Young Samurai: The Ring of Wind (23 page)

Tatsumaki admired the jet-black pearl, its gleam radiant in the morning sun. ‘Captain, I thought you said you had taken
all
their possessions.’

‘Yes, I …’ blustered Captain Kurogumo, ‘… just wanted to test Saru’s skill.’

Tatsumaki smiled knowingly. ‘Well, as my Saru found this rare and valuable pearl, I say finders keepers. I think you’ll agree that’s fair.’

‘Very fair,’ replied Captain Kurogumo through gritted teeth, while glaring at the interfering monkey.

The Pirate Queen pocketed the pearl.

‘You keep strange company, Jack Fletcher,’ she remarked, for the first time paying the others attention. ‘A monk, a samurai, a pirate and … a ninja.’

Tatsumaki regarded Miyuki with contempt. ‘Throw the traitorous ninja over the side.’

Snakehead seized Miyuki by the hair and dragged her towards the end of the balcony. She kicked and fought, but Tiger grabbed her legs and they carried her the rest of the way to the edge.

‘NO!’ protested Jack, struggling against Skullface, who’d seized him round the throat.

Both Yori and Saburo were imprisoned within Manzo’s iron-like grip.

‘Such compassion for a ninja,’ Tatsumaki remarked in surprise. ‘I was led to believe a ninja killed your father.’

‘Yes, but not her,’ corrected Jack. ‘Now
please
let her live!’

‘Give me one good reason why. Her kind tried to wipe out the
Fuma
.’

‘But Miyuki had nothing to do with that battle. She’s innocent.’

‘An
innocent
ninja!’ laughed Tatsumaki. ‘That’s an interesting concept. But nothing comes for free in this life. She must pay the debt of her ancestors.’

‘You’ve my pearl for payment,’ persisted Jack. ‘Take my swords as well.’

‘They’re mine already,’ said Tatsumaki, indifferent to Miyuki’s fate.

Snakehead and Tiger swung Miyuki over the balcony rail and awaited the Pirate Queen’s final command to drop her. Jack felt his heart wrench at seeing Miyuki on the verge of plunging to her death. Only now did he realize just how much she meant to him. He turned to Tatsumaki in desperation and offered the most valuable thing he possessed. ‘I’ll reveal the secrets of the
rutter
.’

‘
Rutter
?’ queried Tatsumaki, intrigued.

‘He must mean this,’ said Captain Kurogumo, retrieving the oilskinned book from Jack’s pack. ‘It’s a navigational logbook, but I haven’t been able to make head or tail of it.’

‘It’s encoded and in my language,’ Jack explained hurriedly. ‘But I can decipher it for you –
if
you let Miyuki live.’

‘And why would such a logbook be of interest to me?’ asked Tatsumaki. ‘Explain quickly – my men are losing their grip on your friend.’

‘You want influence and power,’ said Jack hurriedly. ‘Then the
rutter
can give you dominion over the seas. The knowledge inside this logbook ensures safe passage across the world’s oceans. With it, you could control the trade routes between nations to your advantage.’

Tatsumaki’s interest was piqued. ‘So
this
is the reason why the Shogun is so determined to catch you.’

She held up her hand to Snakehead and Tiger, as Miyuki dangled precariously over the lagoon far below. The Pirate Queen looked to Captain Kurogumo, who was grinning from ear to ear.

‘We could pirate
all
the ships we wanted,’ he enthused. ‘Demand protection tolls. The Wind Demons would command the world’s riches!’

Miyuki’s life hung in the balance as Tatsumaki considered Jack’s offer.

‘Spare the ninja,’ she ordered, much to Snakehead and Tiger’s disappointment.

The two pirates pulled Miyuki back from the brink and dumped her on the balcony deck.

Tatsumaki smiled warmly at Jack. ‘Give me your hand.’

Jack warily held it out. The Pirate Queen flicked the top of her fan across his open palm. He winced as its hidden razor edge cut a line into his skin. Blood oozed forth. Then she did the same to herself and pressed their palms together.

