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'Yes； I knew I must one day； though I don't know why。'
'e。'
Fukashigi led him through the abandoned dojo； striped with shadow and pale sunlight bleeding through the ragged rents in the flying lengths of oblique cloud that marbled the summer sky。
At the threshold to the back rooms； Nicholas shed his shoes； Fukashigi his geta； and the old man took him to the very rear of the building； to a room with a raised floor of tatamis。 He pushed aside the shoji and they entered。
Sitting cross…legged； Fukashigi waved his hand gracefully。 'Please place it between us。'
Nicholas put the parcel he had been carrying down onto the tatami and unwrapped it。 There was the dragon and tiger box that So…Peng had given to his parents。
'Open it。' Fukashigi's voice held a certain reverence。
Nicholas obeyed； lifting the heavy lid to display the nine cut emeralds。
All of Fukashigi's breath seemed to go out of him as he gazed at those nine bits of mineral which seemed to glow and spark in the low light。
'I never thought；' the old man said softly； 'that I would see such a sight。' He sighed。 'And they are all here。 All nine of them。'
He looked up。 The square room was immaculate； spacious； harmonious； calming。
'Time changes many things。 When you came to me so many years ago in Kyoto it was； I think； only the letter from my friend Kansatsu that stopped me from dismissing you out of hand。 Oh； so you did not know that。 Well； it is true。 And； to be pletely truthful； even after I had read the letter； I thought that I might be making a grievous mistake。 After all； Aka i ninjutsu； history informs us； is no acquired trait but a serious calling …quite as serious； quite as mysterious as the calling to serve Amida Buddha … to which one is born and bred。
'I can tell you that I had grave doubts concerning your entrance into Aka i ninjutsu； despite what Kansatsu wrote。 He is no ninja； I thought； therefore he cannot know。 But a breach of our security had already been created and； of course； you came to me appearing a Westerner。 I knew only that Kansatsu had not lost his mind。
'Of course； to have sent you away would have been； I know now； a mistake。' His fingertips caressed the box before him。 He smiled。 'You see； I am not； as I understand was so often said of me in those days； omniscient。'
'It is still said。'
The old man inclined his head slightly。 'So？ It is； as you can see； an untruth。 It was through Kansatsu's intuitiveness that you became the first student of mixed blood at the Tenshin Shoden Katori ryu。 The only one such。 A signal honour； an unorthodox decision on my part。 Still； I do not regret it。 The ryu has had no finer student in all the years that it was mine。'
Now it was Nicholas's turn to incline his head。
'But you came to us for a reason；…did you not？ And now the time has e。 It has begun。'
'I regret to say； sensei； that it began some time ago。' And he told the old man about the murders。
Fukashigi sat quite still and there was silence for a time after Nicholas had finished。 His head swivelled and his cool gaze swept over Nicholas's face。 'When you joined us you took certain vows； just as you did at every step of your training。 You must have known what was mencing the moment you discovered the shaken fragment。 Yet you took no action。 Now； perhaps because of that； many people … three of them your friends … are dead。' His cold eyes seemed as luminous as beacons on a foggy day。 'Are you dead； too； Nicholas？〃
Nicholas watched the backs of his hands； stung by the old man's words。 'Perhaps I never should have e to the West。 I think I was merely trying to outrun my karma。'
'You know better than that。 Wherever you go； it will be the same for you。'
'It sounds like a curse。'
'If one chooses to see one's life in those terms； men it is。 But I am surprised that you should think in such a curiously Western mode。'
'Perhaps America has changed me as it did Vincent。'
'Of course only you can know the truth of that …'
'I don't know any more。'
'I suspect that is only because you do not fully prehend it yet。'
'I am bound up inexplicably with Saigo … and with Yukio …yet…'
'Acceptance of karma should not be confused with fatalism We are all； to a great extent； masters of our own fate。 But also we must learn to bow before the inevitable： this is the true meaning of acceptance and it is only this which brings the harmony without which life is not really worth living。'
'I understand all that；' Nicholas said。 'It is the specifics that still elude me。'
Fukashigi nodded his head and； reaching inside his robe； he withdrew a series of rice paper sheets which had been folded very carefully。 They had about them the look of age。 Fukashigi handed them across to Nicholas。
'This letter is from Kansatsu。 I am following his express instructions in giving this to you now。'
It was a plain black Ford sedan。
Doc Deerforth tried to make out who was in it but the late morning sunlight spun like a nova across the windshield； pletely obscuring it。
He watched the sedan long enough to make certain that it was following Justine's brick…red roadster and； still mindful of and not a little curious about Nicholas's warning； he spun the wheel of his car and set off after them both。
He had had a call out along the west end of Dune Road earlier that morning and had e east to look in on Justine。 He had still been some distance away when he had seen her take the roadster east。 That was when he had picked up the black Ford。
He stayed well back and turned in after seeing the brick…red roadster stop at Flying Point。 But； curiously； no one emerged from the black Ford。 He waited impatiently for what seemed a long time。 He got out of his car； on the point of following her down the beach； when the black Ford started up。 Slowly it began to pace her along the beach road。
Doc Deerforth went hurriedly back to his car and got in。
He was sweating profusely by the time he came round the last turn and saw the sedan parked some way from the beginning of Gin Lane。
He was grateful he had not lost it。 The traffic was light and he had had to hang back farther than he would have wanted。
More than once the Ford had disappeared for long moments around a serpentine turning。
Now he knew where they were both headed。 He recognized Raphael Tomkin's house immediately。
The soles of his shoes crunched on gravel as he got out of the car。 He snapped down the sunglass attachment to his glasses against the fierce glare。
Now he could see into the black Ford。 It was empty。
It was quite still here。 There was a lone cardinal in a tall pine but it would not sing。 He could no longer hear the boom and hiss of the surf； and the lack of that sound was like white noise clattering like thrown stones through his brain。
He began to walk towards the Ford。 All sound seemed heightened in the hush。 Not even a breeze stirred the high treetops。 It was very hot。
The black Ford was nearer now； hulking like some sinister castle in the desert。 Who would follow Justine？ And why？ Look after her； Nicholas had said。 Startled； Doc Deerforth realized he thought of the two of them as if they were his own kids。 Just an old man's foolishness； he ad