ericlustbader.the ninja-第13章

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　'This　steel；'　he　said　carefully；　'was　manufactured　from　a　particular　type　of　magnetic　iron　and　ferruginous　sand。　There　are　perhaps　twenty　separate　layers。　The　size　of　the　fragment　makes　it　difficult　to　tell。　I'm　going　by　past　experience。'
　Vincent；　whose　eyes　had　never　left　Nicholas's；　took　a　deep　breath；　said；　'It　wasn't　made　in　this　country。'
　'No；'　Nicholas　agreed。　'It　was　manufactured　in　Japan。'
　'Do　you　know　what　this　means？'　Vincent　said。　He　sat　back；　including　Doc　Deerforth　in　the　discussion。
　'What　can　be　inferred　from　that　alone？'　Nicholas　asked。
　Vincent　took　a　folder　off　the　tabletop；　handed　it　to　Nicholas。
　'Take　a　look　at　page　three。'
　Nicholas　opened　the　folder；　leafed　through　the　pages。　His　eyes　dropped　down　the　typewritten　sheet。　He　sat　perfectly　still　but；　abruptly；　he　could　feel　the　rushing　of　his　blood　through　his　veins。　His　heart　raced。　He　was　nearing　that　far　shore。　He　looked　up。　'Who　did　the　chemical　analysis？'
　i　　　　　'I　did；'　Doc　Deerforth　said。　'There's　no　error。　I　was　stationed　in　the　Philippines　during　the　war。　I've　e　across　this　particular　substance　once　before。'
　'Do　you　know　what　this　is？'　Nicholas　asked　him。　'I　can　make　a　pretty　good　guess。　It's　a　non…synthetic　poison　that　affects　the　cardiovascular　system。'
　'It's　dou；'　Nicholas　said。　'An　enormously　powerful　poison　distilled　from　the　pistils　of　the　chrysanthemum。　The　technique　of　its　manufacture　is　virtually　unknown　outside　Japan　and　even　among　the　Japanese　very　few　know　how　to　make　it。　Its　origins；　it　is　said；　lie　in　China。'
　'Then　we　know　how　the　poison　was　administered；'　Vincent　said。
　'What　do　you　mean？'　Doc　Deerforth　broke　in。　'He　means；'　Nicholas　said　heavily；　'that　the　man　was　killed　by　a　shaken　…　a　Japanese　throwing　star　…　part　of　a　shurken；　a　small…blade　arsenal　…　dipped　in　dou。'
　'Which　means　we　also　know　who　killed　him；'　Vincent　said。　Nicholas　nodded。　'That's　right。　Only　one　kind　of　man　could。　A　ninja。'
　For　reasons　of　security；　Doc　Deerforth　hustled　them　out　of　the　building。　They　were　careful　to　take　with　them　all　the　pertinent　readouts　and　evidence。
　Since　none　of　them　had　bothered　with　breakfast；　they　stopped　on　the　way　back　to　West　Bay　Bridge；　pulling　into　a　diner　right　off　Montauck　Highway　that　offered　authentic　Portuguese　food。
　Over　strong　black　coffee；　broiled　sardines　and　clams　in　a　rich　steaming　winy　sauce；　they　sat　and　watched　the　cars　silently　pass　on　the　highway。　No　one　seemed　to　want　to　begin。　But　someone　had　to　and　Vincent　said；　'Who's　the　new　lady；　Nick？'
　'Hmm？'　Nicholas　turned　from　the　window　and　smiled。　'Her　name's　Justine　Tobin。　She　lives　right　down　the　beach　from　me。'
　'On　Dune　Road？'　Doc　Deerforth　said　and　when　Nicholas　nodded；　he　added；　'I　know　her。　Beautiful　girl。　Only　her　name's　Tomkin。'
　'Sorry；　Doc；'　Nicholas　said。　'You　must　be　mistaken。　This　Justine's　named　Tobin。'
　'Dark　hair；　green　eyes；　one　with　red　motes　in　it；　about　five…seven　…'
　'That's　her。'
　Doc　Deerforth　nodded。　'Name's　Justine　Tomkin；　Nick。　At　least；　that's　how　she　was　born。　You　know；　Tomkin；　as　in　Tomkin　Oil。'
　'That　one？'
　'Yep。　Her　daddy。'
　Everyone　knew　about　Raphael　Tomkin。　Oil　was　but　one　of　his　many　multinational　moneymakers　but　by　all　accounts　the　most　lucrative。　He　was　worth　…　where　had　he　read　it？　In　Newsweek；　perhaps　…　somewhere　in　the　neighborhood　of　a　hundred　million　dollars；　the　last　time　anybody　had　bothered　to　count；　at　that　rarefied　level；　there　did　not　seem　to　be　much　of　a　reason　to　do　so。
　'She　doesn't　like　him　much；'　Nicholas　said。
　Doc　Deerforth　laughed。　'Yah。　You　could　say　that。　She　obviously　doesn't　want　any　part　of　him。'
　Nicholas　recalled　Justine's　words；　He's　as　dead　as　he　could　possibly　be。　Now　he　began　to　understand　the　irony　of　that　remark。　Still；　he　was　annoyed　at　finding　out　this　way。
　'Now；　what　can　you　tell　me　about　the　ninja？'　Doc　Deerforth　said　around　a　bit　of　clam　flesh。
　Outside；　a　white　Ford　with　black　trim　pulled　up　next　to　the　diner。　As　they　watched；　a　big　man　with　a　red　face　and　bulbous　nose　stepped　out　and　walked　towards　them。
