His brush stopped abruptly. Captain Settry Pallidar and ten equally immaculate dragoons were riding up the hill. As they came into the square the samurai there, many more than before, parted to allow them access. Slight, stiff bows acknowledged by a slight stiff salute, clearly a newly established protocol. Redcoat sentries, many more than before, opened the iron gates and closed them after the troops had clattered into the high-walled forecourt.
"Hello, Settry," Tyrer called out, running down the main steps to greet him.
"Good God, you're a sight for sore eyes, where the devil did you come from?"
"Yokohama, old boy, where else? Came by boat." As Pallidar dismounted one of the gardeners, hoe in hand, was already hurrying in a half-bowing run to hold the bridle. When Pallidar saw him, his hand went to his holster.
"Get away!"
"He's all right, Settry. He's Ukiya, one of our regulars and always very helpful. Domo, Ukiya," Tyrer said.
"Hai, Taira-sama, domo."
Hiraga put on a vacant smile, his face half obscured by the coolie hat he wore, bowed and did not move.
"Get away," Pallidar repeated.
"Sorry, Phillip, but I don't like any of the buggers near me, particularly with a bloody hoe in his hand. Grimes!"
Instantly the dragoon was there and he shoved Hiraga away roughly, taking the bridle.
"Hop it, Jappo! Piss off!"
Hiraga obediently bobbed his head, kept the vacuous grin in place and moved away. But he stayed within easy listening distance, bottling his desire to avenge the insult instantly--with the razor-sharp hoe, the small stiletto hidden in his hat or with his iron-hard hands.
"Why on earth come by boat?" Tyrer was saying.
"To save time. Patrols report extra Jappo barricades all along the Tokaido and traffic jams all the way from Hodogaya to Yedo, worse than Piccadilly Circus on the Queen's birthday, making everyone more nervous than usual. Have a dispatch from Sir William, he's ordering the Legation closed and you and your staff back--I'm your escort for "face."
Tyrer stared at him. "But what about the meeting?
I've been working like the devil to get everything ready."
"Don't know, old boy. Here."
Tyrer broke the seals on the official letter: P. Tyrer, Esq., British Legation, Yedo: This is to inform you I have agreed with the Bakufu to postpone the meeting from October 20th to Monday, November 3rd. To save unnecessary expense in troops, you and your staff will return immediately with Captain Pallidar.
"Three cheers! Yokohama here I come."
"When do you want to leave?"
"Immediately, the Great White Father says, immediately it will be. Can't wait. How about after lunch? Come and sit down. What's new in Yokopoko?"
"Not much." As they strolled back up to the veranda and easy chairs, Hiraga moved under the lee and continued hoeing.
Pallidar lit a cheroot. "Sir William, the General and Admiral had another bash at the local governor and Bakufu, swearing they would have his guts for garters if they didn't produce Canterbury's murderers--and now Lun's, pretty bloody awful, what?
All they got was the usual fawning and, Ah so sorry, we're watching all roads, all paths to catch them, so sorry for delays and inconvenience! Oh, says Sir William, then you know who they are? Oh no, says the Jappo, but if we check all papers and watch everyone, perhaps we'll find them, we do everything possible, please to help by being more careful of revolutionaries. A lot of balls! They could catch them if they wanted. They're liars."
"Terrible about Lun. Ghastly! I went into shock. Sir William almost had a stroke.
Still no sign of how the murderers got into our place at Kanagawa?"
"Nothing, any more than last time." Pallidar had noted the many pages filled with practice characters but did not comment. He loosened his collar.
"The Corporal left in charge was demoted and he and the other two given fifty lashes for dereliction of duty. Stupid not to be sharp after the other attack. But why the monkey's head?"
Tyrer shuddered. "Sir William thinks it was because Lun jeered at their Delegation, called them "monkeys" and it was their form of revenge."
Pallidar whistled. "That means at least one of them, unbeknownst to our people, secretly understands English--or at the very least pidgin."
"We came to the same conclusion." With an effort Tyrer threw off his fear. "To hell with that, I'm delighted to see you. What else is new?"
Pallidar was idly watching Hiraga. "The General believes there's more to the increased barricades and native troop movements than meets the eye. The traders say their Jappo contacts whisper that all roads out of Yedo are strangled and that the real reason's civil war's brewing. Damn nuisance not knowing.
We should be moving around like the Treaty allows, should be finding out for ourselves--the General and Admiral agree for once we should operate here like in India, anywhere else, send out patrols or a regiment or two to show the flag, by God, and contact some of the discontented kings to use them against the others. Do you have a beer?"
"Oh of course, sorry. Chen!"
"Yes Mass'r?"
"Beeru chop chop." Tyrer said, not at all sure his friend's militancy was the correct approach. The foreman of the gardeners came nearer and stood in the garden below and bowed deeply.
To Pallidar's surprise Tyrer bowed back though his bow was slight. "Hai, Shikisha?
Nan desu ka?" Yes, Shikisha, what do you want?
With even more astonishment Pallidar listened as the man asked something, Tyrer replied fluently and their conversation went back and forth. At length the man bowed and left. "Hai, Taira-sama, domo."
"My God, Phillip, what was all that about?"
"Eh? Oh, old Shikisha? It was just that he wanted to know if it was all right for the gardeners to prepare the garden in the back. Sir William wants fresh vegetables, cauliflower, onions, brussels sprouts, baking potatoes and... what's the matter?"
"You're really speaking Jappo then?"
Tyrer laughed. "Oh no, not really, but I've been cooped up here for ten days with nothing to do so I've been swotting and trying to learn words and phrases. Actually, though Sir William read me the Riot Act about pulling my finger out, I'm enjoying it immensely. I get a tremendous charge out of being able to communicate."
Fujiko's face leapt to the forefront of his mind, communicating with her, the hours spent with her --the last time ten days ago when he had returned to Yokohama for a day and the night. Hooray for Sir William, tonight or tomorrow I'll see her again, wonderful.
"Wonderful!" he said without thinking, beaming.
"Oh," he added hastily, "oh, er, yes, I enjoy trying to speak and read and write it. Old Shikisha's given me lots of words, mostly work words, and Ukiya," he pointed to Hiraga who was gardening industriously, always within distance, not knowing that "Ukiya" was an alias and just meant "gardener," "he's helping me with writing--jolly intelligent fellow for a Japanese."
During a writing lesson yesterday, he checked rumors he had heard, he asked him with signs and words Poncin had given him, to write the characters for "war," senso, and "soon," jiki-ni. Then he combined his crudely written attempts as "war, in Nippon, soon.
Please?"' He had seen a sudden change and surprise.