A furious tirade at the Sergeant and sentries. All samurai eased their swords a quarter length out of their scabbards and took a defensive stance. Down the road the Marine patrol moved into riot order. Everyone waited for the first mistake.
At that moment Pallidar and two other dragoon officers hurried out from the Russian Legation just down the street, in evening dress uniform, dress swords. "I'll take charge Sergeant," Pallidar said. "What's the problem?"
Johann told him. Pallidar, well rehearsed in Japanese customs now, went over to the officer, bowed, made sure the officer bowed equally. "Tell him I'll accept the letter.
I'm aide-de-camp to Sir William," he said exaggerating.
"He says, Sorry, his orders are to do it personally."
"Tell him I'm authorized t--"
Sir William's voice stopped him.
"Captain Pallidar--just a moment! Johann, who's this letter from?" He stood on the threshold of the Russian bungalow, Zergeyev and others crowding the entrance beside him.
The officer pointed at the banner and snapped more words and Johann called out, "He says it's from the tairo but I guess he means the roju, the Elders. He's been ordered to deliver it at once, personally."
"All right, I'll take it, tell him to come over here."
Johann translated. Imperiously the officer beckoned Sir William to come to him but Sir William called out, even more sharply, with even less courtesy, "Tell him I'm at dinner. If he doesn't step up right now, he can deliver it tomorrow."
Johann was too practiced to translate exactly and only gave just enough emphasis to transfer the meaning. The samurai officer sucked in his breath with fury, then stomped over to the Russian gate, brushed past the two huge bearded sentries and stood before Sir William, clearly waiting for him to bow.
"Keirei!" Sir William barked.
Salute!--one of few words he allowed himself to know. "Keirei!"
The officer flushed but automatically bowed.
He bowed as to an equal, seethed even more when he saw Sir William just nod as to an inferior, but then, he thought, this foul little man is the leader gai-jin with a reputation for anger as vile as his smell. When we attack I will personally kill him.
He took out the scroll, went forward and handed it over, stepped back, bowed perfectly, waited until his bow was returned, however rudely, completely satisfied that he had bested the enemy.
To rid himself of his anger, he cursed his men and strode off as though they did not exist. They followed, seething at the gai-jin rudeness.
"Where the devil's Tyrer?" Sir William asked.
Pallidar said, "I'll send someone to find him."
"No, ask Johann to join me, will you please?"
"No need for that, Sir William,"
Erlicher, the Swiss Minister said, "if it's in Dutch I can read it for you."
"Thank you, but it best be Johann as he knows some Japanese too," Sir William said, not wanting to share anything in advance with any foreigner, particularly one who openly represented a small but growing, highly specialized armament industry anxious for exports, with a reputation based on the extraordinary and unique quality of their watchmakers, one of the few areas where British manufacturers could not compete.
The dining room, largest room in the bungalow, contained a table for twenty ladened with fine silver and serving plates. All Ministers were guests, except von Heimrich who was still sick, Struan, Angelique at the head of table, some French and British officers, with two liveried servants behind each seat and more to serve. "Can I use the anteroom, Count Zergeyev?" Sir William said in Russian.
"Of course." Count Zergeyev opened the door. They waited a moment until Johann hurried in and he closed it.
"Evening, Sir William," Johann said, pleased that he had been called. He would be the first to know what this was all about, and could continue to be useful, profitably, to his own country's Minister. He broke the seal of the scroll and sat down also. "Dutch and Japanese. It's short." Rapidly he scanned it, frowned, re-read it and then again and laughed nervously.
"It's addressed to you, the British Minister and says: "I communicate with you by dispatch.
By order of Shogun Nobusada received from Kyoto, all ports are to be closed at once and all foreigners expelled and driven out, not nee--"'
"Driven out? Driven out did you say?"
The bellow went through the door. An uneasy pall fell on the dinner guests.
Johann winced. "Yes sir, sorry sir, that's what it says: "and driven out, not needing or wanting any dealings between foreigners and our people. I send you this before commanding an immediate meeting to finalize particulars of your urgent withdrawal from Yokohama. Respectful communication."
