Chapter 8, 'Command Performance' Summary

The months pass into spring and The Thief of the Tokaido is still successful. However, outside the theater the city is still starving. Some people have started wandering the streets at night, occasionally throwing stones at a wealthy man's house.

One night, someone bangs on the side door and Jiro and Kinshi go to see who it is. There is no-one there, but a message has been bolted to the door. The message is from Saburo, proclaiming that a special performance of The Thief of the Tokaido will be held at the theater for the poor. Entrance will be free for them, and Saburo himself will attend. Yoshida takes this cheeky message better than they thought he would, and tells them to post the notice up in the courtyard.

When the authorities see the poster, Yoshida is visited by...