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d with the promise of awesome reward。
But if the truth be known Protorov had not wanted to return to the baking dusty climate of Southern Lebanon。 Always the stink of camel dung and heated machine oil was in the air。 And how he had e to despise the Arabs！ Oh yes； he had no doubt as to their usefulness to the Soviet Union。 But their gullibility…their stupidity； really…the key to their usefulness…was what he could no longer tolerate。 They were obscene barbarians； and he was far better off pursuing the specter of Tenchi than having to mediate a dispute between Arab and Russian。
Arrogance； Protorov thought now； was a quality the White Russians suffered from； hence their downfall。 But the damnable Arabs had it as well。 He was well away from them； he had been months getting the sand out of his clothes。
Koten's great bulk descended off Shinjuku。 Sato's weekly pilgrimage had given him some free time。 Shrines were no place for violence； Sato felt； and therefore would not allow Koten to acpany him。
The sumo took the green line four stops； where he changed for the blue line at Kudanshita； riding that to the huge Nihon…bashi station。 He was stared at openly in the subways but he was used to that。 Outwardly he ignored the attention even while his spirit expanded with pride。 He had worked hard to move up the dan； and even though he no longer performed in public； still he spent a great deal of time staying in shape and even； from time to time； engaging in exhibition bouts。 He had not been defeated in these five years。
He emerged on Eit…dori and turned right。 The avenue was crowded with shoppers。 Along the next block he waited for the light； then crossed the avenue and entered the Tokyu department store。
Inside； the place was as enormous and as varied as a city。 One of his friends had gotten married here； another had purchased burial plots for himself and his family。 But Koten was interested in neither of these services。
A white…gloved female attendant waved him onto the down escalator。 He stared openly at her heavily made…up face until she turned her head away beneath the scrutiny。
In the basement； he idly watched cakes being prepared； sushi being rolled； tofu being fermented； bean paste being mixed and sugared。 He made his lunch from the numerous free sample trays on the glass counters he passed。
When he had judged that he had eaten enough； he moved away toward the up escalator。 Still there was an emptiness within his capacious stomach。
He ascended past myriad floors of designer clothing； house…wares； furniture； toys and games； theaters； medical and dental clinics； galleries filled with paintings and sculptures； classes on how to wear a kimono； how to serve tea； how to arrange flowers； and in between a plethora of restaurants。
There was a teahouse in the roof garden with red； black； and white rice…paper lanterns on wires dancing in the light wind。 Amid the carefully manicured shrubbery was a small zoo attended by flocks of children； some of whose mothers were busy downstairs shopping。
Koten waded in among this lot to get a better look at the baboons and gibbons。 Some distance away there were the smallish monkeys from the northern alps around Nagano。 Koten edged closer to these though they were less exotic and therefore had less of an audience。 Koten was from Nagano； and the sight of these symbols of home abruptly made him conscious of the fact that he had not been back for more than ten years。
〃See something of interest？〃
He did not need to turn his head to take in the small accountant's body； the undistinguished face。
〃These little ones chatter of home to me；〃 he said。
〃Ah；〃 the drab man said。 〃The mountains。 Those of us who were born in the mountains never fully adjust to being parted from them。〃
Koten nodded slowly and made his report。 When he was finished； he dutifully answered the drab man's questions to the best of his ability。
〃I have to get back；〃 he said。 〃Sato…san will be returning from his prayers soon。〃
〃Prayers；〃 said Viktor Protorov disdainfully； 〃are for the already vanquished。〃
Three times 〃Tex〃 Bristol had had to abandon his plans to take out the Blue Monster； and it had more to do with Alix Logan than it did with her nocturnal guardian。 After her suicide attempt the Blue Monster wasn't taking any chances； and he had moved in with her at night。
Now the lights never went out in Alix's apartment during the long nights as her keeper kept vigil with the most obvious tool。 Light。
And light in the dead of night was not something Bristol had counted on。 There was an element of surprise that was needed。 It had e to his attention that Alix Logan's monsters were not themselves ex…cops； they were far smarter than that。 And they had a manner about them that was； well； almost military。 Bristol had spent long hours baking in the sun； doing nothing more than watching Alix Logan from afar； except to wonder where the monsters got their training。 Had Tomkin bee smarter in his old age？ Had he begun hiring a higher grade of gorilla to do his dirty work？ That was the only explanation。
After the third aborted attempt to steal into Alix Logan's apartment at night； Bristol reluctantly abandoned his first plan。 You had to be plenty flexible in situations like these； he told himself continually。 Every plan had to have a backup； and each backup had to have its own backup。 That was the only way to be successful； because no situation involving people was ever static。 You make that assumption and you might as well go into some other line of work。
So Bristol put into effect a plan he had hoped never to use。 He loved to fish； he loved being on the water。 But being in it； far out at sea； was something else again。
Still； he had rented the scuba equipment； had himself checked out by a pimply boy of no more than eighteen； the shop's pro。 He was a mite rusty…it had been some five years since he'd learned his diving…but the basics one never forgot； and after two hours of intensive work in the pink…tiled swimming pool of the beachfront hotel down the street from the shop； the pimply boy tapped him on the shoulder arid gave him the thumbs…up signal。
Now Bristol had taken his gear onto his boat； which lay rocking in the oily swells dockside。 He double…checked all his gear as he had been trained to do and was bent over fiddling with the regulator when he spied Alix out of the corner of his eye coining down the dock with the Red Monster just behind her。
Bristol's heart beat faster as he saw her turn in toward her small boat。 No pleasure cruise this afternoon with the same round of vacuous friends。 It was just her and Red。
The Red Monster freed the aft and bow lines and stepped quickly into the rocking boat； his topsiders squeaking。 Alix already had the engine throttled； blue haze of fumes rising from the bubbling aft pipe。 She turned the wheel over hard； and they began to glide out of the harbor。
Bristol； his pulse still racing； waited patiently before firing his own engine。 He tugged at the bill of his beaten…up cap and headed out after them； squinted his eyes against the fierce glare of sunlight dancing off the water。 With his free hand he strung up a pair of dark glasses； wrapping