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； making sure the house odds were not being tampered with。
〃We got a kid in here last month；〃 Hitasura said as Tori put down her dripping umbrella； came to sit beside him on a plain metal and green vinyl office chair。 〃You should have seen him； the sonuvabitch was some whiz。 He had made a tiny electronic gadget that zapped the pachinko machine's circuits。 He won every other time he played。 Then he got carried away with himself and began to win every game。 That was too much； don't you think？〃
Tori said nothing。 She ignored the TV monitors reproducing the frantic play going on below her。 She had changed clothes at the Mall offices in Shinjuku。 She wore a pair of tapered chocolate…colored leather pants； a man…tailored cream cotton blouse under a waist…length fawn…colored quilted rain jacket。
〃How are you？〃 Hitasura inquired。 He was wearing an expensive but ill…fitting sharkskin suit that was still rain…stained。 〃When we got to you in the tunnels and Mr。 Slade told me you had been poisoned； I moved heaven and earth to make sure you wouldn't die。〃
〃Deke's dead；〃 Tori said。 〃Yen Yasuwara is maimed。〃
Hitasura rocked a little in his chair； as if he had developed a Western manner of mourning。 〃I am sorry you learned about Deke's death in this way；〃 he said。 〃I had wanted to be the one who told you。〃
〃Under the circumstances；'' Tori said carefully； 〃I agree that would have been proper。'' She noticed that he had not acknowledged in any way her reference to Yen。
Hitasura looked at her。 〃Perhaps you should speak to your newfound friend； the assassin who calls herself Koi。 She killed Deke。〃
Tori said； 〃I have talked to her。〃
Hitasura turned his head away。 His gaze was flicking from screen to screen on the wall of monitors。 Suddenly Tori saw him start。 〃She's here；〃 he said。
Tori looked at the screen that held his attention。 It showed Koi making her way down one of the aisles on the floor below。
〃What is she doing here？〃
〃I asked her to e；〃 Tori said。
〃You？〃 Hitasura's head swung around。
Tori watched him。 〃It's time to settle our accounts； to honor old debts。〃
Hitasura's face was now devoid of all emotion。 It was as if his eyes had slid behind a veil。 He reached behind him； produced a pistol from a holster strapped to the small of his back。 He balanced the pistol on his right kneecap。
〃Is that necessary？〃
〃When old friends reveal themselves as enemies；〃 Hitasura said； 〃all precautions must be taken。〃
''What makes you think I've bee your enemy？''
Hitasura gestured with his chin。 〃You bring Big Ezoe's assassin here to my ground； you have bee friends with a monster who would murder you where you lay helpless in my bed。 My bed！ What else am I to think？〃
〃I don't know；〃 Tori said。 〃I'm not the one whose conscience lies heavy。〃
Hitasura made a dismissing sound between his teeth。
Tori watched Koi as she passed from monitor to monitor； as she moved toward the metal staircase to the booth。 Tori said； 〃As long as you brought up the notion； tell me； what kind of monster is it who concocts a new kind of cocaine so powerful its effects destroy the human mind and body in months？〃
Hitasura sat very still； and with an icy crawling in the pit of her stomach； Tori had her answer。 Estilo had not lied。 Hitasura was the man。
Hitasura said； ''If she begins to climb the stairs to this office； I'll order her shot； I promise you。''
〃And then you'll shoot me； and all your problems will be solved。〃 Tori shook her head。 〃But； no。 There's Russ to think of。 What will you do about him； Hitasura？ Kill him as well？ What good will that do you？ There will only be more people from the Mall e to avenge his death…and mine。 You can't win this time。〃
Hitasura allowed himself a tiny smile。 〃Is that how you see the situation？ Well； good。 Then I have nothing at all to fear。〃 Now a laugh leaked out of his mouth； quickly stifled； as if it had popped out unexpectedly。 Hitasura wiped the smirk from his face。 〃Pardon me for laughing at you； but I could not help myself。 You are so far off the mark； you have added a moment of unexpected amusement to an otherwise serious discussion。〃
〃What's struck you so funny？〃 She had not wanted to give him the satisfaction of asking； but she； too； could not help herself。
〃Mmm。 I suppose you could not have forgotten Tom Royce。 No； I see by the expression on your face； you have not。 Then there is Tok Murashito。 I know you remember him。 What an interview you had with him； you the avenging angel out to nail him for killing that idiot Royce。''
Tori was astonished。 〃How do you know about my meeting with Murashito？〃
〃Well； it wasn't from you； was it？〃 Hitasura cocked his head。 〃Figure it out for yourself。 Having trouble？ Okay； I'll go on。 Murashito killed Royce； all right； but he didn't do it because Royce had raped his daughter。 The funny thing is that I think Tom Royce was fully capable of rape； but Murashito was far too clever to allow his daughter anywhere near Royce。
〃No； Murashito killed Royce because he was ordered to。 By whom？ you are about to ask。 Why； by Bernard Godwin。 Royce had begun his own investigation into Godwin's involvement here in Japan； and the deeper he got； it seems the less he liked what he saw。 That's why he angled to take the assignment to e to Japan to brief you。 Godwin let him e； until that moment； he had not been sure that Royce was the one doing the burrowing behind his back。 Once he was sure； Royce's fate was sealed。 He was a dead man。 So you can see how empty a threat you've just made。 No one from the Mall will e to avenge your death… or that of Mr。 Slade。 There will no doubt be an investigation； but Bernard will handle it himself。 The circumstances dictate it； after all。〃 Another laugh was squeezed out of him； and Tori shivered。
Hitasura cocked his head again； responding to the dumbfounded look on Tori's face。 〃Are you shocked？ Perhaps I've gone too fast and you're not following me。 Shall I slow down？〃
All she could think of was Bernard Godwin： how he had manipulated everyone around him； including her。 She had thought of him as a surrogate 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？''