Part 21 (1/2)
He almost broke into a wide smile, but forced himself to stay utterly impa.s.sive. It drove her crazy when he seemed unreachable like that, and it would escalate the tension and the enjoyment of the game.
”You don't like me?” she said.
”You know I do,” he said finally.
Shuko moved toward him, but he stopped her.
And instead he brought both of his hands around her neck and squeezed.
Her eyes popped open, going white with terror.
She tried to speak, but Nezuma's grip was total and without any gaps. Air simply would not flow and enable the words to escape the python-like grasp he had on her throat.
He expected her to fight.
She did not.
He leaned close to her face. ”It was your idea that we should leave Ueno Castle this afternoon and chase after our prey like a pair of fools.”
Her head shook just a little bit. The color in her face deepened as she struggled to maintain consciousness.
”Now, we have lost them.”
He could feel her pulse throbbing against the dam he'd created with his grip. Blood desperately wanted to get into her head while more wanted to get out of it. Neither would succeed as long as he held her the way he did.
”You know that I do not tolerate failure,” he said.
Her eyes implored him. If she could have spoken, she might have pleaded with him for mercy. But Nezuma was not a merciful man.
Not tonight anyway.
”We could have stayed longer and possibly found them, but your carelessness and impatience made us look like fools. Worse, we looked like amateurs and lost our strategic ground to a ninja of all things.”
He leaned closer and kissed her lips. They already felt cooler to the touch.
Pretty soon, he reasoned, she'd lose consciousness. If he kept the pressure on after that, her brain would starve for oxygen and she would die.
”Let this be a lesson to you.”
He increased the pressure on her trachea. Her body started to spasm. Her limbs flailed, thras.h.i.+ng in the water, spilling the contents of the ofuro ofuro bath over the side. bath over the side.
”No one is safe from my wrath. Not even the likes of you-a woman I truly love.”
He released her.
Shuko gasped loudly and then immediately retched over the side of the tub, spraying vomit over the surface of the deck. She collapsed in the water, her hands on her neck, trying desperately to flush her system with oxygen.
She drank a little bit of the water and then spit that over the side, ridding herself of the last bits of vomit in her mouth.
”M-master...”
Shuko's breathing was shallow and intense.
”I apologize for my stupidity, master.”
Nezuma smiled. ”I know you do.”
”It will not happen again.”
”No,” Nezuma said. ”Because if it does, I will not release you from certain death. You will die by my hand.”
He looked deep into her eyes and bared his teeth.
”Let's go to bed now. We have much to do tomorrow.” He gathered his red kimono. ”Hopefully, we can find some way to make up for the grave mistakes you made today.”
22.
”Nice place.”
Ken looked around the expanse of the ryokan ryokan rural inn and nodded. ”These places are what I love best about traveling out of the city. You'll find old-world charm and people who still strive to keep tradition alive in spite of the onslaught of technological advances.” rural inn and nodded. ”These places are what I love best about traveling out of the city. You'll find old-world charm and people who still strive to keep tradition alive in spite of the onslaught of technological advances.”
Annja grinned. ”Sounds like you've made that speech before.”
”Never,” Ken said. ”I'll get us checked in.”
”I don't suppose they have a vacancy sign out front?”
”Not really.”
Annja stepped over the crushed-gravel walkway, aware that her footsteps made a lot of noise in the dark of night. To her left sat a heavy stone lantern with a candle burning inside that cast some light onto the walkway. But it was far from overpowering, merely a gentle flickering glow that helped her find her way.
Ken, naturally, walked right across the gravel barely making a sound. Annja frowned. ”Show-off,” she muttered.
He glanced around. ”Huh? Oh, sorry.”
”I don't suppose you give out free lessons on exactly how you're doing that without making a lick of noise?”
He stopped and pointed at his knees. ”I keep my knees bent. And my footsteps are much closer together-a short stride.”
”Is that it?”
He smirked. ”My feet also don't lift and stomp down on the rocks. They roll over them. It's a sort of rolling footwork that compacts the stones together before too much weight is applied and causes the action to make a lot of noise.”
Annja tried lowering herself on bent knees and kept her feet closer together as she rolled across. The stones still made noise when she tried it.
”It does take a great deal of practice,” Ken said. ”And leaves are even tougher.”