ericlustbader.the ninja-第22章

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ilently　served　them　course　after　course　of　food。　The　Colonel　had　not　in　three　years　seen　so　much　food　at　once；　nor　tasted　one　dish　after　another　so　delicious　or　so　exquisitely　presented。　There　was；　firstly；　every　manner　of　dim　sum　…　tiny　delicate　rice…dough　dumplings；　filled　with　a　variety　of　stuffings。　Then　there　was　fish　soup；　hot　and　spicy　without　being　in　the　least　heavy。　Thirdly；　there　were　six　kinds　of　rice；　from　the　simply　boiled　white　to　a　kind　of　double…fried　version　with　minced　seafood　and　cooked　egg　yolk。　The　fourth　course　consisted　of　a　cold　salad　spiced　with　white　horseradish　and　cucumber。　Then　came　the　main　courses：　cut　fowl；　golden　brown；　crisped；　rubbed　with　coarse　salt　and　herbs；　broiled　shrimps；　hardy　langoustes；　cracked　crabs；　their　shining　carapaces　blue　and　red；　fresh　from　the　boiling　water。　And　lastly；　great　crescent　slices　of　melon；　the　juice　already　running　down　along　the　sloping　sides；　onto　the　clay　plates；　like　the　rivulets　of　an　icy　stream。
　At　last　they　were　through　and　So…Peng；　pushing　his　rind…garlanded　plate　from　him；　heaved　a　deep　sigh　and　patted　his　stomach。　'Tell　me　about　your　matrix；　Colonel；'　he　said。
　And　the　Colonel　told　him　all　about　his　father；　all　he　had　been　told　about　the　mother　he　hardly　knew；　struck　down　by　diphtheria　when　he　was　only　two。　All　about　his　stepmother；　whom　he　despised　for　no　one　particular　reason　but　rather　for　many　diffuse　ones。　He　told　So…Peng　about　his　feelings　at　being　an　only　child；　a　concept　that　the　other　found　as　fascinating　and　absorbing　as　he　found　it　strange。　About　his　boyhood　in　rural　Sussex　and　the　road　to　school　which　eventually　brought　him；　as　it　did　to　most；　to　London。　Of　his　burgeoning　interest　in　the　Far　East；　his　studies　and　his　eventual　enlistment。
　'And　now；'　said　So…Peng；　'you　are　to　embark　upon　a　new　chapter　of　your　life。　You　are　about　to　bee　a　politician　and　more；　a　maker　of　history。　Very　good。　Very　good。　Soon　I；　too；　must　leave　Singapore　for　a　time。　My　services　are　needed　elsewhere。　Thus　this　bees；　truly；　a　farewell　party。'　He　paused　now；　as　if　waiting　for　something　to　occur。　Long　moments　passed　in　silence　with　just　the　lentitudinous　dripping　from　the　last　of　the　rain　leaving　the　lush　loquat　trees　that　surrounded　the　house。
　Presently　Chia　Sheng　appeared；　holding　a　shadowed　object　close　to　her。　When　she　reached　the　table；　she　lowered　the　object　into　So…Peng's　hands。　This　time　she　did　not　leave　them　but　stood　silently　at　his　side。
　So…Peng　held　the　object　before　him；　chest　high；　and　the　Colonel　saw　that　it　was　a　copper　box　perhaps　ten　inches　by　eight　across；　enamelled　and　elaborately　lacquered。　On　its　top　was　exquisitely　painted　a　fiery；　scaled　dragon；　entwined　with　an　enormous；　powerful　tiger。
　Still　holding　the　box；　So…Peng　said；　'It　is　now　my　duty　to　apologize　to　you；　dearest　Cheong；　for　being　away　from　Singapore　on　the　day　of　your　marriage　to　Colonel　Linnear。　I　have　thought　upon　this　for　many　months；　deciding　what　would　be　most　appropriate；　for；　as　you　know；　everything　that　is　mine　is　yours　also。　As　it　is　with　all　my　children。'　The　box　was　now　lowered　slowly　to　the　tabletop；　where　it　lay　like　the　most　exquisite　of　jewels；　newly　mined。　'But　you　mean　more　to　me；　Cheong；　than　all　the　others；　for　your　love　shines　all　the　stronger；　all　the　purer　for　the　hard　road　you　had　to　endure。　No　one　of　all　my　children；　none　save　you；　has　ever　wanted　for　anything　since　the　moment　of　its　birth。
　'This　I　have　no　doubt　you　already　know。　But　what　you　arc　not　aware　of　and　what　I　tell　you　now　is　that；　of　them　all；　it　is　your　mind　alone　which　has　cleaved　most　closely　to　my　own。　This　has　touched　me　deeply；　for　it　has　happened　naturally；　with　no　urging　from　myself。　It　is　what　you　yourself　wanted　and　what　you　now　possess。
