Kusanagi by Clem Chambers

Akira.’
    â€˜This is Akira-san from the Imperial Archive. I’ve told him what we’ve found.’
    Brandon and Casey shook his hand. They smiled as best they could.
    â€˜Can I see?’ asked Akira.
    Brandon went to one of five heavy-looking bags and, with Casey’s help, hauled it onto the table, which appeared to groan under the weight.
    â€˜Careful,’ said Reece. ‘It’s kind of full.’
    Akira opened the zipper, fished inside and pulled out a long pencil-like piece of gold. He opened it out into a fan of golden fingers. ‘Wonderful,’ he said. He studied it closely. Then he put his hand back into the bag and pulled out a handful of coins. ‘Fourteenth century, only five known till now.’ He held out his palm. ‘Two of which you may have sold in Tokyo a few weeks ago.’ He smiled in a friendly way.
    He peered at the three SEALs. ‘I watched you these two days on the satellite. I almost sent a warship to greet you, but when I knew who you were, I thought, no, I shall come to greet them personally.’ He smiled.
    â€˜Thank you,’ said Reece.
    â€˜You see, this coin can come from only one ship and this one ship could only have sunk within three hundred miles along this coast, and only one set of divers has dived here in all these months.’
    â€˜I see,’ said Reece.
    â€˜That’s cool,’ said Brandon.
    Casey nodded.
    â€˜There will be much more like this to be recovered,’ said Akira.
    â€˜You bet,’ said Brandon.
    â€˜And I should think,’ said Akira, ‘that you will be handsomely rewarded.’ He smiled.
    They smiled back.
    â€˜That’s great,’ said Reece, sighing with relief inside.
    â€˜But,’ continued Akira, ‘I have to ask you a question.’
    â€˜Sure,’ said Reece, stiffening.
    â€˜All this treasure is wonderful and I am overjoyed that it is recovered but more important by far – by far – is the whereabouts of a box.’
    â€˜Box?’ said Reece.
    â€˜A gold box, about a metre wide.’
    Brandon looked at Casey, who stared at his feet.
    â€˜A box? What about a box?’ asked Reece.
    â€˜It has the picture of the sun rising over the shore and it is a very, very precious thing. Have you found it?’
    Reece looked into Akira’s eyes. Akira looked back into him.
    â€˜Yes,’ said Reece, as it dawned on him. The gold slab wasn’t a slab at all: it was a box. ‘Yes, we found it.’
    â€˜Is it here?’ asked Akira.
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Where is it?’
    Reece sagged a little.
    Akira grabbed his shoulder with his good hand. ‘As long as it is returned to the Emperor, you have nothing whatsoever to fear. Tell me everything and you will simply be thanked. It is almost miracle enough that it is recovered.’
    â€˜We’ve sent it to London.’
    â€˜Do not fear,’ said Akira, his face blank. ‘I will get it back.’ He flexed the fingers of his short hand. ‘But you must understand that if you do not help me correctly, the terrible things that will befall you will be not as bad as that which will befall me.’
    Reece looked into Akira’s eyes again. The guy was serious. Whatever they had found was deadly important. He had seen that serious intent before when their missions had held a large slice of suicide attached to them. Absolutely nothing was more important to this Japanese than the slab – the box – not even his own life. ‘You can trust me and what I’ve told you,’ said Reece.
    Akira bowed in acknowledgement.

  21  
    The doorbell rang. Stafford took a quick look at his iPhone. ‘Good Lord,’ he muttered.
    â€˜What is it?’ asked Jim.
    â€˜Davas –’ He corrected himself: ‘Mr Davas, sir. He’s at the door.’
    â€˜You have the doorbell on your iPhone?’
    â€˜Approximately,’ said Stafford, exiting.
    He