‘Is your daughter close by?’ Kiko asked.
The man closed his eyes and brushed away a tear. His lip trembled. ‘My daughter is gone.’
‘I’m sorry. It is none of my business,’ Kiko said, and quickly poured some more tea.
Sunlight streamed through the windows, bathing the man in light. He sipped his tea and sat in silence.
Kiko retreated and turned to walk back along the hall. For the second time that day, one of the old people was being carried downstairs, never to return.
‘Who is that man, Daddy?’ Alice-Miranda asked, tugging at her father’s sleeve as the group followed Kenzo and his minders.
‘I’ll introduce you in a minute, darling.’
They were directed across the giant foyer and into a smaller room, where a long table laden with colourful food took centre stage.
Once they were inside with the doors shut, Kenzo walked over and shook Hugh’s hand. Then, to everyone’s surprise, the two men embraced.
‘How long has it been?’ Kenzo stepped backwards and looked at Hugh with a huge grin.
‘I can’t recall. Probably the end of university, I should think. Excuse my ignorance, but can I assume that you’re now the Grand Chamberlain?’ Hugh asked.
‘Yes, who would have thought it? I never imagined I’d be working with the Emperor, but here I am.’
‘Well done, old chap. I can’t believe I hadn’t caught up on that news.’ Hugh shook his head, then realised that the rest of the group was looking at them in puzzlement.
‘I’d like you all to meet Kenzo Aoki. We spent years together at boarding school and then studied some of the same subjects at university. Kenzo is now the Grand Chamberlain of the Imperial family.’
Kenzo smiled and bowed.
‘Allow me to introduce everyone. This is my daughter, Alice-Miranda, and her friends Millie and Jacinta and Jacinta’s mother, Ambrosia Headlington-Bear,’ said Hugh, gesturing to each in turn.
‘It is a pleasure to meet you all,’ Kenzo bowed again. He looked at the chrysanthemum hanging around Alice-Miranda’s neck. ‘What a pretty pendant. I think the young princess has one just like it.’
‘Arigatou, Mr Kenzo,’ said Alice-Miranda. ‘Daddy bought it for me yesterday in the market.’
‘And this is my brother-in-law, Lawrence Ridley, and his son, Lucas.’
‘Did you say Lawrence Ridley?’ Kenzo asked as he shook hands with the man.
‘Yes, that’s right,’ Lawrence replied, smiling his dazzling smile.
‘He’s famous,’ Jacinta piped up.
Kenzo grinned. ‘You are the movie star?’
‘Absolutely,’ Jacinta replied, her eyes dreamy.
‘Darling, I do think Lawrence can speak for himself,’ Ambrosia chided.
Jacinta wrinkled her nose at her mother.
‘I don’t know about the star bit but I do get to spend my days pretending to be someone else, and having way too much fun in the process,’ Lawrence explained.
‘I know someone who would be thrilled to meet you,’ Kenzo said.
‘Everyone’s thrilled to meet him. I was so excited I thought I was going to faint the first time and then I kept saying lots of silly things because, well, look at him,’ Jacinta babbled.
The rest of the group stared at her.
‘Seriously, do you know what a stalker you sound like right now?’ Millie asked, grinning.
Jacinta blushed. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound weird.’
Lucas rolled his eyes. ‘You’re crazy,’ he grinned.
‘Girls, why don’t we get something to eat?’ Ambrosia suggested. She was worried about what her daughter might come out with next.
‘Yes, please go ahead,’ said Kenzo. ‘There is much to try.’
‘I’m starving,’ Millie groaned.
‘I hope it’s normal food,’ Jacinta whispered.
‘Of course it will be normal,’ Alice-Miranda said. ‘For Japan, that is.’
Jacinta shuddered. ‘That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.’
Millie took Alice-Miranda’s hand and the girls walked towards the buffet table.
‘Are you in Tokyo for long?’ Kenzo asked Hugh.
‘We arrived on Sunday evening and we’re staying in the city for the week, and then planning a bit of mountain sightseeing after that. Cecelia and her sister are working, and Ambrosia is too for most of the time, so Lawrie and I get to play with the kids.’
Kenzo tapped his forefinger to his lip. ‘Very interesting.’
‘What are you thinking, old chap?’
