CHAPTER XV
INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY
AFTER the Japanese officer had taken his abrupt departure Phil looked despondent.
“This thing must not occur, Phil,” Sydney cried out earnestly, laying his hand affectionately upon the shoulder of his classmate. “The whole miserable affair can and must be explained. To fight this duel would only heap fuel on the already smouldering fire of misunderstanding between the two countries. It is our duty,” he urged, “to go to Taki and unmask this man Impey; don’t you see by remaining passive we are aiding him in his designs, whatever they may be?”
Phil sat unmoved, apparently unheeding his friend’s appeal.
“You haven’t considered, Syd,” he replied sadly. “These Japanese are not like our own people. I have done bodily injury to an officer of the Emperor of Japan in his sacred uniform. Until he kills me the shame cannot be wiped out. So you see,” he ended hopelessly, “I must fight; there is no other way.”
“But,” Sydney persisted unconvinced, “suppose we told him where you found the document and that you had the best of intentions and were going to give it to him, when you found it had been taken away from you. Couldn’t you then apologize for your act, explaining that he misunderstood you entirely? Surely Taki will be influenced by his academy training to believe you are not afraid, but that your only wish is to aid the two governments to remain on peaceful terms.”
Phil’s answer was prevented by a knock on the door, and the man who they believed was at the bottom of their trouble came in.
The two midshipmen did not attempt to conceal that his presence was unwelcome; but unheeding the evident coldness of his reception, he sat down calmly in a vacant chair, regarding the Americans with a complacent smile on his face.
“I have done all I could to dissuade Lieutenant Takishima,” Impey began. The midshipmen winced, for they fully believed that his protestations of friendship for them were only feigned.
“But he insists upon the challenge. These Japanese are mediæval in their methods of thought. He even talked of hara-kiri. He said he would be forever disgraced. His soul revolted at the thought that violent hands had been laid upon him. You know how these fellows feel.”
“I didn’t ask for your good offices, Mr. Impey,” Phil exclaimed in sudden anger. “I am fully able to look out for myself.”
“As you please,” Impey returned in a hurt voice, giving an expressive shrug to his massive shoulders. “Of course you have thought how the duel is going to influence affairs?”
“Your interest in our doings, Mr. Impey, for an outsider, seems to me quite extraordinary.” Phil spoke in a quieter voice. “Perhaps if you would be good enough to explain a few points to us this duel which you profess to wish to avoid might be averted.”
Impey’s face flushed, while an uneasiness crept into his crafty eyes.
“Only the interest of friendship,” he declared quickly. “I have always had the confidence of your ambassador.”
“Maybe you wouldn’t mind telling us,” Phil asked, “how you came by the lost naval document I found in the hand of one of the secret service men who assaulted you in your rooms last night.” Impey regarded Phil in much surprise.
“I can easily,” he declared. His face had suddenly cleared. “Was it you then who answered my call for help? I heard your answer just as I was losing consciousness.”
Phil waved the question aside.
“It was found by a friend and given to me,” Impey continued after a pause. “I recognized it as an important paper, but at that time I knew nothing of its character. I can translate Japanese, and instead of going to the prime minister’s ball, I made a translation of that letter. One of my friends, Randall, was with me and had just gone out when I was attacked. He discovered me afterward unconscious on the floor of my room.”
Phil was about to interrupt with another question, but Impey hastened on.
“You took it then from my assailants, but how did it go to the sailors?” Impey asked. “They claim to have found it at the theatre, and they brought it on board my yacht at Yokohama, and they are there at this moment—my prisoners. In the interest of peace and for your good I have held them until I could come to you and privately explain the situation.”
For the fraction of a second there was silence. To Phil, Impey’s voice sounded insincere, yet everything pointed to its being the truth. Suddenly Sydney jumped to his feet, his eyes bright with amazement.
“Then why did Taki take the stand he did? He did not know our connection with this document?” he asked.
Impey’s face was wreathed in smiles.
“That is quite simple to explain. Captain Inaba believes that you, Mr. Perry, had the letter, for the sailors said they showed it to your Japanese steward and he was in Captain Inaba’s office this morning. I saw him come away from there myself.”
The two midshipmen exchanged rapid glances. Had they been mistaken in their estimate of Impey? Was he after all playing square? Yet the conversation on the train was still unexplained.
“Were you on the special train that brought us to Tokyo yesterday?” Phil suddenly asked, while Impey, apparently unconscious of the intended trap being laid for him by the midshipman, nodded, his face still smiling.
