Chapter 44

Summary

• The chapter opens with Zataki and his men crossing a bridge, heavily armed and prepared for a potential death fight.
• As the two daimyos, Toranaga and Zataki, hold a formal meeting, Father Alvito and Blackthorne observe from the sidelines.
• Toranaga surprisingly agrees to submit to the will of the Council of Regents, expressing his belief in obeying even an illegal council to prevent a single daimyo from tearing apart the realm.
• This unexpected about-face by Toranaga leads to a sense of doom amongst his samurai, who now fear becoming ronin, losing their honor, and the potential for widespread death.
• Characters like Buntaro, Naga, Omi, and Yabu struggle internally with the perceived betrayal, contemplating seppuku or fantasizing about acts of violence from their despair.
• Toranaga's apparent capitulation triggers different thoughts in each character:
  • Buntaro resigns himself to his lord's fate and the destiny of his family, contemplating suicide after loyalty.
  • Naga is overwhelmed by rage and bloodlust, robbed of a noble death in battle.
  • Omi is consumed by hatred and contemplates the murder of Toranaga.
• Toranaga demonstrates control over the situation by calming the potential eruption of violence.
• With the meeting concluded, Toranaga informs everyone of his travel plans and assignments: back to Anjiro, then Yedo, with the Musket Regiment to follow by sea.
• Toranaga personally checks the bill at the inn, showing both his practicality and thoroughness.
• Mariko is permitted to go to Osaka but must first give a private dispatch to Hiro-matsu in Mishima and then continue to Yedo with Blackthorne.
• The column leaves promptly despite the heavy rain, highlighting the urgency and tension of their mission.
• Buntaro and Mariko share a farewell, which seems to carry a deeper significance regarding their future.
• The chapter shifts focus to Blackthorne, recollecting a disturbing incident with an oil seller and his subsequent interactions with Father Alvito, who ominously predicts Toranaga's downfall in Osaka, and possibly Blackthorne's as well.
• Alvito gifts Blackthorne a dictionary, aiding him in language acquisition, but also suggests dire consequences linked to Toranaga's fate.
• The evening settles with Mariko and Blackthorne on the veranda contemplating the journey ahead, while the power plays of the courtesans Gyoko and Kiku play out subtly in the background.
• Mariko and Blackthorne agree to put aside all outside problems during their journey.
• The chapter closes with preparations for the coming journey to Yedo and the arrangement of their travel escort, enhancing the mood of transition and uncertainty for the future.