From: "Naga" Hiya, minna. Thought this story is dead and buried, is it? Or maybe it's the author that's RIP ^_^;;. Anyway, here's chapter 5. The next one will be out soon. Thanks a lot to Risu-chan and Miss Led for bearing up with me and pointing out mistakes for these 2 chapters, and Serizawa Kamo, you're a real walking encyclopedia of Japan ^___^. And thanks to my friend Miss Led and Lady Amalthea, DSBL has a home now! For previous chapters, go to Miss Led's Fan-fiction page : http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Fuji/7081/Welcome.htm and Lady Amalthea's T.e.a.h.o.u.s.e : http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Teahouse/6196/ (thanks a gazillion, both of you!) ================== Disclaimer : This fanfic is based on Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki. I'm not getting paid for this (I wish!) and no copyright infringement was intended. And please don't sue because I'm just a poor student. Now that that's taken care of... =================== ** is emphasis {} is thoughts This story is set in Bakumatsu 1865, a few months after Tomoe died. So it's a story of Himura Kenshin's time when he is still Hitokiri Battousai. Some possible spoilers for Revenge arc and the Tsuioku OAV. C&C will be gobbled up by the starving author ^__^. =================== The Darkest Shadows, The Brightest Lights by Naga Chapter 5 - Alliance The British Consulate had definitely seen better days. The solid timber wall surrounding the embassy compound was soot-blackened in numerous places, some of the damage obviously new. The acrid tang of fire and charred wood still lingered in the air. There were spots on the ground where long wet smears looked as if heavy things had been dragged through the dirt. Things like bodies. It was all distressingly familiar to Lawrence Rutherford. As their carriages rattled through wrought-iron gates of the compound, past the rough barricade erected behind it and the heavy complement of armed guards, Lawrence was uncomfortably reminded of Shanghai during the worst of the anti-foreigner strikes. He sighed. {And it's only the first day.} As he stepped out of the carriage, Lawrence swept a look around the compound. The wide open courtyard was littered with burnt-out torches and broken pieces of debris, but the main building itself looked untouched, thankfully. The two side wings that extended to the back of the compound also looked fine. It would seem that whatever it was that had happened did not get past the gates. He turned to meet a guard who was hurrying towards their little group. "What happened here?" The young man had dark streaks across his face and his uniform was rumpled. Bags under his eyes attested to a long night without sleep. "A riot, sir. Hooligans burning everything and beating up people, damn them...sorry, sir," he apologized lamely. "That's alright. Your name is...?" The guard saluted a bit awkwardly, "First Lieutenant Brighton, sir. We've been expecting you, Sir Hawthorne is in his office inside. They are about to leave to meet our Japanese liaison, someone called Matsudaira. I suppose he is going to complain, 'though I'm not sure how much that will help." The guard shook his head morosely. "It's been getting worse lately. Major Jamieson is taking some men on a round to secure the perimeter, he should be back soon." "Lieutenant Brighton, how often does this sort of thing happen?" Brighton gave a bitter bark of laughter, "Very often, sir. We're not allowed outside the embassy ground since there've been so many assaults on our men. Though to be fair, it's not just us, it's all foreigners. The Japanese said they don't want another 'Richardson' affair, though I don't see walling us up inside as a very good solution." At that moment, there was another commotion near the gate. A group of British soldiers were coming in, riding on horses. A tall black-haired man in the lead swung down from his horse and strode towards them, his long legs quickly covering ground. He had tanned skin with sharply defined cheekbones, his classically handsome face drawn in a troubled frown. Brighton turned around swiftly and saluted. "Major Jamieson, the embassy staff has just arrived." The newcomer nodded. "At ease, Lieutenant. I'll take them to see Sir Hawthorne." He turned towards Lawrence with a small smile that was mirrored in his deep green eyes. "Sir Rutherford, it is a pleasure to meet you again. Although I wish the circumstances could've been more pleasant." Lawrence's smile for the younger man was genuine. "It's alright, Arthur. It's good to see you, too. I see congratulations are in order, eh? They've finally gotten their act together and promoted you to Major." Jamieson's smile widened slightly. "I honestly don't think that I have the years for the rank, sir. But Major Nash was transferred to Kagoshima three months ago. I suppose they just had to promote someone to take over things." "Nonsense," Lawrence laughed, "years do count, but skills and results count for more. Sergeant at twenty-five and now Major at thirty-one. And accomplished all by yourself." Lawrence smiled fondly at him. "I was right all those years ago." Jamieson lowered his head. "I know you told me not to say it anymore, but still...thank you for sponsoring me. The