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me。''
''But he's got to；〃 Russell said。 〃He owes you； doesn't he？''
Tori gave him a small smile。 〃If only it were that simple。〃 She shook her head。 ''No matter what giri Hitasura feels toward me； I am still gaijin； an outsider。 That fact outweighs everything else； even giri； because to a Japanese a gaijin might speak of giri； but it is impossible to believe that he will live by it。 That gives him the leeway to speak of giri to me； without actually meaning it。〃
〃Christ。 If he feels he owes you nothing； how will you get him to admit to his involvement； let alone tell you what's going on？〃
〃Right now； I haven't the faintest idea；〃 Tori said。
Russell sat on the bed； took her in his arms。 ''You scared the hell out of me； you know。〃
〃Russ； you're losing your director's perspective。〃
〃Fuck being a director。 I'm a field executive now。〃
She smiled。 〃You've been demoted。〃
〃Is that how you see it？ I don't。 I've gotten a sense of the Mall that I never had before。 It seems that the higher you get in any hierarchy； the less you know about the nuts and bolts of running it。〃 He leaned forward。 〃That's because you have to turn off and disconnect yourself from one set of alliances in order to plug yourself into the political sockets needed to keep the jackals on Capitol Hill at bay。''
''Dangerous stuff。''
Russell nodded。 〃But a month ago I would have wasted my time and yours by shouting you down。 Being out here in the field has allowed me to finally see the danger in what I and Bernard do。 We get more and more insulated； devising policies…theoretical canvasses which we then order you to color with your blood。 I'm beginning to understand that Bernard and I have lost all perspective。 Politics and life are often wildly out of sync； that's what being out here in the wild has taught me。〃
Tori kissed him lightly。 〃We all have expectations of things： people； events； situations； you name it； but the reality is so often different。 You know； there was a story Bernard told me about when he was younger。''
〃You mean when he supposedly went to Chicago to look up his long…lost dad； and Dad turned out to be a sonuvabitch after all？〃
Tori stared at Russell。 〃He told you； too。〃
Here we go； Russell thought。 I'm never going to get a better shot at this。 〃Tori； Bernard loves to tell that story； but it's bullshit； pure and simple。 He tried it on me； only I had done my homework。 I knew he came from bluebloods in Virginia。 His father was a wealthy and successful attorney； founding a dynastic law office。 Until his death some years ago； he had been happily married to his wife…Bernard's mother…for more than fifty years。〃
〃But that story 。 。 。〃
He could feel her drawing away from him； a familiar coldness ing into her； but still he persisted； it was time for her to know the truth。 〃Bernard thinks it makes him seem more human。 He tells it to people like you to help bind them to him。''
〃Oh； e on；〃 Tori said。 〃Bernard's not that cynical。〃
〃He doesn't think of himself that way；〃 Russell said。 〃According to Bernard； business is conducted in any manner that gets the job done。〃
〃I don't believe you；〃 Tori said。
〃Then you certainly won't believe that before I left with you on this assignment Bernard told me what to do to you if your undisciplined methodology got in the way。〃 Russell rose。 〃He told me to terminate you。〃
It was dusk by the time Ton returned from the Mall offices at the Sumitomo Building in Shinjuku。 By that time it had begun to rain； fine silver needles spraying the sidewalks； streets； and car tops； smearing the city grit across windshields。 Gray water dripped from building facades。 The sidewalks were a sea of umbrellas。 Neon had taken over from daylight。
Russell had remained at the office to transmit a progress report and clear up the mountain of paperwork that accumulated during a transcontinental trip。
Tori was shaken by her foray into the Mall Central puters。 Her suspicions had been made all too real。 The travel information contained there confirmed everything that Koi had told her about the coalition between the industrialist Kunio Michita； Fumida Ten； chairman of Kaga； and Tori's friend； Hitasura； with Estilo acting as willing middleman supplier。
Koi's repeated mention of the mysterious American 〃who didn't have the appearance of a businessman〃 had set off warning bells in Tori's mind。 Now she recalled her and Russell's puzzlement over why Estilo would give them information that seemed detrimental to him。 In revealing his involvement； he had not only implicated himself…thus risking a termination of what must be a lucrative business deal to supply the decidedly odd Michita…Ten…Hitasura coalition with illegal hafnium…but he also had pointed them toward the one person in Japan who could help them further： Hitasura。 Why？
Now it seemed clear： he had been warning Tori。 If Estilo had betrayed their friendship； he had more than made up for it by what he had done。 Tori thought now that she owed Estilo an enormous apology。 He could have told her outright what was happening； but he knew that she would not be able to bring herself to believe him。 He knew that she had to be led step by step toward the inevitable conclusion。
The information in the Mall Central puter confirmed that on the dates that the Kaga…Michita negotiations were mencing； Bernard Godwin had been out of the country。 But there was some other reason why these dates seemed familiar。 Tori racked her brain； but could not think of where she had e across them before。
Giving it up for the moment； she returned to the most immediate problem： where had Bernard Godwin gone？ A search through the travel facilities of the Mall revealed that he had not used the pany's services to book his flights。
Linking up to the American airlines puters had been more enlightening。 A week before the Kaga…Michita negotiations had begun in earnest； Bernard Godwin had bought a first…class ticket to San Francisco。 He was there just overnight。 The next day he was on a flight to Tokyo。 His return to the States was three weeks later。
Tori did not believe in coincidences。 Bernard Godwin was the American who had instigated Michita's inquiry into the new Kaga process that had led to the forming of the coalition。
Bernard Godwin！
But that was patently impossible。 For one thing； Tori could not believe that a man like Bernard would ever involve himself with cocaine trafficking。 For another； even if the impossible had occurred； Godwin…along with Russell…had had a hand in bringing her back in order to track down the source of the lethal supercocaine。 Recalling Bernard's outraged face as Russell described the effects of the new drug； Tori was more certain than ever that he had nothing to do with that part of it。
And yet Hitasura was an integral part of the coalition that Bernard must have put together so that he could supply these new nuclear weapons…whatever they were…to his precious nationalist movement in the Soviet Union。 And Estilo had said that the untreated coke was being bought by Hitasura。
It's still not making sense。 What am I missing？ Tori asked herself。
There was only one path to take； and it led right through Hitasura。
Hitasura's tea…col