"Hey, Bell! It's Christmas Eve! Get out of here!" Lawley commanded.

"Let me grab my coat and I'm gone. Merry Christmas!" Bell responded.

"Merry Christmas, kid," Lawley said.

As soon as Bell had his coat, he was good to his word. He was out the door and onto the streets. The day shift had been required to stay a little late for the last couple of days to help the swing shift get the Christmas Eve, edition, the Christmas morning edition and the day after Christmas edition out so everyone could have Christmas off. There wouldn't be an evening edition for Christmas Day.

It was just after six and Bell was hoping that he could get to church on time. The subway wasn't as packed as it usually was. A lot of the offices knocked off early today if they had even opened at all. There were a few last minute shoppers. Bell had finished his shopping the previous Saturday night. A lot of the presents weren't for his family, though. Most of the presents that he had purchased had been for the Yamamoto children.

The day after Pearl Harbor, Pastor Deng and Pastor Rick Leslie of the Chinese Baptist Mission went with Mrs. Yamamoto to survey the damage. Leslie was a White minister who had been a missionary in China until forced to leave due to the arrival of the Japanese. Deng understood the need of Leslie's' presence. Too many Asians together outside Chinatown could cause a violent showdown. Americans were scared and today, any Asian face would be likely a target.

The house had been a disaster. It had been ransacked, anything of monetary value, taken. Most of the furniture had been broken up. While they were there, the owner of the house came by. He made it quite clear that he was going to break the lease and Mrs. Yamamoto needed to out of the house by week's end. The two men helped her pack as much as they could. Thankfully, most of the clothing was undamaged. A few personal items had survived. Leslie went and knocked on a few neighbors' doors and told them that when Mr. Yamamoto was released, he could contact his family through his friend Paul's church. If the events at the Yamamoto home weren't bad enough, when they went to the bank, Mrs. Yamamoto learned that her husband's bank accounts had been frozen. She had a separate account that had a whopping twenty-three dollars, which she withdrew.

When they returned to Chinatown, Mr. Leslie told Paul what had happened. He had said that neither he nor Pastor Deng wanted the neighbors to know exactly where the Yamamotos had gone for everyone's safety. That evening, the Bells came over and had dinner with the Dengs to get to know the Yamamotos. It was a full house.

Mrs. Yamamoto was putting up a brave front. It lasted until Paul's mother took her hand into her own and said, "Paul is right. The odds of you being a fifth columnist are astronomically against it. Obviously, we don't know anything about why the FBI chose to arrest your husband, but even if it turns out that he is guilty of something, we will still help you and your children."

Mrs. Yamamoto couldn't help it. She buried her face in her hands and started sobbing, which of course started to scare the children. It was at least five minutes before she was able to compose herself and it was several more minutes before the children were calmed down enough to continue the conversation.

"I don't know how to thank you. If it...if it weren't for you, we'd be sleeping in the car, tonight," Mrs. Yamamoto stammered.

Pastor Deng spoke up. "Paul told Ethel about you on Friday night. That is why we knew about who you were, yesterday. I don't know if you picked up on it, but I asked that the elders meet with me after service. The Board of Elders or Elders Board is what more Presbyterian churches call its leadership. I told them of your situation and we are in total agreement to help as much as we can. We will have to run interference with a few church members who will disagree with this decision, but as long as nothing illegal is involved, we will do what we can."

Tears were in Mrs. Yamamoto's eyes as she whispered, "Thank you." She looked at Paul. "I don't know where I'd be if we hadn't met you. I know that sounds melodramatic, but it is true."

Paul blushed. When he had been a little younger he'd fantasized about saving the damsel in distress. Having a hand in actually doing it and seeing the absolute gratitude from a woman made him very uncomfortable.

His father picked up on Paul's discomfort. "What did you do today, Paul?" he asked.

Glad for the change of subject, Paul answered, "Mr. White did say that he wanted some articles, but I had never actually written an article, so I went over and spoke with my old editor and asked for advice. He helped me get in three stories and gave me some advice on finding stories. He made a phone call and I can go for a walk with a couple of beat cops that he knows tomorrow as long as I don't get in the way."

