About that time Ben came lumbering up the stairs to observe our maudlin ruminations. I watched as he settled himself near my feet with a grunt, then plopped his chin down on his paws.
"Well, your fairy tale about MITI may or may not be true. But that's water over the dam. Besides, who are we to be pointing a finger? The U.S. has done its share of tinkering with foreign governments, making the world safe for American shareholders."
"Hey, I make a profession of separating pious pronouncements from reality. I never take an official story at face value."
"Okay, so Noda says he's just playing the market. But if he's actually planning something else, then what is it?"
"Don't have the foggiest. Wish I did." He glanced at his watch. "But I do know duty's about to call. I'd better get uptown if I expect to have any female companionship for the apocalypse."
"Take it easy. Nobody flies on schedule anymore." I settled back into my chair and glanced up at the large Japanese screen I had mounted on the wall opposite. It was Momoyama, around 1600, the time when the most recent crowd of shoguns took over Japan. Against a gilded background was a fierce eagle, perched menacingly on a pine branch. The thing was so powerful I just kept the rest of the room bare; nothing else I owned could stand up to it. "You know, Henderson, the trouble with your pattern is that it doesn't quite fit this time. Shorting Treasury futures is not exactly going after an industry. So what's the new angle?"
"Damned good question." He stared at his glass, probably
wondering if one more for the road would impair his performance later on. I guess he concluded yes because he didn't budge. "Speaking of angles, what do you make of that sword business last week? Caused one hell of a flap in Japan, so I hear."
"Major event. That sword should tell us a lot about early Japanese metal technology. I've been trying to find out more about it, but nobody's talking. No pictures, anything." I reached over and gave Ben a pat. "Curious though. I think I remember Noda's mentioning that sword the night I met him. Eight hundred years ago, the emperor gets caught at sea and loses the imperial symbol. But he didn't breathe a word about having a project underway to locate it."
"Well, you're my Japan expert. What's it all about?"