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om the cage。 Perhaps it was merely so Nicholas could finish the severing of the partnership with Rock； which； from Mick's perspective； had outlived its usefulness。 And； in an ironic way； Nicholas had done his best to save Mick's life when Rock had aimed Torch at them。
A shadow in the hall caused him to turn his head。
〃Nicholas？ May I e in？〃
It was Vesper。
He rolled over on his futon； turned on a rice…paper and lacquered…wood lamp。 She padded silently into his bedroom and knelt with her knees together。 She pushed her hair back from her face。
〃I know you want to spend some time with your friend。〃
'To tell you the truth； for the moment that's all I want。〃
She was silent for some time。 〃I have orders to bring you to Venice。〃
〃Venice？ What for？〃
〃I think you know。〃
〃Okami？〃
She nodded。 〃He needs to see you。〃
He wanted to laugh。 He wanted to tell her that he had spent these last months desperately trying to find the Kaisho； and now here he was being summoned into the presence。 As easy as that。 But he knew it couldn't be easy for Okami； still living under a death threat Who wanted bun dead？ The inner council was no more； they had canceled one another out。 Dedalus was dead。 Who was left？
Staring into her cornflower blue eyes he almost told her no。 But he soon realized that was merely because in Venice he would see Celeste again； and after his reunion with Koei； he didn't know whether he could face that。
〃We can leave in the morning；〃 he said instead。
〃I agreed to protect you； but that's all；〃 Nicholas said thirty hours later。 〃Neither Lew Croaker nor I are required to condone what you're up to。〃
Mikio Okami seemed unconcerned。 He looked fit and not at all a man of some ninety…plus years。 They were sitting two blocks from the Rialto in a wonderful restaurant that catered to fishermen and local families。 Vesper had spent just enough time in Venice to deliver Nicholas to Okami personally before flying home to Washington via London。
Okami sipped his espresso。 〃You are entitled to your opinion； of course； but I'm curious。 How can you condemn what I'm doing without knowing what it is？〃
〃You're Yakuza。 Your partner was Dominic Goldoni； one of the Mafia's top bosses。 That's all I need to know。〃
〃Is it？ Then try redefining the players in this game。 You're attracted to two women。 One is from a Yakuza family； the other is Dom's sister； who you know is involved with me。 If that isn't enough； try this： your father was my best friend … and partner。〃
For a moment； the silence was so deafening that Nicholas thought he heard peals of thunder。 But； outside； Venice lay in sun…drenched splendor。 Then he realized he was hearing the pounding of his pulse。
〃Did you say partner？〃 he said in a voice that had lost all timbre。 Okami had told him he needed to redefine the players； but this revelation required more … it meant reinventing the game。
〃Who do you think originally thought up the concept of the Godaishu？ Colonel Denis Linnear。〃
〃Good God！ What must he have been thinking of？〃
〃He was a genius； a true visionary。 I became his disciple。 When the Colonel died； I continued the vision … a global partnership that took advantage of that part of the world only criminals inhabited。 He'd worked with the Yakuza … his job had required him to do so。 But he saw in us what even we did not fully appreciate … our loyalty and bravery。 He envisioned a partnership between business； government； and the Yakuza … all the power players working in concert toward one goal。〃
〃But it could never work。〃
〃Of course it could。 In fact； it did。 The Japanese economic miracle is reality。 In the space of three decades we rose from a broken nation； stripped of power and effective government； on the verge of collapse from inflation； unemployment； and a sense of guilt； to a modern…day economic colossus。〃
Had Mick Leonforte told the truth？ Nicholas asked himself。 To Okami； he said； 〃Was my father responsible for the merging of MCI with BOT to create the Ministry of International Trade and Industry？〃
〃Where did you hear this？〃
〃From Mick Leonforte。 He said that he had made a study of my father。〃
Okami grunted。 〃Then it's a good thing he perished in the Torch detonation。〃 He took a sip of his espresso as he considered how to proceed。 〃The mechanisms … the outward maneuverings … were necessarily done by Japanese； Yoshida and Shirasu。 But the Colonel was behind them。 In fact； when their last remaining foes in MCI sent a young man named Nagayama to spy for them； it was your father who brought him into the Yoshida camp。 A year later； Nagayama became the first head of the MITI secretariat； and the Godaishu was on its way。〃
〃But how could all these forces work together？ They'd be at each other's throats。〃
〃I told you the Colonel was a visionary。 He saw in all of them the one mon denominator that defined them： they were all rabid capitalists。 Making money was their overriding dream； and he used that to forge an alliance： the Godaishu。 Toward that end； he came up with the concept of the Liberal Democratic Party。 He was a great student of history； your father； and he knew the danger of plete chaos was a very real one for us then。 He intuited what Japan needed at that moment was a strong； firm hand on the tiller that would stay in place for decades to e。 What he did； in effect； was propose we take a page from our own history。
〃When Iyeyasu Tokugawa； the first and greatest of the Tokugawa shoguns； came to power in the beginning of the seventeenth century； he tamed a feudal； fractionauzed country teetering on the verge of anarchy。 He ruled with an iron hand； yes； and his law could be at times cruel； but he deemed it all necessary to stabilize the country； to focus it on one vision。
〃This was how the Colonel counseled us … the core of politicians； bureaucratic ministers； and Yakuza oyabun。 He saw the LDP and the Godaishu as the modern…day equivalent of the two…hundred…year Tokugawa shogunate： a lens to focus the people on the job at hand … the building of a new Japan … while keeping them safe from the dangers of the very active Socialists and munists。〃
Okami wisely paused here； ordered another espresso while Nicholas sat stunned and utterly enthralled at the thought that his father had been； more or less； the architect of modern…day Japan。 How had he done it； and what unforeseen ramifications had e of his visionary actions？ Nicholas was in a frenzy to find out。
Knowing this； Okami continued； 〃Over the decades； human nature had its way； as it inevitably will。 Corruption set in。 Your father was extraordinary in many ways； Nicholas； but never more so than in the elegant manner in which he was able to handle power。
〃As I was obliged to expand the Godaishu's role and to bring in more oyabun； it； too； slowly became corrupted； until I knew that it had attained its own life … that I was no longer its guiding force。 Its power had gone beyond even my abilities to handle。 That is when I knew I needed to destroy it。 Like a colossus out of control； it had begun to lurch into areas of terrible decay … Floating City； for one。 Once Rock and Mick Leonforte became full partners； the Godaishu in its present form became a