ericlustbader.the ninja-第1章

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　Acknowledgements
　Because；　in　some　instances；　I　met　many　of　the　real　people　in　positions　which；　of　necessity；　are　in　this　novel；　I　wish　to　state　that　none　of　the　characters　drawn　here　in　any　way　resemble　their　real…life　counterparts　who；　without　exception；　were　extremely　helpful　to　me。
　I　would　like　to　thank：
　Dr　Gita　Natarajan；　Associate　Medical　Examiner；　City　of　New　York
　Lieutenant　Jim　Doyle；　mander；　Village　Police；　West　Hampton　Beach
　and；　especially：
　Dr　Michael　Baden；　former　Chief　Medical　Examiner；　City　of　New　York
　Thanks　to　the　numerous　individuals　who　assisted　me　with　translations；　and　to　my　father；　who　proofed　the　manuscripts。
　Special　thanks　to　Ruth　and　Arthur　for　invaluable　R&R　in　Shangri…La。
　And　to　Mom；　for　her　courage。
　
　
　
　
　
　
　In　darkness　there　is　death。
　It　was　the　first　thing　they　had　taught　him　and　he　never　forgot　it。　He　could　move　unobserved　in　daylight；　too；　in　other　ways。　But　the　night　was　his　special　friend。
　Now　the　high　piercing　sound　of　the　alarm　cut　through　all　other　nocturnal　sounds：　the　dree　dree　dree　of　the　cicadas；　the　thunderous　crashing　of　the　surf　against　the　grey　sand　and　the　black　rocks　sixty　feet　below；　the　wild　cry　of　a　disturbed　crow　far　off　over　the　massed　treetops。
　Abruptly；　colour　gilded　the　leaves　of　the　ancient　spreading　sycamore　as　lights　went　on　inside　the　house；　but　he　was　already　away　from　the　car；　deep　within　the　concealing　shadows　of　the　carefully　sculptured　hedge。　There　was　little　need　of　this　protection　now　for　he　was　dressed　all　in　matt　black：　low　boots；　cotton　trousers；　long…sleeved　shirt；　lacquered　reed　waistcoat；　gloves　and　a　hooded　mask　that　covered　all　his　face　save　a　strip　across　his　eyes　that　had　been　smeared　with　lampblack　mixed　with　a　fine　charcoal　powder　to　eliminate　the　possibility　of　reflection；　but　his　arduous　training　had　been　too　well　ingrained　for　him　to　take　any　target　for　granted。　This　precluded　the　possibility　of　an　error　in　judgement　that　could　lead　to　a　lapse　in　security。
　The　porch　light　came　on；　insects　fluttering　around　it。　The　noise　of　the　car's　alarm　was　too　loud　for　him　to　be　able　to　hear　the　door　opening　but　he　counted　off　the　seconds　in　his　mind　and　got　it　dead　on　。。。
　Barry　Braughm　stepped　into　the　lemon　light　of　the　open　doorway。　He　was　in　jeans　and　a　white　T…shirt。　His　open　fly　attested　to　the　haste　in　which　he　had　dressed。　He　carried　a　flashlight　in　his　right　hand。
　
　From　this　vantage　point　on　the　slight　elevation　of　the　doorstep　he　played　the　narrow　beam　around　the　area　of　the　car。　Reflected　light　from　the　chrome　lanced　out　into　the　night　and；　squinting；　he　swung　the　beam　away。　At　this　moment　he　was　in　no　mood　to　go　and　fool　around　with　his　car　…　or　anything　else　for　that　matter。
　Not　more　than　half　an　hour　ago　he　had　had　a　screaming　row　with　Andy；　ending　up；　quite　naturally；　with　him　speeding　off　into　the　night。　Back　to　the　city；　Barry　supposed。　Well；　it　damn　well　served　him　right；　cutting　off　his　nose　to　spite　his　face。　But　that　was　Andy；　through　and　through。
　Honest　to　God；　Barry　thought　angrily；　I　don't　know　why　I　put　up　with　him。　And　then　he　shook　his　head。　Yes；　you　do；　he　told　himself。　Well。
　He　went　down　the　short　flight　of　flagstone　steps；　careful　to　give　the　first　one　a　miss。　It　was　cracked；　just　one　of　the　things　around　here　Andy　had　promised　to　fix　this　week。
　He　padded　across　the　wet　grass　of　the　lawn　to　where　the　car　stood；　dark　and　hulking。　The　wind　whistled　through　the　young　maple　to　his　left　and；　farther　on；　he　could　just　make　out　the　low　barrier　of　the　thick　hedge。　What　the　hell　am　I　doing　with　a　Mercedes？　he　asked　himself　rhetorically。　If　it　had　not　been　for　Andy　…　but　Andy　loved　the　creature　forts；　wouldn't　go　anywhere　unless　it　was　via　first　class。　That；　of　course；　includes　me；　Barry　thought　grumpily。　He　looked　off　down　the　road　for　a　moment　as　if　he　might　catch　a　glimpse　of　Andy's　night…black　Audi　swinging　its　headlights　around　the　long　curve　to　flood　his　front　lawn。　Barry　turned　abruptly　away。　Not　tonight；　he　thought。　He　never　recovers　this　quickly。
