el.angeleyes-第99节

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rogate　father；　when　all　along　he　had　been　using　her。　She　heard　Russell's　voice；　Bernard　told　me　what　to　do　to　you　if　your　undisciplined　methodology　got　in　the　way。　He　told　me　to　terminate　you。　How　right　Russell　had　been　about　him。
　〃Go　on；〃　she　said；　concentrating　now　on　the　present。　〃I　assume；　then；　that　you've　been　working　for　the　Mall　for　years。''
　〃Oh；　no。　Not　the　Mall。　For　Bernard　Godwin　himself。〃　Hitasura　permitted　himself　another　small　smile；　as　if　he　were　a　dieter　doling　himself　sweets。　〃Working　with　individuals；　I've　found；　is　far　more　rewarding　than　being　part　of　a　machine。　I　think　you　understand　that　well；　Tori…san。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃I　must　admit　I　never　understood　your　consenting　to　e　back　to　them。　Why　did　you　do　that？〃
　〃Because；〃　Tori　said；　〃I　had　nothing　else。〃
　Hitasura　pursed　his　lips。　〃Poor　girl。　If　I　had　known…〃
　〃Forget　it。　I　wouldn't　have　been　interested。〃　She　put　her　head　in　her　hands。　〃How　could　I　have　been　so　wrong　about　Bernard。　He's　trafficking　in　that　supercoke；　after　all。〃
　''Are　you　kidding？''　Hitasura　said。　〃He'd　try　to　skin　me　alive　if　he　knew　what　I　was　up　to。〃
　Tori　raised　her　head；　staring　at　him。　She　had　the　sensation　of　her　heartbeat　being　slow　and　painfully　heavy；　as　if　her　heart　was　being　set　in　cement。　〃What　are　you　saying？〃
　〃In　some　important　matters；　Bernard　is　slightly　behind　the　times。　I　attribute　it　to　his　essentially　altruistic　nature。　I　find　that　odd　in　a　man　who　must；　in　his　chosen　profession；　be　so　profoundly　pragmatic。　But　there　you　are。　People　are　often　far　more　plex　than　you　ever　give　them　credit　for　being。〃
　〃You　were　supplementing　what　he　was　paying　you；　is　that　it？〃
　Hitasura　nodded。　〃Essentially；　yes。　Bernard's　an　excellent　business　partner　in　some　respects；　but　in　others　he's　sorely　lacking。　His　obsession　to　free　the　Soviets　from　their　Russian　masters　has　blinded　him　to　many　things；　including　my　method　of　getting　the　hafnium　into　Japan。　He　didn't　ask；　and　I　didn't　tell。　He　was　too　busy　making　sure　those　teeny…tiny　hafnium…controlled　reactor　cores　were　being　fitted　inside　some　kind　of　prototype　nuclear　devices。〃
　〃My　God。〃　Our　worst　nightmare　has　e　true；　Tori　thought。
　But　either　Hitasura　didn't　get　it；　or　he　didn't　care。　He　laughed。　〃It　was　rather　neat；　I　thought；　using　Bernard's　altruism　to　make　me　rich。　Until　you　came　back；　nosing　around。　What　a　pest　you've　bee；　Tori…san。　Such　a　disappointment；　especially　in　a　friend。〃
　Tori　was　appalled。　Her　head　was　throbbing；　and　she　felt　as　if　she　had　been　struck　in　the　stomach；　but　she　knew　she　had　to　press　on；　get　all　the　poison　out　at　once　in　order　for　some　sense　of　healing　to　begin。　〃And　Ariel　Solares？〃
　〃Oh；　him。''　This　discussion　appeared　on　the　verge　of　boring　Hitasura。　〃He　was　like　Royce；　nosing　around；　getting　suspicious　of　what　might　be　happening　under　his　nose；　behind　closed　doors。　He　had　bee　a　liability　to　Bernard…and　to　me。　I　had　him　killed。〃
　With　her　heart　in　her　throat。　Ton　said；　〃Did　Bernard　order　Ariel's　murder？〃
