Embassy Row

by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

  “I’ll make sure he is not allowed to interfere, sir,” I said, and looked up at the sound of a discreet tap on the door.

  Andermatt stepped into the room. “Two secretaries from the Admiralty, Mister Holmes: Mister Hackett and Mister Wright,” he announced and stood aside.

  “Gentlemen, come in,” said Holmes expansively, extending his hand. “Mister . . .”

  “Eugene Wright, at your service,” said the young man with the fair hair. He flushed deeply before he took a step back.

  “And you are Mister Hackett,” Holmes said to the second, a small, angular fellow, perhaps five years older than Wright.

  “Jeremiah Hackett,” he said, taking Holmes’ proffered hand. “It is an honor to be part of this historic occasion, Mister Holmes.”

  Holmes looked at Hackett as if trying to determine if this effusiveness was sincere. “We are depending on you to help it be so. Which of you knows Japanese?”

  “I do,” said Hackett. “My parents are missionaries in the Far East. I learned Japanese and a little Korean.”

  “Very good. You will review the Japanese copy of the agreement to ascertain that the translation is as correct as it may be.” Holmes made a gesture of approval to the two men. “You will be given space in the meeting room upstairs to begin your labors. Your Japanese counterparts will meet you there—a Mister Minato and a Mister Banadaichi. Both of them are fluent in English, so I trust the copying will go smoothly and well.” He held out the draught of the agreement. “As you see, there are one or two items that are not yet wholly complete. You will remain here while those matters are hammered out, and put the necessary information onto the final document.” He made a gesture of encouragement and nodded in the direction of the door. “Andermatt will show you the way. Thank you, gentlemen, for being so prompt.”

  The two secretaries bustled out of the White Salon, and were escorted down the hall by the accommodating Andermatt.

  “I trust they will do their work well, considering how much is at stake,” said Holmes as the door dosed again. He took a turn about the room, pausing at the window to look over the little side-garden.

  “Is there any reason to think they would not?” I asked, feeling a start of alarm.

  “You heard Lord Brackenheath. Do not dismiss him as a short-sighted fool, though he is. He is not alone in his sentiments. Even within the Admiralty, where it is generally acknowledged that we need better-defined relations with the Japanese, there are those who are opposed to our making any agreements with them, for fear of exposing English ships and English seamen to terrible dangers on behalf of the Empire of Japan. There are even those who cannot believe there is any advantage for England in advancing this agreement, and who would be pleased to help destroy it.” Holmes gave a sudden, hard sigh. “Well, fretting will not change anything but my disposition, as my French grandmother used to say.” He squared his shoulders, for all the world as if preparing for battle instead of a gala. “So long as we are expected to be in mufti, let us go change for the evening. I would rather be thought previous than laggard.”

  “As you wish, sir,” I said as I got to my feet and reached for my crutches. Little as I wanted to admit it, the ankle was still paining me, though not as severely as before.

  Holmes looked around at me. “I want you, as soon as you are dressed, to find out what Lord Brackenheath is up to. For all his assurances, I do not wholly trust him.”

  “Nor do I,” I confessed as I made my way toward the door behind Holmes.

  “Don’t be obvious about it, but make certain you know where he is and what he is doing. Make a note of those to whom he speaks.” He opened the door and looked down the hall. Satisfied that we were not closely observed, he stepped out and held the door for me.

  I cursed my crutches and made my way after him.

  We had been allocated a pleasant room on the first floor just above the White Salon overlooking the garden. There was a daybed, a chaise and a writing table from the Napoleonic era, and a more recent armoire. The staff had laid out our clothes and a valet was standing by to assist us, the very model of decorum.

  “I will send for the barber if you think it would be wise to shave?” the valet offered.

  “Probably a good thing,” Holmes muttered. “If matters drag on this evening, it would not do to appear slovenly.” He gestured his assent. “Have the barber up, by all means.”

  The valet left with a bow, and Holmes gestured to me to come closer. “Guthrie, I want you to keep a close eye on our two secretaries. I fear we may have difficulties yet to come, and they might well prove our stumbling blocks.”

  I was mildly surprised at this warning, and said so. “They are from the Admiralty, sir, and you have always placed faith in their quality of men.”

  “So I have, so I have,” Holmes admitted as he removed his tie and began to work his collar-stud free. “But didn’t you notice that Mister Wright had a stub in his waistcoat pocket from a pawnshop? If he is hard-up as that suggests, he would be more open to bribery than many another. And Jeremiah Hackett has stains on his cuffs that could only come from the mixture of oil and ink which I fear indicate he has been operating a printing press—such men often find it difficult to keep secrets if they might enhance journalistic prestige should they be made public.” He looked up at the ceiling as if the answer to his doubts would be written there. “I would like to think it were possible to be so trusting now, but I daren’t. We have far too much at stake here, and not solely in regard to the Orientals. Not with sentiments so much at odds within the Admiralty itself.”

  I sat on the chaise near the window and considered the matter. “It is more than just the Japanese, isn’t it, sir?”

