Miyuki handed Jack the canvas bag. ‘With so many samurai, you should stay here with Saburo,’ she suggested. ‘Yori and I will see what we can find.’

Jack nodded his agreement and settled down beside his friend. He watched as Miyuki and Yori worked their way along the dock. Wooden vessels of all types and sizes were moored to the jetty – from tiny dinghies, to fishing boats, to large cargo ships.

‘Is there any food left?’ asked Saburo.

‘You’re clearly feeling better,’ smiled Jack, fishing out a mochi from the bag.

While Saburo chewed slowly on the rice cake, Jack risked another glance round the port. Compared to the quiet fishing village of Tomo Harbour, Imabari was a noisy centre for trade and shipping. Dockhands were loading and unloading goods of all kinds: rice, saké, lacquerware, porcelain, wood, silk, spices and – given the heavy presence of samurai guards – presumably copper, silver and gold too.

He noticed the majority of pilgrims were making their way out of the harbour and taking the road south to begin their epic journey. As they cleared the port, he and Saburo became more and more conspicuous. Jack silently urged Miyuki and Yori to hasten their search for a suitable boat.

Footsteps from behind alerted him to someone’s approach. But without turning round he could tell by the clink of armour they didn’t belong to a pilgrim.

‘We’re in trouble,’ Jack whispered to Saburo.

A samurai guard strode purposefully up to them. ‘Travel permits,’ he demanded.

Jack kept his head bowed while Saburo pulled out their nōkyōchō books.

‘What’s wrong with him?’ said the samurai, giving the permits a cursory glance as he scrutinized Jack’s hunched form.

‘Seasickness,’ explained Saburo, with an apologetic grin.

The samurai snorted, ‘Soft-stomached pilgrims!’

He handed back the nōkyōchō and walked on.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Quick thinking, Saburo.’

‘Thanks, but that guard’s bound to get suspicious if we stay here much longer.’

The tension grew with each passing moment, Jack imagining more and more samurai eyes turning towards him. He spotted the same guard pacing along the dock, heading back their way.

‘I think we should go –’

‘No, I see Miyuki,’ said Saburo, pointing to a pilgrim hurrying towards them as fast as she dared.

‘What took you so long?’ asked Jack. ‘And where’s Yori?’

‘He’s at the boat.’

‘You found one!’ exclaimed Jack, trying to imagine what sort of vessel she’d acquired.

Miyuki nodded. ‘There were too many patrols to steal a boat. But we did find one ship sailing all the way to Nagasaki,’ she revealed, although her expression didn’t look particularly jubilant. ‘We must be quick; it’s leaving now.’

Jack and Saburo picked up the canvas bag and followed Miyuki along the dock.