"I will listen to your argument," Takashi said calmly.

"I am not here for argument," Indrahar countered. "That time is past. Anyoutcome of this duel will be dangerous. If Wolf wins, the Combine's prestige is irreparably damaged. Theodore will most certainly be counseled to pursue revenge, and a small possibility does exist that he might choose that fruitless and costly path. Excuse my bluntness, Takashi -sama,but if you win, no one, especially the Dragoons, will believe that the fight was fair. There is a rising faction of Clan sympathizers within their ranks. Any antagonism offered by the Inner Sphere could play into the hands of that faction, forcing a change in loyalties that could well cost the Inner Sphere the support of the Dragoons. Such a course would likely result in the fall of the Inner Sphere, and thus of the Combine.

"Even should Wolf's faction retain control, they cannot be expected to deal kindly with the House responsible for their leader's death. Though they have withheld their services, they have not banished our military leaders from their anti-Clan strategy sessions or our scientists from the technology conferences. This would change were you to defeat Wolf. Without those advantages, the Combine cannot withstand the Clans.

"And what if you should you lose? Would our own people allow the government to treat with the Dragoons? Your own previous pronouncements have influenced their attitudes only too well. I doubt a victorious Wolf would be allowed to leave Luthien alive. Whether you are victorious or not, the result of your duel is the same in the end. The Combine will lose."

"Your assessment is overly pessimistic. The Combine is strong. Theodore is strong. We beat the Clans back from Luthien."

"Only with the aid of Wolf's Dragoons and other mercenaries," Indrahar pointed out. "Did you not once order death to all mercenaries?"

The Coordinator glared at him.

"Your foresight failed you then as it has now, Takashi -sama. The Combine cannot afford such a fallible leader any longer."

Takashi's manner hardened into rigidity. "I do not care for what you are suggesting."

"Nor do I. Your obsession has brought us to this impasse. Regrettable though it may be, I can see only one solution. For the Combine to live, the Coordinator must die."

Takashi tensed, but said nothing. His eyes surveyed the room and the grim faces of the ISF agents. They were all obviously loyal to Indrahar, heart and soul. Indrahar continued to speak.

"I had hoped you might be persuaded to see the honorable solution, but you have resisted Noketsuna's arguments. You seemed, in fact, to weaken his own resolve. I will ask you to reconsider taking the path onward."

"I am the Coordinator. Mywill is the will of the Combine. I have nothing to atone for."

Subhash shook his head sadly. "I had hoped you would see that the Combine is more important than any man. It is your dynasty that rules; that will continue, even if you personally do not."

The chair pivoted a quarter-turn. Without looking at him, Subhash ordered, "Complete your vendetta, Noketsuna. We will not interfere."

Michi stared at the director of the ISF. This was not in the proper ordering of the universe. Vengeance, the death of Takashi Kurita, was not supposed to be a political solution of some kind. It was a matter of honor, a matter between samurai. Whatever else Michi had become during the long years of his vendetta, he was no one's political executioner. In preparing himself for this day, he had. seen himself as a tool, a tool of honor. He did not care to be the tool of a faithless servant, a pawn in someone's games of power. Minobu Tetsuhara had been forced into death as the pawn of a power-hungry man.

But there were too many men, too many guns for one man to overcome. If he did as Indrahar demanded, Indrahar might allow him to live. But he doubted it. If he refused, the ISF men would simply cut him down. Whatever he did, Michi knew he would not leave the dojoalive.

He turned to the Coordinator.

"The right or wrong of my vendetta seems no longer to apply, Coordinator. I speak to you as samurai to samurai. My words shall not live long, for none other than you and these honorless dogs shall hear them."

"Get on with it, Noketsuna," Ninyu said irritably.

Michi ignored him. Staring into Takashi's eyes, he searched for understanding. He found the Dragon.

"I stand at a fork in the path of honor. Whichever way I walk, I abandon some of my honor in the course of fulfilling my honor. This is the lot of a samurai. My lord Minobu understood this. I now see as he saw." Michi raised the sword into jodan-no-kamaeguard. "I am samurai, loyal to the Dragon. I, too, serve the Combine."

The Coordinator stared unflinchingly into his eyes. Michi steadied himself, reaching for the center of his haraand drawing strength. Calmed, he was ready for his death, which seemed inevitable this day.

He spun and charged Subhash Indrahar.

The move seemed to catch everyone off guard. The ISF agents failed to respond. Michi closed half the distance before Ninyu drew his pistol, another quarter before the man fired. Michi spun under the impact of the heavy slug, but managed another step toward the chair. His right arm hung limply at his side, blood pulsing out from his shoulder and pouring down his sleeve. The world was edged in spinning fireworks, but he still held the sword in his left hand. He took another step forward.

Ninyu fired again.

This time the pain flared in fire from his belly, disrupting his haraand shredding his resolve. He had gotten farther than he expected. No longer able to feel the sword in his hand, he wondered if it was still there. Tumbling backward, he slammed his head against the hardwood floor. There was no strength in his body and he felt his life pumping from him. His vision dimmed.

One of the ISF agents stepped forward. Slinging his Shimatsu, he retrieved Michi's sword from the floor, but did not attack. In the pause, Takashi knelt by the the fallen Michi and touched the warrior's brow. "He was a true samurai and understood giri.His loyalty to the Combine is stronger than yours, Subhash."

"He was loyal and loyalty is a great strength, but his understanding of giriwas shortsighted, as you yourself pointed out to him, my old friend. He could not be expected to see the grand vision I work to attain. For you, I had greater hopes."

Takashi stood, his face was hard. "I am sorry to disappoint you."

"I am sorry as well."

"Will you announce that he killed me?"

"It would be a convenient story, but not one that would serve the Combine. To make public the story of the Coordinator's death at the hands of a Combine citizen would only weaken the Combine. Theodore will believe such a story, though, and he will agree to announce that you died in your sleep. You have had a long and full life, Takashi -sama.I wish you well in the next one."

The chair made another quarter-turn and began to roll back into the hidden room from which it had come.

"Agent Wilson." Ninyu addressed the agent with the sword. "Make the strike clean. Noketsuna was a master of the sword, after all."

Wilson bowed and, turning to Takashi, raised the sword high.

27

Takashi did not wait for the man to strike. Snapping a low kick, he shattered the other man's kneecap, but the effort cost him. He grunted involuntarily from the pain in his own wrenched knee. Being samurai, he put aside the fire in his leg and snatched the sword from the collapsing Wilson. The ISF agent's head left his body under the edge of the blade.