el.angeleyes-第24部分

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　Irina　laughed　despite　herself。　〃My　God；　Valeri；　sometimes　I　forget　just　how　backward　you　can　be。〃
　〃Politics　is　my　only　concern；〃　he　said　simply。
　〃One　day；　your　obsession　will　be　the　death　of　you；〃　Irina　pointed　out。　〃You　cannot　outthink　enemies　with　blinders　on。〃
　〃Does　this　expansion　of　my　horizons　include　decadent　Western　rock　and　roll；　then？〃
　〃Perhaps。〃　Irina　looked　at　him。　〃But　it's　a　good　example。　In　the　West；　rock　music　is　a　great　force。　It　not　only　generates　a　tremendous　amount　of　money；　it　moves　young　people。　It　can　galvanize　them；　mobilize　them。〃
　〃Then　the　army　es　in；　and　disperses　them；〃　Valeri　pointed　out。
　〃Only　until　the　young　people　bee　their　own　army。〃
　Bondasenko　thought　about　this　for　some　time。　He　knew　that　Irina's　position　in　the　Ministry　of　Education　allowed　her　to　observe　firsthand　many　of　the　Western　trends　of　which　he　was　as　yet　ignorant。　He　would　do　well；　he　knew；　to　listen　to　her　advice。　〃Your　criticism　I　can　take。　It's　constructive。　It's　Mars　Volkov's　criticism　that　must　be　silenced。〃　He　rose；　but　did　not　take　his　eyes　off　her。　''Please　keep　that　in　mind　tonight　when　your　head　is　snuggled　fortably　into　his　chest。''
　
　Two　days　after　Kakuei　Sakata's　public　suicide；　a　certain　envelope　arrived　by　mail。　It　was　odd：　square…shaped；　of　heavy　handmade　paper。　Honno　Kansei　took　it　out　of　the　mailbox　on　her　way　to　work。　The　letter　was　from　Kakuei　Sakata。
　It　was　dated　the　day　he　had　killed　himself。　There　was　a　folded　piece　of　note　paper　inside。　Honno　opened　it　on　the　subway　to　Kasumigaseki；　discovered　a　small　key　and　nothing　else。　No　note；　no　explanation。
　Now　she　began　to　feel　a　wind　rising；　the　first　chill　brush　of　the　maelstrom　that　Sakata　had　spoken　of。　For　thirty…six　hours　the　television；　radio；　and　newspapers　had　been　filled　with　reports　and　spectacular　photos　of　the　death　of　Kakuei　Sakata。　And　swirls　of　speculation　rippled　outward　from　that　one　violent　and　chilling　act　of　social　conscience。　She　had　seen　her　boss；　Kunio　Michita；　interviewed　on　the　news；　in　much　the　same　way　that　the　former　prime　minister　had　been　publicly　grilled　several　years　before；　except　that　Michita　was　so　telegenic；　he　emerged　with　increased　face。　One　channel　preempted　its　favorite　nighttime　soap　opera　to　present　a　half…hour　special　live　from　Sengakuji；　the　site　of　Sakata's　suicide。
　That　morning；　Honno　went　to　work　and；　with　the　key　in　the　moist　palm　of　her　hand；　brought　Kunio　Michita　his　mail　and　his　cup　of　freshly　brewed　coffee。　She　watched　Kunio　Michita；　a　small；　dapper　man　with　silver　hair　and　a　neat　mustache；　pick　through　his　mail。　She　dutifully　took　down　the　dictation　he　gave　her；　reminded　him　of　his　full　day　of　appointments；　meetings；　conference　calls；　and　interviews。　In　private　he　gave　off　conflicting　signals。　While　he　seemed　genuinely　upset　at　his　go…between's　unexpected　death；　he　also　appeared　almost　buoyant　at　the　prospect　of　the　media　coverage。　He　was　exceptionally　skilled　in　front　of　the　cameras；　and　he　knew　it。　In　fact；　from　his　first　interview　on　television；　widespread　support　for　him；　both　financial　and　otherwise；　had　begun　to　pour　in。　It　was　beginning　to　look　to　Honno　as　if　Michita　had　found　his　metier　at　last。
　''Our　bid　for　the　Osaka　Ceramics　has　been　approved；''　Kunio　Michita　said；　〃so；　would　you　inform　our　contracts　department。　''He　rubbed　his　hands　together。　〃That　makes　sixteen　bids　this　year　we've　successfully　negotiated。〃　He　handed　her　a　thick　file。　〃And　I've　decided　to　close　our　petrochemical　division。　We've　got　to　gear　up　Michita　Sat　to　beat　the　satellite　delivery　deadlines。　I　have　a　hunch　the　government　will　give　us　a　fat　incentive　for　those　moves。〃　He　handed　her　another　file。　〃Also；　the　Kaga　people　will　be　here　at　noon；　so　I　want　you　to　make　certain　that　everything　is　in　readiness　for　the　signing。　Our　joint　venture　with　Kaga　will　give　me　great　face。〃　He　still　had　not　looked　at　her。　〃Oh；　by　the　way；〃　he　touched　his　forehead；　as　if　his　memory　had　just　been　jogged；　''I　want　you　to　squeeze　in　another　appointment。　I've　got　to　see　Aoki　at　Tandem　Polycarbon　at　noon。　Our　new　dye　process　is　perfect　for　their　entire　new　line　of　products。〃