"Don't get in the way," his father said.

"Mr. Yamamoto isn't the only person that has been arrested," Paul said a little later over dessert. "Father Kessler was arrested, too. Father Ryu told me about it today, when I went over to the Roman Catholic Church. When I called in, I heard that the FBI arrested the Editor in Chief of an Italian language paper in Gotham City. The woman who told me about it said that foreign seamen are being arrested. It is going to take time to question everybody."

"But Daddy's an American!" Archie said.

"So is Father Kessler," Paul answered.

"So you are sure that it is not just Japanese Americans that are being arrested?" Mrs. Yamamoto asked.

"Yes ma'am," Paul answered. "German Americans are definitely being arrested and maybe Italian Americans are too. I don't know if that Italian in Gotham is an American or not."

Later that evening, everyone listened to a repeated broadcast of President Roosevelt's speech formally asking Congress for a Declaration of War against Japan.

The next afternoon. Bell met Adamson in the foyer at Bell's church. "Lawley said to meet you here. You got some shots, I hear. Why did you want to meet here? Couldn't you have brought them in?"

"Mr. White told me to stay in Chinatown for the time being. Besides, if the shots turn out, they will all be in the morning paper. Mr. White and Mr. Lawley will want them right away. The first shots are of a large truck hitting a bus. I came upon it just after it happened. Several dead and several injured. I interviewed two survivors. Called it in. One of the secretaries transcribed my story. Mr. Lawley said he'd send someone this afternoon for the pictures and I suggested here because I don't want to fight the other reporters for my pictures.

Later, I was doing a walk along with two beat cops when we came upon gun shots when we were walking by an apartment complex. They told me to wait outside. I went down the block and set up for a distance shot. Other cops showed up. Later, the cops brought a woman out of the building in handcuffs with blood on her clothes. I think that I got some good shots of her being put in a police car." Bell answered. He spoke in a detached, matter of fact voice.

"Who did she shoot?" Adamson asked.

"I need to get it confirmed, but I was told it was her boyfriend with his other girlfriend. From what I understand, he was two timing her and she found out about it and killed them both. Whether the other woman knew about it, we may never know. I gotta get that confirmed first before we publish it, but here are the pictures," Bell said and handed Adamson the film.

"What's the matter with you? Lawley will make sure that you get the byline. This could be fantastic stuff," Adamson said.

"Drop me off at the precinct house and I will see about getting a statement," Bell answered flatly.

Pastor Deng came out of his office as Adamson said with sudden realization. "This is the first time that you have covered a violent story, isn't it?"

"Yeah, so?" Bell said sullenly.

"Covering violent stories is harder than covering nonviolent stories. The violence affects the reporter, too. That is kind of why investigative reporters and cops have a love-hate relationship. We both stick out noses in other peoples' business and in so doing we both see the gory side of life. What you have seen should bother you a little bit. You would be a very dangerous person if it didn't. We have a ton of readers who get a thrill reading true crime from the privacy of their homes. That is one thing. It is another thing to see it up close. Only psychopaths aren't bothered by it up close," Adamson said.

A few seconds later Bell said. "On Sunday, I was at the local precinct house and there was this reporter who was hoping, and I mean hoping, that there would be a race riot in Chinatown so he could get a scoop. At the time, I was royally ticked off at him, but here I am, sending pictures of death and destruction to my paper. My career is going to benefit from this. I just wonder if this is the first step in me becoming like that jerk."

"I can't say that there aren't guys like him. He is in it for money only or he is simply a vampire, getting his thrills reporting on the destruction of others. I bet there were other reporters who looked down on him, right?"

"Nobody seemed to like him," Bell answered

"Reporting something is not the same thing as wanting it to happen," Pastor Deng said. "We will talk about this in more detail at some future time.'

"You his minister?" Adamson asked. When Deng nodded Adamson stuck out his hand. "Name's Adamson, Walt Adamson. I work for the Planet. Don't let this kid quit. He's got potential."

