ericlustbader.the ninja-第63章

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　'Exclusion。'
　As　if　he　had　been　thinking　of　this　all　the　time；　Kansatsu　said；。'　Do　you　know　anything　of　the　life　of　Musashi？'
　'Not　really；　no。'
　'Miyamoto　Musashi　was　born　in　1584；'　Kansatsu　said　seriously。　'As　you　no　doubt　know；　this　was　not　the　best　of　times　for　Japan。　There　was　and　had　been　terrible　internal　strife　brought　about　by　the　constant　internecine　warfare　waged　by　the　numerous　daimyo。
　'Musashi　was　a　ronin；　little　more　than　a　brigand；　really。　His　family　came　from　the　south；　in　Kyushu；　but　by　the　age　of　twenty…one　he　had　travelled　north　to　Kyoto　and　there　fought　his　first　battle；　decimating　a　family　which　had；　years　before；　been　responsible　for　his　father's　demise。
　'There　^re　many；　many　tales　told　concerning　Musashi　and　one　must　be　most　careful　in　reading　these　accounts。　As　is　the　case　with　most　historical　figures　from　this　country's　feudal　past；　Musashi's　history　is　awash　with　myth。　This　blurring　of　fact　and　fancy　is　all　well　and　good　for　the　reader　wishing　for　simple　entertainment。　But　for　the　serious　student　of　history　…and　this　should　include　all　who　study　bujutsu　…　it　can　be　a　dangerous　trap。'
　'But　myth　sometimes　sustains　the　samurai；'　Nicholas　said。
　'Not　so。'　Kansatsu's　tone　was　emphatic。　'It　is　history　which　must　sustain　the　warrior。　History　and　duty；　Nicholas。　Nothing　more。　Myth　cannot　enter　into　it；　for　myth　distorts　judgement。　Even　the　senses　bee　infected　then。
　'In　bujutsu　we　deal　with　most　serious　matters。　The　defence　of　life；　yes；　but　that　is　not　all。　Methods　of　dealing　death　occupy　us　daily　and　there　is；　literally；　no　known　number　to　that　catalogue。　One　cannot　be　taught　these　things　without　the　conitant　use　of　responsibility。　And　myth　is　the　chief　eroder　of　this　responsibility。　Without　bushido；　you　see；　we　would　be　nothing　more　than　ninja；　mon　criminals　stalking　the　streets。　And　it　is　so　easy　to　slip　into　myth。　So　very　easy。'
　He　put　his　hand　out；　indicating　that　Nicholas　should　sit。　'You　have　e　a　long　way；'　he　continued。　'Your　technique　is　flawless　and　your　capacity　for　learning　seems　inexhaustible。　However；　I　believe　you　have　gone　as　far　as　you　can　here。　There　remains　for　you　but　one　more　hurdle　and　it　is　the　most　difficult。　In　fact；　I　must　tell　you　that　most　students　who　have　e　this　far　never　go　any　further。
　'Nicholas；　you　must　now　find　that　hurdle　within　yourself　and　make　the　leap。　I　can　no　longer　aid　or　even　guide　you。　Either　it　will　be　there　or　it　will　not。'
　'Does　this　mean　you　want　me　to　leave　the　ry〃？'　Nicholas　found　that　he　was　having　difficulty　in　swallowing。
　Kansatsu　shook　his　head。　'I　mean　nothing　of　the　sort。　You　are　perfectly　free　to　stay　here　for　as　long　as　you　wish　to　stay。'
　Nicholas　knew　that　he　was　missing　something　and；　furiously；　he　backtracked　over　the　conversation；　trying　to　think　what　it　was。　Kansatsu　did　not　seem　disappointed　with　him。　On　the　contrary；　there　was　a　subtle　undercurrent　of　excitement　running　through　him。　Think　1　What；　had　he　missed？
　Kansatsu　stood　up。　'In　lieu　of　a　lesson　today；'　he　said。　Td　like　you　to　give　a　demonstration　for　the　class。'　He　stared　down　at　Nicholas。　'e'　along　now。'
　He　went　out　into　the　centre　of　the　floor；　clapped　his　hands　together　once。　All　sound；　all　motion　immediately　ceased　and　all　heads　turned　expectantly　towards　him；　student　and　sense：　alike。
　Kansatsu　picked　four　students　at　what　appeared　to　be　random。　They　were　all　last…year　students　and　among　the　biggest　physically　in　the　ryu。　All　were　older　than　Nicholas。
　Kansatsu　turned　and　beckoned　to　Nicholas；　who　walked　out　to　stand　beside　him。　In　his　right　hand　he　carried　a　bokken。　'Please　form　up　around　Nicholas；'　Kansatsu　said　to　the　students；　they　moved　around　him　in　a　rough　circle。　Kansatsu　beckoned　to　a　sensei；　who　gave　over　his　bokken　to　the　master。　Kansatsu　delivered　this　up　to　Nicholas。　'Now；'　he　whispered　so　that　only　Nicholas　could　hear；　'we　shall　see　how　well　you　have　digested　the　words　of　the　Niten　ryu；　Musashi's　school。〃
　He　backed　away；　leaving　Nicholas；　a　bokken　in　each　hand；　surrounded　by　the　four　students。　They　were　all　armed　with　single　bokken。　All　of　them　had　been　at　the　ryu　longer　than　he。
