Blood on the Sun Page #3

Well... I'm going to be busy

for a couple of hours...

Tell him I'll drop into his office

sometime this afternoon.

Please... not to office...

His Excellency awaits you

at his home.

Home?!

An honor!

A few minutes, please.

Won't you join us?

Not now, thank you, Prince Tatsugi...

if you don't mind.

I'm afraid Iris is unhappy these days...

Unfortunately it was necessary to

involve her in this distasteful affair.

Colonel Tojo advised it.

Since when, Baron Tanaka, do you concede

to Colonel Tojo's sordid wishes?

I did not concede, Prince Tatsugi...

I agreed.

In the future, I would be less unhappy

if I were not called upon...

...to search the effects of a woman

so horribly murdered.

It will not happen again, my dear.

I promise that.

An interesting woman!

Yes.

Mixed parentage?

Yes...

- Her mother was...

- Chinese.

Baron... you know that I have communicated

my fears to the emperor...

...regarding the road on which

you are determined to lead the nation.

Your Highness... the decisions

already have been submitted to the emperor.

Your great influence, Baron,

could still check the militarists.

I am but an old man whose voice

no longer carries its authority.

But you are among the most highly-esteemed

in my cabinet... Your Highness.

Esteemed... esteemed as a liberal screen.

I'm the scroll of the poet, behind which

samurai swords are being sharpened.

Without armed strength,

we will perish.

That is my view.

Those views will lead,

in time, to disaster.

We see the problem differently.

That is true.

To uphold my beliefs,

I would die with honor.

You, Baron Tanaka, will die

only to erase your dishonor.

Mr Hyashi and Mr Condon.

It is a pleasure to see

you again, Mr Condon.

Colonel Tojo, of the Imperial Army...

And you know Major Kudyoka,

Imperial Secret Police.

And Mr Nicholas Condon.

But please sit down.

Thank you for coming to my home.

It is more agreeable

than meeting at the office.

Here we are not bothered

with... newspapermen!

Your front-page story yesterday, Mr Condon,

was somewhat... embarrassing.

Can't please everybody.

Of course.

We realise you had no way of knowing it was

an inopportune moment for such a story.

Frankly Mr Condon, certain liberal subversive

factions within our own country...

...are seeking to create an incident

to weaken the present government.

They are responsible for the malicious

rumor which you have regrettably printed.

As I said, Mr Condon, the story itself

is unimportant...

There rumors of a document

which plans world conquest...

...are ridiculous.

But... should this rumor be taken seriously

by the wrong people...

A blazing fire might be kindled... which

Japan would find costly to extinguish.

Oh, I see... what you are saying is...

You'd like the Chronicle to put on

a "Fire Prevention Week" campaign.

Is that it?

No, Mr Condon.

Within the past 24 hours, we've discovered a plot

to smuggle this forged document out of Japan.

A man by the name of Oliver Miller...

one of your former employees...

..is involved.

We could recover the document

from him by force...

...if we chose.

We would prefer that you persuade him

to return it to us.

It seems you haven't heard,

Your Excellency...

...nor your secret police, Major...

that Mr and Mrs Miller were murdered.

Last night.

We read in the papers this morning

about your escapade last night, Mr Condon.

In your incoherent condition,

you spoke of this unpleasant fantasy.

As we were concerned with the fate

of Mr Miller, even more than you...

...we immediately made inquiries.

From the captain of the "Nagata Maru"...

A most trustworthy gentleman.

Isn't it clear to you now?

Perfectly clear.

In every detail, Mr Condon, murder

is an ugly and dishonerable act...

And to prove it, some one

must be accused...

Bodies must be produced.

Now, Mr Condon... to approach this problem

that way...

...would only lead

to many difficulties.

If you send Mr Miller a radiogram...

...I am sure he will return

the document to us...

...through you.

Everyone would be enormously relieved.

And you would greatly profit.

We will all get to laugh at the strange

hallucination which you experienced last night.

I see...

You want this "forgery" returned.

Yes.

And you're willing to pay plenty for it.

Alright... here's my price...

When the United States embassy

is informed...

that the murderers

of Ollie Miller and his wife

I mean the real murderers...

Oshima and Izikata...

...Not a couple of sacrificial monkeys...

...are brought to trial

and convicted.

Then, and only then...

...the thing that you're looking for

may turn up.

Alright... sit down... drink?

Whisky.

For the love of Mike...

What's this about you quitting the paper?

Trying to give you a break...

You want my job, don't you?

Come on... don't toy with me...

What's up? What happened with Tanaka?

Charlie... I can't tell you much...

You'll have to be satisfied

with the crumbs.

After I left Tanaka,

I went to the embassy...

We had a long talk.

Now don't ask any questions.

This much I can tell you...

They're sending me

back to Washington.

OK... crumbs... but from cake!

I suppose you saw "Bright Eyes" over there?

He's been tailing me all day.

They know you're leaving...

they might have other plans for you...

...Ollie-Miller-style.

Polite... but official.

Oh yeah... and one more for me.

After you finish that drink,

you're going back to the office.

I want a story in tomorrow's paper that says I'm

sailing in 10 days on the "President Wilson".

Why the publicity?

If my hunch is right, Charlie...

the police did not get that document.

So it must've been the people

that want to get it out of Japan.

Now, if they know I'm sailing...

they may try to get in touch with me.

Don't do it Nick... keep on ice

until the boat sails.

There's a one-column cut of me in the files...

three-quarter face... very flattering...

Run that with the story...

front page.

Hey kiddy... do me a favor, will you...

Keep an eye on my friend over there.

I say, Condon...

may we join you?

It looks as if every table's taken.

I arranged it that way.

This is Nick Condon, "Tokyo Chronicle"...

Miss Iris Hilliard,

just arrived from Shanghai.

I hope you'll enjoy Tokyo.

I think I'm going to.

Never mind... I do it better...

And besides... I'm not crazy.

What do you mean... "crazy"?

No man in his right mind would willingly

share your company, Miss Hilliard.

How's Shanghai these days?

Oh, Shanghai's always gay.

For everyone but the Chinese.

May the waiter interrupt long enough

to take your orders?

- Daiquiri.

- The same.

How was the trip over?

A little on the rough side.

I always say it's not the ocean,

but the Japanese boats.

You arrived last night?

Yes.

I went down to see a couple of friends off

on the "Nagata Maru" last night...

You didn't by any chance come in

on that boat, did you?

Look here, Condon...

...you have a reputation

for bad manners...

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