'None of us will,' assured Yori.

Jack didn't know what to say. Once again, he was overwhelmed by his friends' loyalty and courage.

43.

Shimabara The ferry docked at Shimabara just as the sun reached its zenith. The voyage had been smooth and for once uneventful, giving Jack and his friends the opportunity to recover from the night's fraught escape. After a much-needed breakfast of cold rice and dried fish from their supplies, Jack had slept deep and long, comforted by the familiar pitch and roll of the boat. His friends had taken turns to keep watch, but now, as they disembarked, everyone was on full alert to negotiate the unknown threats of the bustling port.

Akiko guided Snowball down the gangplank and resaddled him, while Jack and the others helped the kabuki troupe load their belongings back on to the handcarts. Once everyone was ready, they headed for the checkpoint. The port was teeming with travellers, merchants and dockhands, the hectic atmosphere providing useful cover as they approached the barrier.

Four harbour guards were stationed at the exit, meticulously checking permits.

Jack braced himself for another performance. As the line cleared, Okuni stepped up and introduced herself and her troupe. Noting the guards' obvious interest in the arrival of so many girls, Okuni offered them front-row seats at the kabuki show that evening. The subtle bribe brought broad smiles to the men's faces and they welcomed the troupe through the checkpoint unquestioned.

'Easy as falling off a log!' said Benkei, giving Jack a wink.

Jack wished he shared his friend's confidence. But he knew from bitter experience that the moment they dropped their guard would be the moment an enemy attacked. And the smouldering volcano of Unzen-dake did nothing to raise Jack's spirits. It loomed over Shimabara like a brooding monster. Trapped between the volcano and the full glare of the sun, the town sweltered in the summer heat, the ocean breeze doing little to alleviate the discomfort. Townsfolk wafted to and fro along the main road, fluttering their fans like a flock of frantic butterflies. Samurai stood on every street corner, observing the passers-by and slowly broiling in their armour. Jack wondered if the intense heat had anything to do with being so close to a volcano.

'I've got a bad feeling about this place,' whispered Jack to Miyuki.

'Me too,' she replied, anxiously thumbing the hilt of her hidden knife.

As they neared the centre, the town suddenly disappeared into rubble, every building razed to the ground. At first, Jack thought the volcano must have erupted, a lava flow destroying this section of the port. But on closer inspection he could see the huge swathe of land had been cleared houses and whole streets purposefully demolished to make way for a new construction.

A castle.

Samurai guards were stationed all over the site, keeping a watchful eye on hundreds of men, women and children, all in ragged clothes. They laboured like a swarm of ants over the broken ground. Bare-chested men, smeared in dirt and sweat, dug out a vast moat, while exhausted women and sunburnt children hauled out endless buckets of earth. The trench was wide and deep enough to dry-dock a Spanish galleon and extended for at least a mile northwards and half a mile inland. Within its vast boundaries, immense stone walls were being laid boulder by boulder and watchtowers built at key strategic points. At the heart of the site was a partially constructed fortress. Made of pure white stone, it stood in stark contrast to the black-and-gold keep of Kumamoto.

'How can a small port warrant a castle this size?' exclaimed Saburo, gasping in disbelief.

'The daimyo must be power hungry and very rich!' said Benkei.

'And a ruthless ruler,' added Yori as he spotted two samurai beating a man who'd dropped his shovel. 'The workers are being treated like slaves.'

'We need to get out of here as soon as we can,' urged Akiko.

No one argued with her. They hurriedly followed Okuni and her troupe to a field on the outskirts of Shimabara, where the performers pitched their tents. Within one tent, out of sight of prying eyes, Jack, Akiko and Miyuki washed off their make-up and changed back into their own clothes. The cloying heat of the day made it impractical for Akiko to wear full armour, so she kept to a simple breastplate and a pair of shoulder guards over her dark-green silk kimono. The rest of her armour she stored in Snowball's saddlebags. Miyuki wore an unassuming cotton yukata, dyed indigo and tied off with a plain white obi, to blend in with the local people. As she wrapped her belt around her waist, she took care to conceal several shuriken within the folds. Hidden in the sleeve pocket she stowed her knife, and into her black hair she slipped a decorative brass pin, the tip sharpened into a lethal point.

'How do I look?' she asked Jack, putting the final touches to her hair.

'Deadly,' he replied with a grin and they both laughed.

At that moment, Akiko returned from packing her horse. 'I hope I'm not interrupting anything,' she said, glancing uncomfortably between the two of them.

'No, of course not,' replied Jack, sensing she was upset.

'The others are ready to go,' she added, then abruptly left the tent.

Jack didn't know what to make of Akiko's uncharacteristic brusqueness. 'We'd better make a move,' he urged Miyuki.

Picking up her ninjat and stashing it in her bag, along with her shinobi shozoku outfit, she replied, 'I'll see you outside,' then strode from the tent, a smile curling her lips.

