‘Of course. He knew about you having escaped death by the time we reached Moscow.’
‘And the assassination of the guard on the Trans-Siberian?’
‘It was I, of course.’
‘The murder of the agent at Vladivostok?’
‘The work of my agent.’
‘The accident at Gare du Nord, Paris?’
‘Of course!’
‘The runaway carriage in Madrid? The boat incident at Rotterdam?’
‘Really, Holmes-san! You already know the answers. Why do you ask such questions?’
‘What can you tell me about the meeting with Professor Moriarty at the Louvre?’
‘Precisely as you guessed. The professor wanted to verify your identity with his own eyes. You tried your best with a good disguise, but he knew immediately.’
‘But why all this?’
‘To lure you into our trap and to keep you close. Professor Moriarty was clear that the only man who could come in the way of his plans for the domination of Europe was you. It was better for us to have you under constant observation, feed you incorrect information, and get an idea from you about how the Japanese government was responding. We were successful to a very large extent.’
‘The demise of the Japanese ambassador to France, Mr. Takenaka?’
‘A simple matter of the introduction of shellfish poison in his soup, Mr. Holmes. A painful attack of respiratory paralysis preceded his regrettable death. He was altogether a nuisance and we did not appreciate his sending back Takada-san to Tokyo.’
‘The accidental death of Mr. Kasama in Shanghai?’
‘You correctly deduced the hand of Miss Bryant, our singularly efficient Shanghai operative. And, of course, we followed you from the moment you embarked on the North Star—you were attacked in Angkor Wat. Of course, I am aware that our agents mistook some other gentleman for you till Bombay and you therefore missed death in Alexandria. You are a very lucky man, Mr. Holmes. But not anymore. And now, enough talk. My friends from the Yakuza should be here any moment.’
‘They will not be coming, Sugiyama-san,’ Miss Nohara spoke for the first time. She was smiling.
‘You are not the only person with deep contacts in the Yakuza. You have been under observation for a very long time now and your views against the emperor and his vision of the Restoration are well known in the leadership ranks of the Yakuza. I may not belong to the Yakuza, but Honda-san and I did whatever was necessary to convince those who you thought were your friends that a militant Yakuza operation in the Imperial Palace of the Emperor, with the possible objective of capturing or assassinating him, would turn public opinion very strongly against them.
This afternoon, when you were informed of this emergency meeting, you visited them and asked them to take positions, since you guessed Holmes-san would inform the emperor and you needed to seize the opportunity, rather than wait for the two Yakuza assassins to arrive on the North Star. They assured you they would and promptly informed Honda-san. None are in position. You have made a very bad miscalculation. Please surrender. There are three revolvers pointed at you now. And, oh yes, the bullets in your revolver are harmless. We replaced them in the afternoon while you were at lunch.’
Sugiyama-san’s face lost colour and his hand faltered. ‘A lie!’ he snarled. He pointed his revolver at Miss Nohara and fired. Nothing happened. He fired again and again.
The revolver fell from his trembling hand and clattered on the floor.
Within seconds, Sherlock Holmes, Sasaki-san, and I had overpowered Sugiyama-san, held him down, and tied him up.
‘And Mr. Sugiyama, the papers that you burnt were useless. They were a copy of a genuine musical score Lieder Ohne Worte, Songs without Words, by one of my favourite composers, Mendelssohn. The original papers with the musical scores had already reached the emperor’s office this morning through the good offices of Miss Nohara. They are being decrypted as we speak. You don’t think I would be so foolish as to have only one copy? I made two more copies—one for my personal records and the other to be kept with my brother Mycroft, with specific instructions on what to do if he did not hear from me within a specified time.’
The emperor’s bodyguards quickly escorted Sugiyama-san out of the room, while Oshima-san and the others watched, paralyzed with shock.
***
In the days that followed, Sherlock Holmes and I were treated with great honour and accorded the most gracious hospitality by the emperor. One lavish banquet was followed by another and a fascinating kabuki performance, Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees) was succeeded by another splendid performance on the huge kodo drums.
