by Alex Archer
The room erupted into applause. The student came out of his roll and bowed to the grandmaster, who nodded and pointed with a smile.
“Good one,” Ken said.
Annja said nothing. She had no idea what was going on, only that the energy in the room seemed to go from still to incredibly charged and then back to still again.
The grandmaster resumed his position and nodded to another student.
The student came out and seated himself the same way the first one had. But this time, when the grandmaster raised the sword, the student rolled.
“Too soon,” Ken whispered.
“Come back,” the grandmaster said.
The student sat down. This time, the grandmaster’s sword swung down, and with a sharp whack on the top of the head, the test was concluded.
“No. Come back later. Next.”
Two more students attempted the test but they both got solid whacks on the head, as well. With each new student, Annja could sense the grandmaster’s growing frustration.
Finally, the last student evaded the sword and the grandmaster’s smile returned once more. “Good!”
Of the five who had tried, only two had passed. The grandmaster returned the padded sword to the rack beneath the kamidana and walked to the middle of the floor.
“Time to bow out,” Ken said.
They repeated the process as when they had bowed in. The grandmaster turned to face everyone and smiled warmly. “Good training.”
They bowed once more and then everyone leaped to their feet. Ken nudged Annja over to the side.
Annja shook her head. “That was incredible. Even though I have no idea what I just witnessed. Was it some form of psychic awareness?”
Ken smiled. “I’ll answer all your questions later. Come on, you should meet sensei.”
“But I—”
Annja turned and found herself face-to-face with the grandmaster. He smiled at her and bowed low. When he came out of his bow he said something to Ken, who chuckled.
“He says he is always happy to see beautiful women enjoying his training.”
Annja bowed low and said to Ken, “Please tell him I am very happy to have been able to participate in this. It was unlike anything I have ever done.”
Ken translated and the grandmaster nodded and then looked Annja over from head to foot. She found his gaze somewhat unsettling, as if she was being appraised, albeit in a nonsexual way.
Finally, the grandmaster spoke to Ken again. Ken translated to Annja, “He says the bruises are healing well, but that next time you should attack more often than you did yesterday. He also says you have embodied the essence of your isshin-ryu training well and the boxing you’ve been studying seems to complement it well.”
Annja’s eyes bulged. “He knows all that?”
Ken smiled. “Sensei sees more than what is apparent.”
Annja bowed low and said thank you but when she came up from her bow, the little man was already gone.
Ken smiled. “Don’t be upset. He’s got a lot of people to say hello to tonight. He presses more flesh than a politician, it seems.” He pointed to the bathroom. “Come on, let’s get changed and find something to eat. I’m sure you’ve got lots of questions about what you saw in here.”
“You could say that.”
Ken nodded. “Good. I’ll meet you outside in five minutes, okay?”
Annja took another look around the dojo. People had broken up into many little groups. Most of the Japanese, she noted, hung out with each other. Other bands of people shrugged out of their uniforms and got changed quickly before vanishing into the darkness.
Annja found her way to the bathroom and got changed.
She did have a lot of questions for Ken. She hoped he had just as many answers.
9
The night air of Chiba still smelled of soy sauce, but a stiff breeze from the east made it a little bit more bearable. Annja and Ken walked silently through the darkness. Annja was bursting with questions but felt that Ken was waiting until they were seated in a restaurant before he would open himself to conversation.
Twice, he seemed to have almost forgotten something and swiveled around so suddenly that he startled Annja. “Are you all right?” she asked.
He smiled. “Yes. I’m fine.”
Down a side street lined with small shops specializing in bits of arcane martial-arts souvenirs they found a small family-owned restaurant with a hushed interior and nice comfortable booths. The laminate tabletops seemed almost out of place given they were somewhat removed from the more modern digs of Tokyo, but Annja chalked it up to yet another weird paradox that so typified Japanese society.
She stared at the menu in front of her and then looked at Ken. “I’m lost here. Any suggestions?”
He smiled. “Well, that depends. Do you trust me?”
Annja eyed him. “So far.”
The waitress came over and Ken ordered for them. As they sat waiting, the waitress returned with two bottles of Sapporo beer and poured them into tall glasses. Annja watched as the head foamed up to the brim but didn’t overflow the lip.
“Funny, I’d never considered myself much of a drinker before I started traveling,” Annja said.
“And now?”
She shrugged. “Thing is, drinking is so common in so many cultures, especially with meals. Now, I don’t think much of it any longer. It’s strange the way we get uptight about things in America.”
Ken hoisted his glass. “Congratulations on taking your first ninjitsu class, Annja. Kempai.”
Annja touched his glass. “Kempai. And my most sincere thanks to you for taking me to this tonight. It was, suffice it to say, amazing.”
Ken took a long drag on his beer before setting it down again. “You have many questions, I assume.”
“Not many. But I would like to know what I witnessed there tonight at the end of the class.”