“Then how can you explain as a friend of the Americans, and holding the confidence of the American ambassador, your action in assuring a Japanese companion that America was negotiating for the Chinese squadron when you know that it is untrue?” Phil’s voice held a ring of triumph. He watched Impey’s face intently, certain of surprising a guilty start, but he was doomed to disappointment. Instead the foreigner continued to placidly smile.
“I am afraid as detectives you are but a qualified success,” Impey said in a patronizing voice. “You have unfortunately followed a blind trail. Everything I have done has been with Mr. Tillotson’s fullest approval. In order to surprise their secret from them I intentionally made the Japanese officials believe that the United States was negotiating for the ships of the new Chinese navy. That I was successful was shown by the contents of the lost letter.”
The two lads stood nonplussed before the wily foreigner. Phil doubted that the ambassador would give his sanction to such a method. Impey’s conduct was inexplicable to the midshipman. Instead of an enemy, as they had come to believe him, was he in reality a friend who had warned their government, through Mr. Tillotson, of an act which would harm the “balance of power” in the Far East?
Try as he would Phil felt it was difficult to regard Impey in this new rôle of friend. Down in the bottom of his heart, he yet mistrusted him.
“Then, as matters stand,” Sydney exclaimed perplexedly, “Perry and I are believed to be responsible for the lost document, and we are supposed to have sent it to our ship by the two sailors. Your part in translating it and giving the contents to the ambassador is not known by the Japanese at all?”
Impey nodded, as he answered quickly:
“Captain Inaba knows that I held the letter last night, but he still thinks I am working for him. My men from the yacht were returning on board, for I was on the point of taking a trip on her. They met your two sailors and the Japanese steward on the train. As easily happens in a foreign country, they became acquainted, and your sailors went by invitation on board the yacht. There they displayed this lost document, which my men knew at once was important. When I went on board, ready to sail, they told me of it, and I found they had imprisoned your sailors, fearing they might get in trouble ashore if they were arrested with this paper on their persons. I at once hastened back to Tokyo to tell you of it and that was the reason I followed you and Lieutenant Takishima. I pretended to have business with him to allay suspicion and I was endeavoring to find an opportunity to confide in one of you when the unfortunate trouble with the Japanese lieutenant occurred.”
“And you say that Sago, our Japanese steward, has betrayed us by going to Captain Inaba with his information?” Phil exclaimed.
“I have not the slightest doubt of it.” Impey’s voice was quite positive. “Captain Inaba is not now in Tokyo; he has gone on a secret and sudden mission. Lieutenant Takishima, your friend and classmate, deliberately and openly insulted you. Would you want more proof than that?”
“What is this secret mission?” both lads asked, their voices rising in excitement.
“It must be over this same troublesome question—the Chinese ships,” Impey replied readily. “In my opinion he has gone to intercept them and thus prevent the United States from seizing them first.”
“Then we can do nothing,” Phil exclaimed, deeply disappointed.
“I don’t see how you can prevent it,” Impey answered seriously, inwardly smiling at the changed attitude of the two midshipmen. “Japan is under a military government and controls the actions of every person within the empire. It is safe to believe that the United States government will have no news of this move until all danger of interruption from the war-ships in Manila Bay is passed. Therefore there will be no instructions to your captain, and without them he would hardly dare attempt an act which might lead to war. He must stay in Yokohama harbor while Captain Inaba is hastening with a fast and doubtless powerful force to seize the Chinese ships.”
“Suppose Japan does seize these ships,” Sydney said quietly. “Where is the harm to us?”
“I see you have not been in the ambassador’s confidence,” Impey replied quickly. “China has given to the United States government a sphere of influence to balance those of Japan, Russia, Germany and the other countries of Europe. This sphere is immensely valuable and coveted by Japan, which has without China’s permission begun a railroad connecting the coal and iron fields with the railroad won from Russia. Japan is now wealthy and lacks nothing but war-ships. With the addition of the new Chinese navy she will be in a position to push her railroad clear through into the American sphere, in fact, force America into the embarrassing position of refusing this valuable concession from China.”
While Impey talked, the lads’ eyes opened wide in astonishment. They could not believe that such international dishonesty was possible.
“How do you know all this?” Sydney asked in bewilderment.
Impey shrugged his shoulders.
“I have been born and brought up in the Far East. To me the undercurrent of Oriental diplomacy is an open book.”
“Does the ambassador know this?” Phil inquired seriously.
“Not all,” Impey confided mysteriously. “I have told him a great deal, but not being a military man it would do no good to try to convince him of the danger in the naval supremacy of Japan after acquiring the Chinese ships.”
