Sherlock Holmes

by Keisuke Matsuoka

  “Even still, why go through so much trouble over a single beer ticket…”

  “Thieves inspect their items thoroughly. Whenever an item is found that might lead investigators to them, they consider how that item might be used to cover their trail instead. The common thief takes pleasure in such pursuits. We discovered Tzybin’s trick with the beer ticket purely by coincidence. He probably had several such ploys.”

  Ito felt overwhelmed. “This is hard to fathom. What could inspire someone to think of such a thing, using chemistry to create bits of ice?”

  “I have attempted the experiment several times myself, as well. You cannot begin to imagine the number of glass instruments I have shattered in pursuit of my hobbies.”

  Ito had to admit that behavior, while eccentric, was still better than spending his time with cocaine. Besides, an eccentric mind was needed to discern the bizarre habits of the common thief.

  Minezaki trotted back toward them, alone. He shook Sherlock’s hand, smiling hugely. He spoke rapidly in Japanese, clearly overjoyed. “Mr. Holmes! I don’t know how to thank you! Your powers of deduction are every bit as remarkable as the rumors claim. You have my admiration. And my deepest respect! We will take the suspect away, now.”

  Satisfied, he bowed to Ito and scurried away.

  Ito couldn’t help but smirk. “Shall I translate, Mr. Holmes?”

  “No need,” Sherlock said coyly. “I have heard the same often enough before.”

  30

  When the now-Minister of Agriculture and Commerce Munemitsu Mutsu was younger, he had joined Kaientai, the private navy and shipping company founded by Ryoma Sakamoto. At that time he’d already become friends with Hirobumi Ito of the Choshu Domain. After the Meiji Restoration, he was appointed as an official in the Bureau of General Affairs, with the support of Tomomi Iwakura. During the Boshin War, he had negotiated with the Americans to acquire the CSS Stonewall. He even managed to convince the merchants of Osaka to shoulder the very hefty bill for the vessel—a significant windfall for the newly created, and very impoverished, government.

  At Ito’s recommendation Mutsu studied abroad, in London, focusing on England’s cabinet system. Later he translated and published an early work by utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham. Additionally, he established Japan’s first equal international treaty, with Mexico.

  In every position he held, Mutsu strove to overcome international barriers. After rising to the position of Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, The Complete Work on Russian Natural Sciences was unsurprisingly his next target.

  He received word that the translation was nearly finished only two weeks after the project was begun. He and Kubo visited the Russian legation together.

  The Complete Work on Russian Natural Sciences was massive and very heavy. The two men carried it together. When they opened the cover, however, they saw that the individual chapters had in fact been pulled loose from their bindings. In order for the 100 translators to work on the translation simultaneously, the book had had to be divided into parts. It was no longer a single volume, but was essentially now 80 smaller pamphlets, with each chapter bound separately. The pages were also covered with finger smudges and copious handwritten notes.

  Shevich met them in one of the legation offices. He looked dismayed at the state of the book. “My word…”

  “At least the translation is nearly complete,” Kubo said, with some embarrassment. “We only had a few questions…”

  Chekhov smiled immediately. “I am happy to help. Since the main translation is complete, allow us to provide you with a new copy. The contents, of course, will be identical.”

  “Really? You would do that?” Mutsu asked.

  “Certainly. Your diligence in translating the book is nothing less than inspiring. Just a moment.” Chekhov walked to the door and called out to the next room. “Akhatov! Denikin!”

  Anna Luzhkova entered the room through a different door. “Minister Mutsu, Mr. Kubo,” she beamed. “Welcome. Oh! The poor book…What happened?”

  “We were just telling Mr. Chekhov,” Kubo pleaded once again, “with so many people working on the translation…”

  Chekhov returned. “No need to apologize, the book was yours. A newly bound copy would be much better for posterity’s sake though, don’t you agree?”

