We shall put our technical skill in railroad construction at your service without reserve. We only ask that you obtain without delay—say, within the next six months—the approval of your Parliament.”
“But if we go at it too hastily, if you give us conditions that are too favorable, might not that stir some suspicion in this country?” said the official.
“Perhaps we can provide a reason. Because of the recent series of earthquakes, the Japanese government is carrying on a full-scale inspection of the Super Express network, and, consequently, work on the new Super Express line has been virtually halted. And so, in order to put to profitable use what had been set aside for that project, we offer it to Australia. And we shall, of course, pursue like negotiations with Africa, South America, and so forth.”
It’s something worth doing, thought the Prime Minister. There was no doubt that the enterprise would be a profitable one. There would come a vast influx of energetic, earnest, and well-educated workers with varied technical skills, of equipment of the most advanced kind, and of capital goods. And then it would happen that the country to which payment was to be made would be wiped from the face of the earth. . . . But the Prime Minister’s mind was far from at ease. What sort of shadow would be cast upon the future of his country?
“Still and all, a hundred thousand people at one stroke might be too much of a strain,” said the Prime Minister, shaking his head. “And then a settlement of a million... Well, what I mean, there are pertinent laws in the context of all humanity. What of the United Nations? Of course, I suppose you have already become active in that regard.”
“We have had three confidential meetings with the Secretary General. We have begun to approach the various nations who are permanent members of the Council. However, the truth is that the United Nations simply does not wield power enough to cope with a matter of this sort. Right at the moment, we are conducting secret negotiations of our own with the American President, with South America, and with several countries in Africa. Beyond a doubt, our aspirations are self-centered, of course. What I must do—rather, what my country must do is to come to you, to come to all the nations of the world, to go down on our knees and make an earnest plea that you come to our aid. On the brink of disaster, the people of my country are pleading through me that, somehow, their lives may be spared.”
The old man’s tone had become fervent. It seemed as though at any instant his emotions might burst through the barrier he had set. Perhaps he might cry out, shed tears, actually fall to his knees, grasp the Prime Minister’s legs, and beg in heart-rending fashion.
In fact, however, he sat on his chair, his knees neatly aligned, his hands resting upon them. There was even something like a smile upon his tranquil face. But those eyes of his were shining with a more earnest brightness than before, a fire kindled by the tragic intensity of his plea.
What incredible self-discipline, thought the Prime Minister. How few men there are today with control of this kind! The quality that characterized the whole peculiar race—at least, those of it whom the Prime Minister had had personal relations with—was this incredibly strong self-discipline which held all emotion in check behind the famous “inscrutable smile.” And might not this be a drawback in international society, this unwillingness to cry out with an earnest plea? This eschewing of emotion?
“I understand, Mr. Nozaki,” said the Prime Minister, laying his huge, hairy hand on the thin shoulder of the old man. “We will do everything within our power. I promise it. I will speak to the leaders of the other nations of the British Commonwealth also. As far as the Commonwealth nations go, I will undertake the responsibility of obtaining assistance for you. And, of course, as the largest of these and the closest to your nation, Australia, acting on its own, will not stint in our efforts to be of help.”
“Thank you very much, sir,” said the old man, bowing his head. Tears seemed to glisten in his eyes. “I shall be staying at our embassy for a time. I shall ever take comfort in the thought of Your Excellency’s magnanimity and the love of humanity that you manifest to the world.”
“Have you opened negotiations with the Soviet Union?” asked the minister. “Their country is vast and it includes a large portion of Asia.”
“I believe that talks have already begun,” said the old man, nodding, all trace of emotion now gone from his face. “To speak frankly, many things about that country are beyond our comprehension. However, in terms of its history, its record with regard to racial minorities gives grounds for hope.”
“Except for the problem of the Jews, that is,” said the minister quietly. “I suppose that you can’t expect much from Mainland China, with its eight hundred million people. . . . Still, when one considers the historical ties that exist between the peoples of both countries and what the future may hold . . .”
“I have brought a gift for Your Excellency,” said Nozaki, standing up. “Rather than from our Prime Minister, please think of it as coming from our country.”
The old man went to a table in the corner of the room and brought back a wooden box over a foot and a half high. He quietly took off the cover.
“Why, this . . .” The Prime Minister, who had a fair knowledge of ancient Oriental art, was at loss for words. He took his glasses from his pocket. “This is extraordinary. It’s about the thirteenth century, is it not?”
“This is correct, Your Excellency. The beginning of the Kamakura Era. As an image of Buddha, it ranks as a National Treasure. We can’t specify its exact date,” said the old man in a low voice. “It was purchased from a country temple. There are many objects of this sort scattered through every district of Japan. We give it to you, and we would like you to think of it as a remembrance.”