Jack watched her leave. Akiko and Miyuki were like two sides of a coin: made of the same metal, but with different characters. They were both loyal, courageous and highly skilled warriors. Each was quick, intelligent and shrewd. But Akiko's true nature was gentle, caring and warm-hearted; whereas Miyuki was more playful, spirited and fiery in her attitude to others. He valued both their friendships and dearly wished they'd become firm friends with one another too not that such a thing was likely between a samurai and a ninja.

'Come on, nanban!' called Benkei. 'Or are you still doing your make-up?'

Slipping on his sandals, glad they now fitted like his blue kimono, Jack picked up his pack and swords. As he eased the red-handled katana and wakizashi into his obi, he felt a surge of strength and confidence return to him. Without these Shizu swords, he realized he'd felt vulnerable and open to attack. But now he was a warrior again, ready for the final push to Nagasaki.

Adjusting the straw hat on his head, he emerged from the tent. Okuni, Junjun and the rest of the dancers were waiting to say their farewells.

Jack bowed low. 'I appreciate the great risk you took for us.'

'And we appreciate you risking your life for Junjun,' replied Okuni, bowing in return. 'Another time you must show me that jig of yours. I'm keen to include it in our show as a comic interlude.'

Jack didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult to his dancing ability, but after all she'd done, he didn't mind either way. 'Are you sure you want to? If your girls all looked like me, you'd never get any bookings!'

Okuni laughed, then turned to Benkei. 'If you want to stay, there's a place in our troupe for you.'

Benkei appeared torn by indecision. He looked longingly at Junjun who returned his gaze before regretfully shaking his head. 'I promised to guide Jack to Nagasaki. And I'm a man of my word.'

Junjun's eyes welled slightly with tears as she nodded in acknowledgement of his duty.

'And I, a woman of mine,' replied Okuni, noting the exchange with a smile. 'So the offer is always open.'

Bowing their farewells, Benkei led Jack and his friends out of the camp and along the main road. With one last look back in Junjun's direction, he forged ahead, yelling, 'Nagasaki, here we come!'

On the edge of town, the road divided in two.

'Which way?' Akiko asked Benkei, bringing her horse to a halt.

'We can take either,' he replied. 'North follows the coastline round the peninsula. It's flat, but the route's much longer. West skirts the base of the volcano. It's tougher going, but only two days' travel at the most.'

'West it is,' said Miyuki, riling Akiko who'd been about to reply.

'Don't you think we should ask the others first?' said Akiko.

'We need to keep off the main road,' argued Miyuki.

'But mountainous routes are prime bandit territory.'

As the two girls began bickering over the direction, Benkei and Saburo exchanged bewildered looks while the squabble grew in intensity. Jack was about to intervene, when Yori threw his shakuj into the air. The staff landed with a jingling clatter on the ground, silencing Akiko and Miyuki. They both stared at the discarded staff, its brass tip pointing towards the left fork.

'Fate says we go west,' declared Yori, picking up his shakuj and striding off up the road.

Jack had to admire Yori. His friend knew how to settle an argument quickly and fairly. Accepting the decision, Akiko spurred her horse on. Miyuki followed behind, not quite triumphant but pleased nonetheless.

The road wound steeply up the slope, leaving the port of Shimabara behind. As they climbed, they approached a small plateau with a tea house overlooking glorious views of the bay.

'We should stop here,' suggested Saburo, panting from the heat and exertion.

'I don't think we have a choice,' replied Akiko, as five men emerged from the tea house.

Armed with swords and clubs, they formed a line across the road, blocking their path.

44.

Ronin Recruits The five men had travel-worn appearances, their kimono slightly threadbare and their faces unshaven. They each held weapons that were chipped and stained with the dried blood of old battles. No kamon or other insignia were visible on their clothes. The gang were all ronin, masterless samurai.

Jack and his friends had no way to avoid the ronins' blockade. The tea house sat upon the lip of the plateau which rapidly dropped away down a rocky slope. The other side of the road met a steep bank of forest. The only route they could take was through the line of samurai and they weren't shifting.

'We've been waiting for you, Benkei,' said the apparent leader, a warrior with bulging arms like knotted ropes and a chest as solid as a battering ram.

'Me?' said Benkei, alarmed.

'Is there something you haven't told us, Benkei?' asked Akiko, her hands subtly reaching for her bow.

'I've never seen these men in my life!' he protested.

Saburo raised a questioning eyebrow at him. 'But he knows your name.'

'So do a lot of people.'

'Could you have tricked them at some point?' asked Jack, keeping the rim of his hat low over his face.

Benkei took a good look at the five men. Along with the leader was a thin samurai with a scar down his right cheek; a heavily bearded warrior with fists like boulders carrying a studded club; and the last two appeared to be brothers, they shared the same crooked noses and pencil-thin mouths. The only difference was that one was missing an ear.

'I ... don't think so,' said Benkei, slowly shaking his head. 'I would've remembered men this ugly.'

'Well, we know you!' snorted the bearded ronin, slapping his club in one meaty hand. 'And I'll make you pay for that insult ... in blood.'