  A brand new copy of The Complete Work on Russian Natural Sciences was carried into the room. The effort it took to carry it appeared to be almost too much for the two delicate young men assigned the task. They set it gently on the table and left the room.

  “Now,” Chekhov opened his notepad. “Your questions, please. Tell me the chapter and page, and I will inquire with our people in Russia.”

  Kubo lifted up one of the chapters, his eyes shining with excitement. “If we could start on chapter 1, THIS PAGE, where it mentions a paper on the Ulugh Beg Observatory…”

  Mutsu stroked the pristine red leather cover of the newly provided copy of the Complete Works. As the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, the positive relationship they now enjoyed with Russia was immensely gratifying.

  For some reason, he knew, Ito still had misgivings. But why look a gift horse in the mouth? After all, the incident with Sanzo Tsuda had been settled. What was there to worry about?

  * * *

  —

  October. Olgert Bercerosky’s whereabouts still remained a mystery.

  Whether or not it was Bercerosky who had hired him, Tzybin had never actually met his employer in person. In Vladivostok they had communicated through notices in the newspaper and written letters. In Japan, Tzybin’s only means of contact had been through scraps of paper that he slipped into a crack in the archway of a nearby shrine.

  Replies would show up in the same crack after some time had passed, but Tzybin had never witnessed the man directly. Once he had hidden in the shadows by the shrine and spied on the archway. He had waited until the sun set, but no one had showed. He claimed that after that incident he had received no further messages from his employer. He also claimed that he had burned all the notes, and that none remained.

  The Russians, for their part, did not seem overly concerned with Sanzo Tsuda’s death. The Laskar remained in Tokyo Bay, and Nicholas remained aboard, but now it seemed his purpose truly was to negotiate with Siam. No further demands were made of Japan.

  Tsuda’s death had been publicly announced at the end of September. The government feared that old tensions would flare up anew after the announcement, but the Russians largely remained quiet. The state of affairs between the two countries was unchanged. Japanese employees at trading firms travelled to Russia as before, and plans for commercial use of the Trans-Siberian Railway continued to progress.

  It seemed as if Nicholas really had been acting on his own in regards to the Tsuda case, and that the danger from Russia had passed in June.

  But Ito still had his doubts. What of Emperor Alexander III’s demands that Tsuda be executed? Had the Russian court only desired peace from the outset? It seemed unlikely—and they had been given an ideal pretext to attack Japan.

  Perhaps the Russian court felt that George’s swapping places with Nicholas had put them in the wrong, and undercut their ability to pursue a harder stance. Many of Ito’s comrades seemed to believe that to be the case.

  But why should a country as strong as Russia feel any compunction when handling a country as small as Japan? Grand Duke George, beloved son of the Emperor, remained in critical condition. And had the brothers not switched places it would have been Nicholas who was injured in his stead. Was Alexander III not angry? Did he not desire revenge?

  One evening, Ito returned home to find Sherlock sitting on the veranda alone, legs crossed, poring through several huge stacks of documents.

  Surprisingly, these documents were in Japanese. It was a copy of the translation of The Complete Work on Russian Natural Sciences, sent to hi
m by the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce.

  Sherlock’s copy of the original, in Russian, was also nearby—the volume he had wheedled from Ambassador Shevich and which, strictly speaking, should belong to Britain. The book was heavy enough to require two people to carry, but apparently Sherlock had hauled it there himself.

  Ito stood close and stared at his friend. “I thought you were unable to read Japanese and Russian.”

  “Which makes this all the more intriguing.” He presented a sheet of paper to Ito, on which the character for chou had been sloppily copied out. “This character means butterfly?”

  “Yes it does.”

  Sherlock was delighted. “I knew it! In the original there is a diagram of a butterfly, and I noticed a certain word appeared several times in the text next to the diagram. It is pronounced babachika, I believe, or perhaps baboochika? When I turned to the same section in the Japanese version I discovered a character that appeared with that same frequency. The study of language is fascinating. It makes excellent practice for code breaking.”

