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〃I don't…〃
〃Your particular obsession has ended right here。〃 Honno stuck her forefinger into that soft spot just below Giin's sternum。 He winced； collapsed into her。 Saliva drooled out of his gasping mouth。
〃You've caused too many people far too much pain；〃 Honno told him。 The finger jammed inward again； and Giin's eyes opened so wide she thought the eyeballs would pop out。 〃I'm the one； little Honno； who you thought so little of； who you condescended to。 I am going to put an end to it。〃
Once more the finger moved； curling upward toward his heart。 〃To your own suffering as well； since you are obviously incapable of helping yourself。 You're just spiraling deeper and deeper into deceit and self…delusion。〃
Honno brought Giin so close against her she could hear the frightened beating of his heart。 Her wa was fully expanded； and there was a peculiar triumph burning like a fire inside her。 She thought of Fukuda and transformations。 Was she； Honno； fully transformed by the warrior spirit？ Not yet。 But soon。
〃I 'm going to break your back；'' she said。 ''Not kill you； not yet。 You thought I was still trapped by your spell； that you could con me yet again with your soft voice and your honeyed words。 But I know what you are now； you have no effect on me。 And I want what I want。〃
〃But I don't know。〃 Giin's voice was filled with pain and tears。 〃I've； oh no； over the years I've lost my abilities to decode。 Age was playing 。 。 。 playing tricks on my mind。 So I found a protege。 He did the decoding。 He。 。 。 he has everything you 。 。 。 you want。〃
〃Name；〃 Honno said； tightening her hold。 〃Address。〃
Giin told her； his head lolling on her neck like an infant。 And Honno； the warrior； was abruptly disgusted by his weakness…just as she had been disgusted by her father's weakness； she realized。 All these years she had been too much the good girl； the Honno her parents had raised her to be； to question her own emotions； to recognize her disgust。
With a cry； Honno's arms contracted。 She heard the snap…snap snap！ like twigs breaking underfoot as Giin's vertebrae popped。 Then she threw him over the side of Nihonbashi； the symbol of a beginning； into the sluggish waters of the Sumida； over whose pristine surface the moon had dreamily cast its light just last night。
Then the warrior had picked up the empty attache case and walked calmly back toward the waiting limo。 In her mind's eye she could see the lone cryptomeria； and now； truly； she understood all the layers of its existence。 Just as the curve of its trunk softened the pitilessly hard edges of the city surrounding it； its strength lent meaning to her suffering。 The cryptomeria was proof that purpose could be found in the thickest fog； the darkest night； the deepest pain。 And with that； the past melted away； and only the future； shining and limitless； remained。
The city…her Tokyo…pulsed on all around her； its myriad streets radiating out in every direction； beckoning。 But the warrior had already chosen her path。 The one that had led her to what she wanted most： freedom。
SEVEN
MACHINE…GUN CITY/TOKYO
Estilo was all for killing Cruz the moment they landed back in Medellin； but Russell said absolutely not。 Tori had told them； during the flight back to Machine…Gun City； of her promise to Sonia。 Dawn was breaking； the heavy disk of the sun painting the clouds with golds and reds； as if it had set them on fire。
〃We are not assassins；〃 Russell said； being his usual meticulously logical self； reminding them point by point of how life must be led。 〃I do not want to involve ourselves with these people any more than we already are。 And I can't see any reason to do the Orolas' dirty work for them。〃
〃Forgive me for saying so； Senor Slade；〃 Estilo broke in； 〃but you're missing the point。 It is a matter of honor。 This is no longer business； otherwise I would wholeheartedly agree with you。 It's personal。〃
Tori glanced at Estilo。 She had never known him to be so bloodthirsty before。 He was a chanta； a slick operator。 Pointing a gun at someone's head and pulling the trigger was not good business。 Ask Cruz。 He had done that to Ruben Orola； and just look what had happened： almost assassinated twice； stalked by his own mistress； about to be betrayed by everyone on this plane。 Not that he deserved anything less。 It was merely a lesson to be learned。
〃I 'm concerned with neither honor nor emotion； merely with getting out of here in one piece；〃 said Russell； the pragmatist。 〃The Medellin Cartel has bought the local police； the judiciary； maybe even members of the Colombian government and our own DEA； which was driven pletely out of Cruz's territory two years ago。〃
〃How about justice？〃 Tori asked him。 〃Without Sonia's help at Cruz's apartment； we never would have lived to get to the llano negro and the cocaine factory。 We never would have found this。'' She lifted up the glassine tube filled with the dark metallic pellets： the center of the soft cell they had discovered in the bags of coke。
〃Fuck justice；〃 Russell said。 〃This is Colombia。 No one here ever heard of justice。''
Russell was reminded of how he had met Bernard Godwin。 It had been near the end of his graduate studies at Wharton。 Bernard had e to lecture on the nature of justice； which； he had contended； was a wholly man…made concept； and therefore subject to the distortions and rationalizations only humans could bring to something of their own creation。 In nature； Bernard had argued； there is no such thing as justice； only life and death。
Russell recalled how taken he had been with the lecture； and with Bernard Godwin。 Years later he realized that Godwin had e to the campus on a recruiting mission for the Mall； but even that knowledge could not diminish his admiration of Godwin's mind。
Godwin had known Russell's background： how his peculiar genius with logic and numbers had estranged him from his family。 As prodigies often will； he had frightened his parents and had caused his brother to feel stupid。
〃We're both people who are all alone；〃 Bernard had said to Russell。 〃People who can understand the depth of mitment to an abstract： a concept； an ideal。〃
〃Like justice？〃 Russell had said。
And Bernard Godwin had laughed； put his arm around the young Russell Slade。 〃Just so。〃
Now； sitting in a smuggler's airplane； on his way back from the llano negro； Russell could still hear Bernard's voice speaking softly； seductively； in his ear。 So much power。 Hooking up with Bernard had been like having a pipeline directly to God； Russell thought。 But so much has changed since then。
The cockpit grew warm as the sun； lifting above the cloud…bank to their rear； streamed through the windows； following them back to Medellin。 Tori broke off large chunks of a candy bar； handed them around。 Estilo manned the radio； monitoring traffic； speaking softly into the mike now and then。
〃Have you forgotten；〃 Tori said to Russell； 〃that it was Cruz's sicarios who came after us on the way in from the airport？〃
〃Okay； while we're on the subject； it was Cruz who loaned us one of his helicopters so we could get to llano negro；'' Russell pointed out。
〃Jesus；〃 Estilo said。
Tori said； 〃Let's by all means kiss him on