military wouldn't have accepted me otherwise." Lawrence waved a dismissive hand, "And it would've been their loss. But we'll have a lot of time later to reminisce. Tell me, what's going on here?" The Major's face turned serious, his eyes darkening. "There was a riot on the street last night. At first it looked as if it was just going to be another one of those rowdy disturbances, quite common these days. But we had some warnings that they might try to attack the embassy, so we prepared ourselves. This was not the first time we've been attacked." He shook his head. "Around midnight, about thirty to forty men gathered here and started throwing things and burning torches. Three of my men were hurt when they charged the gate and we were forced to shoot some of them. But after that they gave up and went away, although they torched some of the surrounding buildings." Lawrence sucked in a deep breath. "I didn't think the situation in Kyoto was this bad." "I'm very sorry, I know that the last dispatch to London said that it was alright here, but if I may," Jamieson continued in a lower voice, "that's understating it, sir. True, no one has been killed since Mister Richardson, two years ago, but the whole city is reeking of contained violence, and it has been getting worse over the last two months." "This is already the third attack in almost as many months. The last time, they burned our warehouses near the river, we lost a fair number of our goods." Jamieson's mouth quirked up in a wry smile. "The merchants screamed long and hard about that. Sir Hawthorne had to work hard to pacify them." "Jamie!" Jamieson blinked and turned towards the carriages, where the call had come from. The women had all gotten out of the last carriage and Isabelle was walking towards them with a bright smile on her face. Lawrence hid a knowing smile for the upcoming scene. Isabelle stopped in front of the Major, face tilted up to look at the tall man. She regarded him with a smile that was slowly turning mischievous. Jamieson blinked down at the young girl in some confusion. "Miss...?" Then with no warning at all, Isabelle threw her hands around Jamieson's chest in a big and decidedly improper hug. "Jamie, you big lout! You've forgotten all about me, haven't you?" Jamieson's expression was priceless as he stared down at the girl that was hugging him, speechless. "You...? Wait, what did you call me...?" Isabelle leaned back without releasing her hug, blue eyes dancing with mischief. "How many people call you Jamie, anyway? And who's the first to ever call you by that nick-name, you heartless man?" The young major's expression was undergoing some decidedly interesting contortions, Lawrence observed with, although it was laced with some worry. He had no objections whatsoever on Isabelle renewing her acquaintance with Jamieson, but if it went further than that... The major's eyes had widened, making him look younger than his thirty-one years. He was catching on. "You mean... 'belle? You're little Isabelle?" Isabelle snapped a finger in front of his eyes, giggling slightly. "Surprise!" "Dear heavens..." Jamieson looked the young girl up and down, a wide smile making its own way to his usually stern face. "You're this big already? I can't believe it... You were barely up to my chest last time I saw you." "Which was *six years* ago," Isabelle threw him a mock glare. "And that reminds me, who was it that promised to *keep in touch* with me, all those years ago, hmm?" Jamieson's smile turned just slightly forced, although the apology in his voice was genuine. "I'm so sorry. I should have written a letter to you, but I've been moving around." He gave Lawrence a discrete look, which didn't escaped the ambassador's eyes, then gently disengaged himself from Isabelle's hug. "I promise I will talk with you again after this, I'm sure there's a lot of things to catch up on. But for now, I have to bring your father to meet Sir Hawthorne. Brighton here will help you and the rest settle in, then after I've finished working, I'll find you. Alright?" Isabelle looked slightly disappointed, but she let Jamieson go without a fuss. Lawrence found himself reflecting on how easy it was to read her face, all her emotions out in the open for anyone to see. {So like her mother.} "Alright," Isabelle was saying, stepping away from Jamieson. "But if you break this promise, I'm coming after you, hear? And you've got nowhere to run." She gave him one last brilliant smile then left with Lieutenant Brighton. Jamieson turned towards Lawrence, his face back to its usual grave expression. "Well," he said briskly, "if you'll follow me? Sir Hawthorne has requested a personal meeting with you first." Lawrence followed him into the main entrance. The receiving hall was a big open space with tatami-covered floors, a narrow corridor leading towards the inner sections. Western chairs and tables furnished the place, with a few watercolor paintings gracing the walls. The decidedly Japanese structures of the mansion-like building clashed rather oddly with the western furnishings and ornaments. He wondered how much trouble it had been to obtain these furnishings, or if Hawthorne had simply ordered them from a merchant. It must had cost the treasury a fortune. Jamieson