第40节

the equation. For

reasons he did not yet fully understand, her transformation from

patterned grass-monkey to clear-skinned long-dog had made her a

valuable asset; a prize that Yama-Shita and his friends had gone to

considerable lengths to conceal. But why."?

What made her so different from all the other Tracker renegades held

prisoner in Ne-Issan? Was it because she was the only female, apart

from Jodi, that had fallen into their hands."? Or was it because this

Nakane TohShiba found her as stunning to look at as he did."? Was it

the Jap's present physical relationship with Clearwater that was the

cause of all this clandestine activity."? Was TohShiba breaking the

rules - and were his friends Yama-Shita and Min-Orota involved in the

coverup?

The raid on the convoy was proof that' somebody was on their case:

somebody with sufficient clout and resources to employ close on a

hundred 'ronin' operating from a secure, well-established base-camp.

That 'somebody' Mr X - was opposed to or, at the very least, concerned

about what was going on: concerned enough to gamble men's lives in

order to find out who was behind the mask.

And powerful enough to command the loyalty of men prepared to die, as

more than forty of them had, in order to satisfy his curiosity. Noburo

had asked Clearwater no questions; the house-women had been ignored.

He had merely inspected his hard-won prize and, to judge from his

outward reaction, had not been overly surprised to find what looked ike

a long-dog, clothed in Iron Master finery.

Steve thought back over what Side-Winder, his fellow-Mexican, had told

him about Ne-Issan, searching for clues as to who 'Mr X' might be.

Toh-Shiba, the Jap now waiting to repossess Clearwater's body, was a

government high-wire. Yama-Shita and Min-Orota were domain-lords.

Were they plotting something."? Were the aircraft that Cadillac was

attempting to build to be used in a bid to seize power."? Side-Winder

had talked of an 'undercurrent of conspiracy'. Were they plotting

against other domain-lords or ... against the government."?

Could the 'someone' whose identity Steve was trying to establish.

could 'Mr X' be... the Shogun."?

Steve felt his brain quiver as he came to this realisation.

It was as if an ice-cool electric current had suddenly connected all of

his several billion brain cells.

Yep... that's how it plays, Brickman. You just hit the jackpot.

The column halted. Two ronin appeared out of the darkness and untied

Steve's wrists and feet. Through the trees, Steve could just make out

several faint points of orange light arranged in a regular cluster.

From his scavenging expeditions he knew they came from the lighted

windows of dwelling places. This, then, was the rendezvous point.

The two ronin brought Steve to the head of the column where Noburo

Naka-Jima now stood illuminated by a thin ray of light from a masked

lantern. He had dispensed with the ragtag look and was now dressed

like a man of some distinction. He wore a black outfit trimmed with

blue.

Several white word-signs and symbols were arranged across the chest and

back of his jacket. His bald head was partly covered by a wig swept up

at the back into the top-knot that was the exclusive hallmark of the

samurai.

'You will now take off clothes and wash body,' he said, pointing to a

wooden bucket full of water.

Steve stripped off his walking skins and stood shivering in his blue

wingman's underpants. Noburo motioned to him to take those off too.

The sight of the hair that ran down from his navel then spread out

across his pelvis brought some muttered comments from the dinks

standing around him. Someone handed him a square block of fat and made

rubbing motions as another guy emptied some of the water over his

head.