　'Hope　neither　of　you　mind；'　Doc　Deerforth　said。　'I　phoned　Ray　Florum　when　we　got　here。　He's　the　mander　of　the　West　Bay　Bridge　Village　Police。　I　think　he's　got　a　right　to　hear　what's　going　on。　Okay？'　Both　Nicholas　and　Vincent　nodded　their　assent。　'Nick？'
　'It's　okay；　Doc；'　he　said　as　lightly　as　he　could。　'It　just　caught　me　off　guard。　I　didn't　expect　her　to　…'　He　waved　a　hand　in　lieu　of　finishing。
　The　door　opened　and　Florum　pushed　into　the　diner。　Doc
　Deerforth　introduced　him　around　and　he　sat　down。　They　filled　him　in。
　'Quite　literally；'　Nicholas　said；　'ninja　means　〃in　stealth〃。'　Florum　poured　himself　some　coffee　as　Nicholas　continued。　'Outside　of　Japan；　there　is　almost　nothing　known　about　ninjutsu；　the　art　of　the　ninja。　Even　there；　it　has　been　poorly　documented　primarily　because　it　was　knowledge　that　was　both　utterly　secret　and　jealously　guarded。　One　was　born　into　a　ninja　family　or　one　gave　up　all　hope　of　being　one。
　'As　you　may　know；　Japanese　society　has　always　been　rigorously　stratified。　There　is　a　highly　defined　social　order　and　no　one　would　even　contemplate　deserting　his　station　in　life；　it's　part　of　one's　karma；　and　this　has　religious　as　well　as　social　overtones。
　'The　samurai；　for　instance；　the　warriors　of　feudal　Japan；　were　gentlemen；　of　the　bushi　class；　no　one　else　was　allowed　to　bee　a　samurai　or　carry　two　swords。　Well；　the　ninja　evolved　from　the　opposite　end　of　the　social　spectrum；　the　hinin。　This　level　was　so　low　that　the　translation　of　that　term　means　〃not　human〃。　Naturally；　they　were　a　far　cry　from　the　aristocratic　bushi。　Yet；　as　clan　warfare　increased　in　Japan；　the　samurai　recognized　a　growing　need　for　the　specific　skills　of　the　ninja；　for　the　samurai　themselves　were　bound　by　an　iron…clad　code　of　bushido　which　strictly　forbade　them　many　actions。　Thus；　the　samurai　clans　hired　the　freelance　ninja　to　perform　acts　of　arson；　assassination；　infiltration　and　terrorism　which　they　themselves　were　duty…bound　to　shun。　History　tells　us；　for　instance；　that　the　ninja　made　their　first　important　appearance　in　the　sixth　century　A。D。　Prince　Regent　Shotoku　employed　them　as　spies。
　'So　successful　were　they　that　their　numbers　increased　dramatically　during　the　Heian　and　Kamakura　periods　in　Japanese　history。　They　concentrated　in　the　south。　Kyoto；　for　example；　was　dominated　by　them　at　night。
　'But　the　last　we　hear　of　them　as　a　major　factor　in　Japan　is　during　the　Shimabara　war　in　1637　when　they　were　used　to　quell　a　Christian　rebellion　on　the　island　of　Kyushu。　Yet　we　know　they　were　active　all　through　the　long　Tokugawa　shogunate。'
　'Just　how　wide　is　the　scope　of　their　skill？'　Doc　Deerforth's　nostrils　were　clogged　with　the　rotting　stench　of　the　Philippine　jungle。
　'Very；'　Nicholas　said。　'From　the　ninja　the　samurai　learned　woodsmanship；　disguise；　camouflage；　codes　and　silent　signalling；　the　preparation　of　fire　bombs　and　smoke　screens。　In　short；　you　would　not　be　wrong　to　consider　the　ninja　military　Houdinis。　But　each　ryu；　that　is；　school　and；　in　the　ninja's　case；　clan；　specialized　in　different　forms　of　bat；　espionage；　lore；　and　so　on；　so　that　one　was　often　able　to　tell　by　his　methods　from　which　ryu　a　particular　assassin　came。　For　instance；　the　Fodo　ryu　was　known　for　its　work　with　many　kinds　of　small　concealed　blades；　the　Gyokku　was　expert　at　using　thumb　and　forefinger　on　the　body's　nerve　centres　in　hand…to…hand　bat；　the　Kotto　was　proficient　at　breaking　bones；　others　used　hypnotism　and　so　on。　Ninjas　were　also　quite　often　skilled　yogen　…　that　is；　chemists。'
　There　was　a　heavy　silence　between　them　until　Vincent　cleared　his　throat　and　said；　'Nick；　I　think　you　ought　to　tell　them　the　rest　of　it。'
　Nicholas　was　silent　for　a　time。
　'What　does　he　mean？'　Florum　said。
　Nicholas　took　a　deep　breath。　…'The　art　of　ninjutsu；'　he　said；　'is　very　ancient。　So　old；　in　fact；　that　no　one　is　certain　of　its　origin；　though　speculation　is　that　it　was　born　in　a　region　of　China。　The　Japanese　took　many　things　from　Chinese　culture　over　the　centuries。　There　is　an　element　of　。。。　superstition　involved。　One　could　even　say　magic。'
　'Magic？'　echoed　Doc　Deerforth。　'Are　you　seriously　suggesting。。。？'
　'In　the　history　of　Japan；'　Nicholas　said；　'it　is