“Captain Rodgers should be told this at once,” Phil exclaimed, rising and taking Impey’s arm. The lad’s manner had now entirely changed. The startling news made him now regard Impey as a friend and ally, trusting him as completely as he would have mistrusted him an hour ago.
“I am very sorry that I have misjudged you.” The lad’s voice was apologetic.
“I am only glad that I have been able to convince you of the danger to your country,” Impey answered quickly, “but wait; no good can be gained by going to Captain Rodgers. As I said before, he cannot act without orders, and orders cannot come, as all cablegrams will be stopped by the imperial government until Captain Inaba has secured the Chinese ships.”
The midshipmen stared helplessly at Impey, an anxious question in their eyes.
“The yacht ‘Sylvia’ is our only hope,” Impey whispered in an impressive voice. “She is faster than a scout cruiser, and is coaled and ready to sail. With her we can steam south until we get the fleet at Manila by wireless, and then send them the news. That would allow the American admiral to sail, intercept the Chinese squadron before Captain Inaba could reach them, and take the Chinese ships under the American flag into Manila Bay.”
The midshipmen paled at the daring of the plan.
“The admiral in Manila would not dare act without direct orders from Washington,” Phil cried earnestly, “and would Washington give such orders without knowing all?”
“There would not be time to wait for Washington to confirm the admiral’s decision. He would have to act promptly, using his own discretion and take the consequences. I think you will find the admiral will act without a second’s hesitation when he gets the wireless that we shall send him.”
“But,” Sydney exclaimed, “what right would our admiral have to seize the ships of a friendly country? If Japan chooses to set aside international etiquette and commit this act of piracy on the high seas, that is not sufficient warrant for us to do the same thing.”
“But suppose the admiral held a written agreement signed by the Chinese highest authority, the Wai-Wu-Pu, turning over the ships to the protection of the United States?” Impey asked.
“But where is this agreement?” Phil exclaimed incredulously.
“In my pocket,” Impey returned, smiling at the surprise on the lads’ faces.
“That would clear the admiral in so far as China was concerned,” Phil exclaimed, “but he would want direct authority, signed by the Secretary of the Navy, for such an important step.”
Impey shrugged his shoulders and gazed upon the midshipman pityingly.
“Your admiral of course must make his own choice of action, but I believe he would consider our news sufficient warrant to act,” he replied, rising to his feet and holding out his hand in farewell.
The lads a half hour before would have purposely failed to see the friendly advance of one they had decided was their enemy, but now they grasped him by the arms and insisted upon a further explanation.
“It is not likely the Japanese authorities would allow the ‘Sylvia’ to sail?” Phil questioned eagerly. “They are probably now watching all who go on board.”
“There’s your opportunity,” Impey replied forcefully. “You are naval men, and have been educated to run risks. I offer you the yacht, and point out the only way to checkmate Captain Inaba’s move.”
“What will you do?” Phil asked eagerly.
“I cannot appear at all,” Impey explained quickly and impressively. “There’s an English steamer sailing at midnight for Manila direct, or I shall go aboard the ‘Alaska’ for safety, leaving the yacht in your hands.”
“We cannot leave our ship in that way!” Phil exclaimed. “Captain Rodgers must be told our plans, and I am sure he would refuse to let us go. If he thought the cause was urgent he would sail with the ‘Alaska’ and wireless the situation to Manila on the way south.”
Impey’s face became suddenly grave, and he drew closer to the midshipman, casting his eyes apprehensively toward the door.
“That is the gravest danger. The ambassador is the only other person who knows,” he said in a low, impressive whisper. “The Japanese battle-ships have orders to prevent by force the sailing of the ‘Alaska.’ We do not dare give this alarming information to your captain. If he knew he would gladly fight his way out of Yokohama Bay. We bow to him as a naval man, but we are not willing to use his ready diplomacy. The yacht would cause no comment. The secret document will be delivered to the Japanese officials, and in the night the ‘Sylvia’ can easily steal away. Your ambassador can without arousing suspicion requisition your services from your captain, telling him that he needs you for secret duty, and nothing more.
“I wish you could avoid this meeting with Takishima,” Impey added nervously. “If anything should happen the opportunity would be lost.” He rose again from his chair and moved toward the door. “I shall see the ambassador at once, and endeavor to hurry the plans along. He will send for you. Meanwhile,” he urged, “do your best to propitiate that fire-eating little Oriental.”
The three shook hands, and the door closed behind the conspirator.
Phil and Sydney gazed at each other in blank amazement. Where was the key to the problem? Who could be trusted?