Kenzo lowered his voice. ‘I don’t know if you’re aware that the Emperor has not been at all well in recent years. But one of the things that gives him great joy is watching films. He has especially enjoyed movies starring Mr Ridley.’
‘I’m sure Lawrence would be happy to write him a note or sign something and have it sent over,’ Hugh replied.
‘I was thinking more than that. Perhaps you would like to bring the family for a meal at the Imperial Palace?’ Kenzo suggested. ‘I’m afraid at such short notice it would be very informal.’
‘Oh, Kenzo, that sounds fabulous but I wouldn’t want you to go to any trouble,’ Hugh replied. ‘I was reading something recently about the extraordinary bureaucracy one has to negotiate to arrange anything for the royal family, so please don’t fuss on our account.’
‘It will be no bother. This could be just the thing we need. And besides, the Emperor’s sister is quite besotted with Mr Ridley so it would elevate me in her eyes too.’ Kenzo raised his eyebrows.
‘Oh, I see, you old charmer.’ Hugh smiled. ‘So, you and the princess?’
‘That torch has been alight for many years now but my hopes fade with each passing year,’ Kenzo replied. ‘Your visit might even bring the young princess out too.’
‘It sounds like you’ve got some battles over there,’ Hugh said.
His friend nodded. ‘Some days I think my life would be a lot less complicated if I had taken a job in a bank.’
‘I’m sure it’s not as bad as all that,’ said Hugh. ‘Besides, you live in a palace, and how many staff do you have?’
‘At last count I believe it was . . . twelve hundred.’ Kenzo shook his head, as if shocked by the number himself.
‘Twelve hundred!’ Hugh exclaimed. ‘And how many members of the family live in the palace these days?’
‘Now I will be truly embarrassed.’ Kenzo cast his eyes downwards. ‘There are exactly three.’
‘Well, if you’ve got that many people looking after you, then the answer is yes, we’d love to come to dinner,’ said Hugh.
‘What about tomorrow evening?’ Kenzo asked.
‘Don’t you have to consult your diary?’ Hugh asked.
‘I’m quite sure that the Emperor has no plans or engagements and his sister barely does either. They have become little more than figureheads in this country,’ Kenzo explained. ‘At least the parliament has seen fit to change the laws, so the young princess will one day become the Empress. We had been very worried that the line was about to come to an end.’
‘Oh, I read something about that recently. Of course, it was a terrible tragedy losing her mother like that. And it doesn’t sound like the Emperor is likely to remarry?’ Hugh replied.
‘No. But at least we can look forward to a brighter future for the Imperial family,’ Kenzo said.
The door opened and Dolly Oliver entered, followed by Nobu Taguchi from the Ministry.
‘Mrs Oliver!’ Alice-Miranda ran to greet the woman. ‘Your speech was wonderful – but are you feeling all right?’
The old woman nodded. ‘Yes, dear. It was just a little warm up there on the stage. But what are you all doing in here?’
‘Daddy and Mr Kenzo were friends at school and university. He invited us to have afternoon tea.’
Nobu steered Dolly towards Kenzo, leaving Alice-Miranda to return to her friends, who were still surveying the flawlessly arranged cakes.
&nbs
p; Nobu bowed to Kenzo and turned back to Dolly. ‘I’d like to introduce the Grand Chamberlain of Japan, Kenzo Aoki.’
Dolly and Kenzo bowed at one another.
‘It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Oliver, and congratulations on your incredible invention,’ said Kenzo.
‘Thank you very much,’ she replied.
‘Hello there, Dolly.’ Hugh leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. ‘Well done. But I am a little intrigued about something.’
Dolly intercepted the question. ‘Yes, Mr Hugh, I’m sure you are, and I will tell you all about it later.’
Hugh’s eyes widened but he gave a discreet nod. ‘All right then. Shall I get you some tea?’
Alice-Miranda, Millie and Jacinta enjoyed some of the interesting cakes and tarts on the table while the adults drank tea and talked.
‘What’s this?’ Millie picked up a long stick with several coloured balls nestled along its length.
One of Kenzo’s minders was standing beside the table sneaking the odd treat too. He winked at her and said, ‘Dango.’
‘I’ll give it a go,’ Millie said and winked back. She plucked the first pink ball from the end and nibbled. ‘It’s not too bad. Kind of doughy – like it hasn’t been cooked.’
