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hrough one lung and DeLong was dead before he hit the ground。
The flying form was by him； veiled by the first gout of blood； heard DeLong's last gasp which； to the policeman's dying brain； sounded like the loudest shout in the world。
Nicholas led Croaker back through the apartment。 Women； half…clothed； stood in the doorways； staring curiously at them。
Ah Ma； having received the warrant papers from Willow； stood stone…faced with Penny at her side。 Willow was in the back suite the Japanese had used； seeing to the boy and trying to soothe the girl's shattered nerves。 Willow is wonderful in a crisis； Ah Ma thought； resignedly。 The way I used to be。 She sighed silently。 I do not want to go in there； she thought。 Once it would have been the first place I'd run。 To help。 But no more。 Times have changed and so have I。 She put one arm around Penny's shoulders； as much to keep the girl beside her as to reassure her。
'You should have caught him；' Ah Ma said in Mandarin to Nicholas。 'Now he may e back here。 He won't be happy。 His security was broken。'
'He won't be back；' Nicholas reassured her。 'He has already killed the leak。'
They had to go out by the front； the long way around； surely； because in the dark and without radio linkage they could not chance egress via the back window。 Gunfire still came to them； sporadic and muffled by the intervening walls of the building。 In the hallway a dog was barking and someone one flight down had turned up a TV set； perhaps to drown out the noise from outside。
'Christ！' Croaker said； rubbing at his eyes as they pounded down the stairs。 'What a goddamned mess。'
More shots as they emerged into the hot sticky night and they ； ran down Doyers； heading for Pell Street。
They saw the blue…and…white first； slewed at an angle。 Nicholas saw the two bodies immediately。 One was outlined in the foreground； the other cloaked in a spider's web of shadows at the end of the street。 He paused； his eyes searching from left to right and back again。
Croaker pushed past him； his gun at the ready； but checked when he saw the first body。 Slowly； warily he went towards it in a semi…crouch and； on one knee； turned it carefully over。 He recognized DeLong at once； was appalled at the amount of blood。 He searched in vain for any sign of life。 His hand came away soaked。
He got up and； crabwise； scuttled quickly down the street； checked Binghamton's cooling body。 He stood up and bolstered his gun。 He came back； passed Nicholas without a word and slid in behind the wheel of the patrol car。
He called dispatch； asking for the meat wagon and the associate M。E。 on call。 Then he sent out an A。P。B。 He was still on the phone when Nicholas came up； leaning on the frame of the open door。
'He's long gone； I'm afraid。'
Croaker cradled the receiver； put his head onto the back of the seat； closing his eyes。 'They were my best team。' His eyes snapped open and his big fist pounded the steering wheel so hard it jumped。 'The best goddamned team！' He sighed。 'I'm sorry now I didn't listen to you。 I don't know who that guy out there is but …'
'Lew；' Nicholas said； 'slide over。 I want to talk to you before the crowd es。'
Croaker turned to look at him as he slid over to the passenger's side。 Far off； they could hear the wailing rise and fall of a siren。 It could have been an ambulance。
'I know who the ninja is。'
Croaker sat perfectly still for a moment。
'How long have you known？'
Nicholas blew out a breath as if that would relieve the heaviness he suddenly felt。 The deaths in the present had bined with the deaths in his past； rushing forward to engulf him once again。 He felt very tired and very sad。
'Not long； really。 In the hallway outside Ah Ma's。'
'I see。'
And then he told Croaker everything； spewing it all out as if that might cleanse his soul； relieve him of a burden which； he felt now； he had been carrying far too long。
'Do you mean to tell me；' Croaker said； when he had finished； 'that Saigo isn't after Tomkin at all？ That he's after you？'
'Yes and no；' Nicholas said wearily。 'He is going to kill Tom…kin all right； unless we stop him； but I believe he took on the job to get to me also。 It's the only way all of the killings make sense。'
'I see that； of course； but this is like a blood vendetta。'
'It's a matter of honour。'
'But you must have known it was ing。' The siren's wail was louder now； a cry in the night； and the sound of excited voices pitched back at them off the brick walls。 'Weren't you afraid of …？'
Nicholas gave him a wan smile as he shook his head。 Time to go； he thought。 'I am prepared for it。 I've been prepared for a long time now。' He climbed out of the car。 Every muscle seemed to ache and his head throbbed as if it were in a vice。 He leaned in so that Croaker could hear him as the blue…and…white drew up； followed by the ambulance。 The street lit up red and white； red and white like the entrance to an amusement park。
'You see； Lew；' he said with infinite slowness； 'I am a ninja； too。'
'Nick； wait！'
But he was already walking past the oning people； crowding into the street； into the glare of the dense night。
'Sam。'
Daddy。 Daddy。 Daddy。 He had never said that word in his life yet he thought it now。 'Yes？' 'Sam。'
'Who is this？' 'Are you still my rabbi？'
'Oy； Nick。 Nick！ Is it really you？' Goldman's voice was light。
'It's me。'
'My God； how are you？'
'All right。 How's Edna？'
'Edna？ Edna's fine。 Dying to see you。 Where are you？' Silence。 'Nick； are you all right？'
'To be honest； no。〃
'Just a minute。 What。。。？' The sound of muffled voices came to him； a conversation from another world。 A world where there…were homes and families； children。 Mortgage payments and； perhaps； a two…week trip to Europe in the spring。 What was he doing here； anyway？
'Listen。 Are you in the city ？ Edna says to e right up。 It's a Friday night。 She's made chicken soup。 With lokshen。 Your favourite； remember？'
'I remember。' He remembered everything now。
'So e over。 We'll eat。 We'll talk。' Pause。 'You'll make Edna very happy。 She's been worried about you。'
He rested his head against the acoustic panel of the booth。 Traffic raced by him； just beyond his reach。
'Yes；' he said after a time。 'Okay。 I'll be over。'
He hung up and hailed a cab。 The Goldmans lived in the Dakota on Seventy…second and Central Park West。 They took the Bowery； which turned into Third Avenue； all the way up to Forty…second Street where the taxi turned left； heading cross…town to Eighth Avenue。
Just after Broadway； Nicholas leaned forward； tapped the intervening plastic partition。 'I've changed my mind。 I'll get off here。' He paid and got out。
He had been idly staring put of the left…side window as they passed the long line of movie marquees along that tawdry street when he had seen the film titles。
He watched the two…way traffic； crossed to the south side of the street。 He walked west； past a couple of the new…era glass and chrome porn shops； proudly announcing 'Couples Wele'。 The doors were thrown open in one and a tall black man in wide hat and tight green trousers lounged in the doorway。 'Hits；' he murmured； 'loose joints； coke； speed。 Quality stuff。'
Now the movie marquees came one after another in a seemingly unending line on both sides of the street。 Most were porn houses but one； the one Nicholas had seen from the cab window； was not。 Here there was a kung fu triple bill。 Two of the films starred Bruce Lee。
Nicholas dug out a buck…fifty and went inside。 The place smelt old and musty。 It was lighter than was normal in most theatres。 There was a crowd of black and Puerto Rican kids clamouring around the soda machine at the back。
He took a seat。 The place was almost filled。 On the screen Bruce Lee was talking earnestly with a couple of evil…looking Japanese in dubbed English。 The audience was noisy； restless for the action sequences。 Dialogue they did not appreciate。
Nicholas sat back； watching Lee for a time。 The years had not diminished his aura…。 His spirit seemed to leap off the screen； making the most slipshod productions worth watching。
Nicholas recalled the first time they had met。 It had been in Hong Kong； ironically； after