‘Noooo!’ cried Jack, futilely reaching after it.

Shattered from his efforts, he turned towards Ginsel. ‘I’ve only cut half the rope! What now?’

Ginsel, lifeline in hand, gestured for him to come back, but another gust slammed into Jack so hard he could have sworn the ship had run aground. The entire mast shuddered in its bed and the topsail yanked hard at the halyard. Weakened by Jack’s cutting, the rope snapped as if it were a breaking bone, the canvas unfurled and, with an almighty crack, caught the wind.

The ship surged forward.

Ginsel and the other sailors gave a cheer as the Alexandria turned in the wind and the breaking waves stopped battering her decks. Jack’s spirits were lifted by their unexpected turn of fortune.

But his joy was short-lived.

The sail, in dropping, had jerked the block and tackle tight against the mast, where it had promptly snapped away and now plummeted like a stone towards Jack, but this time he had nowhere to go.

‘JUMP!’ shouted Ginsel.

3

DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA

Jack let go of the spar and dived out of the block-and-tackle’s path.

He arced across the sky, Ginsel straining to hold him on the other end of the tie-rope. Jack crashed into the rigging on the far side of the foremast and looped his arm through the ropes, holding on for all his life was worth.

The block and tackle now dropped straight towards Ginsel. Barely missing him, it struck Sam who was standing right behind him. The unfortunate sailor was sent spinning into the sea.

‘Sam…!’ Jack cried out, hurriedly clambering down the rigging after him.

Back on deck, he ran to the rail but could only watch helplessly as Sam struggled against the mountainous waves, disappearing and reappearing until, with a pitiful scream, he was dragged under for a final time.

Jack turned despondently to the Bosun, who had joined him at the rail.

‘There ain’t nothing you can do, boy. Grieve for him in the morning, if we make it,’ said the Bosun.

Noting the look of despair in Jack’s face, the Bosun softened slightly.

‘You did well up there, boy. Now go and see your father – he’s in his cabin with the Captain.’

Jack bolted for the companionway, thankful to escape the raging tempest. Within the belly of the ship, the storm felt less of a threat, its unrestrained fury above becoming a muffled howl below. Jack weaved his way through the bunks to his father’s berth in the stern and quietly entered the small, low-beamed room.

His father was bent over a desk, studying a set of sea charts with the Captain.

‘Pilot, it’s in your hands to get us out of this!’ barked the Captain, pounding the desk with his fist. ‘You said you knew these waters! You said we’d make landfall two weeks ago! Two weeks ago! By the hand of God, I can sail this ship in any storm but I’ve got to know where to damn well go! Perhaps there are no Japans, eh? It could all be legend. A cursed Portuguese deception designed to ruin us.’