Steel Rain (7 page)

Ohana-san says, "Surely the attackers may be identified by fingerprints."

"We are pursuing this avenue, of course," says Colonel Satomi. "However, the means of identification presents less a problem than the location of the appropriate database. If the attackers have been arrested or otherwise registered within the UCAS, the Confederate American States, Cal-Free, the Kingdom of Hawaii, or Japan, we will shortly know who they were. If they are from other territories, we may have to negotiate to obtain the desired information."

"Negotiations may cost us valuable time," Honjowara
-sama
says with decision. "What can we determine from the information available to us now?"

For some moments, no one responds. Machiko recalls Gongoro's speculations about anti-metahuman sentiment in the Yoshida
-kai
, but hesitates to say anything here, before the leaders of the clan, before Honjowara
-sama
himself, for it is all just speculation. Guesses. Perhaps nothing but baseless fantasy.

Bessho-san bows, and says, "The equipment, weapons, cyberware used by the attackers appear to be of military quality, but this by itself is not sufficient for us to draw an inference as to the attacker's origins or organizers. Cranial bombs, for example, are sometimes used to ensure that couriers with implanted data systems are not subjected to interrogation. Such devices have been used by terrorist organizations worldwide, also to prevent capture and interrogation. They have also been utilized by the covert operations teams of various multinational corporations, by Triads, by NAN groups, and by certain clans of Philippine and Japanese specializing in terror and assassination."

Colonel Satomi bows and says, "I would add that the simplest forms of cranial bombs can be implanted for a price within the reach of almost any individual. Perhaps less than one hundred thousand nuyen. However, I have arranged for these devices to be examined by an explosives expert. The specific mechanisms used will almost certainly provide clues as to the manufacturer of the devices. This may aid in identifying the origins of the attackers."

Honjowara
-sama's
grim expression turns dark with discontent. He looks to Adachi Dosan, chief of the Nagato Corp Directorate of Intelligence.

Adachi-san bows, and says, "It is apparent, Chairman
-sama
, that the attacks on the GSG were planned and coordinated with considerable skill. Minor troublemakers such as exist throughout the New York megaplex would lack the resources to conduct these attacks. I would therefore speculate that we are facing a substantial threat. However, the motive for the attacks and their desired effects are troublesome issues. At this juncture, there can be no definitive answers to the questions we are all asking."

"You have some conjecture?" the Chairman demands.

Adachi-san bows, and says, "In theory, an attack on the Green Serpent Guard may be considered an attack against the Honjowara
-gumi
, or Nagato Corp, its Chairman, or the entire Nagato Combine. The Guard is one of our foremost symbols. Its members are recognized throughout the plex. They are generally considered to be not merely the guardians of the Chairman, but representatives of the Chairman and all he controls."

Honjowara
-sama
nods, seeming slightly less discontent, but by no means satisfied. "You say then that these attacks presage greater offensive actions directed against Nagato Combine and its Chairman?"

Adachi-san bows. "Indeed, Chairman-san. I strongly suspect that these attacks may be the first tentative steps in a campaign intended to embarrass the Honjowara-gumi, to make us seem weak. The Triad organization known as the Large Circle League has for many months been engaged in a campaign of harassment against our great ally, the Toki-
gumi
. We believe the League responsible for the beatings and kidnappings of a number of hospitality girls, the burning of the Bronx
pachinko
parlor, the abuse of patrons of several simsense theaters, and, most seriously, the unexpected sweeps of certain BTL labs by the Winter Systems police service."

The Chairman's features darken again. Machiko understands why. It is not the Triads or the difficulties of the Toki-
gumi
. This is old news. It is Adachi-san's mention of BTL. Better Than Life simsense chips are a thorn that strikes personally at the Chairman's ribs. The Honjowara-gumi maintains no BTL labs and does no traffic in the chips. Machiko has heard the Chairman declare more than once that the dreamchips turn people into useless slaves of direct brain stimulation. He has forbidden any member or employee of the Nagato Combine to make personal use of BTL. It is his expressed intention to one day persuade all the clans of Nagato Combine to forego any involvement in BTL trafficking or production.

"The Large Circle League," Adachi-san continues, "is thus succeeding in making the Toki-
gumi
appear weak to their Bronx competitors. Minor troublemakers have been encouraged to make bold moves. All the more so because the Toki-
gumi
is part of Nagato Combine and Nagato Combine has done nothing to support the Toki-
gumi
."

"Yoshida
-kai
offered to send support," says Ohana-san. "The offer was refused. Toki-
gumi
is determined to cure these problems himself."

Adachi-san bows. "This fact is unknown to the Large Circle League. It is unimportant. The leadership of the League knows the Toki-
gumi
appear weak. They know we have done nothing. They are encouraged. Perhaps they begin to suspect that we are also weak. Perhaps they anticipate that if the
Toki
-
gumi
are threatened with extinction then the other clans of Nagato will have no choice but to step in. Whatever the case, I am led inevitably to the suspicion, Chairman-satt, that tonight the League has struck the first blow, with the sole intention of proving that they do not fear even our most redoubtable warriors."

Zoge-san politely coughs, and says, "How pale will the forces of the Toki-
gumi
appear once it is known that members of the Green Serpent Guard have been murdered in their own beds?"

Adachi-san bows. "Indeed. Precisely."

Machiko feels her cheeks begin to burn. She feels shame over what Zoge-san has so succinctly put into words. But even more than this, she feels appalled over her own great failure, that until this moment she had not imagined that tonight's attack on the GSG could be directly related to the troubles of the Toki-
gumi
. Now that Adachi-san has explained it, now that Zoge-san has summed it up, it all seems so simple, so obvious that only a fool could fail to see the truth. How could she be so great a fool? so blind? She has gazed upon the world with too narrow a spirit for too long. She has been a fool to ignore the greater issues affecting the future of Nagato Combine! Hour after hour she has spent in training with Sukayo-san and others of the Guard: sword training, weapons training, strength and endurance training. She should have been training her mind, inquiring into Sukayo-san's grasp of strategy and all that he knows of Nagato Combine's enemies.

