Sherlock Holmes In Japan

by Vasudev Murthy

  ‘“Is everything going well?” he asked Mr Takada. “The last shipments were delayed. I cannot accept that. This is too small a business for me to worry about such matters. I am more interested in ensuring the system is in place.”

  ‘“I apologize, Moriarty-san,” responded Mr Murakami, practically grovelling. “There were some delays in the arrival of ships and it seems that shipments out of Shanghai were delayed too. Very sorry.”

  ‘“I am not interested in excuses,” snapped Moriarty, his choleric temperament on display. “If there is a delay again and I am diverted from my other businesses, I will consider shutting down this activity. I am in any case not very happy with the blunders of your people in Berlin and Copenhagen; they seem utterly inept!”

  ‘“May I have pleasure of introducing you to Mr Hodges, Moriarty-san,” said Mr Takada obsequiously, eager to change the topic. “He import our material from Shanghai through sake manufacturer in Sapporo. We very pleased to work with him.”

  ‘“At this moment, I am still not satisfied that we can expand to the scale I need,” Professor Moriarty said, ignoring me completely. “If your men with the missing digits don’t show more urgency and intelligence in dealing with my men, I will reconsider. Why you use such people who will be noticed easily is something I cannot understand.”

  ‘“And talk less!” he snapped, this time at Mr Takada. “The more you talk, the more you are in danger of exposure. You are expanding too fast – and carelessly. I do not believe in short-term profits at all. This is not just a matter of money. My goal is beyond – to control Europe and its economy.”

  ‘“Good day, gentlemen,” he said abruptly, and turned and departed.

  ‘We looked after him in silence.

  ‘“Very powerful man, ne, Hodges-san.”

  ‘“So that was Professor Moriarty?” I remarked.

  ‘“Yes. Very ambitious. He have big plans. Very good businessman. Very good methods. But very dangerous. Very dangerous. Maybe you never see him again.”

  ‘And indeed, I did not have a chance to do so.

  ‘In the meantime, Mr Kasama’s prediction had started proving to be accurate. One day at Mr Takada’s office in the Japanese Embassy, we had a couple of visitors. They were from the commercial section of the Portuguese Embassy and knew Mr Takada well. D’Silva and Sequeira came straight to the point. They were already involved in small-time smuggling and were quite interested in the opium angle.

  ‘“We do test for one year in Portugal, D’Silva-san. Murakami-san visit Lisbon with you to see how it work.”

  ‘It was agreed and Mr Takada asked them to meet a certain contact of his at the Japanese Embassy in Lisbon. It was made clear that the network was in place and that diplomats from other European countries were also interested in sharing the expected profits. We had De Groot from Holland, Herr Schmidt from Germany, Senor Cruz from Spain, Markevich from Russia – and even Cosgrove from the British Embassy, to my personal agony, a man from Cambridge, no less! Yes, Murakami helped me connect with the Japanese Yakuza network in all the European capitals. It was an extraordinary situation.

  ‘In effect, Your Majesty, I am telling you that the Diplomatic Services of most European countries have been compromised and, far from being standards for probity and dignity, are involved in smuggling. This is extremely painful for all concerned.’

  ‘What must be done?’ the emperor asked, clearly shaken. ‘If I understand you correctly, our Embassies have been responsible for legitimizing smuggling and laying the foundation of a vast network for opium trafficking and consumption in Europe. And they have induced several European diplomats to become part of their plans.’

  ‘That is correct. And to answer your question, it seems clear, Your Majesty, that you will have to personally do something. I have with me the complete list of all diplomats from all countries who have been involved in a small or big way. I obviously have the list of Japanese diplomats as well, which no doubt will be most embarrassing for all of you, because they have operated under the watch of the Foreign Ministry and Japanese Secret Police. It has taken me a long time to gather these names; I regret to say that every second person in every Japanese Embassy in Europe is suspect, including some ambassadors –’

  ‘Where is that list?’ interrupted Sugiyama-san. ‘Our ambassador at Moscow –’

  Holmes shook his head. ‘No, he is clean, but I would not like to speak for or against any diplomat here. That is not the point. It is for you,’ he nodded at Sasaki-san, ‘to quickly verify the case. You can take care of that quite easily, by calling them to Japan on some kind of apparently legitimate briefing mission and then arresting them. But the bigger fallout will be the exposure of the European diplomats, who can quite easily claim that their Japanese friends entrapped them. This can be very embarrassing.

