James Clavell - Gai-Jin

"I agree," the Admiral said under the roars of approval. When they had died down, Seratard said smoothly, "Then you advocate a declaration of war?"

"No such thing, sir," the General said, their dislike mutual, "I merely said we can do what is necessary, when necessary and when we are obliged to do it.

I would have thought this "incident" is a matter for Her Majesty's Minister to decide in conjunction with the Admiral and myself without an unseemly debate."

Some shouted approval, most disapproved and someone called out, "It's our silver and taxes wot pays for all you buggers, we've the right to say wot's wot. Ever heard of Parliament by God?"

"A French national was involved," Seratard said heatedly above the noise, "therefore the honor of France is involved." Catcalls and sly remarks about the girl.

Again Sir William used the gavel and that allowed the acting American Minister, Isiah Adamson, to say coldly, "The idea of going to war over this incident is nonsense, and the notion of grabbing or attacking a king in their sovereign country total lunacy--and typical highhanded Imperialist jingoism! First thing to do is inform the Bakufu, then ask them to--"

Irritably, Sir William said, "Dr.Babcott has already informed them in Kanagawa, they've already denied any knowledge of the incident and in all probability will follow their pattern and continue to do so. A British subject has been brutally murdered, another seriously wounded, unforgivably our delightful young foreign guest was almost frightened to death--these acts, I must stress as Mr. McFay so rightly points out, for the first time have been committed by identifiable criminals.

Her Majesty's Government will not let this go unpunished...." For a moment he was drowned by tumultuous cheers, then he added, "The only thing to decide is the measure of punishment, how we should proceed and when. Mr. Adamson?" he asked the American.

"As we're not involved I've no formal recommendation."

"Count Zergeyev?"

"My formal advice," the Russian said carefully, "is that we fall on Hodogaya and tear it and all the Satsumas to pieces." He was in his early thirties, strong, patrician and bearded, leader of Tsar Alexander II'S mission. "Force, massive, ferocious and immediate is the only diplomacy Japanners will ever understand. My warship would be honored to lead the attack."

There was a curious silence. I guessed that would be your answer, Sir William thought. I'm not so sure you're wrong. Ah Russia, beautiful extraordinary Russia, what a shame we're enemies. Best time I ever had was in St.

Petersburg. Even so you're not going to expand into these waters, we stopped your invasion of the Japanese Tsushima islands last year, and this year we'll prevent you from stealing their Sakhalin too. "Thank you, my dear Count.

Herr von Heimrich?"

The Prussian was elderly and curt. "I have no advice in this, Herr Consul General, other than to say formally my government would consider it is a matter for your government alone, and not the affair of minor parties."

Seratard flushed. "I do not consider--"

"Thank you for your advice gentlemen," Sir William said firmly, cutting off the row that would have flared between them. Yesterday's Foreign Office dispatches from London said that Britain could soon become embroiled in another of the never-ending European wars, this time belligerent, pride-filled France against belligerent, pride-filled expansionist Prussia, but did not forecast on which side. Why the devil damned foreigners can't behave as civilized fellows I'm damned if I know.

"Before making a judgment," he said crisply, "since everyone of note is here and not having had such an opportunity before, I think we should articulate our problem: We have legal treaties with Japan. We're here to trade, not to conquer territory. We have to deal with this bureaucracy, the Bakufu, who're like a sponge --one moment it pretends to be all-powerful, the next helpless against their individual kings.

We've never been able to get to the real power, the Tycoon or Shogun--we don't even know if he really exists."

"He must exist," von Heimrich said coolly, "because our famous German traveller and physician, Dr. Engelbert Kaempfer, who lived in Deshima from 1690 to 1693, pretending to be a Dutchman, reported visiting him in Yedo on their annual pilgrimage."

"That doesn't prove one exists now,"

Seratard said caustically. "However, I do agree there is a Shogun, and France approves of a direct approach."

"An admirable idea, Monsieur." Sir William reddened. "And how do we do that?"

"Send the fleet against Yedo," the Russian said at once, "demand an immediate audience or else you'll destroy the place. If I had such a beautiful fleet as yours, I'd first flatten half the city and then demand the audience... better, I would order this Tycoon-Shogun native to report aboard my flagship at dawn the next day, and hang him." Many shouts of approval.

Sir William said, "That is certainly one way but Her Majesty's Government would prefer a slightly more diplomatic solution. Next: we've almost no real intelligence about what's going on in the country. I'd appreciate it if all traders would help to get us information that could prove useful. Mr. McFay, of all the traders, you should be the best informed, can you help?"

McFay said cautiously, "Well, a few days ago one of our Jappo silk suppliers told our Chinese compradore that some of the kingdoms --he used the word "fiefs" and called the kings "daimyos"--were in revolt against the Bakufu, particularly Satsuma, and some parts called Tosa, and Choshu..."

Sir William noticed the immediate interest of the other diplomats and wondered if he was wise to have asked the question in public. "Where are they?"

"Satsuma's near Nagasaki in the South Island, Kyushu," Adamson said, "but what about Choshu and Tosa?"

"Well now, yor Honor," an American seaman called out, his Irish accent pleasing.

"Tosa's a part of Shikoku, that's the big island on the inland sea. Choshu's far to the west on the main island, Mr. Adamson, sir, athwart the Straits. We been through the Straits there, many a time, they're not more than a mile across at the narrowest part. As I was saying now, Choshu's the kingdom's athwart the narrows, bare a mile across. It's the best, and closest way from Hong Kong or Shanghai to here.

Shi-mono-seki Straits, the locals call it, and once we traded for fish and water at the town there but we weren't welcome." Many others called out their agreement and that they too had used the Straits but had never known that the kingdom was called Choshu.

Sir William said, "Your name if you please?"

"Paddy O'Flaherty, Bosun of the American whaler, Albatross out of Seattle, yor Honor."

"Thank you," Sir William said, and made a mental note to send for O'Flaherty, to find out more and if there were charts of the area, and if not to instantly order the Navy to make them. "Go on Mr. McFay," he said. "In revolt, you say."

"Yes, sir. This silk trader--how reliable he is I don't know--but he said there was some kind of power struggle going on against the Tycoon that he always called "Shogun," the Bakufu and some king or daimyo called Toranaga."

Sir William saw the Russian's eyes slit even more in his almost Asian features.

"Yes, my dear Count?"

"Nothing, Sir William. But isn't that the name of the ruler mentioned by Kaempfer?"

"Indeed it is, indeed it is." I wonder why you never mentioned to me before that you also had read those very rare but illuminating journals that were written in German, which you do not know, therefore must have been translated into Russian? "Perhaps "Toranaga" means ruler in their language.

Please continue, Mr. McFay."

"That's all the fellow told my compradore, but I'll make it my business to find out more.