Sherlock grinned. “Set your mind at ease, Mr. Inoue. I have no intention of looking into your personal accounts, or reviewing your payments and deposits. After all, I believe your corruption has already come to light and you have since accepted your share of blame.”
“My blame?” Inoue frowned. “What exactly do you mean?”
“It is a weekday morning. Instead of departing for work you have fortified yourself at home, and are dressed in only a kimono. It is impressive that you possess the means to lead such an untroubled life even after having lost your position.”
Inoue glared at him. “Yes, now I remember. There was an impertinent child in the restaurant that day. He talked far too much.”
Ito laughed, evidently pleased. “You remember, then. No need to be so guarded, Inoue. Mr. Holmes is a friend. Mr. Holmes, Inoue has held government posts at various times over the years, just as you have surmised. Presently, he is taking a leave from government. But it is not because of finances. Inoue has been trying to revise the unequal treaties.”
“Is that so?” Sherlock asked.
Inoue sank down upon one of the sofas with a groan. “After becoming Minister of Foreign Affairs I proposed appointing foreign judges. Ito betrayed me.”
Ito appeared chagrined. “I wanted to avoid a divided cabinet. I thought you understood.”
Inoue snorted. “I’d thank you to refrain from attributing anything nefarious to my wealth,” he said, returning his attention to Sherlock and gesturing about the room. “Unlike Ito, I did not come from impoverished circumstances. I was attached to the Mori Clan, though I imagine that means little to you. Regardless, I came from noble lineage and therefore was quite comfortable to begin with.”
“Noble lineage?” Ito raised his eyebrows. “A mid-level samurai at best, I would say.”
Inoue grunted. “Ito, why are you here?”
“Russia is pressuring us for Tsuda’s execution again. Since you worked on the construction of the Rokumeikan, I believe you’ve enjoyed a strong relationship with the legation. You even boasted of having close friends there.”
“And you were hoping for inside information? I have a secret for you, then. Nicholas is aboard one of the warships moored in Daiba.”
“We already knew that.”
“You did?” Inoue seemed disappointed. “I haven’t heard anything else particularly interesting.”
Sherlock watched him carefully. “Do you have any idea why Nicholas has now returned in secret?”
“A pretext. They needed a port in Asia at which to dock. Nicholas’ attendants are currently secretly negotiating with King Rama V, of Siam. But Siam is an independent nation, not a colony of one of the Great Powers, meaning Russia cannot approach their ports on unofficial business. Though independent, Japan is more flexible and our harbors are conveniently located.”
“What are they negotiating?”
“Nothing very important. During Nicholas’ visit to Siam the Russians failed to take proper records, so they wish to see what the Siamese have recorded.”
“I see. I heard recently that the photographer hired by the Russian military forgot the arrangements.”
Inoue nodded. “Not only the photographer. The Russian delegation made a number of embarrassing mistakes.”
“After the older brother caught cold, and their most competent attendants were sent back to Russia?” Sherlock asked.
“Precisely. Their translator was inexperienced and there were a number of concerns as to whether or not Nicholas’ statements had been adequately conveyed to King Rama. Since this could affect diplomatic relations in the future, the Russians are hoping to compare Nicholas’ records with the Siamese and correct any inaccuracies.”
“Is that all? Then why should Tsarevich Nicholas be forced to wait aboard a warship in Japan?”
Inoue sighed. “While comparing records, there was apparently disagreement over what Nicholas may or may not have said. According to the Siamese records, when King Rama expressed his dissatisfaction at France’s establishment of the Kingdom of Luang Prabang as a protectorate, Nicholas agreed with him. The Russians, however, insisted that Nicholas had said nothing. There was also a disagreement over whether Nicholas had or had not said that tom yum kung was better than borscht.”
Sherlock laughed through his nose. “I doubt Nicholas himself is very concerned with correcting the record on such matters.”
“It does seem unlikely. Perhaps the Russian court is being overly cautious.”
A look of consternation had appeared on Ito’s face. “This is the reason that Tsarevich Nicholas has docked in our country?”
“Ostensibly. The trouble with Siam was likely just an excuse to mobilize their warships. Comparing records is hardly so important. By seizing on the blunders their delegation made in Siam, they have found an excuse to station their ships here. And they can claim, outwardly at least, they only took port here because Japan is a trustworthy country.”
“Are you saying that Russia hopes to cause trouble for Japan while evading international notice and interference from other countries?”
“In all likelihood. In particular, they’d probably want to avoid any meddling from the British legation. They are rivals in the Far East, after all.”
It was a persuasive theory. It would explain why Ambassador Shevich and Lt. Colonel Kanevsky had been so guarded before, and had accused Sherlock of being a spy.
This meant that after the attack on Nicholas at Otsu, Russia had already resolved to take a hard stance against Japan. But they pretended to withdraw at first in order to avoid British opposition. They accepted Sanzo Tsuda’s original sentence only in order to deceive the other Western powers as they tightened the screw in secret. Was that the situation here?
But there were several witnesses on the Russian side who attested that Nicholas’ initial gratitude toward Japan had not been false. At the very least, Nicholas felt an affection for Japan that had not been significantly altered immediately after the incident. To the bewilderment of even his attendants, however, he now referred to the Japanese as yellow monkeys. How much was genuine feeling on Nicholas’ part, and how much a Russian conspiracy?
Ito crossed his arms. “Is there no one in our cabinet who has influence with the Russians? Someone from our side who could speak openly with someone from their side?”
Inoue leaned back against the sofa. “No one with the military. They are hostile. The only possibility I can think of is Munemitsu Mutsu, the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce.”
“Mutsu has connections to the Russians?”
“There is a book that the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce has been desperate to acquire for some time. The Complete Work on Russian Natural Sciences. It covers the latest research in fields from meteorology and geological science to natural philosophy, biology, earth sciences, astronomy and so on.”
“Yes,” Ito nodded. “I have heard of the book before. When I was Prime Minister, the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce mentioned it frequently.”
“Is natural science that important?” Sherlock inquired.
“We immersed ourselves rapidly in Western technology,” replied Ito. “And after technology we moved onto economic systems, and then to medicine. But we have put off developing the natural sciences.”
“Why not simply invite advisors from Britain? Or from some other Western country?”
“You misunderstand. What we want are Russia’s research results. Europe and America are far away from us, and their geographic conditions differ greatly. Russia possesses research facilities in China and has collected steady data from them. That data is included in The Complete Work on Russian Natural Sciences. Right now, Japan suffers flood damage each time a typhoon hits, and earthquakes are a serious threat. Heavy rains or droughts could endanger our food stores. It is vital that we deepen our knowledge of the natural environment.”