‘It’s a blood oath. If this
rutter
is as powerful as you say, I’ll let you and all your friends go free. Trick me or attempt to escape, and you’ll
all
be thrown overboard into the lagoon. Understand?’

Jack nodded.

‘I’m not certain
everybody
does,’ said Tatsumaki, looking directly at Cheng. ‘Some are still deceiving me.’

Deception

‘Do you think Cheng’s been thrown into the lagoon?’ asked Yori, trying to get a view of the balcony through their barred window. All he could see was the sheer drop into the crater.

Jack and his friends had been escorted into a luxurious, yet secure, room within the citadel. Painted scrolls of dragons and tigers adorned the bamboo walls and silk cushions were spread out across the
tatami
-matted floor. A low table was laid with several bowls of cooked rice, exquisitely sliced fish and fresh water. They were now the esteemed guests of the Pirate Queen. But the two armed guards outside their solid bamboo door were a clear reminder that in truth they remained prisoners.

Cheng, detained by Tatsumaki for further questioning, had yet to reappear. The pirate boy’s fate was uncertain after Captain Kurogumo had listed his acts of treachery. But, whatever deception he was practising, Cheng had remained tight-lipped.

‘We haven’t heard anybody scream,’ said Saburo optimistically, tucking into the feast while he had the chance. ‘At least … not yet.’

Jack sat with Miyuki, who’d been quiet ever since her last-minute reprieve of execution.

‘Tatsumaki won’t harm you. You’re safe now,’ Jack comforted her.

Miyuki gave him a half-hearted nod. ‘But for how long? She’s using the influence of our friendship to control you. Once you’ve given that woman what she wants, we’ll no longer be considered useful. And we’ll
all
end up in that lagoon – you too.’

‘Tatsumaki’s made a blood oath with me,’ Jack reminded her, holding up his healing hand.

‘And you trust a
pirate
to keep their word?’

Jack had no answer to that. ‘Then I’ll take my time decrypting and explaining the
rutter
. There’s bound to be an opportunity for escape before I complete it.’

Miyuki turned on Jack. ‘I don’t understand you. You’re giving away the
one thing
that guarantees your safe return home. Worse, you’re breaking your vow to your father. I thought you promised not to reveal the
rutter
’s secrets – never to let the logbook fall into the wrong hands. A true ninja would never betray their clan by divulging such information, especially to the likes of Tatsumaki. That Pirate Queen’s the
last
person on earth you should be handing this knowledge to.’

The words stung Jack. He realized he’d made a pact with a devil and the consequences weighed heavily upon him. ‘But I
couldn’t
let her kill you.’

Miyuki’s midnight-black eyes met his. ‘Jack, don’t you know that I’d die for you –’

The door slid open. Skullface dumped clean clothes on the floor beside them.

‘There’s an
ofuro
next door. You’ll take turns to bathe. Under guard.’ The tattooed pirate seemed irritated at having to act like their servant. He glared at Jack. ‘Be ready by sundown. Tatsumaki expects your company.’

Skullface turned to leave.

‘Where’s Cheng?’ demanded Jack. ‘Is he all right?’

Skullface grinned maliciously. ‘Oh, you won’t be seeing
him
ever again. I can assure you of that.’

The afternoon passed slowly in mournful silence. Although Cheng had never truly been a part of their group, his kindness and courageous interventions had saved their lives on a number of occasions and they each grieved over his loss. Jack had become used to the pirate boy’s gentle presence and would deeply miss him.

‘Not having arrived at the Yellow River, the heart is not dead,’ murmured Yori. ‘I must remember to tell Sensei Yamada that. It’s a good life lesson …’

‘And one we should heed now,’ said Jack. ‘Our journey isn’t over. Remember, where there are friends, there’s hope.’

Yori managed a brave smile at their shared saying. But it immediately faded as a brutish guard opened the door.

‘Next,’ he grunted, shoving a scrubbed and cleaned Saburo back into the room.

