3

ON THE QUARTERDECK, Commodore Perry’s flag lieutenant, John Rice, waited dutiful and alert at a suitable distance from his commanding officer. By the lieutenant’s side a fresh-faced midshipman stood eagerly at attention, his body as taut as a tightly coiled spring. Like their august superior, both men were tensely watching the ball of smoke curling up from the hilltop battery which had fired the single warning shot. Their faces showed that they too were wondering anxiously whether further shots would follow.
Lowering his gaze, the lieutenant studied the imposing figure of Commodore Perry as he stood at the port rail. Holding his long telescope to his eye, he was watching the smoke of the explosion drift skyward, but he made no move to issue any further commands and Rice relaxed.
‘I’d guess the commodore has decided that disdain is the appropriate response to a gnat bite,’ whispered the flag lieutenant. ‘I don’t think he’s going to be lured into making any false move
The eighteen-year-old midshipman, flattered by the flag lieutenant’s confidential aside, beamed and nodded his agreement. ‘So it would seem, sir!’
Rice glanced casually down towards the spar deck, making a routine check that all his previous orders were being carried out, and by chance his eye fell on the Japanese castaway at the moment he flung himself prostrate at Robert Eden’s feet. The strangeness of this act beside an open gunport arrested the flag lieutenant’s attention, and he continued to watch as Eden dragged the Japanese upright and began to speak sharply to him. After a second or two, Rice looked round in Perry’s direction to see if the incident had attracted his superior’s attention; but the commodore was still scanning the fortified shore through his telescope. With a thoughtful expression, Rice drew out the notepad on which he normally jotted details of the commodore’s orders. Beneath Eden’s name he quickly scribbled an informal message, and, folding the paper in half, he handed it unobtrusively to the midshipman.
‘When you next have reason to go down to the spar deck, Mr. Harris,’ he said in a low voice, ‘give this quietly to Lieutenant Eden with my compliments. It’s a private message, not an order.’
‘Very good, sir.’
The midshipman, who had followed the flag lieutenant’s gaze, tucked the note carefully into a pocket of his tunic and together they watched further animated exchanges take place between Eden and the Japanese castaway. They noticed that, while they talked, both men turned frequently to look towards the shore and the spectacular outline of Mount Fuji.
‘I’ve heard his men say that Lieutenant Eden is a very brave man: said the midshipman hesitantly. ‘They’ve got the greatest respect for him:
‘That respect is certainly deserved,’ said Rice pensively. ‘I know Lieutenant Eden better than most because we did our first year at Annapolis together when the Naval Academy was founded. We were just acting midshipmen in the Mexican war - but he volunteered to go ashore with landing parties to spike enemy guns - and showed exceptional courage.’
‘I hope I’ll have the same courage when my time comes, sir,’ said the midshipman, peering excitedly towards shore. ‘1 have a lot to learn from Lieutenant Eden -- and yourself.’
‘I don’t think his kind of courage can be learned, Mr. Harris,’ said Rice distractedly. ‘Many years ago, Lieutenant Eden’s great-grandfather was captured as a youth by Iroquois Indians when they raided a settlement in eastern Connecticut. A few years later he was seen leading Iroquois braves himself in another raid. Later in his life he returned to the same settlement, bringing with him a half-Indian son. That boy was to become Lieutenant Eden’s grandfather.
Surprised and pleased by the flag lieutenant’s confidences, the young midshipman stared down at Eden with increased admiration in his eyes. ‘I hadn’t known all that, sir. Perhaps it explains the lieutenant’s remarkable character.’
‘Maybe. But there’s more to it than that. . .‘ Rice paused and frowned, his expression suggesting that, in confiding in the young midshipman, he was consciously attempting to order his own thoughts about his enigmatic brother officer. ‘Although he grew up in a wealthy merchant family, he clearly was a rebel like his great-grandfather. At sixteen, he ran off to marry his childhood sweetheart. She was only sixteen too and she died tragically. I think he still blames himself for her death. .
The midshipman waited impatiently for Rice to continue, his curiosity fully aroused; but he dared not pose a direct question about a superior officer, in case he appeared insubordinate. ‘That sounds very sad, sir,’ he ventured at last.
