seeing anyone when she’d called to him from the shrine.
Jack sighed. Daydream or not, he realized it was likely that Kazuki and his Scorpion Gang had picked up their trail. His old school rival could easily have got word of their escape from Tomo Harbour. Tenacious and resourceful, Kazuki would deduce they’d gone to sea and wouldn’t rest until he’d captured Jack. At least his enemy’s continued pursuit meant Akiko was safe, since he couldn’t fulfil his vow to punish her for crippling his right hand.
Holding a palm to his chest, Jack felt the press of Akiko’s pearl against his heart. It still lay securely pinned to the lapel of his jacket and its reassuring touch calmed him. Jack looked to the sky, searching out Spica, one of the brightest stars in the heavens. He’d shown Akiko its position one night when they’d been alone together in the Southern Zen Garden. Smiling at the memory, Jack hoped that she gazed up at it sometimes, just as he did.
‘Still communicating with spirits?’ asked Miyuki with a mischievous grin.
Jack was startled out of his dreaming. Miyuki possessed a ninja’s unsettling habit of moving with absolute silence. The sea breeze stiffened and Miyuki drew closer to him. Her eyes, black as midnight, held his gaze. Knowing the affection she held for him, Jack wondered what she was about to do next …
‘Isn’t it dangerous to sail at night?’
‘No … not if you know the waters,’ replied Jack, regaining his composure. ‘Of course, there’s always a risk. But I suppose the captain’s trying to avoid pirates.’
‘Possibly, or …’ Miyuki lowered her voice, glancing round to check none of the crew was nearby, ‘… because he’s an illegal trader.’
‘What makes you say that?’ asked Jack.
‘In the hold, hidden beneath the crates of pottery, I discovered bundles of the finest silk cloth. He must be trying to avoid paying port taxes. And
that
might cause us problems.’
Jack considered this. ‘Why? Isn’t the fact that he’s avoiding the authorities good for us?’
‘Perhaps,’ Miyuki conceded. ‘On the other hand, his criminal activities could attract the sort of interest we don’t want.’
Jack nodded in agreement. ‘Let’s discuss this with the others in the morning –’
All of a sudden, there was a shriek. One of the crew was pointing port side with a trembling hand.
‘
Fuma!
’ he cried, his face drawn back in horror. ‘
Wind Demons!
’
12
Close-Hauled
Out of the darkness materialized a white sail upon which a huge black spider had been painted. The ship, twice their size and with a second foresail for speed, was cutting through the waves towards them. The crew began to panic, cowering beneath the cargo in a futile attempt to hide. As the apparition bore down on their boat, the captain stood rooted to the deck, gawping with a combination of fear and disbelief.
Jack grabbed the nearest crewmember. ‘What are Wind Demons?’
‘N-n-ninja pirates,’ spluttered the man, his face pale as a ghost’s in the moonlight. ‘Wind Demons capture and eat their victims alive!’
Ignoring the man’s ravings, Jack turned back to Miyuki. ‘If they’re ninja, we’ve nothing to worry about. We just need to show them the Dragon Seal.’
Jack formed the secret hand sign the Grandmaster had taught him, the one that ensured a bond of friendship between any true ninja.
Miyuki gravely shook her head. ‘Not with the
Fuma
clan. They’re more pirate than ninja.’ She stared darkly at the approaching vessel. ‘After the samurai, the
Fuma
are a ninja’s worst enemy.’
The pirate ship was gaining on them fast. If the captain didn’t take evasive action soon, they would be rammed and boarded.
‘What are we going to do?’ asked Yori, joining them at the guardrail with a sickly Saburo.
‘We have to outrun them,’ replied Jack.
‘In this piece of junk?’ groaned Saburo. ‘We haven’t got a chance!’
‘Handled right, she’ll go
Jack sighed. Daydream or not, he realized it was likely that Kazuki and his Scorpion Gang had picked up their trail. His old school rival could easily have got word of their escape from Tomo Harbour. Tenacious and resourceful, Kazuki would deduce they’d gone to sea and wouldn’t rest until he’d captured Jack. At least his enemy’s continued pursuit meant Akiko was safe, since he couldn’t fulfil his vow to punish her for crippling his right hand.
Holding a palm to his chest, Jack felt the press of Akiko’s pearl against his heart. It still lay securely pinned to the lapel of his jacket and its reassuring touch calmed him. Jack looked to the sky, searching out Spica, one of the brightest stars in the heavens. He’d shown Akiko its position one night when they’d been alone together in the Southern Zen Garden. Smiling at the memory, Jack hoped that she gazed up at it sometimes, just as he did.
‘Still communicating with spirits?’ asked Miyuki with a mischievous grin.
Jack was startled out of his dreaming. Miyuki possessed a ninja’s unsettling habit of moving with absolute silence. The sea breeze stiffened and Miyuki drew closer to him. Her eyes, black as midnight, held his gaze. Knowing the affection she held for him, Jack wondered what she was about to do next …
‘Isn’t it dangerous to sail at night?’
‘No … not if you know the waters,’ replied Jack, regaining his composure. ‘Of course, there’s always a risk. But I suppose the captain’s trying to avoid pirates.’
‘Possibly, or …’ Miyuki lowered her voice, glancing round to check none of the crew was nearby, ‘… because he’s an illegal trader.’
‘What makes you say that?’ asked Jack.
‘In the hold, hidden beneath the crates of pottery, I discovered bundles of the finest silk cloth. He must be trying to avoid paying port taxes. And
that
might cause us problems.’
Jack considered this. ‘Why? Isn’t the fact that he’s avoiding the authorities good for us?’
‘Perhaps,’ Miyuki conceded. ‘On the other hand, his criminal activities could attract the sort of interest we don’t want.’
Jack nodded in agreement. ‘Let’s discuss this with the others in the morning –’
All of a sudden, there was a shriek. One of the crew was pointing port side with a trembling hand.
‘
Fuma!
’ he cried, his face drawn back in horror. ‘
Wind Demons!
’
12
Close-Hauled
Out of the darkness materialized a white sail upon which a huge black spider had been painted. The ship, twice their size and with a second foresail for speed, was cutting through the waves towards them. The crew began to panic, cowering beneath the cargo in a futile attempt to hide. As the apparition bore down on their boat, the captain stood rooted to the deck, gawping with a combination of fear and disbelief.
Jack grabbed the nearest crewmember. ‘What are Wind Demons?’
‘N-n-ninja pirates,’ spluttered the man, his face pale as a ghost’s in the moonlight. ‘Wind Demons capture and eat their victims alive!’
Ignoring the man’s ravings, Jack turned back to Miyuki. ‘If they’re ninja, we’ve nothing to worry about. We just need to show them the Dragon Seal.’
Jack formed the secret hand sign the Grandmaster had taught him, the one that ensured a bond of friendship between any true ninja.
Miyuki gravely shook her head. ‘Not with the
Fuma
clan. They’re more pirate than ninja.’ She stared darkly at the approaching vessel. ‘After the samurai, the
Fuma
are a ninja’s worst enemy.’
The pirate ship was gaining on them fast. If the captain didn’t take evasive action soon, they would be rammed and boarded.
‘What are we going to do?’ asked Yori, joining them at the guardrail with a sickly Saburo.
‘We have to outrun them,’ replied Jack.
‘In this piece of junk?’ groaned Saburo. ‘We haven’t got a chance!’
‘Handled right, she’ll go
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