"Do you know Ken well?" Annja expected him to say they'd been friends for years.

Taka laughed. "We've only just met, actually."

"And you're not concerned about him?"

Taka stopped and looked at her. "Should I be?"

Ken looked at Annja. "Something wrong, Annja?"

She shrugged. "I just find it odd that you've never met him before and yet we're being welcomed as if we were long-lost family. I can't imagine the same thing happening anywhere else in the world."

Taka shrugged. "Perhaps Ken and I are more like long-lost family. Maybe that is why I feel compelled to have him and his guest in for tea and conversation." His eyes gleamed. "Or I might just be a lonely old man in need of some decent company. And you two are a welcome change from the real-estate developers who normally visit me."

Ken gestured around the temple. "I'd imagine they're offering you quite a sum of money for this place."

"Certainly, but what is money worth? Not a thing. They would pay me a fair price for the land and then tear down the temple only to build another club or pac.h.i.n.ko pac.h.i.n.ko parlor or apartment house. Man does not need any more of these distractions. He needs more temples." Taka shrugged again. "So I stay." parlor or apartment house. Man does not need any more of these distractions. He needs more temples." Taka shrugged again. "So I stay."

"The Yakuza don't bother you?" Annja asked. Ken flashed her a look and she blanched. "Sorry, please forgive my inquisitiveness."

Taka laughed. "It is not a problem, young lady. And yes, the Yakuza have stopped by. But while they are certainly to be despised for their criminal activities, they are one of the few groups in j.a.pan who still have some degree of respect for the old ways. And when I told them I was not interested in selling, they accepted it with far greater humility and understanding than the new generation of developers, who cannot see beyond the limited life of their bank account balances."

They approached a small room set with a low table and three cups of steaming tea. Taka gestured for them to sit. "I've only just poured it, so it should be just about right." He lifted his cup and bowed to his guests. Ken and Annja followed suit.

Annja sipped the bitter green tea and smiled. "Delicious."

Taka bowed low. "My thanks." He took a sip and then set the cup down before turning to Ken. "Now, please, tell me why you are here."

Ken set his own cup down and regarded Taka. "I seek the vajra vajra of the Yumegakure-ryu." of the Yumegakure-ryu."

Taka nodded. "Interesting. I must admit I knew this would be your reason for coming here, but when I saw this happening, I did not believe it myself. It was the first time in many many years that I had questioned my faith. I see now there was never any need to do so."

Annja sipped her tea, waiting for Taka to continue. The spry monk took another sip of tea and looked at Annja.

"And you, young lady-are you also on this quest to recover the vajra vajra?"

"Supposedly." Annja glanced at Ken. "Although honestly I don't know why I am. I've contributed nothing as yet that I would call either useful or even helpful."

Taka gestured to Ken. "She is an honest woman. And fully possessed of her own skill and wisdom."

Ken nodded. "It is one of the many reasons I asked her to come along. A valuable ally is a very difficult thing to find these days. She is unmotivated by the usual machinations of mankind."

Taka grinned. "Time will tell if your a.s.sessment is correct or not." He sighed and drank more tea. "You know the history of the vajra vajra?"

"Mostly. I know that Prince Shotoku made a gift of it to my family over a thousand years ago," Ken replied.

Taka nodded. "Indeed. It was to be used as a force for good in the world of madness that descended upon j.a.pan. During the Warring States period, the vajra vajra was reputed to be one of the only things that helped keep the country from utterly destroying itself. As evil tried to gain root, the was reputed to be one of the only things that helped keep the country from utterly destroying itself. As evil tried to gain root, the vajra vajra countered its influence by helping those who fought for the good of the people. It was, needless to say, a very back-and-forth struggle. It was one of the darkest times for j.a.pan." countered its influence by helping those who fought for the good of the people. It was, needless to say, a very back-and-forth struggle. It was one of the darkest times for j.a.pan."

Taka took another sip of tea before clearing his throat and speaking again. "In the wake of this darkest period of civil war, when only a few warlords remained powerful, peace at last seemed to be a possibility again. The Tokugawa family was rising to power and soon would usher in a period of hope and prosperity."

"And someone stole the vajra vajra at this point, yes?" Ken asked. at this point, yes?" Ken asked.

Taka smiled. "That is how the story is told."

"I have tried for many years to figure out which of the warrior families might have been powerful and evil enough to do such a thing." Ken sighed. "I must confess I have been unable to figure out who would have been able to steal it."

