‘God forbid …’ gasped Jack, recognizing the samurai family crest as the ninja pulled off his hood.

41: Vengeance

Imperious. Arrogant. Superior. The scornful expression was as recognizable as the ninja’s face. High cheekbones. Shaved domed head. Dark hooded eyes shot through with pure malevolence. There was no denying who the assassin was. Still, Jack couldn’t believe he’d become a ninja. ‘Kazuki!’

His former school rival responded with a malicious grin. ‘Gaijin!’

‘B-but how?’ spluttered Jack in Japanese, slipping back easily into his enemy’s native language. ‘You’re supposed to be in prison.’

Kazuki gave a spiteful laugh. ‘No one imprisons the Oda clan. Not even the great Masamoto-sama. I was released the very next day by a loyal subject of my father’s.’

‘That doesn’t explain how you got to England, though,’ said Jack, still keenly aware of the blade at his throat.

Kazuki smirked. ‘As ever, you underestimate the resourcefulness and determination of a samurai.’

‘You’re no longer a samurai!’ retorted Jack, instantly regretting his rashness as the kissaki dug into his flesh, threatening to sever his artery.

‘I don’t need reminding!’ snarled Kazuki, his eyes flashing with fury. ‘You’re to blame for my fall from grace. After Masamoto-sama stripped me of my samurai status, I had no option but to turn to the Way of the Ninja. I had to debase myself to survive … but I eventually came to appreciate the cunning and skill of a shinobi. And I had a whole year aboard the Salamander to learn and master their arts.’ He smiled thinly. ‘In particular, Dim Mak.’

‘The Salamander?’ Jack’s thoughts turned to the Dutch trading vessel that had failed to make port in London. The beached galleon at Hole Haven, with its dead crew and supposed ‘killer shadows’, had to be one and the same. During the fleet’s long journey home from Japan there had been rumours of ghosts aboard that ship, of shadows on deck, of crew simply vanishing. But no one, of course, had suspected ninjas. Kazuki had been a stowaway on the Salamander all that time!

‘But what ninja would ever teach you his arts?’ questioned Jack.

‘My time in prison may have been brief, but it was fruitful,’ Kazuki replied. ‘In the cell with me were three ninjas of the Fūma clan. These Wind Demons, it turned out, also had a vendetta against you … the gaijin samurai.’

Jack’s heart sank. The Fūma clan were ninja pirates. During his arduous trek to Nagasaki, he’d encountered the Wind Demons crossing the Seto Sea. Their clan had been all but wiped out in a battle with Sea Samurai, their secret lair destroyed and their Pirate Queen killed. Jack had been accused of cursing the Wind Demons and being responsible for their downfall. No wonder Kazuki had found such willing assassins to teach him their dark arts and accompany him on the treacherous voyage to England.