　Hitasura　laughed。　〃God；　no。　Bernard　hadn't　the　stomach　for　it。　We　discussed　it；　of　course。　But　he　was　too　afraid　of　Solares's　friendship　with　Estilo。　But　I　knew　better。　I　knew　that　Solares　had　got　further　in　his　investigation　of　us　than　Bernard　suspected。　I　did　what　had　to　be　done　for　the　good　of　all　of　us。〃
　Tori　slumped　in　her　chair。　There　was　a　feeling　of　desolation　inside　her；　the　same　terrible　sensation　one　got　when　one　squeezed　the　life　out　of　another　human　being。　Every　time　it　happened；　she　felt　somehow　diminished；　as　if　a　piece　of　her　soul　were　being　chipped　away；　falling　into　a　fathomless　blackness　from　which　it　could　never　be　retrieved。
　Now　she　saw　another　reason　had　prompted　Estilo　to　warn　her。　It　was　not　only　a　question　of　friendship；　of　his　caring　about　her。　It　was　also　revenge。　Tori　remembered　the　eerie　story　Estilo　had　told　her　about　the　German　twins　in　Buenos　Aires　who　had　been　so　cruel　to　him；　and　how　he　had　waited　to　gain　his　revenge　on　them　by　turning　their　love　and　trust　in　each　other　into　fear　and　hate。　Estilo　lived　by　his　own　unique　brand　of　justice。　Not　for　him　the　bullet　in　the　back　of　the　head；　that　was　too　quick。　His　definition　of　revenge　was　dominated　by　the　verb　''to　suffer。''
　It　seemed　clear　now　that　Ariel　had　told　Estilo　of　his　suspicions　about　Bernard；　and　when　Ariel　was　murdered；　it　was　natural　for　Estilo　to　think　that　Bernard　had　ordered　the　hit　in　order　to　protect　himself。
　This　was　to　be　Estilo's　revenge：　he　wanted　her　to　find　out　everything　so　she　could　bring　Bernard　down　for　him。
　With　an　effort　of　will；　Tori　brought　herself　back　to　the　present。　〃You　were　Bernard's　eyes　and　ears　inside　Kaga；　weren't　you？〃
　Hitasura　nodded。　〃My　people　are　very　highly　placed　in　many　useful　industries。　We　may　not　control　them　yet；　but　we　certainly　can　manipulate　them　when　there　is　a　need。''
　〃And　me？　Why　did　Bernard　seek　me　out　all　those　years　ago？　If　he　had　you　and　Murashito；　what　did　he　need　me　for？〃
　〃That　I　can't　say　for　certain；〃　Hitasura　admitted；　〃though　knowing　Bernard　as　I　do；　I　suspect　he　wanted　someone　to　keep　an　eye　оn　mе。〃
　〃I　guess　I　didn't　do　such　a　hot　job。〃
　〃I　don't　know　about　that。　You　know　what　I'm　doing；　and　Bernard　doesn't。〃
　Tori　said；　〃Tell　me　something。　What　would　have　happened　to　me　if　I　hadn't　bought　Murashito's　bullshit　about　Royce　raping　his　daughter？　What　if　I　had　gone　ahead　and　killed　him？　〃
　Hitasura　shrugged。　〃Nothing；　I'm　quite　certain。　By　exposing　Murashito；　you　effectively　killed　him；　anyway。　He　became　useless　to　Bernard。〃
　〃So　you　two　had　to　find　someone　to　take　his　place；〃　Tori　said。　〃Enter　Kunio　Michita。〃
　〃That's　right。　In　fact；　you　did　us　a　favor。　Kunio　Michita's　far　more　venal　than　Murashito　ever　was。　He's　more　powerful；　too。〃
　〃God；　what　a　fool　I've　been。〃
　''In　America；''　Hitasura　said；　''history　shows　that　your　countrymen　make　heroes　of　fools。〃　His　hand　slid　around　the　grip　of　his　pistol。　He　lifted　it；　aiming　it　at　Tori's　chest。　〃It's　a　pity　you'll　never　see　America　again。''
　Tori　stood　up；　and　she　felt　his　tension　soar。
　〃Don't；〃　he　said；　tracking　her　with　the　muzzle　of　the　pistol。
　〃Why　not　do　what　I　want；〃　Tori　said；　〃if　you're　going　to　shoot　me　all　the　same？''
