ericlustbader.the ninja-第20节

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ildren。'　The　box　was　now　lowered　slowly　to　the　tabletop；　where　it　lay　like　the　most　exquisite　of　jewels；　newly　mined。　'But　you　mean　more　to　me；　Cheong；　than　all　the　others；　for　your　love　shines　all　the　stronger；　all　the　purer　for　the　hard　road　you　had　to　endure。　No　one　of　all　my　children；　none　save　you；　has　ever　wanted　for　anything　since　the　moment　of　its　birth。
　'This　I　have　no　doubt　you　already　know。　But　what　you　arc　not　aware　of　and　what　I　tell　you　now　is　that；　of　them　all；　it　is　your　mind　alone　which　has　cleaved　most　closely　to　my　own。　This　has　touched　me　deeply；　for　it　has　happened　naturally；　with　no　urging　from　myself。　It　is　what　you　yourself　wanted　and　what　you　now　possess。
　'Now；　on　the　point　of　our　last　farewell　…　for　I　fear　that　we　shall　never　see　each　other　again　…　this　is　for　you；　for　your　Colonel；　for　your　child　about　to　be　born；　for　your　children　yet　to　be　conceived。　This　I　give　you　gladly；　with　all　my　love。　It　es　from　me；　from　Chia　Sheng；　from　the　long　line　of　our　families。　In　all　the　world　there　is　only　one。　And　its　contents；　too；　are　the　sole　sentinels；　their　like　not　to　be　found　in　any　quarter　of　the　globe。　This　is　my　legacy。　Use　it　as　you　may。'　His　old　hands；　their　long　fingers；　over　which　the　skin　was　stretched　like　patented　parchment；　extended；　pushing　the　box　slowly　across　the　table　until　it　passed　over　the　centre　meridian。　At　that　point；　as　if　they　no　longer　wielded　any　power；　they　relinquished　their　hold；　withdrawing　over　the　empty　red　expanse　of　the　table　to　the　old　man's　lap。
　The　Colonel；　holding　Cheong's　trembling　hand　in　his；　stared　into　So…Peng's　eyes。　He　meant　to　say　something　but；　whirling　upon　itself；　his　mind　paralysed　his　tongue　and　there　he　sat；　on　the　near　side　of　the　table；　as　if　in　a　world　apart；　watching　a　man　who　was　obviously　as　important　as　he　was　mysterious；　not　knowing　who　he　was；　what　he　did　or　why　he　might　be　so　important；　yet；　despite　that；　understanding　it　all　for　the　first　time。
　Both　the　Colonel　and　Cheong　fell　in　love　with　the　house　and　its　grounds　in　the　suburbs　beyond　Tokyo。　MacArthur　had；　perhaps　quite　properly；　requested　that　the　Colonel　find　suitable　lodgings　within　the　city　proper；　to　be　more　accessible　to　his　work。　However；　he　could　find　no　such　place；　at　least　none　that　could　satisfy　both　him　and　Cheong。
　Thus　they　travelled　outside　of　the　city　and；　almost　immediately；　came　across　the　house。　It　was　in　an　area　that　had；　miraculously；　escaped　the　destruction　that　had　devastated　fully　half　of　the　city　and　much　of　the　outlying　suburbs。
　It　lay　on　the　eastern　verge　of　an　enormous　forest　of　cryptomeria　and　pine　within　which　the　Shinto　temple　blossomed　like　some　other…worldly　flora　whose　grace　of　design；　quiescence　and　natural　humility　instantly　bewitched　the　Colonel's　mind；　speaking　to　him　more　eloquently　than　even　the　country's　finest　speakers　the　eternalness　and　dignity　of　the　Japanese　spirit。　And　always　when　he　came　in　sight　of　it　he　thought　of　So…Peng。