She swallowed the ball and moved onto the green one. As she placed it in her mouth, Millie’s face turned a similar shade.
She chewed slowly. Everyone was watching her.
Millie swallowed the food with a huge gulp and mumbled, ‘Mmm, delicious.’
The minder grinned. ‘She is not a fan of the green tea flavour.’
‘No, it’s not her favourite,’ Jacinta whispered back.
Over Jacinta’s shoulder, Alice-Miranda noticed that Mrs Oliver was sitting on her own with a cup of tea. She scurried over, eager to ask a question.
‘Oh hello, dear,’ the old woman said. ‘How’s the food?’
‘Delicious, but not quite the same as your afternoon teas.’ Alice-Miranda plonked herself in the chair beside her. ‘I’ve been wondering . . .’
‘Yes?’ Dolly met the child’s gaze and raised her eyebrows. ‘You’ve been wondering when I learned Japanese as well as a native speaker?’
Alice-Miranda nodded. ‘Yes, exactly.’
‘I was planning to tell you and your parents once it was just right,’ Dolly began to explain.
‘Have you been learning for a long time?’ Alice-Miranda asked.
Dolly shook her head.
‘That’s amazing. I’ve been learning French for a few years now and I’m still hopeless and my Japanese is just a few words really,’ the child babbled. ‘Although being here has really helped.’
Dolly set the teacup down on a side table and picked up her handbag from the floor. ‘Alice-Miranda, you must promise not to tell anyone about this. Not even your father. I’d like to tell him myself.’
‘Of course,’ she replied. ‘What is it?’
‘I’ve been working on something new.’ Dolly opened her handbag and pulled out a small pill case.
‘What’s that?’
‘I’ve stumbled upon something quite extraordinary,’ the old woman said with a grin. ‘And I think it could be even more exciting than JAW once I get the formula right.’
Dolly opened the lid and revealed three small compartments, each containing several pills.
Alice-Miranda looked closely. She studied the pictures on each one, then looked back at Mrs Oliver. ‘Are they what I think they are?’
Dolly nodded. ‘Would you like to speak French or Spanish or Japanese today?’ She raised her eyebrows playfully.
Alice-Miranda’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened. ‘No, it’s not possible.’
Dolly nodded. ‘Yes, it is. I proved it and that’s why Nobu talked about my having perfect Japanese.’
‘That explains everything,’ Alice-Miranda gasped. ‘Except why you didn’t want to answer any questions this afternoon.’
‘I’m afraid I took a pill yesterday morning and it was working like a charm. I was fluent and I could switch back to English when I needed to. It was all going splendidly and then suddenly when I tried to speak English all that came out was Japanese. It was as if my head was completely scrambled. The effects took hours to wear off and I thought I was going to have to hide in my room for the rest of the conference.’
Alice-Miranda grinned as she imagined Dolly speaking fluent Japanese.
‘It wasn’t funny at all, I can tell you. I thought I was going to be speaking Japanese for the rest of my days. I don’t think Shilly would appreciate that at all.’
‘Are you going to try another pill while you’re here?’ Alice-Miranda asked.
‘No, dear. They’re going to stay safely away until I get home and run some more tests.’ She tucked the pill case deep into her bag.
‘How does it work?’ Alice-Miranda asked.
‘It’s very complicated and I’m not entirely sure. I’d always thought it would be a wonderful thing to invent, but when I started fiddling around, I never imagined that it would work.’
‘It sounds like something a computer could do, not a pill,’ Alice-Miranda said.
Dolly nodded. ‘I agree. I was as shocked as you are when I started speaking fluent Japanese down in the laboratory.’
‘It sounds like great fun to me,’ Alice-Miranda said. ‘But don’t worry, I promise not to tell.’
Over in the corner, Kenzo checked his watch. ‘I’m afraid I must be going,’ he told Hugh. ‘Could you write down where you are staying? I will send a limousine for you and your family tomorrow evening at six o’clock. I assume there will be ten of you.’
Hugh thought about it for a moment. ‘Yes, Cee and I, Lawrence and Cha, Ambrosia, Dolly, Lucas and the three girls.’ He pulled a business card from his wallet and scribbled the address on the back. ‘I’m looking forward to it. Are there any protocols we need to be aware of?’
