Now the Japanese interpreter spoke in Dutch: "The roju, the Council of Elders of the Shogunate welcomes the foreign representatives and wishes them to present their documents as has been agreed."

Sir William sighed, mesmerized by the empty chair. "All right, Johann, let's begin. Say to them, shouldn't we wait until the Shogun honors us with his presence?"

This into Dutch into Japanese, much discussion, then again the young Elder, Yoshi, made a pronouncement, slowly and meticulously translated into Dutch, into English.

"Basically, without the usual palaver, Sir William, the spokesman says the Shogun wasn't expected in this meeting, this is with the roju only. The Shogun was to be later."

"That was not as was agreed and I inform them again that Ministerial credentials are only presented to the Head of State, in this case the Shogun, so we can't proceed."

Back and forth and then, to the Ministers' displeasure: "The Elder says the Shogun had to leave for Kyoto urgently and regrets he will not have the pleasure of meeting you, etc., but you can give the roju your credentials as they have his authority to accept them."

Back and forth, Sir William's annoyance reddening into visible anger, more discussion on both sides and more time consumed, then a scroll, heavy with characters and sealed importantly and handled as though it were the Holy Grail, was presented by a kneeling official to Sir William.

"Phillip, can you read this?"

"I, no, sorry sir."

"No need to worry." Sir William sighed and turned to the others. "This is most improper."

"Yes," von Heimrich said coldly.

"Unacceptable," Count Alexi Zergeyev agreed.

"A dangerous precedent," Adamson said.

"It's certainly most unusual," Seratard said in French, "and they did promise the Shogun. We could, for just this meeting, agree to their request, eh, my friends?" He was careful to hide his own annoyance and kept his voice smooth and gentle as Andr`e Poncin, at his elbow, had suggested in a cautious whisper the moment they had entered the room, adding: "Be careful, Henri, the roju spokesman is the same Bakufu official I... we made the offer to after the other meeting, to inspect a warship, remember? Mon Dieu, I thought he was important, but never one of the Elders! If we could get him on the side of France, it would be an marvelous coup..."

Count Zergeyev was saying, "Agreeing will create a deplorable precedent."

"It will only be for this meeting. Yes?"

"It doesn't matter, it's wind over a cow's arse," the Swiss, Erlicher, said.

"Let's get on with it."

They argued. Tyrer listened but kept his attention on the Elders without being apparent, fascinated by them, wanting to take advantage of this rare opportunity to learn the maximum about them in the minimum time. His father had impressed on him from an early age: "In any meeting, always watch your opponent's hands and feet, they are the giveaways, eyes too and faces, yes, but those are usually easily controlled. Concentrate! Observe, but cautiously or the clues to tell you what he or she is really thinking will be obscured. Remember, my son, everyone exaggerates, everyone lies in some degree."

The hands and feet of the swarthy, shifty-eyed Elder twitched constantly, little nervous movements, those of the young Elder hardly at all.

From time to time, as in the other meeting, he saw the man he had dubbed "Shifty Eyes" whisper to the young Elder, the spokesman--only to him.

Why? Tyrer asked himself. And why does Shifty Eyes take no part in any of their discussions, seemingly dismissed by them, keeping his eyes constantly on the Ministers and not the interpreters.

Abruptly Sir William motioned at the empty chair: "If the Shogun was not expected at this meeting, and there are five Elders in the roju, why is there an empty chair?"

Back and forth, forth and back and then: "He says the President of their Council, Lord Anjo, has just been taken ill and cannot be here, but that does not matter, they have his authority to proceed. Please proceed."

Von Heimrich, said in perfect French as a put-down to Seratard, "Doesn't this invalidate the meeting, didn't they keep harping on the "unanimous" nature of this Council?

Five men. This could be another deceitful ploy to be used in future to negate the whole proceedings." Again an argument began.

Only Sir William was silent. He was keeping his fury, and anxiety, off his face.

Clearly we've been duped again. What to do?

Then heard himself say in a firm voice: "Very well, we will accept this authority as bona fide from your Shogun, for this meeting only. We will inform our governments that prior agreement was not adhered to and we will proceed to Kyoto as soon as possible to present credentials properly to your Shogun--and Emperor Komei--with a more than suitable escort."

As Johann began to translate into Dutch, Count Zergeyev murmured, "Bravo--that's the only way to deal with the matyeryebitz!" Von Heimrich and van de Tromp, the Dutchman, quietly agreed, to the objections of Seratard, Adamson the American and Erlicher.

The Japanese interpreter gaped and said loudly he was sure that he had misunderstood.

Johann told him there was no misunderstanding.

During this lengthy back and forth, Sir William closed his ears to them, watching the faces of the roju intently as they listened to the interpreter.

In varying degrees all of them became unsettled. Good, he thought.

"With the usual palaver, Sir William, but with a heavy load of polite apologies this time, he says it won't be possible to see the Shogun in Kyoto, the weather is very inclement at this time of the year, but they will make sure the moment he's back, etc., etc."

Sir William smiled mirthlessly. "Say to them: Inclement or not, we will visit the Emperor in the very near future, stress that Johann. On that basis only we will proceed."

The roju received that in stony silence.

In turn, Sir William first, then the others, got up and bowed, spoke his name and rank and the country he represented, and offered his credentials. These were accepted with dignity. Each time the roju bowed back, respectfully.

"Now," Sir William said, his chin jutting.

"To proceed with the second business of the meeting: Her Majesty's Government reaffirms that on Friday the 12th September, this Year of Our Lord, 1862, an English gentleman was foully murdered in daylight by samurai of the Satsuma contingent under the command of their king Sanjiro. Two others were wounded. Her Majesty's Government demands the murderers be handed over or dealt with publicly according to Japanese law, that a reparation of one hundred thousand pounds sterling in gold be paid forthwith, an apology published and a public guarantee promulgated that this will not happen again.

Next: the second and final payment of five thousand pounds sterling in gold as reparation for the murders of Sergeant Gunn and Corporal Roper in our Legation last year, weeks overdue, be paid in gold in three days or the amount is doubled every day thereafter..."

Sir William allowed time for Johann to translate word for word but allowing no discussion until he had finished the list, Adamson had demanded reparations for the murder of the American official, and last, the Russian Minister.

Count Zergeyev, his multitude of medals and decorations clinking on his gold-braided uniform said, "A Russian officer and one soldier off our man-of-war, Gudenev, were hacked to death in Yokohama on 16th of February, last year," then added to the consternation of the others, "For reparations, Tsar Alexander II of all the Russias, demands the Kurile Islands."

During the translations, Sir William leaned over and whispered pleasantly in Russian: "A nice jest, Count Alexi, forof course Her Majesty's Government could never agree to such an intrusion into our sphere of influence."