The Quest for the Fuji Cipher (A Richard Halliburton Adventure Book 4)

by Garrett Drake

  Mitsunari snatched a nearby crate and pulled it into the middle of the street running in front of the docks. Plenty of anxious travelers with nothing to do were arrested by Mitsunari’s call to watch the spectacle. He waited for a couple minutes until a crowd of about fifty people had gathered around.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I realize many of you may be about to depart from our beloved country,” Mitsunari began. “However, before you go, you’re going to witness a treat: the Suzumebachi Test. Now, you’re probably asking yourself, ‘What is the Suzumebachi Test?’ and that’s a good question. The truth is this used to be an ancient practice in Japan.”

  He held up a small container with a suzumebachi inside.

  “You might know these insects as hornets where you come from, but here they are known as suzumebachi—and they can kill you. Now, our good friend here, Mr. Halliburton, broke his word to me and has opted for the Suzumebachi Test instead of suffering the consequences. The good thing is this little bug will tell us if he was lying or not based on his survival. Are you ready?”

  The crowd cheered, something Richard found disturbing, though not surprising. Traveling vaudeville shows were still popular and contained magicians in their entertainment lineup. He figured most of the people present didn’t realize this was not a trick.

  Mitsunari explained how the test worked. When he finished, he whipped the crowd up into an excited frenzy.

  “Are you ready to see if this man deserves to die?” he asked.

  Affirmed by cheers and shouts and clapping, Mitsunari nodded knowingly at two of his men, who grabbed Richard’s right arm. They pushed back his sleeve as Mitsunari loosed the lid to the small glass jar. When he was ready, he pulled the top off and quickly flipped over the container, pressing it against Richard’s arm.

  The crowd gasped as the suzumebachi darted back and forth in the jar, confused by all the activity. Then it settled onto Richard’s arm and injected a dose of poison into it. Richard gritted his teeth, writhing back and forth for a few seconds.

  He suddenly felt very drowsy, fighting to keep his eyes open. After a brief moment, everything faded to black.

  Chapter 23

  RICHARD BLINKED A FEW times as he regained consciousness. Part of the crowd was still gathered around him, curious as to whether he would survive or not. When he sat up, the people applauded. Richard staggered to his feet and scanned the faces for Mitsunari.

  “Where was the man who did this to me?” Richard asked.

  “The Japanese man and the rest of his street act went that way,” one woman said, pointing south down the road.

  Richard rushed over to check his bag. He muttered a few curse words under his breath before he stumbled to the ground.

  He remained out for a few minutes but came to when he heard a familiar voice.

  “Richard,” the woman said. “Richard, can you hear me?”

  He opened his eyes to see Hisako standing over him, lines creasing her forehead.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  “He was stung by a wasp,” one of the men nearby said.

  The elderly woman next to him hit the man in the arm with her purse and shook her head. “No, William, it was a hornet. Weren’t you paying attention?”

  Hisako stood and eyed the woman closely. “Did the man who did this say anything about it being a suzumebachi?”

  The old woman nodded. “Yeah, suzu-something. I don’t know. Sounds like what you said. I can’t say that word.”

  “That’s what I needed to know,” Hisako said. “Thank you.”

  She helped Richard to his feet and asked someone to get him a drink of water.

  “Am I going to be okay?” Richard asked.

  “You’ll be just fine. You just need to get some water you in to flush out what’s left of that poison.”

  Richard took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. The audience that had crowded around him dispersed, rushing rapidly to the docks when the fog horn sounded.

  “What are you doing here?” Richard asked. “I got your note, but I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

  “Somebody dragged me down here just to keep an eye on you and make sure you got on board the President Madison,” she said.

  “And who was that?” Richard asked.

  “Me,” Lees said as he strode up to them, lugging Richard’s backpack over one shoulder.

  Richard flashed a quick smile before remembering he hadn’t seen the bag Lees had given him.

  “Where’d it go?” Richard asked.

  “Are you looking for this?” Hisako asked as she held out his bag.

  “Yes,” he said before grabbing it and rifling through the contents. When he finished, he started seething.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “My camera,” Richard said. “The samurais took my camera.”

  “You mean this one?” Lees asked, dangling a camera in front of Richard’s face.

  “How did you—”

  “When I got here, those men were running away. I chased them down and got your bag back. I let them go with just the cash purse.”

  “You what?” Richard asked.

  “It’s just money,” Lees said, tossing another pouch at Richard.

  “Thank you,” he said. “I don’t care about the money, but that camera is like gold to me.”

  The foghorn sounded again as people hustled up the ramp to get on the steamship.

  “Looks like they’re going to leave you if you don't hustle,” Lees said.

  Richard nodded and smiled. “So, is this a real goodbye this time or are we just pretending again?”

  “I guess you’ll find out soon enough,” Lees said.

  Richard hugged Hisako and Lees then stepped back a few feet. “You two make a great couple. Good luck.”

  Hisako blushed. “Good luck to you, Richard. You’re going to need it more than we will.”