　Darkness　falling　like　a　final　curtain　and　he　encircled；　the　stealthy　pad　of　bare　feet　against　polished　wood；　a　sun　orbited　by　four　bright　moons。
　The　dragonfly。
　It　was　but　one　of　the　tai…sabaki；　the　circular　movements　consisting　of　glides　and　spins　developed　by　Musashi's　two…Heavens　ryu。
　He　had　seen　this　and　others　performed　to　perfection　by　Kansatsu　countless　times。　He　had　read　about　these　in　numerous　texts　which　the　sensei　had　given　him。　He　had；　even；　practised　some　on　his　own。　But　never　in　bat。
　He　must　let　the　strategy　of　the　others　dictate　his　first　movements；　for　only　by　the　convergence　of　their　attacks　could　he　successfully　use　the　tai…sabaki　and　only　the　tai…sabaki　would　give　him　a　victory　against　four　opponents。
　Two　came　at　him；　one　on　each　side；　both　raising　their　bokken　in　the　traditional　two…handed　kenjutsu　grip。　Crying　aloud；　they　slashed　at　him　simultaneously。
　It　was　the　reverse　butterfly。　He　whirled　in　an　arc　and；　as　he　did　so；　his　right…handed　weapon　swept　down；　slamming　against　one　student's　thighs。　At　the　same　time；　the　second　weapon　was　rising　and　he　continued　the　swirling　motion　of　his　torso；　sweeping　the　rising　bokken　against　the　second　student's　windpipe。　Both　crashed　to　the　ground；　were　replaced　by　the　second　set　of　adversaries。　He　had　half　a　mind　to　use　the　waterwheel　here　but　changed　his　mind　as　the　vectors　changed；　feinting　it　only。　He　split　them；　whirling　still；　and；　his　back　arched；　his　right　bokken　stabbed　end　first　into　the　mid…section　of　the　student　on　his　left　while　his　left…hand　weapon　blurred　upwards；　slamming　into　the　last　student's。　His　bokken　clattered　to　the　floor。　It　was　the　interlacing　cross；　one　of　the　most　difficult　of　the　tai…sabaki。
　He　returned　to　stillness；　his　bokken　poised；　quivering　the　air　as　if　they　had　a　life　of　their　own　and　wished　now　to　see　more　action。
　'Saigo；'　he　heard　Kansatsu　call。　The　four　students　quit　the　field。　Saigo　stepped　into　it。　He　came　to　the　ryu　now　less　and　less　frequently。　Nicholas　did　not　know　to　which　ryu　he　belonged；　no　one　seemed　to。　But　he　knew　that　it　was　none　of　the　ones　in　the　Tokyo　area。
　Without　warning；　Saigo　ran　at　Nicholas。　His　katana　was　still　sheathed　but　in　a　blur　it　was　out；　extending　outwards　and　down　towards　Nicholas。　Saigo　had　bee　adept　at；　among　other　things；　iaijutsu；　the　art　of　the　'fast　draw'。　The　object　was　to　incorporate　the　unsheathing　of　one's　katana　into　the　actual　thrust　against　an　opponent。　The　iai　sensei　could　kill　his　enemy　before　that　person　was　even　aware　that　he　had　drawn　his　weapon。
　One　moment　Saigo　was　unarmed；　the　next　…　perhaps　a　tenth　of　a　second　later　…　he　had　struck　with　lethal　force。　But　even　as　he　had　used　the　iai　draw　Nicholas　had　been　swivelling　backwards　on　his　right　foot　so　that　he　now　faced　Saigo　with　his　left　side　only。　The　blow；　which　had　been　meant　for　Nicholas's　heart；　now　swept　down　into　empty　air　and　with　his　left…hand　bokken　Nicholas　made　contact；　sweeping　the　katana's　blade　up　and　away　from　him；　swivelled　again　so　that　for　an　instant　his　back　was　to　his　opponent；　driving　the　blade　away　still；　using　the　other's　momentum。　Then　he　had　pleted　the　circular　sweep　and　his　right…hand　bokken　slashed　into　Saigo's　exposed　left　side。　The　waterwheel。
　He　stood　now　with　the　entire　class　watching　him；　his　feet　spread；　his　bokken　on　either　side　of　him；　staring　down　at　Saigo's　sprawled　form。　There　would　be；　he　knew；　a　wicked　purple　welt　raising　the　flesh　where　he　had　hit　the　other　which　would　stay　with　him　for　more　than　a　week。
　There　was　absolute　silence　in　the　room；　the　kind　of　stillness　that　weighs　on　the　ears　until　it　bees　in　itself　painful。
　Nicholas　saw　nothing　but　the　face　of　his　cousin　staring　up　at　him。　Never　in　his　life　had　he　seen　a　look　which　contained　so　much　hate。　Nicholas　had　caused　him　to　lose　face　in　front　of　the　ryu；　he；　a　graduate；　felled　by　one　of　the　pupils。　The　intensity　of　their　silent　private　war　was　such　that　for　a　moment　it　appeared　as　if　lightning　might　light　the　room。
　Then　Kansatsu　had　clapped　his　hands　twice　and　the　onlookers　broke　up；　class　was　out　for　the　day。
　Nicholas　fo