ericlustbader.the ninja-第12节

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　Tomkin　Oil。'
　'That　one？'
　'Yep。　Her　daddy。'
　Everyone　knew　about　Raphael　Tomkin。　Oil　was　but　one　of　his　many　multinational　moneymakers　but　by　all　accounts　the　most　lucrative。　He　was　worth　…　where　had　he　read　it？　In　Newsweek；　perhaps　…　somewhere　in　the　neighborhood　of　a　hundred　million　dollars；　the　last　time　anybody　had　bothered　to　count；　at　that　rarefied　level；　there　did　not　seem　to　be　much　of　a　reason　to　do　so。
　'She　doesn't　like　him　much；'　Nicholas　said。
　Doc　Deerforth　laughed。　'Yah。　You　could　say　that。　She　obviously　doesn't　want　any　part　of　him。'
　Nicholas　recalled　Justine's　words；　He's　as　dead　as　he　could　possibly　be。　Now　he　began　to　understand　the　irony　of　that　remark。　Still；　he　was　annoyed　at　finding　out　this　way。
　'Now；　what　can　you　tell　me　about　the　ninja？'　Doc　Deerforth　said　around　a　bit　of　clam　flesh。
　Outside；　a　white　Ford　with　black　trim　pulled　up　next　to　the　diner。　As　they　watched；　a　big　man　with　a　red　face　and　bulbous　nose　stepped　out　and　walked　towards　them。
　'Hope　neither　of　you　mind；'　Doc　Deerforth　said。　'I　phoned　Ray　Florum　when　we　got　here。　He's　the　mander　of　the　West　Bay　Bridge　Village　Police。　I　think　he's　got　a　right　to　hear　what's　going　on。　Okay？'　Both　Nicholas　and　Vincent　nodded　their　assent。　'Nick？'
　'It's　okay；　Doc；'　he　said　as　lightly　as　he　could。　'It　just　caught　me　off　guard。　I　didn't　expect　her　to　…'　He　waved　a　hand　in　lieu　of　finishing。
　The　door　opened　and　Florum　pushed　into　the　diner。　Doc
　Deerforth　introduced　him　around　and　he　sat　down。　They　filled　him　in。
　'Quite　literally；'　Nicholas　said；　'ninja　means　〃in　stealth〃。'　Florum　poured　himself　some　coffee　as　Nicholas　continued。　'Outside　of　Japan；　there　is　almost　nothing　known　about　ninjutsu；　the　art　of　the　ninja。　Even　there；　it　has　been　poorly　documented　primarily　because　it　was　knowledge　that　was　both　utterly　secret　and　jealously　guarded。　One　was　born　into　a　ninja　family　or　one　gave　up　all　hope　of　being　one。
　'As　you　may　know；　Japanese　society　has　always　been　rigorously　stratified。　There　is　a　highly　defined　social　order　and　no　one　would　even　contemplate　deserting　his　station　in　life；　it's　part　of　one's　karma；　and　this　has　religious　as　well　as　social　overtones。
　'The　samurai；　for　instance；　the　warriors　of　feudal　Japan；　were　gentlemen；　of　the　bushi　class；　no　one　else　was　allowed　to　bee　a　samurai　or　carry　two　swords。　Well；　the　ninja　evolved　from　the　opposite　end　of　the　social　spectrum；　the　hinin。　This　level　was　so　low　that　the　translation　of　that　term　means　〃not　human〃。　Naturally；　they　were　a　far　cry　from　the　aristocratic　bushi。　Yet；　as　clan　warfare　increased　in　Japan；　the　samurai　recognized　a　growing　need　for　the　specific　skills　of　the　ninja；　for　the　samurai　themselves　were　bound　by　an　iron…clad　code　of　bushido　which　strictly　forbade　them　many　actions。　Thus；　the　samurai　clans　hired　the　freelance　ninja　to　perform　acts　of　arson；　assassination；　infiltration　and　terrorism　which　they　themselves　were　duty…bound　to　shun。　History　tells　us；　for　instance；　that　the　ninja　made　their　first　important　appearance　in　the　sixth　century　A。D。　Prince　Regent　Shotoku　employed　them　as　spies。