Emperor Meiji showed us his bonsai collection and also took us inside rooms that contained the greatest treasures of ancient Japan, not accessible to the general public. He was clearly a connoisseur of the arts; paintings, calligraphy, sculpture, music—he was interested in everything and had an opinion on it all.
He showed us his private collection of the paintings of the great artist Hokusai, noted for the use of Prussian Blue. In another room were fascinating examples of the ukiyo-e art from the Edo era.
The emperor regretted his lack of knowledge of the English language, but knew a great deal of English history. He asked us many questions about the attitudes, work habits, food habits, and languages of Europe. He spoke of transforming Japan and making it a world economic power one day. ‘Sometimes too much history is not so good, Holmes-san,’ he mused. ‘When we are too proud of our past, we do not think of our future.’ His sagacity shone through in those simple words.
At one banquet, the emperor invited Japan’s finest writers, poets, and artists to meet us. He took me aside at one point.
‘Watson-san, I have request for you.’
‘Certainly, Your Majesty.’
‘I know you are famous writer. You will write about this matter one day, ne?’
‘With your permission, Your Majesty.’
‘We have many great writers in my country. Please help them become known outside Japan.’
‘Certainly, Your Majesty. Do you have any suggestion?’
The emperor beckoned and a tall distinguished gentleman came forward. He had the most gentle but confident eyes and a pleasant warm manner.
‘This is our writer Akira Yamashita, very famous, very wonderful. We call him Living Treasure of Japan.’
I shook hands with the writer, who smiled but said nothing. And yet, I had the feeling that he had much to say. There was instant mutual liking.
‘Please read some of his stories. And please include one of his stories when you write about this adventure. I will be grateful.’
‘The privilege is mine, Your Majesty.’
The emperor spoke to Yamashita-san in Japanese and then excused himself. The two of us then stepped away from the banquet and exchanged thoughts about our literary interests. Ideas transcended the barriers of language.
Akira Yamashita showed me his magnificent stories, a few of which we translated over the course of a couple of days together. Here was a man with a complex mind, seeking beauty and shunning the conventional in unusual ways. His work was remarkable and stunning, and my lack of knowledge of Japanese nuances did not make the impact any less. His writing spanned music and the arts and addressed every weakness of the human psyche in a manner I had not witnessed before. I am pleased to say that Holmes entirely agreed with me and applauded the unorthodox idea of including a story in the chronicles.
After much deliberation, I selected his powerful story “The Ghosts of Music”15 to be included in this chronicle. It will not detract from enjoying this book; rather, its beauty will give my story an additional hue of charm.
The emperor had earlier composed a much-admired Waka poem on friendship, which he wrote out in his own hand and presented to Sherlock Holmes on the occasion of our last meeting. The palace
-authorized official translation (not a very good one) runs thus:
To be friends
To show each another
Your faults
Is the true spirit
Of friendship
‘What next, Holmes, or should I say Holmes-san?’ I asked, resting at our lodgings a few days later, waiting for confirmation of our return journey on the North Star, which had docked in Yokohama. The two arriving Yakuza members had been immediately arrested to their surprise and discomfiture.
Holmes spent several minutes playing an extremely mournful Indian score on his violin. The wailing assailed my eardrums and I saw visions of Mr. Binayak Sen, the chortling Indian guru in Calcutta.
‘The detention of Mr. Sugiyama does not necessarily solve the issue. After his debriefing, I am certain he will be asked to commit suicide as an honourable means of closure. I fully expect that the emperor will follow my advice and send special envoys to seek out audiences with the heads of state of all European nations, with a personal letter from him expressing his deep mortification that elements in his kingdom actively conspired in illegal activities carried out in their territories. He will present the names of their officials as well, with the relevant proof needed to effect arrests.
