el.angeleyes-第53节
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g and slowly expanded her wa。
She did not seek in any overt way to take control of the match。 This； she suspected； was just what Fukuda wanted her to do； and in being careless； to fall into a trap he had tying in wait for her。 She had not forgotten me lesson learned in her aikido bout with Big Ezoe； and she was determined not to repeat her mistake。
To the untrained eye nothing appeared to have altered in the match。 Fukuda was still dictating the random flow of strategies。 But the slow expansion of Honno's wa was making its presence felt。 She attacked with more strength； parried with greater swiftness； counterattacked with more terror。 Slowly； she was moving the field of battle across the tatami mats of the dojo； until Fukuda was nearly backed up against the edge of the battlefield。 To step outside the perimeter onto the polished wooden floor would mean defeat。
Now Honno expanded her wa to its fullest and； as she did so； her body went limp。 The bokken dropped from her hands； and as Fukuda's wooden sword slashed downward at her head； she reached up； caught it between the palms of her hands。
Fukuda immediately stopped； bowed to Honno。 〃Big Ezoe was indeed correct about your warrior's spirit。〃
〃But I am a woman；〃 Honno said。 〃And history records so few women warriors。''
Fukuda took off the protective mask； and Honno gaped at the face beneath。 〃Is that you？〃 Honno whispered； ing closer。 〃The real you？ 〃
The face that； without lipstick； behind a pair of man's sun…glasses； had seemed so handsomely masculine； had now been transformed into a paradigm of feminine beauty。 And in that transformation Honno saw the falseness in the concepts of ''handsome'' and ''beautiful〃 with which she had been brought up。 She saw only the truth of the reality that Fukuda had brought home to her： perception of the world； and how it was constructed； was nothing more than a spiderweb of lessons absorbed with your mother's milk。
〃I； too； am a woman； Mrs。 Kansei；〃 Fukuda said。 〃I am sensei in sixteen separate martial arts。〃 Her dark eyes shone； not with pride； but in reflection of the revelation she recognized illuminating Honno's face。 〃I have defeated more men than I can count in the kind of kenjutsu match we have just pleted。 I urge you to believe me when I tell you that the warrior spirit resides in us both。〃
Now they left the dojo； their field of battle； their place of ing together； and they showered together； dressed together； and went back out into the waning night。 It was close to five A。M。； and Honno wondered what they were going to do until six； when she was to meet Big Ezoe at his Ginza club。
She soon had her answer。 The Mercedes glided back toward the futuristic colossi of Shinjuku。 The streets were emptying even of the trucks。 Their rumbling across the bridges spanning the Sumida came like distant thunder； endless； echoing through the deep canyons of the city；
In twenty minutes they were back in front of the udon parlor。 In the rear； the gambling was still going full force； Honno thought they might have been gone five minutes rather than five hours。 The place stank of stale cigarette smoke and staler bodies。 The atmosphere of frenzy had not abated； and with a quick contraction of her stomach； she remembered her father。 How many nights had he spent on his knees throwing away money in just such a gambling house？ More than there were trees in the forests of Yoshino。 His fate had been death by obsession； a finding no coroner could ever make； but it was the truth； nonetheless。
The same shirtless Yakuza knelt on the floor； their fantastic irizumi sheened with sweat； the same players pushed their packets of money onto the center of the low tables。 Though the long night was near its end； the players were not weary。 On the contrary； their eyes were fever…bright； their nerves at hair…trigger level。
Though their victory was still as far away as it had been when the night began； they saw it as being closer than ever。 This was the dangerous delusion of their obsession； the one that always took them down； now； soon； or later。 It didn't matter； because that one end would e； inevitably； tragically。
Honno focused on the senior vice…president of administration for Kaga without Fukuda having to tell her。 He had just lost another round and was scrabbling in his pocket。 He pulled out a pad； wrote out another marker； signed it。 How many did that make tonight？ How much money did the pile of markers； in concert； represent？ My God； Honno thought； how often can he afford to do this？
