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military regulation imposed overnight. Besides these dragons to catch the unwary, the typhoon signals were flying and the weather was bad. However, I braced myself to face it. I did not dare ask my friend to arrange another interview. I doubted if he could have done so. This was a task for me to accomplish with God's guidance. The streets surrounding the Consulate were deserted. The wind was strong and there were frequent rainsqualls. For this I was thankful, as the sentries were more interested in keeping dry than in challenging passers by. The sentry at the Consulate front door was very much alert. I gave him a smart military salute and walked past. At the secretary's office I was presented with the customary form: Nature of interview, name, etc., "Have you an appointment?" When I said I had no appointment the secretary said coldly, "If you have no appointment, I'm afraid you cannot see Mr. Banjo." I asked her if she would please ask Mr. Banjo to overlook the omission and see me for two minutes. I had heard disturbing rumors that some British business people in Shanghai were trying to have our three children's names scored off the list to be replaced with their own. They had the money to do so if that were of any avail. The thought of leaving the three children behind, or having to forego my own repatriation and be cut off from the Hong Kong group who were being repatriated with the Americans was beyond contemplation. The seconds that elapsed between the departure of the secretary and Banjo's appearance were years long. Banjo could have said, "No appointment, no interview. He could have had me arrested, or he could have been officially inaccessible. Instead he came out of his office and said, "Oh, yes, Captain Cook, about those ladies- it's time we had a reply. So far, there has been no reply from Tokyo. I'll send an urgent cable to Tokyo today. Meanwhile tell they ladies they can move in and register at the Columbia Country Club."
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