‘But, as usual, we shall have to live with the spectre of Professor Moriarty’s presence in Europe. Yes, the Shanghai Triad’s European operations will be rooted out and many criminals will be arrested. I am quite sure that there will be no evidence linking Professor Moriarty to any of this. He is ahead of us in these matters, Watson, and we should respect him for that. He will view it as just another temporary inconvenience that I have created for him and will already be working out his next stratagem with renewed vigour.’
The large and cheerful Jiro Hamada entered with an excellent selection of sashimi and hot sake. He had recovered from the attempted poisoning and was his usual hearty self. He left the room and returned in a few minutes with a koto.
‘I present you with this, Holmes-san. You take back to England as memory of Japan and of me, your tomodachi—your friend.’
Sherlock Holmes was never a man to display emotion, but he held Hamada’s hand warmly. He accepted the koto with gratitude, holding the instrument respectfully and with care. He made an attempt to play it and produced a tune tolerably well. Then he bade good-bye to Hamada-san and shut the door.
‘Watson, before I forget…though news of these events will certainly trickle back in due course, let us remember that I am still considered missing by many in England. I wish to use that impression to my advantage for several months more. When the time comes and I reveal myself, please exert your histrionic abilities and pretend to be extremely shocked.’
‘By all means, Holmes.’
‘And now, Watson, my dear fellow, please do me a favour and write out an urgent wire to be dispatched in the morning.’
‘Yes, Holmes, what shall I say?’
‘Say this: Safe in Japan with Sherlock Holmes. Will return together on the next available voyage of the North Star.
‘Address it to Mrs. Mary Watson. You know where the telegram is to be delivered.’
14One was the case of the lost treaty between Brazil and Ecuador that would have plunged South America into its gravest crisis if not found. The second was the case of the treaty between Liechtenstein and Spain that would have resulted in questions being raised about the neutrality of the former state in the tensions prevailing at that time in the Mediterranean. In both cases, Sherlock Holmes had demanded and received carte blanche to operate on behalf of the states, and both matters were closed to everyone’s satisfaction, with the public entirely oblivious of the matter.
15See page 267.
Home
The Sensei in our village school said I was a fool because my
head was filled with useless facts. I know yours is filled
with the desire to know more. You wish to live
forever and be an eternal student. How wonderful!
I pray that your wish is granted.
Clara Bryant was detained in Shanghai. She was tried for multiple murders, found guilty, and sentenced to death. She was subsequently executed.
Hiroshi Sugiyama, the suave ambassador of Japan to Switzerland, identified as part of the nexus between the Diplomatic Services and the Yakuza, was persuaded to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge near Sagami Bay near the Buddha of Kamakura. This was found to be a better solution than subjecting him to a trial, which would have caused other sensitive matters to come to light.
Shamsher Singh, the fascinating aide to the maharajah of Patiala, kept up a lively correspondence with us. He was in touch with Holmes when the scandal pertaining to the proposed marriage of the maharajah with the daughter of his Irish horse-master broke out.
Sherlock Holmes was accorded the highest civilian award of Japan, the Red Ribbon, and I too was given an award, the Green Ribbon, which I believe I did not deserve at all. We were also made honorary citizens of Japan.
Yoshida-san resigned, accepting moral responsibility for having allowed the rot in the Diplomatic Services to reach such depths.
Sasaki-san became a votary for the increased use of science in intelligence-gathering. He convened a meeting of the Intelligence chiefs of several countries to exchange ideas and planted the seed for the establishment of an International Police Bureau. On Holmes’ suggestion, he sent an invitation to the Indian scientist Jagdish Chandra Bose to visit Tokyo; we have no idea whether he accepted.
Oshima-san retired three months after we left Japan. He was replaced by Masako Nohara. No one could find reason to object to the appointment of a woman of such sterling merit to the position of the director of Intelligence Research. I understand that she commissioned a portrait of Sherlock Holmes and had it hung in a prominent spot in the office to serve as a permanent reminder of the man.
Kasama-san and Takenaka-san were posthumously honoured for their service to Japan.
