Steel Rain Read Online Free PDF

shoulders and lap and across the width of the steps. As always, Ujitaro appears unaware of the serpents' weight.
    Machiko pauses and bows.
    " Nothing to report !" Ujitaro says in his harsh whisper. " Concern yourself with meat bodies and leave mana to me !"
    It is nearly a rebuke.
    Yet, rather than take insult, Machiko suffers another rise of uncertainty, a silken wave of dismay. All is in readiness. Gongoro has deployed the Guard expertly. Ujitaro has command of the astral and requires nothing of anyone. What is left for her to do? How is she to contribute? What should she be doing now?
    The night offers no immediate answers. She turns to look down the curving slope of the driveway to the gate. She feels a subtle yearning. She wishes Sukayo-san were here. Sukayo would know. He would know what to expect and how to prepare. He would evaluate the few scraps of data that have been pieced together so far and explain what it all must mean.
    "Younger sister," he has called her, too many times to count. And that is how she feels now. Young and untested.
    Out of her depth.
    Always she has seemed possessed of a mind and spirit best suited to the way of the sword, to martial discipline and individual combat. Till now, she has always been content to leave all larger matters concerning a world of enemies and a multitude of threats to her "older brother," and those with the breadth of understanding and the depth of wisdom to grasp such difficult arts as strategy, to determine what is the proper course. And now she feels regret, dismay. "Older brother" is not here now. The Guard is now her responsibility. She is the acting senior member. What will she do? What must she do?
    A first step abruptly comes to mind. She turns to Ryokai. "Where were you when attacked?"
    "At my condo."
    "You were sleeping?"
    He nods. "I had just laid down."
    "Was the assassin cyber-augmented?"
    Ryokai hesitates, frowning. "I am wondering about this myself, Machiko-san. He carried much equipment. I'm not sure if this was built in or merely strapped on."
    "What weapons did he use?"
    "He carried two Ingram smartguns and fired them in unison. He also had an Ares Predator II, which he used when the Ingrams ran out of ammo."
    "Did you have any warning of the attack?"
    "Not till he came near my bedroom door. The door was ajar. I heard him breathe. Then caught sight of his heat signature."
    "How did he make his attack?"
    "He opened fire as he came through the door. He pushed it inward with the toe of his boot. I anticipated the moment and managed to tumble from my bedding as he opened up. One shot nicked my scalp. Fortunately, I had my Ceska at hand. I snapped off three rounds and caught the assassin in the head, neck, and shoulder. Then the kill button split his skull." Machiko considers all this, but the mention of the Ceska briefly distracts her. Ryokai has always favored the Ceska 120 as a backup pistol. Its eccentric design appeals to him. Since their earliest days together at the GSG academy, he has always been intrigued by things that are quirky or unusual. His interest in the kiseru is just another example. He has quite an extensive collection of these ancient weapons, which resemble pipes for smoking tobacco, but are generally a meter in length, made of iron or steel, and come equipped with a handguard. They were used as truncheons by feudal-era yakuza, who, being of the common classes, were forbidden the use of swords.
    "How did you deal with your assassin, Machiko-san?"
    Machiko explains in brief what occurred with her, then says, "Consider this, Ryokai-son. One assassin crashes into my room like a rhino and unleashes a storm of automatic weapons fire. The other, attacking you, exercises a degree more subtlety, but carries SMGs favored by so-called 'street samurai.' Do these seem like the methods of professional assassins? These killers go about their tasks all wrong."
    "Their methods do seem crude."
    Machiko nods. "If I were to undertake an assassination, I