　Honno　was　overwhelmed。　〃Thank　you；　sir。〃
　〃Eh？〃　Michita　at　last　glanced　up　at　her。　〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃
　〃Well；　last　week　in　the　staff　meeting　I　mentioned　that　I'd　heard　about　Tandem's　new　product　line　and　thought　our　dipole　dye　process　would　be　a　perfect　match　for　it。〃
　〃Really？〃　Michita's　attention　was　already　on　other　matters。　〃I　can't　say　I　remember　that。　Perhaps　you　are　mistaken。　I've　got　a　memo　here　from　Fujinami。　Just　got　it。　Shows　research。　He　really　did　his　homework。　If　the　deal　goes　through；　he's　in　for　a　promotion。　Remind　me；　would　you？〃
　〃But　sir…〃
　〃Eight…thirty；〃　Michita　said；　consulting　the　clock　that　dominated　his　desk。　〃It's　time　for　my　first　conference　call。　You　have　set　it　up；　I　trust。〃
　Honno　retreated　from　his　office。　Mr。　Fujinami　had　been　in　that　meeting　last　week。　He　had　heard　her　idea；　used　it。　She　should　have　thought　to　put　her　ideas　in　memo　form。　Perhaps　then　Michita　would　have　listened　to　her。
　Honno　sat　at　her　desk　and　slowly　unwrapped　her　fingers　from　around　the　key　Sakata　had　sent　her。　Her　sweat　glistened　on　its　surface。
　Honno　counted　her　blessings。　She　was　in　the　heart　of　Tokyo；　her　favorite　place　on　earth。　She　was　secretary　to　the　country's　most　successful　businessman；　and　her　face　among　friends；　associates；　and　colleagues　was　great。　Actually；　she　was　lucky　to　be　at　Michita　Industries　during　this　past　year　of　enormous　expansion。
　It　seemed　to　her　as　if　every　time　she　looked　up；　Kunio　Michita　had　negotiated　another　winning　bid　on　a　lucrative　new　government…sponsored　project。　The　new　focus　on　Michita　Apparel　was　another　example　of　how　Michita　always　managed　to　have　one　division　or　another　eligible　for　government　incentives　in　high…speed　growth　industries。　Six　months　ago　Honno　had　been　certain　that　Kunio　Michita's　massive　string　of　good　luck　would　rub　off　on　her。　It　hadn't。
　What　had　happened　just　now？　She　had　gone　into　Kunio　Michita's　office　fully　intending　to　tell　him　of　the　key's　existence；　to　give　him　a　chance　to　explain　to　her　the　reason　behind　Kakuei　Sakata's　suicide。　But　now　she　knew　that　she　would　not　do　it。
　Honno　suspected　that；　at　the　very　least；　she　should　tell　her　husband；　Eikichi；　about　the　key；　because　some　sixth　sense　was　already　warning　her　that　the　Tokuso　should　be　notified。　Her　connection　with　the　Tokuso…the　Tokyo　District　Special　Prosecutor's　Office…was　a　personal　one。　Eikichi　Kansei；　her　husband；　worked　there　as　deputy　assistant　to　the　chief　of　the　Tokuso。　〃I　am；〃　he　loved　to　tell　her；　〃up　to　my　armpits　in　investigations　into　political　bribery；　extortion；　and　influence…peddling。〃　His　job　made　his　heart　sing。
　Everything　in　its　place　and　a　place　for　everything；　could　be　Eikichi's　prosaic　but　simple　philosophy。　He　was　a　supremely　organized　man；　a　scion　of　one　of　Tokyo's　best　families；　who；　by　virtue　of　hard　work　as　well　as　his　father's　considerable　influence；　had　gone　to　the　right　schools；　had　made　the　right　contacts；　and　had　ended　up　in　the　right　job：　prestigious；　enviable；　honorable。
　Eikichi's　mother　had　spoiled　him　while　he　was　growing　up。　But　because　he　wanted　to　live　up　to　and　even　surpass　his　father's　expectations　for　him；　he　was　a　fanatic；　almost　obsessive　worker。　From　the　time　he　had　graduated　university　in　the　top　five　percent　of　his　class；　he　had　been　on　his　own。　On　the　other　hand；　with　the　generous　annual　stipend　provided　by　his　grandfather；　he　never　had　to　worry　about　working　for　a　living。
　Eikichi's　world　had　always　been　defined　by　two　linchpins：　money　and　influence；　both　of　which　his　family　had　in　abundant　supply；　and；　with　a　good　degree　of　accuracy；　one　could　say　that　he　took　these　things　for　granted；　rather　than　seeing　them　as　the　blessings　they　were。
　Honno　knew　all　about　Eikichi　when　she　had　been　introduced　to　him　by　a　mutual　friend；　and　she　had　been　attracted　to　him　precisely　because　of　his　highly　structured；　rigidly　partmentalized　life。　She　had　never　had　much　stability　in　her　home　life；　and　the　idea　of　being　married　to　a　brilliant　organizational　wizard　struck　her　as　most　appealing。　Besides；　the　prestige　accorded　her　by　being　Eikichi's　intended　bri