“He would have killed me if he could,” Phil said in a low voice, pressing Helen’s hand thankfully. “I saw that in his eyes.”
At the park entrance the party gathered in the growing darkness.
“Taki,” Phil said, stepping up to his friend’s side, and taking his outstretched hand, “now that you know that Impey has misled your government in supposing that the United States will seize the Chinese ships, cannot Captain Inaba be recalled by wireless, if he has indeed sailed? The situation would be much clearer if he were back in Japan.”
Takishima’s face showed marked surprise as he asked:
“How do you know that Captain Inaba has sailed, and what his mission is?”
“I don’t,” Phil replied quietly, smiling inwardly at Taki’s betrayal, “but Impey told me he was sure he had gone to seize the ships.”
“Whatever has been ordered by our Emperor cannot be altered,” Takishima hastened to say, “but I hope that better understanding between our countries will soon come after the part Impey has played becomes known to both governments.”
“If your Emperor could be convinced that the United States had no intention of obtaining the Chinese ships,” Phil asked eagerly, “would he have wanted to obtain them for Japan?”
“I am sure he would not,” Takishima replied readily. “The price asked is enormous, much more than it would cost to build them in my own country.”
The party was breaking up; most of them had climbed into their jinrikishas, and were waiting upon the two in absorbed conversation.