  “If you find Russian so captivating,” Ito said, half exasperated, “I suppose you know the meaning of Vladivostok?”

  “Certainly! It means ‘Ruler of the East.’”

  “Indeed it does. Russia is desperate for a warm water port. Vladivostok is their gateway to the Far East. It is also a base from which to attack Japan.” Ito spoke openly. “Russia is acting far too timidly. I do not like it.”

  Sherlock turned his eyes back to the Japanese text before him. “Japan was unaware that the brothers had switched places. Do you expect that Russia would have attacked as soon as Grand Duke George was put on the warship? I imagine that was exactly the scenario the Emperor of Japan wished to avoid, when he visited the Russians to apologize in person. Would it have been more in keeping with Russia’s character had they absconded with the Emperor while he was aboard the Pamiat Azova, as you and your fellows feared?”

  “The Russian Emperor’s own son lies in a coma. Tell me, why does he not take action against Japan? He must be a man of considerable fortitude if he is not troubled by this. Of the two, I believe I find Tsarevich Nicholas’ reaction more understandable than his father’s.”

  “You are tilting at shadows,” Sherlock said easily. “Might makes right. If Russia had wanted to, they could have brushed the incident with the brothers entirely under the rug by attacking Japan. You were once a Choshu man. You should understand that.”

  Ito sulked. “But what do you think? I wish to hear your opinion.”

  Sherlock lifted his head and stared out at the garden. “The older brother’s reaction does seem reasonable. I believe that such familial affection is expected between brothers.”

  He sounded slightly bitter. Likely he was thinking of his relationship with his own brother, once again. “Are you unhappy you came to Japan?” Ito wanted to know. “Do you still blame Mycroft for choosing your destination?”

  “In hindsight I have come to appreciate the kindness of the Japanese people. I find it doubtful, however, that my brother had operated with the same foreknowledge.”

  “I have no brothers, older or younger, so I am afraid I do not understand you. The members of my clan were like brothers to me, though. We get along so well that we fight, as the expression in Japanese goes.”

  “Nicholas and George seem to be truly close. I must confess that I am envious.”

  Ito felt it would be good to change the subject. “So what about parents? I am more concerned with the Emperor’s thinking than Nicholas’. Tell me of your parents, Mr. Holmes. Are they doing well?”

  Sherlock was silent. His expression was complicated, even fraught.

  “I’m sorry, that was a thoughtless question,” Ito backpedaled.

  “For all intents and purposes, my brother is the only family I have,” Sherlock murmured. “Perhaps that is the difference between myself and the Romanovs. It must be parents who prevent brothers from falling out.”

  “Likely so. If it was only the two of you then it is only natural that you would occasionally fight. It is easier to argue when you are close enough to forgive.”

  Sherlock did not seem to find any consolation in that thought. “You must find it congenial to be an only child.” His expression grew cold.

  The man is as perverse on certain subjects as ever, thought Ito. This attitude was typical for him. In this regard he hadn’t changed since he’d been a child of ten. “Mr. Holmes. Where do you suppose Olgert Bercerosky is hiding? I am worried he may cause us further problems. Tsarevich Nicholas is still within Japanese waters, after all.”

  Sherlock’s jaw suddenly set. His eyes grew sharp, like a leopard drawing closer to prey.

  “Mr. Holmes, what is it?”

  Sherlock held up his index finger. “Chairman Ito,” he said. “There is someone I would like you to introduce me to tomorrow.”

  “Whomever it is, I shall make the arrangements. If it is His Grace himself, I shall approach the Ministry of the Imperial Household.”

  “I doubt it shall require so much effort on your part,” Sherlock said, lacing his fingers into a steeple. “You may even be able to summon him here. But not until tomorrow. I need some time to think.”

  31

  In the end, the person Sherlock wanted to see was the last person whom Ito would have expected. The meeting was simple enough to set up, of course, but Ito could see no reason why Sherlock would wish an audience with this person in the first place.

