Chapter 44

MinisterTakahashihandedHirayamaapieceofstringandthesquare-shapednomiandturnedtocontemplatetheShinjukuskyline.Hisfacewasaninscrutablemaskofresolve.ThemovecaughtHirayama,whowashoveringnearby,pletelybysurprise.Thewholeepisodewasjustablur.Heheldthestringlimplyinhislefthandandstaredintospace,seeingnothing.Hehadjusttoldtheoyabunthebadnews.HismenhadfailedtopreventtheDianeJoplingirlfrombeingspiritedawayfromrightunderneaththeirnoses.AndinHongKong,HideoSatoandMiyagihadfailedtocaptureCadCaldwellandretrievetheconsoleontwoattempts.Thewholethingwasturningintoafiascoandsomebodyhadtotakeresponsibility.Whydidithavetobehim?

TheywereinoneofTakahashi’smanybusinessofficesdottedaroundTokyo.Ahugewall-to-wallwindowrevealedabreathtakingvistaofShinjukustretchingouttothesnow-coveredoutskirtsofthecity.Theviewoutsidewasadensesprawlofgrayconcreteandneon.Hirayamastudiedthecarpet,watchingthememoryfibersresurrectthemselves,erasingtheimprintleftbytheirshoes.Inthebackgroundwasthelowbutindistinguishablehumofmerceandenterprise,windshearagainstthewindowsandthesubliminalsoundsofametropolistickingover.

TheputercontrolledshojihadbeenslidapartconjoiningTakahashi’sofficeproperandhisvisitorareatoformanexpansivespacecharacterizedbyelegantsimplicity.Zen.AplasmascreenpulsatedsilentlyinonecornerflippingthroughlistsofunintelligibleNikkeiindices.Intheseatingarea,minimalistsquaredesignerchairscoveredinextinctbuffalohideandframedwithchrome.Takahashi’sdeskwasasmoothplaneofblackwithahigh-glossurushifinish.Theareaaroundthedeskwasuncarpeted,exposingtexturedgraygraniteandcanalsofcrushedwhitestone.

Evenasheboweddeeply,Hirayama’smindwasracingthroughtheconsequences.IfhehadhadanyhopeofreplacingKenzoYamamotoassecond-in-mandintheconvolutedhierarchyoftheYamaguchi-gumi,thatchancehadlongdisappeared.Hirayamahadalwayshopedthathewouldneverhavetothesubjecthimselftothehumiliationofyubizume,theritualseveringofasectionofthelittlefingerasrepentanceformistakes.HehalfsuspectedthattheMinisterknewofhisambitionsandbyrequestinghimtoperformthegruesomeactwasdeftlynippinghisaspirationsinthebud.

Hirayamacouldn’thelp,atthismoment,reflectingontheunfairnessoflifeandthinkingofhisdeadmother.WhenhehadjoinedtheYakuzaalmosttwentyyearsago,hismotherhadaskedhimnevertoreturntothefamilyhome.Hirayamahadagreedimplicitlybymovingoutandneverturningback.ItwaspartoftheYakuzacodeandonjoininghehadsworntoplacetheinterestsoftheYamaguchi-gumiaboveallelse,includinghimselfandfamily.That’swhyHirayamahadnevermarried,preferringthefleetingfortofpaidinterstitialsextotheconformityandresponsibilityofmarriage.Hehadkeptawomanforawhile,anAVstarletwhosecareerwasonthedive,butaftershestartedbeingtoodemandingandaskingunanswerablequestions,Hirayamahadquicklycutherloose.Thelasthe’dheardwasthatshewasaddictedtosomecocaine-baseddrugandplyingthetradetoconstructionworkerssomewhereinthesuburbsofTokyo.Thatwasthewayofthewaterbusiness.

Hirayamawrappedthestringtightlyaroundthelittlefingerofhisrighthandandpulledittight.Hewatchedtheblooddrainfromhisfingerasitstartedtogonumb.HewalkedovertothesittingareainTakahashi’sofficeandplacedhisfingerontheglasscoffeetablewithitsetcheddrawingofthewillowworld.Glancingoveratthebroadbackoftheoyabun,Hirayamaheldthenomifirmlyinhislefthandandplaceditjustabovejointofhisfinger.Allhecouldhearwasthescrapingsoundsofarobotoutsidethewindow.Usingthethrustofhisbodyweight,Hirayamaleanedforwardandfeltthebladeofthesmallchiselslidethroughhisfinger.Thesoundoftheamputationwasnotmuch.Hirayamawasvaguelyremindedofhismotherinthekitchenslicingcabbage,butthepainwasintense.Itdidn’tlastlongbutHirayamaknewthatpsychologicallyhewouldneverbethesamepersonagain.

Hewrappedthestubofhisfingerwithahandkerchiefandwatchedthewhitesilkturnasicklyred.Pickinguphisseveredfinger,thesoftlifelessfeelofhisownfleshembalmedinthesilkatoncestrangeandcuriouslyfamiliar,Hirayamawalkeduptotheoyabunandbowingdeeply,offeredthefingertoTakahashi.Takahashiturnedaround,noddedtowardshisdeskandgruntedhisacceptance.Hirayamacouldswearhesawalittleboysmilingbehindtheoyabun’semotionlesseyes.Hewalkedslowlytowardsthedeskandplacedtheblood-soakedhandkerchiefshroudinghisseveredpinkieontheshinyblacksurface.Zen.

“OrderSatoandMiyagibacktoTokyoimmediately.Ifthatinpetentfoolwasnotadistantrelation,Iwouldhavehadhisheadlongago,”Takahashisaid.

“Yes,oyabun.”Thiswasnotimetoquestiontheoyabun’sdecisions.

“NowthatHYDRAissoactivelyinvolvedwecan’taffordapoliticalscandal.Wewillfixthisproblemattheroot.”

“Yes,sir.”

“AndYamamoto’skiller?”

“Wefoundoutwhoheis.HeisaffiliatedwiththePLAandisreputedlyunderthedirectmandofMajor-generalWangofthePLA’sThirdDepartment,oyabun.”

“TheChinesearedeclaringwaronus?”

“Yamamotowasprobablyspyingonthem,oyabun.Ibelieveit’sallrelatedtotheconsoles.”

“Thatwouldseemtobethecase.FindoutwhereinNewChinathisGeneralWangisrightnow.”

“Weknowthatalready,oyabun.ThelastmunicationwasthatheisplanningsometriptoShanghai.”

“Shanghai?AssoonasthosetwoarriveinTokyo,IwantyoutopersonallygowiththemtoShanghai.”

“Shanghai,oyabun?IhaveneverbeenoutofJapan.”

“Hirayama,IwantMajor-generalWangdead.Doyouunderstand?Idon’tcareifSatoorMiyagilosetheirlivesdoingit.”

“Yesoyabun.”

“We’lltakecareofthegirlandhernew-foundfriendshereinTokyo.”

“Isee.”

“AndHirayama?”

“Oyabun?”

“Ifyoufail,youarenolongerweleinJapan.”

Hirayamagrimacedandlookeddownattheblood-soakedstubofhisfinger.Thegodswerecertainlyconspiringagainsthim.HesworequietlytohimselfthatonedayNobuTakahashiwouldpayforthishumiliation.