“There is no honor in treating with barbarians.”

  Hirohito stared at Umezu, who glared back. The others held their breath to see what would happen.

  “No?” the emperor asked. “We slay women and children in our conquered territories, and we call ourselves civilized?”

  “They were round-eyes. They were sub-human.”

  “And what of those of our people who lived in Hawaii? Did we not slay them also?”

  “They supported the enemy. They were traitors to our race.”

  Hirohito frowned and looked down at the table. He used an index finger to trace the elaborate inlay in the walnut. Finally, he looked up at Umezu.

  “You do not represent the will of the people, and you do not represent the wishes of the throne.”

  The general stood. “Then you do not legitimately belong on the throne.”

  Umezu walked over to the double doors and pulled them open. He looked in surprise at the imperial guards who stood in front of him. He turned back to Hirohito.

  “What have you done with my guards?”

  “Your guards were not invited to this meeting, Yoshijiro-san. Our Imperial Guards are sufficient to place you under arrest for treason.”

  “I think not.”

  Umezu pulled his Nambu pistol from its holster and aimed it towards the emperor. There was a whistle of a blade, and the gun and his hand dropped to the floor. The general stared dumbly at the blood spurting from the stump of his arm.

  “See to his arm,” Hirohito ordered. “We need him alive and well for the trial.”

  The emperor turned to Jo limura. “Where does your allegiance lie, General?”

  limura stood and faced the emperor. He then bowed low. “I serve the emperor.”

  “You are a wise man. Please deliver a message to those who followed General Umezu. The policies enacted by Prime Minister Yamamoto and Foreign Minister Shigemitsu were accomplished at Our direction, and Prime Minister Konoe serves at Our pleasure. We take no pleasure in having to discipline those who are misinformed or misdirected. But, Our will is to be obeyed.”

  Limura bowed again. “Of course, Your Majesty. I will make sure the message is delivered.”

  “Minister Oikawa, how stands the Navy?”

  The Navy Minister immediately jumped to his feet. “Your Majesty, the Navy stands behind you without question.”

  “Thank you. Please be seated again. We have much to accomplish today.”

  The group in the room now paid close attention to Hirohito. Before the meeting, there was speculation in the government as to where precisely the emperor stood concerning the treaty with the Americans. There was no question, now, and word would spread rapidly around Tokyo.

  “What are the immediate problems we must solve?” the emperor asked.

  “An American submarine was damaged in a collision and sought to dock in Sasebo for repairs, and the military commander refused them.”

  “Can we reverse that decision?” Hirohito asked.

  “They have already sailed, presumably for Subic Bay in the Philippines,” Konoe responded.

  “Then Minister Shigemitsu must meet with the Americans as soon as possible and abase himself. We will not describe it as anything other than someone representing a renegade group of officers who we are now dealing with.”

  “Of course, Your Majesty,” Shigemitsu immediately replied.

  “What else presents a burning need?” Hirohito asked.

  “All Americans representing their government in Japan have been confined to their quarters.”

  “Have there been attempts to release the interned fleet back to the Navy?”

  “No, Your Majesty,” Oikawa replied. The Navy has been supporting the government and its commitments.”

  “That is good. Now we must discuss how to release the Americans to their tasks, with appropriate apologies, of course.”

  “Many of these installations are currently guarded by army people,” Konoe stated. “Perhaps we should use the Navy Shore Patrol to ensure things go smoothly.”

  “If I may suggest an alternative,” limura spoke. “If we send Naval personnel in, the Army may treat it as a challenge. Please allow me to select a group of Army officers that are loyal to the throne, and they will be able to accomplish this task without conflict.”

  “I assume you know who those officers would be?” Hirohito asked dryly.

  Limura blushed. “We know who they are. Let me correct that. I know who they are. After all, I am now a part of that group.”

  “I am gratified that you understand,” the emperor said. “Please make it so. If we cause the Americans to lose trust in us, they may well go back to war, and it would be the end of our nation.”

  The meeting continued as Hirohito worked through items with which he was personally concerned. Finally, he adjourned the meeting.

  “Prime Minister Konoe, please remain behind.”

  “Of course, Your Majesty.”

  After the others left, Hirohito rose from his chair and walked over to Konoe.

  “We are forced to take a much more active role than we prefer,” the emperor began.

  “I understand, Your Majesty.”

  “Please do not interpret this as any lack of confidence in you, Prime Minister. But, things are balanced on a knife-edge. We have come a great distance and sacrificed much to arrive at our current position, and we cannot allow things to become disordered. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Majesty.”

  “The people and the Army, in particular, must understand that you speak for Us. We have allowed too much diversity of opinion in the past. That must stop. The military must submit itself to its civilian masters. And the civilian government must be responsible to the House of Representatives. And the emperor must safeguard the government.”

  “What would you desire, Majesty?” Konoe asked.

  “You must take a firm hand to ensure the government functions as intended. You must ruthlessly suppress those who rebel against our direction. I believe if you act quickly and decisively, we can eliminate those in the military who seek to impose their will over the country.”

