Ichiro Sano has had a very bad few weeks.
He has also had a very bad few months, and for that matter he has had a very bad few years, ever since he was first called to court and told what it was his duty to do for the glory of the Empire and the honor of the Emperor.
But right now he's thinking about the weeks, which left him with a bullet lodged in his thigh and undergoing some impromptu surgery at the hands of a quite inexperienced person. Even after the application of one of those questionable techniques that it is Sano's honor and duty to secure for the Empire, he's walking with a limp.
It's all right. He solved the problem. Explosives do that.
And so now he's going to take a break, ask Mr. Latz about a few of the less dangerous rare books he wants to secure, and take his mistress out for a lovely dinner at the most expensive French restaurant in London.