Friday, 7th November

Friday, 7th November: In the afternoon H.m.s. Pearl returned from Yedo with all sails set and hurtled for her usual mooring in Yokohama's busy harbor.

Sir William's flag was at the masthead, other flags demanded his cutter immediately but these were unnecessary as his longboat was already waiting in the roads, the Struan steam cutter beside her-- Jamie impatient in the stern. All those ashore who saw Pearl watched to see if her Captain was up to his arrogant dash, the wind frisky and his speed under sail making the maneuver dicey.

Her bow wave was high, the sea good. At the last second she spun into wind and stayed there quivering, her bowsprit perfectly over her buoy just alee. At once smartly dressed sailors dropped rope hawsers over the bollard and made her secure while others went aloft to furl all sails.

Not bad at all, Jamie thought proudly, then called out, "Full ahead, get alongside," needing to be first at the gangplank to intercept Sir William as Malcolm had ordered.

"Hurry it up, Tinker, for Christ's sake!"

"Aye aye, sorr!" Tinker, the Struan coxswain, beamed toothlessly, anticipating him with throttles full forward. He was an old hand, a pigtailed, tattooed, greying bosun's mate off one of their clippers and he zipped passed Sir William's eight-oared cutter to their chagrin, spat tobacco juice good-naturedly, gave them the finger and took possession of the slot. Jamie jumped on to the gangway. At the main deck he raised his top hat to the officer of the deck, a fresh-faced midshipman. "Permission come aboard, message for Sir William."

The midshipman saluted him back.

"Certainly, sir."

"What is it, Jamie, what the devil's wrong now?" Sir William called down from the bridge, Phillip Tyrer and Captain Marlowe beside him.

"Sorry, sir, the Settlement's in a bit of an uproar and Mr. Struan thought I should give you the details."

Marlowe said, "You can use my cabin, Sir William."

"Thank you. Best you come along too, after all you're "Admiral in charge of our Naval Defense," however temporary."

Marlowe laughed. "I could certainly use the salary, sir, if not the rank, however temporary."

"Wouldn't we all! Come along, you too, Phillip." They followed him, Marlowe last.

Before Marlowe left the bridge, he beckoned his Number One. "Engine room to get steam up, all cannon cleaned, oiled and made ready, ship's company prepared for battle stations."

In the small, austere stern cabin, with a bunk, private head and chart table, they sat down.

"Well, Jamie?"

"First, Sir William, the tai-pan and all traders want to congratulate you on a successful meeting."

"Thank you. What uproar?"

"There's been trouble: early this morning a Jappo tried to break into Angelique's bedroom in the French Legation, the sentries shot him, killed him. Dr. Hoag and Dr.Babcott w--"

"Christ Almighty, was she hurt? Touched?"

To their relief Jamie shook his head, "No sir, she said she heard him fumbling with the shutters and began screaming bloody murder an--"

"Then it was someone, like last time!" Tyrer burst out, "not the wind rattling the shutters!"

"We're inclined to think so." Jamie ran on quickly, "Babcott and Hoag were summoned--she was in shock, not hurt as I said but shaking. They took a look at the dead man and at once Hoag said he was the same bugger he operated on in Kanagawa..." Phillip Tyrer gasped and Marlowe looked at him quickly, "... the same we suspect was one of Canterbury's murderers, same man who might have been at our Kanagawa Legation and Captain Marlowe and Pallidar tried to catch."

"I'll be damned!" Sir William glanced at Tyrer who had blanched. "Do you think you could identify him, Phillip?"

"I don't know, I don't think so.

Malcolm might be able to, I don't know."

Sir William's mind had hurled him onwards: If this is the same man then both probable murderers are dead so how does this affect our demand for indemnity? "French Legation, eh? Astonished they shot the bugger, their security's abominable at the best of times and marksmanship worse. But why was the man there, was he after her or what?"

"We've no idea, sir. It also turns out he was Catholic--at least he was wearing a cross. Wh--"

"That's curious! But... but wait a minute, Angelique there? I thought she had moved back to Struan's."

"She had but her quarters were fire damaged.

I forgot to mention, after the earthquake, sir, we had a small fire, us and also Norbert. The--"

"Anyone hurt?"

"No sir, thank God, nor anywhere in the Settlement far as we know. The French offered her accommodation but th--"

"Was Malcolm Struan staying there too?"

Jamie sighed at the continual interruptions, "No sir, he was at our place."

"Then you can't have had much damage."

"No sir, fortunately, and not much in the whole Settlement though Norbert lost most of his upper floor."

"Well, that should please you. So the girl wasn't touched, the assailant's dead so what's the fuss about?"

"I've been trying to tell you, sir,"

Jamie said then rushed on, refusing this time to be interrupted by Sir William's shocked questions.

"Some of the morons in Drunk Town, aided I'm sorry to say by some of our more stupid traders, decided that every Jappo in the village was responsible so a couple of hours ago a mob of them started beating up anyone they could find, that brought samurai steaming in, troops and Navy fellows confronted them and now there's a standoff, both sides armed, reinforced and getting grimmer by the minute, some of our cavalry there, the General's in command and bristling to order a charge like the Light Brigade at Balaclava."

Bloody fool, Sir William thought.

"I'll go ashore at once."

Marlowe said, "I'll send a detachment of marines with you, sir. Orderly!"

The cabin door opened instantly.

"Yessir?"

"Marine Captain and ten marines with a signalman to the main deck gangway on the double!" then to Jamie, "Where's the riot, exactly?"

"The south end of the village, near No Man's Land."

"Sir William, I'll be standing off, close in. Any trouble, use my signalman and you can order up a barrage."

"Thank you, but I doubt if I'll need naval support."

Jamie said, "Another problem is--"

"When we're in the cutter." Sir William was already halfway to the main deck. "We'll take yours, it's faster. Head for the Drunk Town wharf."

In moments the Struan cutter was at full speed, marines crowded into the stern, Sir William, Jamie and Tyrer in relative comfort in the midship cabin. "Now, Jamie, another problem?"

"It's Mr. Tyrer's not-so-tame samurai, Nakama." Jamie glanced at Phillip briefly. "Part of the mob attacked him but he broke away, somehow got some swords and fought back, cut one drunk, an Aussie, but not badly, and would have killed the rest if they hadn't fled. Some of them got guns, rushed back and nearly blew him away so he retreated into a village store, we think there may be some samurai with him--and there's a dozen or so maniacs surrounding the place, ready to lynch him."

Sir William gasped, "A lynch mob?

In my jurisdiction?"

"Yes, sir. I tried to get them to leave him alone but they told me to piss off. Nakama wasn't at fault initially, Sir William, I saw him on High Street, that much I'm sure of."

"Good," Sir William said tightly.

"Fortunately we've one law for the rich and the same for the poor, and the same for anyone under our protection. If he's lynched we will lynch the lynchers. I'm tired of Drunk Town and their rabble nonsense. Until we get our allotment of Peelers from London we'll form our own police force. I'm Chief. Jamie, you're temporary Deputy Police Chief with Norbert an equal Deputy--equally temporary."