Ken nodded. “The godan test used to be almost the ultimate exam for a student of ninjitsu. The teacher would test the student’s ability to sense the intention of a killer. In the old days, it was done with a live blade. It goes back to what I said earlier. The ancient traditions had methods for getting rid of the idiots before they could damage the system.”
Annja sipped her beer. “Rather a final way to do so, though.”
“Sure,” Ken said. “I won’t open it up to debate about whether it’s right or wrong. But the martial arts have had to adapt to modern society, so nowadays we use a padded sword. Still hurts like hell if you get whacked, though.”
“Okay, so, the grandmaster was doing what exactly? Was he trying to kill the student?”
Ken put his hands behind his neck and leaned back. “When he stands behind the prospective student, he summons his killer intent—he actually thinks about cutting the student down. As soon as he starts the attack, it is up to the student to pick up on that intention and then roll out of the way.”
Annja frowned. “But surely it’s possible to hear the sword coming.”
Ken shook his head. “By the time the sound registers in your conscious mind, it’s too late. There really is no way to guess at it. As you saw, the time between when the test starts and when the grandmaster cuts down varies significantly. There’s no rhythm to it. You can’t time it. You can’t guess. The grandmaster says he waits until he feels compelled to move by the warrior spirits that inhabit the dojo. When they tell him to cut, he does.”
“And if the student rolls out of the way?”
“They pass. Otherwise, as you saw tonight, they are told to go away and study the art more. Some of them will come back and try during the next class. They may pass then. Others still have many years to study before they should try it again.”
“Did you take the test?”
Ken smiled. “Yes, a while ago now.”
“And you passed?”
“Not the first time. I got bonked on the head, too. That’s how I know it hurts.” He chuckled. “But passing it is like nothing you’v
e ever experienced before. I had failed the test and thought I knew what to expect the second time. When I suddenly passed it was because my body took over and got me out of the way of sensei’s killer intention. I didn’t pass because I suddenly thought, I should move now.”
“So if you can get out of the way of your conscious mind, you’ll do okay?” Annja thought about how it related to her trying to make sense of using her instincts rather than her logical mind. She wondered if it was more or less the same.
“Yes and no. It’s not a turning off of your conscious mind as much as it is an awakening of your deeper primal instincts. Surely you understand that there lies within all of us the ability to summon incredible strength and sensitivity during times of duress.”
“Sure. I can accept that idea,” Annja said.
Ken smiled. “Well, the godan test awakens something that has lain dormant for a long time.”
“It’s fascinating,” Annja said. “In all my years as a student of martial arts, I’ve never seen such a thing.”
“That’s because most martial arts don’t teach these things. As time has passed, they have gotten further removed from what they were designed to do—teach warfare. Ninjitsu is almost unique in that regard.”
The waitress reappeared bearing dishes. “What did you order?”
“Sashimi,” Ken said. “Tuna, eel and sea bass. I hope you enjoy it.”
Annja split her chopsticks and used them to pick out a slice of the red tuna. She dipped it in soy sauce and then plopped it into her mouth, chewing slowly to savor the taste. She smiled. “Delicious. How do you say that in Japanese?”
“Oishi.”
“Definitely oishi,” Annja said.
The waitress brought over another tray laden with all sorts of special sushi rolls. She said something low to Ken, who bowed and then looked over at the counter where the chef stood and thanked him.
“Compliments of the house,” Ken said. “The waitress tells me the chef thinks you are very beautiful and it’s his honor to create these for us.”
Annja smiled. “That’s very nice of him.” She looked at the chef and flashed him a smile. “I hope that’s enough of a thank-you.”
Ken chuckled. “You’ve made his day, I’m sure.”
Around mouthfuls of food and beer, Annja asked Ken, “So, now that I’ve been formally introduced to the world of ninjitsu, when do we start our hunt for your ancient vajra?”
“Tomorrow. We’ll start then if that’s okay,” he said.
“Not tonight?” Annja wasn’t really serious and judging by how delicious the food and beer tasted, she’d need some sleep in order to be in top form tomorrow.
“Why?” Ken looked at her. “Are you in a rush?”
Does he know about Garin? Annja wondered. “No, but I thought you might be, considering it’s been missing for so long.”
Ken nodded. “There’s always something going on to keep us from a schedule. I’ve found the less I hold myself a slave to one, the better.”
“I assume you have a starting point?” Annja asked.
“Absolutely. But I won’t tell you now. It’s safer that you don’t know.”
Annja frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ken finished his beer and the waitress brought over another. When he’d taken a long drag on it, he put his glass down and smiled at Annja again. “Surely you know that any time there’s a treasure to be found, there will always be other interested parties out there looking for it.”
“Well, sure, I’ve run into opposing hunters before. The trick is to know who they are and then beat them to the goal. Sometimes it ends peacefully. Other times not so much.”
Ken nodded. “Indeed. Sometimes, though, the opponents do not present themselves until long after the race has started. Sometimes, the most dangerous foes are the ones hidden in plain sight.”
Annja looked around and noticed for the first time that they were not seated near a window. “You think there are people after us?”
“After you because of your association with me, no doubt. Or at the very least, interested enough in you that your safety might be compromised.”