stopped before a room at the end of the corridor. Unlike the others, wooden planks separated it from the corridor in a very Western style, and a real solid-wood door graced it, the first Lawrence had seen in the building. Knocking and opening the door, Jamieson ushered Lawrence into a spacious, carpeted room. High glass windows graced one side of the wall, the afternoon sun falling down on the rich oak wood of the wide table before it. An old gentleman was leaning back on the high-backed leather chair behind it, shadows half-obscuring his face. "Sir Hawthorne, Mister Adrian, the embassy staff had just arrived. This is Sir..." "Sir Lawrence Rutherford, yes, I know, Major," the old gentleman stood up, smiling at Lawrence. "Welcome to Kyoto embassy, Lawrence. It has been a long time, hasn't it?" Lawrence's feet sank into the thick carpeting as he walked up to shake Hawthorne's hand. He noticed a man standing unobtrusively near the door. If it was not for Jamieson's greeting, he would not have known there was another man in the room. "Yes, Sir Hawthorne. Five years, I believe. How have you been?" Hawthorne's grip was strong and sure, belying his apparent frailness. "Alistair, please. I'm fine, as you can see. Please have a seat." The older man nodded towards Jamieson and the Major left the room quietly, closing the door with a soft click. The young man Lawrence noticed earlier moved to a liquor cabinet and quietly poured some brandy from a crystal decanter. "How was the journey from Osaka? It was a long one, wasn't it? I'm afraid there are nothing as advanced as trains in this backward country." Lawrence took his place in the opposite chair, the plush leather comfortably soft. "No, it's quite alright. The long ride gave us some time to rest. Ah, thank you." The young man had handed a cut-crystal glass filled with brandy to Lawrence and another to Hawthorne. Hawthorne waved a hand towards the young man. "This is my personal assistant, Adrian Devonshire. He's been in Japan for four years, and when I was transferred from Yokohama to Kyoto, he came with me." "How do you do, Sir Rutherford." Adrian Devonshire' voice, like the rest of him, was quiet and unobtrusive. He was one of those very pale people; unremarkable green eyes on a thin face, his slightly wavy hair a blonde so light as to be almost white. "So," Hawthorne settled himself more comfortably on his chair, "how's everything back in London?" "I was only there for half a year, after I returned from Shanghai. But from what I saw, everything is just fine." "That's good. We'll have to have a long talk about London later. An old man gets home-sick after so long away from home." Hawthorne's amiable expressions turned more serious. "But for now, let us talk about why you've come here. Am I right to assume that you are here with Her Majesty's order for our foreign policy?" "Yes," Lawrence reached into the inner pocket of his vest and retrieved a crisp white envelope. The flap was sealed with red wax, stamped into a shape of intertwined unicorn and lion. He passed it over to Hawthorne, who took a long look at the flowing cursive letterings on the front, then broke the seal with a flick of his finger. For a while, the room was silent as the Lawrence watched the older man read the letter folded inside. Hawthorne finally looked up at Lawrence. His expression did not change as he spoke, "So, this is official then? Our alliance with Satsuma domain instead of Bakufu..." >From the corner of one eye, Lawrence noticed Hawthorne's assistant stiffening slightly, but his attention was fully concentrated on the Embassy Head. The man's reaction was crucial to the success of his task. "Yes, it is. Needless to say, all the negotiations would be kept as quiet as possible. It would not be possible to keep it completely secret from the government, but the less the Shogunate knows about this the better. We can still keep them guessing, and hopefully by the time they dare to take action against us, it will all be over." "As you know, our merchants have been selling small weapons to them for years, but they've been restricted by our implicit policy. We will relax them now and encourage them to increase the sales of arms, starting immediately. To keep it discreet, we may need to utilize the Shanghai black market, but it should be easy to arrange." "And what do we receive in return?" "Satsuma and Choshu will be opening more of their ports to us. When they succeed in over-throwing the government, all of our trading will be given preferential treatment. We are still negotiating over how open Japan will be to us and other exact details. But we will definitely insist on their guarantee of non-hostility against our people." Hawthorne tapped one finger thoughtfully on the table, "I have to say that I've been expecting something along this line. But may I ask what prompted the decision? Why now?" "Yes." Lawrence leaned forward, "Are you aware that Satsuma and Choshu are in the process of striking an alliance against the Bakufu?" Hawthorne's eyes widened, "It's true then? I only heard rumors..." Lawrence nodded, "It's true. You know quite a few of our companies had trading relationships with Satsuma merchants, in Kagoshima and Nagasaki. A few months ago, one of our company 'Thomas