Casting a look at the other vessels in the flotilla, Landesman was appreciative of all the rescue efforts put forth by the military and civilian ships. Even Hayasa, the Japanese flagship that inadvertently started the initial conflagration, was bursting from the bulkheads with American sailors and Marines.
Landesman had been impressed by the extraordinary help from the Japanese officers and seamen. They had displayed professionalism and resolve during the long ordeal, and their ship handling had been precise and snappy.
Twenty-five minutes later, Landesman and Witowski sadly watched the Hawk slip sternfirst below the surface of the strait. Emotionally, they had lost a close member of their collective family.
The President and his senior staff assembled in the lounge at the Top of the World rooftop restaurant with Prime Minister Genshiro Koyama and the other participants in the summit meeting. The painful, inexplicable events of the past few days dampened the occasion, causing the Japanese delegation to be more cautious than usual.
Forty-five minutes had been allocated for cocktails and informal discussions before the dignitaries were scheduled to have gourmet cuisine prepared by select Japanese and White House chefs.
Taking advantage of the local waters, the cooks had decided to showcase Alaskan salmon, cod, herring, halibut, and pollack, as well as king, Tanner, and Dungeness crabs. A wide variety of European wines, and sake, would be served during the meal.
The entire restaurant and lounge area was off limits to hotel guests, and security was extremely tight. A large contingent of Secret Service agents worked quietly and efficiently with their Japanese counterparts to ensure the safety of their leaders.
Off to the side of the other men, Genshiro Koyama and the President greeted each other with restrained skepticism. They bowed politely and shook hands, then admired the panoramic view of Anchorage and the beautiful mountains that surrounded the city.
The atmosphere was tense and the initial awkwardness caused their casual conversation to be stilted. A moment later, each man was subtly handed his favorite libation.
"Prime Minister Koyama," the President began, then smiled with apparent innocent enthusiasm, "I'm very pleased to have this opportunity to visit with you."
Koyama observed the carefully rehearsed politeness in the voice of the American. Ambassador Koji Hagura had thoroughly schooled the Harvard MBA about the intricacies and craftiness of the American President.
"I share your feelings," the fiercely proud man replied in his raspy voice, "and look forward to a meaningful dialogue with you and your staff." What Koyama didn't say was that he loathed the American President.
Chapter 38
The sun was shining brightly when Steve and Susan left their hotel in Nishi Shinjuku and entered the train and subway station. Nineteen minutes later, they stepped out of the train at Central Station and walked toward Matsukawa's office building in the Marunouchi business quarter.
They had grilled each other with a series of questions they planned to ask Tadashi Matsukawa, and each carried a spiral-bound notebook. Susan and Steve had no idea what they might find, but they felt confident that some incriminating evidence was bound to surface. He had to be involved in more ways than one. The fact that he'd kept his trail so well hidden was in itself proof. Matsukawa was, in effect, a ruthless murderer; the worst terrorist of them all.
The President was irritated by the last-minute decision to honor the Alaskan Governor and the local Mayor by taking an early-morning windshield tour of Cook Inlet and the surrounding area. He and Prime Minister Koyama rode together, but the Governor's incessant narration prevented them from having an opportunity to discuss anything significant.
When the limousines returned to the hotel, the President discreetly signaled to his Chief of Staff.
Scott Eaglehoff quickly fell in step with his boss. "Yes, sir?"
"Make sure there aren't any more surprise excursions or ceremonies," the President ordered in a quiet voice. "I want to focus on substance and keep it there."
"I'll take care of it," Eaglehoff responded and headed for Ambassador Koji Hagura, the man who had been responsible for the spontaneous trip.
He knew Hagura meant well and was trying to create a friendlier environment for the discussions, but the President wanted to get to the core of the issues, deal with them, then move on to other major problems.
When the early lunch was over, Prime Minister Koyama and the President led their senior staff members into a large conference room.
Bud Tidwell and Bryce Mellongard followed their Commander in Chief to the single long table in the center of the room.
Prime Minister Koyama, accompanied by Foreign Minister Nagumo Katsumoto and Ambassador Koji Hagura, joined the Americans and sat down while the security team left the conference room.
The formal atmosphere reflected a sense of seclusion, tranquillity, and simplicity, but the undercurrent of tension and false harmony was felt by everyone.
The President's Chief of Staff, the Chairman of the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, the National Security Advisor, and the top deputy of the National Security Council were meeting in another room with Special Envoy Yamagata Isoroku and other members of the Japanese delegation.
When the formalities were concluded, the President decided to skip some of the less pressing problems and begin with the difficult issues they had to resolve.
"Prime Minister Koyama, Minister Katsumoto, Ambassador Hagura, I'd like to move forward on our agenda and discuss some topics that must be addressed and resolved to the satisfaction of everyone."
Trim and impeccably dressed as usual, Koyama allowed his irritation to show before he recovered and gave the President a narrow smile. The Prime Minister was not a person who easily adjusted to changes in schedules or prearranged formats.
Katsumoto and Hagura showed no emotion, while Tidwell and Mellongard smiled inwardly. The two Secretaries were accustomed to the President's penchant for cutting through the chaff and going straight to the heart of problems.
Koyama and Hagura lookcd puzzled while Katsumoto appeared to be his normal, unflappable self. They had been prepared to discuss the unprecedented events in the Strait of Malacca and were caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events.
"The recent incident at Pearl Harbor," the President began slowly, "was the beginning of an escalation of events that has culminated in this meeting. We are working diligently to uncover the perpetrators of the attacks, and we trust that Japan will fully cooperate with U. S. officials during the investigations."
Prime Minister Koyama allowed only a brief frown to indicate his irritation. He steeled himself and stared down the President of the United States. "We can't do anything about the past until we know who is behind the assaults, so we must deal with the present and the future."
He's a cocky little bastard, the President thought while he displayed his disarming smile. "I'm glad we agree."
Bud Tidwell cleared his throat, ready to employ his special negotiating skills, but his boss quietly stalled him with a light tap on the sleeve of his suit.
Koyama's natural skepticism surfaced and he sensed that the President was being clever and deceptive. "Why are you threatening Japan with an oil-tanker blockade?"
The hectic pace of the bottom floor of the office building gave way to a quiet calm when Susan and Steve walked out of the elevator on the top level of the structure.