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a surgeon operating on his wife not to think about his patient。 He put a call in to Nick； leaving his electronic marker。
In a moment； the phone rang and he jumped； then snatched up the receiver。
〃Nick？〃
〃 'Lo； Lew。〃
Croaker was stalking back and forth across the carpet； unable to sit still。 Despite his exhaustion his adrenaline was at full throttle。 〃Senator Dedalus is seemingly now in control of Looking…Glass。 I've got to find out whose side he's on … the Goldonis or the Leonfortes。 He was supposedly Dominic Goldoni's friend； but a Leonforte ran his agency。 And； as we know； Johnny Leonforte was a leading member of the Godaishu。〃
〃Interesting；〃 Nicholas said。 〃The Godaishu is a Yakuza…spawned organization。〃 He filled Croaker in on the possible linkup between the Yakuza； Avalon Ltd。； Torch； and Delacroix。
〃Still；〃 Croaker said； 〃I'd like to know who is manufacturing Torch。〃
〃1 think I may have an idea；〃 Nicholas said； and told him what little he had gleaned about Floating City。
Croaker said； 〃Could be whoever's taking possession of Torch is the same person or persons responsible for putting the death sentence on Okami。 I'd put my money on the Godaishu。〃
There was a pause while the two men hit upon the same conclusion at once。
〃What if Okami is Torch's target？〃 Nicholas said。
〃It makes sense； doesn't it？ And Okami's smart enough to suspect it； but because he's deposed and in hiding； he lacks the power to prevent it。〃
〃That's just it； he doesn't lack the power。 That's why he's been feeding us clues； Lew。 He's got us。〃
The darkness of night was reluctantly lifting by the time Croaker cradled the receiver。 Twenty minutes later； clean； deodorized； and shaved； he went out of his room。 On the way downstairs he began to see a possible pattern forming。 While in the bathroom he had deliberately blanked his mind； doing deep…breathing exercises to keep his forebrain occupied； giving his unconscious time to work。 Now he reengaged。
What had happened to him from the moment he had connected by phone to Domino had the smell of a classic vetting set piece。 While he was busy trying to pump her about information； she had been doing the same with him。
He hit the lobby running and grabbed a taxi outside。 He gave the cabby Senator Dedalus's address。
It was looking more and more as if Domino； the imaginary sister of Vesper Arkham； was Vesper herself。 It all made sense once he added one fact to the scenario： Vesper was Dedalus's mole inside Nishiki。 Spinning the scenario out further； it appeared as if Dedalus was the power behind Johnny Leonforte； which neatly answered the question of how Leonforte as Waxman passed the agency vetting。
He also needed to ask Vesper who owned Morgana； Inc。 The books at Morgana and Avalon Ltd。 both made mention of the weapon Torch 315。 If these peting arms panies were after Torch； it must be hot indeed。
Those two hours he had slept were the first in the last forty…eight。 His face was red and sore from the hurried scrape of the razor； and despite his fresh clothes he felt unkempt。 Not the best way to meet the senator for the first rime； he'd just have to rely on his charming personality。
A light drizzle was falling。 Every so often the chill winter wind metamorphosed it into sleet； which pattered against the roof and windshield of the cab like the scratching of a homeless mongrel。 Within the plex web he and Nicholas were enmeshed in； he was desperately trying not to think of Margarite； but he couldn't help himself。 If she was involved with Vesper； who ran Morgana； Inc。's illicit arms dealings； it threw a whole new spin on the situation。 His sense of Dominic Goldoni was that the man had been far more than chief racketeer of the East Coast。 Goldoni had been a visionary。 He had thrown his lot in with Mikio Okami； breaking with the highly lucrative Godaishu； in order to run an exceedingly dangerous counterplot that had led to his death and to Okami's near…assassination。 Why？ What had been so urgent to the two men？
Against tradition and logic； Goldoni had trained his sister in secret to take over his end of the operation。 And yet Dominic's archrival； Caesare Leonforte； had begun to smell a rat。 Maybe he knew Tony D。 too well； or maybe he was more clever than Dominic had anticipated。 In any case； he now had Croaker just where he wanted him： as a hunting dog who had already caught the scent of his quarry。
Croaker shuddered in the back of the jouncing cab； unpleasantly reminded that the closer he got to Margarite and the Nishiki network； the closer Bad Clams came to destroying her。
Increasingly； he felt like a rat in a maze； one that had been diabolically devised just for him； He was unused to being powerless； manipulated by unseen forces beyond his prehension； and this worried him for a number of reasons。 He had to be careful not to let his anger make him careless。 He had seen enough street cops blown away by lapses in vigilance caused by their emotions running rampant to know he didn't want to die that way。 Also； he was beginning to glimpse a picture so large in scope that he already felt the intimations of fear。 This emotion； too； he had to fight； because just as anger could make you reckless； fear could paralyze you。
Assumption number one： Dominic and Okami owned Morgana； Inc。 Assumption number two： Vesper； with her ties to Looking…Glass； the supersecret federal agency run by Johnny Leonforte and now Senator Dedalus； was a major player in this game。 Croaker and Nicholas had been pointed in the directions they were now headed by clues delivered obliquely by Mikio Okami。 Information they had gleaned had sent them after Avalon； after Torch； had made them aware of the Nishiki network and its purpose to keep power in the hands of Dominic Goldoni and now Margarite。 For an instant； Croaker had an image of Okami hidden in shadow； pulling strings on the immense stage of the world。
Sen。 Richard Dedalus seemed to be the key； and Croaker was looking forward with dread fascination to his meeting with the man who had effectively created Waxman's agency； and who now apparently ran it as he saw fit。
Dedalus lived on a twelve…acre estate in McLean； Virginia。 The manor house was an imposing stone and slate affair that somehow managed to conjure up the atmosphere of an old English castle without being in the least pretentious。 The curving granite…set driveway was a quarter mile long。 It was lined on either side with majestic Aristocrat Bradford pear trees； which； with their very upright habit； gave the impression of the sentries on guard at Windsor Castle。
On his way to the house； Croaker passed an immaculately tended fruit orchard and a cleverly concealed tennis court。 A figure in cap and overalls he took to be the gardener moved slowly through the periphery of the orchard in a golf cart； its back loaded with pruning equipment。 Despite the early hour； the gardener paid the taxi no notice。 No doubt he was used to the odd hours his employer must keep。
Croaker paid the cabby and got out in a porte…cochere large enough to acmodate the president's bulletproof limousine and a pair of staff cars side by side。 The carved front door was high enough for a basketball player to ent