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r one。 Once Rock and Mick Leonforte became full partners； the Godaishu in its present form became a threat of catastrophic proportions。 I knew they would carry Chosa； Kozo； and Akinaga's perversion to its logical conclusion： a global economic network controlled by men who cared only about amassing more and more power。 They would slowly corner legitimate markets as Floating City had already done with drugs and illegal arms。 The ramifications were unthinkable。〃 The lunch crowd had departed； leaving the white…jacketed waiters to clear tables and gossip among themselves。 One of the chefs assistants replaced the shaved ice in the trays where the fresh fish were displayed。 No one bothered the two men at their table。
〃Imagine how I felt having to call upon you to help me；〃 Okami continued； 〃knowing how you hated the Yakuza and the secret within me that your father had been my partner and my mentor。 I knew you would honor your duty to your father。 But I also knew something else。 From Koei； I knew the love you had for one another； no matter how the relationship ended so long ago。〃
You must be healed； Dich had said； and now Nicholas understood the full nature of what he had meant。
〃When you came to me here last year and I saw how full of hate you still were； I could and no way to tell you the truth。 In fact； I was convinced it would have been a disaster to do so。 You would have called me a liar and reneged on your promise to your father。 Because； in the end； I summoned you not to protect me … you have seen that I am well capable of doing that with my own resources。 That was merely the pretext； the trigger to begin the process of understanding the truth that lay behind his carefully posed facade。 And to accept that truth。 It was time that you continue the work your father and I planned together。
〃You see； you came to me poisoned … by your youthful love affair； by forces neither you nor Koei could then control or understand。 But that first night when Celeste brought you to me in my palazzo； I saw immediately that you had been profoundly damaged in a way that your father could never have imagined。 You were useless to me in that state … useless to yourself。
〃I confess I must take some of the responsibility for that I had to rectify the mistake I had made so many years ago in keeping away from you； in not protecting you from the terrible damage the world of the Yakuza can inflict。 I had to find a way for you to see Koei again。 To do that； I had to withhold the truth from you … about me； Celeste and Margarite； Vesper。 And especially about your father。
〃Years ago； your father wanted me to meet you； spend time with you； but I kept leading him off。 I was unhappy in those days； I drank a great deal … in fact； in that regard； I'm certain the Colonel saved my life。 I could scarcely control myself； let alone the emotions of a teenager。 For better or for worse； he chose Tsunetomo Akinaga。 And so you met Koei。 Karma； Nick…san。〃
They paid the bill and left the restaurant。 It was a fine afternoon。 The ochers； golds； and burnt umbers of the palazzi shone as if freshly painted。 The Grand Canal was filled with traffic； and the cafés along the riva were opening their quayside tables for spring。 A gondolier sang a snippet of an aria。
There was so much Nicholas needed to know； so many questions that needed answering。 But one thought overrode all his doubts and concerns。 With that one stroke of genius the Colonel set in motion countless events that continue their impact to this day； Mick had said。 Now Nicholas knew he was beginning to glimpse the nature of that genius。 He breathed in the sweet air of Venice and was glad to be alive。 He was even looking forward to his dinner tonight with Celeste。
Elation coursed through him。 The Kaisho wanted him to continue the evolution of the Colonel's 〃stroke of genius。〃 He was being given the chance to work with Mikio Okami； who； like Tachi； possessed koryoku and had promised to teach him the secret of the Illuminating Power； he was being given a unique opportunity to enter a whole new world。 Not the world of the Yakuza； which he had shunned； but the secret Col Denis Linnear had painstakingly created moment by moment。 How could he refuse？ Yes； he would have to get certain assurances from Okami； and he could not forget his duty to Tanzan Nangi and their pany； Sato…Tomkin； but he would make certain he did not give that up。 He had the distinct feeling that this was what his father had wanted for him all along； perhaps it was why he had made Nicholas promise to e to the Kaisho's aid should he ever ask for it。
Nicholas had already been given a precious gift。 The past； he had been shown； was a living thing； affecting the present in ways most people could never imagine。 As for the future； it would unfold in its own way。 He was content now to allow that to happen。
The weeks after her return from Tokyo were busy ones for Vesper。 For one thing； she was deeply involved in the Pentagon probe into Senator Dedalus's dealings with DARPA as well as the internal investigation into Johnny Leonforte's hiring as head of Looking…Glass。 For another； instead of sleeping she spent her off…hours poring through the coded ledger she had scanned from Morgana's offices。
She had not had the time to decipher it； but Croaker had。 He had given it to her in Tokyo just before she and Nicholas had left for Venice。
Along about the fortieth hour she determined there was something decidedly odd about some of the entries。 It was a word that translated as 〃Larva。〃 The first thing she did was check the ciphers to make certain she had decoded it correctly。 It had no number attached to it； no price tag or shipment date； so it did not appear to be a weapon or a part of Morgana's inventory at all。 But； further on； filling a page with only the heading 〃Larva〃 on it； were monetary amounts that seemed to go on and on and which； when she added them up； went into the billions。 Whoever or whatever Larva was； Dedalus had been draining Morgana's accounts into it。
It was Celeste who provided Vesper with the first due。 They had rendezvoused as part of the Nishiki network； and Vesper had brought up the anomaly。
〃It's odd；〃 Celeste said； 〃because the Larva is one of the traditional Venetian masks。 It's usually white； but very rarely one sees one in black。 It's Latin for a specter or a ghost。 The mask was also called a volto。〃
The second clue was provided back in Washington。
〃What was this three…hundred…thousand…dollar expenditure for？〃 Vesper asked the Pentagon investigator who was part of the team taking apart Dedalus's books for Looking…Glass。
〃It seems Dedalus hired an outside firm to do the vetting of his staff for about eighteen months。〃
〃Isn't that odd？〃
〃Not really。 Budget shortfalls mean periodic layoffs of nonessential personnel。 During this period Dedalus let his vetting staff go along with some bean counters and secretaries。〃
〃What was the name of the firm Dedalus hired？〃
〃Let's see。〃 The investigator began leafing through pages of files。 〃Here it is。 A pany called National Security Services。〃
Vesper went to her puter； pulled up NSS from the data banks。 Nothing seemed out of place until she notic