majority of the land on Saipan and Guam is owned by my countrymen. You also know of our love and affection for these islands and the people who live here. We have invested billions of dollars here and created a renaissance in the local economy after years of shameful neglect by the American government. Therefore, we're not really strangers at all, are we?
'You probably also know that there have been great difficulties between Japan and America. Those difficulties have forced my country to rethink our defense priorities. We have, therefore, decided to reestablish our ownership of the Mariana Islands as a purely defensive measure to safeguard our own shores against possible American action. In other words, it is necessary for us to maintain defense forces here and therefore to bring the Marianas back into our country.
'Now.' General Arima smiled. 'What does this mean to you, the citizens of Saipan?
'Really, it means nothing at all. All businesses will remain open. We, too, believe in free enterprise. You will continue to manage your own affairs through your own elected officials, with the additional benefit that you will have status as Japan's forty-eighth prefecture, with full parliamentary representation in the Diet. That is something you have not had as an American commonwealth-which is just another word for colony, isn't it? You will have dual citizenship rights. We will respect your culture and your language. Your freedom to travel will not be impeded. Your freedoms of speech, press, religion, and assembly will be the same as those enjoyed by all Japanese citizens, and totally identical with the civil rights you now enjoy. In short, nothing is going to change in your daily life at all.' Another charming smile.
'The truth of the matter is that you will greatly benefit from this change in government. As part of Japan, you will be part of the world's most vibrant and dynamic economy. Even more money will come to your island. You will see prosperity such as you have never dreamed of,' Arima assured his audience. 'The only changes you will experience will be positive ones. On that you have my word and the word of my government.
'Perhaps you say that such words are easy to speak, and you are correct. Tomorrow you will see people on the streets and roads of Saipan, surveying, taking measurements, and interviewing local citizens. Our first important task will be to improve the roads and highways of your island, something neglected by the Americans. We want your advice on the best way to do this. In fact, we will welcome your help and participation in everything we do.
'Now,' Arima said, leaning forward somewhat, 'I know that some among you will find these developments unwelcome, and I wish to apologize sincerely for that. We have no desire to harm anyone here, but you must understand that any attack upon one of my men or any Japanese citizen will be treated as a violation of the law. I am also responsible to take certain security measures to protect my troops and to bring this island into compliance with Japanese law.
'All firearms owned by private citizens on Saipan must be surrendered in the next few days. You may bring them into your local police stations. If you have a sales record for the guns, or if you can demonstrate their commercial value, we will pay you the fair cash value for them. Similarly, we must ask that any owners of 'ham' radios turn them over to us for a short period of time, and, please, not to use them until you do. Again, we will pay in cash the full value of your property, and in the case of the radios, when we return them to you, you may keep the money as a token of our thanks for your cooperation. Aside from that'—another smile—'you will hardly notice that we are here. My troops are under orders to treat everyone on this island as fellow citizens. If you experience or even see a single incident in which a Japanese soldier is impolite to a local citizen, I want you to come to my headquarters and report it. You see, our law applies to us, too.
'For the moment, please go about your normal lives.' A number came up on the screen. 'If you have any specific questions, please call this number or feel free to come to my headquarters at your parliament building. We will be glad to help you in any way we can. Thank you for listening. Good night.'
'This message will be repeated every fifteen minutes on Channel Six, the public-access channel,' another voice said.
'Son of a bitch,' Oreza breathed.
'I wonder who their ad agency is,' Burroughs noted, going to punch the rewind button on the VCR.
'Can we believe it?' Isabel asked.
'Who knows? You have any guns?'
Portagee shook his head. 'Nope. I don't even know if this rock has a registration law. Have to be crazy to take on soldiers anyway, right?'
'It makes it a lot easier for them if they don't have to watch their backs.' Burroughs started putting the batteries back in his sat-phone. 'You have the number for that admiral?'
'Jackson.'
'Master Chief Oreza, sir. You got a tape machine running?'
'Yes, I do. What you got?'
'Well, sir, it's official,' Oreza reported dryly. 'They just made the announcement on TV. We taped it. I'm turning the tape on now. I'll hold the phone right next to the speaker.'
'Yessir.' The sergeant vanished in an instant.
'Major!' Robby called next.
'Yes, Admiral?'
'The sound quality is pretty good. Have a copy of the tape run over to the spooks for voice-stress analysis. Next, I want a typed transcript ASAP ready to fax out to half a million places.'
'Right.'
For the rest of the time, Jackson just listened, an island of calm in a sea of madness, or so it seemed.
'That's it,' Oreza told him when it ended. 'You want the call-in number, Admiral?'
'Not right now, no. Good job, Master Chief. Anything else to report?'
'The airplanes are still shuttling in. I counted fourteen since we talked last.'
'Okay.' Robby made the proper notes. 'You feel like you're in any particular danger?'
'I don't see people running around with guns, Admiral. You notice they didn't say anything about American nationals on the island?'
'No, I didn't. Good point.' Ouch.
'I ain't real comfortable about this, sir.' Oreza gave him a quick reprise of the incident on his boat.
'I can't say that I blame you. Master Chief. Your country is working on the problem, okay?'
'You say so, Admiral. I'm shutting down for a while.'
'Fair enough. Hang in there,' Jackson ordered. It was a hollow directive, and both men knew it.
'Roger that. Out.'
Robby sat the phone back in the cradle. 'Opinions?'
'You mean aside from, 'It's all fuckin' crazy'?' a staff officer inquired.
'It may be crazy to us, but it's sure as hell logical to somebody.' There was no sense in clobbering the officer for the statement, Jackson knew. It would take a bit more time before they really came to terms with the situation. 'Does anybody not believe the information we have now?' He looked around. Seven officers were present, and people weren't selected for duty in the NMCC for their stupidity.
'It may be crazy, sir, but everything keeps coming down the same way. Every post we've tried to link with is off the air. They're all supposed to have duty officers, but nobody's answering the phone. Satellite links are down. We have four Air Force bases and an Army post off the air. It's real, sir.' The staffer redeemed herself with the follow-up.
'Anything from State? Any of the spook shops?'
'Nothing,' a colonel from J-2 replied. 'I can give you a satellite pass over the Marianas in about an hour. I've already told NRO and I-TAC about the tasking and the priority.'
'KH-11?'
'Yes, sir, and all the cameras are up. Weather is clear. We'll get good overheads,' the intelligence officer assured him.
'No storm in the area yesterday?'
'Negative,' another officer said. 'Ain't no reason for phone service to be out. They have Trans-Pac cable and satellite uplinks. I called the contractor that operates the dishes. They had no warning at all. They've been sending
