"Yes, yes very good." Striving to appear calm, Tyrer put on his top hat, straightened his frock coat and walked down the steps, all eyes on him. The dragoons watched only Pallidar, awaiting his orders. Five yards from the gate he stopped, the two officers just behind him.
For the moment all that he could think of was that he wanted to urinate. In the silence he said haltingly, "Ohayo, watashi wa Taira-san. Nan desu ka?" Good morning, I am Mr. Tyrer, what you want please?
The officer, Uraga, the big bearlike man who was at the shishi ambush of Anjo outside the castle, glared at him, then bowed and held the bow. Tyrer bowed back but not quite as low--as Andr`e Poncin had advised--and said again, "Good morning, what you want please?"
The officer had noted the less than respectful bow and exploded in a rush of Japanese that totally swamped Tyrer whose dismay mushroomed. So did Hiraga's because the officer was asking for immediate permission to search the Legation and grounds, and to interview all Japanese there at once because it was probable shishi assassins and revolutionaries were amongst them: "like this one," he finished angrily, pointing at Joun.
Tyrer searched for the words. "Wakarimasen.
Dozo, hanashi wo suru noroku." I don't understand, please to speak slowly.
"Wakarimasen ka?"--You don't understand? the officer said with exasperation, then raised his voice, believing like most people when talking to a foreigner that loudness made his words clearer and more understandable, and repeated what he had said, the guttural language sounding even more threatening, and ended with, "It won't take much time and please understand it is for your own protection!"
"So sorry, not understand. Please you to speak English or Dutch?"
"No, of course not. It should be clear to you.
I only want to come in for a little while. Please open the gates! It's for your protection!
Look, your gates! Here, I will show you!" He stepped forward, grasped one of the bars and rattled the gates loudly, everyone inside shifted nervously, many safety catches came off and Pallidar ordered loudly, "Safety catches on! No firing without my order!"
"I don't know what the hell he's talking about," Tyrer said, a chill sweat running down his back. "Except it's obvious he wants us to open the gates."
"Well we're not bloody doing that, not to that armed rabble! Tell him to go away, that this is British property."
"This...." Tyrer thought a moment, then pointed at the flagstaff and Union Jack, "this English place... no to enter. Please to go!"
"Go? Are you mad. I have just explained, this is for your own protection. We have just caught this dog and we are sure another is here or hiding near here. OPEN THE GATES!"
"So sorry, not understand..." Helplessly Tyrer looked around as more Japanese words surrounded him. Then his eyes focused on Hiraga not far away. "Ukiya, come here," he called out in Japanese. "Ukiya!"
Hiraga's heart almost stopped. Tyrer shouted at him again. With pretended terror in a stumbling, grovelling run, Hiraga put his head in the dirt at Tyrer's feet, his rump towards the gate, his coolie hat covering most of him.
"What man say?" Tyrer asked.
With much feigned shaking, all senses razor-edged, Hiraga replied softly, "He's a bad man... he wants to come in, to... to steal your guns."
"Ah, yes, come in. Why?"
"He... he wants to search."
"No understand. What mean "ser'ch"?"
"Search. He wants to look at your house, everywhere."
"Yes, understand come in. Why?"
"I told you, to search--"
"You, gardener," the officer shouted and Hiraga jerked as anger flowed over him. For the first time in his life, out there the center of attention, on his knees in front of a gai-jin, knowing that under his hat he wore a rough turban, if that was taken off it would reveal the shaven pate and topknot of a samurai, he was suddenly sick with fear.
"You, gardener," the man shouted again, rattling the gates, "tell the fool I only want to search for assassins--shishi assassins!"
Desperately Hiraga said softly, "Taira-sama, the samurai wants to come in, to look at everyone. Tell him you are leaving, then he can come in."
"No understand. Ukiya go there!" Tyrer pointed at the gates. "Say go away, nice go away!"
"I cannot. I cannot," Hiraga whispered, trying to get his mind working and overcome his nausea.
"Phillip," Pallidar said, the sweat staining the back of his uniform. "What the devil's he trying to tell you?"
"I don't know."
Tension soared as the officer battered the gates again, once more demanding entrance, his men began to surge forward and grip the bars to assist him. Goaded into action, Pallidar went closer.
Coldly he saluted. Equally coldly the man bowed. Then, slowly Pallidar said, "This is British property. You are ordered to leave in peace or accept the consequences."
The officer stared at him blankly then, again, with words and actions, told him to open the door--and quickly.
"Go away!" Without turning his back Pallidar called out, "Dragoons only!
Prepare volley!"
Instantly the ten dragoons rushed forward in unison, formed two ranks just in front of the gates, in unison the front rank knelt, all ten safety catches came off, shells went into the breech and they aimed. In the sudden silence Pallidar slowly unbuckled his holster.
"Go away!"
Abruptly the officer laughed and his laugh was taken up in the square. There were hundreds of samurai there and he knew thousands were nearby and tens of thousands within reach. But none of them had seen the carnage that a few stalwart, disciplined British soldiers could cause with their fast and easy-to-fire breech-loaders.
As quickly as the laughter arose, it died. Both sides waited for the inevitable first move.
Frantic expectation swept everyone: This'll be to the death, shi kiraru beki, Christ Almighty, Namu Amida Butsu...
Hiraga sneaked a quick look up at Tyrer, saw the blank helplessness and cursed, knowing that any second the officer must order the attack to save face amidst the rumbling animosity outside. Before Hiraga could stop himself, his self-survival mechanism decided to gamble and he heard himself whisper in English--never once before had he made any indication to Tyrer he could speak the language, "P'rease to trust-- p'rease say words: Sencho... doz--"
Tyrer gaped. "Eh? Did you say "trust"? Eh?"
Committed now, heart thundering and hoping that the two officers nearby were so concentrated on the outside they would not overhear him, Hiraga whispered haltingly, his pronunciation only fair, l's impossible for him. "P'rease quiet. Danger!
Pre'tnd words yours. Say Sencho, dozo shizuka ni... say words!" Sick with fear he waited then, sensing that samurai tension outside was at breaking point, hissed in English again, as an order: "Say-words-now! Now!
Sencho... dozo shizuka ni... quick!"
Almost out of himself Tyrer obeyed.
"Sencho, dozo shizuka ni..." parroting the words exactly and those following, not knowing what he was saying and endeavoring to put into perspective that this gardener could speak English and that this was not a dream. Within seconds he saw that the words were having an effect. The officer shouted for quiet. Tension was lessening in the square. Now the officer listened intently to him, occasionally saying, "Hai, wakatta"--Yes, I understand.