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〃Sir？〃
〃Ah； yes； Koten…san；〃 he said shortly。 〃What is it？〃
〃A phone call； sir。〃
〃I don't want to be disturbed。〃
〃Excuse me； sir； but the gentleman said it was urgent。〃
Sato thought a moment。 Perhaps it was that young Chinese he had hired in Hong Kong to 〃oversee〃 Nangi…san's movements。 Since Nangi…san was determined not to speak of the situation； Sato had found it prudent to take his own measures to discover what had gone wrong in the Crown Colony。
He rose； nodding to Koten； and walked out of the room。 The study was for contemplation and as such it had no telephone。 Entering his office； he went around to the side of the desk and picked up the receiver。
〃Yes？ This is Seiichi Sato。〃
〃It is Phoenix； Sato…san。〃
〃Ah。〃 Sato's heartbeat picked up considerably。 〃Just a moment。〃 He put down the phone and padded silently to the doorway to his office。 Taking a quick look around the hallway； he closed the door； then returned to the receiver。
〃What have you to report？〃
〃I'm afraid the news is not good。〃
Sato's stomach contracted。 First the All…Asia Bank and now this。 Big risk； big reward。 Both he and Nangi had known this going in。 And Tenchi would provide them with the biggest reward imaginable。 But the downside was rushing to meet them with hellish speed。
〃Kusunoki was murdered。〃
〃I already know that。〃 Sato was impatient； the risk he was taking made him so。 And the thought of failure。
〃But did you know that it was done by one of his own pupils？〃
The line between Sato and Phoenix seemed to groan in agony as if many conversations were vying for control。
〃I think you'd better tell me all of it；〃 Sato said； gritting his teeth in anticipation。
〃Naturally； the muhon…nin found with him had been suspected of killing the jonin。 It has now been determined that he did not。 The Soviet spy lacked the prowess to acplish such an unthinkable deed。〃
〃Then who did kill him？〃
From out of the silence Phoenix said； 〃If we knew that； he would already be undergoing punishment。〃
〃Then it is likely that there is another。。。 Soviet infiltrator。〃
〃I admit the possibility exists。〃
Sato was abruptly furious。 〃You are the best there is。 That is why I hired you to guard the secrets of Tenchi。 If I wanted unthinking thugs I could have pulled them in from the Yakuza clan across town。 Amida； what are you doing down there？〃
〃Have faith；〃 Phoenix said。 〃All is well。 I am assigning myself to this matter personally。〃
Phoenix； like Kusunoki； was a ninja sensei。 Sato was mollified。 〃You will keep in touch。〃
〃Each day at this time I will call you at this number。〃
〃Excellent。 I'll make certain I am here。〃
Sato replaced the receiver and； on the other side of the house； the miniature voice…activated tape machine connected to the listening device Koten had secreted in Sato's office turned itself off； its store of information increased。
Nicholas and Allonge deplaned at Dulles International in Washington。
〃Mr。 Linnear？〃
A handsome blonde with the slender spread…legged stance of an athlete。
〃You are Nicholas Linnear？〃
She had a European accent that should have been spiky but was not。 She had somehow managed to soften the vowels； clear up the guttural slurring that would have been normal。 He thought she must have gone to school for that。
〃Yes。〃 The accent was definitely Eastern European； and immediately he began to catalog her facial structure。
She reached inside her Burberry； opened up a black lizard card case。 〃Would you e with me； please？〃
〃Was it your mother or father who came from Belorussiya？〃
He saw that her eyes were sky blue； azure； really。 They were quite intelligent。 And she was superb at hiding things。 He found that despite the inconvenience she was causing him he liked her。
He took her opened card case from her hand and peered down at it。 〃Gospadja Tanya Vladimova； vstraychayetzye Craig Allonge。 On rabotayet dla Tomkina Industrii。〃
The shock registered on her face even as she nodded at the mystified Allonge in response to the introduction。 She brushed her thick hair back from the side of her face and he saw that her nails were square cut and clear lacquered。 Obviously she worked with her hands； and this interested him。
〃It was my father who was born in Belorussiya；〃 she said in the same language。
〃Do you take after him in more ways than just looks？〃
〃He was a very dedicated man；〃 she said。 〃Extremely dogged when the occasion called for it。 He was a rural policeman。 My mother was from Birobidzhan。〃
There was an immediate flash in her eyes； a kind of challenge and a hint of something more。 Nicholas knew how it must have been for her family inside Russia。 What with a White Russian for a father and a Russian Jew for a mother there must not have been many options open to them。 Her father had taken one obvious one； had others in the family taken the other？
〃How many of you were dissidents？〃 he said softly。
She gave him an odd searching look for a moment and he was made peculiarly unfortable。 Then it was gone； her face had cleared； and like the blank face of a puter terminal； she began again。 〃Enough so that my father had a great deal of time to grieve。〃
〃Excuse me；〃 Craig Allonge interjected in English。 〃Nick； what's going on？〃
Nicholas smiled。 〃Nothing； really。 Miss Vladimova is merely seeing that I fulfill a clause in Tomkin's will before we jet off to Japan。〃 He put his hand on the other man's shoulder and squeezed。 〃Take a break at the airport。 Stretch your legs； get something real to eat。 I'll be back as quickly as I can。〃
〃Mr。 Linnear；〃 C。 Gordon Minck said forty…five minutes later in a clear； crisp voice； 〃it's good of you to e on such short notice。 I know that you must have a great deal on your mind at the moment。〃
Nicholas had been taken into a building along F Street； not far from the Virginia Avenue underpass。 A private elevator had taken them up to a four…story…high arboretum。 Nicholas had successfully hidden his surprise。 A cubistic whitewashed brick structure crouched in the center of this unnatural indoor forest。 Tanya had taken him inside with a plete absence of self…consciousness for this stagy and； to Nicholas' way of thinking； needlessly indulgent construct。
〃Tomkin's will was quite specific on the matter。〃
〃Nevertheless； I'm delighted to see you。〃
Nicholas smiled and the two men shook hands。
They went through the building； past numerous rooms； all with tile or wood floors。 There were no carpets at all； and Nicholas was aware of the sounds they made when they moved。
〃I've never heard of the Department of International Export Tariffs；〃 he said。 〃What do you do here？〃
Minck laughed。 〃I'd be surprised if you had heard of us。〃 He shrugged。 〃We're a bureaucratic backwater that Congress； in its infinite wisdom； has somehow seen fit to keep going。〃 He gave Nicholas a genuine smile。 〃We issue overseas licenses and； in some isolated instances； revoke them。〃
Nicholas realized that Minck had responded to his queries without actually answering them。
He was led out onto a glassed…in patio。 Tanya was already there； pouring freshly squeezed orange juice into crystal stemware。 Minck waved Nicholas into one of t