Having eaten, bathed and changed into a fresh kimono, Jack felt revived and was ready to face the challenges ahead. Between them, they’d agreed a plan to bide their time and observe the Wind Demons in their lair. They would study the pirates’ defences for weaknesses, use stealth to acquire weapons and provisions for the necessary sea voyage, and keep an eye out for a suitable boat to steal. Having travelled to Pirate Island in the dark of night, they also needed to discover their approximate location in the Seto Sea. Only then could they hope to make a realistic escape from the isolated isle.

The door opened. ‘Follow me,
gaijin
,’ ordered the guard gruffly.

Leaving his friends in the room, Jack was led on to the balcony. With the sun setting behind the citadel, the crater below had fallen into shadow. Torches were lit along the walkways, their flames looking like burning lava against the cliff walls. But it was the lagoon itself that bizarrely gave off the greatest light. The waters sparkled luminescent blue, swirling in dotted fans of light as if an entire galaxy of stars had dropped into the sea. The vision was truly magical and for a moment Jack could only stare in wonder.

‘Sea fireflies,’ said a voice from behind.

Jack turned to see a girl with short black hair, almond eyes and thin delicate lips. She wore a silk Chinese blouse of jade green, with a matching skirt embroidered with silver clouds.

‘That’s what Tatsumaki told me.’

Jack did a double take. ‘Is that
you
, Cheng?’

The girl nodded, then bowed. ‘Li Ling is my real name.’

‘We thought … you were dead …’ he said, flustered. ‘And a boy!’

Li Ling smiled apologetically. ‘I’m sorry to have deceived you, but I couldn’t risk telling anyone. Tatsumaki, though, saw straight through my disguise.’

‘But why pretend in the first place?’ asked Jack, getting over his initial shock.

‘I got the idea from Hua Mulan,’ Li Ling explained. When she saw that Jack had no idea whom she was talking about, she continued, ‘Mulan was eighteen when she joined the army disguised as a man. She fought for the Emperor for over ten years to become the greatest female warrior in China. We still sing of her exploits in the
Ballad of Mulan
. I wanted to be just like her – but as a pirate. And the Wind Demons would never have let me join their crew if they knew I was a girl.’

‘How wrong you were,’ said Tatsumaki, appearing from behind a billowing curtain. The Pirate Queen was robed in an ankle-length dress of red silk brocade, a golden Chinese dragon shimmering from the lower hem to the tip of her mandarin collar. ‘Now you know that girls make the greatest pirates of all.’

Octopus

‘Boasting as always!’ bellowed a voice thick as tar. A large barrel-chested pirate with heavy jowls and bloodshot eyes limped towards them from the direction of the citadel gate. He carried a vicious-looking trident, which doubled as a walking stick, its wooden end thunking loudly on the deck with each step.

‘Captain Kujira, I’m so glad you could join us,’ said Tatsumaki. ‘This here is Li Ling, a promising new recruit; and Jack Fletcher, the
gaijin
samurai, who needs no further introduction.’

The pirate captain offered Jack a stiff bow, while studying Li Ling out of the corner of his eye.

‘Another girl determined to follow in your footsteps,’ he smirked, directing his comment at Tatsumaki. ‘I hope she knows what she’s letting herself in for.’

‘Feeling threatened, are we?’ interjected another female voice.

A pirate woman of Amazonian build strode over. Dressed in a long flowing robe of deep-blue velvet decorated with white curls of cresting waves, she seemed to part the very air as she walked. Beneath her robe Jack glimpsed a bodysuit of black leather armour, and crossed in her belt were a pair of
sai
– dagger-shaped shafts of steel with two curved prongs projecting menacingly from their handles. The woman’s dark hair was tied back by a pure white bandanna with the red emblem of a shark’s fin stamped at its centre. Several bands of gleaming gold encircled her muscular biceps. But most distinctive about the pirate woman’s appearance were her black-painted fingernails, which had been sharpened into points, making her fingers look like talons.