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

He's got potential, the thought echoed in Paul's mind as he made the last connection to the bus that would take him to church. Mr. White had him come back into the office on Thursday. It had been an interesting ride into work. His father told him to say that he was an Indian if anyone asked if he was a Jap or more likely accused him of being one. He had to say it twice to a couple of hostile riders, but he got to work in one piece.

Both of the articles that had concerned him had made the front page of Section B, complete with photos and a byline in Wednesday's morning paper. On Wednesday, he had gotten a nice photo of a patriotic ceremony that made the evening paper as well.

Mr. White was very pleased. He gave him a promotion complete with a raise to part time cub reporter/photographer, part-time copy boy. He spent the rest of the week working with one of the more experienced photographers.

To say that the two and a half weeks since Pearl Harbor were interesting was an understatement. Mrs. Yamamoto was college educated. Pastor Deng was able to find her a job with a local company at the edge of Chinatown as an accountant. The boss asked her to try not to say her last name any more than she had to. Having the same last name as the main Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy was not a good thing in 1941 America.

She hated it, but she offered to go by the the Anglicized pronunciation of her maiden name, at work, which was Abe. It made instant points with the boss. Other than the boss, no one at the company knew that she was Japanese American.

Everyone was told that she was a Korean American from Hawaii. Since the company was made up of Chinese Americans and Negroes along with Whites from the Foreign Section of Metropolis, as long as she didn't let anything slip, she should be able to work there. If a Korean came along. she'd say that her parents died when she was young and she was raised in an orphanage and that was why she couldn't speak Korean. She would say that her husband had a hard to pronounce name and he was in the service so she used her maiden name. Flimsy, but it would have to do. No one though she could pass a Chinese American from LA just because so many of them spoke Chinese

When Paul got to church the place was packed. He saw a lot of people that he didn't recognize and some that he barely did. Some of the Whites who had been taking the English classes showed up. He wandered up and down the aisle. He found the Yamamotos sitting up with Mrs. Deng, near the front. He greeted them and then he decided that he might as well use the restroom before the service.

He went back to the foyer. He was surprised when he saw Lois Lane, there. He hadn't seen the girl reporter since Pearl Harbor. She had covered some pretty big stories herself since then. some of which involved Superman. "It's good to see you,' he said, taking one of her hands in both of his, warmly.

"Your mother invited me to come when I was at your home and I liked your mother and I needed a break so here I am," she said.

He saw Connor come out of the restroom, who took Lois with him to sit with the Bells. Paul went into the restroom and wondered if there would be a seat for him.

He said hi to a couple of kids he knew when he washed his hands and came out of the restroom in time to see Mr. Yamamoto walk into the church. Mr. Yamamoto looked apprehensive and he had lost weight. Paul smiled and walked up to him.

When he saw Paul smiling, relief washed over Mr. Yamamotos face. "Paul! It is nice to finally see a friendly face! I wasn't sure if this was the right church or not. Have you seen my family?"

"They're here. Right this way," Paul led the man down the aisle. The preservice organ music was playing. Since the service was overfilled there were people standing along the pews. They made their way to the front. Mrs. Deng happened to glance back and saw Paul and Mr. Yamamoto approaching. Paul nodded to her and she quietly got up and entered the aisle. Mr. Yamamoto saw what she intended, smiled, nodded to her and slipped into her seat. A second later everyone heard the squeals of surprise at the reunion in the pew.

A couple of elders made their way towards the Yamamotos just in case anyone wanted to make an issue. A young man in the row behind the Yamamotos gave up his seat for Mrs. Deng. Paul waited until the elders were in place and then went and squeezed in with his family, with his dad on one side and the wooden pew on the other, just as the music director took the podium to begin the service.

After the service there was the usual meet and greet in the fellowship hall. About half of the attendees stayed for it. Lois and Paul's mother were in an animated, happy conversation. Paul was pretty sure that his mother had a new friend in Lois. The Yamamotos were enjoying their reunion with cookies and punch. The girls were telling him how much they liked going to Lue Elementary much better than their old school. They asked if they could stay at that school.

