the end and heading out into open water.
‘Stop the ship!’ cried Miyuki.
The captain held up his hands apologetically. ‘I can’t. The tides have turned.’
‘Come on, Yori!’ urged Jack, running to the stern.
Yori sprinted after them, his short legs pumping furiously.
‘JUMP! I’ll catch you,’ shouted Jack, leaning over the rail.
The boat cleared the pier. Yori made a leap of faith. Legs and arms flailing, he launched himself towards Jack’s outstretched arms.
‘He’s not going to make it,’ said Saburo. Seizing Jack’s waist, he and Miyuki shoved Jack further over the side. Jack, fingers splayed, stretched for all he was worth. Yori tumbled towards him. Jack missed the left hand and Yori fell away before his eyes. But the extra reach allowed him to snatch at Yori’s pilgrim staff. He clamped down hard, gritting his teeth as the wood slipped through his fingers.
Yori cried out, desperately clinging on. He swung helpless above the water and Jack thought he was about to lose his friend, when the staff juddered to a halt. The Five Rings characters etched into the handle gave him just enough grip to halt Yori’s fall. With muscles straining, Saburo and Miyuki pulled them both to safety. They all collapsed on the deck, breathing heavily.
‘You left us on purpose!’ accused Miyuki, glaring at the captain.
‘I forgot we had passengers,’ the captain replied with unconvincing innocence.
Miyuki rose to confront him. ‘If you ever forget us again, you’ll live to regret it.’
‘What are you going to do?’ snorted the captain. ‘Throw your prayer book at me?’
Miyuki started forward, but Jack took her by the arm.
‘He’s our only passage to Nagasaki,’ Jack reminded her quietly.
Fuming, Miyuki stormed down the steps to the main deck.
‘She’s lucky you stopped her,’ remarked the captain, puffing out his chest.
No,
you’re
lucky I stopped her
, thought Jack, wondering how the captain would have steered with a broken arm.
Jack joined the others amid the chaos of the cargo. As the boat sailed round the headland, Jack realized he’d never said goodbye to the old man on the cliff. Looking up, he could make out his silhouette against the dying light of the day. The old man was sitting upon the rock again, staring out to sea. Jack waved farewell to him.
‘Who are you waving to?’ asked Saburo.
‘The old man up there.’
Yori and Saburo both glanced up.
‘That isn’t a man,’ said Yori with an amused smile. ‘That’s Taira Rock.’
‘What?’ said Jack, eyeing the figure more carefully.
‘It’s named after Taira Masamori, the Great Pirate Queller,’ explained Yori. ‘Five hundred years ago, as
daimyo
of Aki Province, it was his responsibility to stop their raids. Every time he defeated a pirate clan, he honoured the gods at this shrine. Then one night pirates attacked Omishima Island and captured Masamori. They threw him off that cliff top. Somehow he survived, climbed back up and killed them all. But during the fight he suffered fatal wounds and died upon that spot. Legend says, when his body was found, it had turned to stone.’
‘But I
talked
with him,’ insisted Jack.
‘Jack’s speaking with warrior spirits now!’ chuckled Saburo, tucking into a piece of dried fish in an effort to eat before he became seasick again.
But Jack didn’t laugh. He swore he hadn’t imagined the encounter. Yet, as their boat pulled away from the cove, the figure revealed itself to be nothing more than a large rock.
Jack stood upon the bow, deep in contemplation. The sun had set and the Seto Sea now reflected a starlit night sky. A gibbous moon hung in the heavens, casting a silvery sheen across the crest of the waves.
An old enemy returns anew.
The phrase haunted his thoughts. He remained convinced that his experience at Taira Rock had been genuine. The bottoms of his white breeches were still damp from where the wave had broken over the ledge. Yet Miyuki didn’t remember
‘Stop the ship!’ cried Miyuki.
The captain held up his hands apologetically. ‘I can’t. The tides have turned.’
‘Come on, Yori!’ urged Jack, running to the stern.
Yori sprinted after them, his short legs pumping furiously.
‘JUMP! I’ll catch you,’ shouted Jack, leaning over the rail.
The boat cleared the pier. Yori made a leap of faith. Legs and arms flailing, he launched himself towards Jack’s outstretched arms.
‘He’s not going to make it,’ said Saburo. Seizing Jack’s waist, he and Miyuki shoved Jack further over the side. Jack, fingers splayed, stretched for all he was worth. Yori tumbled towards him. Jack missed the left hand and Yori fell away before his eyes. But the extra reach allowed him to snatch at Yori’s pilgrim staff. He clamped down hard, gritting his teeth as the wood slipped through his fingers.
Yori cried out, desperately clinging on. He swung helpless above the water and Jack thought he was about to lose his friend, when the staff juddered to a halt. The Five Rings characters etched into the handle gave him just enough grip to halt Yori’s fall. With muscles straining, Saburo and Miyuki pulled them both to safety. They all collapsed on the deck, breathing heavily.
‘You left us on purpose!’ accused Miyuki, glaring at the captain.
‘I forgot we had passengers,’ the captain replied with unconvincing innocence.
Miyuki rose to confront him. ‘If you ever forget us again, you’ll live to regret it.’
‘What are you going to do?’ snorted the captain. ‘Throw your prayer book at me?’
Miyuki started forward, but Jack took her by the arm.
‘He’s our only passage to Nagasaki,’ Jack reminded her quietly.
Fuming, Miyuki stormed down the steps to the main deck.
‘She’s lucky you stopped her,’ remarked the captain, puffing out his chest.
No,
you’re
lucky I stopped her
, thought Jack, wondering how the captain would have steered with a broken arm.
Jack joined the others amid the chaos of the cargo. As the boat sailed round the headland, Jack realized he’d never said goodbye to the old man on the cliff. Looking up, he could make out his silhouette against the dying light of the day. The old man was sitting upon the rock again, staring out to sea. Jack waved farewell to him.
‘Who are you waving to?’ asked Saburo.
‘The old man up there.’
Yori and Saburo both glanced up.
‘That isn’t a man,’ said Yori with an amused smile. ‘That’s Taira Rock.’
‘What?’ said Jack, eyeing the figure more carefully.
‘It’s named after Taira Masamori, the Great Pirate Queller,’ explained Yori. ‘Five hundred years ago, as
daimyo
of Aki Province, it was his responsibility to stop their raids. Every time he defeated a pirate clan, he honoured the gods at this shrine. Then one night pirates attacked Omishima Island and captured Masamori. They threw him off that cliff top. Somehow he survived, climbed back up and killed them all. But during the fight he suffered fatal wounds and died upon that spot. Legend says, when his body was found, it had turned to stone.’
‘But I
talked
with him,’ insisted Jack.
‘Jack’s speaking with warrior spirits now!’ chuckled Saburo, tucking into a piece of dried fish in an effort to eat before he became seasick again.
But Jack didn’t laugh. He swore he hadn’t imagined the encounter. Yet, as their boat pulled away from the cove, the figure revealed itself to be nothing more than a large rock.
Jack stood upon the bow, deep in contemplation. The sun had set and the Seto Sea now reflected a starlit night sky. A gibbous moon hung in the heavens, casting a silvery sheen across the crest of the waves.
An old enemy returns anew.
The phrase haunted his thoughts. He remained convinced that his experience at Taira Rock had been genuine. The bottoms of his white breeches were still damp from where the wave had broken over the ledge. Yet Miyuki didn’t remember
Similar Books