Now it is too late for preparations. The crisis is upon her and the entire Nagato Combine. And she feels ill-prepared to face this new challenge.

Yet, somehow, she must meet it.

That is her duty.

Honjowara
-sama
gazes with a stern eye at Adachi-san for many moments, then broadens his gaze to include the entire gathering of leaders. "The Triads have long been our adversaries," he says in a voice almost hoarse with defiant anger. "The Large Circle League is a large and powerful organization, the dominate Triad faction in the megaplex. They are ruthless hoodlums, but their leaders are not to be underestimated. How should we respond to their growing menace?

How should Nagato Combine respond to support the Toki-
gumi
! Do we make reprisals for these attacks on the Guard? Do we go to war? What are your recommendations?"

Adachi-san bows, and says, "For the moment, Chairman-san, I believe that we must gather information. Our top priority must be to confirm that the League is indeed behind these attacks on the GSG. I propose to convey this need to my intelligence operatives. Bessho-san should be availed of every resource that will assist in gathering and evaluating evidence from the scenes of tonight's attacks, particularly in regard to the corpses of the attackers. Once we are assured of our enemy's identity we will be able to plan how we may gain the offensive."

Honjowara
-sama
moves his eyes slowly from one leader to the next. With a nod, each signals agreement with Adachi-san's recommendation. Honjowara
-sama
then gives his own nod. "Very well," he says in a low tone. "Transmit hourly reports to my aide. We will meet again in twelve hours' time to review the situation. Until then, our forces will remain on alert."

The meeting is at an end. Honjowara
-sama
's expression seems full of ruthless determination. The leaders bow deeply, showing great respect. They get to their feet and turn to go.

"Machiko."

She looks to see Honjowara
-sama
briefly extend a hand toward the cushion beside her feet. She bows and again lowers herself to one knee. The leaders of the clan file out.

The door to the room slides shut.

The GSG of the body detail are silent and still, seeming hardly to breathe. Machiko feels as though she shares the space with the Chairman alone. It gives rise to a pang of uncertainty. What does the Chairman want of her? Will he remind her of the shame she feels for her brothers of the Guard, who allowed themselves to be murdered? Will he speak of her personal shame, her failure to see what others have seen? Will he command her to kill herself? This would be merciful.

Honjowara
-sama
claps his hands. A servant brings tea, places the black lacquered tray at Honjowara
-sama
's side, then fills Honjowara
-sama
's cup. As the servant leaves, Honjowara
-sama
looks to the senior member of the body detail, and says, "You and your other members may withdraw."

The senior of the detail bows. "Please excuse me, Chairman
-sama
, but this is forbidden."

Honjowara
-sama
sternly says, "I am defended by Machiko-san, senior member of the Guard. Do not argue." The senior of the detail bows. The eight withdraw. The door to the room slides closed. Honjowara
-sama
sips his tea. He extends a hand to the cushion located nearest his left and waits until Machiko has moved there, then says, "We have many enemies, Machiko. And there is much we do not know. The modern conflict is fought in small rooms by men and women with many questions and too few answers. We must seek to clarify the situation. Always, we must seek clarity." Machiko bows. "Yes, Chairman
-sama
."

Honjowara
-sama
sips again from his tea. "There are many who would say that the members of the Guard are like statues, that they show no emotion. Yet, I have spent many hours with Sukayo-san in kendo training. I live my life surrounded by the Guard. I am used to your stark white faces. I have learned to see beyond the impassive masks you maintain. Thus I know that you, Machiko, your spirit is large and full of turmoil. You know what it is to feel the conflict between duty and compassion, between that which must absolutely be done, and that which our finer emotions yearn to see made real."

Machiko bows. Honjowara
-sama
's words only confirm the depths of his insight. "I have often felt this conflict, Chairman
-sama
."

"And tonight,
neh
! There is something on your mind. Something you have not said."

Machiko bows. "It is true, Chairman
-sama
."

"Perhaps this involves matters you do not deem worthy of the attention of the leaders of the Nagato Combine."

Again, she bows. "This is so, Chairman
-sama
." Honjowara
-sama
gazes at her sternly, then says, "We must seek clarity, Machiko. Clarity as concerns our competition. Such clarity is born of knowledge, and such knowledge cannot be elicited from gods, or by analogy with the past, or by mere calculations. It must be obtained from those who know. When people talk, we must listen. Even the idle gossip of fools may be pertinent."

"It is perhaps a matter of gossip, Chairman
-sama
." Honjowara
-sama
gazes at her and waits.

It is embarrassing, the prospect of relating Gongoro's wild speculations, especially in the wake of Adachi-san's explication of what must surely be the truth. She does not wish to seem a fool. Yet, even the talk of fools may have value, Honjowara
-sama
says. Perhaps a value she cannot discern. "I have heard it said, Chairman
-sama
, that Yoshida
-kai
is full of hatred for metahumans, that they regard the elves of the GSG as an affront to their honor. I have heard it said that Yoshida
-kai
are traitors and that they plot to destroy our clan."

"Who speaks thus?"

"An elf."

"A member of the Guard?"

"Yes."

"What do you believe?"

Machiko breathes, settles her spirit. She says, "I believe that the Yoshida
-kai
are our allies, and that the Triads, the Large Circle League in particular, have long been a most dangerous enemy. I believe that Adachi-san is correct in his evaluation."

"Should we make war on the League?"

Machiko bows. "I will make war on any enemy that the Chairman should select."