"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.

Tyrer's courage flooded back and he concentrated on Hiraga and the Japanese. The words ended quickly with, "Domo."

At once the officer launched into a reply.

Hiraga waited until it had ended. "Shake head," he whispered. "Say Iy`e, domo, bow quick-quick, back house. Order me go too."

More controlled now, Tyrer firmly shook his head. "Iy`e, domo!" he said importantly and in awed silence, the center of the world, he stomped back towards the house, stopped in sudden confusion, turned and called out in English, "Ukiya! come along... oh Christ," searched frantically for the Japanese word, found it and beckoned him: "Ukiya, isogi!"

With the same grovelling run Hiraga obeyed.

At the top of the steps so that only Tyrer could hear, stooping abjectly, his back to all eyes he said, "P'rease order o'rr men, now safe.

Inside house quick p'rease."

Obediently Tyrer called out, "Captain Pallidar, order the men to stand down, it's, er, it's quite safe now!"

Once inside the Legation, out of sight, Tyrer's ashen relief turned to anger. "Who are you, what the devil did I say, eh?"

"Exp'rain 'rater, Taira-san.

Samurai want search, you, o'rr men, want take guns," Hiraga said, stumbling over the words, not yet recovered from his own fear. He stood erect now, looking him straight in the eyes, not as tall but as sweat-stained, knowing he was not yet out of the trap. "Captain very anger, want guns, taking guns, want searching for ... for Bakufu enemy. You say him, "No, Captain, kinjiru, forbidden searching. Today I and men 'reave here, then you search. Not now, kinjiru. We keep weapons when 'reave. Kinjiru forbidden stop us. Thank you. I now prepare go Yokohama."

"That's what I said?"

"Yes. P'rease now outside again, order me, gardeners back to work angri'ry. Word hataraki-mashoi," Hiraga said queasily.

"We speak 'rater, in secret, you me, yes?"

"Yes, but not alone, with an officer present."

"Then no speak, so sorry." Hiraga assumed his grovelling posture and backed out of the room, the exchange having taken only a few seconds, and once more dropped to his knees before Tyrer, rump towards the forecourt.

Unsettled, Tyrer stepped out into the light.

He saw that everyone was still waiting. "Captain Pallidar, and, er, Captain McGregor, stand the men down, then please join me for a conference.

Hataraki-mashoi! Ikimasho! Get to work! Hurry up!" he shouted at the gardeners who obeyed at once. Thankfully Hiraga fled to the safety of the garden muttering to the gardeners to cover him, officers and sergeants started shouting orders and the world began again.

Oblivious of everything, Tyrer stood on the veranda watching Hiraga, undecided, aghast that obviously he was a spy at the same time blessing him for saving them.

"You wanted us?" Pallidar said, breaking his revery.

"Oh! Oh yes... please follow me."

He led them into his office, closed the door, and told them what he had said.

Both congratulated him. "Damned impressive, Phillip," Pallidar said.

"For a moment I was sure we were going to have a showdown and Christ knows what would have happened then.

Too many of the buggers really--eventually they would have overrun us. Eventually. Of course the fleet would have revenged us but we would have been pushing up daisies and that's a pretty bloody boring thought."

"More than a bit boring," Captain McGregor muttered then glanced at Tyrer.

"What do you want us to do now, sir?"

Tyrer hesitated, astonished that neither had heard Hiraga's English, but pleased with his newfound stature--it was the first time McGregor had called him "sir." "We'd best obey Sir William. Order everyone to pack up and... but without making it look like an ignominious retreat, can't let them have our guns --what cheek!--or let them think we're running away. We'll march out with, er, with bands and pomp."

"Perfect, after we've ceremoniously run down the flag."

"Fine! Well, I'd better... I'd better make sure all dispatches are boxed etc."

Captain McGregor said, "May I suggest, sir... I really think you've earned a large glass of champagne--I do believe we've a few bottles left."

"Thank you." Tyrer beamed. "Perhaps we, let's Splice the Mainbrace," this was the traditional naval phrase for issuing a ration of rum to all hands. "Also we should all have tiffin first --show them we're not going to be hurried."