Tokyo Bay by Anthony Grey

the Mexican war - but he volunteered to go ashore with landing parties to spike enemy guns - and showed exceptional courage.’
‘I hope I’ll have the same courage when my time comes, sir,’ said the midshipman, peering excitedly towards shore. ‘1 have a lot to learn from Lieutenant Eden -- and yourself.’
‘I don’t think his kind of courage can be learned, Mr. Harris,’ said Rice distractedly. ‘Many years ago, Lieutenant Eden’s great-grandfather was captured as a youth by Iroquois Indians when they raided a settlement in eastern Connecticut. A few years later he was seen leading Iroquois braves himself in another raid. Later in his life he returned to the same settlement, bringing with him a half-Indian son. That boy was to become Lieutenant Eden’s grandfather.
Surprised and pleased by the flag lieutenant’s confidences, the young midshipman stared down at Eden with increased admiration in his eyes. ‘I hadn’t known all that, sir. Perhaps it explains the lieutenant’s remarkable character.’
‘Maybe. But there’s more to it than that. . .‘ Rice paused and frowned, his expression suggesting that, in confiding in the young midshipman, he was consciously attempting to order his own thoughts about his enigmatic brother officer. ‘Although he grew up in a wealthy merchant family, he clearly was a rebel like his great-grandfather. At sixteen, he ran off to marry his childhood sweetheart. She was only sixteen too and she died tragically. I think he still blames himself for her death. .
The midshipman waited impatiently for Rice to continue, his curiosity fully aroused; but he dared not pose a direct question about a superior officer, in case he appeared insubordinate. ‘That sounds very sad, sir,’ he ventured at last.
‘Yes, it was - at the time she was in the pangs of a premature childbirth,’ continued Rice after another pause. ‘He was driving her to a doctor through a storm in the middle of the night. Their buggy overturned on a forest track. . . The baby, a son, survived - but she didn’t.’. Rice hesitated again, as though reluctant to give voice to possibly unreliable thoughts. ‘I’m only guessing, but perhaps his bravery comes from not valuing his own life very highly as a result of that. .
‘I’ve noticed Lieutenant Eden always keeps himself very much to himself, sir,’ said the midshipman tentatively.
Rice nodded. ‘He once told rue he cursed God on that night in the wood.. . and he swore he would never pray again so long as he lived. He joined the Navy then - and ever since I’ve known him, he’s been remote and withdrawn.’ The flag lieutenant shook his head in puzzlement, still watching Eden and the Japanese. ‘I think for some reason, Mr. Harris, lie finds it easier to talk to that castaway than to us...’
‘Lieutenant Rice! Take a fresh signal for the squadron!’
The deep baritone voice of Matthew Perry rang out across the quarterdeck and Rice hurried to his side, readying his notepad and pencil.
The commodore was making one last imperious sweep of the bay with his eyeglass, watching the fast-moving Japanese guard - boats that were now appearing on all sides. Growing numbers of high prowed coastal junks were also darting out of the creeks and havens of the rocky shoreline, angling their sails to the wind in an attempt to draw near to the thundering warships - but none could match the speed of the intruders, and all were falling quickly behind.
‘My new signal shall read, “Have no communication of any kind with shore,” boomed Perry. “And allow none from shore!” Start the flags on the starboard forward halyards to emphasize the gravity of this signal!’
‘Aye, sir! Very good, sir!’ Lieutenant Rice barked out his 2cknowledgement, saluted and moved smartly away t o hand the written signal to the midshipman. He watched the junior officer make haste down the ladder to the spar deck and race to the signal officer’s post amidships. Within seconds the first