Who can explain how these breakthroughs happen? They're always the result of standing off and viewing reality in a wholly new way.
With apologies, I've invoked some heavy names. But the point is, there are transcendental moments when a given set of circumstances is suddenly seen to fit more than one paradigm of how the universe functions.
Standing there looking at the silver case, Kenji Asano saw the apple fall from the tree. And I was only seconds behind him.
New insight number one: Something very fishy was going on with the Imperial Sword, something which would not necessarily stand the light of day. (On that one I was actually several seconds ahead.)
Number two: If the truth came out, Japan would be a laughingstock worldwide. Worse, His Imperial Majesty would have egg all over his Imperial face. As would Matsuo Noda. Hence the box, having served it's PR purpose, had to go.
Number three: The first two insights pointed to the very real possibility that Matsuo Noda had long since passed around the bend, sanity-wise. But whether he had or not, one thing was clear—that silver case contained everything we needed to nail Dai Nippon.
Who knew for sure what was in it. But Ken and I both realized at that instant the contents had to be pure dynamite.
What happened next I probably wouldn't have believed if I hadn't been standing there to witness it with my very own eyes. Kenji Asano was calmly extracting a Peace cigarette from the packet in his left breast pocket and inserting it in his mouth. Then his right hand came up and out of his thumbnail flared one of those wooden matches he liked so much.
"Asano-san, sumimasen." The senior staff man stepped forward and blurted out, "No smoking, please."
"Sorry," replied Asano, and he flicked the still burning match toward the waste bin there at the end of the table— which just happened to be piled high with the solvent pads they'd been using to scour the tsuba. A lab can be a dangerous place, and this one was no exception. A microsecond thereafter the floor was carpeted in flame.