Glover's' branches in Nagasaki was approached by the head of a local shipping organization called 'Kaientai'. A man called Sakamoto Ryoma." Hawthorne frowned at Lawrence, "Sakamoto Ryoma? I've never heard of him." Hawthorne's secretary leaned closer and murmured, "That company had done quite a few transactions with our trading companies, mostly buying weapons. All legitimate business. But the man Sakamoto Ryoma has been suspected of being a strong supporter of Ishin Shishi." Lawrence folded his hands on his laps, "Yes, 'Thomas Glover' had long informed us that they suspected that particular company of being a front for Satsuma operations. Seeing as to who the person who accompanied him was, I suppose we have the answer to that particular suspicion." Lawrence smiled, "You've heard of Saigo Takamori, I suppose?" "Saigo Takamori of Satsuma?" Hawthorne asked sharply. "The very one. One of the foremost effective leaders of Satsuma province. And what was even more surprising was the other person accompanying him. A Choshu representative called Ito Hirobumi - one rumored to be a close friend to both Katsura Kogoro and Takasugi Shinsaku from Choshu. And they're dealing together." As the older diplomat visibly struggled to absorb the implications involved in the news, Lawrence continued, "They asked for a clandestine meeting with an agent of our foreign office in Kagoshima, they knew Thomas Glover was a source of information for our office." "What did they want?" "They want to buy more advanced weaponry...and" Lawrence paused meaningfully, "battle ships." Hawthorne sucked in a breath, "Battle-ships... they're serious this time." "We thought so too. They're keeping it quiet, all dealings will be handled by Thomas Glover and Kaientai as legitimate business, but there's no question as to where the weapons will end up, and what they will be used for." "How strong is this supposed alliance?" "A bit tense. Our agent said Sakamoto Ryoma did most of the talking. The impression he got was that Saigo Takamori and Ito Hirobumi were not completely at ease with each other. But they were also definitely working together and committed to their course. Or at least until they manage to overthrow the government." Hawthorne shook his head in some bemusement, "I never would have believed it...I thought the bad blood between those two could never be bridged. Satsuma did lead the government's punishment attack on Choshu last year." Lawrence smiled thinly, "Well, I suppose an immediate common enemy takes precedence over old grudges. Or else this Sakamoto Ryoma is a very persuasive person. From what I gathered, he had quite a hand in persuading Satsuma and Choshu to sit at the same table without going for each other's throats." Turning serious, he continued, "But you can see why we decided to support them now? Those two are the richest and most powerful factions opposing the government. Allied together...the consensus reached in London was that this alliance of theirs would prove pivotal to the direction this country will take. And we're running out of confidence in the government's ability to stabilize the country. Satsuma and Choshu seem to have more vitality than the old Shogunate." "Let's just say that once the pieces settle down, we would prefer to be on the winning side." "I see." Hawthorne took another look at the paper in his hand, "So, we are going to start increasing sales of weapons to them. Better quality rifles and... ground cannons." Hawthorne looked up, "What about battle-ships?" "That will have to wait for a while. We will need to finalize a few things before we commit ourselves that far. But the guns and sample cannons had already been shipped in a few months ago to here. For this first shipment, it will not be moved through Nagasaki. I need to handle it personally." Hawthorne grimaced, "You must mean that July shipment?" He shot a look at Adrian, "I don't know if you've already heard of it... but we had rioters who burned and destroyed our warehouse a month ago. I'm afraid the goods from that shipment were among them." Lawrence's blinked in surprise, "That, that is truly... unfortunate." Unfortunate was not the word he was going to say, but he swallowed the inelegant curse before it could escape his mouth. "That's going to create some difficulties, I'm afraid. Part of the reason I'm here is to meet with some of the leaders based in Kyoto to finalize the agreement. But they have been promised that shipment as proof of our sincerity." "I'm sorry about that." Hawthorne looked sympathetic. "When is the next one going to arrive?" Lawrence thought fast. "Another one month, if I remember correctly." "Can't you delay the meeting?" Lawrence grimaced, "I suppose that's the only thing I can do. I hope they won't think we're trying to renege, I don't think they're a very trusting type." "Lawrence," Hawthorne stood up from his chair and walked towards the large window. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do? Supporting the rebels... it seems to be a very dangerous gamble that we're taking. You're worried that they'll think we are reneging, but aren't you worried that *they* will be the ones who turn on us? We have lost men to them even when they say they are not our enemy. How do you know that they are going to honor this agreement?" "I have been assured that we have a good understanding with the two domains' highest authorities. Which, by the way, are not just the Daimyos." Lawrence paused, "I know what you are referring to, but that unfortunate incident with Mister Richardson was done by a Satsuma extremist faction, quite independently of the leaders' wishes." Again, Lawrence noticed Devonshire tensing at that. He wondered what was bothering the secretary so much. "Do you believe that?" Lawrence looked back at Hawthorne. The older man's eyes were intense although his tone remained conversational. Hawthorne continued evenly, "They might say they had no hand in it, but Lord only knows if they're telling the truth. They are a tricky lot, these Japanese. And even if they are speaking the truth, that does not solve the problem. Lawrence, I've been living here for four years, and I will tell you - the natives hate us. If any of us step outside our embassy without heavy guards, that crowd out there would butcher us in a second." "I understand that, Alistair. But it has been two years, a lot of things have changed in two years time. The effective authority in the two domains is no longer held by the previous council, and not even exclusive to the ruling Houses. They are in the hands of middle-rank samurai Shishis such as Saigo Takamori and Katsura Kogoro. And ever since Kagoshima and Shimonoseki incidents two years ago, these men had displayed a change in attitude towards us." Lawrence's crooked smile belied the gravity of their topic of conversation, "They're no longer so quick to try to kill us and kick us off their land. But most importantly, they know that they need us. They have no hope of winning without our help, specifically our arms and technology." "Besides, they're too far gone down the road to ever return to the Shogun's grace. They have no other choice left but to fight, and they can't afford to lose. It's a perfectly reasonable decision to set aside old hatred for the advantages an alliance with England will bring. Even if the foot soldiers can't understand it, the leaders do. And they are the ones giving the orders." "You're that confident that the orders would be followed?" "We believe so, yes. But that's also part of my job here. The representatives I will be meeting here will be some of the foremost leaders of the Ishin movement. They will be the ones actually driving the revolution here, not those back at the far-away provinces. Before I finalize any agreement with them, I will need to see them face-to-face - to see if they have what it takes to win." "If not?" "If not...at best a delay. At worst, if the circumstances are completely different from what we've been given to understand. then we'll have no choice but to throw our support behind the current government instead. We'll have to wait for a better option later." Hawthorne nodded towards the window, where they could see the blackened gates. "Did you see those on your way in? Four of our men are badly wounded and some of the outlying buildings are burnt to the ground. They shouted for hours for our deaths while they circled the embassy like vultures. Everybody knows Ishin Shishi instigated this. Those are the ones whom we will be allied with, Lawrence. Do you truly think this is wise?" "I understand your concerns, and it is very valid indeed. Can you tell me more about these 'Ishin Shishi'?" "Trouble," Hawthorne replied promptly. "Even though you won't hear it from anyone, there's a war going on in Kyoto right now. It's fought on the streets, and most of the fault lies with these... 'Ishin' rebels. Assassinations, raids, riots, burnings and lootings... It's increasing in frequency, the whole city reeks of gunpowder." "I can tell you that you will find the most extreme gaijin-haters in them. And those 'new leaders' that you talked about are the widely-acknowledged head of these Ishin Shishi." Lawrence nodded thoughtfully, "I will remember your advice when I meet them, Alistair." "Please do. For your own sake." Alistair walked back towards Lawrence and offered his hand, signaling the end of the meeting, "This is not England, and it is not Shanghai either. We do not have as much presence or power here, and the natives are even more hostile towards foreigners than the Chinese. Do remember that." Lawrence tried to shake off the ominous sense of warning those words gave him and took Hawthorne's hand, "Thank you." Time enough to think more on this later. As Adrian softly closed the door behind Lawrence, Hawthorne stood up with his half-finished brandy in his hand and stared outside the window. The soldiers outside were just starting to clean up the debris littering the compound. Adrian stood waiting patiently. After a while, Hawthorne brought the glass to his mouth and gulped down the brandy. "Prepare the carriage. We are going to Matsudaira's place. There's going to be a lot of things to discuss." *** [Go on to chap5b - Saitou's section. ] --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Your opinion counts, and we'll reward you for it! Win Prizes! Join the ZOOMERANG Internet survey panel today. It's confidential, easy, and fun! Click Here ------------------------------------------------------------------------