　〃I　don't　want　to　kill　you；〃　Hitasura　said。　〃Not　really。〃
　Tori　shook　her　head。　〃Too　late　for　remorse。〃
　〃Not　remorse。　Regret。　You　were　a　good　friend；　while　it　lasted。〃
　〃While　it　suited　you；　you　mean。〃
　Hitasura　shrugged。　〃I　have　no　interest　in　semantics。〃
　〃I've　no　doubt；〃　Tori　said。　〃You　can't　make　a　profit　on　it。〃
　〃It's　exceedingly　odd；〃　Hitasura　said　with　some　admiration；　〃but　in　many　ways　you　are　not　at　all　gaijin…not　at　all　the　foreigner。〃　He　shrugged。　〃I　suppose　there　are　still　some　things　in　the　world　I　do　not　understand。〃
　〃I　would　like　to　know　one　thing；〃　Tori　said。　〃Who　are　you　sending　the　nuclear　units　to？　Who　is　Bernard's　contact　inside　Russia？〃
　〃A　last　request；〃　Hitasura　said；　then　shrugged。　〃Why　not？　Who　are　you　going　to　tell？''　He　laughed。　''Bernard's　befriended　a　man　named　Valeri　Denysovich　Bondasenko。　The　man's　a　Ukrainian；　he's　spent　his　entire　career；　it　seems；　suppressing　minorities　for　the　Kremlin　while　secretly　working　for　their　unification。　Sounds　like　my　kind　of　guy；　but　I　don't　know。　From　what　Bernard　says；　Bondasenko　genuinely　hates　the　Russians；　but　then　again　he　could　be　KGB。　It's　happened　before；　I　understand。　I　don't　personally　trust　any　of　these　Russians。　Far　too　inscrutable。　What　is　it　they　want；　anyway？　To　bury　the　West　or　to　make　money　from　it？　It's　tough　to　put　your　trust　in　a　schizophrenic；　but　apparently　that's　just　what　Bernard's　done。
　''And　now　God　help　him；　because　we　just　got　an　emergency　coded　cable：　something's　happened　in　Moscow；　and　the　situation　is　rapidly　getting　out　of　hand。　Bondasenko's　White　Star　organization　has　sprung　a　serious　leak。　Knowing　that；　I've　washed　my　hands　of　Bernard　as　quick　as　you　can　slide　a　clam　down　your　throat。　There's　a　dead　drop　we　use　at　the　Hotel　Rossiya　in　Moscow；　addressed　to　a　Mrs。　Kubysheva。　I　wouldn't　use　it　now　if　you　paid　me　fifty　million　yen。　I　don't　need　any　of　the　plications　that　inevitably　e　from　trying　to　be　a　saint。　In　this　day　and　age；　a　saint　is　synonymous　with　a　sucker。〃
　Hitasura　looked　at　her。　〃Is　that　it　for　your　last　request？　Can　we　get　on　with　it？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Tori　said。
　Hitasura　pulled　the　trigger。　The　explosion　was　loud　in　the　booth；　but　amid　the　sound　and　vision　of　pachinko；　no　one　noticed。　Besides；　the　booth's　glass　panels　were　both　bullet…　and　soundproof。
　Tori　was　slammed　back　against　the　glass；　a　hole　torn　in　her　jacket　just　over　her　heart。　She　collapsed；　and　Hitasura　was　across　the　booth　in　one　stride。　He　stood　over　her；　much　as　he　had　stood　over　Big　Ezoe　in　the　corridor　of　the　Kaijin　tea　house　in　Shim…bashi。
　He　kicked　Tori's　thigh　with　the　toe　of　his　shoe；　but　there　was　no　sign　of　movement。　He　squatted；　put　the　muzzle　of　his　pistol　against　her　forehead　in　preparation　for　the　shot　that　would　make　certain　she　was　dead。
　At　that　moment　Koi　tore　open　the　door　to　the　glassed…in　booth。　Hitasura；　hearing　her；　swung　the　pistol　in　an　arc　toward　her。
　And　in　that　instant　of　hesitation；　Tori's　right　hand　blurred　upward；　her　hardened　heel　smashing　into　the　base　of　his　nose　with　such　force　it　d