  “Far more, I fear,” said Holmes. “It is a question of England’s destiny. We are in a position now to set ourselves in the way to being the vanguard of the next century, or we can become mired in the past, and that will drag us down. We must decide now which it is to be. Unfortunately, by embracing the future, we must leave behind certain bastions of outmoded privilege. And if we are to save England from chaos in a decade or two, we must strive now to amend the habits of old that had led us to this coil.”

  “Mister Holmes,” I said, trying not to appear shocked. “Surely you do not mean to compromise the Crown, do you?”

  “Hardly,” he said sharply. “I am doing all that I can to be certain that the Crown is not compromised. But to do that, I must see that the old notions of how England makes her place in the world are modified to accommodate the realities of today and the years ahead.” He put his hands together as he tossed his collar and tie onto the daybed.

  “Does Miss Gatspy have anything to do with your concerns?” I asked, my apprehension increasing as I considered the boldness of my inquiry.

  “Indirectly, of course she does. I am always troubled when an assassin is present where so many important men are to gather, and for so momentous an occasion. If she is here, then there must be a good reason for it, which cannot but worry me. And that reason undoubtedly concerns the Brotherhood.” He began to pace. “If I was certain that the Brotherhood had been discredited in England, I would be less concerned, but I am very much afraid that there are still adherents to the Brotherhood’s reprehensible code. Vickers did not escape by good fortune alone. He had help. It is quite possible that he is still in England, working his despicable way into the confidence of those of position and heritage who are unwilling to modify their place in the world, or who are hopeful to gain power in the aftermath of war.”

  “But surely we would not war with Japan?” I exclaimed.

  “No,” he said, twiddling his watchfob. “But if the Japanese should come to think that we presented a danger, they might ally themselves with our enemies, and then where should we be?” He sighed. “Then this distress over a Prince’s indiscretion would count for nothing.”

  “In the meantime, however, we must not add fuel to that particular fire.” I tested my ankle and was pleased to find it more flexible
than it had been, and marginally less sore. “I may be able to manage without the crutches tonight, sir,” I said, trying to show him the improvement in my condition.

  “Pray, Guthrie, do not,” said Holmes. “I would prefer you continue to use them. In case of any . . . misadventure.”

  I regarded him with intense interest, for the tone of his voice was unlike any I had heard from him before, laden with anxiety and a kind of desperation that seemed to me out of place in the Swiss embassy and on the threshold of so major an accomplishment as this agreement would represent. “Very well. I will continue to use them.”

  “Thank you,” he said with unusual diffidence.

  “You anticipate trouble?” I asked, trying not to imagine what his answer might be.

  Then there was a soft knock at the door and the valet returned with the barber.

  FROM THE JOURNAL OF PHILIP TYERS

  Sutton has finally put Webster’s tragedy aside and is now taking his tea in the study. He asked me to join him, but I am determined to remain at my post, watching those who are without doubt observing this building. Much as I have tried to dismiss it, I have a growing sense of apprehension that has become more acute with every passing hour. I have recommended to Sutton that he avoid sitting near the windows, for it may be that those who are set to observe us have something more than observations alone in their plans.

  The messenger from the Admiralty arrived this afternoon with a small case of documents for M H to examine tonight regarding the current political situation in India. I have put this away against M H’s return tonight. I expect the contents will demand a good portion of M H’s time this evening.

  There is also another missive from Baker Street, this one confirming the first report, that none of the street gangs were involved in the attack on M H and G. This has provided me less comfort than I might have wished.

  AMBASSADOR TOCHIGI BOWED as deeply as his splendid full court dress kimono would allow him; the wide fan slipped through his belt hindered this movement, as did the nature of the kimono itself This magnificent garment was composed of many layers, the outermost being a burnished silk brocade in the pattern of ivy leaves. I stared, recalling that each part of the kimono had significance. What was this array supposed to be telling us, I wondered. I realized that there was an imposing aspect to Ambassador Tochigi that was not apparent when he was wearing trousers and a swallowtail coat.

  Behind the ambassador, Messers Banadaichi and Minato were also in traditional Japanese dress, though neither of their kimonos was as elaborate or grand as Tochigi’s. They, too, bowed, more deeply than Ambassador Tochigi.

  “Good evening,” said Mycroft Holmes, returning their bow. Next to Ambassador Tochigi’s gorgeous silks, Holmes’ black tie looked sadly lacking, and I felt drab as a mourner in a cortège.

  I bowed as much as my crutches would permit me. It was galling to have to seem less able than I knew I was; this pretense was going to be more difficult to sustain than I had first anticipated.

  “I am told there is a line where the guests are to be received,” said Ambassador Tochigi.

  “The Swiss will show you,” said Holmes. “I will retire with Guthrie to await you. Our Lord Brackenheath is probably waiting there already.”

  The Japanese ambassador smiled. “Yes, of course. I had forgotten. You are not here, are you?”

  “Not officially,” Holmes said with grim amusement.

  “Then by all means, be about your tasks.” He bowed again and swept on toward the ballroom, his two secretaries following after him, their kimonos glistening in the gaslight.

  “What do you think?” I asked as he watched Ambassador Tochigi and his two secretaries continue their stately way down the hall.

