 Carmody proposes they settle the matter with their customary game of dice, wagering five years of loyal service against his freedom and the safety of the local villagers.After Yang loses, he coerces Carmody into playing again, this time for the future of the Protestant mission.When he loses again, Yang resigns himself to perpetuating the myth of Father O'Shea, who was saintly enough to turn aside a powerful warlord.