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ezing water。
She had been caught totally unaware； no one had seen fit to tell her that Nicholas Linnear was returning so quickly； and now she cursed Koten for not having the mon courtesy to tell her that Sato was entertaining a guest。
〃Akiko！〃 Sato jumped up like a puppy seeking its master's lap。 〃I did not expect you back until tomorrow afternoon。〃
〃Auntie was feeling poorly；〃 she said by rote。 〃There was no point in my staying longer。〃
〃You remember Linnear…san。 You met at the wedding。〃
Akiko lowered her eyes as she advanced across the shining moonlit pebbles。 They were so white against the darkness of her shadow as she passed over them。 〃Of course。 I am so sorry about the passing of Tomkin…san。 Please accept my condolences。〃
For the longest time it seemed as if she did nothing but stare into his shadowed face。 She barely paid attention to Sato's fussing as to drinks and something to eat for her after her long and tiring journey。 It occurred to her that her husband wanted to be rid of her； she wondered what it was the two men had been discussing when she had broken in on them。
To Sato's ire； she sat down on the stone perch he had used earlier in the evening。 She wore a brocaded traveling kimono with flights of white herons crossing its dark blue background。 Japanese invariably wore their best clothes while traveling。 She held the bone handle of a rice…paper janomegasa with its point down against the pebbles。
Sato was doing all the talking but it was as if an aura surrounded her and Nicholas； as if they were the only two people left on earth。 And inside the overlapping field of their powerful wa something was happening； something Akiko could never have anticipated。
She felt giddy； lighter than air。 All hara seemed to have left her； she could not ground herself and without that centering she was utterly powerless。
She felt the first painful flutterings of panic take wing inside her and decided that she must do something immediately to forestall this loss of the Void。 What was happening to her？
The more she stared into that face she had e to know so well； to hate with an almost inhuman passion； the greater her sense of helplessness became。 She was spinning out of control。 Why？ What was he doing to her？
Dizzily she downed the hot sake Sato had brought her； heard herself ask for another in a thin； strangled voice she could barely recognize。 This too she tumbled down her throat； almost choking on it。
Yet she went on watching him； tracing each contour of his head and face as if she were touching him physically。 She felt as if she were being embraced and she felt her thighs tremble； her throat constrict。 She felt a tingling at the back of her neck as if she were being caressed there and the fine hairs were raised like the whiskers of an animal。
She closed her eyes in an effort to steady herself； but found； instead； that she was pelled to see him again。 Her eyes snapped open。 He was still there。 Sato was still prattling on about Buddha only knew what。
Years raced before her opened eyes like veils parting before a freshening wind。 Years of laborious training； obsessive dedication。 A heart filled with burned love and from those bitter ashes a thirst for revenge that smoldered and； fanned by hate； had burst into full flame。 Vengeance will be mine。 How often during the painful years of growing up had that one phrase given her the courage to close her eyes and sleep so that she could live another day。 Without that phrase to hold to her like a blanket on a frosty night； she might never have survived unto this day。
To bee aware of this moment； an arrow piercing her heart。 Dear Amida！ she cried silently。 Now she began to tremble in earnest with the knowledge of what Nicholas Linnear was engendering in her。 Wildly her mind sought this avenue and that in order to avoid what she already suspected was an inescapable truth。
Oh； Buddha； she thought； I want him。 I want him so much I can't see straight。
TOKYO AUTUMN 194？…AUTUMN 1963
Ikan lived within the pale green and caramel walls of Fuyajo。 The Castle That Knows No Night had been her home ever since she was eight years old。
That year； so long ago now； had been a time of ill omens and poor crops throughout the countryside。 Bow…backed farmers had no money and little hope of making it through to the end of the year。
It is said in Japan that hard times are the best friend of tradition for it is during these periods that the people fall back most heavily on the ways of their ancestors。
And so it was with Ikan's family that year。 Her father's crops were no better than those of his neighbors； which was to say no good at all。 It was as if the earth refused to release its nutriments that year。
The first Ikan suspected something serious was amiss was when she returned from the fields with a handful of reeds and saw her mother weeping。
The next morning Ikan was driven from the farm in a dusty； backfiring truck that smelled of cabbage and tomatoes； a small bag filled with the pitifully tiny pile of her possessions； the savior of her family destined for the precincts of the Yoshiwara。
Like many young girls throughout the ages before her； Ikan was to be sold into prostitution by her family in order to retrieve them from the indignity of bankruptcy。
Yet unlike the Western view； the Japanese view of prostitution was filled with nobility mixed with an odd poignancy。 As he did with many other institutions； the Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa created the legitimate need for baishun； the selling of； as it is known in Japan； spring。
Because he was obsessed with his own power…the only force able to tame the multiple feuds of the regional daimyo that had kept feudal Japan in a constant state of civil war for years before his ascendancy…he required that each daimyo make a pilgrimage to Edo； now Tokyo； every other year； along with his samurai； where they would stay for a year。 This sankinkotaiseido served two purposes。 First； it cut into the daimyo's solidification of his own power in his native ryochi and second； the long； often arduous trip helped deplete his coffers of accumulated wealth。
The daimyo and the wealthier samurai were able to avail themselves of the services of their mistresses。 But the poorer samurai were forced to turn to prostitutes for； as leyasu himself said； prostitution was needed in order to negate the possibility of adultery。
In 1617； a year after the Shogun's death； a feudal lord in Edo petitioned the Tokugawa government to allow him to create a sanctioned area within the city for baishun。 He found a desolate field filled with reeds； hence the name Yoshiwara。 In the succeeding years； a different character was substituted for 〃reedy；〃 and the Yoshiwara became known as the happy field。
The original red…light sector was destroyed in a fire and in 1656 was rebuilt in the Asakusa district of Edo； where it remained until April of 1958。
In 1649； Ikan subsequently was taught by her sensei； the government declared that all rice grown was subject to confiscation by the Imperial samurai。 In its place farmers were told they had to subsist on millet。
Stricken； farmers were forced to put their wives to work sewing or weaving