  ‘I believe, Your Majesty, that the only way for you to handle this is to pre-empt the matter before you are confronted by other countries with evidence of the involvement of Japanese diplomats. I suggest you write a letter directly to the head of state of each country, carried by a personal representative, giving a compressed version of the facts and providing the names of their diplomats along with circumstantial or direct proof of their involvement. I possess such proof against each name.’

  There was silence.

  ‘There are 138 Japanese diplomats involved and about seventy-nine European diplomats.’

  ‘Why did you not send us details along the way?’ asked Oshima-san, sounding a little angry.

  ‘For a simple reason that you will appreciate immediately. I had no guarantee that my correspondence would not be intercepted. The only things that I could write to you about were my financial needs and general information that was not really a secret – for example, the recent cases of the investigation of the murder of Admiral Santiago or the case of the abduction of the heir to the throne of Schleswig-Holstein. As events have proven only a few hours ago, my suspicions were perhaps well-founded; the Yakuza has penetrated your offices. And your own case of fugu fish poisoning was anything but accidental.’

  Yoshida-san spoke. ‘At what point did you decide that Operation Kobe55 had reached a logical conclusion? Why did you return?’

  ‘I came back because Professor Moriarty had become suspicious. Mr Takada had taken me to many cities to introduce me to his counterparts in the Embassies as a legitimate importer of Japanese sake who could additionally import opium. Then he returned to Japan. His successor is clean and not involved – yet. In the meanwhile, rumours spread that an American businessman had started expanding his business quite well in Europe; that would not have been a problem, except for the fact that Professor Moriarty investigated my American background and was not satisfied with the results, or so I believe. He became suspicious. When my requests for appointments at the Japanese Embassy in Copenhagen and then in Berlin were turned down by the very same persons who had met me at least three times before, I understood that something had changed. Your attaché in Berlin, Mr Uchiyama, met me in a park and confessed that he had been given instructions by the Yakuza – who in turn must have received instructions from Professor Moriarty – to keep an eye on me. I then went to London to find a means to convey my accumulated information to you and to consult Lestrade and Mycroft. I believe I was followed across the English Channel.

  ‘Mycroft, as you are possibly aware, holds a sensitive position at the Home Office, where his sagacity is much valued. Where I have always had the inclination to action, he prefers to address challenges of great import from his chair and wields enormous influence and it would be no exaggeration to say that he occasionally is the government. He could not be bothered if you agreed with him on any matter or disagreed. He prefers spending time at the exclusive Diogenes Club, where speaking is strictly forbidden – such is the loathing of its strange members for social intercourse. But I digress.

  ‘I had, of course, kept him generally informed of my whereabouts in Europe. He often told me to immediately cease what
he called a juvenile adventure, most likely to end in an unfortunate way. He had already concluded that these were deeper waters than was apparent and had even deduced who the persons involved were. But he did not think it necessary to intervene, feeling that my tiresome ways were perhaps more suitable to the handling of the situation.

  ‘He is the person who advised me to leave forthwith for Japan and seek an audience with you directly, Your Majesty. He further hypothesized that it was very possible for the Yakuza, given his knowledge of the psychology of successful criminal groups, to precipitate matters in a clouded political environment by taking extreme and very bold action. Specifically, he felt that the possibility of an assassination attempt on your person by insiders could not be ruled out, and he wanted me to warn you. I believe that the two Yakuza gentlemen on board the North Star were the appointed assassins, having been specially trained by Colonel Moran himself in the handling of air rifles that use revolver bullets, which is why I needed to reach Japan before the arrival of the ship into Yokohama. They can doubtless now be detained on arrival.’

