‘Arrest these men!’ ordered the chief constable as the spectators quickly dispersed. Then, somewhat taken aback at Akiko’s involvement, he added, ‘And the girl.’

The constables swiftly intervened, seizing the duellists and confiscating their weapons. Jack was forced to relinquish both his katana and wakizashi. Even Yori was made to give up his shakujō staff.

‘Unhand me!’ roared Sir Toby as he was being bound. ‘Don’t you know who I am?’

The chief constable, an officious man with a thrusting jaw and deep-set eyes, looked him up and down before replying, ‘No.’

Sir Toby’s face flushed with outrage. ‘I am Sir Toby Nashe, second cousin of Sir William Harrington, who is friend to His Majesty the King.’

While the connection seemed pretty tenuous to Jack, it had the desired effect on the chief constable and Sir Toby and his friends were immediately released. But Jack, Akiko and Yori remained in custody.

‘My apologies, Sir Toby,’ said the chief constable, his tone polite but without any real effort at deference. ‘Now will you explain what is going on here?’

‘These foreigners tried to rob me,’ Sir Toby declared, his two faithful companions nodding in vigorous agreement.

‘That’s a lie!’ cried Jack.

‘And besmirch my reputation,’ added Sir Toby haughtily, holding his nose high.

‘Please, honourable constable,’ said Yori, managing a half bow despite being pinned by the arms. ‘These three men insulted us, then challenged my friend Jack to a duel. We are innocent of these accusations.’

The chief constable eyed Yori’s religious robes, then glanced at Akiko’s wounded shoulder, the blood blooming on her silk kimono. For a moment it seemed he might be willing to believe them. Then his stubbled jaw hardened. ‘You’re the ones who caused that disturbance at Cheapside market – I heard that three travellers in strange clothes had escaped capture.’ Puffing out his barrel chest, he announced, ‘I arrest you in the name of the King for brawling, robbery and disturbing the peace.’

Jack opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by the constable’s order: ‘Take them away!’

6: Gaol

‘At least this saves us the cost of lodgings!’ said Yori, trying to sound cheerful as he crouched on his haunches in the grim confines of his little cell: no more than a cage of rusting iron bars and greasy granite walls with a filthy floor for a bed.

Akiko eyed the soiled bucket in the corner of her cell with disgust. ‘I don’t think much of the bath!’