A hand gesture and the Manhunter was back in his palm, rigid at the end of its support cable. Fontecchio took two steps, gave a savate kick, and the tea house door flew open. Sitting with crossed legs on opposite sides of a miniature coal brazier, the ceramic tea pot whistling softly under a perfect low boil, Minister Nakahama and the First Wife, Murasaki, were holding extremely small cups, frozen motionless in the process of turning them the necessary three times before taking three sips with a three-second pause between each.