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nge around him towards Yukio。 Nicholas stepped into his path； using his shoulder and his left arm as a wedge against the doorframe。 Yukio stepped lithely away。
'I think you had better tell me what this is all about。'
Saigo heard the warning note in Nicholas's voice and he felt his blood boil。 Leaned forward with the left side of his body； half…concealing the horizontal movement of his right hand and wrist。
Nicholas brought his forearm down in a blur； striking the exposed bone in Saigo's wrist。 Physical damage was minimal but nerve disruption was considerable。 The hand went numb。
They were very close together and Saigo used his foot； aiming for the side of the knee。 The doorjamb was his ally； caught in the force of the blow； Nicholas's knee would shatter like crystal。 But he stepped back and the side of Saigo's foot slammed into the wood with a crack as loud and as sharp as that of a house collapsing。
Saigo recovered enough to whirl around and head off down the corridor before Nicholas had a chance to react。 Without a word； Nicholas went after him。
Yukio ran to the door。 'Nicholas！' she cried after him。 Then she； too； followed in Saigo's wake。
The angelfish； all grey lace； hovered near the bottom。 It's tiny mouth opened and closed。 It might have been trying to eat the algae off the side of the tank。
A pair of gourami passed by it； disturbing its concentration； and it darted off behind a group of three or four water plants twisting gently in the clouds of rising bubbles from the aerator。
They stood across the street； in the deep shadow of a doorway。 The street was quiet； every step of the few passers…by discernible。
'What are you waiting for？'
'Quiet；' Nicholas said； thinking； twelve； thirteen； fourteen。
A young couple turned a corner； came down the street。 He gave the man a quick glance； went back to watching the front door of the fish store where Saigo had disappeared moments before。 Twenty…one； twenty…two； twenty…three。 When he had reached thirty and there was still no sign； he took Yukio by the hand and went across the street。
A tiny bell rang in the back of the shop like a call to the penitent。 It was a narrow； bare floor boarded place； its walls stocked with glass tanks of varying sizes。 Only one or two were dry； cloudy with dust。
A man； thin； worn down by the passage of time； his skin as grey as yesterday's mist； sat on a high wooden stool in front of a wall filled with filters； rolls of clear plastic tubing and stacked boxes of dried fish food。
No one was in the shop。
'Is there a back way out of here？' Nicholas asked him。
'Hm？' He looked up belatedly。 'Oh； yes but …'
Nicholas； with Yukio a step behind him； was already loping past him； through the short； dark passageway and out at the unbolted door。
They found themselves in a dim brick alleyway that was more a cul…de…sac。 Only one way for Saigo to have gone and they followed。
They spotted him； already a block away； heading west。 Twice
he doubled back and once； when he thought he had lost him altogether； Nicholas began to sweat because he didn't think now that he would get a second chance； Yukio had seen to that。 But they got lucky。 He had been hidden within a small jostling crowd around a news kiosk； in plain sight； really。 It might have been accidental or an extremely sophisticated manoeuvre。 There was no way of telling。 But the question remained。 Why was Saigo taking any precautions at all？ Why was he concerned about being followed？
Above their heads a full moon rode； blue…white； as large as a hanging paper lantern； harbinger of winter's first snow。 Clouds appearing as flat and substantial as curtains turned the illumination inconstant and； with it； perspective kept changing so that Nicholas was obliged to stop them now and again to check their proximity to the dark； hurrying figure in front。
Once Saigo turned around； his face a pale blur struck by the moonlight； and Nicholas forced Yukio into a doorway； hearing only the soft rasp of her violent breathing and the hammering of his own heart。
…Saigo's silhouette was fast diminishing down the dark street and he grabbed her hand； pulling her along until； at length； he saw his quarry pause before a narrow doorway in a rather rundown wood…frame building； windowless and hulking。 Disappeared like a nocturnal animal。
Nicholas stood perfectly still in deep shadow with Yukio by his side for several moments。 'Now；' he said in a low tone and took her； running across the wide street。
There was no sign on the building's face to indicate what it might contain； no bells to ring。 Nothing。 The door was metal； painted in deep red enamel。 He grasped the brass handle half expecting the door to be locked。 Pulled it open。
Inside； they found themselves in a plain hallway without a true ceiling。 A wide industrial…type stairway led upwards； it too was metal。 There were no doorways on the ground level。 Nor were there any on the first floor； they discovered。 There seemed to be a lot of empty space； however。
The building seemed silent but for a peculiar kind of intermittent vibration ing through the rough wooden planks ； of the vast landings。
They found the one door … closed and padlocked … on the third floor。 Yukio coughed twice before putting her palm against her mouth； there seemed to be a great deal of sawdust hanging in the unquiet air。
One had an odd feeling here。 Not merely the prickly sensation of trespassing but the unfortable hollowness in the pit of the…stomach that might e from standing in the foyer of a haunted house at midnight。
'I want to get out of here；' Yukio whispered in his ear。 She tugged at Nicholas's arm。
'Shhh。'
He went slowly； cautiously across the landing towards the closed door。 He had thought … yes。 The light was so dim that he had not been certain。 But now as he approached； he saw clearly the sign that had been hand…painted in black ink squarely on the centre of the door： a circle within which were nine black diamonds。 They in turn surrounded an ideogram； Komuso。
Nicholas stared at the sign。 Where had he seen that before？ Surely he had … a ryu。 It was a ryu。 But which one？ He had seen this sign quite recently。 Just before he had left Tokyo； in fact。 A regional offshoot； perhaps。 Or …
Abruptly； he reached for Yukio's hand； backing away。
'What is it？' she whispered。 'Where are we？'
'e on；' he said。 And then； jerking her along with him； 'e on！'
Outside in the street he found that he still could not breathe。 He began to run down the street with her in tow。 The night seemed terribly still； Kumamoto deserted； and he had the impression that they were the only people abroad that night that they fled through a dreamscape from which they might never emerge。
His head pounded as if it might burst and a kind of fever careened through him。 His mind whirled uncontrollably and he only vaguely heard Yukio's panting questions。
He had recognized the sign on the door and； with it； both the reason he had e here after Saigo and the nature of his immediate future。
Back at the hotel； he left Yukio to go to her room alone。
'Won't you tell me anything？'
'In a while；' he said； still half distracted。 'Take a bath or something