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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

Keeping a protective line, they retreated to the stern’s upper deck. Behind them, the captain and his two surviving crew cowered beside the tiller. Their expressions were a combination of terror at the Wind Demons and awe at the battling pilgrims. The four young warriors valiantly held off the invaders. Jack disarmed one ninja pirate, knocked another unconscious and threw a third over the side. But the sheer weight of numbers was overwhelming. An evil hiss emanated from the Wind Demons’ masked mouths as they closed in for the kill.

Realizing this would be their last stand, Jack and his friends formed a tight circle and prepared to defend each other to the bitter end. But the Wind Demons halted a sword’s length away.

‘Having second thoughts, are you?’ growled Saburo, discarding his pole and unsheathing his katana in a final display of samurai courage.

On the upper deck of the pirate ship a Wind Demon appeared. Unmasked, he wore a dragon-horned helmet bearing the emblem of a black spider.

In a voice as deep as the ocean, the pirate captain ordered, ‘Take them … alive!’

14

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The watery light of dawn coloured a cloudless sky as the pirate ship sailed south. Jack and his friends were imprisoned on its main deck, held like animals in a bamboo cage with nine other unfortunate captives. The captain of the Golden Tiger crouched alone in the corner, looking dejected and grief-stricken. His ship, deemed unworthy for salvage by the pirate captain, had been ransacked of its cargo, then set adrift.

The other prisoners were a mix of Japanese sailors and Korean slaves. Emaciated and with haunted expressions, they regarded the new arrivals warily. All stared at the strange blond-haired, blue-eyed boy in the pilgrim’s outfit and whispered words of a ‘white demon’ and a ‘gaijin devil’.

Jack ignored them, preferring instead to concentrate on devising an escape plan. The previous night’s stand-off with the Wind Demons had ended when a large net had been thrown over them. Entangled by the webbing, Jack and his friends had quickly been subdued and disarmed. There was shock at discovering Jack’s foreign identity, but the pirate captain had issued orders to cage them all, announcing that he would deal with the rebellious young pilgrims and unexpected gaijin in the morning. But, with the sun rising, they were fast running out of time and still no closer to escape. The cage was solidly built, with a pirate guard posted at the locked gate. All their weapons and belongings, even Miyuki’s hidden ninja utility belt, had been confiscated and they’d had no food, water or sleep for the entire night.

‘Even if we got out of this cage,’ whispered Miyuki, her fingers blistered from where she’d tried and failed to loosen the bars’ bindings, ‘there must be at least seventy ninja pirates on-board. Without our weapons, we’d be cut to ribbons.’