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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

They frantically began to search the prison for a loose nail or anything that would serve as a pick. But in the darkness of the bilge, they came up with nothing. The water level continued to rise. It flowed over the ridge where Saburo lay and Cheng quickly sat him up. Jack’s pilgrim jacket floated away. Grabbing it, Jack felt Akiko’s pearl under the lapel.

‘Here!’ said Jack, passing Miyuki the pearl with its golden pin fastening.

Miyuki waded through the water to the grille and began to jiggle the lock. All the time, the sea flooded in through the gaping hole.

Jack and Cheng had to stand Saburo on his feet.

‘I can … move my fingers,’ said Saburo, his lips managing a lopsided smile.

‘Let’s hope you can float too!’ replied Jack, struggling to keep his friend upright.

The water was now chest high and rising. Yori was on his tiptoes. Still Miyuki struggled with the lock.

‘The gold’s too soft … it keeps bending …’

She ducked beneath the surface. Yori began to tread water. There was barely a head’s height between the sea and the bilge ceiling. Saburo spluttered as he struggled to hold his chin up.

‘We’re all going to drown!’ cried Cheng.

25

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Raft

In the confines of the bilge, the water lapped at their mouths. Miyuki still hadn’t surfaced and their air supply was fast running out. The atake-bune shook with another explosion.

‘Yori … hold Saburo’s head up,’ gasped Jack. ‘I’ll find Miyuki.’

Struggling to stay afloat himself, Yori managed to get a footing on the narrow ledge and support their friend. Jack took several deep lungfuls of air, then dived. Peering through the murky waters, he spotted a dark shadow against the grille. Miyuki, her feet wedged against a beam, was pushing with all her might at the door. Joining her, Jack could see a piece of timber from the hull had wedged itself across the entrance. Miyuki signed to him that the grille was unlocked. Together they put their weight against it. The door stayed jammed shut. They tried once more. It gave a fraction. They kept pushing. Jack felt his lungs burn with the effort and he could only imagine Miyuki’s desperate need for air.

Little by little, the door edged open … until there was enough space for Miyuki to slip through. Swimming to the other side, she pulled the obstruction away. The door swung clear.

Jack headed back to their stranded friends, while Miyuki, on the verge of drowning, clawed her way up the steps to the hold. Jack found Yori, Cheng and Saburo squeezed into the last pocket of air.