- Oops. Turns out one woman wasn't released. Way to start Chapter 3 with a bang. You guessed it: the terrorists want to keep Roxane Coss.
- Her accompanist is gravely ill now, something she points out while bargaining to leave.
- Roxane tries to go, but General Hector stops her by grabbing her hair. Ouch.
- All the guests move forward as if to rebel against the terrorists, but the terrorists cock their weapons. Yes, a neat way to head off any would-be heroics by the guests.
- Roxane Coss decides to stay. Since there's a gun pointed at her, it's probably a good idea.
- The accompanist has been almost unconscious during all of this. He wakes up enough to leave, but takes a minute to realize that Roxane's back with the terrorists.
- When he figures it out, the accompanist is furious. He rushes back into the room (guess he slept through all the pointed guns) and demands that they let her go. He even offers to stay in her place.
- This is all made more dramatic by the fact that his illness is getting worse and worse, whatever it is.
- After some hemming and hawing, the terrorists decide to let the accompanist stay. The narrator tells us this is a bad mistake. And boy, does the narrator turn out to be right.
- Father Arguedas moves to help Roxane, and realizes just how sick the accompanist is.
- Father Arguedas goes to the Generals and tells them he thinks the accompanist is dying. Hm, they thought he was just faking.
- Father Arguedas calmly performs last rites even though the terrorists tell him not to. They decide not to stop him.
- As the priest does the last rites, we get some more backstory. Roxane Coss grew up Catholic and still is. No one knows very much about the accompanist, even Roxane. They've apparently worked together for months, but probably not years.
- What we do find out is that the accompanist is desperately in love with Roxane and told her so on this trip. He's been pestering her in some kinda creepy ways. Like listing every outfit she's worn to every rehearsal. Um, shouldn't his eyes be on the piano?
- We also find out that Roxane "hated the accompanist a little" for this (55.3-4). Understandable, really.
- We slowly find out that the accompanist is a diabetic. Why he said "flu" when he meant lack of insulin, no one knows. But by the time they figure out the real problem, it's too late. The accompanist is dead.
- General Benjamin is upset about the death. General Alfredo is more philosophical, reminding him that people do, indeed, die.
- Thanks, General Alfredo.
- General Benjamin objects that they are not there to kill, simply to kidnap the president and go. Alfredo reminds him that the president wasn't there. They just can't let him forget about that dratted soap opera.
- General Hector recommends a ruse: shoot the accompanist's dead body and put it outside to show the authorities they're tough.
- Unsurprisingly, none of the hostages likes this idea.
- The priest stares at the terrorists. That'll show 'em.
- Regardless of various attempts to convince him otherwise, General Hector takes out his gun and looks down the sight.
- Roxane doesn't speak Spanish, so she's afraid that Hector is going to shoot someone who's still alive.
- The VP tells Gen that if anyone can stop General Hector from shooting the accompanist, it's probably Roxane Coss.
- Gen finally tells Roxane what is happening. So she stands up, makes a scene, and says pretty much "Over my dead body." Which is kind of ironic, since the guy is holding a gun.
- This dissuades General Hector from shooting. They're nicer than your average terrorists, after all. Plus, Roxane has quite a forceful personality when she wants to.
- Roxane insists that they take the accompanist's body out and send it home for a decent burial.
- When Roxane sits down again, she leans her head against the chest of the accompanist and kisses him. This is a bit like Aragorn kissing the dying Boromir's forehead in the Lord of the Rings. Sure, Boromir didn't memorize all of Aragorn's outfits, but you get the idea: a moving gesture even if it can't save the accompanist.
- Mr. Hosokawa offers her a handkerchief. Nice guy.
- General Benjamin tells everyone to go back to normal. Snapshot into his brain: he wonders why he feels sad about the accompanist's death, when many people he knows have died and his own brother is stuck in prison. He hopes they'll be able to get his brother released, which is one of the demands they've made in their documents.
- He sends the guests away from the body.
- General Alfredo calls Messner and says there's been a death and they'll need to negotiate exchanging the body.
- Let the waiting begin. Again.
- When Messner arrives, he's pretty upset about the accompanist's death. Seems reasonable. He demands the release of Roxane Coss. No such luck.
- Messner removes the body. One down, everyone else in the room to go.
- The scene shifts to elsewhere in the room. Gen and Mr. Hosokawa are sitting near some windows, having a chat.
- Mr. Hosokawa says that the man was a magnificent accompanist. He's having some major guilt feelings since everybody came here for his birthday party.
- Gen tries to comfort him and also offers to say something to Roxane, since she doesn't speak Japanese and Mr. Hosokawa doesn't speak English.
- Mr. Hosokawa decides that's a good idea, so Gen goes to tell Roxane that Mr. Hosokawa sends his condolences. He thinks the accompanist was brave and talented, and he's very grieved. Aw.
- Gen begins a conversation with Roxane and mentions Mr. Hosokawa's sense of responsibility.
- Roxane is about to send a message through Gen, but then decides it'll be easier to go over and talk to Mr. Hosokawa. Even though they don't have a common language, so Gen will still have to translate.
- When he sees Roxane and Gen coming over, Mr. Hosokawa is so moved that he blushes. Double aw.
- After all, meeting his musical hero is still pretty awesome, even if he is in a hostage situation. It's like being a One Direction super-fan then suddenly get stuck with them during the apocalypse: it's gotta be a little bit cool, even if everything else happening isn't so great.
- Roxane tries to assure Mr. Hosokawa that the whole terrorist invasion thing isn't his fault.
- Mr. Hosokawa is profoundly relieved that Roxane Coss forgives him. In fact, the narrator says he wouldn't be any more relieved if they were freed that moment. This guy may need to check his priorities.
- The terrorists bring them some food, and then Gen is summoned to the Generals for some reason. Maybe because his name is the first three letters of their names?
- It turns out the Generals are trying to figure out whom to keep and whom to let go. They need Gen to translate.
- It's kind of noisy outside. Maybe because of all those police and military people out there trying to get in. They don't seem to be doing much besides making noise, though.
- The Generals are rethinking their strategy and trying to find out if they can still get some ransom money or something out of the situation.
- They end up with 40 hostages who have to stay. There are only 18 terrorists, so they don't want everybody on their hands.
- Meanwhile the VP is trying to tidy up and keep some sort of order in the house, while Roxane and Mr. Hosokawa are sitting together. He is humming bits of opera, and she's singing the lines back to him. Good thing tunes can be recognized in any language.
- The terrorists call Messner again and he comes. Messner thinks that Ruben is getting an infection where the terrorists hurt his face, and he tries to get him some medicine and negotiate his release.
- The terrorists insist on holding onto him. He is the next closest thing to the president, after all.
- The terrorists let a number of hostages go in exchange for a list of small demands like pillows and fruit. Roxane, Gen, and Mr. Hosokawa have to stay.
- Bummer. Sometimes being rich or famous isn't so great.