'Abbot,' translates Yonekizu, 'says he believed you and he share affinity, on first time he see you at Magistracy. Today he know his belief was correct.'

Abbot Enomoto asks Yonekizu to teach him the Dutch word 'affinity'.

Jacob now identifies his visitor: he was the man sitting close to Magistrate Shiroyama in the Hall of Sixty Mats.

The Abbot has Yonekizu repeat Jacob's name three times over.

'Da-zu-to,' echoes the Abbot, and checks with Jacob: 'I say correct?'

'Your Grace,' the clerk says, 'speaks my name very well.'

'The Abbot,' Yonekizu adds, 'translated Antoine Lavoisier into Japanese.'

Jacob is duly impressed. 'Might Your Grace know Marinus?'

The Abbot has Yonekizu translate his reply: 'Abbot meet Dr Marinus at Shirando Academy often. He has much respect for Dutch scholar, he say. But Abbot also have many duties, so cannot devote all life to chemical arts . . .'

Jacob considers the power his visitor must wield to waltz into Dejima on a day turned upside down by the earthquake, and mingle with foreigners free from the usual phalanx of spies and Shogunal guards. Enomoto runs his thumb along the crates, as if divining their contents. He encounters the sleeping Hanzaburo and makes a motion in the air above the boy, like a genuflection. Hanzaburo mouths groggy syllables, wakes, sees the Abbot, yelps and rolls on to the floor. He flees from the warehouse like a frog from a water-snake.

'Young mans,' Enomoto says in Dutch, 'hurry, hurry, hurry . . .'

The world outside, framed by the Eik's double-doors, dims.

The Abbot handles an undamaged mirror. 'This is quicksilver?'

'Silver oxide, Your Grace,' replies Jacob. 'Of Italian manufacture.'

'Silver is more truth,' remarks the Abbot, 'than copper mirrors of Japan. But truth is easy to break.' He angles the mirror so as to capture Jacob's reflection, and puts a question to Yonekizu in Japanese. Yonekizu says, 'His Grace ask, "At Holland also, do dead people lack reflection?" '

Jacob recalls his grandmother saying as much. 'Old women believe so, sir, yes.'

The Abbot understands and is pleased with the answer.

'There is a tribe at the Cape of Good Hope,' Jacob ventures, 'called the Basutos who credit a crocodile may kill a man by snapping his reflection in the water. Another tribe, the Zulus, avoid dark pools lest a ghost seize the reflection and devour the observer's soul.'

Yonekizu gives a careful translation, and explains Enomoto's reply. 'The Abbot says idea is beautiful, and wishes to know, "Does Mr de Zoet believe in soul?" '

'To doubt doubt the soul's existence,' says Jacob, 'would strike me as peculiar.' the soul's existence,' says Jacob, 'would strike me as peculiar.'

Enomoto asks, 'Does Mr de Zoet believe human soul can be taked?'

'Taken not by a ghost or crocodile, Abbot, no, but by the Devil, yes.'

Enomoto's hah hah denotes surprise that he and a foreigner could agree so well. denotes surprise that he and a foreigner could agree so well.

Jacob steps out of the mirror's field of reflection. 'Your Grace's Dutch is excellent.'

'Listening difficult,' Enomoto turns, 'so glad interpreters is here. Once I speak - spoke - Spanish, but now knowledge is decayed.'

'It is two centuries,' says Jacob, 'since the Spaniards walked Japan.'

'Time . . .' Idly, Enomoto lifts the lid of a box: Yonekizu exclaims in alarm.

Coiled like a small whip is a habu habu snake: it rears its angry head . . . snake: it rears its angry head . . .

. . . its twin fangs glint white; its neck sways back, ready to strike.

Two of the Abbot's guards swerve across the room, swords drawn . . .

. . . but Enomoto makes a strange pressing motion with his flat hand.

'Don't let it bite him!' exclaims Grote. 'He ain't yet paid for the--'

Instead of attacking the Abbot's hand, the habu habu's neck turns limp, and it slumps back on its crate. Its jaws are frozen, wide open.

Jacob finds his jaws, too, are agape; he glances at Grote, who looks afraid.

'Your Grace: did you . . . charm the snake? Is it . . . is it asleep?'

'Snake is dead.' Enomoto orders his guard to take it outside.

How did you do that? Jacob wonders, searching for tricks. 'But . . .' Jacob wonders, searching for tricks. 'But . . .'

The Abbot watches the Dutchman's bafflement, and speaks to Yonekizu.

'Lord Abbot say,' begins Yonekizu, ' "Not trick, not magic." He says, "It is Chinese philosophy who scholars of Europe is too clever to understand." He says . . . excuse, very difficult: he says . . . "All life is is life because possess force of life because possess force of ki" ki".'

'Force of key key?' Arie Grote mimes turning a key. 'What's that?'