　No　one　knew　who　had　inhabited　the　house　before　the　Colonel　and　Cheong　moved　in；　not　even　Ataki；　the　wizened　old　gardener。　It　had　been　there；　abandoned；　for　years；　he　had　told　the　Colonel；　though　he　had　e　faithfully　every　day　to　tend　the　grounds；　and　time　had　dimmed　remembrance。　Perhaps；　the　Colonel　thought　with　a　certain　degree　of　resignation；　he　just　did　not　want　to　say。　In　any　event；　it　was　now　the　Colonel's。
　The　formal　garden　in　front　of　the　house　was　breathtaking；　plete　with　plexly　flowering　bonsai　trees　and　a　shallow　stone　pool　filled　with　blue…eyed　goldfish　with　？　fins　like　fine；　gossamer　veils　（the　Colonel　quickly　bought　a　tank；　setting　it　up　in　the　kitchen；　one　of　the　house's　few　Westernized　rooms；　for　their　warm　winter's　sojourn）。
　In　the　back　of　the　house　was　another　kind　of　garden　altogether；　a　Zen　pebble　rectangle　with　four　jutting　rocks　placed　at　significant　points　by　the　original　artist　within　the　uniform　expanse；　looking；　the　Colonel　thought；　like　islands　jutting　from　beneath　a　perfectly　calm　sea。　However；　Nicholas　pointed　out；　when　he　was　old　enough　to　speak；　they　were　most　surely　mountain　peaks　rising　above　a　cloudbank：　this　ment　much　to　the　delight　of　both　the　Colonel　and　Cheong。　But　in　any　event；　the　Zen　garden　was；　ironically　enough；　a　place　of　perfect　peace　and　meditation　in　a　country　half…dead；　mutilated　and　charbroiled；　struggling　now　towards　a　new　kind　of　survival。
　Nicholas　adored　the　house　and　the　grounds　with　an　unquenchable　passion。　He　was　drawn；　over　and　over；　to　the　Zen　garden；　where　Cheong　would　often　find　him　sitting　thoughtfully；　head　held　in　his　hands；　gazing　out　over　the　stark　serenity　of　the　rising　rocks　amid　the　precisely　arranged　pebbles。　After　a　time　it　would　be　the　first　place　she　would　look　for　him。
　Nicholas　could　never　decide　whether　he　loved　the　garden　best　when　he　was　alone　there　or　when　Ataki　would　e　with　his　water　and　his　rake　…　to　keep　the　earth　beneath　from　drying　out　and　to　make　certain　that　the　pebbles　were　properly　aligned　…for　he　adored　both　the　intense　solitude　of　the　place　（'It's　like；'　he　told　the　Colonel　once；　'you　can　hear　your　soul　breathing'）　and　watching　the　old　man's　preciseness　and　deft　economy　of　movement　with　the　pebbles；　which　were　worn　so　smooth　that　Nicholas　firmly　believed　that　their　origin　must　have　been　some　point　on　the　island's　shoreline；　for　only　the　constant　action　of　a　motion…filled　sea　could　create　such　stupendous　smoothness。
　It　appeared　to　Nicholas　that　the　old　man's　motions　were　so　utterly　effortless　that　he　scarcely　seemed　to　expend　any　physical　energy　at　all。　When　he　was　perhaps　six　he　had　asked　Ataki　how　it　was　he　moved　the　way　he　did；　and　when　the　old　man　answered　with　one　word；　'bujutsu'；　Nicholas　went　to　the　Colonel　straightway　to　ask　him　what　it　meant。　It　was　no　good　badgering　Ataki；　for　he　would　only　tell　you　what　he　wanted　you　to　know。
　'Bujutsu；'　the　Colonel　said；　putting　down　his　cup　of　tea　and　folding　lengthwise　the　newspaper　he　had　been　absorbed　in　dissecting；　'means；　collectively；　all　the　martial　arts　of　Japan。'
　'Then；'　Nicholas　said　clearly；　'I　want　to　learn　bujutsu。'
