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！
The big fish was tiring； and as Bristol wound the line in more quickly now he saw Alix's tall； lithe form detach itself from the pack and move with surefooted grace up along the deck forward。 The Red Monster； drinking a beer； turned his head for a moment； catching the movement。 Nothing was happening； so he went back to his quiet drinking。
Alix reached the tubular aluminum railing rising from the prow of the boat and stood leaning； her arms rigid； her long…fingered hands wrapped around the upper bars。 For a long time she stared out to sea； at the long unbroken line of the horizon； blue on blue。 Then her gaze dropped to the water lapping gently below her。 Her eyes were fixed。 She seemed mesmerized by something she saw down there in the clear water。
In one last burst of energy； the fish at the other end of Bristol's line dove straight down and for just a moment his entire concentration was directed at not losing the creature。
When he looked up； Alix was gone。 Bristol's head whipped around。 She was not on deck。 Perhaps she had needed to use the head。 Or the sun had got to be too much for her。
Bristol had a sinking feeling in his gut。 That fixed look in her eyes； that staring。 He had seen it before when he had first met Gelda。 His gaze was drawn to the sea just in front of the pleasure boat's prow。 Caramel hair floating； a golden shoulder bobbing。 Was she swimming or drowning？
The Red Monster glanced forward and didn't see her。 He put his beer can aside and got up。 His mouth opened and he said something to the skipper。 The other man shook his head in a negative； pointed toward the forward railing。
The Red Monster sprang upward and Bristol thought； He'd better be quick because Alix was drifting away from the boat and there seemed no doubt now。 She was making no effort to stay within range and this far out with the current so strong it was as good as saying； 〃I give up。〃
Running along the side deck； Red spotted her and he leaped overboard。 His strong confident strokes brought him to her in minutes。 On board the pleasure boat； the skipper was breaking out the inflatable rubber dinghy。 Several of the oiled men were helping him。 The women were gaping。
The skipper lowered the dinghy； and the Red Monster with one capable palm tucked beneath Alix's chin swam slowly toward safety。
They were lifting Alix's body up onto the deck as Bristol's fish broke the surface。 It was a marlin； and by all rights it should have whipped him out of his chair and into the sea during its fight for life。
Bristol watched the long arch of her golden body； raised like a rainbow being lifted into position。 Her hair； darkened by the sea； hung down like seagrape； obscuring one shoulder。
Moments later； after the Red Monster had given her mouth…to…mouth； she rolled over。 Sea water ran from her mouth in a torrent。 Someone came over and put a baseball cap on her head to keep off the sun。 The skipper draped a towel across her shoulders； and the Red Monster took her below。
Bristol looked down into the huge； glistening eye of the marlin。 Its long body whipped； its tailfin sending a spray of cool water up into his face。
The fish was very close； and as Bristol leaned over the side with his landing hook at the ready he saw the marlin for what it really was： not a game fish； not a trophy stuffed over the mantel in his apartment； but another life。
He thought of the burning car； the fight he had had to put up in order to escape death； and he saw that the marlin's desperate
battle had been no different。 They were both gallant soldiers； and this creature deserved to die no more than Bristol did。
He stared once more into that round eye； so alien yet for all that so full of life。 He could not take that away from the creature。 Dropping his landing hook； he dug in his pocket for the knife。 He used the blade to slash through the line just beyond the hook。
For just an instant the marlin lay there； close to the boat； floating； its eye on him。 Then with a flash of its mighty tail； it leaped away； its blue…green…black body arcing； sunlight spinning off its scales； and then there was only a narrow foaming wake； a tiny incision in the skin of the sea to mark where it had once been。
Tengu was the name his sensei； as tradition dictated； had given him。 He was another of Viktor Protorov's agents inside the precincts of the Tenshin Shoden Katori ryu。 As such he walked a fine line； and even his sleep had developed a crack in it upward to the more alert alpha layers so that he might never be caught off guard。 As Tsutsumu had。
Always he was conscious of being in a hive filled with buzzing； angry bees。 That anger； he knew very well； needed only one word of accusation to be leveled at him。 Never had he experienced the kind of conglomerate emotional upheaval that had e from the unexpected and unexplained death of Masashigi Kusunoki； the erstwhile leader of this ninja ryu。
Tengu had e from a large rural family in Kyushu and he remembered the day his father had died。 The family reunited silently； moving almost as a single unit。 But even that display of togetherness could not pare with the singleminded will which apparently pervaded all levels of the society here。 Jonin； leader…sensei； chunin； the tactical unit leaders； and genin； as well as the students such as himself were all affected to a frightening degree。
Something was happening within the dojo that Tengu did not understand； some unconscious whirlwind； some spiritual flashpoint of which he was not part。 He tried…and pretended to be a part to those around him…but he knew inwardly that it was useless。 He was lost here and he could not say why。 Had he been able to step outside of himself and observe the totality of the circumstances within which he found himself； he would have seen that he simply lacked the dedication； the intense concentration of energies that would have allowed him to bee a part of the mourning； the renewed dedication of spirit that came with Kusunoki's passing。
Tengu developed many fears during these volatile days when he was obliged to expend tremendous amounts of psychic energy in concealing his true mission at the Tenshin Shoden Katori from those about him。 But none was as acute or as draining as the fear he developed of Phoenix。
Next to Kusunoki himself； Phoenix was the most powerful of the jonin。 In fact； to Tengu's way of thinking； Phoenix was more of a threat than Kusunoki ever had been。 For one thing； he was younger； his vitality at the peak。 For another； he was an explorer of pathways it seemed to Tengu that Kusunoki had long ago turned away from。 Foolishly。
Too； Phoenix had always spent more time with the lowly genin than Kusunoki ever had； at least during Tengu's tenure at the dojo。 The old sensei had increasingly seemed to devote himself to quiet contemplation and the instruction of certain favored pupils； among them the lone female； Suijin。
So it was that just before dawn Tengu would slip silently back into his cubicle； exhausted and utterly drained after a night spent alternately hiding and searching； his heart pounding heavily every time he sensed the approach of another。
Terror stalked him。 He lived in fear that Phoenix would bee aware of his