　'So　successful　were　they　that　their　numbers　increased　dramatically　during　the　Heian　and　Kamakura　periods　in　Japanese　history。　They　concentrated　in　the　south。　Kyoto；　for　example；　was　dominated　by　them　at　night。
　'But　the　last　we　hear　of　them　as　a　major　factor　in　Japan　is　during　the　Shimabara　war　in　1637　when　they　were　used　to　quell　a　Christian　rebellion　on　the　island　of　Kyushu。　Yet　we　know　they　were　active　all　through　the　long　Tokugawa　shogunate。'
　'Just　how　wide　is　the　scope　of　their　skill？'　Doc　Deerforth's　nostrils　were　clogged　with　the　rotting　stench　of　the　Philippine　jungle。
　'Very；'　Nicholas　said。　'From　the　ninja　the　samurai　learned　woodsmanship；　disguise；　camouflage；　codes　and　silent　signalling；　the　preparation　of　fire　bombs　and　smoke　screens。　In　short；　you　would　not　be　wrong　to　consider　the　ninja　military　Houdinis。　But　each　ryu；　that　is；　school　and；　in　the　ninja's　case；　clan；　specialized　in　different　forms　of　bat；　espionage；　lore；　and　so　on；　so　that　one　was　often　able　to　tell　by　his　methods　from　which　ryu　a　particular　assassin　came。　For　instance；　the　Fodo　ryu　was　known　for　its　work　with　many　kinds　of　small　concealed　blades；　the　Gyokku　was　expert　at　using　thumb　and　forefinger　on　the　body's　nerve　centres　in　hand…to…hand　bat；　the　Kotto　was　proficient　at　breaking　bones；　others　used　hypnotism　and　so　on。　Ninjas　were　also　quite　often　skilled　yogen　…　that　is；　chemists。'
　There　was　a　heavy　silence　between　them　until　Vincent　cleared　his　throat　and　said；　'Nick；　I　think　you　ought　to　tell　them　the　rest　of　it。'
　Nicholas　was　silent　for　a　time。
　'What　does　he　mean？'　Florum　said。
　Nicholas　took　a　deep　breath。　…'The　art　of　ninjutsu；'　he　said；　'is　very　ancient。　So　old；　in　fact；　that　no　one　is　certain　of　its　origin；　though　speculation　is　that　it　was　born　in　a　region　of　China。　The　Japanese　took　many　things　from　Chinese　culture　over　the　centuries。　There　is　an　element　of　。。。　superstition　involved。　One　could　even　say　magic。'
　'Magic？'　echoed　Doc　Deerforth。　'Are　you　seriously　suggesting。。。？'
　'In　the　history　of　Japan；'　Nicholas　said；　'it　is　oftentimes　difficult　to　separate　fact　from　legend。　I　am　not　trying　to　be　melodramatic。　This　is　the　way　it　is　in　Japan。　Feats　have　been　ascribed　to　the　ninja　that　would　have　been　impossible　without　the　aid　of　some　kind　of　magic。'
　'Tall　tales；'　said　Florum。　'Every　country's　got　'em。'
　'Yes。　Possibly。'
　'And　the　poison　you　found？'
　'Is　a　ninja　poison。　Swallowed；　it's　quite　harmless。　A　favourite　method　of　administering　it　was　to　make　a　quick　drying　syrup　of　it　and　coat　the　shaken　with　it。'
　'What's　that？'　Florum　asked。
　'These　are　part　of　a　ninja's　arsenal　of　silent；　easily　concealed　weapons；　his　short…bladed　shuriken。　The　shaken　is　a　star…shaped　metal　object。　Flung　through　the　air　by　the　ninja；　it　bees　a　most　lethal　weapon。　And　coated　with　this　poison；　the　weapon　need　not　even　puncture　a　vital　spot　for　the　victim　to　die。'
　Florum　snorted。　'Are　you　trying　to　tell　me　that　that　stiff　was　killed　by　a　ninja？　Jesus；　Linnear；　you　said　they　died　out　three　hundred　years　ago。〃
