Wednesday, 14th January

Wednesday, 14th January: "Yokohama's finished, William," the General said in the first light of dawn, his voice raw. They were on the bluff, overlooking the Settlement, Pallidar in attendance, all of them mounted. Smoke still wafted up to them. The General's face was bruised and filthy, uniform torn, cap ripped and the brim burnt. "Thought it best to ask you to come up here, gives you a better picture, sorry. Act of God."

"I knew it was bad, but this..." The words trailed off. Sir William was numbed. None of them had slept. The signs of fatigue and worry were in all their faces, their clothes scorched and dirty, Pallidar's ripped and the worst of all. As the sun rose slightly they could see the whole panorama to Hodogaya on the Tokaido.

The Yoshiwara no longer existed, nor the village, most of Drunk Town, over half the Settlement including stables. No confirmed reports of casualties yet, but a richness of rumors, all bad. No confirmed reason for the catastrophe yet. Many shouted arson by Japanese, but which Japanese and at whose orders, no one knew, though destruction of the Yoshiwara and village would concern none of them to gain their ends.

"You'll order evacuation this morning?"

Sir William's head ached with a thousand questions and forebodings. "First an inspection. Thank you, Thomas. Pallidar, you come with me." He spurred his pony down the incline. At the Legation he reined in a moment. "Anything new, Bertram?"

"No sir, no confirmed names or numbers yet."

"Send for the village Elder, the shoya, at once, ask him to find out how many casualties he has and to see me at once."

"I don't speak Japanese, Sir William, and Phillip Tyrer isn't here."

"Then bloody find him," Sir William bellowed, glad for the opportunity to rid himself of some of his pent-up anxiety, concern over Tyrer, and was rewarded to see the effete youth pale. "And bloody learn Japanese or I'll pack you off to Africa and you can burden them! Get all senior traders here in an hour... No, not here, the Club's better, and let's see, it's six-twenty now, make it at nine-thirty, and for Christ's sake pull your finger out and start using your bloody head!" Idiot, he thought and trotted off feeling better.

Under the lightening sky, the people of Yokohama were picking up the pieces of their places and their lives. At first Sir William, escorted by Pallidar, stayed on the High Street, greeting everyone, answering questions by saying, "First let me have a look. I've called a meeting at the Club for nine-thirty, by then I'll know better."

Nearer Drunk Town the stench of burned buildings worsened. This morning when the wind had dropped, about 2:00 A.m., the fires had died rapidly and no longer jumped fire breaks or from house to house. Only this had saved the Settlement from oblivion. All Legations were safe, as well as the Harbor Master's, the main traders and their godowns--Struan's, Brock's, Cooper-Tillman and others.

Lunkchurch's was gutted.

The fire had stopped exactly before Holy Trinity leaving it untouched and he thanked God for a most suitable miracle. Further down the street the Catholic church had lost most windows and roof, the maw of charred and smoking beams now like an open mouth of rotten teeth. "'morning, where's Father Leo?" he asked a man working in the garden, cleaning up.

"In the vestry, Sir William. Top of the morning to Yourself and that Yourself is safe, Sir William, sir."

"Thank you. Sorry about your church. I've called a meeting in the Club at nine-thirty, spread the word, would you? Father Leo's welcome, of course." He went on again.

Unlike the village and Yoshiwara where piles of clean ash were in drifts, like snow, the ravaged areas of the Settlement and Drunk Town were a mess of bricks, flagstones, twisted metal, the remains of machinery, engines, tools, guns, cannon, anvils and other manufactured objects, now junk. The festering sore of No Man's Land had been cleaned, except for metal, and that pleased him.

He meandered down to the South Gate. The guard house had disappeared. A temporary barrier had been erected in emptiness and samurai were on sentry duty. "Stupid clods," Pallidar said. "They're barricading against what?"

Sir William did not answer, too wrapped up in what he could see and what he could do. Ahead at the canal and moat he could see villagers and others wandering around, or squatting in dismal groups. The other side of the moat where the Yoshiwara had been, clusters of women and cooks and menservants sat or stood around the only partial structure still standing, canvas screens up as shelter. Samurai still doused fires here and there. A lot of crying and sobbing on the gentle wind.

"Terrible, sir," Pallidar said.

"Yes." Sir William sighed and again made an effort--it was up to him to give the example and by God he was going to act like Her Britannic Majesty's Minister for Japan should act.

"Yes it is but look there, by God!" On the bluff the tented camp was undamaged. "All our soldiers are safe, cannon safe, artillery safe, all armaments and the munition depot as ever was. And look there!"

In the bay the fleet was unscathed, Union Jacks and ensigns flying proudly and with dawn passing into day, every available cutter plied back and forth bringing men ashore or taking them aboard for food, drink, and sleep. "All the rest is replaceable, by Harry, except people. Get some soldiers, start counting heads and mounts. I need to know who we've lost by the nine-thirty meeting.

Off you go!"

"Yes sir. Most of the stables were opened and the horses bolted for the racecourse or bluff. I saw Zergeyev's stallion there with a couple of grooms." Suddenly Pallidar beamed, no longer as shattered. "You're right, Sir William, my God how right. So long as the Army and Navy are safe, we're all all right, everything's all right. Thanks."

He galloped off.

Sir William turned his attention inland.

What to do, what to do? His pony jingled her bridles nervously and pawed the ground, sensing his disquiet.

"Morning, Sir William." Grey with fatigue, Jamie McFay was approaching from behind the remains of a building that now was a heap of twisted metal frames, the remains of bedsteads, furniture and charred wood. His clothes were tattered, burnt in places, hair matted.

"How many lost? What's the latest?"

"Nothing for certain yet. Good God, is that ... is that all that's left of the Guardian building and the presses?"

"'fraid so. But here." Jamie held the bridle and handed him a badly printed sheet with a smudged banner headline that screamed: YOKOHAMA TORCHED. ARSON SUSPECTED.

STRUAN'S AND BROCK'S UNTOUCHED, ARMY, NAVY AND ALL SHIPPING SAFE. FATALITIES EXPECTED TO BE HEAVY IN THE YOSHIWARA AND VILLAGE. Then a brief editorial, with a promise that an afternoon edition would be out and apologies for the bad printing.

"Nettlesmith's over there." Under a rough lean-to they could see Nettlesmith, unkempt and filthy, laboriously working the press by hand, his printer clerks sorting type into trays still salvaging what they could from the ashes.

"I heard you pulled a number of villagers out of a building, saved their lives, Jamie."

It was still hard for Jamie to think straight.

Vaguely he recalled never finding Nemi, or news of her, but not about the others. "I don't remember much about it, it was chaos everywhere--others were doing the same, or helping folk to the hospital..." His head was swimming with fatigue. "Last night I heard Phillip was lost. Is it true?"

"Don't know. Hope to God not, though I heard the rumor too." Sir William exhaled loudly. "I heard the same and there are lots of rumors but I've learned not to trust rumor. Zergeyev was reported dead in the Yoshiwara, so was Andr`e, but I saw him a short time ago, Zergeyev. So, as I said, best to wait." He indicated the tear sheet. "Can I keep this, Jamie? Thanks. I've convened a meeting at nine-thirty, to discuss what we should do, your opinion would be valuable."