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cholas into one of the fortable…looking rattan chairs covered in Haitian batik。 Potted palms； deep green sword plants； and dwarf palms were scattered about。
〃This is an odd environment for a government bureau；〃 Nicholas said。
Minck lifted an arm。 〃Oh； this is nothing but a set。 We get a lot of foreign dignitaries in here。〃 He smiled。 〃We like to make them feel at home。〃
〃Is that so？〃 Nicholas stood up。 He watched Tanya and Minck as he moved about the patio。 〃It's almost midnight； yet this building is as busy as if it were ten in the morning。 I think if this department were what you claimed it was you'd be sitting behind a metal desk in a cubicle filled with fluorescent lighting。 I think at this time of the night you'd be tucked safely into your bed。 I'd like to know who you two are； where I really am； and what it is I'm doing here。〃
Minck nodded。 〃All understandable concerns； Nicholas。 May I call you Nicholas； by the way？ Good。〃
A phone rang； the sound muffled through the walls； and Tanya excused herself。
〃Please sit down。〃 Minck unbuttoned his seersucker jacket。 〃This department…it goes by many names； the Department of International Export Tariffs is just one of them…costs about as much as an AW AC to build and maintain。 That's considerably less than the cost of a B…l bomber。 Still； it took me six months of memo wars and threats to get this set built。〃 He smiled again。 〃Bureaucratic minds cannot conceive of such a necessity as this； but I can and do。 This is the first sight a Russian defector sees after the wrapping es off。〃
〃Spies？〃 Nicholas said； slightly incredulously。 〃Raphael Tomkin was involved with spies？ I don't believe it。〃
〃Why not？〃 Minck shrugged。 〃He was a patriot。 And he was a close friend of my father's。〃 He poured more juice for them both。 〃Let me explain。 My father was one of the founders of the OSS。 Tomkin was an explosives expert…learned his trade in the Marines； where the two of them met。 He could take the wing off a finch without ruffling a feather on its breast。
〃My father used him on several rather delicate； high…risk forays
toward the end of the European campaign。 Things were a bit desperate by then； a lot of last…ditch Nazi plots to contend with； along with clandestine work keeping the Russians in line。 Anyway； this one mission was a real balls…up。 From what I have been able to gather it was Tomkin's fault； although my father would never say a bad word against him。 The man simply lost his nerve and broke under the pressure。 Three of the unit were inadvertently blown up when the packet detonated prematurely。〃
Minck drained his glass。 〃Your ex…boss was a highly honorable man。 I guess he blamed himself and； though my father erased him from the field roster； he remained tied to the； er； organization。 My father did not want his friend shamed for what he considered a human error and Tomkin； I suppose； did not want to make the break。〃
〃So you inherited him。〃
〃So to speak。〃 Minck cleared his throat。 〃I'm not callous。 In this regard； knowing the circumstances； I gave Tomkin the choice after my father died。〃
There was a question that needed voicing before they went any further。 〃Tell me；〃 Nicholas said carefully； 〃was Tomkin Industries built with OSS money？〃
〃Good God； no。〃 Minck seemed genuinely shocked。 〃We have no stake in the corporation whatsoever。 You can set your mind at ease on that score。〃
Nicholas nodded and rose again。 He went to the window…door； looked out。 Because he was being increasingly uneasy about why Tomkin had insisted he e here； he was reluctant to pursue a direct course。
〃What happens when they see this place？〃 he said。 〃The Russians； I mean。〃
〃They're disoriented；〃 Minck replied。 〃You'd be surprised at how much current Western fiction they manage to read。 Most of them expect to be taken to a colonial mansion somewhere out in the wilds of Virginia。〃 He laughed。 〃They seem disappointed when they're not interviewed by Alec Guinness or what they perceive as his American equivalent。〃
Minck stood up。 So much for the easy part； he thought。
〃The reason you're here now；〃 he said； 〃has to do with your merger with Sato Petrochemicals。〃
〃Oh？〃 Nicholas turned to face him。 〃In what way？〃
〃It's a matter；〃 Minck said； 〃of national security。〃
Akiko had not slept since Nicholas had departed。 There was a rhythm to her life； to all her actions； a rhythm that Kyoki had
taught her to search for and to use； one that increased her power a thousandfold。
What was she to do now that Nicholas had returned to America？ There were three possibilities but only one option because the first； to break off her plan entirely； was unthinkable； and because the second； to follow him to America； would be to put herself at the same disadvantage that Saigo had labored under。
She rolled over on the single futon。 There were no intricately patterned coverlets here； no luxurious appointments。 She might have been in a barracks in the seventeenth century save that there was no one else in the small room。 Contrary to what she had told Sato； she had not gone to visit her aunt。 That would have been an impossibility； she had no living relative。
Slowly she rose and； stretching； began her morning exercise ritual。 Forty minutes later； after toweling off the running sweat； taking a quick cold shower to close the pores of her skin； she returned to her cubicle and menced the slow； studied ritual of the tea ceremony。
This she did in solitary reflection each morning no matter where she was。 It remained in her memory the only link with her mother； the only physical thing the woman had taught her。 Akiko's mother had been a chano…yu sensei。
There was an almost religious fervor to the tiny； practiced movements。 The element of perfection before the Void brought the concept of Zen concentration to the art of preparing tea as it did to many daily Japanese preparations； transforming them； lifting them from the mundane onto the plane of art； involving the spirit as well as the mind and the hand。
With the pale green tea a froth in the small handleless cup； Akiko arose and slid open the fusuma。 Beyond the wide veranda was the reflection garden； its pure white pebbles dazzling in all light； its three black igneous rocks set in harmonious confluence along the perimeter。
And just to the right of center rose the branched trunk of the giant cedar。 As Akiko slowly sipped her stingingly bitter tea； she allowed her eyes to pass over the fluted configurations of light and dark； shadow and sunlight dappling the textured needles。 She was so long at it that when at last she returned to her starting point； the shapes had changed subtly with the an'gle of the sun。
Thus lost in the Void； her mind heard again the plangent double notes of the bamboo flute； elongated and sorrowful。 This was the only music she heard…save for the birdsongs which acpanied the changing of the seasons…for all the long years of her stay with Kyoki。
The bittersweet song began at noontime just as she was serving Kyoki his tea； abasing herself before him； kowtowing in the ancient Chinese tradition on which he insisted。 She could feel anew the chill of the stone flooring against her slightly parted lips… t