Yonekizu shakes his head. 'Not key: ki ki. Ki Ki. Lord Abbot explain that his studies, his Order, teach how to . . . what is word? How to manipule manipule force of force of ki ki, to heal sickness, et cetera.'

'Oh I'd say Mr Snakey,' mutters Grote, 'got his fair share of et cetera et cetera.'

Given the Abbot's status, Jacob worries that an apology is due. 'Mr Yonekizu: pray tell His Grace how sorry I am that a snake threatened his well-being in a Dutch warehouse.'

Yonekizu does so: Enomoto shakes his head. 'Nasty bite, but not very poison.'

'. . . and say,' continues Jacob, 'what I just saw shall stay with me all my life.'

Enomoto replies with an ambiguous hnnnnnn hnnnnnn noise. noise.

'In next life,' the Abbot tells Jacob, 'be born in Japan so come to Shrine, and - excuse, Dutch is difficult.' He addresses several long sentences to Yonekizu in their mother tongue. The interpreter translates them in order. 'Abbot says, Mr de Zoet must not think he is powerful lord like Lord of Satsuma. Kyoga Domain is only twenty miles wide, twenty miles long, very many mountains, and has just two towns, Isahaya and Kashima, and villages along road of Sea of Ariake. But,' Yonekizu perhaps adds this on his own initiative, 'special domain gives Lord Abbot high rank - in Edo can meet Shogun, in Miyako, can meet Emperor. Lord Abbot's shrine is high on Shiranui Mountain. He say, "In spring and autumn, very beautiful; in winter, a little cold, but summer, cool." Abbot say, "One can breathe; and does not grow old." Abbot say, "He have two lifes. World Above, at Mount Shiranui, is spirit and prayer and ki ki. World Below is men and politics and scholars . . . and import drugs and money." '

'Oh, at flamin' last last,' mutters Arie Grote. 'Mr de Z.: this is our cue.'

Jacob looks uncertainly at Grote; at the Abbot; and back at the cook.

'Raise,' sighs Grote, 'the subject o' trade.' He mouths the word, 'mercury'.

Jacob, belatedly, understands. 'Pardon my directness, Your Grace,' he addresses Enomoto whilst glancing at Yonekizu, 'but may we render any service today?'

Yonekizu translates; with a glance, Enomoto sends the query back to Grote.

'Fact, Mr de Z., is this: Abbot Enomoto wishes to purchase, eh, all all eight chests of our mercury powder for the sum of eight chests of our mercury powder for the sum of one one hundred hundred an' an' six six koban koban per crate.' per crate.'

Jacob's first thought is, 'our' mercury? mercury? His second is, ' His second is, 'One hundred hundred and and six' six'?

His third thought is a number: eight hundred and forty-eight eight hundred and forty-eight koban. koban.

'Twice as much again,' Grote reminds him, 'as the Osaka druggist.'

Eight hundred and forty-eight koban koban is a half-fortune, at least. is a half-fortune, at least.

Wait, wait, wait, Jacob thinks. Why is he willing to pay so high a price? Why is he willing to pay so high a price?

'Mr de Zoet's so gladsome,' Grote assures Enomoto, 'he can't speak.'

The snake trick dazzled my senses, Jacob thinks, but keep a calm head now . . . but keep a calm head now . . .

'A more deservin' cove,' Grote claps his shoulder, 'I never knew . . .' cove,' Grote claps his shoulder, 'I never knew . . .'

. . . a monopoly, Jacob hypothesises. He wants to create temporary monopoly He wants to create temporary monopoly.

'I'll sell six crates,' the young clerk announces. 'Not eight.'

Enomoto understands: he scratches an ear and looks at Grote.

Grote's smile says, Nothing to worry about Nothing to worry about. 'A moment, Your Grace.'

The cook steers Jacob into a corner, near Weh's hiding-place.

'Listen: I know that Zwaardecroone set the sell-peg at eighteen per chest.'

How can you know, Jacob wonders, astonished, about my backer in Batavia? about my backer in Batavia?

' 'Tain't no import how how I know but I I know but I do do. We're up to six times six times that yet here you are harpin' for that yet here you are harpin' for more more? No better price'll come knockin', an' six six chests ain't on the table. It's chests ain't on the table. It's eight eight, see, or nothin' at all.'

'In that case,' Jacob tells Grote, 'I choose nothing at all.'

' 'Tis plain we ain't ain't makin' ourselfs makin' ourselfs clear clear! Our client is an exalted personage exalted personage, eh? Irons in every fire: at the Magistracy; in Edo; a money-lender's money-lender; a druggist's druggist. Word has it, he's even' - Jacob smells chicken livers on Grote's breath - 'lendin' to the Magistrate to pay graft till next year's ship from Batavia comes in! So when I promised him the entire supply o' mercury, that's exactly--'

'It appears you shall have to un unpromise him the entire supply.'

