第71节

'At the moment, that's up to Cadillac. He told me he'd run into a few

problems building an engine, so . . . I offered to help him out.

Listen, it's a start. If I can get close to him, maybe I can talk him

round. Between you and me, I don't want to stay here a day longer than

I have to, but it's gonna make life a lot simpler if he goes

quietly."

'What was his answer?"

'Well, he didn't say "yes", but on the other hand he didn't say "no".

Despite everything that's happened he still seems eager to pick my

brains." Steve gave a low, husky laugh. 'By that I mean the few bits

he hasn't picked already."

'Are you angry about that?"

'Nnnaahhh ... it makes things more interesting.

Thing is, I was hoping you'd be together so that you could, y'know

persuade him. Make him see sense.

But . . ."

'He no longer listens to me. He is ruled by the demons inside his

head."

'Yeah... ' We all have them, thought Steve. Perhaps even you have a

darker side that I don't yet know about.

This... thing that binds us together, this feeling I find so hard to

control - where will it lead? Will it give us the strength to go all

the way to the top - or will it destroy us both?

The coverlet was seductively thin, and whenever their limbs touched it

generated, a delicious electric current that made his body tingle from

head to toe. Time would tell which way they were headed but, if she

was to be the death of him, he could not think of a sweeter way to

go.

Hey, c'mon! Pull yourself together, Brickman!

Concentrate!

He edged away and lay on his stomach, heart and loins beating in unison

against the quilted mattress. When he had quelled the rising tide he

said: 'Listen. About Cadillac. There's something we have to agree

on.

If we can't persuade him to leave Ne-Issan of his own accord, then

we'll have to make it impossible for him to stay here. D'you

understand what I'm getting at?"

Pushing down the coverlet, Clearwater turned towards him and lay

against his right shoulder. Steve felt her breasts touch his skin felt

her heart beating against his shoulderblade. She ran her hand across

the base of his neck, then down his spine and put her mouth close to

his ear. 'Do whatever it is you have to do..."

Steve locked his thighs together, pressed his pelvis into the mattress

and tried to think straight. 'I have a plan. Well, a few half-baked

ideas. Whether they'll work or not depends on what happens in the next

few weeks."

He broke off and gasped with a mixture of pleasure and frustration.

'Hey! Come on! Lay off a minute. This is important!" Clearwater's

hand came back to rest innocently on his neck. His right shoulder was

still sandwiched somewhat less innocently between her breasts, but as

the rest of her body from the tibcage down was still under wraps, Steve

was just about able to keep his mind on the real reason for his

midnight swim.

Pretending not to notice what her tongue and teeth were doing to his

ear, he told her about the offer made by the Man in Black: her life in

exchange for the death of the Consul-General. The ear nibbling stopped

abruptly.

And when he got to the details of how Toh-Shiba was to die, she shrank

away.

Steve hoisted himself up on to one elbow and looked down at her.

During his swim across the lake the moon had been tiding high in the

night sky, skimming the silvered edges of coal-black, scudding

clouds.

It had been bright enough to cast a grey shadow in front of him as he

moved stealthily towards the house, but inside the room it was too dark

to see her face clearly.

'Does the thought of his death upset you?"

Her arms reached out to hold him. 'No. It is your life I fear for.

When the time comes, let me kill him for you."

'No,' said Steve. 'That could put you in danger. If something happens

to me, you'll still be able to help Cadillac get awa