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minal； poison。 You e into my husband's life and now the Americans have taken him。 I warned him。 I told him you would destroy us； but he said； 'You are a woman； you know nothing of what I must do。' 〃 She glared at Okami like a demon out of a No play。 Then her voice cracked and tears rolled down her cheeks。 〃I know what I know。 I will never see him again。〃 She slammed the door in Okami's face。
He stood in the darkness。 The one light went out； a train rocketed by； shaking the wails of the row houses。 He knocked on the door； but no one answered。 In the ensuing silence he was sure he heard Iwanushi's wife sobbing。 He looked around。 Even the dog was gone。
After a very long time he turned and walked away。
BOOK 4
DREAMS& BEASTS
Dreams and beasts are two
keys by which we find out
the keys to our own nature。
… Ralph Waldo Emerson
14
London/Tokyo/Saigon/ Tien Giang
Morning mist clung to London's curbsides like the fingers of a mendicant。 Croaker was at the 315 rendezvous site early。 Holland Park stood at the western end of the city； not far from the larger Kensington Gardens。 It was a relatively small park； but a beautifully planted space for all that。
Croaker had taken the tube to the Holland Park station and； crossing Holland Park Avenue just west of Notting Hill Gate； had walked two short blocks； entering the park via the Rose Walk。
He spent some time in the Japanese garden； feeling nostalgic and wondering when he and Nicholas would meet up again。 Four days until the ides； four days until Torch would be detonated。 Not much time left。 Nicholas had told him that he had corroboration that Torch was being manufactured in Floating City； that its target appeared to be Okami； and that he had been told by the dying Niigata that once it was in the target area； it would be impossible to trace。 If Nicholas could not penetrate Floating City in time to prevent the delivery； a major disaster was imminent。 It was imperative that they find out where Okami was and try to protect him； his enemies knew his approximate location； but Nicholas and Croaker did not。
From his present location Croaker could keep an eye on Bird Lawn where the rendezvous was to take place。 It was now three minutes to noon。
Who had contacted Vesper？ He's going to want the update on Serman； and I'm not going to be able to give it to him； she had told Celeste。 It must be someone very high up in the Nishiki network； perhaps even someone who had direct access to Okami。 Also； Vesper had not been expecting it； so it was likely an emergency procedure。 Crises always brought the big guns out of the woodwork。 Perhaps； Croaker thought； luck is with me today。 I'm close to the heart of Nishiki； I can sense it。
Nicholas was not the only person the Japanese garden reminded him of。 He could not get Margarite out of his mind。 Was everything he had believed about her false？ He had known the dangers of falling for a woman who was； to all intents and purposes； on the other side of the law。 But who could control love？ Ever since he had followed her to Washington； Margarite had been set on a course for which he had been totally unprepared。 How many lives did she lead？ She was mother and wife in her family role with Tony D。 and Francine； hidden within Tony D。's shadow she was manipulating the reins of her late brother's underworld empire； she was Croaker's lover； and now she was involved with the Nishiki network； which had been promised to its core by Vesper。
His mind filled with Margarite and Bad Clams's threat against her life； he saw Vesper striding toward Bird Lawn from the direction of the orangery。 She was cloaked in a long； swingy coat rimmed in fur with a huge stand…up collar。 She had on her head a fashionable take on the old Russian hat； which was also fur…trimmed。 She walked with purpose and grace； her posture as erect as that of any graduate of a top finishing school。 In her gait it was clear she held both power and femininity in the palm of her hand。
Her piercing cornflower blue eyes quartered the area surrounding Bird Lawn with the precision of the seasoned professional； and this simple demonstration of tradecraft exposed a heretofore carefully hidden part of her： she was no amateur； no dilettante squandering her enormous intellect in playing vicious games to； say； subvert the traditional male…oriented playing field。 She was deadly serious at everything to which she turned her hand； and he knew he must give careful consideration to her motives before he could devise a way of neutralizing her。
Then she turned her back to him； and he moved toward her； out of the Japanese garden； heading for Bird Lawn。 Someone else was ing toward her； emerging from the direction of Holland House； just southeast of them。
Wrapped in a thick winter mackinaw； carrying an open umbrella； the figure was impossible to identify at this distance。 He could see it was small … another woman； he surmised； until it came close enough for Vesper to break into a run； holding out her arms。 She embraced the figure； wrapping her arms around it The umbrella fell to the pavement； and Croaker； already very near Bird Lawn； could see the face。
He stood stock…still； but a shot of adrenaline provided a massive jolt to his system。 His mind was buzzing with the kind of terrifying electricity one experiences in the instant before elation or utter tragedy because the person who had sent the unsigned message to Vesper； who was indeed high up in the Nishiki network； who was here now as undeniably alive as Croaker and Vesper； was the Kaisho； Mikio Okami。
〃It's something of a miracle；〃 Dr。 Benwa said。 〃Your cancer is in remission。〃
Ushiba sat on the examining table； staring at the gaunt man with a white face and waxy skin in a green physician's smock。 Dr。 Benwa represented something of a miracle himself。 His withered right arm hung lifeless at his side。 Benwa and his parents had been outside Hiroshima when the bomb was dropped。 They had died and Benwa had been treated for radiation burns。 The prognosis had been negative； but against all odds he had survived。 It was as if his right arm had sacrificed itself so that the rest of the organism could live。 Somehow； even as the radiation sickness had taken the flesh off his arm； he had walled it off from the rest of him。 No doctor had an adequate theory as to how Benwa had survived； but here he was practicing oncological medicine。
〃While this is undoubtedly good news； I don't want to give you false hope；〃 Dr。 Benwa said gravely。 〃The human body is the world's greatest miracle。 It is capable of surprising feats of heroism。 But the fact is your condition could resume at any time。 As I have told you； there has already been a great deal of organ damage that cannot be repaired。 The malignant cells are still there； they haven't disappeared； right now； for reasons we can't begin to understand； they're sleeping。〃
As he dressed； Ushiba wondered whether the remission could in some way be related to his confession to Tanaka Gin。 Had his vomiting up the litany of Akira Chosa's connections with Yoshinori provided a kind of catharsis that had flowed from his mind into his body？ Ushiba was not a religious man； but