Miyuki appeared a little deflated and Jack felt bad at having crushed her idea so thoroughly. But those were the hard facts of attempting to sail around the world.

‘It doesn’t stop us getting a boat to Nagasaki, though,’ encouraged Jack. ‘All we need to know is the route and what bearings we’d have to take.’

At that moment, a deckhand approached them.

‘With compliments of the captain,’ he said, putting down a large plate. Cut into thin strips were a freshly caught bream and a couple of mackerel, along with some pickled ginger and soy sauce for taste.

‘Thank you,’ said Yori, bowing his head in appreciation. As the deckhand went to depart, Yori asked, ‘What’s the best way to reach Nagasaki by boat?’

The deckhand thought for a moment. ‘If you cut short your pilgrimage, you could stop at Yawatahama in the south and cross the Bungo Channel to Sagaseki. But then you’d have the long trek across Kyushu.’

‘Isn’t there a more direct route by sea?’

The deckhand whistled through his teeth. ‘That’s the entire length of the Seto Sea and more. It’s risky. But if the winds and tides are with you it could be far quicker.’

He looked to the horizon where the distant shimmer of Shikoku Island was now visible. ‘Once we dock at Imabari, take a boat due west along the Seto Sea and through the Kanmon Straits to the Sea of Japan. Then bear south-west along the coast to Nagasaki itself.’

‘Is this ship going that way?’ asked Jack hopefully, keeping his face hidden beneath the rim of his hat.

The deckhand laughed. ‘Not likely! There are more pirates in that area of the Seto Sea than mosquitoes.’ He pointed to a small red-and-white striped flag that fluttered from the boat’s stern. ‘See that? The captain pays the pirates along this route not to attack him. The flag guarantees safe passage – but only between Tomo Harbour and Shikoku Island. You’ll have to find another boat in Imabari.’

Leaning close to Yori, the deckhand whispered, ‘A word of warning – you take your life into your own hands sailing that route. I’ve heard tales of man-eating sea dragons!’

Walking away, he left them all with horrified expressions on their faces.

‘Perhaps we should stick to the road,’ said Yori, swallowing fearfully.

‘He’s just trying to scare us,’ said Miyuki. But she appeared equally unsettled by the idea, and turned to Jack for reassurance. ‘There aren’t sea dragons, are there?’

Having encountered many strange creatures in the ocean, Jack could understand why people might believe in dragons. But he’d never seen one for himself. ‘Our real concern should be pirates. We need to find a ship with a flag.’

‘And a fast one, just in case we meet a dragon,’ added Yori.