Ito told Sherlock that this building was known as Meiji Palace. It measured 5,800 tsubo in area, which was some 4.7 acres in British measurements. The palace consisted of three sections—the main hall, for courtly functions; the inner rooms where the Emperor engaged in government matters; and the Imperial Residences, which served as the Emperor’s home. Each section was connected to the next. A separate building, joined to the palace by a covered corridor, was reserved for the Imperial Household Agency.
Near the entrance Sherlock saw an opulent carriage porch, with a traditional Japanese gabled roof. Their carriage, however, came to a halt to the right of the door, rather than directly in front of the entrance. Ito explained that the porch was reserved for guests of state and diplomatic envoys.
Once they alighted, a contingent of servants, ranging from guards to what must have been staff, bowed toward them in perfect unison. Sherlock and Ito began walking forward. The carriage porch was a detached building, the interior of which was exquisitely decorated with Western ornamentations. Once through the carriage porch was an inner courtyard, across which awaited the massive main palace building.
When they entered the palace, Sherlock observed that though it, too, was traditionally Japanese in style, it housed a huge Western hall painted in brilliant dizzying colors, with a raised, two-story ceiling. Though it was as splendid as the Palace of Versailles itself, the ceiling mural was in fact designed in Japanese patterns. The hall had wooden floors and the fixtures were Western in style, but the interior was decorated with an eclectic mix of Japanese and Western ornaments. Even the chandelier had an Oriental charm. The space was very exotic.
Even when describing Western rooms, the Japanese calculated floor space according to how many tatami mats might fit inside. The audience chamber, Sherlock heard, was 160 mats in size. The Eastern and Western tomari-no-ma—or waiting chambers—each measured 175 mats in size.
Around two dozen men in frock coats and tails stood in conversation inside the Eastern waiting chamber. They all looked to be in at least their forties. As Ito entered, they immediately turned their heads to attention and bowed deeply. Ito spoke to them in Japanese and the men resumed their conversation. No one paid Sherlock any special notice, just as Ito had predicted. He could not help but remark to himself that Ito had certainly become a man of stature.
“Are they the other lords of the Privy Council?” Sherlock inquired.
“Yes,” Ito answered him in English. “Though it would be more accurate to refer to them as counselors. In addition to the counselors there is a vice-chairman, a chief secretary, and three additional secretaries. The council was formed to deliberate on the drafting of the constitution. It has immense influence in the government.”
“Then in a sense perhaps the head of the Privy Council is even more powerful than the Prime Minister.”
“No. I sit third at court. That is one place lower than when I was Prime Minister. But now that the constitution has been successfully announced, I hope to return to my former glory.”
But something seemed off. If the council was in session surely a table would have been prepared. Still, this was no mere social gathering. None of the counselors were smiling. They were engaged in what seemed to be an earnest discussion.
“Mr. Ito,” he whispered. “Has something happened?”
“Nothing in particular. It has already been dealt with. Do not worry yourself.”
Just then a man, who appeared to be a member of the staff, rushed into the room, his face pale. He shouted something in Japanese and the room went silent. The expressions on the men’s faces grew stony. The air grew thick.
Ito sighed, and called out to several men in Japanese. The men he picked out were quick to shout, “Hai!” and gather around Ito. He turned back toward the main hall and they marched with him. There were five men in total, likely the vice-chairman, chief secretary, and secretaries of the Privy Council whom Ito had mentioned earlier. Sherlock accompanied them.
The group exited into the courtyard. Two Western men were walking toward them. One was in his fifties, with grey hair and a round face that sported a beard even fuller than Ito’s. He wore a frock coat with a stiff collar and gold buttons. The other man was a Russian officer, dressed in a white military uniform. He looked to be a few years younger than the man in the frock coat. Both men had their mouths set in hard lines.
The vice-chairman and other council members stood to the side in a row, their presences visibly subdued. Sherlock joined them. Ito alone walked forward to meet the two guests.
As soon as the man in the frock coat caught sight of Ito he began haranguing him in heavily accented English. “Chairman Ito! How long must we wait before you answer us in good faith?”
Ito replied in conciliatory tones. “My deepest apologies, but we ask that you please give us a little while longer. It is taking longer than expected to reach our opinion.”
The officer snorted. “As soon as that foolish judgment was handed down you should have begun an immediate retrial. Surely such a serious incident between our two countries demands an immediate response.”
“Of course,” Ito began agreeing. “You are absolutely correct. However, in our constitution, the judiciary is a separate branch from the Privy Council—”
The man in the frock coat broke in. “Chairman, did you not agree with us that Sanzo Tsuda should be executed? You say that the judiciary is a separate branch, but Japan remains an imperfect nation. We know that the legislature is at least swayed by the Privy Council. Do not tell me that you cannot exert that same influence over the judiciary.”
What was this? For the first time in many ages Sherlock sensed a game afoot. The council vice-chairman and his four colleagues only looked on in silence. It seemed they did not understand English. Ito had been left to deal with the two Russians alone. Two against one hardly seemed fair play. Perhaps he might be of assistance…
“Ambassador Shevich Dmitry Yegorovich, good morning. It is an honor to meet you.”
Ito turned toward Sherlock, his eyes wide. The two Russian men also seemed taken aback.
Shevich stared. “An Englishman? Who are you? How do you know me?”
“You are generally well known, but in truth I only know of you from what I have read in the papers. It is clear from your deportment that you come from nobility, and in addition to Russian I also detected an Italian and Swedish accent in your English. The Shevich line is a long and distinguished one. And as a diplomat, I am certain that you have served in Rome and Naples, as well as Sweden.”
“What’s this?” said Shevich, his expression growing increasingly stern. “You speak as if this is something you have only now surmised, but as you are accompanying Prime Minster Ito I wonder if you are not a spy from the British legation. The Japanese government has gone crying for help and Ambassador Hugh Fraser sent you, hasn’t he!”
In a panic, Ito attempted to reason with the ambassador. “This is a misunderstanding. This gentleman is here to advise me on a completely separate matter.”
“Taking advantage of your breakfast appointment with Prime Minister Masayoshi Matsukata in order to assault Chairman Ito with these questions is hardly becoming conduct for a man of nobility such as yourself,” Sherlock reproved Shevich. “Nor do I commend your bringing Lieutenant Colonel Kanevsky with you like a guard dog, to intimidate your hosts. Japan had no military men present at the meal. Using a show of force to personally intimidate the Prime Minister of another nation does seem uncouth, does it not?”