Diane Joplin spent ternoon in el room surfing tor of cyberspace. tel’s in-subisranslating tories and features related to to Kenzo Yamamoto t s of an expert on topic. Several er, eyes tired from tant stream of omactention, she ordered room service.

    ten minutes later t self-conscious since se terry-clot a room service robot, its sensors blinking rapidly. trolley moved smoot o tioned itself at rigo t, its tail antly. Diane s s. t like you o tip.

    Srolley and marveled at te artistic creations of sticky rice and colorful slivers of raic dragon complete  icky rice  tact er instructing ter to  wo hours ago.

    o be vigilant and to take care of  and in to forgive o searc   sure  o dead t mucion to takaoo remote. te as t side, tracks of dried tears trailing do t look in  said s at least noogether.

    And Diane, all alone, ears streaming do. S an  to give up after an -of-date investor relations site gave  so sat on tokyu Nanotecart-up company formed less to researcure cec eresting to Diane y five years old and t mind in Japanese microprocessor design. Furted in someteresting. Several neicles indicated t Inoue, a master console builder, alized just ticles stated y t reated in a private  tokyo Medical University al. And t ed in Shinjuku.

    ***

    Diane emerged, tive calm environment of tel into a tide of moving flesing sno nig did during time. It ill croty muc, underneatificial dayligless neon, tress of time jobs icipation of pleasure and relaxation at taurants and gaming parlors in the neighborhood.

    plan of action o get to knoions of immediate interest. Sions on t so t it omatically as so ty or on demand if sed. On t’s recommendation, sookyo Metropolitan Government Building, aka al offices. t it oo dangerous to attempt to approacs on tter so no surprise there.

    From ticles, it  takaantly surrounded by a o reckon er’s official government bodyguards. Neverteak knife from t’s dinner service inventory. It ed edge and a pointed tip. Anotion on o use it, if so get close enougo t pus beto , ting as s. Sudied tory pos carefully. t  side of t t of murder. Sion betakao oo remote to justify sucion but it   to  of  trousers any in case tunity presented itself and she changed her mind.

    Diane  ter ral Park. S t interested in tory but rigued  sy tookyo’s ers up aants ing against teaming Nisant noodles  in one  trols. tting battered suit t  noion. Diane could see a dirt-caked big toe crooenail sticking out like tortoise. Diane crossed treet to give t not before sed by a po and alco sorry for  thing much she could do.

    Sook a rigo trict. You couldn’t miss it. tion  ronic activity. Be building cast an invisible ss to ttle actual sno ampede of eager feet o te. It  Diane ed clot  covered  and Evisu canvas combat pants stention. aining Xybo and t of el too the urban look.

    One of tion t  occurred to o ask.   salaryman in black still doing in tel iced or paid attention but no tion sitting topped in racks and everyted past ions. Surned around and scanned too mucoo many black-clad salarymen. S even knoel actually looked like but she was sure she would recognize him if she saw him again.

    tioned it out of to be somet. S and stay alert. It  if indeed tc folloually planning to do  .

    And t daer  be a local FBI guy. ely looked Japanese. Yet,  really look like type. Ss in action on many occasions. t guy ely not FBI. t meant only one t folloo see w so do?

    Sinued  a ply-lit department stores sukosan. t mirror of sorts to scan too muctention. t of t one point s so it rick of lig  a foreigner in a stylis black S. Diane noted t t too mucic surgery as aut and s a pimple anys looked expensive. types in Shinjuku.

    S Exit of Sation and felt a  of stale air blasted from tation by t air vents. t but unmistakable smell of sing flesransitioned into a totally different section of Sing of small lanes lit  s entered Kabukic district and o some fifty tion of t of tly smallisabliss confirmed this.

    Some of t boards sos of scantily-clad Japanese girls dancing around metal poles, dressed up as nurses, manga cers or sc standing ty pageant. Above tos ermingled betabliss  tallic clinking sound and ting in front of te looking macic botle silver metal balls and more balls pouring out of t loud thundering noise.

    tabliss as Pacarted explaining t Diane overrode it cer-generated beeps and melodies, tter of clientele and t t  s kept on  gangs of young men s and black suits trying to stuff leaflets in o  seemed as ted o go into one of tures. Diane just s on moving.

    According to t, Kabukical of tokyo’s sex industry. It rip clubs, role-playing clubs, Samp;M clubs, nude sop of eacing neon.

    t explained t in teentury Sing place for long-distance commuters to tokyo. t said, translated roug  a matter of time before t tele o pay for more to sleep for t. tessentially Japanese solution o o ts ional services. Once again Diane overrode too mucion and tely-dressed and made-up young Japanese girls to look at. Some of te t skirts t revealed parts of translucent legs to ts. to herself.

    t antly marking off places Diane s venture into and as Diane moved deeper into Kabukiciced t t ed  of additional information on t made tand on end. Young girls inely tricked into going into some of to pay off by engaging in trade. Diane s t t earlier sempted to enter one of to see  self invaluable. Santly cic glasses. tiny map of Kabukico areas ranslucent color-coded overlays labeled  controlled it. trolled most of it, including tate and the various dodgy lines of business.

    Diane turned round a corner into a lane t  as croo peep into one of t t prickling feeling again at traigurned round and  in trict of Sanding t plastic face lit up  arm reacucked into  belt. t of Kabukicopped in tracks, ion of t raig t looking at s coalescing around teak knife in , to stay alive. Sifled a gasp as s o tel. S and she bulky earpiece, his phone.

    tband and t looked like a gun, except t  as young as s, more like in ies. Yet  and  American eit ed to  but t all. All Diane could see  of t it  actually a blob, just a section of air moving separately from all t. And ting mass of air rus o take a deep intake of breatotally stiff, boto  fall straigo t.

    Diane turned round but trong grip grabbed ion sarted running, pulling Diane along urned t Diane could sical t different colored skin. t running, scattering cro. ts o deafen her.

    Yet, telling  it  treets bordering Kabukiciced t tinted ed it to be some kind of delivery van but o find all ters and plus in, slid t and sat doo move silently traffic.