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Back The Ring of Wind Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. CHRIS BRADFORD
  2. Contents
  3. Map: The Japans – 17th Century
  4. The Letter
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. Notes on the Sources
  69. Ninja Pirate Ship Competition
  70. Japanese Glossary
  71. Acknowledgements

‘What happened to you?’ asked Saburo, his expression a mixture of concern and relief.

Jack recounted the pirates’ raid on Hikari Harbour and their narrow escape from the Sea Samurai patrol. When he’d finished, Miyuki exclaimed in disbelief, ‘You’ve been made a Wind Demon!’

Jack nodded sheepishly. ‘But it does have its advantages,’ he said, pulling a roll of paper from the trouser leg of his shinobi shozoku.

‘A sea chart!’ she gasped, her eyes widening in amazement.

‘I used it to navigate the shuinsen out of the fog. Once clear, Skullface forced me to go below deck so I wouldn’t see the final approach to Pirate Island. But he forgot that I had the chart. Although I might not know exactly where we are, I’ve a good enough idea which direction we need to sail in to reach landfall.’

‘Is it far?’ asked Miyuki.

‘In a small boat, perhaps two or three days’ sailing.’

‘We’ve been saving food for the voyage,’ said Yori eagerly. He picked up a silk cushion from the corner of the room. Inside, the stuffing had been replaced with small balls of rice. ‘I realize there’s not much, but at least it’s a start.’

‘What about water?’ asked Jack.

Saburo shook his head. ‘We haven’t been allowed to keep any water jugs,’ he explained. ‘But I thought we could use the bucket from the ofuro and … fill it with the bathwater.’

Jack couldn’t stop himself grimacing at the idea. Then he remembered that he’d sucked fish eyes. Surely Saburo’s bathwater couldn’t be any worse than that!

‘Our main problem is escaping from this room,’ said Miyuki. ‘The guards check on us regularly and rotate every few hours to stay sharp. We’re not even given hashi to eat with, in case we use them as weapons.’

‘There must be another way out of here,’ said Jack.

‘Without a knife, the bamboo is simply too tough to break through,’ she explained. ‘I did manage to loosen a floorboard, though. But that’s no help.’

‘Why not?’

‘See for yourself.’

Miyuki pulled back one of the tatami mats and lifted the floorboard. Through the narrow gap, Jack had a giddy view of the lagoon far below.

‘There’s nothing to hold on to,’ said Miyuki. ‘We’d plunge straight to our deaths.’

42

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Target Practice

‘There’s no land whatsoever?’ questioned Tatsumaki, as she studied the blank hand-drawn map of the Pacific Ocean.

The rutter was laid out on a table in one of the citadel’s antechambers. In response to the Pirate Queen’s question, Jack pointed a finger to a couple of specks in the middle of the page. ‘My father discovered fertile islands here, directly east by south of Japan. He’s written down the course we took. Any ship would need to use them as a stepping-stone to the Americas.’