Edo Bay, JapanEarly November 1836
The Rivoli returned without haste.
The sea ahead was calm, the sky clear, and the fleet moved in the same steady formation it had maintained since leaving Manila. There was no change in speed, no attempt to rush the approach. The message had already been delivered weeks before. Now, this was no longer about announcing presence. It was about receiving an answer.
Guizot stood on the forward deck, his posture relaxed but attentive. His aide remained beside him, watching the coastline slowly come into view.
"They will be ready this time," the aide said.
Guizot nodded.
"Yes. They have had time to prepare."
"And to decide."
Guizot did not respond immediately.
"They may not have decided fully," he said after a moment. "But they will have chosen how to respond."