In the expected purge, all 138 Japanese diplomats who had become pawns of the Yakuza were withdrawn from Diplomatic Services and arrested for various crimes, including sedition. While some committed suicide through the complex ritual of disembowelment called seppuku, others were sentenced to life in prison and a very small number were executed (Takada-san, for example).
The Yakuza withdrew its personnel from Europe and terminated the arrangement with the Shanghai Green Gang Triad. I would imagine that the individuals involved were forced to undergo yet another ubitsume ceremony—or two.
Sherlock Holmes wrote a monograph called The Classical Music of India and thereafter another, The Japanese Koto—pentatonic musical possibilities for the Western string ensemble, both of which received critical acclaim from scholars across the world. He is applying finishing touches to another monograph, The Flora of the Malay Peninsula, and is spending time at the Reading Room of the British Museum researching some aspects of the rule of the Khmer King Jayavarman VII, who was the force behind Angkor Wat, the grand symbol of Cambodia. He has hinted at many more monographs to come, but I have chosen to ignore his threat.
Holmes has considered discontinuing the use of cocaine after the heartfelt pleas of Oshima-san. Holmes and the Indian scientist, Jagdish Chandra Bose, have maintained a vigorous personal correspondence. He has, to my consternation, also become a passionate votary of a vegetarian diet and spoken—persuasively, I understand—at the Royal Society.
Emperor Meiji took the advice of Sherlock Holmes and sent personal emissaries to all the heads of state in Europe where Japanese diplomats had operated in an offensive manner equivalent to subversion. He took full moral responsibility for the actions of his representatives, and explained in detail the various steps he had taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents as well as to reverse the damages that prior actions might have caused. As Holmes had guessed, after the initial outrage, the gesture was warmly apprecia
ted. Various European governments embarked on a purge of their own Diplomatic Services, guided by the proof supplied by the Japanese government; all seventy-nine identified diplomats were dismissed from service and arrested. Some were released because the proof was not conclusive. Some were hanged, others guillotined, and the rest sentenced to various terms in prison. Two of these diplomats were in Her Majesty’s Service, a matter that caused great embarrassment to us. In sum, a cathartic event played out in the diplomatic world, leading to stricter considerations in the selection of career diplomats and the creation of a stern and uncompromising code of diplomatic conduct, unofficially referred to as the Holmes Convention. The reader may possibly be familiar with this.
Akira Fujimoto, the former Yakuza member who visited Bodh Gaya, returned to the Kinkaku-ji temple in Kyoto to resume a life of spiritual enquiry. He took up the role of the late Hayashi-san and served as an able administrator at the temple.
Professor Moriarty vowed to continue his campaign against the majesty of the law. You may perhaps read about his subsequent battle of wits with Sherlock Holmes in the Case of the New York Counterfeiters, which I am presently documenting; much depends on the eccentricities of modern publishers, driven by lucre rather than good taste and outstanding writing such as this, but time will tell.
Our voyage back to Liverpool on the North Star was uneventful. We did not feel the need to disembark at Shanghai, Singapore, Bombay, Aden, Alexandria, or Marseilles. Holmes busied himself with drafting the many monographs I have referred to earlier, while I put together my notes on our experiences. Of course, he also spent time alternately playing the violin or the koto and became reasonably adept at the latter. I could not easily understand the mournful snatches of Indian music he would lapse into. The Japanese music seemed more meditative and pleasing when he played the koto correctly.
Captain Samuel Groves retired soon after our voyage. He informed the owners of the North Star that he had decided to become a beekeeper in Sussex South Downs, a prospect that Sherlock Holmes found intriguing and fascinating. Holmes himself became a beekeeper after his reluctant retirement several years later; they were to become neighbours and animatedly discussed the many fascinating traits of queen bees.16 Privately, Captain Groves told us that he had become a nervous wreck after that harrowing voyage, since he was unused to being a witness to heinous crimes and was attracted to a lifestyle that was entirely more predictable and soothing, where contact with fellow men would be significantly reduced.
Sherlock Holmes, The Missing Years, Japan Page 24
