The pain subsided and he tested his arm cautiously. It wasn’t broken, but it still hurt a great deal when he moved it. As Jack lay there, nursing his aching arm, Sensei Yamada shuffled up. The sensei leaned upon a bamboo walking stick and looked down at Jack like he was inspecting an insect with a broken wing.

‘In order to be walked on, you have to be lying down,’5 he said matter-of-factly, before resuming his unhurried journey across the courtyard towards the sleeping quarters. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Jack called after him, but the old sensei gave no reply. The only response was the diminishing click of the walking stick as it echoed around the stone courtyard.

26: DEFEATING THE SWORD

26

DEFEATING THE SWORD

‘Owwww!’

Jack rubbed his shins and hobbled into the Butokuden. He laid his bokken along the edge of the hall with the other students’ weapons, then gingerly knelt in line beside Yamato.

Akiko entered with Kiku and bowed. Saburo hurried in behind them.

‘Owwww!’ cried Saburo.

He too came hopping across the floor and eased himself into line, biting his lip against the pain.

Sensei Hosokawa stood by the main entrance brandishing a shinai, bamboo sword. He scrutinized the remainder of the new students making their way across the courtyard to the dojo for their first period of the day – a morning session of kenjutsu. Three more got struck across the shins upon entering.

‘Martial arts does not begin and end at the gate of the dojo!’ thundered Sensei Hosokawa as the last student joined the nervous rank of kneeling boys and girls. ‘Always bow with your sword raised high when you enter the dojo. Anyone caught dragging their feet, slouching or being inattentive will feel the edge of my shinai!’

The whole line immediately stiffened to avoid any possibility of slouching. Sensei Hosokawa paced the hall, inspecting each prospective samurai. As he levelled with Jack, he stopped.

Jack glanced up. Hosokawa appeared to be sizing Jack up.

‘I hear from Sensei Masamoto,’ he began, ‘that you fought a ninja and defeated him with a bokken. Is this true?’

‘Umm… Hai… sort of…’

‘Hai, SENSEI!’ he thundered at Jack.

Jack quickly apologized and bowed lower. Idiot! He had forgotten the proper etiquette when addressing a person of higher status. ‘Hai, Sensei. I was helping Yamato –’

‘Excellent,’ he said, cutting Jack off. ‘Were you afraid?’

Jack didn’t know what answer Hosokawa was expecting. He glanced down the line of students who were all gawping at him. Should he admit that he was terrified? That he thought the ninja was going to run him through with his sword? Or else throttle him just like his father had been?

Jack could see Kazuki sneering at him, eager to hear the gaijin admit his weakness to everyone. Then he caught Akiko’s eye and she was quietly nodding to him, speak true.

‘Hai, Sensei,’ said Jack cautiously.