‘I still don’t get it,’ said Saburo. ‘It’s just a wish doll.’

‘No, it’s not. It’s more than that,’ responded Kiku.

‘That’s exactly what Sensei Yamada said. You’re just repeating his words. I reckon you don’t have a clue either,’ challenged Saburo.

‘Yes, I do,’ she replied primly and refused to say any more.

‘Will someone tell me what he meant?’ pleaded Saburo. ‘Akiko? Yamato?’

They both shrugged.

‘I would ask you, Jack, but you probably don’t even know what Zen is.’

He was right. Jack didn’t know. He had hoped someone would tell him, but hadn’t dared ask for fear of appearing even more stupid.

‘Seven times down, eight times up,’ said a tiny flute-like voice.

They all turned to see Yori coming down the steps towards them.

‘What?’

‘Seven times down, eight times up. No matter how often you are knocked down, get up and try again. Like the Daruma Doll.’

They all stared at Yori in bewilderment.

‘Sensei Yamada taught us a vital lesson in budo. Never give up.’

‘Why didn’t he just tell us that?’ said Saburo.

‘That’s not the way Zen works,’ said Kiku, clearly annoyed at Yori for revealing the answer. She turned to Jack as if offering the explanation for his benefit. ‘Zen emphasizes the idea that ultimate truth in life must be experienced first-hand, rather than pursued through study.’

‘Sorry?’ said Jack, desperately trying to grasp the concept.

‘Sensei Yamada is meant to guide us, not instruct us. You are meant to discover the answer for yourself. If Sensei Yamada had just told you the answer, you wouldn’t have understood its true meaning.’

‘I would have!’ interrupted Saburo. ‘It’d have saved me a lot of brain-ache too!’

That night, Jack lit a short stick of incense and sat cross-legged in the half-lotus position in his room, contemplating the red doll. He pushed it over and watched it wobble. Then he waited patiently for enlightenment.

A stick later, an answer wasn’t forthcoming, so he lit another and poked the Daruma Doll again. Its gentle movement started to lull him. He pushed it once more and, without anyone there to distract him, Jack felt himself drift. The doll continued to sway.

Jack’s posture relaxed… His eyes half-closed… His breathing slowed… His mind calmed… His thoughts became less chaotic… His body gradually filled with a soft warm glow… ki… Then a single thought burnt bright in his mind.

He knew what to wish for.

Jack painted in the first eye.

29: SENSEI KYUZO

29

SENSEI KYUZO

Jack was flying through the air.

The floor rushed up to meet him. With a sickening crunch, he landed on his back, the wind completely knocked out of him. He lay there, gasping for breath.

A second later, Yamato crumpled in a pile next to him, followed by Saburo who dropped on top of them both, pinning them to the floor.