Minister takaring and turned to contemplate table mask of resolve. t ely by surprise. t a blur. ring limply in  ared into space, seeing not told to prevent ted aure Cad Caldrieve ttempts. turning into a fiasco and somebody o take responsibility.  o be him?

    takated around tokyo. A o-a of Sretc to tskirts of ty. tside e and neon. udied t, c t left by t indistinguiserprise, ropolis ticking over.

    ter controlled s conjoining takaor area to form an expansive space cerized by elegant simplicity. Zen. A plasma screen pulsated silently in one corner flipping ts of unintelligible Nikkei indices. In ting area, minimalist square designer cinct buffalo akaed, exposing textured gray granite and canals of cruse stone.

    Even as o as second-in-command in ted  c o t o tion of yubizume, tual severing of a section of ttle finger as repentance for mistakes. ed t ter kneing o perform t ly nipping ions in the bud.

    t, reflecting on t ty years ago, o return to tly by moving out and never turning back. It  of to place terests of t’s  of paid interstitial sex to ty and responsibility of marriage.  a  er sarted becoming too demanding and asking unansions,

    sed to some cocaine-based drug and plying trade to construction  er business.

    ring tigtle finger of   tigc started to go numb. o tting area in takaable s etc t  just above joint of  outside t of ,  tation  mucc tense. It didn’t last long but  psyche same person again.

    ub of ce silk turn a sickly red. Picking up  lifeless feel of  once strange and curiously familiar, o to takaakaurned around, nodded tole boy smiling beionless eyes. ohe shiny black surface. Zen.

    “Order Sato and Miyagi back to tokyo immediately. If t incompetent fool  a distant relation, I would akahashi said.

    “Yes, oyabun.” time to question the oyabun’s decisions.

    “No ively involved  afford a political scandal. e  t.”

    “Yes, sir.”

    “And Yamamoto’s killer?”

    “e found out edly under t command of Major-general ang of tment, oyabun.”

    “the Chinese are declaring war on us?”

    “Yamamoto ’s all related to the consoles.”

    “t o be t w now.”

    “e kno already, oyabun. t communication  rip to Shanghai.”

    “Sokyo, I  you to personally go o Shanghai.”

    “S of Japan.”

    “ Major-general ang dead. Do you understand? I don’t care if Sato or Miyagi lose t.”

    “Yes oyabun.”

    “e’ll take care of tokyo.”

    “I see.”

    “And hirayama?”

    “Oyabun?”

    “If you fail, you are no longer welcome in Japan.”

    tub of ainly conspiring against ly to  one day Nobu takaion.