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！
〃Just barely。 Remember Timothy Delacroix？〃
〃The arms dealer； yeah； sure。〃
〃He's in Saigon and I tried to set up a meet with him。 The bastard tried to blow me off the street。〃
〃Christ！ You sure you're okay？ You want me to e out there？〃
〃I appreciate the thought；〃 Nicholas said； 〃but I'm all right。 Besides； it sounds to me you're needed right where you are。〃
〃I'm not so sure。〃 Croaker told him about the break…in at Moniker's and the Morgana ledger。 〃I found out the truth about Torch； and it's worse than we thought。 It is some form of new weapon … and it's of a sizable scale。 It's scheduled to be detonated on March 15； but I have no idea where。 What I do know is the site was chosen for … and I quote … 'proximity of target and density of population。' 〃
〃That means a major urban center；〃 Nicholas said； his heart filled with dread。
〃Right。 But where？ It could be any large city in the world。〃
〃We'll have to put the pressure on： we only have three weeks left。 But from what you've told me； I think our best bet is for you to pursue your end。〃
When Croaker had told him about Domino； Nicholas had said； 〃I think you'd be well advised to learn more about her as quickly as you can。〃
〃I agree；〃 Croaker had said。 〃What was a supposed Looking…Glass clerk like Domino doing with all the information she gave me？〃
〃Exactly。 And if Vesper Arkhaca is part of Okami's Nishiki network； I find it highly alarming that she also worked for Locking…Glass's late boss； Leon Waxman。〃
〃Of course。 Waxman was Johnny Leonforte； Bad Clams's father；〃 Croaker said。
〃The implications are more and more ominous as far as Vesper is concerned；〃 Nicholas had said。 〃What if she's the Godaishu's mole inside the Nishiki network？〃
〃I had been thinking along the same lines。 Nishiki is Okami's method of keeping the Goldonis … Dominic and now Margarite … up…to…date on the peccadilloes of Washington's power elite。 If Vesper is already inside Nishiki； she could travel without too much difficulty back along the network to Okami。〃
The possibility that Okami's enemies possessed a means of finding him even while he was in hiding chilled both men。
〃This makes your mission even more urgent；〃 Nicholas had told Croaker。 〃You've got to find Okami before Vesper does。〃
〃Soon；〃 Nicholas said now； bringing himself fully into the present with Tachi； 〃she'll be an outcast in her own land。〃 He watched the shadows into which the girl had disappeared。
〃An outcast； yes。〃 Tachi raised his right arm until the moonlight flooded the skin in a pearlescent glow。 The glossy ridges of his ropy skin stood out whitely like embroidery upon a dark quilt
〃Linnear…san； you better than anyone else I know understand the meaning of the word ijime。 Being half…Caucasian you must have encountered some form of it growing up in Japan。〃
〃Bullying by other children because I didn't fit into the group； because I was different。〃
Tachi nodded。 〃Precisely so。〃 Showing off his right arm as if it were a trophy； he said； 〃This is from ijime。 Outside Kumamoto； where I was raised； my family was different from most others。 For one thing； my father had a lot of money。 He owned fabric…dyeing mills in the area。 We had moved there when I was six because it was a depressed area and my father determined he could make a greater profit by lowering his overhead。
〃Whereas all my classmates lived in small； ugly ferroconcrete houses； we lived in a sprawling two…story wood…frame house。 It was beautiful； really。 My mother was an artist； a fabricator of the most fantastic art。 I wanted desperately to follow in her footsteps but； sadly； I had no aptitude for art。 Form and perspective were as alien to me as quantum physics was to my mother。
〃Also； my skin was light； another strike against me。 My earliest memories are of my mother bathing。 Her skin was as white as milk； or so it seemed to me； and so translucent I often believed I could see through it。 When I was older； I read magic tales and myths of the snow fox that lives high in the Japanese alps； who on the last day of the year es down to the levels where mankind lives and； transforming itself into a maiden of milky skin； plays tricks on farmers and townsfolk alike。
〃From that moment on； part of me believed that my mother was a magical creature。 The worse for me； since this only served to further my sense of specialness and isolation from those around me。
〃It goes without saying that I was despised at school； not only by my classmates because I was foreign； rich； and light skinned； but also I believe by the teachers and the principal； who found my presence alien and disruptive。 In fact； there's evidence that these officials felt I bore the brunt of the responsibility for my troubles。 The fact was my family was wealthy； we did live in a grand house by the standards of the area； I looked different from the stunted； dark…skinned trolls of the town； and I had never bothered to master their dialect。 In short； I did not conform to the strict tyranny of the group。 I was as different as if I were half…Western。〃
Nicholas thought of the difficulties he had had in school； and then in the martial arts dojo until he had proved himself more than capable of defending himself。 In fact； for the first time he wondered whether his batterings in school had led him into martial arts。 The fact that he had chosen aikido as his first discipline of study was telling； because its governing theories were essentially defensive。
〃I was bullied constantly；〃 Tachi said； 〃in the classroom and on the sports field。 I was by turns kicked； beaten； insulted； and snubbed。 How many times my poor mother was dragged away from one creation or another to sew my upper lip or the inside of my cheek。 She did take me to the doctor once； but since two of his sons were often the instigators of my injuries； he refused to acknowledge that I needed medical assistance。 My mother's hands； so adept at wielding a horsehair brush or a sculpting knife； were equally as confident with surgical needle and thread。
〃When my father went to school to plead my case； the principal greeted him coldly。 After all； my father had been educated in Tokyo。 He made in one week what the principal earned in a year。 The principal told my father that instead of plaining about his son he should have passion for the boys who were； he said； only acting out of a well…developed instinct for the survival of the group。 When my father threatened to take my story to the local paper； the principal pointed out that both the editor and publisher had children at the school； that they would understand even if my father didn't that the rights of the other children needed to be protected。 Nothing could be allowed to interfere with their futures。〃
Tachi sat very still。 It was clearly not easy for him to allow the past its due。 It seemed to sit on his shoulder like a demon； huge eyes gleaming like kaleidoscopes。
〃I did try one act of defiance； I set my right arm on fire as I sat in the auditorium with the entire school listening to what amounted to a tiresome sermon from the sanctimonious principal。 I suppose it was brave of me； but it did no good。 Predictably； the school officials closed ranks； terming the