  “Well,” said Holmes drily, “I can see why it is that Edmund wants one of those kimonos.” Then his expression changed. “Let us trust that everything goes as smoothly as we have hoped it will.” He shook his head as he walked. “I would like to think that we have everything but those last two matters well in hand, but . . .”

  We had turned and were now walking in the direction of the southern wing of the embassy, toward the Terrace Suite which had been set aside for our final negotiations. It was considered by the Japanese the most appropriate of the chambers the Swiss had offered us.

  “Did you learn anything watching Lord Brackenheath this afternoon?” asked Holmes in a less weighty tone of voice.

  “Only that he had a note from Lady Brackenheath explaining she would be a trifle delayed in her arrival. I didn’t discover the reason for it.” I still felt embarrassed that I should be party to their personal differences, but I reported the rest dutifully, making an effort to conceal my distaste. “I sense there is some rancor there, for he was most displeased when he read the contents.”

  “Nothing from anyone else?” Holmes asked.

  “Not that I could discover. But he had time to himself.” I noticed that the door to the Terrace Suite was flanked by two footmen in the livery of the embassy. “They’re going out of their way to ensure the success of this agreement, are the Swiss.”

  “Hardly out of their way,” said Holmes quietly. “They are serving their own best interests. There is little to distinguish between the bankers of Zurich and the Swiss government. If, as they are fond of saying, the business of America is business, the business of Switzerland is money. The greatest threat to those bankers is any disruption in trade. In their vaults are the garnered wealth of many nations. Any war would cause the currencies to be less stable. As it is the nature of bankers to despise things unpredictable, they strive to keep the nations of the world from undertaking any kind of disruption.

  “I had no notion that the Swiss were so altruistic,” I said, making no excuse for the dubious tone of my voice.

  “Oh, as to that, altruism is only a secondary benefit,” said Holmes with a nod. “It serves their purposes to place the English and Japanese governments a bit further in their debt, literally and figuratively. With the restive Germans on their border, it pays to have strong friends, and leverage. Prudence is the national Swiss virtue, as you are surely aware.” He permitted the footmen to open the doors for us, and passed into the largest of the three rooms of the suite. One wall was French doors and Italiante windows overlooking a broad stone terrace. Just at present the heavy velvet draperies had been closed against the night so that the full impact was modified, but by day this was regarded as one of the handsomest rooms in a handsome building. There were five large canvases in the style of the last century, elaborately framed, for the major decoration. Two sofas had been moved back against the walls and a large writing table had been placed near the center of the room, with a dozen matching chairs drawn up to it. All the lamps were blazing. The doors to the other two interior rooms of the Terrace Suite were closed, but I had been told that both were as well appointed as this one.

  “Most gracious,” said Holmes by way of approval. “The Japanese might not share the style but they cannot help but admire it.”

  “If that is important,” I said, though I, too, found the room elegant and appropriate to the occasion.

  “To the Japanese, it is exceedingly important,” said Holmes quietly. “There must be elegance and grace so that everyone may be at ease. Anything less would be offensive to their traditions.” He nodded once to show his approval. “Where have they put Wright and Hackett?”

  “Just across the hall. I am told that Mister Minato has spent an hour or so with them, going over some of the finer points of Japanese and English for the shared translation.” I remembered the harried look on Hackett’s face as he and Minato discussed whether the word obligation or responsibility was the more correct translation of a Japanese word. After watching Lord Brackenheath I had stayed with the secretaries for ten minutes or so, until I perceived my presence was contributing to their anxiety. “I think you may rest assured, sir, that by the time Parnell, King, Wolseley, Hewett, Wood, and Seymour arrive they will find matters well in hand. As will Ce
cil when he comes for the final signatures.”

  “Let us hope so,” said Holmes, and motioned to the footmen to close the door.

  I swung myself the length of the room, all the while wanting to cast my crutches aside and walk, no matter how awkwardly. “Is there any chance you will not reach a full agreement tonight, sir?”

  “I devoutly trust not,” said Holmes with feeling. “It would be very bad to have a meeting of this sort at such an occasion as this gala and be unable to present the document we all hope to have.” He put his hand to his brow—the gesture I had seen Sutton duplicate so well—and said, “If only I knew how far Lord Brackenheath is prepared to go to stop this agreement from being ratified, I would be far more at ease than I am. I fear he may have allied himself with those who have been working to undermine this agreement from its inception, though I have no proof of it.”

  I was developing an intense dislike for Lord Brackenheath and all those who thought like him, not only for their stubbornness, but their malice. To show my determination I planted my crutches and said, “I will try again to discover if he had any intentions of disrupting this evening’s events.”

  “I may yet ask it of you, Guthrie,” said Holmes quietly. He drew out a cigar and brought a lucifer out to light it. As the first blue-grey wraith of smoke escaped him, he said, “If Lord Brackenheath had anything to do with the attack of the other night, I would prefer to know it sooner than later.”

  I could not conceal my shock. That Lord Brackenheath might try to interfere with the Japanese did not surprise me, but I found it difficult to imagine he would actually try to act directly against Holmes, or any servant of England. “You surely have no reason to suspect him of such perfidy?”