Red Shark

In Beijing, Admiral Shi Yunsheng greeted the latest decrypts from Admiral Chou’s North Sea Fleet headquarters with a mixture of puzzlement and annoyance. He considered: Commander Deng Zemin had a close encounter with a U.S. Navy Los Angeles-class submarine; next he located an American special-operations mini-submarine lurking off Matsu Shan but was driven off; he witnessed the deliberate torpedoing of Wu Chow Fat’s White Dragon, not with one torpedo but two, to ensure there were no survivors.

Shi squared the documents and laced his fingers on top of the pile. It was clear that a standoff between the United States and North Korea was about to spin out of control. If it did, the People’s Republic of China would be caught between two countries — one an outlaw nation, the other bent on the political and economic domination of the world — and both on a collision course that could set off a conflagration in East Asia and engulf the entire world.

Shi reached for the phone. “Connect me with President Yang.”

* * *

Kana Asuka bowed deeply as Tokugawa entered the room. Tokugawa returned the favor and said, “Please join me, Kana-san.

Tokugawa escorted Kana through the main room of his villa, past priceless works of Japanese art displayed on walls and in glass cabinets. He led her to a cozy dining area warmed by a stone brazier filled with glowing coals, and to a low table, surrounded by cushions, that had been set for two. From behind floor-to-ceiling glass the dining area gave onto formal outdoor gardens illuminated by stone lanterns spotted along white gravel paths. Located in Noda, a small city just north of Tokyo, the villa was a veritable museum filled with Tokugawa’s collection of priceless antique bronze sculpture, scrolls, lacquer work, and ceramics.

“The Iranian project was a great success,” Tokugawa said.

“I am glad that Mohammad Khatami is pleased with the arrangement.”

“And I am pleased that you have dealt with the matters needing immediate attention in such an efficient manner.”

Kana turned from admiring the garden and said, “I am always at your disposal, Tokugawa-san. It is my great pleasure to provide whatever service you request.”

Tokugawa gazed openly at Kana. She wore a man-tailored black silk suit with frog closures and Mandarin collar and had her hair drawn back in a tight bun that emphasized her flawless skin and makeup, her stunning beauty. Her grandfather, until his death, had been a business associate of Tokugawa’s. Tokugawa marveled at how much like him she was — intelligent, devoted, discreet, and always cautious.

A shoji screen slid open and an elderly man entered, carrying a tray of small covered dishes and glazed stoneware pots of warm saki. He arranged the food and drink to a prescribed fashion on the table, then withdrew.

“And the Japan Pacific War Veterans Association campaign, how does it progress?” Kana asked after a sip of rice wine taken from a paper-thin porcelain cup.

“Ah, we will soon undertake a media campaign to bring Japan’s — the world’s — attention to the forgotten deeds and sacrifices of our war heroes, men like my father and your grandfather. In their honor we will hold a rally at Yasukuni Shrine on the anniversary of the signing of the Pacific War peace treaty with the U.S.”

Kana inclined her head and smiled delicately. “Your loyalty to my family is a treasured resource. I value it above all things.”

After a short pause Tokugawa cleared his throat and with eyes sparkling said, “Your grandfather compared our heroes to the cherry blossoms of spring. He had a saying: ‘Better to fall to earth after a brief moment of glory than to bloom and wither with time.’ Our soldiers did not die in vain. They died for an emperor willing to risk his nation and his life for a cause he believed in.”

Kana nodded thoughtfully. “You asked me, Tokugawa-san, to undertake certain financial transactions. I do not presume to understand why you want me to do these things; I am only the instrument through which the transactions are consummated. However, I feel it is necessary to point out the enormous risks you will have assumed through these proposed actions in the financial and real estate markets.”

Tokugawa waved this aside. “I am fully aware of the risks. The portfolios, you have them with you?”