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eflected light here； a colorless illumination bounced off ten thousand panes of glass。
Russell peered at phoenixes； dragons； lissome seminude ladies； spiders； serpents； warriors out of history and demons out of myth。 All were on display in astounding detail on the walls of the shop； which was lit with sodium lamps； giving it the appearance of a highway or an industrial park。
A Japanese who improbably seemed to be in his late teens looked up when they walked in。 He made no sign of recognition； returned to his work on the back of a very heavy individual。 He had a punk's spiky haircut and a laborer's ink…stained hands。 He wore sandals； long…legged Day…Glo surfer shorts； and a T…shirt cut off just above the navel that had PEPPERDINE U。 VOLLEYBALL TEAM emblazoned across the back。
〃Greetings from Tokyo General； dudette；〃 he said without looking up。
〃Howzit； Deke？〃
〃Bitchin'。〃 Deke dipped a small circle of needle…sharp wooden picks into colored ink； applied it beneath the skin。 He was an artist with his canvas。 〃As ever。〃
Tori stood behind him。 ''Got a problem for you。''
〃Solution's my middle name； dudette。〃
Tori displayed the dark metal pellet in its plastic envelope。 〃A to Z。〃 When he nodded； she slipped it into the pocket of his shorts。
〃One hour；〃 he said。 〃I just opened。〃 Deke opened for business after noon； worked late into the early hours of the morning。 He dipped the picks into the ink； applied it。 〃Go get a milkshake or something； you dudes are making my client nervous。〃
When they returned； just over an hour later； there was no one in the tattoo parlor。
〃Where'd this weirdo split to with my evidence？〃 Russell said suspiciously。
〃Deke's space goes all the way to the next street；〃 Tori told him。 〃In the back of the shop is his lab。〃
〃Isn't this kid a bit young to be running sophisticated diagnostic tests？ I mean； he might set his diapers on fire。〃
Tori smiled。 〃Deke is young；〃 she said。 〃But he's also brilliant。 Don't let his age prejudice you。 In Japan it's often best to keep an open mind。〃
At that moment Deke appeared。 He had on thick rubber gloves； a heavy apron； and was grasping the pellet at the end of a pair of metal tongs。 Around his neck was a filtering mask。 He peered at Tori。 〃You still playing v…ball； dudette？ We got a bitchin' game going this P。M。〃
〃I'm a little short on play time this trip；〃 Tori said。 〃Catch you next。〃 She nodded at what he was holding。 〃First； you scope the traces of white shit on the pellet？ 〃
〃Colombian； mon。 Happenin' premium stuff。〃 Deke smacked his lips。 〃Mmm mmm good。〃
〃Is that all？〃
〃What else were you expecting？〃
Tori glanced at Russell； then said to Deke； 〃Let's hear the rest。〃
〃Cool；〃 Deke said。 〃This here's a pellet of hafnium；〃 he said； nodding at the pellet。 〃Good quality shit。〃 He looked at Tori。 〃You have any more of this stuff to sell？〃
〃Not in the business；〃 Russell said tersely。
〃Can you give us some background on hafnium？〃 Tori said； before Russell's American aggressiveness could get them into trouble。
〃No sweat；〃 Deke said。 He plopped the pellet into Ton's hand。 〃Hafnium is a by…product of zirconium mining。 It's used to make control rods for nuclear reactors。 These rods are like dynamic controllers； meaning they move in and out of the reactor core so that they can like absorb more or less of the neutrons given off by the atomic reaction。 You like control the power output that way。
〃Usually； boron is like used for the control rods； but boron wears out； and new rods have to be fitted。 Hafnium's advantage over like boron and the other similar control rod substances is that it has an enormous capacity for absorbing neutrons。 See； like the neutrons bombarding it change it into another substance which also has the capacity to absorb neutrons。
〃Because of this property；〃 Deke continued； 〃hafnium is used most often in like the nuclear reactors of submarines。 The longer such a reactor can go without replacement； the longer the sub can stay underwater without refueling。〃
〃What kind of time are we talking？〃 Tori asked。
〃Boron would give you like maybe six months；〃 Deke said。 〃But with rods of hafnium in your reactor； you could stay underwater like over two years。''
〃Okay；〃 Russell said。 〃You said control rods； but these are pellets。 Does this mean what we have here is raw hafnium？〃
〃Solid choice。〃 Deke nodded。 〃But wrong。〃 He looked at Russell。 〃What you gave me to analyze isn't raw； dude。 It's the refined； finished stuff。〃
''Yet it's not a rod。 This must be some special stuff；'' Russell said。
〃Uh…huh。 Now you're in the loop。〃 Deke's eyes gleamed。 〃This here's something better than a rod。 It's a fixed poison。 Meaning it's like part and parcel of the reactor's core itself。 Which means that this kind of core is something new。 I'd sure like to get my hands on it。〃
〃You'll have to get in line；〃 Tori said。
''I hear you； dudette。''
Russell said； 〃What would you use this kind of new reactor for？〃
Deke shrugged。 〃Hard to say。 A sub could stay independent for like five years； maybe more。〃
〃Any other possibilities？〃 Tori asked。
Deke thought for a moment。 〃Well； with like a fixed poison of this kind of hafnium； I suppose it would be theoretically possible to construct a miniature reactor of a much higher potency than what we already have。''
〃How potent？〃 Russell asked。
Deke scrunched up his face in concentration。 〃If you got the right brains together； I imagine you could e up with a backpack…size reactor that could…well； it could like power just about anything。 Care to name your poison； dude？〃
〃Christ on the cross；〃 Russell said sometime later。 〃One murder has taken us from a mission involving cocaine running to a multinational conspiracy to create the ultimate portable power source。 Tori； imagine it！ An atomic reactor you could carry on your back！ Think of the possibilities！''
〃I am。〃 Tori shuddered。 〃And in this context they're all monstrous。〃
〃Another bit of interesting news；〃 Russell said。 〃According to the tests Deke ran； the cocaine being manufactured at Estilo's Colombian factory in the llano negro is normal； not the killer stuff the Japanese are manufacturing。 So at least he's not involved in that side of it。〃
〃Small fort；〃 Tori said。
They were sitting at a window table at a second…floor kissaten…one of thirty thousand such coffee shops in Tokyo…overlooking the trendiest street in the trendy Roppongi district。 The decor was highly futuristic； both inside the kissaten and out in the street。
Red neon strips hidden by pink lacquer sconces that ran the length of the interior of the coffee shop lit stainless…steel sculptures of bonsai trees； waves； cranes in flight。 Old symbols in a new medium。 It was as if the Japanese； in stepping boldly forward into the future； were duty…bound to drag their past with them。
Outside； people passed like peacocks； their clothes so outlandish they could be considered costumes。 Russell noticed that the futuristic domes were almost colorless： black； white； putty； simple hues that allowed the fantastic cuts and shapes of the blouses； skirts； and jackets to take center stage and； like sculpture； to make their own impact in the