He followed the silent man as he led him down the central hallway, then turned into the first open doorway on the left. Inside was a beautiful atrium-styled room with light pouring in through floor-to-ceiling bay windows, showing the magnificent Japanese gardens and teahouse out back. The space looked so inviting and lush. Even through the glass, he felt the heartbeat of the earth as the robust variety of greenery and flowers bloomed.
Turning to the slender man sitting behind an overly large desk, Bernard stopped a few steps behind the first man and waited while he introduced him, noticing the inflection of wariness in his tone. The ambassador, however, remained nonplussed and stood. With a slight wave of his hand, the ambassador gestured for the man standing between them to leave. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he frowned at Bernard, but didn’t argue and walked through a side door.
Bernard immediately bowed, repeating the same sequence he’d done with the man who’d just left, and waited for the ambassador to allow him to rise. It didn’t take long, and when Bernard met the man’s dark-brown gaze, he noticed the bruise-colored skin under his eyes.
“I am very grateful for your time, Ambassador Nomura. I have come with important information and a possible solution regarding the current situation between the United States and Japan.” He spoke in Japanese, liking the way the language flowed off his tongue. Even with his affinity for languages, Japanese was still difficult to master.
Nomura motioned for him to sit in one of the delicate chairs off to one side, a beautiful marble fireplace popping and crackling behind them. It was elegant, yet cozy. He liked it. It was not so much Japanese, but more French, which he was used to.
The ambassador sat across from him and clasped his hands between his legs, leaning slightly forward. “What is it you have found?”
“My name is Bernard Marchand, sir. I work for a very special group that gives me access to even the most private information. On one of my missions, I uncovered the fact that the consul in Hawaii was recently ordered to begin diagramming the harbor, emphasizing which ships were docked and where, and especially if there were any side by side.” Bernard noticed the slight rise of the ambassador’s brows, but the man remained silent.
“Ambassador Nomura, your superiors are planning on attacking the American port at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.”