Benkei shied away, moving behind Jack for protection.

'And I think we've found the gaijin samurai too!' exclaimed one of the brothers, pointing at Jack. 'Look, his daish have red handles.'

Jack now glanced up, his identity discovered.

'It is the gaijin samurai!' confirmed the other brother, rubbing his hands together in delight. 'We're going to be very rich indeed.'

'But I thought there were only supposed to be two of them. Not six,' said the thin samurai, the scar on his cheek wrinkling like a snake as he spoke.

'No matter,' replied the leader, launching a gob of spit at the ground. 'They're just young samurai.'

He drew his sword, a mighty nodachi, the blade twice the length of a usual katana, and advanced on them. The other ronin took up battle formation on either flank. Jack and his friends seized their weapons as the samurai rushed towards them. With effortless calm, Akiko selected an arrow, nocked it on her bow and took aim. In the blink of an eye, she let it loose towards the brother with the missing ear. The arrow struck him in the shoulder with such force he was thrown backwards into the tea house and pinned to the wall. Howling in pain, he struggled to free himself.

Enraged by the attack on his brother, the other sibling charged at Akiko before she could fire off another arrow. He swung his katana to cut her down from her horse, but Saburo blocked the attack with his sword. Then he roundhouse-kicked the man in the stomach and sent him staggering backwards. Yori was waiting for him and thrust his staff between the brother's legs. He rolled once before disappearing over the edge of the plateau. A rattle of rock and scree receded into the distance as he tumbled head over heels down the slope.

At the same time, the bearded warrior attacked Benkei. He wielded his club in lethal arcs, forcing Benkei to dive out of the way. Jack leapt to his defence, using his katana and wakizashi to drive the ronin towards Miyuki. Like a cat, she pounced on the bearded ronin's back and buried her hairpin into a nerve point on his neck. The man's eyes rolled in his head and he collapsed like a felled tree, unconscious before he even hit the ground.

Taken aback by the ease with which the young samurai had dispatched three of his men, the leader of the gang now went for Jack, his nodachi raised high to slice him in half. Akiko fired off a second arrow. The steel tip buried itself in the man's chest. But the leader was strong as an ox. He merely grunted and tore the arrowhead out before swinging his massive sword again at Jack's head. Jack deflected it with his wakizashi then retaliated with a cross-cut. The tip of his katana missed the man's neck by a fraction. The lethal length of the nodachi meant Jack couldn't get close enough to inflict a damaging blow.

But Miyuki could. She threw a shuriken. It embedded itself in the man's right bicep and he howled in pain. The distraction allowed Jack to disarm the leader with a double Autumn Leaf strike and the nodachi clattered to the ground. The leader roared in fury and charged headlong at Jack. Akiko tugged on the reins of Snowball and the horse turned and kicked out with its hind legs. The hooves caught the leader in the chest and sent him flying over the lip of the plateau to join the other ronin.

Only the scarred samurai was left. He made a last-ditch effort to kill the gaijin samurai. But his sword skills were no match for Jack's. With a simple Flint-and-Spark strike, Jack knocked the samurai's blade aside and cut up at the man's face. The steel tip of the katana sliced across his left cheek to leave a thin red line of blood.

'Now you have a matching scar,' said Jack. Standing in a Two Heavens stance, one sword held high, the other low, he gave his opponent the opportunity to reconsider his chances of survival.

Outskilled and outnumbered, the samurai dropped his sword, turned tail and fled down the road. He was running so fast, he left a dust trail in his wake.

'We need to get moving before he tells everyone in Shimabara about you,' said Akiko, securing her bow back on the saddlebag.

Jack nodded in agreement and sheathed his swords to leave. But Miyuki picked up a rock and flung it after the fleeing samurai. The rock sailed through the air and struck the man in the back of the head. He took one more faltering step, then collapsed face first in the dirt.

'That should give us a little more time,' said Miyuki, arching an eyebrow at Akiko.

Akiko nodded a stiff acknowledgement, while the others stared at her, astounded by the accuracy of her long shot.

'How did you do that?' said Saburo.

'I'm a ninja,' stated Miyuki, her tone matter-of-fact.

Then Yori cried in alarm, 'Where's Benkei?'

Jack and the others looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen not on the road, not beside the tea house or even down the slope. Then Benkei's head popped out from behind a tree. 'Is it safe to come out yet?'

Jack smiled and nodded.

'Well, you're a brave one!' mocked Saburo.

'I didn't want to get in the way,' replied Benkei, unashamed by his obvious self-preservation. 'Besides, when you all fight so well together, you don't need Benkei the Great spoiling your flow.'

'What I want to know is how they recognized you and me in the first place,' said Jack.

'Why don't we ask the ronin?' suggested Akiko, pointing to the brother still pinned to the tea house.

'Release me ... please!' the man whimpered, feebly tugging at the arrow shaft.

'As soon as you tell us why you were lying in wait for Benkei and Jack,' demanded Miyuki.