美铁之战系列 第三卷 铁领主 第27部分

thenineronintheywereleavingbehindandsetofftowardsthedistant

pointsoflight.Stevedidn'thavetimetowave.

Hewastoobusytryingtokeepup.

Nearmidnight,astheinhabitantsofthenow-silentpost-house

slumbered,afigureswathedinblack,withonlyhiseyesvisible

throughagapinthestripofclothwoundaroundhishead,enteredthe

darkenedpavilionthroughthehalf-openscreenthatgaveontothe

garden,andsatdowncross-leggedoppositethewaitingronin.

ItwasToshiroHase-Gawa.Asmalllanternplacedonthefloorto

Noburo'sleftprovidedtheonlyillumination.

Revealinghisfacetotheronin,theHeraldexchangedthecustomary

greetingsandthenlistenedintentlytoNoburo'saccountoftheraid

andhissubsequentdiscoveries.

Thelossofsomefortymenwasregrettable,butitwasreassuringto

knowhisinformantshadnotlied.Thelove-objectwasindeeda

long-dog.

Asrequested,theroninhadsentseparateconfirmationofthisfact

directlytotheShogunbycourierpigeon.

Noburothenannouncedthatthekamiwhohadsnatchedthemfromthejaws

ofdeathfollowingtheraidontheconvoyhadintervenedintheir

favouryetagain.TheHeraldcouldnowexaminethemerchandise

himself:'YokoMi-Shima'andhertwochaperoneshadrejoinedtheroad

convoyandwerespendingthenightatthesamepost-house!

Masteringhissurprise,theHeraldaskedhowtheexaminationcouldbe

conductedwithoutgivingthegameaway.

Noburoexplainedthearrangementhehadmadewiththeinnkeeperandhis

wifewho,ifshewasasgoodasherlastwhisperedword,wasnowabed

withoneearcockedforthethreeowl-hootswhichwouldsummonherto

thesilentsteam-ladenbath-houseandintoNoburo'sarms.Shewas

destinedtobecruellydeceived,butNoburointendedtomakeahandsome

apologyinthemorning.Hewouldblamehisnon-appearanceontheneed

toguardtheill-starredcoupleduringtheirmidnighttryst,thenleave

withabackwardglancethathintedatunfinishedbusiness.

Toshirolistenedwithanamusedsmileandlaughedinalltheright

places,buthislightheartedmannerconcealedmixedfeelingsat

learningofthelong-dog'spresenceinthepost-house.Thefactthat

shewasnowhereand,thankstoNoburo,couldbeviewedwheneverhe

desiredcalledintoquestionthewisdomofhisoriginalplan.Hadit

beenarashandfutileaction?Hadmen'slivesbeenuselessly

squandered?

Hedecidedtheyhadnot.Gazingsurreptitiouslyatthebodyofthe

long-dogthroughabath-housescreen,orfrombehindthedoortoher

bedchamberwithNoburobesidehimasanindependentwitness,wouldhave

provedhisaccusationswerewellfoundedbutitwouldnothavethrown

theconspiratorsintodisarray.

Thatwastherealpurposeofthekidnapping.Itraiseddoubts,it

hintedatthepossibilitythatatleastoneoftheirsecretswasnow

knowntoothersandfuelledtheever-presentanxietythattheir

conspiracyhadbeenuncovered.

PerhapsLordYama-Shitawoulddecidethatthelong-dogwasnowtoo

greatariskandarrangetohaveherassassinated.

Thatwouldcertainlyeliminateoneproblem-butitwouldalsoendhis

holdoverNakaneToh-Shiba.ItmightevencausetheConsul-Generalto

turnagainsthim.

Yes...eitherwaytherewereinterestingtimesahead.

Toshiromaintainedhisshowofgoodhumourandcongratulatedtheronin

onhisartfulhandlingofthesituation.'SowhenmayIbepermitted

toseetheladywhohasledmetoriskallforalastpassionate

encounter?"

'Soon,sire,'repliedNoburo.'Butfirst,thereisanotherpersonI

mustbringtoyourattention."Withoutfurtherexplanationhe

unwrappedapieceofclothtorevealthecombatknife,andproceededto

telltheHeraldaboutSteve'sinterventiontohalttheslaughterofthe

campwomenandhissubsequentrevelations.

Toshirolistenedimpassively,thenreachedoutandtouchedtheknife.

'Whydoyoushowthistome?"

'Becauseitismorethanaknife.Itisaweaponfilledwiththepower

ofthelong-dogs.The..."Noburohesitated'...powerwhosename

wedarenotspeak."

