‘Who are you?’ Jack demanded. ‘What do you want with us?’

But the bird-masked plague doctor gave no reply. His very silence was more unnerving than the blade he wielded.

Jack glanced past his assailant. His katana was so tantalizingly close, if only he could get past his attacker … But, no, there was little room for manoeuvre or mistake in the hallway, just enough space to swing a sword, so that any false move would result in Jack being run through or having his head cleaved clean from his shoulders.

‘Why doesn’t he attack?’ whispered Yori, sheltering behind Jack.

‘Perhaps he’s waiting for the others?’ said Rose.

Jack spoke again. This time in Japanese. ‘Anatahadare?’

This seemed to get a reaction. But not the one Jack hoped for. The plague doctor suddenly raised the ninjatō to strike. Having nowhere to hide and nothing to defend himself with, Jack prepared to dodge the sword – then realized that, if he moved, Yori would be directly in its path. There was no way on earth Jack could sacrifice his friend like that. As the ninjatō sliced down, Jack caught the glint of a gold candlestick stuffed into the trunk the bailiff had been packing. Snatching it up, he tried to deflect the blade …

At the very last second, the plague doctor let out a sudden gasp of pain. His whole body went rigid; he dropped the ninjatō and toppled face first to the floorboards. Jack stared in stunned bewilderment. Protruding from his back – exactly in the paralysing ryumon ki point – was a golden hairpin, its end shaped in a sakura flower.

Jack had never thought he’d see that kanzashi ever again. Or the person it belonged to. But, like an angel sent from the heavens, Akiko stepped out of the darkness and into the light.

‘Akiko!’ cried Yori, his eyes widening into full moons. ‘You’re alive!’

‘Not for much longer if we don’t get out of here,’ she replied, smiling at Jack’s dumbfounded expression.

‘B-but I saw you drown –’ began Jack, his heart almost exploding with joy as he rushed over and hugged her.

‘You did,’ Akiko replied, returning his embrace, then pulling away. ‘But there is no time to explain now. The other plague doctors heard that whistle too and are right behind me!’

Recovering their weapons – Yori finding his shakujō propped against the wall and Akiko her yumi and ya next to a bookcase – along with their packs, they dashed out into the rain-drenched street. A line of flaming torches marked where the constables stood at the top of the road, a wary distance from the three remaining plague doctors. In their black waxed garb, the plague doctors fanned menacingly out and slowly advanced towards Jack and the others.

‘So, do we stand and fight?’ Akiko asked, nocking an arrow on to her bow.