  “I will do my best, Majesty.”

  “I know you will. And you must succeed.”

  § § §

  July 22,1944; 8 PM

  Rainer Apartment

  3 Rheinstrasse

  Frankfurt, Germany

  “And how was your day, My Dear,” Karl Rainer asked.

  “Working for a business is different than working in the government,” Misty Rainer said. “Although the politics do not differ much.”

  “You have politics already? Your father opened the offices here only last month.”

  “It’s the people who constantly try to pit me against Cliff that raise my blood pressure.”

  “But, why should that be?” he asked. “Clifford Pence is the managing director of the organization.”

  “That is correct,” she said with a smile. “But I am the daughter of the owner and am married to the Reichsprotektor, and they believe that trumps Cliff’s authority.”

  “Was it a mistake for you to go to work for your father’s firm?”

  “There was little else I could have done,” she replied. “We know why I couldn’t remain in the embassy. And working for the Reich government was out of the question, too. Plus, the family business will fall to me in perhaps thirty or forty years if we are fortunate and Daddy lives a long time.”

  “What will you do when we move back to Berlin?”

  “We will open an office there. Pence will move to Berlin and appoint a staff to maintain this office.”

  “Is there enough business to support two offices?” Rainer asked.

  “Daddy thinks so. The German economy has remained strong despite the war. So there is a need for investment banking services. The office in London has been suffering, though.”

  “Will he close that office?”

  “I doubt it. No offense, Karl, but London will likely remain the center for banking in Europe. Frankfurt shows surprising strength, but there’s a long tradition in the City of London.”

  They sat together on the sofa in the small living room. After the desperate move from Berlin to Frankfurt, Karl had leased two adjoining apartments because of his housing staff. A two-bedroom flat wasn’t sufficient for the Reichsprotektor, though that was all that was available during those harried days. Businesses and parts of the government were migrating back to Berlin now, so more housing was on the market. But, Rainer believed he and Misty would be moving to his house in Berlin by the first of the year, so there was no point in looking for something else right now.

  “That was an enjoyable dinner, Misty,” he said. “I have no idea how you were able to work today and still come home and put it together.”

  “Careful planning,” she said with a smile. “I enjoy having the SS staff prepare our meals, but sometimes a girl has got to show off for her man.”

  “And you do it so well. I think I like American food.”

  “As in food cooked by an American, correct?”

  He laughed. “Are you telling me that I wouldn’t find food like that in America? Let me correct that. Not of that quality.”

  “Very wise, mein Herr,” she said, arching her eyebrows. “I think I’m a pretty good cook, but where I grew up, there were a lot of good cooks, and Mama could outdo me without any trouble at all.”

  “I wish I could have met your mother. She must’ve been quite a lady.”

  “I miss her. She was only forty when she passed, and Daddy was devastated.”

  “And he hasn’t remarried.”

  Misty nodded sadly. “He told me he still compares any woman he meets with Mama, and none come close. He claims he’s happier with his memories of her.”

  “What was she like?”

  “You would have liked her. She was almost German in her manner and very no-nonsense.”

  “But you are said to be like your father,” he commented.

  “I am. I am the one with business sense. Mama raised me. I had no brothers, so I decided to follow Daddy.”

  “But how did you end up in government?”

  “I was recruited from Columbia University when I graduated. I didn’t know it at the time, but Director Donovan knew Daddy and arranged things. Donovan swears I made it on my own. He just provided the introductions.”

  “I somehow suspect you did make it on your own,” Karl commented. “You are formidable.”

  “At least I don’t have to put up with Gordie Smoke anymore.”

  “Was that the only reason you married me?”

  “Of course not. But it was a factor.”

  He saw the glint in her eye before he started to react, fortunately. So, he shook his fist at her.

  “And how was your day, Darling?” she asked sweetly.

  He laughed. “About what you would expect. Germans who expect me to tell them exactly what to do and how to do it. And the ones who finally understand that they need to make decisions on their own are the ones I wouldn’t trust to fly a single plane Luftwaffe formation.”

  “I guess you have the equivalent of non-commissioned officers in the SS,” She commented.

  “Oh, yes,” he exclaimed, “they are the ones who keep the organization running.”

  “Put some of them in charge,” she suggested.

  “Then the senior people would quit. It would be unmoglich.”

  “Daddy told me one time that nobody is irreplaceable. The pain of getting rid of somebody is less than putting up with them for months or years.”

  Karl sighed. “Maybe I should hire your father.”

  She laughed. “That would be interesting.”

  The conversation continued for a while and then turned serious.

  “When will we return to Berlin?”

  “Rommel has almost completely destroyed the Russian forces in Silesia. It looks like Stalin is trying to gather another army, but it will be months before it will be of consequence. We are working to prevent it from ever mattering.”

  “When will he give it up?” she asked.