TheDarkLight...

Toshiroexaminedtheknifecautiously.Itwaswellcraftedbutthe

qualityandsharpness'ofthesteelbladewasmarkedlyinferiortothe

swordsanddaggersproducedinNe-Issan.Heoffereditbacktothe

ronin.'Showme..."

Noburoreleasedthehiddenpressurecatchesandremovedoneofthe

woodenside-piecesrevealingthedevicehiddeninside.Hehadobserved

Steve'sactionsandhadpractisedopeningthehiltseveraltimesin

ordertoavoidlookingclumsyinfrontoftheHerald.Hehadeven

takenoutthestylusandusedittopressvariousbuttonsjustasthe

cloudwarriorhaddone,buthehadnotfoundouthowtomakethemoving

word-signsappear.

WhatNoburohaddone-althoughhedidnotknowitwastocancelthe

automaticbroadcastofSteve'scall-signprogrammedbySide-Winder,

plusthebrieftwelve-hourlytransmissionsStevehadkeyedin

himself.

TheresultwastotakeStevecompletelyofftheair.Forthelasttwo

days,thehigh-flyingearsoftheFirstFamilyhadsearchedforhis

signalanddrawnablank.ThelastfixA'MEXICOhadonhimwasinthe

areaofBigD-theronin'ssecrethide-out-butnow,nooneknew

wherehewas,orwhathadhappenedtohim.

Toshiroinspectedthemicrocircuitryinsidethehandlebutwasnonethe

wiser.'Didthecloudwarriorexplainthepurposeofthisdevice?"

'Yes.Itislikeacourierpigeonwithoutwings.Heusesittosend

messagesthroughtheskies-andalsotoreceivethecommandsofhis

masters."Noburoshookhisheadinwonderment.

Toshiroalsofoundtheideafascinating,buthewasacutelyconscious

thattheywereplayingwithfire.Thehiddencontentsoftheknife

madeitaforbiddenobjectwhosepowermightdestroythosewhotampered

withitsmechanisms.Hewasobligedtotakeitwithhimincasethe

Shogunexpressedawishtoseeit,butitspresenceintheroommade

himfeeluneasy.Toshirogottheronintoshowhimhowtoreleaseand

replacethewoodensidepieces,thentoldhimtowraptheknifeupand

placeitinanotherroomuntiltheyhadconcludedtheirbusiness.

WhenNoburoreturnedhehadthemysteriouscloudwarriorintow.The

talldark-hairedfigurewhosewristsweretiedtogetherwentdownon

hiskneesbeforetheHeraldandbowedrespectfully.

'Removethemask,'saidToshiro,inJapanese.

Noburountiedthestrawmaskandadoptedacrossleggedposition

facingthem,ontheHerald'sright.

Stevesatbackonhisheelsandkepthiseyeslowereduntilthe

black-cladfigureaddressedhim.Noburohadgivenhimacrashcourse

onhowtobehave,stressingthatthishigh-flyerdidnotowehimany

favoursandwasapparentlyasticklerforprotocol.Socialinferiors

andespeciallyoutlanders-didnotsitinthecompanyofsamurai.

Theyknelt.Aboveall,theydidnotcomeonlikeJacktheBear.

ToshirostudiedSteve'spatternedfaceandforearmswithamixtureof

suspicionanddistaste.Hehadneverbeenthisclosetoagrass-monkey

before.Hepaused,uncertainwhattonetoadoptinthissituation.He

thoughtoverwhattheroninhadsaidabouthisextraordinarymartial

skillsandhisfearlessresponseswhenquestionedanddecidedto

addresshiminafirm,butnotoverbearing,manner.'Iunderstandyou

callyourselfacloudwarrior.Whatisthatexactly?"

Stevewassurprisedtohearthefluencywithwhichhisinterlocutor

spokeBasic.'That'sthenametheMutesgivetothewingmenofthe

Federation.Theyareaspecialkindofsoldier.Creamofthecrop.

Butinsteadofbeingmountedonhorseslikesamurai,theyrideinto

battleonflyingmachinescalledSkyhawks."

'Gotit.Sotellme-whywouldsomeoneasspecialasthatdressupas

agrass-monkey?"

Stevehesitated.

'Youfindthatadifficultquestiontoanswer?"

'No,sire,Iwasjustwonderingwhatwordstouse.YouspeakBasic

amazinglywell,butthesystemyouoperatehereissodifferenttoours

wemaynotsharethesamekindofvocabulary."

'Tryme,'saidToshiro.

