He was taller than McFay and clearly hated him.
When the cheers died down, like a judge delivering a sentence, Sir William said: “This is what will happen. First, there will be no attack tonight and—”
Cries of “Resign!” “We’ll do it ourselves, by God!” “Come on, let’s go after the bastards …”
“We can’t, not without troops …”
“Quiet and listen, by God!” Sir William shouted. “If anyone is stupid enough to go against Hodogaya tonight he’ll have to answer to our laws as well as Japanners. IT IS FORBIDDEN! Tomorrow I will formally demand—demand—that at once the Bakufu, and Shōgun, tender a formal apology, at once hand over the two murderers for trial and hanging, and at once pay an indemnity of one hundred thousand pounds or accept the consequences.”
A few cheered, most did not, and the meeting broke up with a surge to the bar, many of the men already near blows as arguments became more drunken and more heated. McFay and Dmitri shoved their way out into the open air. “My God, that’s better.” McFay eased off his hat and mopped his brow.
“A word, Mr. McFay?”
He turned and saw Greyforth. “Of course.”
“In private, if you please.”
McFay frowned, then moved over the semideserted promenade along the wharfs and seafront, away from Dmitri, who was not in Struan’s but traded through Cooper-Tillman, one of the American companies. “Yes?”
Norbert Greyforth dropped his voice. “What about Hodogaya? You’ve two ships here, we’ve three, and between us lots of bully boys, most lads in the merchant fleet’d join us, we’ve arms enough and we could bring a cannon or two. John Canterbury was a good friend, the Old Man liked him, and I want him revenged. What about it?”
“If Hodogaya was a port I wouldn’t hesitate, but we can’t raid inland. This isn’t China.”
“You afraid of that pipsqueak in there?”
“I’m not afraid of anyone,” McFay said carefully. “We can’t mount a successful raid without regular troops, Norbert, that’s not possible. I want revenge more than any.”
Greyforth made sure no one was listening. “Since you brought it up tonight and we don’t talk too often, we’ve heard there’s going to be bad trouble here soon.”
“The revolt?”
“Yes. Very bad trouble for us. There’s been all sorts of signs. Our silkdealers have been acting right smelly the last month or two, upping the price of bulk raw, delaying deliveries, slow on payments and wanting extra credits. I’ll bet it’s the same with you.”
“Yes.” It was rare for the two men to talk business.
“Don’t know much more than that, except many of the signs are the same as in America that led to civil war. If that happens here it’s going to bugger us proper. Without the fleet and troops we’re bitched and we can be wiped out.”
After a pause, McFay said, “What do you propose?”
“We’ll have to wait and see what happens. With Wee Willie’s plan I don’t hope for much, like you. The Russian was right about what should be done. Meanwhile …” Greyforth nodded out to sea where two of their clippers and merchantmen lay in the roads—clippers still much faster back to England than steamers, paddle-driven or screw-driven…“We’re keeping all our inner ledgers and specie aboard, we’ve increased our levels of gunpowder, shot, shrapnel and put in an order for two of the brand-new Yankee 10-barrel Gatling machine guns as soon as they are available.”
McFay laughed. “The hell you have—so did we!”
“We heard that too, which is why I made the order, and twice as many of the new rifles than your shipment.”
“Who told you, eh? Who’s your spy?”
“Old Mother Hubbard,” Greyforth said dryly. “Listen, we all know these inventions, along with metal cartridges, have changed the course of war—that’s proved already by the casualties at the battles of Bull Run and Fredericksburg.”
“Shocking, yes. Dmitri told me, said the
When the cheers died down, like a judge delivering a sentence, Sir William said: “This is what will happen. First, there will be no attack tonight and—”
Cries of “Resign!” “We’ll do it ourselves, by God!” “Come on, let’s go after the bastards …”
“We can’t, not without troops …”
“Quiet and listen, by God!” Sir William shouted. “If anyone is stupid enough to go against Hodogaya tonight he’ll have to answer to our laws as well as Japanners. IT IS FORBIDDEN! Tomorrow I will formally demand—demand—that at once the Bakufu, and Shōgun, tender a formal apology, at once hand over the two murderers for trial and hanging, and at once pay an indemnity of one hundred thousand pounds or accept the consequences.”
A few cheered, most did not, and the meeting broke up with a surge to the bar, many of the men already near blows as arguments became more drunken and more heated. McFay and Dmitri shoved their way out into the open air. “My God, that’s better.” McFay eased off his hat and mopped his brow.
“A word, Mr. McFay?”
He turned and saw Greyforth. “Of course.”
“In private, if you please.”
McFay frowned, then moved over the semideserted promenade along the wharfs and seafront, away from Dmitri, who was not in Struan’s but traded through Cooper-Tillman, one of the American companies. “Yes?”
Norbert Greyforth dropped his voice. “What about Hodogaya? You’ve two ships here, we’ve three, and between us lots of bully boys, most lads in the merchant fleet’d join us, we’ve arms enough and we could bring a cannon or two. John Canterbury was a good friend, the Old Man liked him, and I want him revenged. What about it?”
“If Hodogaya was a port I wouldn’t hesitate, but we can’t raid inland. This isn’t China.”
“You afraid of that pipsqueak in there?”
“I’m not afraid of anyone,” McFay said carefully. “We can’t mount a successful raid without regular troops, Norbert, that’s not possible. I want revenge more than any.”
Greyforth made sure no one was listening. “Since you brought it up tonight and we don’t talk too often, we’ve heard there’s going to be bad trouble here soon.”
“The revolt?”
“Yes. Very bad trouble for us. There’s been all sorts of signs. Our silkdealers have been acting right smelly the last month or two, upping the price of bulk raw, delaying deliveries, slow on payments and wanting extra credits. I’ll bet it’s the same with you.”
“Yes.” It was rare for the two men to talk business.
“Don’t know much more than that, except many of the signs are the same as in America that led to civil war. If that happens here it’s going to bugger us proper. Without the fleet and troops we’re bitched and we can be wiped out.”
After a pause, McFay said, “What do you propose?”
“We’ll have to wait and see what happens. With Wee Willie’s plan I don’t hope for much, like you. The Russian was right about what should be done. Meanwhile …” Greyforth nodded out to sea where two of their clippers and merchantmen lay in the roads—clippers still much faster back to England than steamers, paddle-driven or screw-driven…“We’re keeping all our inner ledgers and specie aboard, we’ve increased our levels of gunpowder, shot, shrapnel and put in an order for two of the brand-new Yankee 10-barrel Gatling machine guns as soon as they are available.”
McFay laughed. “The hell you have—so did we!”
“We heard that too, which is why I made the order, and twice as many of the new rifles than your shipment.”
“Who told you, eh? Who’s your spy?”
“Old Mother Hubbard,” Greyforth said dryly. “Listen, we all know these inventions, along with metal cartridges, have changed the course of war—that’s proved already by the casualties at the battles of Bull Run and Fredericksburg.”
“Shocking, yes. Dmitri told me, said the
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