  While the group struggled to find expression, Holmes continued. ‘Lestrade was, of course, absolutely delighted to see me. He too believed I had been killed at Reichenbach Falls. I explained the situation and he, after some initial incredulity, understood the gravity of the matter. He agreed that I should make good my escape to Japan soon and try to speak to you directly. We hit upon the idea of having Dr Watson carry the information to Tokyo without his knowledge.’

  ‘Holmes!’ I exclaimed, outraged.

  ‘It was all quite simple, Watson. We arranged for your ticket on the North Star and created the blind – it was quite easy to fake a letter from Japan supposedly stamped in Yokohama.’

  ‘How did you have him carry the information?’ asked Oshima-san. ‘Would that not have been equally dangerous?’

  ‘If a person does not know he has information, that information is safe with him.’ Holmes’s face was flushed with triumph. ‘And this is what I did – I had the entire list of names and proof against each person codified into musical notation and transcribed. In short, I used a cipher that only the trained eye could have made sense of. The sheaves of “music” that emerged could not possibly have been recognized as a list of any kind. Lestrade arranged for one of his agents to enter Dr Watson’s house and place it with my violin, which was in his possession, and which he had very graciously not opened even once after my “death”. And so Dr Watson carried my violin with him throughout. Along the way, on the few occasions I opened the case and played my violin, I told him the sheaves were the compositions of a young composer in Prague. Here they are!’

  Sherlock Holmes waved the sheaves of sheet music triumphantly in the air. This was his moment of glory, without a doubt.

  ‘That paper, Holmes-san, contains the complete list of diplomats, Japanese and others, who have been part of this operation. And specific proof of their activities. Is that correct?’ asked Emperor Meiji.

  ‘That is correct, Your Majesty.’

  ‘Was it wise to have travelled in such a manner with such sensitive information?’ asked Miss Nohara.

  ‘Naturally I had taken precautions. But I could not do it any other way. A letter would have taken too long and might have been lost or stolen.’

  ‘What is the cipher?’ asked Otawa-san.

  ‘An ancient but effective system devised by the Italian composer Porta. In his system, the first half of the alphabet would be matched to a sequence of thirteen half notes going up the notes on a musical stave and the second half of the alphabet to a descending sequence of thirteen quarter notes. However, a musician would find any such score unusual and potentially unmusical. The system was altered later by another composer, Thomas Thicknesse, so that it made musical sense. Perhaps it sounds complicated. But that does not matter at this stage; the deciphering is easy and will not take long. I can do it myself within two hours.’

  ‘Innovative and admirable, Holmes-san,’ nodded the emperor.

  Holmes bowed. ‘This, Your Majesty, is your property now for you to act on in the manner you deem fit. I request that my suggestions be taken into consideration. I have been witness to many diplomatic challenges and have discovered the great value of being candid as a means of diffusing tension. Taking immediate steps is important; if you do not, it is likely that Professor Moriarty will communicate with foreign governments in a manner different from us. Japan will be accused of misusing its diplomatic channels to encourage criminal activity aimed at undermining the sovereignty of independent nations. Unfortunately, the personal actions of diplomats cannot be distinguished from those of the nations they represent and then you will not be able to convincingly deny that this was part of an official strategy. Retribution will be swift and may include the arrest of Japanese diplomats, the suspension of treaties and confiscation of Japanese assets. It may include war, if the objective of deliberately subverting European governments and cultures by distributing opium through diplomatic channels is accepted by various governments. It is not a price you can afford to pay, especially given your recent initiatives to modernize Japan.’

  The emperor nodded, his face pale.

  Holmes stood up, his expression grim and solemn.

  ‘At the same time, it is also my painful duty, Your Majesty, to say that this group has been compromised. The Yakuza has infiltrated the core committee overseeing Operation Kobe55. I regret to say that you have a traitor in this very room.’

