Sun-coppered coolies prise off the nailed-on lids from the crates . . .

Wealth brings our future together closer, he thinks, but five years is still a long, long time but five years is still a long, long time.

Sun-coppered coolies hammer the lids back on to the crates.

Four o'clock, according to Jacob's pocket watch, comes and goes.

At a certain point, Hanzaburo wanders away without explanation.

At a quarter to five, Peter Fischer says, 'That is the two-hundredth box.'

At a minute past five, a senior merchant faints in the heat.

Immediately, Dr Marinus is sent for, and Jacob makes a decision.

'Would you excuse me,' Jacob asks Fischer, 'for a minute?'

Fischer fills his pipe with provocative slowness. 'How long is your minute? Ouwehand's minute is fifteen or twenty. Baert's minute is longer than an hour.'

Jacob stands: his legs have pins and needles. 'I shall return in ten.'

'So your "one" means "ten"; in Prussia, a gentleman says what he means.'

'I'll go,' mutters Jacob, perhaps audibly, 'before I do just that.'

Jacob waits at the busy Crossroads, watching the labourers pass to and fro. Dr Marinus is not long in coming: he limps past, with a pair of house interpreters carrying his medical box to attend the fainted merchant. He sees Jacob but does not acknowledge him, which suits Jacob. The turd-scented smoke escaping his oesophagus at the end of the smoke-glister experiment cured him of any desire for Marinus's friendship. The humiliation he suffered that day has caused him to avoid Miss Aibagawa: how can she - and the other seminarians - ever regard him as anything but a half-naked apparatus of fatty valves and fleshy pipes?

Six hundred and thirty-six koban kobans, he admits, salve one's self-esteem, however salve one's self-esteem, however . . . . . .

The seminarians leave the Hospital: Jacob predicted that their lecture would be cut short by Marinus's summons. Miss Aibagawa is rearmost, half hidden by a parasol. He withdraws a few steps into Bony Alley, as if he is going to Warehouse Lelie.

All I am doing, Jacob assures himself, is returning a lost item to its owner is returning a lost item to its owner.

The four young men, two guards and one midwife turn into Short Street.

Jacob loses his nerve: Jacob regains his nerve and follows. 'Excuse me!'

The retinue turns around: Miss Aibagawa meets his eyes for a moment.

Muramoto, the senior student, walks back to greet him. 'Dombaga-san!'

Jacob removes his bamboo hat. 'It is another hot day, Mr Muramoto.'

He is pleased that Jacob remembers his name; the others join his bow. 'Hot, hot,' they agree warmly. 'Hot!'

Jacob bows to the midwife. 'Good afternoon, Miss Aibagawa.'

'How,' her eyes betray a droll mischief, 'is Mr Domburger's liver?'

'Much better today, I thank you.' He swallows. 'I thank you.'

'Ah,' says Ikematsu with mock sobriety. 'But how is in-tus-sus-cep-tion?'

'Dr Marinus's magic cured me. What did you study today?'

'Kan-somu-shan,' says Kajiwaki. 'When cough blood from lungs.'

'Oh, consumption. A terrible disease, and a common one.'

An inspector approaches from the Land-Gate: one of the guard complains.

'Your pardon, sir,' says Muramoto, 'but he says, "We must leave".'

'Yes, I shan't detain you: I just wish to return this,' he produces the fan from his jacket and proffers it, 'to Miss Aibagawa, who left it at the Hospital today.'

Her eyes flash with alarm: they demand, What are you doing? What are you doing?

His courage evaporates. 'The fan you forgot in Dr Marinus's Hospital.' in Dr Marinus's Hospital.'

The inspector arrives. Glowering, he speaks to Muramoto.

Muramoto says, 'Inspector wish to know "What is?" Mr Dombaga.'

'Tell him,' this is a terrible mistake this is a terrible mistake. 'Miss Aibagawa forgot her fan.'

The inspector is unimpressed: he issues a curt demand and holds out his hand for the fan, like a schoolmaster demanding a schoolboy's note.

'He ask, "Please show", Mr Dombaga,' translates Ikematsu. 'To check.'

If I obey, Jacob realises, all Dejima, all Nagasaki, shall learn how I drew her likeness and pasted it, in strips, on to a fan all Dejima, all Nagasaki, shall learn how I drew her likeness and pasted it, in strips, on to a fan. This friendly token of esteem, Jacob sees, shall be misconstrued. It may even light the touch-paper of a minor scandal.