"There is a good chance of that. You see, I was told that sometime in January I was going to be drafted," The mood of the wife and the girls suddenly changed from joyous to dismay. Though the boys were too young to understand what being drafted meant, they understood that their mother was unhappy.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey," Mr. Yamamoto began. "That's later. It's Christmas. Let's enjoy ourselves."

"Does Santa know we moved?" Ray asked.

The Yamamoto adults glanced at each other as Paul spoke up, "Oh yeah. Santa knows. I put in the change of address paperwork myself," he said looking at the parents.

"That's right. I helped him do it," Mrs. Deng said coming up behind them.

Mrs. Yamamoto put her head on her husband's shoulder. He said. "I don't know how we can thank you."

"I told you that my church was different. We hope that you keep coming here after all this is over, at least as long as you live in Metropolis." Paul said

"I don't know if we will ever believe as you do, but you can bet that we will keep coming, even after we get a new place to stay, as long as we are in Metropolis and I think that might be a while," Mr. Yamamoto said. "You really don't have to be Chinese to fit in here, do you?"

"Nope," Paul said.

"We should get the children home and in bed. I'm sure they will be up first thing in the morning," Mrs Deng said.

As the Yamamotos started the kids towards their car, Mr. Bell told Mrs Deng that he and Paul would drop off the presents for the children after they had gone to bed. Mr. and Mrs. Bell had purchased a present for each of the children to which she replied that quite a few other families had done likewise. Paul mentioned that he even bought a new pair of gloves for Mrs. Yamamoto. He had even bought a sweater for Mr. Yamamoto, just in case. Mrs. Deng replied that she had bought Mrs. Yamamoto something as well. The Yamamotos looked to have a very nice Christmas in store for them.

Later, when they were in bed, Connor leaned over and said, "I got an idea. You think the Jap kids at the orphanage would like to play with the Yamamoto kids?"

"That's not a bad idea. You ought to mention it to them on Sunday. Just remember to not call them Japs to their faces. It annoys them." Paul answered.

"Right. You know, maybe being drafted isn't such a bad thing for him. After all, it will be a lot easier for the kids to say that he is in the service rather than arrested by the FBI," Connor said.

"Go to sleep, Connor."

"Merry Christmas Paul."

"Merry Christmas, Connor."

Historical Note:

Regarding Pastor Kessler's church. In 1941, there were Asian Roman Catholics as there still are. Some of the Asian refugees in my story are Roman Catholic from various countries who attend Kessler's little parish. The history of Christianity in Korea is interesting reading. Look it up.

A lot of Americans have a lot of misconceptions about the World War Two Internment Programs. the biggest misconception that most Americans have is that all Japanese Americans were interned. That is not true. About 111,000 out of a population of 270,000 were interned. All of those from Alaska, western Washington, western Oregon and California were interned. Less than 1,000 of the 160,000 Japanese Americans living in Hawaii were interned. Some internees were American citizens and some were Japanese citizens who were long term American residents. If you have one available, read the Asian American Encyclopedia on the subject

Another misconception is that Japanese were the only people interned. German Americans, German and Italian immigrants were also interned. The most famous camps that had Germans and Italians were Ellis Island and Crystal City Internment Camp. Google those names and also look them up on You Tube. The best number that I have found so far is that 60,000 German and German Americans were interned for part of the war and 11,000 for the duration of the war along with 3,000 Italians

Due to government fears of Nazi and Japanese spy rings, the US government got governments of several Latin American nations to send up some of their own citizens of Japanese, German and Italian ancestry for internment. Some of them were at Crystal City and Seagoville along with the American internees. Some had Spanish wives. I am in regular email contact with a lot of the German American children of the camps.

A Japanese American living on the East Coast would not automatically have been interned. Living in Metropolis, the Yamamotos could live out the war without being interned.

Recently declassified information refers to Japanese Americans working in the Pacific Theater as translators. That's what I was thinking about with the drafting of Richard Yamamoto.