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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

Trusting in the Ring of Wind and the wisdom of the warrior spirit, Jack imagined himself as light as a feather. As he plummeted through the air, he didn’t fight it any more. He let the updraught carry him away from the cliff face. Dragon Eye, arms flailing and venting his rage, flipped head over heels the opposite way. Jack realized this was how it must have been for Yamato when he let go from Osaka Castle’s top tower – freefalling out of control towards certain death with his sworn enemy.

But Jack felt strangely at peace. Like Yamato, he would die with honour, sacrificing himself for his friends. He had the rutter and its secrets would perish with him. And there was no way on earth that Dragon Eye could survive this time.

The wind whistled past his ears, almost as if heaven was calling to him. Jack felt like a bird soaring through the sky. For one heady moment, he thought he might fly all the way to England.

Then the rippling surface of the lagoon came rocketing towards him.

The warrior spirit’s words came to mind once more: Follow the way of the water and do nothing to oppose it …

Rather than tensing for impact, Jack made himself relax. He recalled how the albatross dived into the sea to hunt for fish, spearing through the waves at tremendous speed.

Its nature becomes my nature …

Jack pointed his arms down, making himself straight as an arrow.

He hit the surface. The sudden chilling shock of the lagoon knocked all breath from his lungs. The rush of wind became the roar of water. His body was pounded and crushed on all sides as he plunged deeper and deeper. The concussion of cannonfire turned to muffled rumbles. The ethereal bars of light that played near the surface faded into oblivion.

Jack touched bottom, his fingers raking through sand as fine as silk. His lungs were now burning from lack of oxygen and he was on the verge of blacking out. Sparkles of light flickered before his eyes and a serene stillness enveloped him.

He drifted through this watery hidden world … then he burst to the surface, noise and light rushing back to him. Shouts, screams, cannonfire and waves surrounded him. Wreckage, ropes and broken beams floated past. He gulped in several desperate lungfuls of air. He was alive – battered, bruised and aching, but definitely alive.

He swam for the crater’s rocky shore.

Above, Pirate Town was burning but the citadel, like its Pirate Queen, defied the destruction, resolutely clinging to the cliff walls. Those pirates still remaining on the crumbling levels clambered down what ladders, walkways and foundations were still fixed to the crater face.

As Jack approached the shore, he spotted a black shape spread-eagled upon a rock. He headed towards it. He had to be certain this time: confirm the ninja’s demise with his own eyes.

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