"Page 78, third paragraph...we knew the supplies were Imperial Japanese Army, because they were stamped with the mark of a flower. Leading Seaman Biggs, unconventional chap that he was, admitted to puttering about in a glass greenhouse at his home in West Ruslip, and he correctly identified the mark as the blossom of a chrysanthemum. Curious symbol for such a warlike race, what?"

An excerpt from another source stated, "In 797 the ruler of Japan, or Mikado, ruled that the flower was only to be used by royalty. The Order of the Chrysanthemum was the highest honor that could be bestowed."

To Jed, it followed that if the symbol was Japanese, then the MacArthur gold, of Philippine origin, would not have been marked with a chrysanthemum. The bar he had found could not have been part of the 'missing payment' intended for resistance fighters battling the invading Japanese.

That left the unanswered question as to who knew the gold -besides Jenny, and Hap- had been identifiable as Japanese, and how did they know? Who wanted Jed to think that the gold might have had a Philippine connection. It certainly wasn't sent by Jenny's father. Again Jed underlined the words, "Colonel MacPherson: Where?" on his chart.

Jed ran back through the tapes to a conversation with Joseph Kilpinski, antique dealer, friend of the MacPherson family.

"Yes, he spent the night with us. Martha put him up in the Edwardian room. He always seems to appreciate..."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kilpinski, I don't have much time and this is very important. Can you tell me if the Colonel tried to contact anyone while visiting New York."

"He did mention being angry at one of his old so-called comrades in arms, a certain captain named, or nicknamed, Buzz."

"Any last name?"

"Not that I would remember."

"Anything else you can tell me?"

"Didn't you get Colonel MacPherson's letter?"

"Yes."

"That should have told you where he was going. I seem to remember him saying —oh, dear me, what was it? Something about Alaska."

"Alaska?"

"Yes, Jenny and ...ah, you, I presume... were to join him."