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a beaded curtain between them。 〃Your father…〃
〃Don't start this again； Micky；〃 she said sharply。 Her head turned and he saw the anger in her eyes。 〃I never for a moment understood why you went to work for him。 My father； of all people！ He was such a despicable man。〃
〃He loved his daughters。〃
〃He didn't love himself； he didn't know how to love anyone else。〃
Nicholas put his hands between his knees and clasped his fingers。 This might be a bad time to tell her； he thought。 But he could think of no good time。 She had a right to know； he wasn't that Eastern that he could keep this from her。
〃Your father gave me plete control of the pany。〃
Thrumming of the powerful engine； deep and rich； the slide of Queens' semi…urban sprawl drifting by them。 And a feeling of helplessness。
〃That's a bad joke； Nick；〃 she said。 〃Don't even make it。〃
Mentally he sighed； steeling himself for the storm。 〃It's no joke； Justine。 He wrote a codicil to his will six months ago。 His sixty percent of the voting shares makes me the new president of Tomkin Industries。 Bill Greydon was a witness； and he witnessed my signing the codkil in Tokyo。〃
〃You signed the bloody thing？〃 She was twisted around on the seat； her back stiff； pressed tightly into the opposing corner。 〃You agreed to that。。。！〃 She shook her head in disbelief； for the moment words failing her。 〃Oh； Christ but it's madness。〃 Her voice had turned throaty as if her throttled emotions were aswim in her words。
She put her hand up to her face as if to block out the image of him sitting so close to her； as if that would erase what he had revealed to her。 〃Oh； God； no。 No； it can't be。〃 She tore her hand away from her eyes and glared at him； her chest heaving with her rage。
〃I thought it was finally over。 I thought my father's death would once and for all put an end to it； that it would sever me wholly from how he had chosen to live his life。 Because as sure as we're both sitting here； Nick； Tomkin Industries was built on the blood and bile of everyone my father felt he had to defeat in his climb up to the top。〃 She gave a small； bitter laugh and looked as if she were going to spit。 〃The top of what？ Can you tell me that； Nicky？ What was it that was so important that he treated my mother and Gelda and me as。。。 things； useful to him when he needed us but beneath his notice when he was otherwise occupied…by getting to the top。〃
Nicholas said nothing； knowing that his best bet was to allow her to run her course。
〃And now〃…that laugh came again so chill that it seemed to border on hysteria…〃now when I'm finally about to get my life into some kind of order； you tell me that I'm again bound to Tomkin Industries body and soul。〃
〃I only said that I had signed the codicil。〃
〃And of course that has nothing to do with me；〃 she cried。 〃We're going to be married in a month； or has going home made you forget so soon？〃
〃Justine； for God's sake…〃
〃No； no。 This involves me as well as you。 But bastard that you are； that never occurred to you； did it？ Admit it； damnit！〃 Her eyes were fiery and her cheeks were pink and burning with her anger。 〃You know how I felt about my father； you knew how I felt about his pany。 I thought that you working for him would be temporary。 I thought。。。 Oh； Christ！〃 She put her head in her hands； her rage dissolving into tears of helplessness。 〃Oh； how I hate you！ Look what you've done to us！〃
Nicholas put his head back against the plush velvet； closed his eyes。 〃It was supposed to be temporary； Justine。〃 His voice was soft； gentle； assuring as he used the opposite side of kiai to manipulate his tone。 〃But life is fluid； events cause us to change our plans。 There's a flow to…〃
〃Oh； don't you dare start with your idea of karma；〃 she snapped。 〃I don't want to hear any of that obscure mumbo jumbo。 Try it out on your Japanese friends； not me！〃
〃Justine；〃 he said simply； 〃we're both exhausted。 A great deal of thought went into my decision and I…〃
〃But not about me； not about how / felt！〃
〃There's more to it than what you want； Justine；〃 he said； abruptly angry。
〃Now you listen to me。 I spent all my life listening to what my father told me； listening to what a long succession of boyfriends told me。 And I obeyed them all just like a good little girl should。 But that's all over and done with。 Because； you see； there isn't more than what / want。 I've never in my life had what / wanted； I was always afraid to try for it because of what my father told me； what my boyfriends told me； how to behave； what to do； what not to say。
〃Now it's me and only me。 I control my own life； I control my own destiny； not my father； not anyone else。 Not even you； Nicholas。〃
She leaned toward him； moving out from her corner of the seat。 Her skin was red； her normally full sensual lips pulled taut and thin。 〃At last I'm free； and no one is putting me back in my cage again。 I won't be chained to anything； especially something so heinous as Tomkin Industries。〃
〃Then we have something of an impasse；〃 Nicholas said。
But Justine was already shaking his head。 〃Oh； no； Nick。 That's your definition of this situation。 But the truth is this： as long as you're involved with my father's pany I don't want to see you； I don't want to talk to you。 I don't want to know you exist。〃
In the great spacious hall of martial arts on the thirty…eighth floor of the Shinjuku Suiryu Building； Masuto Ishii was working up quite a sweat。 While others spent their lunch hours over soba and Suntory Scotch； Ishii used that time to give his physical self a workout。
Three times a week he rose before dawn to run ten miles along twilit streets before returning to his tiny bachelor's apartment in the Ryogoku district； showering； and dressing in impeccable dark suits for work。 The other four days he spent the early…morning hours in this same gymnasium。 Since he allotted his section chiefs forty…five minutes for lunch； he felt a duty to conform to the same spartan schedule。 That was too little time for a whole panoply of exercises； so midday he confined himself to the repetition of one or two difficult maneuvers culled from the various disciplines with which he was conversant。
Thus when Akiko found him he was in the midst of the irimi variations ofjo…waza； stave aikido。 There was no one else about； the vast Sato staff emptying out of the building like locusts upon the gleaming field of Shinjuku at precisely twelve…thirty。 For a time she watched him intently。
Long muscles rippling； filmed with a light sheen of sweat that lay on his chest like mineral oil； his oval head down； the bull…like chest barely moving as his concentration deepened。 She remembered the long； lingering look he had given her on her wedding day。 She had seen the veiled lust in his eyes then and had wondered： had it been her he had wanted to get at； or was it the symbol of what his superior was about to possess？ For Akiko sensed Ishii's adoration of power as strongly as if it were animal spoor。 Not for him the quiet contentment of home and family； of his secure position as number…two man at Sato Petrochemicals。
In his heart he was no man's right hand but； rather； wished only to select his own line of mand from