Weapons of choice

"I agree with you about Moertopo," he said without looking up. "But we need his skills for now. If you wish to cultivate this other barbarian, go ahead. You have done great service to the emperor so far, Hidaka."

The Japanese officer looked as if he might burst with pride.

As Yamamoto reread another section of their paper, he murmured, "I was sorry to hear about Herr Steckel, Major Brasch."

"I sent my condolences."

"Sometimes they are all we have," Yamamoto said, letting the paper fall to his desktop. "And I agree with your recommendations, Commander Hidaka. I could have written them myself. They are bold and will meet much resistance, but I do not see any other way out of the trap we have constructed for ourselves."

Hidaka nearly levitated at the praise, but Brasch punctured his brief cheer.

"You could surrender."

"It is lucky for you that Herr Steckel is no longer with us," Hidaka sputtered. "I understand that defeatism is a capital crime in the Reich."

Brasch, as was his way, refused to rise to the provocation. He smiled in his slow, dreamy fashion, folding his arms as if discussing a football match in a beer garden.

"There are so many ways to die in the Reich, my friend. What does it matter how one departs this life?"

Hidaka, who had grown even more exasperated with the German's morose fatalism these last days, could stand it no longer. His temper launched him to his feet.

"The manner of one's death is the most important thing in life," he gasped. "I would not expect an ordinary gaijin to understand, but you are supposed to be the vaunted warrior of a warrior's race. Instead you speak like the most ignorant barbarian. It is as if you do not care who wins this war."

"I care very much," said Brasch.

"Then you should behave as if that were true."

Yamamoto watched the exchange without any visible sign of concern, but he intervened as Hidaka's irritation threatened to get the better of him.

"You forget yourself, Commander," he said sharply. "Resume your seat. A true samurai does not succumb to rage, like some wild dog. Even in the heat of battle, he is tranquil. His own death means nothing to him. Perhaps it is you who has something to learn from Major Brasch."

Brasch had the luxury of snorting at the proposition, while Hidaka was forced to choke on his own pride. Stiffly lowering his head, he first apologized to Yamamoto and then to the engineer for his outburst.

The admiral stretched and stood, motioning for the others to remain in their seats. He stepped out from behind his desk and paced the room with his hands clasped behind his back, his chin resting on his chest. Shaking his head and pursing his lips, he was the very picture of a man caught in an unbearable dilemma.

"This is how it will be from this moment forward," he conceded unhappily, stopping to stare out a porthole. "We will need to throw our shoulders against the axis of history, and tip it over. But the very people we are trying to save will be the ones who most violently oppose us. I have no doubt my counterparts at Pearl Harbor are having this same discussion, perhaps even right this minute. And I fear they will seize the opportunity of this miracle-or mishap or whatever it may turn out to be-to reinforce their strategic advantages, no matter what their current tactical weaknesses may be."

Yamamoto turned from the porthole through which he had been gazing.

"Major Brasch, what chance is there that you will receive a fair hearing in Berlin?"

"They already think I am a madman," he confessed. "And they may be right."

The admiral rolled on the balls of his feet, examining the carpet as though the answer lay there.

"It is not a matter of belief alone," he mused. "They will come to believe. At some point, one of these new ships will appear in the Atlantic and sink every battle cruiser Admiral Raeder sends against it. From what Moertopo tells us, the captain may even be a woman."

All three shook their head at that absurd notion.

"So it becomes necessary to advance the moment of their belief," the admiral continued. "I think you will need to return to your history lesson, gentlemen. Scour the electric library and learn all you can of events set to transpire the next few weeks in the European theater. We will need to intervene decisively in some issue, making use of the bounty that has come our way."

"Do you mean to take this ship into battle?" asked Hidaka with growing excitement.

"Perhaps Lieutenant Moertopo and his men do deserve an opportunity to prove their loyalties," Yamamoto mused.

"But what if they are found wanting?" Hidaka asked.

"We shall not let them fail us." Then he noticed the expression on the German's face. "You disagree, Major?"

Brasch was lost in deep thought. He responded slowly to Yamamoto's query.

"Oh, no. You are right of course. I was simply wondering whether it was such a good idea, to risk such a valuable resource. And one that cannot be replaced."

Yamamoto considered the question a fair one.