"Respectful? God-cursed bloody impertinence by God..."
The tirade continued. When Sir William paused for breath, Johann said, "It's signed "Nori Anjo--Tairo." As I understand it, Sir William, that's almost like Dictator, he's gone up in the world."
KYOTO Thursday, 4th December: Toranaga Yoshi was livid. "When was the tairo appointment confirmed?"
"The day before yesterday, Sire, by carrier pigeon to Lord Anjo at Yedo," Wakura, the Lord Chamberlain, head of the palace officials, said smoothly, untouched by his guest's open anger, and hiding his joy--he had been looking forward to this meeting that he had arranged in his quarters within the palace. "The formal scroll, signed by the Shogun at the request of the Son of Heaven, was sent, I believe, for urgent delivery to Lord Anjo Nori the same day."
This made Yoshi even angrier. His ancestor, Shogun Toranaga, had made carrier pigeons the exclusive property of the Shogunate. Over two and a half centuries this method of communication had gone into decline as unnecessary, and now was only used to announce such vital occurrences as the death of a Shogun or an Emperor. The Bakufu chose not to notice that for years certain Osaka zaibatsu moneylenders were surreptitiously using pigeons --leaving them open to punitive measures, extra taxes, or favors, if the Bakufu cared to enforce the law.
"And the fatuous ultimatum to the gai-jin? When is that to be delivered?" Yoshi asked.
"At once, Sire. The Imperial request was included in the same carrier pigeon message, Sire, confirmed by Shogun Nobusada, and marked, Deliver at once."
"The order is baka, the haste even more baka!" Yoshi pulled his padded overmantle closer around his shoulders. The light rain that patted the gardens outside added a dampness to the chill. "Send another pigeon cancelling the order."
"If it was up to me, Sire, I would do so at once, since you suggest it. As soon as you leave, Sire, I will seek permission but I imagine your wishes will be too late, the gai-jin leader will have already received the command, it may even have been given to him yesterday."
Wakura happily kept his face and manner penitent. This was a culmination of years of intriguing in support of the Emperor's wishes, the opinion of most daimyos, most court nobles, of Ogama who presently held power in Kyoto, though the Gates were ostensibly once again guarded by the loathed Shogunate--but only with the permission of Ogama--also of the Princess Yazu and, most important of all, in support of his own views.
His deft and sagacious timing a few days ago had delighted him. He had waylaid the Princess during her morning walk in the palace gardens and in one move had neutralized the Shogunate, Bakufu, and Yoshi, most dangerous of his enemies. "Imperial Princess, I hear some courtiers close to the Divine, with your interests in mind, whisper that the Lord, your husband, should appoint Lord Nori Anjo tairo, as soon as possible."
"Anjo?"' she had said in disbelief.
"People of wisdom believe, Princess, it should be done quietly and quickly. Plots in Yedo abound and this would avoid interference by... ambitious enemies," he had said delicately, "enemies who constantly try to undermine your revered husband, who must also have cursed shishi connections. Remember, Otsu!"
"As if I will ever forget! But Anjo--not that I have any influence to arrange such a matter--is a dullard and a fool. As tairo he will become even more arrogant."
"True, but raising him above the other Elders might be a small price to pay to make your Lord Shogun more secure during his minority, and gag his... his only rival, Lord Yoshi."
"Could a tairo remove his position of Guardian?"' "Probably, Princess. Another point in Anjo's favor, the wise whisper, is that he is the perfect instrument to use against gai-jin: simple-headed but obedient to Imperial requests. The Divine would notice such loyalty and no doubt reward such service. If it was done quietly and quickly, I've heard the wise say, the better it would be."
So easy to implant the seed that had blossomed like one of my hothouse orchids overfertilized-- how wise I was to maneuver her marriage. Her words in that dull-witted youth's ears, some dependent nobles co-opted, my own advice quickly sought and quickly given, and it was done.