‘Arigatō,’ said Jack, thanking her.

‘Dōmo,’ she replied.

Jack was frustrated that he could not communicate with her any further. He now had so much he wanted to say, questions he needed answering. He was surrounded by gracious strangers, yet utterly isolated by language. His impromptu lesson with Akiko the previous evening had been the closest to a proper conversation since his fever had broken some two weeks ago.

Jack opened the note, reading the message inside.

Your presence is requested. Please come directly following breakfast tomorrow to my quarters. I reside at the fourth house to the left of the jetty.

Father Lucius

Jack leant back against the tree. What could Father Lucius possibly want with him?

15: YAMATO

15

YAMATO

Father Lucius’s house was a small affair, set back from the main road. Taka-san, the samurai from Jack’s house, rang the bell hanging by the gate and waited for a response.

Jack heard shuffling footsteps and the gate swung back. Father Lucius appeared, bleary-eyed and wheezing.

‘Welcome to my humble home, heretic. Do enter.’

Jack stepped through the gateway and into a small garden that bore little resemblance to Uekiya’s paradise. This was a muddy patch of root vegetables and herbs. There were no ornamental features or pretty little streams, just a solitary apple tree bearing the beginnings of a few fruit. The garden was for growing, not contemplation.

Taka-san, having delivered Jack, bowed to them and left.

Father Lucius led Jack into a small room, simply furnished with a table, two chairs and a makeshift altar. A large wooden crucifix adorned the back wall.

‘Take a seat,’ instructed Father Lucius, who settled himself into the chair on the opposite side of the table. He coughed sporadically into his handkerchief.

‘So how is the young samurai today?’ mocked Father Lucius.

‘Why have you summoned me?’ said Jack, ignoring the priest’s scorn.

‘I am to teach you Japanese.’

‘Why?’ asked Jack, incredulous. ‘You didn’t seem too willing to help me yesterday.’

‘It is wise to do what Masamoto asks of you.’ He looked Jack in the eye. ‘We shall begin at this time every morning. You will do as I say, when I say. Perhaps you can even be saved.’

‘I don’t need “saving”. Teach me Japanese, but don’t give me any of your sermons –’

‘Enough of your insolence!’ Father Lucius slammed the flat of his hand on the table. ‘God protect you from your ignorance. We shall start. The sooner you know their language, the sooner you can hang yourself with your own tongue!’

He wiped his mouth of spittle, then continued.

‘The key to the Japanese is their language. It has a vocabulary and sentence structure all of its own. In a word, it is unique. It reflects their whole way of thinking. Understand Japanese, and you understand them. Do you follow so far?’

‘Yes. I have to think like a Japanese person to speak it.’