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bus smelled of stale sweat and mildew。
At the Seventy…fourth Street stop he swung off and walked up one block。 There he turned off Central Park West and headed west towards the Hudson River。 The rain had ceased for the moment but the sky remained clpse and dark； as if hung over from a long night of revelry。 The air was pletely calm。 The city steamed。
He found the address approximately midway between Columbus Avenue and Broadway on the nordi side of the street。 His nostrils flared for an instant as he mounted the steps of the brownstone。 He opened the glass and wood outer doors and stepped into the tiny vestibule。 Before him was a modern steel and wire glass door securely locked。 There was a buzzer on the wall of the vestibule which he pushed firmly。 Just above it was a discreet brass plate on which was etched TOHOKU NO DOJO and； above that； a small oval speaker grille。
'Yes？' came a tinny voice from the grille。
The man with the sunglasses leaned slightly to the side。 'I wish an appointment；' he said。
He waited； one hand already on the knob of the inner door。
'Please e up。 Second floor。 Around to the left as far as you can go。'
The door buzzed and he pushed it open。
He could smell the tang of sweat； tinged with the piquant spices of exertion and fear。 For the first time since setting foot in the city； he felt at home。 Contemptuously； he tossed this feeling aside。 He went swiftly and silently up the carpeted stairs。
Terry Tanaka was on the phone to Vincent when Eileen came up to him。 Seeing the look in her eyes； he asked Vincent to hold the line and； putting his palm over the phone； said； 'What is it； Ei？'
There's a man here who wishes to practise today。'
'So？ We can handle it。 Sign him up。'
'I think you had better take care of this one yourself；' she said。
'Why？ What's the matter？'
'Well； for one thing； he's asking to see you。 And for another； I've seen the way he walks。 He's no student。'
Terry smiled。 'You see how our fame has spread？ That piece in New Yor^ was great。' But when she did not respond； he said； 'That's not all； is it？'
She shook her head。 'The guy gives me the creeps。 His eyes 。。。' She shrugged。 〃I don't know。 But I wish you'd handle it。'
'Okay。 Listen； give him a cup of tea or something。 I'll be right there。'
She nodded； giving him a thin smile。
'What was that？' Vincent said in his ear。
Terry uncovered the mouthpiece。 'Oh； nothing probably。 Just a client who's spooked Ei。'
'How is she？'
Tine。'
'And the two of you？'
'Oh； you know。 About the same。' Terry gave him a quick laugh。 'I'm still waiting for her to say yes。 I've been on one knee so many times； I've worn out four pairs of trousers。'
Vincent laughed。 'We still on for dinner tonight？'
'Sure。 As long as it's an early one。 I want to see Ei tonight。'
〃Sure thing。 Just some questions I'd like to ask you。 Nick was going to e but …'
'Hey' How is he？ He called just before he went out to the Island。 Has he been loafing all summer？'
Vincent laughed。 'Yeah。 Until I got hold of him。 He's got a new woman； too。〃
'Good；' Terry said。 'About time。。 The ties are still very strong； huh？'
'Yeah。' Vincent knew only too well what Terry meant。 'He sends his love to you and Ei。 He'll be in soon； I'm sure； and he'll stop by。'
'Good enough。 Hey； my new client will no doubt bite Ei's head off if I don't run。 See you at seven。 'Bye。'
He hung up and went across the room and around the corner to meet Mr Wonderful。
As Terry came up； Eileen Okura felt some of her apprehension dissipate。 She had been startled by two separate elements。 First； she had not heard the man's approach。 Second； his countenance was unusual。 He stood now precisely as she had first seen him； duffel bag on his back； sunglasses swinging from the thumb and forefinger of his right hand。 The skin of his face and his hands was far too white for an Oriental's。 But； she saw； as she glanced at his throat where his shirt was open； this snowy colour predominated only in those areas； for his chest was a darker； more natural hue。 It was as if he had been in some kind of hideous accident。 An explosion； perhaps； affecting the exposed areas of his flesh。 Yet； for all that； it was his eyes which held her。 They looked utterly dead； black stones dropped into a stagnant pool of water； they could not conceivably retain any form of emotion。 And it was these same eyes which regarded her now as if she were some specimen； stripped and laid out on a sterile surface； ready for dissection。 Eileen felt a brief chill wash over her。
'Watashi ni nanika goyo desu ka；' Terry said to the man。 How may I help you？
'Anata ga kono dojo no master desu ka？' Are you the master of this dojo？
Terry seemed to ignore the abrupt and therefore extremely impolite mode of the other's speech； said； 'So dsu！ Yes。
'Koko de renshu sasete itadakitai no desu ga。' I wish to practise。
'I see。 Which disciplines are you interested in？'
'Aikido； karate； kenjutsu。'
'For aikido and karate I can surely acmodate you。 But as for kenjutsu； I am afraid that it is quite impossible。 My instructor is away on vacation。'
'What about yourself？'
'Me？ I have given up teaching kenjutsu。'
'I require no instruction。 Practise with me for an hour。'
'I…'
'It is better than filling out forms。'
'That it is。 My name is Terry Tanaka。 And yours？'
'Hideoshi。'
A name from out of the past。 Terry nodded。 'All right。 Miss Okura will give you the necessary forms。 The charge is forty dollars an hour。'
The other nodded curtly。 Terry half expected him to produce a plastic wallet filled with travellers' cheques but instead the man peeled off one hundred and twenty dollars in twenties from a roll he kept in his front right…hand trouser pocket。
'Sign there；' Terry said； pointing。 He nodded towards a small doorway at the far end of the room。 'You can change in there。 Do you have your own robe？'
'Yes。'
'All right。 Fine。 The dojo proper is one flight up。 Which discipline do you prefer to begin widi？'
'Surprise me；' Hideoshi said； walking away。 He disappeared through the doorway into the darkness of the locker…room beyond。
Terry turned his head away； saw Eileen staring at the empty doorway across the room。 There were no shadows。 The light filtering in through the half…drawn blinds which covered the high narrow windows； was diffuse enough to put a patina on her glowing skin。 She looked slim and tiny； he thought。 A pale ballerina about to perform her half of a difficult pas de deux。
'Who is he？' Her voice seemed like a whisper in the high…ceilinged room。 Above their heads came the thump of the floorboards。
Terry shrugged。 He was a big man； perhaps six feet； with wide shoulders and narrow waist and hips。 His face was flat； the eyes black above very high cheekbones。 He told Eileen what had transpired。
'You're not going to do it； Terry？'
He shrugged。 'Why not？ It's only an hour's practise。〃 But he knew what she meant and his heart was not nearly so light as his words sounded。 He was； along with Nicholas； one of the greatest kenjutsu masters now living outside Japan。 At thirty…eight； Terry had already spent three…quarters of his life studying kenjutsu； the ancient Japanese art of swordsmanship。 His reason for abruptly abandoning it within the past year might not be altogether easy for a Westerner to understand。
In the first place； no martial art depended solely on physical discipline。 In fact； a great percentage was mental。 Long ago； he had read Miyamoto Musashi's Go Rin No Sho。 It was perhaps the greatest … treatise on strategy in all the world。 Though written in just a few short weeks before the great warrior's death； its knowledge was timeless； Terry thought。 Today； he was well aware； many prominent Japanese businessmen mapped out their major corporate advertising and sales campaigns with Miyamoto's principles in mind。
Just about a year ago； he had picked up the Go Rin No Sho once again。 But； in reading it； he had now found what he believed to be quite different and darker meanings hidden within the logic and vaults of imagination。 To devote oneself so religiously to the domination of others was not； he felt； what life was all about。 He had