  “When he is dead, I suppose. Nothing else makes any sense. I’ve been hoping that somebody smart in the Kremlin will take care of the problem for us. So far that doesn’t seem to have happened.”

  “It may be too bad that we have Khrushchev,” she said. “He seemed to have the necessary chutzpah to take out Stalin. He disposed of Beria.”

  “We are getting ready to release Khrushchev and Smirnoff in the East. If they can turn Ukraine into a buffer between Russians and us, it may solve our problems for a generation.”

  “Not more?”

  “Who knows what the world will look like in forty years?”

  “There is that,” she commented.

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  July 26, 1944; 8 AM

  United States Naval Base

  Subic Bay

  Philippine Islands

  Captain Alan Carper watched from the conning tower of the USS Essen as the submarine glided into the harbor. As they came around the point, the superstructure of the sub tender, USS Fulton, came into view. Carper thought it was the sweetest sight he had encountered. It meant he could now fly his flag as the Station Commander (Submarines) in the Philippines, but also that they could effect repairs on the conning tower and masts of the Essen.

  The weather had remained good during the entire voyage from Sasebo, so it wasn’t particularly perilous. But the crews of the new-build U-Boats preferred to spend as little time as possible on the surface. They had succeeded in their mission to explore Vladivostok's inner harbor, despite the collision with an admiral’s barge.

  It looked like the docks were intact, so the Essen didn’t have to use a mooring buoy. The sailors on the pier looked crisp and efficient as they handled the lines. Carper signaled done with engines. He climbed down to the control room where Jolly had prepared the logs.

  “How do things look onshore?” Rogers asked.

  “The docks are still there. The Fulton’s there, and I need to get over and read myself in. You probably should go through normal channels to get your repairs started. Oh, and as of this moment, you are in command of the Essen.”

  “Aye, aye, Skipper. We need to announce it to the boat.”

  “Of course.”

  The United States Navy not only floated on a sea of paper, but it was also armored with tradition. Carper could not simply go aboard the Fulton and say, “Here I am.” He had to verbally read his orders and assume command of the station formally. Once the crews were informed of the command changes, the clerks got busy with the paperwork so that everything would be in order. Carper thought that the Germans had nothing over the Americans in that regard.

  Commander Les Aspin skippered the Fulton. Given the circumstances, he would be addressed as Captain, and Carper would be addressed as Commodore.

  “I’ve got a crew headed over to the Essen as we speak,” Aspin said. “We need to find out if we can make repairs from the ship’s resources. We don’t have much otherwise here.”

  “The Japs clean us out?”

  “Not intentionally, Sir. But they did a lot of repair work. The facilities are in decent shape, but there is honestly not much to work with.”

  “Whatever you can do, Rogers will appreciate it.”

  “What are your instructions for me, Sir?” Aspin asked.

  “I’ll need a briefing on your activities here and what you have done to support submarine operations out of Subic. Then I will want to inspect the ship and your shops.”

  “Of course, Sir. One of my aggressive young lieutenants has put together the briefing, and he is dying to perform for you.”

  Carper rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Is there a lesson you would like me to teach him, Les?”

  “I think you’ll figure it out pretty soon.”

  “I’ll take your word for it.”

  “The briefing should have all the information you need, though. If I might ask, what happened in Japan?”

  “As you know, Yamamoto is dead, and they have a new government. We tried to go into Sasebo for repairs, but the Japanese wouldn’t let us port. I decided to go ahead and make for Subic since that’s where we were headed anyway. We were a day out, and I got a radio message that the Japs had changed their minds. I didn’t feel like going back.”

  “Coming down here on the surface was risky, Sir.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Carper replied. “I was terrified we’d get run over by a typhoon. But we were out of choices, and I wasn’t sure what to expect if we went back to Japan. We could have been stuck there for months waiting for parts, and the Admiral wanted me here. How’s your crew?”

  “I’ve got the best sub tender in the fleet, and I’m being honest, Sir. If they can figure out a way to repair the Essen, they’ll get it done.”

  “That’s good,” Carper commented. “Are we going to have to rebuild all the shops here along with everything else?”

  Aspin nodded. “I made a walking inspection of our command area. The Japs didn’t trash it when they left, but they didn’t take care of it while they were here, either. They didn’t seem to try to murder everybody in Olongapo for some reason, so a lot of our native labor is showing up again. And the Flips are as good as anybody in the Navy. I think we’ll be back in business a lot faster than anybody expects.”

  “That’s good news, then. Because if we don’t get things under control in Tokyo, we’re going to need this base.”

  “What are your expectations, Sir?”

  Carper thought for a moment. “Let’s get the briefing and the inspection out of the way and then we’ll sit down and talk. Have you met Admiral Lockwood?”

  “No, Sir. He has a reputation, though.”

  “And it’s well earned. To put it simply, our job out here is to make the admiral happy.”

  “That means we have to make the sub drivers happy.”

  “You got it.”

  § § §

  July 27, 1944; 9 AM

  Stalin’s Meeting Room