Page 34 of The Atlas Maneuver

Golden Lily.

An unfulfilled promise.

But where his father had been in search of ill-gotten wealth, the son wanted something altogether different.

Or at least that was what she’d been told.

Her contact was the emperor emeritus’ chief of staff. A dour, middle-aged man with little personality. But when the screen lit up the face was different. This one was wizened by age, the hair a thick patch of silver, the eyes dark and piercing. Never had she expected this man to be on the other end of the call and immediately, out of respect, she diverted her eyes from the screen.

“Daijo Tenno,” she said, bowing her head.

She’d utilized the proper means of address. Emperor emeritus. His son, the reigning emperor, was known asKinjo Heika, current majesty.

“Raise your head, please,” the old man said in Japanese. “Tell us, Ejima-san, what have you learned from your captive?”

“We have Satoshi Nakamoto,” she told him.

“An elegant way to describe the situation,” he said. “So the legend has finally been revealed, in all her glory.”

The emperor of Japan was the head of the imperial family, the Symbol of the State and the Unity of the People. Few laws applied andno court possessed judicial power over him. He was also the head of the Shinto religion, regarded as a direct descendant of the solar goddess Amaterasu. He was the only remaining head of state in the world with the monarchical title of emperor, the Japanese imperial house among the oldest, dating back to the 6th centuryB.C.Once regarded as God-like, a heavenly sovereign, but everything was rewritten after World War II. On New Year’s Day 1946, Hirohito, at the prompting of General MacArthur and with little choice, renounced his heavenly status, declaring that relations between the ruler and his people could not be based on the false conception that the emperor was divine or that the Japanese people were superior to other races.

A shocking declaration.

But necessary.

Since then, the emperor had possessed little to no political power. Instead, the country was run by an elected prime minister, the emperor’s powers limited to ceremonial functions. But that did not mean the position was without influence. The emperor remained a symbol, a uniter, with nearly ninety percent of the Japanese people harboring great affection for the entire imperial family. The man she was speaking with had been especially popular. An innovator. The first to marry a commoner. The first to raise his children at home. The first to have been stripped of all political power under Japan’s American-inspired postwar constitution. And the first to renounce his throne in favor of his son.

“What did your captive have to say?” he asked.

“She agrees with us. The gold is lost.”

“But we may have come across something far more valuable. Patience is indeed rewarded.”

They’d known of the Atlas Maneuver for many months, first reported from their spy within the bank. It had then seemed a bit inconceivable but, to its credit, the Bank of St. George had managed to transform an abstract idea into a functional reality. Kelly Austin’s betrayal had altered that course in a totally different direction. Making things much easier. With Austin, nowtheycontrolled everything.

“From this point forward you will communicate only with us,” the emperor emeritus said. “This situation will require immediate decision making, so we will personally oversee everything.”

“Of course,Daijo Tenno. As you command.”

“We are assuming that your prisoner harbors no affection, or loyalty, toward her former employer.”

“That is correct. But getting her to work with us might prove difficult.”

“You gathered that from speaking to her.”

“I did. She is strong-willed.”

“You performed well in securing her quickly. Your assessment from earlier is correct. The Americans wanted her dead. Understandable, considering it would solve a multitude of problems for them simultaneously. But they tried and failed. Does she comprehend that?”

“We did not discuss it, but she is smart and has surely already come to the same conclusion. The CIA is the only logical culprit. She’s been incapacitated and will shortly be transported from here to a secure location. There, I will endeavor to convince her that we are on the same side.”

He seemed pleased. “You are the daughter of a warrior who served us faithfully, with great honor and dignity. We met your father once and told him how proud we were for what he’d done.”

She had no idea. That had never been mentioned within her family.

“We tell you this, Ejima-san, so that you will know that we place a great deal of trust in you. We have been offered a great opportunity here, one that we hope you will help us fulfill.”

She felt a swell of pride. “I will not fail you,Daijo Tenno.”

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