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'Sensei。'
'All right； whatever。 They said this man was the best they had ever seen。 Afterwards； he had a kendo match with Terry。 Vincent told me Terry had been troubled by it when they had dinner together。 That was the night of the double murder。'
Nicholas looked at him； ignoring the paper in his hand。 It was thin and limp； seeming to be stained with sweat。 'What's the punch…line？'
'This Japanese gave his name as Hideoshi。'
Nicholas looked away for a moment； out over the cemetery。 The white marble headstones were brilliant in the burning sun and even 。the dark grey or striated stones seemed as light as feathers； threatening at any moment to shake free of their moorings and float away into the sky as serenely as clouds。 It was the middle of the week； there was little movement along the neat； narrow paths； the close…cropped lawns。 Bright blobs of colour； flowers placed precisely at the doorways to heaven； gave the panorama a rather false festiveness as if they stood in the middle of a newly abandoned state fair。 At the periphery of his vision； a yellow bulldozer moved fallow earth。 Beyond； the highway arched in a steel and stressed…concrete rainbow； its traffic so muted its hiss seemed like the sigh of endless surf。
'In 1598；' Nicholas said； 'Hideoshi； the Kwambaku； he who controlled all the warring daimyo of Japan； died。 It is monly believed that he； being a far…sighted man； bequeathed his power to leyasu Tokugawa； the strongest member of the governing council。 This is not so。 Hideoshi's mistress was Yodogimi and she had given him a son。 He loved them both and wished； above all else； to have his heir one day rule Japan。 Just before his death he asked to see a close friend； Mitsunari the policeman。 He told him in strict secrecy to guard Yodogimi and his son。 In effect； he set Mitsunari against leyasu。 〃Mitsunari； my friend；〃 he said； 〃leyasu exults in my death though you will see him act otherwise。 Do not be deceived。 leyasu is as clever as he is dangerous。 He will； within a short time of my death； seek to
bee Shogun。 Mitsunari； my friend； you must oppose this with all your might for； to do this； leyasu must destroy Yodogimi and the true heir。〃
'Then； just moments afterwards； Hideoshi received leyasu。 〃You are the strongest of the council；〃 he told him。 〃Thus you must take over the reins of power after I am gone。〃 〃Do not speak of such sad matters； Kwambaku；〃 leyasu said； but Hideoshi waved him to silence。 〃Listen to what I have to say。 There is little time。 When I am gone； there will be anarchy among the council members。 Undoubtedly they will split into factions and the country will be plunged back； into civil war。 This must be avoided at all costs。 You must seize power； leyasu。 Those other three daimyo are as nothing to you。 Sweep them aside； rule to forestall a civil war which would rip Japan asunder。〃 And leyasu Tokugawa bowed his head in acquiescence。
〃Thus did Hideoshi set in motion at the very moment of his death a plex plan for the eventual succession of his heir； thus he hoped to manipulate the destiny of Japan even from …beyond the grave。 He knew that the moment of his death was most inopportune。 His son was still far too young to be able to defend himself or to hold for long the loyalty of all but a tiny fraction of those who were loyal to him。 He knew of leyasu's ambition to bee Shogun and this he would not permit。 That honour must go to his own heir。'
Off to their left； a small funeral procession made its lenti…tudinous way from the black macadam road from which heat waves rose； along one of the narrow paths towards an open grave。 The gleaming casket was already in place； surrounded by garlands of flowers。 The mourners were forming up and a slight motion began as one of the family members collapsed。 Distance and the heaviness of the air dampened the sound so that it appeared as if they were viewing a mime show。
'Was Hideoshi successful？' Croaker asked after a time。
'No；' Nicholas said； 'he wasn't。' He was still watching the crowd of people。 The person … a woman； it appeared … had recovered and the service menced。 'For one thing； leyasu Tokugawa was far too clever and powerful。 For another； Mitsunari gathered a coalition of daimyo around him who were just
not up to the task of defeating leyasu。 In 1615 leyasu led his forces against those who sought to protect Yodogimi and the heir。 They had retreated into the nearly invulnerable castle at Osaka。 On June fourth of that year； leyasu's forces breached the castle's defences but by that time both Yodogimi and the young heir were already dead； she had killed her son and then mitted seppuku。'
'Is there a villain in this story ？'
There came a flash in the sky and a drone； heavy with vibration； as a 747 headed in to Kennedy。
'I suppose it depends on your point of view；' Nicholas said。 'But I can tell you that leyasu was one of the greatest leaders in the history of Japan。 Whether Hideoshi understood those qualities in leyasu is open to debate。 In any case； they were two different kinds of men； and it is impossible； I think； to make an overwhelming case for one against the other。 They were both crucial to the development of their country。'
'Yet； in the end； Hideoshi is the loser；' Croaker pointed out。 'His line died with him。' Nicholas said nothing。 There was a kind of stillness over the cemetery。 People looked like statues； caught within a moment as if part of an old photograph。 The hazy spires of Manhattan； sitting astride the horizon in the West； seemed out of place； dropped there by mistake by some drunken stage hand。 Croaker's voice had lowered in volume when next he spoke。 'Why would this man take Hideoshi's name … we can be certain it's not his own … when that man failed？'
Nicholas smiled thinly； turned to look at Croaker's face。 Odd； he thought。 Depending on the intensity of the light and which way it struck；； one could see his face as either nigged or battered。 But perhaps they were the same； after all。 'That's a totally Western way of viewing history；' he said softly。 'In Japan there is what we call the nobility of failure。 Many of our greatest heroes failed in their ultimate objectives。 But their vision was heroic； as were their subsequent actions。 In the West； you revere only the victorious。 That's a。 pity； don't you think ？'
Croaker squinted against the glare of the sun。 'You mean this Hideoshi was a hero。'
Nicholas nodded。 'Yes。'
'What about the other names on the list？ How would they fit in here？'
'Frankly； I don't know； but Terry wasn't just doodling。' He handed the paper back to Croaker。
'Well； I don't get it。'
'Neither do I；' Nicholas said。
There was a kind of stillness in the air that had nothing to do with sadness and death and defeat。 Nicholas thought； won…deringly； that it had been some time indeed since he had felt as close to another man as he did nqw to Lew Croaker。
'You know；' he said； 'when I came to this country years ago； I deliberately put aside a certain part of my life。 That is not an easy thing to do … for anyone … but especially for someone brought up in Japan。 There was a debt I felt I owed to my father … to the West； really … where it resided inside myself。' Croaker's eyes seemed silvery with the sunlight as he regarded Nicholas silently。 He had e to understand the immense importance of this gesture。
'But； abruptly； I stopped。 Just like that。 It was as if I had suddenly awakened from a long dream…filled sleep。 What had I been doing all these years here？ What had I acplished？ I would not have myself； feel； as my father had…at his death； as if I had squandered the time allotted to me。 It was enough that I had been enpassed by his sorrow； his bitterness。 I could not countenance the same thing happening to me。'
They were silent for a time； listening perhaps to the unsteady wind reaching the elms。 The sun was very hot。
'And now？' Croaker said with a hint of hesitation； he was still in unfamiliar territory。 'Has anything changed？'
Nicholas laughed； not unkindly but with a sword…sharp edge。 'My whole world has turned upside down。 It's as if the intervening years since I came here had never occurred。'
'I'm trying to imagine something like that happening to me。'
Ni