MinisterTakahashiwalkedoutoftheluxuriousbathandsaunaadjoininghisexpansivebedroom.Hisfacewasflushedredfromawholehourspentsoakinginthebath,thewaterkeptataconsistentlyhightemperaturebyputerstosoothhisbody.Hedabbedathisglisteningblackhairwithatowelandconsideredhisfaceandhisnakedbodyinoneofthelargemirrorsinthebedroom.Helookedgoodforhisage.Hisstomachwasreasonablyflatandifhehelditin,asixpackwasclearlydiscernablebelowathinlayeroffat.
HehadspentmostofhistimeinthebaththinkingaboutHirayama,theconsolesandMajor-generalWang.Thedeathofthismanwastheonlywaytoputastoptoallthisnonsense.AsforHirayama,heknewwhathisadviserwantedmostofall.Thatwaswhyhehadkeptthemanclosebyandnotgivenhimthespacetothinkandplotonhowtoattainwhathecovetedmostofall.
Takahashiwasnostrangertoambition.Hehimselfhadbeenendowedwithmoreofitthanmostpeopleandthathadseenhimrisefromnothingtowhathewastoday–theall-seeingeyeofJapanesepoliticsandheadofthemostpowerfulYakuzaganginJapan.Hehadseenambitiondrivemenuptheranksofbothpoliticsandganghierarchiesandhehadwatchedorbeeninstrumentaltotheirrapidfallsfromgrace.Hirayama,bycovetingtoomuchbehindthatsycophanticservitude,wasgoingtogainnothing.
Oneofthehouseholdstaff,thebuxommaidwhohaddeliveredasternbackscrub,hadlaidoutacleanscentedyukata,whichheslippedonandwalkedtowardstheminibar.HepouredhimselfaglassofVSOPandwalkedtowardsthedoorsthatgaveouttohisbedroombalcony.Takahashisippedonhiscognacandslidopenthebalconydoors.Itwascoldbutitwashishabittocontemplatethelatestconfigurationofhisexquisiterockgardencreatedbythegardenrobots,whichcraftedever-changingpatternswiththerandombuttotallyharmoniousplacementofpebblesandishi,orrocks.TherobotswouldsometimesrakedesignsintothesandedareathatwouldhaveTakahashitotallyspeechlesswithappreciationatthesumi,thebalance,ofitall.Takahashiwasanticipatinganotherroboticmasterpiecewhenablobrisingbetweenthebanisterscaughthiseye.
IttookTakahashiafractionofasecondtorealizethatitwasaface,afacesoexpressionlessthatitsentachillrightthroughhisbones.AbodyquicklyfollowedasthemanswunghimselfneatlyovertheedgeofthebalconyandlandedjustthreefeetawayfromTakahashiwhohadretreatedinstinctively.HeknewstraightawaythatthiswastheChinesemanfromtheblown-upphotographshehadmeticulouslystudiednotsolongago,thesamemanwhohadmurderedKenzoYamamoto.
“Whatdoyouwant?”TakahashiaskedinroughMandarinwithanairoffeignedauthority.Hisbrandygobletwasshakingeversoslightlyandheprayedthatthemaninfrontofhimwouldnotnoticeit.Butitwasclearthemandid,hiscrescent-shapedeyeshominginonthevibratingglass.
“Iamheretorelieveyouoftheburdenofliving,”theassassinrepliedinperfectJapanese,causingTakahashisglasstoshakeevenmoreviolently.ThismanwasnotJapaneseyethespokeJapanesewiththeauthorityofanative.AthousandscenarioscrossedTakahashi’smindbuttheyallendedwiththesameconclusion.HewouldprobablydietonightandtheYamaguchi-gumiwouldbethrownintodisarray.Heknewthismanwasnotheretocollectthelaundry.Despitetheman’sdiminutivesize,somethingtoldTakahashithathisassailantwasnottobeunderestimated.Hedecidedtotrydeception.
“YoudontseemtoknowwhoIam.Mymenwill”
“Shutup!Yourmenarelonggone.Ipersonallymadesureofit,”raspedtheassassin,hiseyesglimmeringinthelightbehindthickepicanthicfolds.“Whoyouaremeansnothingwhereyouaregoing.DoyouknowwhyIwillnotfeeltheslightestamountofguiltafteryourdeath?”
“Iamsureyouaregoingtotellme,”Takahashiconcededweakly.Hisfacehadbeguntoperspireheavily.Thesweatstreameddownhisfaceandformedwetpatchesonhisfreshyukata.
“Becausemenlikeyounevergettowhereyouarenowwithouttakingafewlives,withoutruiningafewfamiliesandcausingpublicmisery.Thatcanbeforgiven.Imyselfamatakeroflives.YourbiggestfollyisalackofunderstandingofthingsChinese,ofNewChina.ThisisironicenoughwhenyouconsiderthefactthatyourancestorsoriginatefromtheMiddlekingdom.Iamgoingtotakeyourlifeeventhoughthatfateisonlyafractionofwhatyouandyourkinddeserve.”
Takahashiwassuddenlyfilledwithrage.
“Thatisagoddamnlieandyouknowit.NothingbutoldChinesepropaganda.Wearedescendedfromthesun,asuperiorraceandyouknowit,”retortedTakahashi,bilerisinginhim,threateningtochokehim.Whateverfearhehadfelthadquicklyretreated,replacedwithsomethingapproximatinghisinterpretationofbushido,thewarrior’scode.
“Thenyouwilldieuneducatedandmisinformed”repliedtheassassin,angryattheinsult.Takahashiwasalreadymakinghismove.
Fromtheperipheryofhisvision,asifinslow-motion,theassassinsawtheglintofthechiseledsurfacesofthethickbrandygobletasitcamehurtlingtowardsthebridgeofhisnose.Takahashihadusedtheassassin’sslightlapsetoattack.Evenatthatmomenttheassassinwastwistingviciouslytotheleftastheglasssailedbyintothenight.Theassassinwaiteduntilhehearditcrashinthegardenbelow.AtthesametimeasTakahashiwasmittinghimselftoanhonorabledeath,theassassinrushedtowardshim,engulfingtheJapaneseneckwithhisthinhands.Takahashi’sarmswhippeduptobreakthedeadlystrangleholdbutthemovewasfutile.
Theassassindeliveredseveralsharpjabstospecificpartsoftheminister’sbody.Takahashi’shandsgrewheavyandtryashecouldhewasabletoraisethemnofurtherthanhismid-riff.ThebigJapanesestruggledasthemuchsmallerman’shandstightenedtheholdonhisneck.Hestruggledviolently,writhinglikeacorneredanimal.Heclawedangrilyattheassassin’sbodybuthishandsweregrowingheavier.Eventhoughhewassuffocatingtodeathherealizedthattheman’sskinwascoldtothetouch.Twistinghisbodyangrily,heattemptedtousehisweighttothrowtheassassinagainsttheconcretebalustrade.TheassassinhadanticipatedthatmoveandcounteredwithasuddenacrobaticmaneuverwithTakahashi’sthickneckstillwithinhisvice-likegrip.Takahashifeltnothingashisnecksnappedviolentlybackwardsandhisheavybodyslidtothefloor.
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