Chapter 3

Summary

• Yabu feels confident, sitting in his bath, contemplating his newfound power through acquired armaments.
• He orders the transfer of 500 muskets, 20 cannons, and additional ammunition to be moved to his castle in Mishima.
• Yabu's retainers do not understand his excitement or the need for secrecy.
• Yabu reminisces about how guns were introduced to Japan by the Portuguese and traditionally seen as dishonorable in Japanese warfare.
• Yabu has a plan to arm and train 500 samurai with muskets and support them with cannons, which could be decisive in war.
• He dismisses concerns about bushido, highlighting his pragmatism over tradition.
• Yabu contemplates whether to side with Toranaga or Ishido, two powerful lords, in the upcoming conflict or to bide his time.
• He visits the strong room, which contains valuables presumably from pirates, planning to melt silver and gold into ingots.
• Three days prior, Yabu received a message about a barbarian ship, leading him to leave Toranaga's side in secrecy to investigate its valuable cargo.
• Yabu's wife and consort worry about the consequences of defying Toranaga, but Yabu decides the potential wealth is too important.
• Yabu now has the means to improve his stronghold, weaponry, and spy network, even considering bribing someone to poison his enemy, Ikawa Jikkyu.
• Yabu receives a massage from Suwo, a blind masseur with a history linked to the Toranaga clan, which relaxes him deeply.
• Suwo's story about a past betrayal, which involved the same Murasama sword Yabu now owns, intrigues him.
• Yabu plans to use the new resources to gain power and possibly become a Shogun.
• In the midst of their affliction, the captives on the ship are forced to draw lots to decide who will be sacrificed.
• Blackthorne, the pilot, refuses participation in the lot drawing, urging them to fight instead, but is overruled.
• Reluctantly, the captives swear to God to abide by the drawing, with Vinck ultimately drawing the short straw and facing death.
• Just as one of their leaders, Spillbergen, falls unconscious, the trapdoor opens to reveal Omi against the backdrop of the sunset.