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It had no effect。 He crashed backwards with a grunt of pain； his sternum splintered from the enormous force of the repeated blows。 The bone shot through his body as effectively as shrapnel。 He looked up once from where he was huddled against the moulding； into the eyes like stones； thinking； Musashi was right after all。 The softly swaying Mancini music rang in his ears； recalling Eileen to him。 Her warmth suffused him like a lighted fuse； burning its way through him until it reached his brain。
Blood came out of his mouth as he called to her in a voice as fragile as rice paper。 'Eileen；' he called。 'I love you。' His head lolled and his eyes slid shut。
The ninja stood dominant in that black void； seeming scarcely to breathe。 He stared at the body before him without emotion。 For long moments his senses quested for any sound out of the ordinary。 At length； satisfied； he turned away； moving silently across the room。 From beneath the sofa he drew out his duffel bag and； drawing open the zipper； carefully placed his bokken next to its brother on the top of the contents。 In one motion he had closed the bag and hefted it； quitting the apartment without a backward glance。
Behind him； Mancini played on； the slow bittersweet melody hinting at lost love； cascading through the room。 A deep groan escaped from Terry's cracked lips as he coughed more blood。 He lifted his head and； blindly； began to crawl towards the bedroom； not even understanding why； knowing only that he must。
Inch by agonizing inch he moved； crossing the threshold at last； stopping only when he lay panting； drooling blood； beside Eileen's corpse。
Before his face was a cord and； reaching up； he yanked on it。 The phone crashed down onto his left shoulder but he was beyond feeling this minute drop within the vast pool of pain that enpassed him。 His finger trembling； he dialled seven slow digits。 The ringing of the receiver was like the tolling of a far…off temple bell。
But Eileen seemed suddenly so far away from him and he knew she needed him。 The receiver slipped through his wet fingers。 He crawled across the last miles。
'Hello？' It was Vincent's voice that came dimly through the abandoned instrument。 'Hello？ Hello！'
But there was no one now to hear him。 Terry lay face down on the black fan of Eileen's hair； his eyes open； unseeing and already glazing over； the blood like a second tongue moving from his lips to hers。
In the living room； the music was finished。
II
Tokyo Suburbs； Spring 1959…Spring 1960
'Look here； Nicholas；' the Colonel said one dark and dismal afternoon。 Storm clouds hid the crown of Mount Fuji and； occasionally； forked lightning lit the sky； afterwards； the distant roll of thunder。
The Colonel； in his study； had in his hands a lacquered box。 On its top was painted a dragon and a tiger； entwined。 Nicholas recognized it as the parting gift to his mother and father from So…Peng。
'It is time； I think； for you to see this；' the Colonel said。 He picked up his pipe and a zippered pouch of moist tobacco； digging both pipe and forefinger into its depths； filling it。 Striking a kitchen match on the edge of his desk； he drew strongly on the pipe； getting it going to his satisfaction before continuing。 His long forefinger tapped the top of the box； the tip tracing the lines of the two creatures emblazoned there。
'Nicholas； do you know the symbolic meanings of the dragon and the tiger in Japanese mythology？'
Nicholas shook his head。
The Colonel blew out a cloud of blue aromatic smoke； gripped the pipe…stem with his teeth at one corner of his mouth。 'The tiger is lord of all the land and the dragon； well； he is emperor of the air。 Curious； that； I've always thought。 The flying serpent； Kukulkan； of Mayan mythology； though he was depicted as being feathered； was also lord of the air。 Interesting that two cultures so far from each other should share a major slice of mythology； don't you think？'
'But why did So…Peng give you a Japanese box？' Nicholas asked。 'He was Chinese； wasn't he？'
'Uhm； a good question；' the Colonel said； puffing away。 'One to which； I am afraid； I do not have a satisfactory answer。 It is true that So…Peng was Mandarin； but only half so。 He made it clear to me that his mother was Japanese。'
'Still； that doesn't explain the box；〃 Nicholas pointed out。 'It's true enough that you were going to Japan； but this box is ancient； not easily acquirable； especially at that time。'
'Yes；' the Colonel replied； stroking the lid； 'there is little doubt that this had been in his family … quite probably brought by his mother to China … for some time。 Now why should So…Peng give this to us？ I mean this specific item。 Surely it was no whim； he was not that kind of man。 Nor do I think it was mere coincidence。' The Colonel rose now and stood by the rain…streaked window。 Condensation had made the panes into frosted decorations； winter's chill had not totally been left behind。
'I pondered this for a long time；' the Colonel said； staring out of the windows。 He rubbed a small oval； clearing a line of sight as if he were carefully looking out of a besieged fortress's apertures。 'All the way from Singapore to Tokyo； in fact。 So…Peng had asked us not to open the present until we had reached Japan and we respected this request。
'At Haneda Airport； we were met by a contingent of SCAP personnel … we had； of course； flown over in a military transport。 However； someone else was waiting for us when we landed。 Certainly your mother recognized her immediately and so did I； just by the description I had been given by Cheong of her dream。 It was Itami and she looked precisely as your mother had dreamed she did。' He shrugged。 'Somehow； I was not amazed。 One grows used to such 。。。 phenomena； here； it's a part of life in the Far East； as I've no doubt you will soon learn。
'I was curious； the rapport your mother had with Itami。 It was as if they had known each other all their lives； as if they were sisters； rather than sisters…in…law。 There was absolutely no culture shock as there might have been when a young girl brought up in a tiny Chinese village meets for the first time a grand lady of urban Japanese society。 Now this was so even though your mother and Itami are totally different kinds of people。〃 The Colonel turned around to face his son。 'AH the differences you see in them … the warmth in your mother； the steel…like aloofness of Itami； the happiness of your mother； the sadness of your aunt … none of these differences mattered to either of them。
'This； too； I thought about for some time and what I decided was this： although So…Peng told me in so many words that he possessed no knowledge of Cheong's true heritage； yet his present was an oblique way of telling me otherwise。〃
'You mean Mother is Japanese。'
'Perhaps part Japanese。' He came and sat down next to his son； putting one hand on his shoulder lovingly。 'But； Nicholas； this is something you must promise never to discuss with anyone； even your mother。 I tell you now because … well； because it was information passed on to me。 So…Peng believed it was important； therefore it must be； though I myself put little stock in that sort of thing。 I am English and a Jew； yet my heart is with these people。 My blood sings with their history； my soul resonates with theirs。 What use is my lineage to me？ I want to make this quite clear to you； Nicholas。 I did not renounce my Jewish name； I merely dropped it away。 Now I suppose it can be argued that this is the same thing。 Not so！ I did this not by choice but by necessity。 England； as a rule； does not like Jews； never has done so。 I found； when I changed my name； many doors opened to me that had hitherto been quite shut。 There's a moral question to be answered here； I know。 Should one attempt to go through？ Yes； say I； and devil take the hindmost。 But that's my view。 And while my soul is with the Japanese； I am neither Buddhist nor Shinto。 These religions hold no particular meaning for me； save for scholarly study。 In my heart； I have never renounced my Jewishness。 Six thousand years of struggle cannot so easily be bought out。 The blood of Solomon and David； of Moses； runs in your veins； too。 Never forget that。 Whether yo