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poured it in； then closed the lid； letting the tea steep。
They sat facing each other。 She handed him a full cup。 He drank first。 He could feel her wanting him to speak。 He missed Lew。 Their periodic phone debriefings were necessarily terse and to the point； underscoring the synergy the two men produced when they were together。
〃The number of women in this puzzle is interesting；〃 Nicholas had said to Croaker。 〃We have the two sisters； Margarite and Celeste； one based in New York； the other in Venice； where she works for Okami； Dominic's mother； Renata Loti； who is a major influence…peddler in Washington； now this woman Vesper； who's involved with Dedalus。 What's odd is how all of them are in positions of； if not outright decision…making； then of real power。〃
〃Do you have a theory？〃 Croaker had asked。 〃Right now I could use all the help I can get with Vesper because she doesn't fit any of my preconceived notions。〃
〃Neither do any of the other women。 But I have the impression that in some way neither of us are seeing； Vesper is a key。 Keep that in mind when you get to London。〃
〃You will never trust me； will you？〃 Seiko's voice broke into his thoughts。 She was looking at him over the edge of her cup。
〃Nangi uncovered evidence that Masamoto Goei； the theoretical…language team leader on my Chi Project； was involved in stealing the Chi neural…net chip。 There is suspicion that you helped him smuggle it into Vietnam to Vincent Tinh。〃
〃I'm guilty。〃
〃What？〃
She nodded。 〃I helped Goei； but not for money as Tinh thought； and not for ideology as Goei believed。 It was to help Tachi and Van Kiet get inside Floating City。 The illegal done Tinh had Abramanov cobble together from stolen elements from the Chi Project and the American equivalent Hive puter gave them a foot in the door。 Or so they theorized。 Unfortunately； Tinh … who was the key； the liaison with Rock … refused to cooperate； even when Van Kiet put pressure on him。〃
Nicholas thought about this for some time。 Was she lying or telling the truth？ The sexual vibrations she set up in resonance every tune he projected his psyche made it impossible for him even to make a guess。 Everything she said seemed plausible； but did that make it the truth？ Was he among friends or in a nest of deadly vipers？
〃Then who murdered Tinh？ It seems to me that from what you and Tachi have told me； Rock had motive and opportunity。 Yet I have no tangible proof。〃
〃Does it really matter？ Vincent Tinh is dead。 Nothing you can do now will bring him back。〃 She took a breath。 〃He deserved his fate。〃
〃The truth matters a great deal to me。〃
She put her cup down。 〃I've told you the truth。〃 She put out her hands； palms up。 〃Use your Tau…tau。〃
He said nothing； made no move； but his eyes bored into hers until she was obliged to blink。
She swallowed more tea； then said； 〃I want to tell you something。 I had a brother； Matsuro。 I'm going to tell you about his death because he died under。。。 particular circumstances。〃 She paused then； as if she might reconsider。
Carefully； she put down the teacup； stared at it fixedly。 At last； she said； 〃Matsuro was special； his mental and physical ages were not synchronous。〃 She blinked once； as if she saw him now； in the mirror of the teacup。 〃He was two years younger than me； but inside he was just a little boy。 He did not understand。。。〃 Her voice faded out as her eyes clouded with tears。 〃He did not understand the world。〃
Her fingers laced and unlaced themselves in her lap。 〃At that time； five years ago； I lived with them … Matsuro and my mother。 At night I was in charge of him。 My mother works nights； she runs a Kyoto akachochin。〃 An after…hours bar。 〃Every night I would give Matsuro his bath before he went to bed。 It was a kind of。。。 ritual that he loved。 I would tell him stories and we would talk and he was so relaxed he would almost seem normal。
〃I was seeing someone then； a Vietnamese modities expert who taught me a great deal about the foreign stock markets。〃 She stopped again； her throat clotted with memory and emotion。 She swallowed hard； reached for the teacup； then stopped midway。 〃You see how it was； he called that night。 I hadn't seen him in two months … he had gone to Saigon on business。 He phoned me the moment he returned。 I。。。 I only meant to leave Matsuro for a moment； to get the phone。 But it was him； and I had missed him so much and he had so much to tell me； I got caught up。。。〃
Her head went down； and slowly tears fell onto her hands； unmoving now in her lap。
〃I have no excuse。。。 none that will suffice for my inattention。 It was only； I don't know； seven； eight minutes when I remembered my brother； alone in the tub half…full of water。 I dropped the phone； ran into the bathroom。〃 She had to stop again。 Like a mountain climber who has ascended to heights where the air is very thin； she had to adjust to the harshness of a new reality。
〃There is an image in my mind； and like a diamond in rock it endures。 There is Matsuro lying facedown in the water。 Water from the spout is rushing over his hair； moving it back and forth like the tendrils of a beautiful sea anemone。 Otherwise； he is not moving。〃
The tears dropped； one by one in an inexorable rhythm onto her lap。
〃This is what I remember； the persistence of memory like a diamond that cannot be shattered。 So hard； so cold。 The rest is a blur： my pulling him up out of the tub； turning him over； giving him mouth…to…mouth resuscitation； calling an emergency medical team； hugging him to me even when they came for him； the ride to the hospital … and； after； my mother's wails； her screams； her anger at me。 Because； you see； he was already dead when I came into the bathroom and I could not … cannot … accept what I'd done。〃
Nicholas said nothing； words were inadequate in the presence of her profound grief。 At once he understood a great deal about her： how cut off she felt from her parents； why she had found her way into this shadow world； filled with betrayal； fraught with terrible danger； and what she knew would inevitably happen to her when she had gone too far or had made one mistake too many： the ax would fall； her head would roll； and her guilt would at last be expunged。
Her grief was real； the memory had been pulled from her … of these things he could be certain。 But what was her motive for this confession？ Was she sincerely trying to prove her innocence with this vulnerability？ Or was she a consummate actor dredging up a terrible personal tragedy in order to fool him into trusting her？
She loved him and she was deeply troubled。 In the end； these were the only two things he could trust absolutely。 It was not enough to evaluate the situation。 Somehow he had to find a way to make it enough。
Nicholas rose； went to the window。 The fishmongers were gone； and all that was left was the smell of eviscerated fish。 Of course； the memory of Koei would haunt him now。 Every instinct in his body screamed a warning。 He knew firsthand what happened when one got involved in the affairs of the Yakuza。 And yet here he was； sworn to protect the head of all the Yakuza oyabun； in the pany of a half…Japanese； half…Vietnamese woman who may or may not have been involved in