  Lees saluted Richard before turning and racing toward the ramp.

  Richard showed his pass to the ticket taker at the edge of the dock and then hustled aboard. He glanced over his shoulder and waved at his companions one final time. But he was so excited to finally be returning home that he didn’t notice the portly Kenpetai inspector walking up the ramp thirty yards behind him.

  Chapter 24

  Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean

  AFTER RESTING FOR the first twenty-four hours at sea, Richard decided to explore the ship and see if there were any social gatherings that evening. He relished the opportunity to meet other travelers and expand his network. As he cruised from deck to deck, he didn’t find the type of gatherings that piqued his interest: a political discussion, a poetry reading group, and a seminar instructing people how to knit. Then he came to the ballroom dance floor.

  “Couples’ dance tonight at 7 p.m.,” he read as he looked at the sign.

  Now that’s my kind of gathering.

  He retreated to his room to buff his shoes and try to get his shirt and jacket out with the least amount of wrinkles. Despite his efforts to keep everything neat and tidy, he’d experienced so many adventures over the past couple of years that having anything suitable for a formal setting was nothing more than a dream. He sifted through his bag and found one shirt that only had a grease stain just below his elbow. Seeing the oxford button-down as his only real option, he put it on and rolled up his sleeves, obscuring the mark from view.

  Until the event began, he meandered around the ship, greeting others passengers and making small talk with them. He met two bankers and a college president, along with two young women who were returning to the U.S. after touring Japan as part of a vaudeville show.

  One of the women, Mabel, told Richard that she swallowed fire as part of her act. He was fascinated with her tales of rural Japan as well as how she readied herself to eat fire.

  “It’s really quite simple,” she explained. “Just a little bit of mind over matter. That’s how it is with all pain. If you can focus on something else rather than the bur
ning sensation for just a moment or two, that’s all you need for your mouth to extinguish the flame.”

  “That’s all you do?” Richard asked.

  She winked and patted him on his hand. “All I’m going to tell you. Remember, a good magician never reveals his secrets.”

  Richard shook his head as his mouth hung agape. “Swallowing fire? Incredible.”

  “I also cut a mean rug,” she said before breaking into a few dance moves and shimmying across the floor. “Do you dance?”

  Richard smiled wryly. “I don’t consider what I do dancing.”

  “Two left feet, huh?”

  “More like I become one with the music—and my partner, of course.”

  She smiled. “I look forward to getting you on my dance card tonight.”

  “Likewise,” Richard said before kissing the woman on the hand.

  He waved goodbye before spinning and heading along the deck, continuing his search for other gatherings where he could meet people he related to. He wandered to the dining room and grabbed a bite to eat before going to his room for a short nap.

  When he awoke, he got dressed and danced in front of the mirror for a half-hour to make sure he hadn’t forgotten all his moves. He hadn’t. After dinner, he helped the staff clear the chairs and tables, pushing them along the wall and opening a sizable spot in the center of the room. In one corner, a string quartet took its position and began tuning all its instruments.

  “This isn’t like most formal dances,” one of the staff members said as he helped Richard line more furniture along the wall.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “It’s going to be the best you’ve ever witnessed—at least on a steamship.”

  “Then let’s get this party started.”

  Fifteen minutes later, the ship’s orchestra took the stage and played a few songs to get warmed up. Richard managed to secure a slot for all twelve of the songs on the dance cards. Mabel penciled him in for both a fox trot and a waltz, angling for even more before he suggested that wouldn’t be very polite.

  During their first dance, Richard focused on his moves, putting on a show. Halfway through the song, the conductor grabbed the microphone and said he was going to speed things up, challenging partners to do the same. As the cadence increased, Richard stayed on beat and helped Mabel keep time. By the end, they were the only two on the floor, as a delighted audience looked on.

  But in the second dance, Richard didn’t feel the need to impress Mabel with his skills and instead engaged her in a conversation.

  “Do you think you can just make women melt because of your dancing prowess?” she asked.

  “Who said that’s what I’m doing?” Richard asked. “Maybe I simply like dancing.”

  “From my experience, men hate dancing. They only learn how to do it so they can impress women.”

  “I’m not like all men.”

  Mabel leaned in a little closer. “No, you’re not.”

  Richard switched directions as he flashed a smile.

  When they came back together, she eyed him closely. “Do you realize there’s a man in the corner who’s been watching you all night?”

  “I wasn’t aware,” Richard said. “When I start dancing, I only focus on one thing.”

  “You sure you can’t focus on two things?” she asked with a wink.

  Richard shook his head. “It’s a curse, I guess.”

  “Well, that guy over there has been watching you like a hawk all night,” she said. “It’s getting a little creepy. It’s like he wants to get on your dance card.”

  “Good thing I don’t have one.”

  She chuckled. “The way he’s been staring at you, I think he might just walk up and ask you, dance card or not.”

  “Describe him.”

  “He’s short, Japanese, tightly cropped dark hair, and smoking a cigar.”

  “Not sure he’s the kind of dance partner I'm looking for.”