“I’ve only been involved with you for one day, Ken.”
Ken fished another piece of sushi off the tray and ate it slowly. “Yes, and some people would consider your involvement as being twenty-four hours too long. I’m sure that steps will be taken to assess your risk level to the operation to recover my family’s artifact.”
Annja leaned forward. “And if they determine me to be a problem?”
Ken frowned. “I think you know the answer to that.”
Annja finished her beer. Danger was an inevitable risk in her profession. And truthfully, she’d grown somewhat accustomed to it being in her life. If she was being honest, she almost enjoyed the thought of the adrenaline rush.
“What do you suggest I do to make sure I stay safe?”
Ken’s eyes gleamed. “You might consider not going back to your hotel tonight.”
“Not go back? Where would I stay?”
“With me. My apartment is quite large by Japanese standards. There’s plenty of room and I promise I don’t snore too loudly.”
Annja smiled. The thought of spending the night with Ken wasn’t an unpleasant one. He was as handsome a man as any Annja had ever met. But she didn’t like the idea of abandoning her belongings at the hotel.
“You could always get your stuff in the morning,” Ken said.
Annja blinked. “You read minds, too?”
“Reading minds isn’t necessary if you understand how basic human psychology works. It’s only natural to feel concern over your possessions. Me suggesting you leave them for the time being isn’t going to alleviate that concern.”
“Well, the offer is a kind one and I’m certainly tempted.”
“But you’ll pass.” Ken nodded. “I expected you would. In fact, I would have been surprised if you’d accepted my offer.”
“But you made the offer anyway.” Annja shook her head. “Why?”
“Hey, I might have gotten lucky.” His eyes danced. “I’m referring to the offer, of course.”
“Of course.” Annja smiled. She wasn’t sure if the atmosphere, the exhaustion from the class earlier or the beer was having a numbing effect on her. Probably a combination of all three, she decided.
Ken pushed himself back from the table. “Did you eat enough?”
“Plenty. It was all incredible.”
He nodded. “We should get going, then. Trains stop running at midnight in Japan, and if we stay any longer, we’ll have to sleep on a park bench somewhere near Ueno Park.”
“No, thanks. That doesn’t sound inviting at all.” Especially, Annja thought, if Ken was right about potentially dangerous people also being after the vajra.
Amid many bows and thanks, Ken and Annja made their way out of the restaurant. A light, misty rain fell as they wandered back toward the train station. Slowly, the lights in buildings and shops went out as the town tucked itself away for the night.
Annja shivered in the slight wind and then felt Ken place his arm around her. Something stirred in Annja and she turned to face Ken.
“It’s late,” she said.
Ken turned her back around and pressed her toward the station. “We might just make the last train back to your hotel.”
They paid for their tickets and stood on the lit platform. Annja heard the sharp clanging of the approaching train and it whizzed past as it slowed into the station. On the car, only a few other passengers sat. Most were already asleep.
“I hope they know when to get off,” Annja said.
Ken nodded. “Most of them come awake by instinct. But a few will probably wake up in parts unknown. It could be an expensive taxi ride back to their part of town.”
The train slid out of the station. The jostle of the car bounced Annja against Ken a few times and she did little to avoid it. It reminded her of the playful little bumps that had marked her high
school love life.
But since then, her affairs had been few and far between. Usually only with very limited and very controlled consequences.
In truth, she didn’t have time for much of a love life. Her career meant the world to her now. And with her constant expeditions to the furthest reaches of the planet, Annja had no illusions about maintaining a serious relationship.
Still, Ken was nothing if not enticing. And tomorrow would be the start of their journey. Annja was looking forward to spending more time with him. A lot more time.
Twenty minutes after they started, the train rolled into her station. Ken helped her up. “We’re here,” he said.
They climbed the steps and exited the station, which overlooked a plaza of shops that were now closed. A street sweeper hosed down the street and then vacuumed up any garbage. A few people hurried by on their way home intermixed with late-night drinkers en route to the nearby bars that stayed open well into the wee hours of the morning.
At the front entrance to her hotel, Ken stopped. “We’re here.”
Annja kissed him on the cheek, momentarily taken aback by her brash move. Where did that come from? she wondered.
But Ken seem unfazed by it. He merely smiled and bowed quickly.
“I’ll see you in the morning. Have a restful sleep.”
Annja watched him walk down the street until the shadows seemed to swallow him whole.
She sighed and then wandered inside.
Annja Creed, she thought with a grin, you need a good night’s sleep.
10
Annja floated in a strange, lazy dreamworld of sounds and images. She saw faces from her past and faces she didn’t recognize. She heard sounds and felt things that seemed out of place. All of them seemed to swirl together like melted ice cream in the hot summer sun.
She tossed. She turned. And still she couldn’t get comfortable.
She thought about the ninjitsu class she’d seen this evening and how it seemed that someone trained well in the art might well be a truly formidable opponent if faced in combat.
Annja wasn’t sure she wanted to test that theory anytime soon.
