‘Follow me!’ he cried, and the four of them half-swam, half-crawled through the flooded bilge, Jack and Cheng dragging the semi-paralysed Saburo behind them. They scrambled up the steps and burst to the water’s surface. Miyuki was there to greet them and heaved Saburo on to the hold’s deck. He lay there, panting, like a beached whale. Jack and the others clambered out next to him.

‘We all owe you our lives now, Miyuki,’ said Jack.

Miyuki laughed. ‘Perhaps you’ll forgive me for this then?’ She passed Jack the black pearl with its gold fastening, twisted and bent beyond repair.

‘I’ll forgive you anything if we escape this ship,’ said Jack, pocketing the pearl.

From above, the clash of swords and the screams of dying men resounded throughout the vessel. The blast of cannon and musket fire assaulted their ears. But even through this barrage Jack noticed the oarsmen’s drum was no longer beating, as if the very heart of the atake-bune had been ripped out.

‘Sounds like we’ll have to fight our way out,’ said Jack, struggling to his feet on the listing deck.

He ran over to their canvas bag. Inside were their clothes, pilgrim bags and – to his great relief – the rutter. Jack seized his red-handled swords from the pile of confiscated pirate weapons. Miyuki found her ninjatō and utility belt, tying it round her waist. Cheng rifled through the weapons, selecting a vicious-looking knife and a short sword. Easily spotting his shakujō, Yori then searched for Saburo’s swords. He put them inside the canvas bag before fastening it shut.

‘We head straight for the top deck and jump ship,’ instructed Jack.

‘What about Saburo?’ asked Yori.

‘I noticed a rowing boat hanging near the stern. If it’s still there, then we cut it loose and make for the nearest island.’

Nodding their agreement, Yori and Cheng once again carried Saburo between them. Miyuki drew her ninjatō, ready to beat a path through the Sea Samurai. Holding his katana in one hand, Jack grabbed the canvas bag with the other. ‘Let’s go!’

As they climbed the steps, the deck above exploded in a flash of fire and flaming debris. All five of them were blown off their feet and sent hurtling back into the hold. The ceiling caved in, extinguishing all light. Jack felt a sharp pain across his brow and the warm rush of blood as he fell to the floor.

Clamping a hand to his head to stem the bleeding, he shouted into the darkness, ‘Yori? Miyuki? Is everyone all right?’

Dazed groans answered his call.

A flickering orange light returned to reveal a hold full of smoke and dust.