Digital Fortress Chapter 18

Standing before the vast plate-glass window in his Tokyo skyrise, Numataka took a long pull on his cigar and smiled to himself. He could scarcely believe his good fortune. He had spoken to the American again, and if all was red according to the timetable, Ensei Tankado had been eliminated by now, and his copy of the pass-key had been confiscated.It was ironic, Numataka thought, that he himself would end up with Ensei Tankados pass-key. Tokugen Numataka had met Tankado once many an(prenominal) years ago. The young programmer had have intercourse to Numatech Corp. fresh out of college, searching for a job. Numataka had denied him. There was no question that Tankado was brilliant, moreover at the time there were some other considerations. Although Japan was changing, Numataka had been trained in the old school he lived by the calculate of menboko-honor and face. Imperfection was not to be tolerated. If he hired a cripple, he would tot shame on his company. He had wedded of Tank ados resume without a glance.Numataka checked his stick to again. The American, North Dakota, should have called by now. Numataka matt-up a tinge of nervousness. He hoped null was wrong.If the pass-keys were as good as promised, they would open up the most sought-after product of the computer age-a totally invulnerable digital encoding algorithm. Numataka could embed the algorithm in tamper-proof, spray-sealed VSLI chips and big bucks market them to world computer manufacturers, governments, industries, and perhaps, in time the darker markets the black market of world terrorists.Numataka smiled. It appeared, as usual, that he had found favor with the shichigosan-the cardinal deities of good luck. Numatech Corp. was about to control the moreover copy of Digital Fortress that would incessantly exist. Twenty million dollars was a throne of money-but considering the product, it was the steal of the century.