按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
sychic union they had undergone had made her precious to him。
Now he was confronted with someone who responded to his psychic emanations on a wholly elemental level。 What did Seiko possess that allowed her this gift？ Was it koryoku？ Her sensitivity to auras seemed to fit Celeste's description of Okami's power … the edge that had allowed him to keep several steps ahead of his enemies for more than ninety years。 And Nicholas had learned that； contrary to popular； belief； koryoku was not a discipline one learned； but was rather a natural ability lying dormant in a select few people； waiting to be born。
The aftermath of so much energy had left a metallic taste in his mouth。 What they needed was to return to normality as quickly as possible。
While he showered； Seiko went to an all…night bazaar。 She brought back fruit； vegetables； and an enormous paper box of steaming noodles。 She also had a handful of clothes for him that more or less fit： several sets of underwear； khaki trousers； a white； gauzy shirt； a pair of sturdy hiking boots； two pairs of sweat socks； a military…style； waist…length jacket。
She stir…fried the vegetables in sesame oil； and they ate in the yellow…and…chrome kitchen that looked as if it had been transplanted from an American house built in the early seventies。
They were both famished。 They said nothing while they ate； eyed each other warily。
〃You have some explaining to do；〃 Nicholas said as he pushed his empty plate away from him。 〃There are too many things about you I don't know。〃
''Then we're starting from the same place。〃
〃No； you know quite a bit about me … that I'm ninja； and tanjian as well。 You made it your business to find out about Justine and my relationship with her。〃
〃All right。 I plead guilty。〃
She sat facing him。 Her face devoid of all makeup was quite striking； softer； with a hint of innocence that he already knew was spurious。 But he could feel their attraction as if it were a rope that glittered in his mind。 Unaccountably； he was reminded of a film he'd seen with two Spanish gypsies engaged in a blood feud。 Armed with knives； their wrists had been bound by a single length of cord； isolating them to the radius of a small circle。 In that circumstance only one could survive。
〃I want to ask you to do something。。。 unorthodox。〃
Her mouth pursed； and she licked her lips。 〃Haven't we already done it？〃
〃Perhaps； in a way。 I want to look inside you。〃
〃No。〃 She stared down at the bits of food left on the plates。 〃It would be something like rape； wouldn't it？〃
〃I don't know。 I'm not qualified to say。〃
Her head came up and her eyes locked on his。 〃Why do you want to do this？〃
He told her about koryoku； and a bit of why he was looking for it； that her reaction to the projection of his tanjian eye made him curious as to whether she possessed koryoku。
〃I'm not psychic；〃 she said。 〃I don't have visions or premonitions。 In that area； I am perfectly dull。〃
〃Let me try； in any case。〃
〃What will you see？〃
〃I can't know that yet。〃
〃Everything？ My life as it is； as it has been？〃
〃I don't have that kind of power。 No one does。〃 He nodded。 〃Give me your hands。〃 She slid them into his； the fingertips were chill。 〃Don't be afraid。〃
His tanjian eye opened and her eyes closed just as if he had given her a spoken mand。 He felt her relax as his psychic energy flowed into her。 He surrounded her in a shell of warmth and protection； until she relaxed further； her brain was almost in delta rhythm； a dreaming pattern of deep sleep。 Then he went in。
In objective time； his probe lasted no more than a tenth of a second； but it was enough for him to tell that she did not possess the Illuminating Power。 He would have to find Mikio Okami for that。
He closed down his tanjian eye and her eyes opened slowly。 〃How do you feel？〃
〃Fine。 I … feel good。〃 She squeezed his hands。 〃Did you find what you were looking for？〃
〃No。〃
〃And my life。。。 ？〃
〃I know nothing more about you than I did before。 I told you； I can't read minds。〃
She nodded； slipped her hands from his。
He looked at her curiously。 〃You're not at all the woman I hired。〃
〃That was in Tokyo。〃 She rose； cleared the dishes。 〃Here in Saigon my Vietnamese side takes hold。〃
〃You said your father is Vietnamese。 He's still alive？〃
She put a pot on for tea； got a paring knife； and went to work on the fruit。 〃Yes。 He's a politician； although that word doesn't really apply here。 Vietnamese politics is so inextricably bound up with influence peddling； selling your services to the highest bidder； and changing ideology at the hint of a coup that the word has lost all conventional meaning。〃 She looked up from the fruit； gave him an odd look。 〃My father has worked for many different people。 He's nimble； which is how he has survived and prospered for so long。〃
〃Is he why Van Kiet takes orders from you？〃
〃Partly。〃 She neatly skinned a longan。 〃But I have my own influence here。〃
〃Does that extend to knowing the woman I was with？〃
〃Bay？ Yes； of course。 She was well…known here as a rep for an international arms dealer。〃
〃She told me she was an independent go…between。〃
Seiko laughed harshly。 〃This is Vietnam。 No female could have that kind of power。〃
〃You seem to。〃
〃I never said I was independent。 Even with my father's influence that would be impossible。〃 She sliced a cinnamon apple； arranged it on a plate with the longan and two bananas sliced lengthwise。 〃Women have no rights of their own here。 If they gain any respect at all； it is granted grudgingly and； I'm afraid； temporarily。〃
〃So you have two employers： Sato International and。。。〃
Bringing the plate over to the table； she set it between them。 〃I work for a man named Shidare who has a number of interests here。〃
〃Shidare？ Then he isn't Vietnamese。〃
〃Not many of power are。〃 She shrugged。 〃But that's the way it's almost always been here。 Nothing inherently Vietnamese has any permanent worth。 We've only bee important in world geopolitics because of our location。 We've been a pawn for decades in a game we can barely imagine； let alone understand。〃
〃Now you sound bitter。〃
〃Am I？〃 She took a piece of longan between her fingertips； studied it。 〃Vietnam has spent all of its modern history being invaded by one people or another。 We've been left with no culture。 Our music is French； our cuisine is an agglomeration； and we all aspire to look American。 What would you have me feel？〃
〃I can't say。 To be frank； I can't imagine such a situation。〃
〃I suppose I feel it more acutely because I'm half…Japanese； and when I'm in Tokyo； I see the things I have yet don't have at all。〃
〃Seiko； I can't have you working for two panies at once。 That's a gross breach of security。〃 And； to be frank； he thought； there's a good deal of suspicion back in Tokyo that you aided and abetted Masamoto Goei； one of the team leaders of my Chi Project； who was caught trafficking in the Chi neural…net chip with Vincent Tinh。 Here in Saigon； with all that had occurred； he was finding it all too easy to forget about what Seiko might have been acplice to in Tokyo。
〃Will you fire me； then？〃
〃Only if you force me。〃 What good would firing her