherlike。 He moved like some dancers Tomkin had seen； with a very low center of gravity； as if the floor itself were springy as a mat of dried grass。
Resettling himself on the sofa across from Tomkin； with Sato and Ishii on his left side； he continued。 〃In fact； China and Japan are more closely bound than either country likes to admit； since the enmity between them is longstanding and quite bitter。
〃Nevertheless； you only have to take such a basic of life as language to see what I mean。 Chinese and Japanese are virtually interchangeable。〃
He paused a moment to see if the Japanese were going to protest。 〃Until the fifth century there was no written Japanese language at all。 Rather； they relied on kataribe； people trained from birth to be professional memorizers； building up a finely detailed oral history of early Japan。 But that； as we know today； is a mark of a primitive civilization。 Chinese characters were introduced into Japan in the fifth century； but the practice of using kataribe was so firmly entrenched in a culture always reluctant to change that it persisted for at least another three hundred years。〃
〃But there are differences in the two languages；〃 Sato offered。 He seemed grayed and defeated。 Ishii appeared to be doing nothing at all but breathing。
〃Oh； yes；〃 Nicholas said。 〃Of course there would have to be。 Even so far in the past the Japanese were true to their own nature。 Never very good at innovation； they nevertheless excel at improving on someone else's basic design。
〃The problem with Chinese is its awesome cumbersomeness。 It contains many thousands of characters； and since it was used largely for the recordings at the Imperial court and official proceedings； the language was not well suited for everyday use。
〃The Japanese therefore began to work on a phonetic syllabary now known as hiragana to make the Chinese kanji more adaptable as well as to express those matters uniquely Japanese for which there were no Chinese characters at all。 And by the middle of the ninth century this had been done。 It was； coincidentally； just about the time that the Eastern European countries were developing the Cyrillic alphabet。
〃Sometime later； another new syllabary was introduced…ka…takana…to be used for colloquialisms and foreign words being introduced into Japan as an augmentation for the forty…eight…syllable hiragana。
〃But a curious holdover from Chinese custom was already in effect in Japan。 No Chinese woman ever used kanji and therefore here too it was。 considered； well； ungraceful for a Japanese woman to use the language。 So they took to hiragana and katakana and； in the process；