'ThesupremerulerofyourcountryisknownastheShogun.Isthat

correct?"

TheHerald'sthroattightened.Hehadnotforeseenthattheoutlander

mighthavetheeffronterytoaskhimaquestion.Hemasteredhisanger

withoutchanginghisexpression.'Goon..."

'Thesupremerulerofmycountry-theAmtrakFederation-isknownas

thePresident-General.Ihavethehonourtobeoneofasmallnumber

ofsoldiersselectedpersonallybyhimtocarryouthighlysensitive

undercoverassignments.Theunit,overwhichheexercisesdirect

control,isknownasAMEXICO.TheAMtrakEXecutiveIntelligence

COmmando.Itsoperativesareknownasmexicans.Wearetheeyesand

earsofthePresident-General,anditishewhosentmehere."

'Inpursuitoftwolong-dogs,Ibelieve-'Stevehithimwiththebig

one.'Youaremistaken,sire.ThecoupleIseekarenotlong-dogs.

They'reMutes."Asheinclinedhishead,hesawtheeyesofhismasked

questionerflickerwithalarm.

Toshiroexchangedglanceswiththeronin.Ifwhatthisoutlandersaid

abouthimselfwastrue,thenthepositionheheldinhisowncountry

wasmoreorlessequivalenttoToshiro'sownasaHeraldtotheInner

Court.Ifthatwasthecase,itwaslittlewonderthathehadfought

sowellandspokenwithsuchassurance.Butwhathehadjustsaid

aboutClearwaterandhercompanioncouldtotallydemolishthescenario

hehadconstructedfortheShogun.Andthatcouldbevery

embarrassing.Afirmresponsewasnecessary.

Heslappedhisthighandlaughedmockingly.'Youspinagoodstory,

cloudwarrior,butIadviseyoutotreadcarefully.Youcomehere

uninvited,threatentomakewaronuswithfirefromtheskyifwedo

nothandoverthetwocriminalsyouseek,andnowyouaskustobelieve

that,despiteyourappearance,youarereallyalong-dog,andthosewho

looklikelong-dogsaregrass-monkeys!"Stevebowed.Itwasobvious

thisguyhadn'theardaboutsuper-straights.'Yes,sire,Iknowit

soundsfar-fetched,butthat'sthewayitis.Theyareaspecialkind

ofMutethatyoumaynothavecomeacrossbefore."

Toshiro'smouthtightenedandwentdownatthecorners.Wasthis

possible?Hhhawwwwh!Thisconversationwastakingadangerousturn.

Hewouldhavetofindsomeexcusetogetridoftheroninsothathe

couldtalkprivatelywiththecloudwarrior.Itwasvitalthatthis

disturbingpieceofnewsdidnotreachtheShogun'searsuntilhehad

hadanopportunitytopreparetheground.

'Canyouproveyouarenotagrass-monkey?"

'Yes."SteveindicatedNoburo.'Igavethesamurai-captainmy

radio-knife."

Toshironodded.'Yeah,I'veseenit,'hesaidflatly.

'ThePlainfolkdonotpossesssuchdevices.NeitherdotheSonsof

Ne-Issan.OnlytheFederationhastheknowledgeandthepowerto

createthesethings.Icanshowyouhowitworks."

Andwhoknows,maybethistimeImightgetKarlstromontheotherend

oftheline.Thatwouldrockthembackontheirheels.

'Thedeviceisofnointeresttous."

Stevefoundhisreplybewildering,butthentheroninhadalsoshowna

certainreluctancewhenpresentedwiththeknife.Steverecalled

Side-Windertellinghimthedinksdidn'thaveelectricity.Okay.

NeitherdidtheMutes.Buttheseguysweredifferent:theywereinto

makingthingsinabigway.Theyshouldhavebeenfallingover

themselvestofindoutaboutitbutinsteadtheygavetheimpression

theycouldn'tcareless.Maybetheywerejustscaredofnewideaslike

theM'CallsnotwantingtheIronMasters'rifles.Nevermind,ifhe

couldn'tblindthisguywithsciencehestillhadacoupleofcardsto

play.'Thisskincolourcomesoff.ButIneedsomewaterandsome

leavesthatareinmybag."

Toshirolookedacrossattheronin.Noburogotupandlefttheroom.

Asthescreendoorslidshutbehindhim,Toshirosaid,'Whatelsedo

youknow,cloudwarrior?"

Steveraisedhiseyes,hesitatedforamoment,thendecidedtoplayhis

hunch.'Iknowthatyouandthesamurai-captainservetheShogunand