The inspector's fingers are troubled by the stiff catch.

Blushing in anticipation, Jacob prays for some - for any - deliverance.

Quietly, Miss Aibagawa says something to the inspector.

The inspector looks at her: his grimness softens, just a little . . .

. . . then he snorts with gruff amusement, and hands her the fan. She gives a slight bow.

Jacob feels admonished by this narrowest of escapes.

The bright night is raucous with parties, both on Dejima and ashore, as if to frighten away the bad memory of the morning's earthquake. Paper lanterns are strung along Nagasaki's principal thoroughfares, and impromptu drinking parties are taking place at Constable Kosugi's house, Deputy van Cleef's residence, the Interpreters' Guild and even the Land-Gate's guard-room. Jacob and Ogawa Uzaemon have met on the Watchtower. Ogawa brought an inspector to ward off accusations of fraternising, but he was already drunk, and a flask of sake sake has set him snoring. Hanzaburo is perched a few steps below the platform with Ouwehand's latest much put-upon house interpreter: 'I cured myself of Herpes,' Ouwehand boasted, at the evening mustering. An overladen moon has run aground on Mount Inasa and Jacob enjoys the cool breeze, despite its soot and smell of effluence. 'What are has set him snoring. Hanzaburo is perched a few steps below the platform with Ouwehand's latest much put-upon house interpreter: 'I cured myself of Herpes,' Ouwehand boasted, at the evening mustering. An overladen moon has run aground on Mount Inasa and Jacob enjoys the cool breeze, despite its soot and smell of effluence. 'What are those those clustered lights,' he points, 'up above the city?' clustered lights,' he points, 'up above the city?'

'More O-bon O-bon parties, in . . . parties, in . . . in how-to-say in how-to-say? Place where bury corpses.'

'Graveyards? You never hold parties in graveyards?' Jacob thinks of gavottes gavottes in Domburg's graveyard and almost laughs. in Domburg's graveyard and almost laughs.

'Graveyard is gate of dead,' says Ogawa, 'so good place to call souls to world of life. Tomorrow night, small fire-boats float on sea to guide souls home.'

On the Shenandoah Shenandoah, the officer of the watch strikes four bells.

'You truly,' Jacob asks, 'believe souls migrate in such a manner?'

'Mr de Zoet not believe what he is told when boy?'

But mine is the true faith, Jacob pities Ogawa, whilst yours is idolatry whilst yours is idolatry.

Down at the Land-Gate, an officer is barking at an inferior.

I am a Company employee, he reminds himself, not a missionary not a missionary.

'Anyway.' Ogawa produces a porcelain flask from his sleeve.

Jacob is already a little drunk. 'How many of those are you hiding?'

'I am not on duty . . .' Ogawa refills their cups '. . . so drink to your good profit today.'

Jacob is warmed by the thought of his money and by the sake sake roaring down his gullet. 'Is there anyone in Nagasaki who roaring down his gullet. 'Is there anyone in Nagasaki who doesn't doesn't know how much profit my mercury yielded?' know how much profit my mercury yielded?'

Firecrackers explode in the Chinese factory across the harbour.

'There is one monk in very very very very highest cave,' Ogawa points up the mountainside, 'who has not heard, not yet. To speak with sobriety, however. Price goes higher, this is good, but sell last mercury to Lord Abbot Enomoto, not another. Please. He is dangerous enemy.' highest cave,' Ogawa points up the mountainside, 'who has not heard, not yet. To speak with sobriety, however. Price goes higher, this is good, but sell last mercury to Lord Abbot Enomoto, not another. Please. He is dangerous enemy.'

'Arie Grote has the same fearful opinion of His Grace.'

The breeze carries over the smell of the Chinamen's gunpowder.

'Mr Grote is wise. Abbot's domain is small, but he is . . .' Ogawa hesitates '. . . he is much power. Besides shrine in Kyoga, he has residence here in Nagasaki, house in Miyako. In Edo, he is guest of Matsudaira Sadanobu. Sadanobu-sama is much power . . . "Kingmaker", you say? Any close friend such as Enomoto is also power. Is bad enemy. Please, remember.' is much power . . . "Kingmaker", you say? Any close friend such as Enomoto is also power. Is bad enemy. Please, remember.'

