As the warrior guided his horse back home, he pondered what the future might hold. The scuffle of a few moments ago, while unfortunate to be sure, was done, in the past and not be to be dwelt on. He had taken no pleasure in killing the peasant--that was not the samurai way--but it was his right, in fact his duty, to ensure that these farmers and fishers showed at all times the proper respect and deference. There must be no doubt in the minds of the people of the Ryukyu island groups--Amami, Sakishima, and Okinawa--that they were now, and would forever be, subject to the rule of Japanese overloads.
As the samurai on his horse clopped away unhurriedly, the young man he had dispatched without even dismounting lay bleeding into the earth.