  Ito made the arrangements first thing the next morning, and they were on their way to the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce by noon. The last time they had stepped foot inside this hall, it had been teeming with 100 translators, frantically working to translate the Complete Work. Now, not a single desk remained.

  Minister Mutsu and Project Director Kubo awaited them in the cavernous empty hall, as had been scheduled. Apparently, it was Kubo, rather than Mutsu, that Sherlock wanted to talk to.

  “Are you familiar with rice blight?” Sherlock asked without preamble, as soon as they had exchanged hellos.

  “Pardon?” asked Kubo, in English. “I’m not sure I understand.”

  “Please answer my question,” Sherlock demanded.

  “Yes. I mean, I am aware of it…”

  “Naturally you would be, as you work for the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce.” He inspected Kubo closely. “Are you also aware of the word for rice blight in Russian?”

  “In Russian?” The other man appeared even more confused than before. “I’m afraid I couldn’t say…”

  “Could you look it up now?”

  “I could try looking it up in a dictionary, I suppose. I oversaw the translation of The Complete Work on Russian Natural Sciences, but I do not speak Russian myself.”

  “I see. Let me ask you then, what do you know of the effects of a change in the salt density of the tides?”

  “In the ocean? Shall I check with one of the specialists?”

  “I wish to hear what you know. Let us try another question. Pressure patterns in the vicinity of the North Pole have been changing recently. As a result, winds have been blowing from the North Pole toward the Atlantic Ocean, causing a flow of sea ice. This has decreased the amount of ice in the Arctic Ocean, leading to water shortages in the North American permafrost due to a combination of melting soil and low rainfall.”

  “Oh?” Kubo’s face was dubious. “I have little interest in the Americas, I’m afraid.”

  “Indeed,” Sherlock muttered. “You work for the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce yet are unaware of such a thing.”

  Mutsu furrowed his brow. “Mr. Holmes, Mr. Kubo is exemplary in his post. He is not a scientist and cannot be expected to supply such specialized information without notice. The same is true for myself, and I am the minister of the department.”

  “And yet Mr. Kubo was e
ntrusted with a very important job, was he not? To oversee the full translation of The Complete Work on Russian Natural Sciences.”

  “It is completely to be expected that he would not know the answer to every question that you ask.”

  Kubo lowered his eyes. “I apologize. I have not studied nearly as much as I should. I ought to know more…”

  “Nonsense,” Mutsu insisted. “You did nothing wrong. Mr. Holmes, why are you inquiring into Mr. Kubo’s scientific knowledge? Why these questions?”

  “Naturally, I assumed he would know the answers,” Sherlock answered, placidly.

  Kubo dropped his head dejectedly. “There is no excuse. I promise to apply myself more thoroughly in the future.”

  Mutsu held up a hand. “Enough, there is no need to apologize. Mr. Holmes seems to be suffering under a misunderstanding of some sort. You can return to your work now, Kubo. I will speak with Mr. Holmes and ensure that he understands you are one of my most trusted employees.”

  Kubo hesitated. He bowed again before walking away.

  “I see you are a man of distinction, Minister Mutsu,” Sherlock said softly, once Kubo’s footsteps had grown distant. “Others might have bullied a younger employee but you defended him quite admirably.”

  Mutsu was angry. “Mr. Holmes! I too have many acquaintances in England. The officials in government offices are not scientists. None could have answered such specialized questions without notice, even as it concerns issues relevant to their own department!”

  Even Ito felt Sherlock had gone too far. “Minister Mutsu is correct. What business did you have speaking to Mr. Kubo in that way?”

  Sherlock did look a little shame-faced. “I did not mean to cause any pain…Forgive me if I was rude. I will apologize to Mr. Kubo as well, if necessary. But at present there are more urgent matters which I must consider. I will wish you good day.”