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zed Chinese mountain warlords； Yakuza … the list was endless。 Still； there was one ubiquitous truth： all of these factions were exceedingly dangerous and all had spies in and around Saigon。 Outnumbered and outgunned； Nicholas knew he had to step carefully lest the weight of his unknown enemy e down on him and Shindo all at once。
〃Trang；〃 he said now； taking a chance； 〃how long did you work for Vincent Tinh？〃
〃Vincent Tinh？〃 Trang was brought up short； a stone in the stream of traffic eddying around them。
〃Yes。〃 Nicholas searched Trang's face looking for duplicity； but finding something else； something he couldn't put his finger on。
A deafening roar filled the street as a covey of motorbikes swept past； the echoes of their exhaust thrumming off the shopfronts。 A blast of rock'n'roll sped like a manic race driver； Mick Jagger wailing about war。
〃You worked for him； didn't you？〃 Nicholas said。
Trang swung his head so that his eyes went blank in the streetlights。 〃If I had； I'd be dead now。〃
By which answer Nicholas knew he had hit a raw nerve。 Even if Trang hadn't worked for him； he knew some of what had happened to Tinh and why。 That made him instantly valuable to Nicholas。
He reached out。 〃Just a minute； Trang …〃
But Trang pulled away； darting ever faster through the swelling throng； and Nicholas found himself sprinting after the Vietnamese。 What the hell was he up to？
Trang was hurrying southeast； toward the Kinh Ben Nghe Canal that acted more or less as the southern boundary of central Cholon。 A pair of monks in saffron robes； their faces serene and observant； turned their heads as he pushed by。 A gaggle of kids tried to grab at him； their outstretched arms like a forest of sea anemones。 A streetwalker eyed him from behind outlandish false lashes。 She looked like a Carnaby Street tart circa 1969。 It appeared as if all of Saigon were caught in a weird psychedelic time warp； desperately trying to reconjure its salad days； which were； perversely； during the height of the war。
Nicholas had nearly caught up to Trang when he thought he saw Shindo moving toward him at the periphery of the crowd。 Then the image was gone； and he hurried after Trang； who slipped through the throng as easily as an eel through a coral reef。 Nicholas's anxiety increased as he recalled Shindo's warning about this place。 This was his turf； not Nicholas's。
He slipped past a cluster of people； sprinted across a brief clear section of street； and made a lunge for Trang。 Someone was heading toward the Vietnamese from the opposite direction。 Nicholas was reaching out to protect Trang when he heard a sharp report。
At almost the same instant； the head of the man beside Trang blew outward like a cracked melon； A hail of blood； tissue； and shattered bone erupted； and Nicholas found himself prone on the ground。 The smells of incense and death mingled in his nostrils。 A shocked silence gripped the narrow street； followed by the first wail of a human voice； picked up and echoed by others。
Nicholas； on his knees； sank into Akshara； spiraling downward toward kokoro； the heart of all things。 He chose one of the ages…old rhythms of Tau…tau； beating upon the membrane of kokoro； creating the psychic resonance that transformed thought into deed。 Light flashed； then dimmed； colors bled one into another as time warped outward and away。 Thus armed； he opened his tanjian eye； expanding his psyche outward。 The man was dead。 Automatically； his psyche searched for another tanjian presence； but found none。 And then； his attention returning to the corpse； he saw the dark tie； narrow as a knife。 It was no longer patternless。 A Jackson Pollock…like spray of blood was spiderwebbed across it。
Oh； Christ； he thought。 It's Shindo。
He reached out； but Trang was suddenly crouched beside him。 〃No！ There's no time！〃 he shouted in Nicholas's ear； and hauled him to his feet。 Trang made an abrupt turn to the left； disappearing into darkness。 Nicholas； with one quick glance back at Shindo's sprawled body； followed him。
What happened was this： I killed him in the manner he asked me to； Shindo had said about his lover。 But now Nicholas realized that he had been talking about himself as well。 He couldn't stay away from Vietnam。 The war had caught him up in its malignant thrall； and in the end he died as he had wanted to； in…country； from an enemy bullet。
Together； Nicholas and Trang hurtled down one narrow back alley after another in such rapid succession that Nicholas lost all sense of direction。 He supposed that was the point： if he was confused； so would be anyone trying to pursue them。 He wanted to ask Trang a dozen questions； chief among which was； Had that shot been meant for him？
At last； they broke out onto Tran Van Kieu Street。 Ahead of them； the dark waters of the Kinh Ben Nghe Canal gleamed in the lights from the city。 They raced toward the bridge upon which Con Gluoc Street spanned the canal。 Beneath it was utter blackness。
Trang slipped beneath the bridge。 Nicholas hesitated for a moment； looking back over his shoulder。 He did not care for the darkness。 He did not know Trang； could not for certain trust him。 What if this was a setup？
What good were these doubts？ he asked himself。 If Trang was for real； he needed him。 Shindo was dead and Trang was now his only lead in the investigation。 All he knew for sure was he'd never find out standing still。
He ducked his head； slipping into the blackness。 He was immediately up to his knees in filth。 The stench was overpowering。 But now； as his eyes adjusted； he saw a dun outline of a small boat tied up against the stone pilings。 Trang was moving in the darkness； and Nicholas heard a rustling of cloth。 Then Trang clambered into the boat； untied it； and pushed off while Nicholas leaped aboard。 The craft rocked dangerously； and Nicholas was obliged to stand spread…legged in the center in order to bring it back to stability。
By that time they had emerged from beneath the bridge。 Nicholas scanned the shoreline； looking for anyone with an inordinate degree of interest in them； but the exercise was fruitless。 Too many faces； too little light； and the inconstant rocking motion of their passage defeated him。 He opened his tanjian eye； searching for a malign presence； but the welter of people provided too much interference。 Mind reading was not among the advantages of the tanjian。 Adepts could； by a clever bination of psychic insight； observation； and intuition； e to an approximation of it； but it was not true mind reading and had to be treated with a great degree of caution。
It occurred to Nicholas that they were too vulnerable out on the water； and he turned his attention to Trang in order to tell him this。
Trang had disappeared。 In fact； Nicholas saw with a jolt； he had never existed。 The slim figure running the noisy outboard motor was without the fedora and suit； and now Nicholas recognized that it was feminine in every way。 This was the oddity he had instinctively registered earlier but could not quite pull into the light of consciousness。
〃Shit；〃 he said； sitting down heavily； 〃who the hell are you？〃
〃My name is Bay；〃 the young woman said。 He could now see her for what she was：