him from the waist. The oyabun ducked his head and said, "My name is Kanagaki. Will you sit down?"
Fortunato sat across from him. "The gaijin Hiram Worchester has sent me here to pay his debt." Fortunato took out his checkbook. "The amount, I believe, is two million yen."
"Ah," Kanagaki said. "Another 'ace.' You have provided us with much amusement. Especially the little red-haired fellow"
"Tachyon? What does he have to do with this?"
"With this?" He pointed to Fortunato's checkbook. "Nothing. But many jo-san have tried to bring him pleasure these past few days. It seems he is having trouble performing as a man."
Tachyon? Fortunato thought. Can't get it up? He wanted to laugh. It certainly explained the little maids ,rotten mood at the hotel. "This has nothing to do with aces," Fortunato said. "This is business."
"Ah. Business. Very well. We shall settle this in a businesslike way." He looked at his watch and smiled. "Yes, the amount is two million yen. In a few minutes it will become four million. A pity. I doubt you will have time to bring the gaijin Worchester-san here before midnight."
Fortunato shook his head. "There is no need for Worchester-san to be here in person."
"But there is. We feel there is some honor at stake here."
Fortunato held the man's eyes. " I am asking you to do the needful." He made the traditional phrase an order. " I will give you the money. The debt will be canceled."
Kanagaki's will was very strong. He almost managed to say the words that were trying to get out of his throat. Instead he said in a strangled voice, "I will honor your face."
Fortunato wrote the check and handed it to Kanagaki. "You understand me. The debt is canceled."
"Yes," Kanagaki said. "The debt is canceled."
"You have a man working for you. An assassin. I think he calls himself Zero Man."
"Mori Riishi." He gave the name in Japanese fashion, family name first.
"No harm will come to Worchester-san. He is not to be harmed. This Zero Man, Mori, will stay away from him." Kanagaki was silent.
"What is it?" Fortunato asked him. "What is it you're not saying?"
"It's too late. Mori has already left. The gaijin Worchester dies at midnight."
"Christ," Fortunato said.
"Mori comes to Tokyo with a great reputation, but we have no proof. He was very concerned to make a good impression."
Fortunato realized he hadn't checked with Peregrine. "What hotel? What hotel is Worchester-san staying in?" Kanagaki spread his hands. "Who knows?"
Fortunato started to get up. While he'd been talking to Kanagaki, the bodyguards had come back with reinforcements. They surrounded the table. Fortunato couldn't be bothered with them. He formed a wedge of power around himself and sprinted for the door, pushing them aside as he ran.
Outside, the Roppongi was still crowded. Over at Shinjuku station the late-night drinkers would be trying to push their way onto the last trains of the night. On the Ginza they would be lining up at the cab stands. It was ten minutes to midnight. There wasn't time.
He let his astral body spring loose and rocket through the night toward the Imperial Hotel. The neon and mirrored glass and chrome blurred as he picked up speed. He didn't slow until he was through the wall of the hotel and hovering in Peregrine's room. He let himself become visible, a glowing, golden-rose image of his physical body.
Peregrine, he thought.
She rolled over in bed, opened her eyes. Fortunato saw, with a small, distant sort of pang, that she was not alone. I need to know where Hiram is.
"Fortunato?" she whispered, then saw him. "Oh my God."
Hurry. The name of the hotel.
"Wait a minute. I wrote it down." She walked naked over to the phone. Fortunato's astral body was free of lust and hunger, but still the sight of her moved him. "The Ginza Dai-Ichi. Room eight oh one. He says it's a big H-shaped building by the Shimbashi station-"
I know where it is. Meet me there as fast as you can. Bring help.
He couldn't wait for her answer. He snapped back to his physical body and lifted it into the air.
He hated the spectacle of it. Being in Japan had made him even more self-conscious than he ever had been in New York. But there was no choice. He levitated straight up into the sky, high enough that he couldn't make out the faces turned up to stare at him, and arced toward the Dai-Ichi Hotel.
He got to the door of Hiram's room at twelve midnight. The