Taka's eyes gleamed. "Perhaps you are looking at the wrong people."

Ken frowned. "What do you mean?"

Taka shrugged. "I mean you are a.s.suming that it was an evil warlord that arranged for the vajra vajra to be stolen." to be stolen."

"It wasn't?"

Taka shook his head. "Not at all. In fact, the people who took the vajra vajra would contend that they did so because they were helping the forces of good, and not the forces of evil." would contend that they did so because they were helping the forces of good, and not the forces of evil."

"But who would do that? There are no records of warlords mounting an expedition to steal the vajra vajra from my family," Ken said. from my family," Ken said.

Taka sipped his tea. "Your mind is still clinging to the thought that the vajra vajra was stolen." was stolen."

"But it was."

Taka shook his head. "Not at all. The vajra vajra was entrusted to a group who could safeguard it more than your family could. Your ancestors were very wise, Ogawa-san. The Yumegakure-ryu was renowned for their ability to see the future and plan accordingly." was entrusted to a group who could safeguard it more than your family could. Your ancestors were very wise, Ogawa-san. The Yumegakure-ryu was renowned for their ability to see the future and plan accordingly."

Annja finished her tea and set her cup on the table. "But who would they entrust such a special artifact to?"

Taka leaned over and poured more tea into her cup. "The only ones who were powerful enough in their own right to protect such a thing and still resist the warlords who might have tried to steal it-the yamabushi yamabushi."

Ken frowned. "Mountain warriors?"

Taka continued. "Warrior monks who lived in secluded temples deep in the mountains to the west of Edo, the old capital. Their austere way of life, as well as their commitment to martial arts and devout ways, made them the perfect guardians of the vajra vajra. Your ancestors knew that they would not be tempted to use the vajra vajra for their own purposes. But your ancestors could not be so sure about their own descendants. Every new generation, after all, must find its own path-be it right or wrong. I imagine your ancestors believed it very likely someone born into the family would use it for their own gain and not the good of mankind as it was destined to do. They did the smartest thing they could, short of destroying it. They gave it to the for their own purposes. But your ancestors could not be so sure about their own descendants. Every new generation, after all, must find its own path-be it right or wrong. I imagine your ancestors believed it very likely someone born into the family would use it for their own gain and not the good of mankind as it was destined to do. They did the smartest thing they could, short of destroying it. They gave it to the yamabushi yamabushi with strict orders for it to be hidden away and thereby protected." with strict orders for it to be hidden away and thereby protected."

Ken leaned back. "If that's true-"

"It is," Taka snapped. "I have little reason to lie about such things. What good would it accomplish?"

Ken bowed. "Forgive me, that was rude."

Taka smiled. "More tea?"

Ken held out his cup and thanked Taka when it was refilled. "The yamabushi yamabushi still have the still have the vajra, vajra, then?" then?"

"I would a.s.sume so," Taka said. "I am certain it still survives. The yamabushi yamabushi are nothing if not careful in where they hide such things." are nothing if not careful in where they hide such things."

"Then it would be up to me to go and retrieve it from them," Ken said.

Taka shrugged. "I suppose you could. But you must also ask yourself, why would you do that?"

"Because it belongs to my family. I want it back."

"But why?" Taka asked. "Certainly, the vajra vajra still maintains some degree of influence over world affairs, even in the darkest hours of this century." still maintains some degree of influence over world affairs, even in the darkest hours of this century."

"But how do you know?" Annja asked.

Taka smiled. "For the easiest reason of all-we are still here, alive and in reasonably good health."

"I'd argue that the vajra vajra should be returned to me," Ken said. "After all, recent events like the rise of terrorism suggest that the forces of evil might be gaining momentum. If the should be returned to me," Ken said. "After all, recent events like the rise of terrorism suggest that the forces of evil might be gaining momentum. If the vajra vajra can be used to counter that momentum, then it is my responsibility to do so." can be used to counter that momentum, then it is my responsibility to do so."

"We've also attracted the attention of other groups who want the vajra vajra," Annja said.

Taka looked at Annja and then back at Ken. After a long moment he sipped his tea and then stretched. "Very well. You seem determined to get it back at any cost. And I am certainly not the one who should determine whether you should have it or not."

He stood. "Come with me. I will tell you how to find it."

15.

Nezuma watched as police officers and investigators circulated around the alley near the train station in Osaka. Next to him, Shuko stood still, waiting for Nezuma to say something.

"Schoolgirls." Nezuma shook his head in wonder. "Now, that is an interesting turn of events."

