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〃Koei； he's dead。〃
〃Who's dead？〃 She had that bewildered look he had seen in her so long ago。
〃Hideyuke。〃
〃What？ How？〃
Nicholas looked at her for a long time。 〃We got into a fight。〃
〃He fought with you？ You're。。。 my God； I've seen what you can do。〃 Then； as if a switch had been thrown inside her； she gave a little moan。 〃Why were you there？〃
〃You know why。〃
Now she cried out in earnest。 〃Retribution。 That's what you wanted； isn't it？〃
〃No； I。。。〃 In truth Nicholas did not know； and the question had been haunting him ever since he hauled himself out of the water。 Had he gone to see Hideyuke in order to confront him？ For what reason？ To hear him confess and gain a measure of satisfaction？ Or had it been to seek retribution for the hideous crime he had mitted？ No； it couldn't be。 He was incapable。。。 Then he recalled one of his conversations with Tsunetomo when the oyabun had recounted the story of the loyal retainer who had mitted seppuku because his lord's son had been killed。 Duty is not only familial； he had said to Tsunetomo in response。 It is a sense of time and place； but mostly it is a definition of self。
〃I don't know；〃 Nicholas said。
〃You don't know；〃 Koei repeated。 Then anger filled her face； turning it into something he could never have imagined。 〃Yasuo was an innocent boy。 He and I held hands； once or twice。 That's all。〃
Nicholas was so stunned； there was a buzzing in his ears。 〃But you told me …〃
Koei put her fists against her ears。 〃I know what I told you； but I didn't know what else to say。 You were making me talk about it； and maybe you were right； part of me wanted to。 But I couldn't tell you the truth。〃
〃What truth！〃 He shook her so hard her teeth rattled。 There was a taste of bile in his mouth and his bowels had turned to water。 He had a glimpse of Hideyuke losing his grip； falling into the roiling abyss between dock and boat。 〃What truth！〃 he roared。
In the face of his pain and rage the cyst of silence and lies burst at last。 〃It was my father！ My father raped me！〃
And now； as reality shifted； he saw in a flash all the interactions that he had so neatly misinterpreted： Koei looking into her father's limo as if it were an open grave； the mother's disaffection； the father's jealousy； Koei's strange animation at describing an imagined violent death for her father； I was asleep； I didn't know at first what was happening； she had been at home when she was raped。 The half…truths and the clues； the silence and the lies。
She collapsed at his feet； her hands over her eyes。 But it was too much； even she could not block out the past and the present。 〃Oh； Buddha； save me！〃
But Nicholas； looking down at her with a mixture of pity and rage； knew that there would be no salvation for any of them。 His heart was broken； but what did that matter now？ He had made his choice。 He had lain down with Yakuza and had gotten up covered in blood。
BOOK 3
SKULL& BONES
Banked fires； night grows late …
then es a sound of rapping
at the gate。
… Kyoroku
9
Kyoto /Washington
Nicholas awoke to the soft calls of the fishmongers。 He had dreamed of Koei； and now his mind was filled with her。 He had not had that particular dream in a long time。 What had triggered it？
All his days and nights with her were preserved in his memory as if suspended in time。 Sights； sounds； smells； and most of all； feelings were as vivid now as they had been when he had been with her。 If Koei had been his right arm； he could not have felt her loss any more profoundly。 His love for her had transcended the mere physical； it bloomed in the night when he was alone like some exotic and ethereal flower； even during the years he had been married to Jus…tine。 And； of course； the circumstances of that loss made it that much more painful。 He had been betrayed by his surrogate family； by following in his father's footsteps； by his own instinct in befriending members of the Yakuza。
He had destroyed an innocent young man in his stumbling attempt to right a wrong。 In the process； he had uncovered a nest of unpardonable sins。 But he had yet to discover which had been his unpardonable sin： causing Yasuo's death or living in the Yakuza world？ Little wonder he had grown up hating them so。
He felt a stirring beside him； turned and saw Seiko's face as she lay on her side beneath the covers of the futon。 Silently； he pushed the covers aside； walked to the sliding doors that opened onto the window of the room。 They were on the second floor of a ryokan； a traditional inn on a side street off the Shijo…dori； one of Kyoto's wide； bustling avenues。 The Shijo…dori might have been as modern as any avenue in Tokyo； but take a turn off it on almost any side street and； like this one； you'd find a semblance of the old Kyoto； with its wood…frame houses and narrow lanes。
Before leaving Saigon； Nicholas had temporarily installed a cousin of Van Kiet's in the Sato International branch office to monitor the local factories' output but to make no policy decisions。 Considering the suspicions he harbored； he did not want to entrust the job to Seiko。
He； Tachi； and Seiko had flown into Osaka； then had taken the fifty…minute shuttle bus to Kyoto because Van Kiet had discovered two receipts in V。 I。 Pavlov's wallet … a testament to the meticulousness of the Russian … one a roundtrip for transfers by bus to and from Osaka airport and Kyoto。 The other was for a Kyoto nightclub called Ningyo…ro； the Doll Pavilion。 Oddly； Pavlov had been carrying no receipt for a hotel or ryokan。
Outside； small trucks laden with fresh； glistening fish were being off…loaded onto the street as the morning sorting began。 The fish market； just around the corner； was only open until noon； and six days a week the narrow street here ran with blood and brine。
Nicholas； standing at the window； looked down on the rubber…booted fishmongers and saw a dark crevasse； black water rolling and empty of life。 So many years had passed since he had learned his lesson； so many years since he had turned his back on the Yakuza and Mikio Okami； his father's best friend。 And then； last year； Okami had popped up； wanting Nicholas to make good on the promise Nicholas had made to the Colonel to e to Okami's aid should he ever need it。 Now； in an insane twist of fate； he was sworn to protect Okami。 In so doing； he had been drawn into a world he could no longer define。 That eventually brought Lew Croaker and Nicholas in contact with Okami's assassin； a Vietnamese named Do Due； whom Nicholas had killed。
〃Nicholas。〃
He turned； saw that Seiko had arisen。 The room was redolent of broiling fish； which the kitchen downstairs was no doubt preparing for breakfast。 Soon he would have to confront Tachi； the Yakuza oyabun； the tanjian。
〃You look so sad。 Would you like some tea？〃
〃Very much； yes。 Domo。〃
She went out of the room； filled an iron kettle with water； then returned to a hibachi sunken into the tataroi and began to heat it。 He watched her take green cut leaves out of a canister； spread them like a carpet into the kettle。 When the water was ready； she poured it in； then closed the lid； letting the tea steep。
They sat facing each ot