  She chuckled. “You're obviously exactly what he's looking for as he hasn't taken his eyes off you since you walked in the room.”

  Richard discreetly peeked where Mabel was looking as he whirled her around. Once he placed his back to the man, Richard locked eyes with her.

  “When this song ends, I want you to help me vanish,” he said.

  “Is there something wrong?”

  Richard nodded. “Just stay calm, but that man is trying to either kill me or arrest me. And if I had to pick, my money would be on the former.”

  Mabel’s eyes widened. “You know him?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. Though he’s the last person I expected to see on this voyage.”

  “So you have a stalker?”

  “A hunter,” he corrected. “Now come with me so I can disappear in the crowd.”

  Once the song ended, Richard took Mabel’s hand and charged straight into the throng of people standing around waiting for the next dance. The couple ducked out through a side door and into the hallway.

  “You’re starting to scare me,” she said.

  “Look, if you know what’s best for you, go back inside and dance with your next partner,” Richard said. “You don’t deserve to get caught up in the middle of this.”

  “Do you need help?”

  He shook his head. “I can handle this myself. Now, go.”

  Mabel lingered for a moment. Then he kissed her on the cheek.

  “Please, go,” he said. “It’s for your own good.”

  Mabel took his hand and held onto it as she pulled away, eventually letting go and returning to the dance. The orchestra broke into another fox trot, but Richard, for once in his life, wasn’t even interested. If Yutaka had somehow survived that fall into the river and purchased a ticket for the President Madison, Richard realized this wasn’t about the assignment anymore. Yutaka wanted retribution.

  And Richard wanted off the ship.

  He found the stairwell and ascended two flights to the top deck where he could see Yutaka coming. With most of the passengers either in the ballroom or lower decks, Richard found the area to be perfect for inviting a showdown. Four exits—one on each side of the boat—and the bridge just above them gave Richard escape hatches as well as witnesses to anything Yutaka wanted to do.

  But Richard needed Yutaka to find his way to the top.

  Richard found a newspaper, an edition of The Seattle Times from three weeks earlier, and started reading it while reclining on a bench. And he waited.

  An hour passed and Richard didn’t see another soul as he read by the dim lights strung overhead. He started to wonder if his mind was playing tricks on him and he hadn’t really seen Yutaka.

  But Richard suddenly felt Yutaka’s presence—along with his cold, sharp dagger.

  Chapter 25

  RICHARD FROZE, anticipating the point jabbing the base of his neck ripping through his skin. He swallowed hard and waited for Yutaka to speak. After a long, uncomfortable pause, Richard decided to say something.

  “If you’re going to do it, why haven’t you done it already?” Richard asked.

  “A samurai always waits until the moment is right,” Yutaka said.

  “You were a samurai?”

  “It might be difficult to believe, but it’s true. It was a very long time ago.”

  “When is the moment going to be right?”

  “Right after you tell me where the cipher is?”

  Richard slowly shook his head. “I don’t have any ciphers.”

  “Did you give them to your friends at the consulate?”

  “Would you believe me if I told you that I didn’t?”

  Yutaka drew in a deep breath then exhaled slowly. “Probably not.”

  “Then what difference does it make what I tell you?”

  "Before I kill you, I will at least allow you to die with dignity and honor," Yutaka said. "There is a scenario where you can escape this situation alive."

  Richard’s eyes widened. “And what scenario is that?”

 
“The one where you give me the cipher and we never speak again.”

  “There’s just one problem with that,” Richard said. “I don’t have a cipher to give you.”

  Three . . . two . . . one . . .

  Richard dove onto the ground and rolled for a few yards before bouncing back up to his feet. He was now facing Yutaka who’d hurdled the bench and had edged closer to Richard while waving a knife at him. Richard was surprised at how agile the big man was.

  “I don’t know what you’re trying to prove,” Richard said. “Are you still offended about how we left things on the train to Chosi? I promise it wasn’t anything personal.”

  “It won’t be personal when I throw you overboard and loot your room for the cipher,” Yutaka said. “It’ll just be business.”

  “Before you do any of that, you’ll have to catch me.”

  Richard feigned to his left for a second before breaking right and dashing across the deck. Yutaka took a swipe at Richard but missed widely.

  “Do you think you’ll be able to avoid me forever?” Yutaka asked.

  Richard danced on the balls of his feet, thinking of a reply as he plotted his next move. “Not if you stalk me in ballrooms like that. Eventually people are going to think you want to do the foxtrot with me.”

  “You’re not as nimble as you think,” Yutaka said before charging at Richard.

  Richard waited as long as he could before dashing to the starboard side of the deck. Yutaka failed to connect, this time stumbling as he jabbed.

  Yutaka regained his footing and then stormed around the deck, growling and muttering something in Japanese. Richard sought an opening through which to gain the upper hand on Yutaka. Then an idea came to mind, and Richard quickly changed his tactics.

  “Okay, you’re right,” Richard said. “I do have a cipher. And there’s only one way you’re going to get it—over my dead body. So come and get it.”