‘Yes, it was - at the time she was in the pangs of a premature childbirth,’ continued Rice after another pause. ‘He was driving her to a doctor through a storm in the middle of the night. Their buggy overturned on a forest track. . . The baby, a son, survived
- but she didn’t.’. Rice hesitated again, as though reluctant to give voice to possibly unreliable thoughts. ‘I’m only guessing, but perhaps his bravery comes from not valuing his own life very highly as a result of that. .
‘I’ve noticed Lieutenant Eden always keeps himself very much to himself, sir,’ said the midshipman tentatively.
Rice nodded. ‘He once told rue he cursed God on that night in the wood.. . and he swore he would never pray again so long as he lived. He joined the Navy then - and ever since I’ve known him, he’s been remote and withdrawn.’ The flag lieutenant shook his head in puzzlement, still watching Eden and the Japanese. ‘I think for some reason, Mr. Harris, lie finds it easier to talk to that castaway than to us...’
‘Lieutenant Rice! Take a fresh signal for the squadron!’
The deep baritone voice of Matthew Perry rang out across the quarterdeck and Rice hurried to his side, readying his notepad and pencil.
The commodore was making one last imperious sweep of the bay with his eyeglass, watching the fast-moving Japanese guard-boats that were now appearing on all sides. Growing numbers of high prowed coastal junks were also darting out of the creeks and havens of the rocky shoreline, angling their sails to the wind in an attempt to draw near to the thundering warships - but none could match the speed of the intruders, and all were falling quickly behind.
‘My new signal shall read, “Have no communication of any kind with shore,” boomed Perry. “And allow none from shore!” Start the flags on the starboard forward halyards to emphasize the gravity of this signal!’
‘Aye, sir! Very good, sir!’
Lieutenant Rice barked out his 2cknowledgement, saluted and moved smartly away to hand the written signal to the midshipman. He watched the junior officer make haste down the ladder to the spar deck and race to the signal officer’s post amidships. Within seconds the first coloured message flags were fluttering up the mizzenmast and the midshipman made a detour on returning to the quarterdeck to hand over the private message to Robert Eden.
‘With Lieutenant Rice’s compliments sir!’
The boy saluted smartly as he passed on the slip of paper. Close up, he realized that traces of Eden’s Indian ancestry were indeed visible in his broad face; but, although the trainee officer stood respectfully to attention before him, Eden did not look at him directly. Instead he merely nodded his thanks before dismissing him, then glanced briefly towards the flag lieutenant on the quarterdeck to acknowledge the note’s delivery. Before opening it, Eden scanned the surrounding sea and the distant beaches, to check whether his gunnery crews might be called urgently into action. Only when he was satisfied there was no immediate danger did he unfold the piece of paper.
The message read: Robert -first, may I offer a friendly word of advice. I think our Japanese castaway should remain invisible in his quarters during this dangerous period of our approach -, his sake as well as ours. Perhaps you would give him appropriate instructions. Secondly, a personal request. The commodore, for protocol reasons, has ordered me to conduct any initial negotiations on his behalf He wishes to remain unseen, and will eventually meet only the very highest imperial dignitary. If any Japanese, armed or unarmed, come aboard, I want you and nobody else to head my guard party. I hope you’ll agree - John Rice.
Eden folded the note away into a pocket and glanced round at Sentaro. The Japanese was still crouched on the deck, staring intently through the gunport. Following his gaze, Eden saw that Mount Fuji seemed to have grown suddenly in size, and for the first time its broad base had become fully visible. But because the lower slopes glowed grey in the growing light, they still seemed to melt and merge moment by moment into the paleness of the morning sky, renewing the impression that the dramatic peak had the power to detach itself from the earth whenever it chose, and to soar majestically into the heavens. The enchantment of the mountain, he found, was as great by day as by night - and it was with an effort that he turned away and bent to tap the Japanese castaway on the shoulder.
‘The next few hours could be difficult here on deck, Sentaro,’ he said firmly in Japanese. ‘It would be best if you went back to your place under the fo’c’s’le.’
‘Yes, master, of course,’ gasped the castaway, his eyes widening with apprehension. ‘I’ll go at once.’
‘And you’d better stay there until I tell you it’s safe to come out.’
‘Yes, master!’
As the Japanese rose to hurry away, Eden found himself moved by the fearful expression in his eyes, and he dropped a kindly hand on his shoulder. ‘We’re all in danger here, Sentaro. But try to stay calm - I’ll do everything I can to protect you