They traveled back to town in an oxcart that Sano guessed had been brought by the police to transport the smuggled goods. At Governor Nagai’s mansion, guards locked Sano and Kiyoshi in separate chambers until, hours later, the summons came. The guards untied Sano’s hands and escorted him into the audience hall, where Governor Nagai, dressed in formal black robes, occupied the dais. At either side of him, aides sat behind desks that held the brushes, paper, and seals used for recording official proceedings. In a row in front of the dais, at Governor Nagai’s right, knelt Yoriki Ota, Interpreter Iishino, and Chief Ohira. Facing them were three samurai Sano didn’t recognize. Lanterns cast a menacing ocher pall over the assembly’s grave faces.

“What is this?” Sano demanded as the guards pushed him to his knees. Hearing a scuffle behind him, he turned and saw more guards drag a trembling, white-faced Kiyoshi into the room. They dumped the youth beside him. “What’s going on?”

No one looked directly at him. Governor Nagai kept his eyes on his desk as he said, “We are here to review your transgressions against the law, including your attempt at smuggling.”

So it was a trial, and for what other alleged offenses? “Someone did smuggle foreign goods from Deshima,” Sano said, forcing himself to stay calm despite the alarm that compressed his lungs, “but it wasn’t me. I’ve already explained to Yoriki Ota that I followed the flashing lights to the cove and found the boat.”

Nagai’s thick lips formed a brief, skeptical moue; his hooded eyes avoided Sano’s. “Yes. Well. We shall see what your partner has to say. Kiyoshi?”

The youth slumped wretchedly, shoulders hunched to his ears, his face almost touching his knees. In a barely audible mutter, he said, “The sōsakan-sama came to the watchtower when I was on duty yesterday. He ordered me to steal goods from the Deshima warehouse and bring them to the water gates. He said he would kill me if I refused.”

Aghast at this unexpected treachery, Sano leapt to his feet and grabbed the young samurai’s collar. “That’s a lie! Kiyoshi, you know I never did any such thing. Why—”

“Silence!” thundered Governor Nagai. The guards pulled Sano away from the boy and pushed him back onto the floor. “Continue, Kiyoshi.”