Linnear 02 - The Miko by Eric Van Lustbader Read Free Book Online Page A

unless you license IBM patents to Japanese firms and charge them no more than a five-percent royalty.”
    When the understandably appalled IBM officers indignantly accused the Japanese, through him, of having an inflated inferiority complex, Sahashi said, “We do not have an inferiority complex toward you; we only need time and money to compete effectively.”
    Stunned, the Americans were faced with the difficult choice of having to withdraw IBM completely from a major part of its planned worldwide expansion or capitulating to MITI’s total domination.
    They chose to submit, and for years afterward Sahashi would proudly recount the details of his triumphant negotiations.
    “I learned from that fiasco.” Tomkin’s voice had brought Nicholas back. “I’m not so greedy that I’ll put one foot in the trap before I know what the hell’s going on. I’m going to use the Japs, not the other way around.
    “I won’t spend dollar one on a Japanese company until the deal’s set. I’ve got the patented advance, but there’s no way I can manufacture this new-type chip in America without the costs making sales prohibitive. Sato can give me that; he controls Japan’s sixth largest konzern. He can manufacture this thing cheaply enough to make this venture profitable in a big way.”
    He laughed. “And I do mean big, Nick. Believe it or not, we’re looking at a net profit of a hundred million dollars within two years.” His eyes were on fire. “You heard me right. One hundred million!”
    Nicholas might have been sleeping when the hands lifted from his muscles. He felt better than he had in years. He heard muffled movement in the room and then Sato’s commanding voice. “Now we shower and dress for business. In fifteen minutes Miss Yoshida will fetch you.” He stood up, a thick, black shadow. Nicholas twisted his head to try to get a good look at him, but all he could discern was that Sato was not tall by American standards. Behind him, the specter of the fourth man stirred and got to his feet. Nicholas shifted his gaze, but Sato’s bulk was between him and the mysterious stranger.
    “Very little business,” the Japanese industrialist was saying now. “Of course you must still be fatigued by your journey and it is, after all, late in the day. But still”he bowed formally to them both”it is Monday and the preliminaries cannot wait. Do you agree, Tomkin-san.”
    “Let’s get on with it, by all means.” Even though he was closer to Nicholas, Tomkin’s voice sounded odd and muffled.
    “Excellent,” Sato said shortly. His bullet head nodded. “Until then.”
    When they were alone, Nicholas sat up, the towel draped across his loins. “You’ve been very quiet,” he said into the gloom.
    In the brief pause, the girls shuffled away, rustling like reeds in the wind.
    Tomkin slid off the table. “Just getting a feel for the territory.” He wrapped himself in his large towel. “Sato seemed busy talking to you; I let him. What’s it to me, right? I was thinking about who was with him.”
    “Any ideas?” Nicholas said as they walked through into the shower room.
    Tomkin shook his head. “You know Jap industry. God alone knows how they run things here and it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that even He gets confused once in a while.” Tomkin shrugged his beefy shoulders. “Whoever he was, he’s a big one, to be allowed into Sato’s inner sanctum like that.”
    Seiichi Sato’s office was almost entirely Western in aspect comfortable sofas and chairs grouped around a low black lacquer coffee table with the ubiquitous Sato logo etched into its center, and, farther away toward the sheets of window looking out or, Tokyo, a large rosewood and brass desk, low cabinets, all atop deep pile champagne colored carpet. Woodblock prints were on the walls, all, Nicholas saw, from twentieth-century artists.
    Yet as he accompanied Tomkin across the expanse of carpet Nicholas noticed a half-open door beyond which he saw a