　'No；'　Nicholas　corrected。　'I　merely　said　that　that　was　the　last　time　they　were　used　in　any　major　way。　Many　things　have　changed　in　Japan　since　the　sixteen　hundreds　and　the　Tokugawa　shogunate；　and　the　country　is；　in　many　respects；　no　longer　what　it　once　was。　However；　there　are　traditions　that　are　impossible　to　obliterate　by　either　man　or　time。'
　'There's　got　to　be　another　explanation；'　Florum　said；　shaking　his　head。　'What　would　a　ninja　be　doing　in　West　Bay　Bridge？'
　'I'm　afraid　that's　something　I　can't　answer；'　Nicholas　said。　'But　I　know　this。　There　is　a　ninja　abroad　here　and　in　all　the　world　there　is　no　more　deadly　or　clever　foe。　You　must　act　with　extreme　caution。　Modern　weapons　…　guns；　grenades；　tear…gas　…will　give　you　no　security　against　him；　for　he　knows　of　all　these　things　and　they　will　not　deter　him　from　destroying…　his　intended　target　and　escaping　unseen。'
　'Wellj　he's　already　done　that；'　Florum　said；　getting　up。　'Thanks　for　the　information。'　He　stuck　out　his　hand。　'Nice　meeting　you　both。'　He　nodded。　'Doc。'　And　with　that　he　left。
　The　moment　Justine　heard　the　knock　on　her　door　she　felt　her　heart　sink。　She　put　down　her　pen　and；　wiping　her　hands　on　a　chamois　cloth；　came　away　from　the　drawing…board。　The　light　had　been　just　right；　she　preferred　the　daylight　to　the　gooseneck　lamp　clamped　to　the　board；　even　though　its　bination　of　fluorescent　and　incandescent　bulbs　gave　her　a　decent　approximation　of　natural　illumination。
　She　let　Nicholas　in。
　'They　called　you　about　that　body；　didn't　they？'　she　said。
　He　went　across　the　room　and　sat　on　the　sofa；　hands　behind
　his　head。　'What　body？'
　'You　know。　The　one　they　took　out　of　the　water　the　day　we　met。'
　'Yes。　That's　the　one。'　He　looked　tired　and　drawn　to　her。
　'Why　did　they　call　you？'
　He　looked　up　at　her。　'They　thought　I　might　be　able　to　help　them　find　out　how　he　died。'
　'You　mean　he　didn't　drown？　But　what　would　you　…'
　'Justine；　why　didn't　you　tell　me　your　father　is　Raphael　Tomkin？'
　Her　hands；　which　had　been　in　front　of　her；　fingers　interlaced；　dropped　to　her　sides。　'What　possible　reason　would　I　have　to　tell　you？'　she　said。
　'Did　you　think　I'd　be　after　your　money？'
　'Don't　be　absurd。'　She　gave　a　little　laugh　but　it　came　out　quite　strangled。　'I　don't　have　any　money。'
　'You　know　what　I　mean。'
　'What　difference　could　it　make　who　my　father　is？'
　'It　doesn't；　really。　I'm　more　interested　in　why　you　chose　to　change　your　name。'
　'I　don't　think　it's　any　of　your　business。'
　He　got　up；　went　over　to　look　at　what　she　had　been　working　on。　'Nice；'　he　said。　'I　like　it。'　He　went　into　the　kitchen；　opened　the　refrigerator。　'That　man　was　murdered；'　he　told　her　over　his　shoulder。　'By　an　expert　assassin。　But　nobody　knows　why。'　He　took　out　a　bottle　of　Perrier；　opened　it　and　emptied　it　into　a　glass。　He　took　a　drink。　'Vincent　was　called　in　and　he　in　turn　asked　for　my　help；　because　the　murderer　is　in　all　likelihood　a　Japanese；　a　man　who　kills　for　money。'　He　turned　round；　went　back　into　the　living　room　where　she　still　stood　where　he　had　left　her。　She　stared　at　him；　her　eyes　very　bright。　'No