‘Young samurai, our family is forever in your debt,’ he said. ‘My name is Yuto. I’m the father of this child and now your humble servant.’

8 Abducted

8

ABDUCTED

Jack tucked into the biggest bowl of rice he’d ever seen. All the village women had come together to bring him gifts of food. Jack didn’t wait on ceremony this time. Deftly using his chopsticks, he polished off the meal and moved on to the miso soup, steamed vegetables and even some smoked mackerel. Given his last experience with the farmers, he had to make the most of being in their favour while he could.

He sat in Junichi’s house, warming by the fire in a fresh kimono, the baby’s mother having insisted on washing his dirty blue one. Neko had crept in and now knelt beside him, proudly guarding his swords and pack. Junichi, Yoshi and Toge sat opposite and joined Jack in his meal with freshly brewed cups of sencha. Behind them knelt Sora and Kunio, the boy transfixed by the new hero in their village.

‘Please accept my apologies for our previous ill manners,’ said Junichi, bowing his head. ‘I only had the village’s safety at heart. It was a shock to discover you were a foreigner. And we have no wish to defy the Shogun’s orders.’

‘I understand,’ replied Jack, knowing the power of life and death that the Shogun held over his subjects.

‘We would like you to stay. At least for a few days until you’re fully rested,’ continued Junichi. ‘Of course, if you wish to stay longer …’

‘I’ll have to think about it,’ said Jack. The farmers had shown their fickle nature and Jack wasn’t willing to commit to anything, although he would take them up on their offer to stay a couple of nights.

‘A great fire burns within you,’ observed Yoshi. ‘You saw for yourself our feeble-hearted men. We need a person of your courage.’

‘The boy may be brave,’ muttered Toge, moodily sipping his green tea, ‘but that doesn’t make him a samurai.’

Fed up with Toge’s scepticism, Jack put down his chopsticks and, without warning, whipped out his katana. The razor-sharp blade sliced clean through Toge’s cup, spilling hot tea into the farmer’s lap.

Too stunned to move, Toge could only let out a pitiful whimper as the steaming sencha seeped through the cloth of his kimono. Recovering his wits, he examined his fingers in panic to check they were all still there.

Neko clapped her hands in delight at the farmer’s hysteria, while Kunio rolled with laughter on the floor. Even Yoshi gave a toothless grin at this fine display of swordsmanship.

‘If that doesn’t convince you,’ chortled Yoshi, ‘why don’t you challenge the boy to a duel?’

‘Yes, a duel!’ Kunio blurted eagerly. ‘Jack’s on his musha shugyō – his swords are deadly!’

Shamefaced, Toge sullenly crossed his arms and shut up.