He slipped the Jade Sword into his obi, carefully tying the saya to him, and left the shrine.

Looking down, Jack saw that Yamato still hadn’t moved.

He quickly descended and came level with him once more. Yamato didn’t even look at him this time. He merely clung to the cliff wall, his whole body shuddering like a leaf in a storm.

‘Listen, you’ve frozen up,’ said Jack, trying to get his attention.

He had seen this many a time with sailors on-board the Alexandria. The mind seized up with fear and the body refused to move. A swimming sense of vertigo took hold and eventually the sailor lost his grip and fell into the ocean, or worse, on to the deck.

Realizing Yamato had little strength remaining, Jack had to get him down fast.

‘Let me help you. Take your right foot off…’

‘I can’t…’ said Yamato in a feeble voice.

‘Yes, you can. Just drop your foot and place it on the little ridge below you.’

‘No, I can’t… it’s too far…’

‘No, it’s not. Trust me, you can do this.’

‘What do you care anyway? You stole my father!’ said Yamato viciously, the swiftness of his anger breaking his paralysis.

‘Stole your father?’ said Jack, bewildered.

‘Yes, you! Before you came, everything was all right. Father was finally beginning to accept me. I was no longer in Tenno’s shadow. Then you stole him –’

‘I didn’t steal your father. He adopted me! It wasn’t as if I had a choice.’

‘Yes, you did. You could have died with the rest of your crew!’ said Yamato with unbridled hatred.

‘Well, you would have been killed by that ninja if it wasn’t for me!’ retaliated Jack.

‘That’s exactly what I’m talking about. I could have died a honourable death like my brother. But you went and saved me! I lost face because of you!’

‘You Japanese and your sense of pride!’ shouted Jack in frustration. ‘What is it with your “face”? I saved your life. We were… friends. If I’d wanted Masamoto for a father, I could have let you die then. I don’t want your father. I want my father, but he’s dead!’

‘Well, maybe I should be dead too!’ said Yamato grimly, looking to the submerged rocks below him. ‘You have the sword. The glory is all yours. My father will never recognize me now. I’ve betrayed him. Whether you want Masamoto to be your father or not, he is yours!’

With that, Yamato jumped.

39: THE APOLOGY

39

THE APOLOGY

‘No!’ screamed Jack, snatching for him, but Yamato disappeared into the white swirling curtain of the waterfall.

Jack scrambled down the rock face and leapt back on to the butai. He pushed past several pilgrims who had gathered on the wooden deck and were intrigued by what was happening.