Kenzo shook his head. ‘I promise this will be a very relaxed evening in my private apartments.’ He passed Hugh a card with his telephone number on it. ‘Please call me if you have any concerns.’
Kenzo shook Hugh’s hand then bade farewell to the rest of the group and exited through a side door with his minders close behind.
‘Well, can you believe that?’ Hugh said as he sat down beside Lawrence.
‘Great that you got to catch up with your old schoolfriend.’
‘Yes, and that’s not all,’ Hugh said. ‘Listen, everyone, I have a wonderful surprise.’
‘What is it, Daddy?’ Alice-Miranda leapt up from her spot beside Mrs Oliver and rushed over to stand beside her father.
Millie and Jacinta were busy making sculptures with the leftover dango balls on the table. They’d made something resembling a sausage dog and were working on a squirrel with huge eyes.
‘We’re going out for dinner tomorrow night,’ Hugh said.
‘We’re not going to one of those blowfish restaurants, are we?’ Jacinta said cautiously. ‘Because I’m too young to die.’
Hugh shook his head. ‘No, Jacinta, I doubt there’ll be a blowfish in sight. Although, on second thoughts, if anyone could afford their own blowfish chef . . . What do you think about dinner at the Imperial Palace?’
Jacinta’s eyes almost popped out of her head. ‘What did you say?’
‘Jacinta, manners!’ her mother scolded. ‘Hugh, did you really say that we’re going to dinner at the Imperial Palace?’ Ambrosia was tingling with excitement at the thought of it.
Hugh nodded. ‘I most certainly did. Kenzo asked us to join him – just an informal evening in his private apartments, but I gather he’s hoping the Emperor and his family might dine with us too.’
‘That’s amazing!’ Millie gasped.
‘What will we wear?’ asked Ambrosia. She was remembering the first time she’d met Queen Georgiana on the royal yacht Octavia. It was at Lawrence and Charlotte’s wedding. On that occasion she’d had a whole army of assistants to help prepare her wardrobe for the trip but
now she was completely on her own in the fashion stakes.
‘Ambrosia, dear, I really don’t think it will matter terribly much,’ Mrs Oliver said.
‘But of course it will. It’s not every day one gets to meet a real live Emperor,’ Ambrosia fussed.
‘Mummy, stop,’ Jacinta ordered.
Ambrosia Headlington-Bear took stock. She was a sensible independent woman, not some easily impressed flibbertigibbet schoolgirl.
‘Yes, darling, of course you’re right.’
‘I can’t wait to tell Mummy,’ said Alice-Miranda. ‘It’s so exciting.’
Hugh glanced at the clock on the wall. It was just after half past three. ‘What do you say we take a quick visit to the Meiji Shrine? We’ve been trying to get there since yesterday afternoon. Do you want to join us, Dolly?’
‘I have to head back in for the panel in half an hour,’ she replied. ‘And I suspect I’ll be in a bit of trouble if I bunk out of that one.’ She glanced around, hoping that Nobu from the Ministry hadn’t re-entered the room without her noticing.
Alice-Miranda walked over and tugged on Dolly’s sleeve. ‘But how will you know what they’re saying?’
‘I’ll just tell Nobu that I would prefer to speak English and use a translator this afternoon. I’m sure he’ll understand that I haven’t been feeling well.’
The group bade farewell to Dolly, and Hugh told her they’d pick her up on the way to the palace the following evening. She would still be at the conference for another couple of days yet.
‘And I can’t wait until you come and stay with us,’ said Alice-Miranda. ‘The futons are much more comfortable than you think.’ She gave the woman a tight squeeze.
‘What was that for, young lady?’ Dolly asked, leaning down to look Alice-Miranda in the eye.
‘Just because I miss you.’ She grinned and pecked Dolly’s powdered cheek.
‘And I miss you too, darling girl.’
During their visit to the Meiji Shrine that afternoon, Alice-Miranda, Millie, Jacinta and Lucas wrote wishes on little pieces of paper and tied them to the prayer wall, before watching Japanese men and women, young and old, toss some yen into the offering box near an enormous taiko drum. The children were entranced to see the people bow twice, clap twice and bow once more as they made their gift. Lawrence gave the children some money so they could do the same.
Alice-Miranda in Japan 9 Page 11