The Kaga senior vice…president passed his marker； and he followed it with his avid eyes as it made its way from Yakuza to Yakuza； all the way down the table； until it came to rest before the bald man with the dragon tattooed on his gleaming skull。 The dragon man did not even look at the marker。 Instead； his gaze rose to meet Fukuda's。
Fukuda made no move。 She whispered to Honno； 〃What would you have me do？ Accept Kaga's marker or turn it down？''
〃I haven't any of the facts；〃 Honno said。
〃They're irrelevant；〃 Fukuda said。 〃Yes or no。 Tell me。〃
〃I don't know what to do。〃
〃Yes；〃 Fukuda said。 〃You know as well as I do what must be done。 It is time you took the responsibility for it。 Your war…rior's spirit needs responsibility in order to survive and to flourish。〃
Honno stared from the dragon man to the Kaga official。 She should have been thinking of her father； of his terrible agony； the suffering of his family； and perhaps she was； but hardly in the way she had expected。 She found that she harbored no sympathy for the Kaga man。 This was his obsession； and she knew from bitter experience that he was already too far gone to be helped。 Besides； she discovered； much to her surprise； that she had no desire to help him。 She saw her father's obsession； his fate now from a different window； and like the moonlight being chopped to bits on the face of the Sumida River； there were other realities besides the one that she had been living all her life。 And in this last moment of indecision； she understood everything she had seen tonight； every cryptic sentence Fukuda had spoken。 Now nothing was cryptic； all was revealed； and there was no longer indecision。
〃Take his marker；〃 the warrior with Honno's voice said。
Fukuda nodded； and the dragon man pocketed the marker； slapped three thick stacks of yen on the table。 They made their way to the Kaga senior vice…president； who was already devouring them with his eyes。
The Mercedes pulled up in front of the unobtrusive entrance to Big Ezoe's club in the Ginza at three minutes to six。 The rain had been blown away on a freshening breeze from the east。 Dawn was already painting the sky high above Tokyo's towers a dove gray； the exact hue of Fukuda's suit。
〃You're not going in with me；〃 Honno said。
〃No；〃 Fukuda said。 〃I have other work to see to now。〃
〃Will I see you again？〃
The driver had e around； opened Honno's door。
〃That will be entirely up to you； Mrs。 Kansei；〃 Fukuda said。 〃The power is yours。 Your fate is in your own hands。〃
And Honno； stepping out into the brightening Tokyo dawn； thought； At last。
* * *
〃We've found him；〃 Big Ezoe said as Honno walked into the granite…clad restaurant。
〃Do you mean Giin is still alive？〃 Honno slipped into the chair opposite him。 ''Has he been harmed？''
Big Ezoe laughed。 〃Your university professor is very much alive； Mrs。 Kansei； and quite unharmed。〃 He shrugged。 〃Why shouldn't he be？ There was no one to hurt him。〃
''I don't understand。''
Outside； sunlight was spreading downward； across the faces of Shinjuku's gigantic office towers。 The nocturnal denizens among whom Honno had walked just hours ago would already be back in their lairs； sleeping； waiting again for the return of night。 She was reminded of that lone cryptomeria； stark； bent in pain； an oblique counterpoint to the endless right angles of the city； and she wanted to return to it； to somehow pay homage to it； so that its suffering should continue to have meaning。
〃Your friend Giin is a clever boy；〃 Big Ezoe said。 〃He engineered his own kidnapping。〃
Big Ezoe must have already ordered； because breakfast arrived； American…style： orange juice； eggs； bacon； corn muffins； black coffee。 Honno had never seen so much food at breakfast； but she found that she was famished。
She should have been surprised by what Big Ezoe was telling her； but somehow she seemed inured to surprise。 The warrior's spirit； having surfaced； was now gaining ascendancy。
〃Giin merely used the kidnapping as a way to disappear for a little while without you clinging to his coattails；〃 Big Ezoe continued。 〃When he had made his plans and was ready to implement them； he surfaced。 In the middle of my world。 That was the easiest part； since he was already something of an habitue。〃
Big Ezoe looked at her。 〃You're taking this news with a great deal more equanimity than I expected； Mrs。 Kansei。 Didn't Giin swear to you that he had given up gambling； that he had put his past behind him？〃
〃He did。 But then my father said the same thing to my mother。 Many times。〃
''You seemed more than willing to believe your friend several nights ago。〃
Honno considered this。 It occurred to her that several nights ag
