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t touch it；' he said sharply and she withdrew the extended finger in alarm。 'It would sever your finger。'
He saw her reflection in the blade； eyes opened wide； lips slightly parted。 He could hear her breathing beside him。
'Let me see a little more of it。' She brushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes。 'It's beautiful。 Has it a name？'
'Yes；' he said； thinking of Cheong and Itami。 'Iss…hogai。 It means 〃for life。〃'
'Did you name it？'
'No； my father did。'
'I like the name； it fits； somehow。'
〃There's magic in a Japanese…forged blade；' he said； replacing the dai…katana in its scabbard。 'This particular sword is almost two hundred years old yet its manufacture is so superb that it does not show even a year's wear。' He replaced the weapon。 'The finest blade the world has ever known or ever will know。'
The phone rang and he went to it。
'Nick。 It's Vincent。'
'Hey。 How are you？'
Tine。 Actually； I'm on my way out to your neck of the woods … or shore； as it were。'
'The Island？'
'Better than that。 West Bay Bridge。'
'Hey； that's great。 I haven't seen you since …'
'March； if you want to know。 Listen； I'm going to be staying at Doc Deerforth's in town。'
'No you're not。 You're staying out here by the beach。 There's plenty of room； you can't swim in town。'
'Sorry； but this isn't a vacation； and until I find out what's going on I'd better plan to stay with the doc。'
'How's Nate？'
'As usual or thereabouts。 There's too much work there for all of us。'
Nicholas glanced at Justine； who was leafing through her sketchbook； one hand run through her thick hair。 While he watched； she leaned across the sofa； reached out a pencil from her bag； began to continue the unfinished sketch she had been contemplating。
'Someone there with you？'
'Yes。'
'I see。 Well； I'll be out late this afternoon。' He laughed； his voice sounding for the first time thin and strained。 'It must really be something。 Graumann's given me the car and Tommy。 All I have to do is sit in the back seat and take a nap。' He sighed。 'Poor me。 A few years ago； before the fiscal crunch； I'd be ing out in a Lincoln。 Now I have to be content with a diarrhea…tan Plymouth。'
Nicholas laughed。 'Give me a ring when you're settled in and you'll e over for a drink。'
'Right。 'Bye。'
He cradled the receiver； sat down next to Justine。 His eyes traced the new lines she had made but his mind was far away。
'I think I see now why you asked for me to e out；〃 Vincent said。
'You know what this stuff is？' Doc Deerforth said。
Vincent rubbed at his eyes with thumb and forefinger。 The harsh fluorescent lights hurt his eyes。 He reached up； pulled the gooseneck incandescent lamp closer to the sheets of paper he had been reading。 'I don't quite know what to think； to be honest。'
'The man we just saw downstairs did not die of drowning。'
'Of that there is no doubt。' Vincent nodded his agreement。 'Whatever he died of； it wasn't asphyxiation。'
'As you can see；' Doc Deerforth said； indicating the contents of the folder in Vincent's hands； 'he had no previous record of heart failure or any cardiac problem at all； none in his family。 He was a perfectly healthy thirty…six…year…old male Caucasian； slightly out of shape but …'
'He died of a massive M。I。' Vincent pleted the sentence。 'Heart attack。'
'Induced； I'm convinced；' Doc Deerforth said； bending forward and stabbing at the printed sheet； 'by that substance。'
'Have you fed it through the puter？'
Doc Deerforth shook his head。 'Remember that as far as anyone here is concerned； this is an 〃accidental death by drowning〃； at least as of now。 Anyway； you must be aware dial it would do no good at all。'
'What about the delay in your report to the C。M。E。？' Vincent snapped shut the folder； handed it over to Doc Deerforth。
'Why； didn't I tell you？ I'm having a bit of trouble with the man's family。' Doc Deerforth placed the folder under his arm and guided Vincent out of the lab； turning out the lights。 The twenty…minute drive back to West Bay Bridge seemed awfully long to him all of a sudden。
Justine sat scrunched down in a far corner of the couch； knees drawn up； arms about her legs。 Her open sketchpad lay on the low wooden coffee table in front of them。 Across the room； the windowpanes were still teary； though most of the rain had dissipated into a low mist。
'Tell me about Japan；' she said abruptly； bringing her face down until it was level with his。 Her cool eyes regarded him far from impassively。
'I haven't been back in a very long time；' he said。
'What's it like？'
'Different。 Very different。'
'You mean the language。'
'Oh； that's part of it； of course。 But it's more basic than that。 You can go to France or Spain； have to deal with other languages。 But after all； the thought processes are not that much different。 Not in Japan。 The Japanese confound most Westerners； frighten them； too； oddly enough。'
'Not really；' she observed。 'Everyone's frightened of what they don't understand。'
'And then；' he said； 'there are some who understand right away。 My father was one of those。 He loved the East。'
'As do you。'
'Yes；' he said。 'As do I。'
'What made you e here？'
He watched her as the darkness came slowly down； as the world outside turned blue； wondering how she could be so insightful in her questions and at the same time so evasive in her answers。 Inside the house； where they sat near the bubbling fish tank； the light was like yellow custard。
'I no longer wanted to be in Japan；' he said； recognizing in the simple statement both the truth and the utter insufficiency of the words。 But would any words have sufficed？ He could not say with any certainty。
'So you came here and went into advertising。'
He nodded。 'In effect； yes。'
'And left your family？'
'I have no family。' The words came out cold and hard； as individually devastating as bullets； and she recoiled。
'You make me feel ashamed that I never talk to my sister；' she said； turning her face away from him for a moment as if to demonstrate her embarrassment actively。
'You must hate her a great deal。'
She spun her head back。 'That was a cruel thing to say。'
'It was？' He was genuinely surprised。 'I don't think so。' He looked at her。 'Are you indifferent about her？ That would be far worse； I think。'
'No；' she said。 'No； I'm not indifferent to her。 She's my sister。 I … I don't flunk you could understand；' she finished somewhat lamely and he knew she had meant to say something else； only changing her mind at the last instant。
'Why won't you talk about your father？ You spoke about him before in the past tense。 Is he dead？'
There was a look in her eyes； a kind of reflective opacity as if she were staring into a fire； as she said； 'Yes。 He's as dead as he could possibly be。' She got off the sofa； went over to the fish tank； peering in with a kind of coiled intensity as if she longed to shrink in size and jump into the salt water； being one with the crowd idling there。 'What difference could it make to you； anyway？ I'm not my father's daughter； I don't believe in all that shit。' But her tone said otherwise and Nicholas found himself wondering just what it was her father