Shuko frowned. "According to eyewitnesses, it doesn't even appear that Ogawa and the American woman fought them off."

"No? And just how did they get away?" Nezuma pointed. "And if not them, then who exactly disposed of this death squad with such creativity?"

"A monk," Shuko said. "That's what the police are jotting down in their reports."

"And they believe it?"

"The witnesses appear to be very reputable. A shop owner, a coffee-stand operator and a number of people using an Internet cafe across the street saw the entire thing unfold through the large windows."

Nezuma's mouth widened as he contemplated the information. "One monk against the better part of a dozen armed teenagers...that's some holy man."

Shuko looked at Nezuma. "This wasn't something you arranged, was it, master?"

Nezuma smiled. "Oh no. Not me. There'd be no reason for us to want them dead, anyway. We want them leading us to the dorje dorje."

"That's what I thought."

Nezuma patted her arm. "And you know I would have definitely included you in the plans if I had intended to kill them."

She smiled. "Thank you."

"But this-" he frowned again "-this is the work of someone who is very interested in making sure the ninja never gets his hands on the dorje dorje again. And that means we have a bit of a problem." again. And that means we have a bit of a problem."

"How so?" Shuko asked.

Nezuma watched the police officers loading the bodies of the girls into ambulances. "They're not dead?"

Shuko shook her head. "Not a one. They were apparently soundly beaten and rendered unconscious, but they are otherwise intact. I'd imagine the authorities want to take them in for observation, but they should be released unless the police want to press charges for them having an a.s.sortment of bizarre weaponry in public."

"Whoever put these girls up to the task of killing Ogawa and Creed is a problem for us. I don't like other people interfering in our plans. And we can't afford them taking another shot at the ninja and his accomplice," Nezuma said.

Shuko nodded. "Understood."

"First things first, then," Nezuma said. "We go to the hospital and see what our wounded little lambs have to tell us about their employer."

"They may not talk," Shuko said.

Nezuma smiled. "I fully expect them not to. At first. But I'm fairly confident that once I explain the nature of things to them, they'll be more than happy to tell us all their dark and dirty little secrets."

"Had I known, I would have brought my chemistry kit with me."

Nezuma led her away from the accident scene. "Shuko, my dear, we're headed to the hospital. There are plenty of drugs there you can play with."

IT TOOK THEM fifteen minutes to reach the nearby hospital by foot. Nezuma insisted that traveling that way would allow them to see if they had picked up any surveillance along the way. "If someone is after Ogawa, then there's a chance that they know about us, as well. I don't want any surprises," he explained. fifteen minutes to reach the nearby hospital by foot. Nezuma insisted that traveling that way would allow them to see if they had picked up any surveillance along the way. "If someone is after Ogawa, then there's a chance that they know about us, as well. I don't want any surprises," he explained.

Shuko trailed behind Nezuma as he walked to the hospital and they reconvened in the parking lot. Nezuma watched her approach from the opposite direction he'd taken, knowing that she'd probably backtracked on herself a number of times to make sure she had no followers.

"Nothing, master. I feel confident that we are clean," she reported.

Nezuma nodded and glanced at the hospital. The ten floors of the white-and-gray steel building sprawled across almost five acres of land. Nezuma knew that this particular hospital housed experts in a number of cancer specialties, as well as an infectious-diseases laboratory second to none in Asia.

But he was more concerned with catching up with the schoolgirls. They would be brought into the emergency room for treatment and observation. While there, the police would be around.

The key would be to get at them when no one else was around. Some sort of controlled environment, where Shuko could have time with them to get the answers they needed.

"If they've got trauma to their bodies, they'll want to make sure there aren't any broken bones."

Shuko smiled. "Radiology."

"Exactly."

They walked through the main doors of the hospital, and while Shuko inquired at the front desk about visiting hours, Nezuma glanced at the floor plan and noted where the radiology department was located.

Shuko led him to an elevator bank and they ascended three floors until Nezuma stopped the elevator. The doors parted and he glanced out. Seeing no one, he motioned for Shuko to follow him down the corridor until they came to a storage area.

Shuko ducked inside and reemerged with white coats and name tags. Nezuma made a note of his fake name and Shuko's. Then they walked to the other side of the hospital where another elevator bank carried them down to the emergency room.

Nezuma was feeling relaxed. He felt comfortable impersonating anyone and he knew that half the battle to pretending you were someone else was simply acting natural. If questioned, act with authority and that was usually enough to get by.