She lifted her chin and Jack gazed into her eyes. Having almost lost her, he realized just how precious Akiko was to him. In that moment, he was captivated by her and wanted to kiss her …

‘Shouldn’t we get moving?’ said Rose abruptly.

Yori stood to one side, apparently intent on studying the stars, even though none shone through the clouds. ‘The rain’s easing,’ he observed.

‘Yes, of course,’ mumbled Jack, regaining his composure. Akiko shot Rose a reproachful look.

They resumed their journey along the highway, the night hanging like a cloak over the countryside. Jack remained close to Akiko. He still couldn’t believe that she was alive and walking beside him. ‘You’ve yet to explain how you survived the trial by water,’ he prompted her. ‘We all thought you’d drowned.’

The rings of Yori’s shakujō jingled softly in the rain-soaked silence as they walked along, waiting in anticipation for Akiko to reply. Akiko cleared her throat. ‘You’ll recall, Jack, when we first met that I used to dive for pearls? So I’m practised at holding my breath …’

‘Surely not for that long?’ challenged Jack.

Akiko shook her head. ‘The second time under, I had to use a pond reed as a breathing tube – a simple yet effective ninja trick. But I quickly realized the bailiff intended to continue until I either confessed or drowned. So I had to die.’

‘You certainly fooled the bailiff!’ said Rose.

‘Along with Yori and me!’ exclaimed Jack. ‘Your skin was blue.’

Akiko gave him a rueful smile. ‘I’m sorry if I worried you, but I had no other choice. It had to be convincing. During my ninjutsu training at the Temple of the Peaceful Dragon, the grandmaster taught me Shisha no Nemuri.’

Yori gasped in shock. Jack frowned. Rose stared at them both, bewildered by their reactions. ‘Er, would anyone care to translate for me please?’

‘The Sleep of the Dead,’ Yori explained breathlessly, his eyes wide with awe. ‘It’s a secret meditative state that suspends breathing and almost stops the heart beating. It’s like human hibernation, but it’s highly dangerous. Many people have never awoken from it.’

‘That’s why it took me so long to recover,’ explained Akiko.

Jack nodded and smiled, everything now making sense. ‘I should’ve guessed! I didn’t think about your ninjutsu training.’ Then his expression turned grave as he pulled out the shuriken again. ‘Talking of ninja, those plague doctors aren’t plague doctors. The costumes are merely a disguise. They move like ninja, fight like ninja – even use ninja weapons.’

‘But what would ninja be doing in England?’ asked Yori, his eyes now darting around as if every shadow along the highway might leap out at them.

‘That’s the very question I’ve been asking myself,’ said Jack, flipping the shuriken over in his hand, ‘ever since I heard rumours of killer shadows.’