　He　threw　the　beam　of　the　flash　across　the　top　of　the　hedge　as　he　moved；　along　the　gravel　drive　to　send　a　quick　dazzle　of　liquid　light　off　the　car's　bonnet。　It　grew　in　intensity　as　he　came　up　beside　the　Mercedes。
　Goddamned　heat；　he　thought。　Always　setting　off　the　alarm。　And　I　do　not　want　to　sleep　alone　tonight。　Should　have　thought　of　that　before　you　called　Andy　a　shit。
　He　paused　for　a　last　look　around；　then　bent　and　freed　the　latch；　lifting　the　bonnet。　He　gazed　into　the　interior；　playing　the　beam　over　the　engine　parts；　lingering　for　just　a　moment　on　the　battery。
　Satisfied；　he　slammed　the　bonnet　and　went　around　the　car　checking　the　doors；　one　by　one。　The　seams　of　glass　and　chrome　were　illuminated　as　he　sought　to　find　any　sign　of　a　forced　entry。　Finding　none；　he　came　back　to　the　left　side　and；　bending　again；　inserted　a　small　metal　key　into　a　fixture　in　the　car's　side。　He　turned　the　key　with　a　quick　jerk　and　silence　descended　once　again。　The　sound　of　the　cicadas　returned　and　the　hiss　of　the　surf　gave　renewed　evidence　of　its　tireless　attack　upon　the　slowly　eroding　shore。
　Barry　had　already　turned　away　on　his　way　back　to　the　house　when　he　thought　he　heard　a　brief　clatter　against　the　rocks　near　the　edge　of　the　low　cliff　fronting　his　property。　It　sounded　to　him　like　the　soft　noise　of　running　bare　feet。　He　spun　around；　lifting　the　flash　to　scan　the　area。　He　saw　nothing。
　Curious；　he　went　across　the　lawn　and　into　the　high　grass　which　he　had　never　bothered　to　mow　because　it　was　so　close　to　the　cliff；　emerging　seconds　later　on　the　slightly　elevated　portion　of　land　studded　with　grey　slate　rocks。　He　peered　along　the　ridge　to　both　left　and　right。　Directly　below　him　he　saw　the　palely　iridescent　curl　of　the　tops　of　the　breakers　as　they　rolled　noisily　in。　It's　high　tide；　he　thought。
　The　pain　in　his　chest　came　totally　without　warning。　He　was　thrown　backwards　just　as　if　a　hand　had　e　out　and　pushed　him　and　he　stumbled　along　the　dew…slick　rocks。　His　arms　flew　out　to　the　sides　to　give　him　balance　and　the　flash　spun　end　over　end　like　a　miniature　falling　star　in　the　night。　He　heard　quite　clearly　the　sharp　pang　as　it　bounced　off　the　rocks　below　and　arced　into　the　churning　sea　like　some　suicidal　firefly。　His　mouth　worked　spasmodically。　He　tried　to　scream　but　all　he　could　manage　was　a　kind　of　gasp；　insignificant　and　irrelevant；　and　he　thought　he　knew　what　it　must　be　like　for　a　fish　on　a　line。
　His　arms　and　legs　felt　as　if　they　were　full　of　lead　and　the　air　seemed　to　have　run　out　of　oxygen　just　as　if　he　were　lost　on　an　alien　planet　without　the　protection　of　a　spacesuit。　He　was　incapable　of　coordinating　movement；　balanced　precariously　on　the　faceted　rocks；　on　the　verge　of　the　long　drop　to　the　white　and　black　sea。　Dimly；　he　thought　he　might　be　having　a　heart　attack　and；　desperately　now；　he　tried　to　remember　what　to　do；　how　to　help　himself。　He　died　trying　to　recall。。。
　With　the　absence　of　all　movement；　a　shadow　detached　itself　from　the　wall　of　the　hedge；　ing　swiftly　and　silently　across　to　the　rocks。　Even　the　cicadas；　the　night　birds；　were　left　undisturbed　by　the　passage。
　The　shadow　knelt　over　the　corpse　and　black　fingers　worked　at　something　dark　and　metallic；　embedded　in　the　chest　just　under　and　to　the　right　of　the　heart。　With　a　last　wrench；　the　thing　was　free。
　He　checked　the　carotid　first；　then　the　eyes；　peering　intently　at　the　whites　for　what　seemed　a　long　time；　then　the　pads　of　the　fingers。
　Softly；　to　himself；　the　shadow　recited　the　Hannya…Shin…Kyo。
　He　stood　up。　The　corpse　seemed　as　light　as　air　in　his　arms。　With　barely　any　discernible　motion　or　effort；　he　launched　the　corpse　out　into　the　night；　over　the　edge；　far　enough　out　so　that　it　fell　squarely　into　deep　water。　Immediately　the　strong　current　took　it。
　Within　seconds　the　shadow　had　disappeared；　having　bee　one　with　the　darkness　and　having　left　no　trace　of　its　ever　having　existed。
　
　
　First　Ring
　THE　GROUND　BOOK
　I
　West　Bay　Bridge；　Summer　Present
　When　Nicholas　Linnear　saw　them　fish　the　bloated　blue…white　thing　out　of　the　water；　he　turned　right　around；　walking　away；　and　was　far　down　the　beach　by　the　time　the　real　crowd　had　begun　to　form。
　F