'No no no no,' Grote almost whinnies. 'You ain't understandin' what--' what--'

'It was you who hatched a deal on my my private goods; I refuse to dance to your piper; so now you stand to lose your brokerage fee. What am I not understanding?' private goods; I refuse to dance to your piper; so now you stand to lose your brokerage fee. What am I not understanding?'

Enomoto is saying something to Yonekizu; the Dutchmen break off their argument.

'Abbot say,' Yonekizu clears his throat, ' "Six crates only is sale today. So, he buy just six crates today." ' Enomoto continues. Yonekizu nods, clarifies a couple of points, and translates. 'Mr de Zoet: Abbot Enomoto credits your private account in Exchequer with six hundred thirty-six koban kobans. Magistracy scribe bring proof of payment in Company Ledger. Then, when you satisfied, his men remove six crates of mercury from Warehouse Eik.'

Such speed is unprecedented. 'Doesn't Your Grace wish to see it first?'

'Ah,' says Grote, 'Mr de Z. bein' such a busy cove, I took the little liberty o' borrowin' the key from Deputy v. C. an' showin' our guest a sample . . .'

'Yes, that was was a liberty you took,' Jacob tells him. 'A big one.' a liberty you took,' Jacob tells him. 'A big one.'

'Hundred an' six a box,' Grote sighs, 'deserves a little 'nitiative, eh?'

The Abbot is waiting. 'Do we do deal of mercury today, Mr Dazuto?'

'Deal he does does, Your Grace,' Grote smiles like a shark, 'he surely does does.'

'But the paperwork,' asks Jacob, 'the bribes, documents of sale . . . ?'

Enomoto swats away these difficulties and expels a pfff pfff of air. of air.

'Like I say,' Grote smiles like a saint, ' "a most most exalted personage".' exalted personage".'

'Then,' Jacob has no more objections, 'yes, Your Grace. The deal is agreed.'

A sigh of punctured anguish escapes the much-relieved Arie Grote.

Wearing a calm expression, the Abbot gives Yonekizu a sentence to translate.

' "What you not sell today",' Yonekizu says, ' "you sell soon." '

'Then the Lord Abbot,' Jacob remains defiant, 'knows my mind better than I.'

Abbot Enomoto has the last word: the word is, ' "Affinity." ' Then he nods at Kosugi and Yonekizu and his retinue leaves the warehouse without further ado.

'You can come out now, Weh.' Jacob is obscurely troubled, despite the likelihood of his going to bed tonight a much richer man than when the earthquake threw him from it this morning. Provided Provided, he concedes, Lord Abbot Enomoto is as good as his word Lord Abbot Enomoto is as good as his word.

Lord Abbot Enomoto was as good as his word. At half past two Jacob walks down the steps from the Chief's Residence in possession of a Certificate of Lodgement. Witnessed by Vorstenbosch and van Cleef, the document can be redeemed in Batavia or even at the Company's Zeeland offices in Vlissingen on Walcheren. The sum represents five or six years' salary from his former job as a shipping clerk. He must repay the friend of his uncle in Batavia who lent him the capital to buy the medicinal mercury - the luckiest gamble of my life the luckiest gamble of my life, Jacob thinks, how nearly I bought the beche-de-mer instead how nearly I bought the beche-de-mer instead - and no doubt Arie Grote has not done badly from the deal but, by any measure, the transaction made with the enigmatic Abbot is an exceptionally lucrative one. - and no doubt Arie Grote has not done badly from the deal but, by any measure, the transaction made with the enigmatic Abbot is an exceptionally lucrative one. And the remaining crates And the remaining crates, Jacob anticipates, shall fetch an even higher price, once other traders see the profit that Enomoto earns shall fetch an even higher price, once other traders see the profit that Enomoto earns. By Christmas of next year he should be back in Batavia with Unico Vorstenbosch, whose star should, by then, be even brighter as a consequence of purging Dejima of its notorious corruption. He could consult with Zwaardecroone or Vorstenbosch's colleagues and invest his mercury money in a yet bigger venture - coffee, perhaps, or teak - to generate an income that might impress even Anna's father.

Back on Long Street, Hanzaburo reappears from the Interpreters' Guild. Jacob returns to Tall House to deposit his precious certificate in his sea-chest. He hesitates before taking out a paulownia-handled fan and putting it in his jacket pocket. Then he hurries to the Weighing Yard where, today, lead ingots are being weighed and checked for adulterants before being returned to their boxes and sealed. Even under the supervisors' awning the heat is sleepy and torrid, but a vigilant eye must be kept on the scales, the coolies and the numbers of boxes.

'How kind of you,' says Peter Fischer, 'to report for duty.'

News of the new clerk's profit on his mercury is common knowledge.

Jacob cannot think of a reply so he takes over the tally sheet.

Interpreter Yonekizu watches the adjacent awning. It is slow work.

Jacob thinks about Anna, trying to remember her as she is, and not merely as in his sketches of her.