'Surely,' Jacob drinks, 'as a Dutchman, I have safety from "bad enemies".'

When Ogawa makes no reply, the Dutchman feels a degree less secure.

Beach fires dot the shoreline, all the way to the bay's mouth.

Jacob wonders what Miss Aibagawa thinks of her illustrated fan.

Cats tryst on Deputy van Cleef's roof, below the platform.

Jacob surveys the hillsides of roofs and wonders which is hers.

'Mr Ogawa: in Japan, how does a gentleman propose to a lady?'

The interpreter decodes. 'Mr de Zoet want to "butter your artichoke"?'

Jacob loses half a mouthful of sake sake in spectacular fashion. in spectacular fashion.

Ogawa is very concerned. 'I make mistake with Dutch?'

'Captain Lacy has been enriching your vocabulary again?'

'He give tuition for I and Interpreter Iwase on "Gentlemanly Dutch".'

Jacob lets it pass for now. 'When you you asked for your wife's hand in marriage, did you first approach her father? Or give her a ring? Or flowers? Or . . . ?' asked for your wife's hand in marriage, did you first approach her father? Or give her a ring? Or flowers? Or . . . ?'

Ogawa fills their cups. 'I not see wife before wedding day. Our nakodo nakodo made match. How to say made match. How to say nakodo nakodo? Woman who knows families who want marriage . . .'

'An interfering busybody? No, forgive me: a go-between.'

' "Go-between"? Funny word. "Go-between" go between go between our families, our families, achi-kochi achi-kochi,' Ogawa moves his hand like a shuttle, 'describes bride to Father. Her father is rich merchant of sappanwood dye in Karatsu, three days' journey. We investigate family . . . no madness, secret debt, et cetera. Her father come in Nagasaki to meet Ogawas of Nagasaki. Merchants lower class than samurai but . . .' Ogawa's hands become the pans of a weighing-scale. 'Ogawa stipend is safe, and we involve sappanwood trade via Dejima, and so Father agrees. We meet next in shrine on wedding day.'

The buoyant moon has freed itself from Mount Inasa.

'What about,' Jacob speaks with sake sake-inspired frankness, 'what about love?'

'We say, "When husband love wife, mother-in-law loses best servant." '

'What a joyless proverb! Don't you yearn for love, in your hearts?'

'Yes, Mr de Zoet say truth: love is thing of heart heart. Or love is like this sake sake: drink, night of joy, yes, but in cold morning, headache, sick stomach. A man should love concubine so when love dies he say, "Goodbye," easy and no injury. Marriage is different: marriage is matter of head head . . . rank . . . business . . . bloodline. Holland families are not same?' . . . rank . . . business . . . bloodline. Holland families are not same?'

Jacob recalls Anna's father. 'We are exactly the same, alas.'

A shooting star lives and dies in an instant.

'Do I not keep you from welcoming your own ancestors, Mr Ogawa?'

'My father performs rituals at family residence tonight.'

The cow lows in the Pine Tree Corner, upset by the firecrackers.

'To speak with sincerity,' says Ogawa, 'my blood ancestors is not here: I was borned at Tosa Domain, on Shikoku. Shikoku is big island . . .' Ogawa points east '. . . that way, to father of low retainer of Lord Yamanouchi of Tosa. Lord gave my schooling, and sent me in Nagasaki for learn Dutch under Ogawa Mimasaku's house to make bridge between his Tosa and Dejima. But then old Lord Yamanouchi died. His son has no interest in Dutch studies. So I was "marooned", you say? But then Ogawa Mimasaku's two sons died in cholera, ten years ago. Much, much death in city that year. So Ogawa Mimasaku adopted me, to continue family name . . .'

'What about your own mother and father back on Shikoku?'

'Tradition says, "After adoption, do not go back". So, I not go back.'

'Didn't you . . .' Jacob recalls his own bereavement '. . . miss them?'

'I had new name, new life, new father, new mother, new ancestors.'

Does the Japanese race, wonders Jacob, derive gratification from self-inflicted misery? derive gratification from self-inflicted misery?

'My study of Dutch,' says Ogawa, 'is great - solace. Is correct word?'