“He’ll undoubtedly challenge you,” Sydney replied gravely. “I saw it in his face; it was so determined and quiet. If he does, what will you do? You can’t fight him!” “I must!” Phil declared. “To these people the code of honor is the same as it was with us a hundred years ago.” “But if you do, it means disgrace and dismissal from the navy,” Sydney protested. “I laid myself open to it when I put my hands on him,” Phil insisted stubbornly. “We can’t fight in the American style, with fists. I am twice his size. It’s the only redress he has. His code of honor demands a duel.” “That’s child’s talk, Phil, and you know it,” Sydney exclaimed heatedly. “I am not going to stand by and let you ruin your career on account of a foolish out-of-date code of honor. Our articles for the government of the navy forbid a duel, and the penalty is dismissal. I’ll go and see Taki.” “You won’t do any such thing,” Phil replied sternly. “We’ll wait to hear from him. If he wants satisfaction I shall give it to him, and shall select small swords. I can shoot all around him with a revolver, but at the Academy we were equally matched with foils. “I shall ask Impey to act as my second, much as I dislike and distrust him,” he added. “Impey for second! What are you talking about?” Sydney demanded. “I am your second if you are really going to be foolish enough to fight.” “Remember the articles of war, Syd.” Phil smiled a ghastly smile. “‘Who fights a duel or acts as a second in a duel.’ You don’t suppose I would let you jeopardize your career. Impey will do.” “I think a straight-jacket is what you need instead of a second,” Sydney exclaimed in annoyance. “If I had you tightly strapped into one, I’d have you carried off to the ship and put in a cell until after she sailed. “Come in,” he added in answer to a knock. Captain Rodgers entered the room and closed the door behind him. “I have just returned after a fruitless attempt to break down the stubborn resistance of that wall of officialdom around a throne,” he said sadly as he unloosed the buttons on his tightly fitted special dress coat. “I talked with both the prime minister and the Minister of Marine. ‘They were very sorry, but His Majesty was quite too ill to see anybody, but an audience would be arranged at a very early date.’ I knew that His Majesty was probably at that minute riding his favorite horse within the palace grounds and they saw that I knew it was only a diplomatic way of saying: ‘We do not desire that you should see His Majesty.’ “They believe we are here to spy on them,” he added, after a moment’s pause. “Did you make it straight with your Japanese classmate?” Phil swallowed hard and shook his head sorrowfully while Sydney came to his friend’s aid. “We didn’t get a chance, but we shall this evening. We expect to meet him soon, don’t we, Phil?” he asked grimly.