　'Now；　on　the　point　of　our　last　farewell　…　for　I　fear　that　we　shall　never　see　each　other　again　…　this　is　for　you；　for　your　Colonel；　for　your　child　about　to　be　born；　for　your　children　yet　to　be　conceived。　This　I　give　you　gladly；　with　all　my　love。　It　es　from　me；　from　Chia　Sheng；　from　the　long　line　of　our　families。　In　all　the　world　there　is　only　one。　And　its　contents；　too；　are　the　sole　sentinels；　their　like　not　to　be　found　in　any　quarter　of　the　globe。　This　is　my　legacy。　Use　it　as　you　may。'　His　old　hands；　their　long　fingers；　over　which　the　skin　was　stretched　like　patented　parchment；　extended；　pushing　the　box　slowly　across　the　table　until　it　passed　over　the　centre　meridian。　At　that　point；　as　if　they　no　longer　wielded　any　power；　they　relinquished　their　hold；　withdrawing　over　the　empty　red　expanse　of　the　table　to　the　old　man's　lap。
　The　Colonel；　holding　Cheong's　trembling　hand　in　his；　stared　into　So…Peng's　eyes。　He　meant　to　say　something　but；　whirling　upon　itself；　his　mind　paralysed　his　tongue　and　there　he　sat；　on　the　near　side　of　the　table；　as　if　in　a　world　apart；　watching　a　man　who　was　obviously　as　important　as　he　was　mysterious；　not　knowing　who　he　was；　what　he　did　or　why　he　might　be　so　important；　yet；　despite　that；　understanding　it　all　for　the　first　time。
　Both　the　Colonel　and　Cheong　fell　in　love　with　the　house　and　its　grounds　in　the　suburbs　beyond　Tokyo。　MacArthur　had；　perhaps　quite　properly；　requested　that　the　Colonel　find　suitable　lodgings　within　the　city　proper；　to　be　more　accessible　to　his　work。　However；　he　could　find　no　such　place；　at　least　none　that　could　satisfy　both　him　and　Cheong。
　Thus　they　travelled　outside　of　the　city　and；　almost　immediately；　came　across　the　house。　It　was　in　an　area　that　had；　miraculously；　escaped　the　destruction　that　had　devastated　fully　half　of　the　city　and　much　of　the　outlying　suburbs。
　It　lay　on　the　eastern　verge　of　an　enormous　forest　of　cryptomeria　and　pine　within　which　the　Shinto　temple　blossomed　like　some　other…worldly　flora　whose　grace　of　design；　quiescence　and　natural　humility　instantly　bewitched　the　Colonel's　mind；　speaking　to　him　more　eloquently　than　even　the　country's　finest　speakers　the　eternalness　and　dignity　of　the　Japanese　spirit。　And　always　when　he　came　in　sight　of　it　he　thought　of　So…Peng。
　No　one　knew　who　had　inhabited　the　house　before　the　Colonel　and　Cheong　moved　in；　not　even　Ataki；　the　wizened　old　gardener。　It　had　been　there；　abandoned；　for　years；　he　had　told　the　Colonel；　though　he　had　e　faithfully　every　day　to　tend　the　grounds；　and　time　had　dimmed　remembrance。　Perhaps；　the　Colonel　thought　with　a　certain　degree　of　resignation；　he　just　did　not　want　to　say。　In　any　event；　it　was　now　the　Colonel's。
　The　formal　garden　in　front　of　the　house　was　breathtaking；　plete　with　plexly　flowering　bonsai　trees　and　a　shallow　stone　pool　filled　with　blue…eyed　goldfish　with　？　fins　like　fine；　gossamer　veils　（the　Colonel　quickly　bought　a　tank；　setting　it　up　in　the　kitchen；　one　of　the　house's　few　Westernized　rooms；　for　their　warm　winter's　sojourn）。
　In　the　back　of　the　house　was　another　kind　of　garden　altogether；　a　Zen　pebble　rectangle　with　four　jutting　rocks　placed　at　significant　points　by　the　original　artist　within　the　uniform　expanse；　looking；　the　Colonel　thought；　like　islands　jutting　from　beneath　a　perfectly　calm　sea。　However；　Nicholas　pointed　out；　when　he　was　old　enough　to　speak；　they　were　most　surely　mountain　peaks　rising　above　a　cloudbank：　this　ment　much　to　the　delight　of　both　the　Colonel　and　Cheong。　But　in　any　event；　the　Zen　garden　was；　ironically　enough；　a　place　of　perfect　peace　and　meditation　in　a　country　half…dead；　mutilated　and　charbroiled；　struggling　now　towards　a　new　kind　of　survival。
　Nicholas　adored　the　house　and　the　grounds　with　an　unquenchable　passion。　He　was　drawn；　over　and　over；　to　the　Zen　garden；　where　Cheong　would　often　find　him　sitting　thoughtfully；　head　held　in　his　hands；　gazing　out　over　the　stark　serenity　of　the　rising　rocks　amid　the　precisely　arranged　pebbles。　After　a　time　it　would　be　the　first　place　she　would　look　for　him。
　Nicholas　could　never　decide　whether　he　loved　the　garden　best　when　he　was　alone　there　or　when　Ataki　would　e　with　his　water　and　his　rake　…　to　keep　the　earth　beneath　from　drying　out　and　to　make　certain　that　the　pebbles　were　properly　aligned　…for　he　adored　both　the　intense　solitude　of　the　place　（'It's　like；'　he　told　the　Colonel　once；　'you　can　hear　your　soul　breathing'）　and　watching　the　old　man's　preciseness　and　deft　economy　of　movement　with　the　pebbles；　which　we