Paper cannot wrap up fire; what was bound to be exposed would eventually be exposed. When the Russian diplomatic personnel failed to appear for so long, the diplomatic corps quickly grew suspicious.
Even the Japanese Government was dreaming of "leaving Asia and joining Europe"; the severity of its worship of foreigners and contempt for its own people went without saying.
Against such a social backdrop, if they still could not bribe a few spies, they would hardly deserve to be called great powers.
Late at night, the Holy Roman Empire Embassy in Tokyo was brightly lit.
The faces of the envoys attending the meeting were frighteningly grim. Being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night would leave anyone unhappy.
Jose, skilled at reading faces, noticed this himself, but he had no time to soothe their wounded feelings.
"Gentlemen, I invited you here overnight because we have just received terrible news: all forty-seven staff members of the Russian Embassy in Tokyo have perished."
Upon hearing this horrifying news, Enriques, the United Kingdom envoy, immediately rejected it. "That's impossible!
"The Japanese Government assured us that the Russian diplomatic personnel had only suffered minor injuries. No one died."
Diplomatic personnel suffering casualties was not unusual, but an entire embassy staff being wiped out was difficult to find even in all of human history.
Especially since, during a private meeting not long ago, the Japanese Government had assured Enriques that all Russian diplomatic personnel were alive and well.
Jose shook his head. "Sir Enriques, I could scarcely believe it when I first received this news either, but it is the truth, and we must face it.
"In fact, before the Russian Embassy was destroyed, it sent us a wireless telegram. Perhaps the rioters came too quickly, because only half the