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he had to support her half propped against him。 Her shudders transferred themselves to him as if they were seismic quakes； the vibrations entering him。 He felt her long silky hair gently brushing back and forth against the side of his face； the strength of her perfume； the heat of her flesh beneath her elegant clothing。
She cried for a long time and even after her sobs had subsided she continued to cling to him； her hands locked behind his neck。
^_Then he heard her whispering。 'I must be mad。 I must be mad。'
'C'mon。' He said softly but with a great deal of force。 'Let's get you the hell out of here。'
Nicholas thought about the three names as he went up in the elevator to the top of the tower and Raphael Tomkin's plush office。 Hideoshi。 Yodogimi。 Mitsunari。 What the hell had Terry meant？ Nicholas knew him almost as well as Eileen had but he couldn't fathom this cryptogram。 All right。 Start at the beginning。 Hideoshi is the ninja。 Assume？ No； it's a given。 Then who are Yodogimi and Mitsunari？ Were there three people involved？ It seemed to go against all the laws of ninjutsu but； of course； it couldn't be ruled out。 Deduction was so easy in literature。 Elementary； my dear … he wished Holmes were here with him now。
Yet he felt a kind of familiarity with the names。 Of course he knew all about the historical personages； their personal histories： the sweep of the past e alive。 But this was the present； divorced from the past。
He looked up； watching the neon indicator moving relent…
lessly from left to right as if ticking off the seconds； the minutes； the years。 Time； he thought。
My God！ What am I thinking？ I've been too long in the West； I've bee one of them。 He felt then a kind of secret ？shame； something that was difficult to admit to； even within himself。
Wasn't I taught that the present is never divorced from the past？ Why have I pushed that away continuously？ Why have I suddenly； at age thirty…three； dropped out of life？ Given up my job； left the city； begun to hibernate … yes； that's the right word … out on the beach like it was Malibu； some far…off lotus land devoid of worries or responsibilities？
Abruptly he felt something rising within him； something dark and ugly and unstoppable。 A tsunami … the tidal wave。 It reared up at his back； rushing recklessly towards' him。 Had there been no warning？
There had been plenty of warning。 He had just been too preoccupied or merely too dense to see it。 Or far too close。
He felt as if he were suffocating and he put his hand out； palm against the texturcd wall。 It was slippery with sweat。 He imagined that he was Amelia Earhart blithely flying through the cotton…candy skies on her way to … where？ He couldn't remember。 No matter。 Travelling； working the controls。 When suddenly。
Nothing。
Not a thing。 No sky； no clouds； no land below； no stars above。
Had the past overtaken her； too？
The elevator doors sighed open and he stepped out into the corridor； stiff…legged。 He went to the outer edge； looked out at the streaming city through a pane of gkss so newly installed that it still carried the wide white X through its centre。 He seemed oblivious。
It seemed so obvious to him now。 Yukio should have given him the clue。 His memory of Yukio stood between him and Justine like a guardian ghost baring her teeth。 It was this spectre within him that had hurt Justine so。 He clenched his fist unconsciously。 Still a part of him after all this time。 But he knew how hollow a statement that was。 The psyche bore no notion of time； that was a rational response to a basically irra…
tional question。
Abruptly； the force of his feelings for Justine broke the surface like a geyser rupturing the glass surface of a still pond。 How stupid could he have been I
Having made up his mind； feeling calmer than he had for a while； he quickly went down the corridor and pulled open the metal doors to Raphael Tomkin's office。
Frank stood just inside。 His eyes blazed when he saw Nicholas and his right hand twitched。 Nicholas went by him without a second look。
'Hey； you can't …'
But Tomkin had looked up from behind his desk and had already waved him to silence。 'It's all right； Frank；' he said amiably。 'Nicholas is now on the payroll； isn't that right？' He redirected his gaze towards Nicholas。
The office was immense； perhaps slightly smaller than a grand ballroom。 This seemed； outwardly； impossibly excessive until one saw that the space was divided up not by walls but by furniture groupings； forming out of the whole a kind of mini…apartment。
Here to the left was what amounted to a living…room with a one…step…down sunken parquet floor surrounded by a C…shaped sofa in crushed velvet from Roche Bobois。 A low smoked…glass and chrorne coffee table sat in the centre； above which swooped a crescent…necked floor lamp。
To the right； nearer the long bank of windows； was what could be classified as a professional engineer's workroom； plete with drafting table； flexible light source and a black plastic tabouret。 Near by was a vertical metal file for storing architectural plans。 There was even； on its top； a scale model of the tower as it would look when pleted； including the central atrium garden； plaza and trees along its eastern and western peripheries。
Far to the left in the dimness of the office's interior； Nicholas could make out a tiny kitchen with half…refrigerator； a stainless…steel sink and； above； an electric oven。 Next to it a door stood open revealing a full…size bath。 The rear corner on the left had been transformed into a library。 Bookshelves climbed two walls。 There were two strong； shaded reading lights hovering at the
sides of a pair of clubby high…backed leather chairs which； looked well lived in rather than new。 All that was missing was a massive glass ashtray holding a meerschaum。
Lastly； there was the office proper； directly ahead of him； where Tomkin sat now。 The magnificent hardwood desk had quite obviously been custom…made。 It was a beautifully blank piece of furniture from this side but； on walking around to its reverse side； one found it revealed itself as housing a plex data centre。 Nicholas thought it more resembled a console of a 747 than it did anything else。 There was a bank of four phones； each colour…coded； a telex； a NYSE ticker； the set of TV monitors for the now obligatory interior surveillance system and a number of other gadgets whose functions totally eluded him。
Tomkin was on the phone。 He waved Nicholas to a plush chair in front of the desk。 Nicholas looked down。 The left armrest contained its own phone。 He lifted the receiver； pressed an unlit button for a clear line； dialled Justine's number in West Bay Bridge。 He let it ring six times before he hung up。 She might just be out on the beach。 On an impulse； he tried her city number。 No answer。
He got another line； asked Frank for Abe Russo's extension； dialled it。 When he got the construction foreman on the line； he asked him for a list of all oriental men currently working on the tower project。
That'll take some time；' Russo said shortly。 'I got a lotta work。 I don't know …'
'Let me put it this way；' Nicholas said slowly。 'If we don't get these names； this pro