  Closure

  Let the sea, the wind, the fire, time and us come together,

  my friend. There is such beauty in the melting of our

  essences. You have such fine sensibilities. I yearn to be

  like you. That is my dearest wish.

  There have been times when, as a chronicler of the brilliant career of my good friend Sherlock Holmes, I have found myself struggling for the right words to describe an event, especially the electric atmosphere caused by the revelation of one or more astonishing and completely unexpected facts at a delicate point in the investigation. Shock results – as does humour, surprisingly – when the new information overturns one’s knowledge or assumptions. What seems obvious and not even worth remembering may contain layers of information. In several cases in the past – especially those related to diplomacy – Sherlock Holmes thought it best not to bring to anyone’s attention certain crucial facts that could exacerbate tensions and would serve no useful purpose. That was not the case here. The time to reveal an unpleasant truth had come.

  Holmes’s solemn and dramatic pronouncement had the desired effect. Everyone, including the Emperor, shrank back in consternation. Miss Nohara, however, did not and I could see the hint of a smile on her face as she looked down at her hands.

  ‘That is a very serious allegation, Holmes-san,’ said Otawasan, finally, his voice not quite steady. ‘All those who conceived and executed Operation Kobe55 are in this very room, except for the three who have regrettably passed away. The emperor himself approved this list; what you have presented was precisely what the committee anticipated for the most part and we are completely aware of the consequences these people face. How is it possible that anyone in this group could prove to be a traitor?’

  ‘Ah! An extremely good question. And yet the facts are so startlingly clear. My conclusion is based on certain points.

  ‘First, I pondered for quite some time why I had been selected so easily for this role without everyone first meeting me. I could understand Mr Sugiyama’s earnest efforts to bring me to the notice of the Kobe55 committee and escorting me all the way from Switzerland in the hope that someone with my reputation and experience could help in some small way. But I could not understand why I should become so singularly critical to the execution of the strategy. It seemed extremely convenient and a little too swift. Why would you trust a man you had never met, going purely by reputation, especially if he was not Japanese and knew little about the country, its history and its language? Nonetheless, it
was not the first time this has happened; I recall at least two assignments where I was given full authority to operate on behalf of the governments of Brazil and Liechtenstein, based purely on internal government recommendations and without anyone from either government actually meeting me1.

  ‘Let us then look at the extreme ease with which I was granted access to various functionaries. True, there was a secret government order from you, Mr Yoshida, giving me access to Japanese Embassies anywhere, but I was still surprised that my cover as an American businessman was never challenged even once. Further, the meeting with Professor Moriarty was just a little too easily arranged. Why would the commercial attaché be so ready to introduce me to him? Was it perhaps to help the professor check on who I really was? Remember that I was just one of the businesses acting as willing conduits for opium imports masked as something else.

  ‘At Lisbon, at Berlin, at Prague – the gates opened as though by magic. Information was shared very easily – too easily. Money was made available for my expenses without question. It struck me that perhaps the network was allowing me to investigate it, to help it to identify its own weak links, rather than the other way around. The shipments that I was importing were notional – I was never a major player and I could hardly have been expected to make a difference to their business. No, I had been selected because I would not stand out in Europe and because of my knowledge of Professor Moriarty’s network. I was a mere pawn, though an important one. Professor Moriarty was a thorough professional – he wanted to be sure that the network was perfect and what better strategy than to have it tested by his greatest adversary. Me!

  ‘And though the meeting with Professor Moriarty at the Louvre was brief and he gave no sign of recognizing me, I reflected that the conversation he had had with the commercial attaché, Mr Takada, and the Yakuza representative Mr Murakami did not warrant his exposure in public. He reprimanded Takada for delayed shipments and certain operational errors that he had observed. It is not the job of a general to check whether the rifles of his soldiers are in working condition. He could easily have conveyed the same message in a more discreet way. No, his primary objective was to personally satisfy himself that Hodges was Holmes. He was, obviously, too clever to allow recognition to flash on his face. The meeting was clearly initiated by him and not by us. He had been tipped off.