he wasn’t to be kept waiting, especially since he hadn’t wanted this particular passenger in the first place.
‘No, she has been arrested.’
‘What? Why?’ Nico felt himself go tense at this unexpected turn of events.
‘She is
gai-jin
, like you. If I can’t free her from prison, she be killed soon, tomorrow maybe.’
A cold grip took hold of Nico’s gut. How could Midori be arrested and executed simply for being foreign?
So she was right then, she really did need to leave, and quickly.
He could see now why she’d been so insistent on buying passage immediately. He frowned and looked at the man before him. ‘Can you free her?’
‘Perhaps. But if I do, she must disappear straight away, or bad consequences for me and my clan. I must not be seen with her now.’
‘Surely you’ll be watched?’
‘Yes, but there are ways of becoming, er …’
‘Invisible?’
‘
Hai.’
Nico thought it best not to ask any further questions. The less he knew, the better, so he simply nodded.
‘If I bring her during night, you be ready to receive her?’ Kumashiro asked.
Nico didn’t hesitate. This complicated matters even more, but he couldn’t refuse. If he’d had doubts about helping Midori before, they were all gone now. She was in serious danger. ‘Yes. I will go on board as soon as I have finished eating. I was all set to leave in any case.’
‘Good. Thank you.’ Kumashiro looked as if he wanted to say something else, but wasn’t sure how to phrase it and Nico thought he could guess what it might be.
‘Don’t worry, I will look after your sister to the best of my ability. It may not be enough, but I’ll do all I can. She is … a very brave woman.’ Despite his anger earlier, he respected Midori for the way she had tried to force him to do her bidding. He’d never met a woman like her before, so sure of her own abilities and so unafraid.
Kumashiro narrowed his eyes as if he was sizing him up again, judging what manner of man he might be, then unexpectedly he smiled once more. ‘Thank you. I hope you really are man of your word.’
He turned to leave, but before he had reached the door, Nico realised he couldn’t leave it at that and blurted out, ‘Wait! Can I help in any way?’
Kumashiro swivelled round, his eyebrows raised in surprise. ‘
Nani?’
‘I would like to offer my assistance. You know, to free your sister …’ Nico trailed off, realising he was probably insulting the man. After all, what could he do? A foreigner who wasn’t even allowed to set foot on the mainland? His offer was genuine, though; he really wanted to help.
Kumashiro stayed silent for a while, deep in thought, then he nodded. ‘Maybe, but you are putting self in danger, you know this?’
It was Nico’s turn to nod. ‘Yes, I know. Now please tell me what you would like me to do.’
Chapter Six
Despite the fear, Midori dozed for a while, but raised her head when the door was opened and something was thrown in by the guards. She wondered if it was another poor condemned soul, but then realised that what had arrived was their supper in a sack. Her fellow prisoners dived for the floor, fighting tooth and nail for the meagre rations of what looked like stale rice cakes. Midori shuddered and wondered how any of them could even think of eating. Bile rose in her throat and she swallowed hard.
For a short while, she’d thought perhaps she was just having a nightmare, but this was all too real. The hard, cold dirt floor she was sitting on smelled as if a hundred latrines had been emptied into it. The damp wall behind her back and the unbelievable stench of accumulated filth on the people all around her – no brain could have dreamed up any of it. Cockroaches scurried across her legs and a moment ago she had seen a rat peeping out through a hole in the corner. Her skin crawled and she scratched repeatedly at real or imaginary itches that were driving her insane.
I mustn’t panic. Keep calm, breathe.
But
‘No, she has been arrested.’
‘What? Why?’ Nico felt himself go tense at this unexpected turn of events.
‘She is
gai-jin
, like you. If I can’t free her from prison, she be killed soon, tomorrow maybe.’
A cold grip took hold of Nico’s gut. How could Midori be arrested and executed simply for being foreign?
So she was right then, she really did need to leave, and quickly.
He could see now why she’d been so insistent on buying passage immediately. He frowned and looked at the man before him. ‘Can you free her?’
‘Perhaps. But if I do, she must disappear straight away, or bad consequences for me and my clan. I must not be seen with her now.’
‘Surely you’ll be watched?’
‘Yes, but there are ways of becoming, er …’
‘Invisible?’
‘
Hai.’
Nico thought it best not to ask any further questions. The less he knew, the better, so he simply nodded.
‘If I bring her during night, you be ready to receive her?’ Kumashiro asked.
Nico didn’t hesitate. This complicated matters even more, but he couldn’t refuse. If he’d had doubts about helping Midori before, they were all gone now. She was in serious danger. ‘Yes. I will go on board as soon as I have finished eating. I was all set to leave in any case.’
‘Good. Thank you.’ Kumashiro looked as if he wanted to say something else, but wasn’t sure how to phrase it and Nico thought he could guess what it might be.
‘Don’t worry, I will look after your sister to the best of my ability. It may not be enough, but I’ll do all I can. She is … a very brave woman.’ Despite his anger earlier, he respected Midori for the way she had tried to force him to do her bidding. He’d never met a woman like her before, so sure of her own abilities and so unafraid.
Kumashiro narrowed his eyes as if he was sizing him up again, judging what manner of man he might be, then unexpectedly he smiled once more. ‘Thank you. I hope you really are man of your word.’
He turned to leave, but before he had reached the door, Nico realised he couldn’t leave it at that and blurted out, ‘Wait! Can I help in any way?’
Kumashiro swivelled round, his eyebrows raised in surprise. ‘
Nani?’
‘I would like to offer my assistance. You know, to free your sister …’ Nico trailed off, realising he was probably insulting the man. After all, what could he do? A foreigner who wasn’t even allowed to set foot on the mainland? His offer was genuine, though; he really wanted to help.
Kumashiro stayed silent for a while, deep in thought, then he nodded. ‘Maybe, but you are putting self in danger, you know this?’
It was Nico’s turn to nod. ‘Yes, I know. Now please tell me what you would like me to do.’
Chapter Six
Despite the fear, Midori dozed for a while, but raised her head when the door was opened and something was thrown in by the guards. She wondered if it was another poor condemned soul, but then realised that what had arrived was their supper in a sack. Her fellow prisoners dived for the floor, fighting tooth and nail for the meagre rations of what looked like stale rice cakes. Midori shuddered and wondered how any of them could even think of eating. Bile rose in her throat and she swallowed hard.
For a short while, she’d thought perhaps she was just having a nightmare, but this was all too real. The hard, cold dirt floor she was sitting on smelled as if a hundred latrines had been emptied into it. The damp wall behind her back and the unbelievable stench of accumulated filth on the people all around her – no brain could have dreamed up any of it. Cockroaches scurried across her legs and a moment ago she had seen a rat peeping out through a hole in the corner. Her skin crawled and she scratched repeatedly at real or imaginary itches that were driving her insane.
I mustn’t panic. Keep calm, breathe.
But
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