Jack caught all of this but pretended not to hear. He sat back down and pondered his options. The farmers had been honest with him and had sacrificed everything they had in the vague hope he might help them. As a samurai, bound by the code of bushido, Jack felt compelled to honour their sacrifice by at least considering their proposition.

The job seemed simple and he was certainly skilled enough to deal with a few thieves. Moreover, with it being mid-winter and no provisions of his own, Jack had little chance of progressing any further on his trek to Nagasaki. He needed to recover his strength first. Yet this had to be weighed against the risk of delay and the Shogun’s samurai catching up with him – Kazuki and his gang couldn’t be too far behind either.

‘I’m on an important pilgrimage,’ Jack explained. ‘I wouldn’t be able to stay very long.’

‘No, that’s fine!’ replied Toge, seizing upon this slightest of hopes. ‘A month is all we need … until the next new moon.’

Jack thought about this. The village was off the beaten track, so it was unlikely his enemies would discover him during that time. And there was nothing to stop him leaving as soon as the bad weather had passed and the roads were clear again.

‘What pay are you offering?’

The three farmers looked sheepishly at one another. Toge coughed, then mumbled, ‘We’re farmers, so can only pay you in rice. Two meals a day, plus lodging.’

Jack realized this would allow him to recover, but the pitiful pay didn’t solve his provision problems.

When Toge saw their potential recruit wavering, he added quickly, ‘Three meals a day. And whatever supplies you need for your journey.’

Sora, keen to seal the agreement, suggested, ‘Why not visit our village first? Then you can make your decision.’

The offer had become very tempting. Although Jack knew the sensible decision was not to get involved at all, the practical solution to his predicament was to take the work. The question was whether Jack could entrust the farmers with his identity. But this matter could be dealt with when the issue arose. If they reacted badly, he stood a better chance of escaping a remote village than a bustling town.

Besides, did he really have a choice? The only alternative to the farmers’ offer was fighting for his survival in Okayama, a hostile place swarming with samurai where he was guaranteed to be discovered and reported.

Turning to the farmers, Jack announced, ‘I accept your offer.’

3 Neko

3

NEKO

Sora and Kunio were delighted at the news. Toge was more subdued, but Jack put that down to his dour personality.

‘We’ll leave in the morning,’ said Toge, pulling a large straw mat from beneath the decking. He placed it beside Jack along with a bundle of straw.