　The　Colonel　regarded　his　son。　He　had　learned　quite　quickly　that　Nicholas　never　said　anything　lightly　and　that　now；　if　he　said　that　he　wanted　to　learn　bujutsu；　he　was　quite　prepared　to　take　it　on；　superfluous　for　the　Colonel　to　tell　him　how　arduous　a　task　it　was　likely　to　be。
　The　Colonel　got　up　from　the　table　and；　putting　his　arm　around　his　son's　shoulders；　opened　the　shoji　…　sliding　paper　and　wood　walls　…　so　that　they　could　walk　outside　together。
　They　stood　by　the　edge　of　the　Zen　garden　but　Nicholas　noticed；　on　looking　up　at　his　father；　that　the　Colonel　seemed　to　have　fixed　his　gaze　far　beyond　its　border；　indeed；　beyond　even　the　last　boundary　of　their　land；　to　the　rising　green　swords　of　the　cryptomeria　forest。
　'Do　you　know；　Nicholas；'　the　Colonel　said　in　a　rather　floating　voice；　'that　within　the　perimeter　of　the　Shinto　temple　at　the　centre　of　the　forest　lies　a　park　…　a　small　one；　mind　you　…　that　is　said　to　contain　forty　different　species　of　moss？'
　'I've　never　been　there；'　Nicholas　said。　'Will　you　take　me？'
　'Perhaps　one　day；'　the　Colonel　replied；　his　heart　aching；　for　he　knew　that　there　was　never　enough　time　and　he　was　here　to　do　a　job；　a　monstrous；　bloody；　awful　job　that；　nevertheless；　needed　to　be　done　and；　furthermore；　needed　him　to　get　it　done　right；　these　years　had　been　more　than　enough　to　grind　down　a　man　of　lesser　courage　and　perseverance　than　the　Colonel。　But　each　time　his　tired　mind　seemed　on　the　verge　of　faltering；　he　would　recall　So…Peng　and　his　son；　enpassed　in　the　same　thought；　and　he　would　go　on；　through　another　long　night　and　the　subsequent　longer　day　until　the　weekend　came　and　it　would　begin　all　over　again。　'But　I　have　never　seen　that　park　either；　Nicholas。　Few　save　the　Shinto　priests　of　that　temple　have　viewed　it。'　The　Colonel　took　some　time　now　before　he　continued。　'What　I　mean　to　say　is　that　you　wish　to　go　where　few　nowadays　would　wish　to　go　…　and　there　are　many　specializations。'
　'I　wish　only　to　start　at　the　beginning；　Father。　That　is　not　so　much　to　ask；　is　it？'　Nicholas　looked　up　again。
　'No；'　the　Colonel　said；　tightening　his　grip　upon　his　son's　shoulders。　'Not　too　much。'　He　thought　for　a　moment；　his　lean　face　wrinkled　along　the　firm　brow。　'I　tell　you　what；'　he　said　at　last。　'I'll　speak　to　your　aunt　about　it；　all　right？'
　Nicholas　nodded；　his　gaze　lowering　from　his　father's　face　to　the　mountains　thrusting　blindly　out　of　the　clouds。
　The　person　to　whom　the　Colonel　had　referred　was；　in　fact；　Itami。　Nicholas；　knowing　her　origin；　had　never　really　considered　her　his　aunt。　Perhaps；　after　all；　this　was　because　he　had　disliked　her　for　as　long　as　he　could　remember；　and　having　once　formulated　this　opinion；　could　never　get　himself　unstuck　from　it。
　It　would　be　no　great　surprise　to　learn　that　his　instinctual　dislike　of　her　was　only　an　offshoot　of　how　he　reacted　to　the　presence　of　her　husband；　Satsugai。　In　a　boy　who；　from　birth；　had　been　taught　to　attain　within　himself　a　calmness　of　spirit；　like　a　cool　guiding　stream；　it　was　most　disconcerting　to　e　in　close　contact　with　Satsugai。　He　felt；　at　those　times；　like　an　ineffectual　moon　whirled　about　by　the　proximity　of　a　nova。　Great　turbulent　currents；　powerful　eddies；