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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

The door slid open. Skullface and his gang stepped inside.

‘Rise and shine, young samurai!’ he said, prodding the still-sleeping Saburo with the tip of his sword.

They led Jack and the others on to the upper deck. Captain Kurogumo greeted them with a brief nod of the head. Both hands gripped the tiller, his eyes fixed upon two islands off the starboard bow. They lay side by side, separated by a narrow strait. The first and larger of the islands had sheer cliffs on all sides, giving it the appearance of a giant’s fortress. Its smaller sister was little more than a wide thrust of rock, with a crown of trees and sun-bleached scrub dotting its flanks. There was no sign of a settlement, let alone a harbour.

Captain Kurogumo steered the Black Spider towards the narrow channel.

‘Only pirate ships dare approach these islands,’ boasted the captain. ‘A fierce tidal race rips through the strait. Any other boat to try has been wrecked upon the rocks. Unless you know how and when to sail these treacherous waters, you’re done for.’

Caught by the current, the Black Spider picked up speed. Commanding his men to lower the mainsail, Captain Kurogumo leant upon the tiller and guided his ship into the confines of the strait. The Wind Demons fell silent as their captain wove a tricky course between cliff boulders and submerged rocks. As they sailed through the channel, Jack noticed two things almost at once. First, there was a hidden wooden fort on top of the smaller island, its battlements bristling with cannon and heavily armed pirates. The second was the craggy gap in the larger island’s cliff face – undetectable from the open sea.

Captain Kurogumo nosed the Black Spider towards the opening.

‘Welcome to our humble lair,’ said the captain.

Jack and his friends gasped in wonderment. On the other side lay a huge blue lagoon encircled by sheer walls. Sheltered from wind and storm, it made the ideal secret harbour. At least thirty pirate ships were docked at the floating jetty that skirted the base of the northern cliff. Jack’s attention was caught by a crew of Wind Demons unloading goods from a ship bearing the crest of a sea serpent. They were hauling their spoils up the rock face on a system of pulleys, winches and wooden elevators. As his gaze rose, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Overlooking the lagoon, a pirate settlement clung to the sides of the precipice. A network of walkways and ladders connected hanging cabins, houses and storerooms to create a vertical town. Ninja pirates swarmed like ants up and down the levels. At the very summit, a citadel dominated the cliff top. The wooden structure resembled a dragon’s head, with a fortified balcony protruding like a thrusting jaw over the lagoon.

A dark figure stood fearlessly at its end, observing the Black Spider’s approach.

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