‘Don’t look so resentful, Jack,’ said Tatsumaki with a conciliatory smile. ‘I’d be happy for you to remain with us as our pilot to the South Americas. Together we could rule the seven seas … even sail to England …’
She let the suggestion hang in the air.
Jack didn’t say anything, realizing that she was simply trying to appease him with the possibility. But their ultimate destinations were totally opposed. He wanted to sail home. Tatsumaki wanted to plunder the oceans. He’d never reach England that way. And even if they eventually did, they’d be blown out of the water for being pirates by the British Navy! Besides, Jack still held key information to the rutter and he had no intention of ever revealing those secrets to Tatsumaki and her Wind Demons.
‘I’ll make my own way home,’ he said eventually. ‘With my friends.’
Tatsumaki sighed in disappointment at his decision. ‘Then you’re free to go.’
‘Look!’ cried Li Ling, emerging from the hatch. ‘It’s Captain Kurogumo.’
There was a great roar as the Black Spider came alongside, Captain Kurogumo and his crew punching the air in salute to the Koketsu. Upon the main deck was the golden-shell figurehead from the Nihon Maru.
‘It’s solid gold!’ yelled Captain Kurogumo, baring his sharpened teeth in avaricious delight.
‘We should melt it down and make you a throne, Tatsumaki, now that you’re Queen of the Seto Sea!’ pronounced Captain Hebi as he approached the Koketsu and performed a ceremonial bow.
The Wind Demons gave an almighty cheer at this new title for their leader.
Gazing upon her exultant followers, Tatsumaki said, ‘It won’t be long before we have enough gold to make thrones for all of us!’
Another cheer erupted from the Wind Demons.
Captain Hebi was joined on the jetty by Captain Kurogumo and the other surviving captains. Jack noted there were pitifully few left.
‘Where’s Captain Wanizame?’ asked Tatsumaki, searching among the grime-streaked faces for the Amazonian pirate.
Captain Kurogumo spat in anger. ‘Those cold-blooded samurai slaughtered her and every soul on the Great White.’
‘What about Captain Kujira? He was on the final assault with us,’ said Tatsumaki in growing disbelief at their losses.
But the Killer Whale wasn’t to be seen anywhere among the battered fleet.
Captain Hebi’s expression darkened and he shook his head regretfully. ‘We’ve paid a heavy price for this victory.’
‘We may have lost many souls … but we’ve won so much more,’ Tatsumaki proclaimed, trying to rally their spirits. ‘Tonight we celebrate our conquest and honour those who died this day. Tomorrow, we commence a reign of piracy on a scale never before witnessed. We shall rule this sea by LIGHTNING and THUNDER!’
The captains roared their approval and the Wind Demons went wild, stamping their feet on the decks and clashing their weapons. Standing among the baying pirates, Jack wondered at the terror that was about to be unleashed upon the Seto Sea. Then, cutting through the noise, he heard a bell toll three times.
Tatsumaki and the pirate captains heard it too, exchanging uneasy looks as a rowing boat powered across the lagoon from the sister island.
‘SEA SAMURAI … sighted on the northern horizon!’ panted the lookout as he reached the Koketsu.
‘But they’re defeated,’ exclaimed Captain Kurogumo.
The lookout shook his head. ‘It’s a second wave!’
Dismay and alarm spread among the Wind Demons. They looked to their Pirate Queen for guidance.
‘We’ve beaten them once,’ said Tatsumaki, undaunted by the new threat. ‘We can do it again.’
‘Tatsumaki, we don’t have the strength to fight another battle,’ argued Captain Hebi.
‘Are you suggesting that we run before the Sea Samurai?’
‘What other choice do we have? We might not be beaten but we’re certainly broken. Just look around you.’
Tatsumaki eyed their war-torn ships and wounded pirates. Livid at their weakened state, she nonetheless agreed with his assessment. ‘Come hell or high water, we’ll have our revenge on these Sea Samurai. This war is not over!’
‘But what about our hoards of riches?’ challenged Captain Kurogumo. ‘Are we simply to surrender them to the samurai?’
‘Certainly not,’ replied Tatsumaki, her resolve hardening. ‘Grab what treasure you can, then make for Demon Island in the Sea of Japan.’
Not needing to be told twice, the pirate captains and their crews disbanded. They surged up Pirate Town’s walkways in a frenzied rush to recover their stashed riches before the Sea Samurai fleet arrived.
Tatsumaki gathered her more disciplined crew together. She sent the gunners to restock their ammunition store, the other Wind Demons to load essential provisions for the voyage ahead, and the oarsmen, chosen for their strength, were ordered to accompany her to the citadel to retrieve the best of her treasure.
Jack was forgotten amid the whirlwind of activity. He was left behind on the jetty as Tatsumaki and her oarsmen headed for the bamboo lift. Pushing his way through the unruly mob of pirates, Jack hurried after her but was stopped by the strong arm of an oarsman.
‘Sorry. No room for passengers,’ said Tatsumaki, closing the gate behind her.
‘What about the boat you promised?’ asked Jack, realizing he and his friends would be stranded without one.
Tatsumaki gave a half-apologetic smile as the lift rose into the air. ‘It’s everyone for themselves now, Jack. Remember, we’re pirates … not samurai!’
58
Cursed
So much for the Wind Demons being forever in my debt! thought Jack as his eyes scanned the lagoon for an escape boat.
But the only ones docked at the jetty were those that had survived the battle – and they were far too large for a four-man crew to handle, and were already taken. The lookout’s rowing boat was also gone, having returned to the hidden fort with news of the Wind Demons’ immediate withdrawal. Jack just had to hope that, following the conflict, he’d find a suitable vessel washed up on the island’s rocky shores. Otherwise, he’d be asking Tatsumaki for passage on-board the Koketsu – and that no doubt would come at a price.
But Jack realized his first priority was to free Miyuki, Yori and Saburo. Turning to run up the gangway into Pirate Town, he bumped straight into Li Ling coming the other way.
‘Sorry, Jack!’ she gasped, dropping the sack of rice that she’d been lugging. ‘I didn’t see you. Where are you going anyway?’
‘The citadel. I have to release my friends, then somehow find a boat off this island.’
‘Aren’t you coming with us?’
Jack shook his head. ‘No, a pirate’s life isn’t for me.’
Li Ling looked saddened by the news.
‘You could join us,’ suggested Jack, not wishing his Chinese friend to die at the hands of the Sea Samurai … or become a bloodthirsty pirate.
‘And miss all this excitement?’ she replied, glancing round at the chaos. ‘This is what I dreamed of, Jack. I’m a Wind Demon now and always will be.’
‘Then take care,’ he said, realizing that her fate was her own choosing and it wasn’t for him to change her mind. ‘But don’t ever lose that kind heart of yours.’
Helping to lift the rice sack on to Li Ling’s shoulder, he turned to go. He’d only taken a few steps when she suddenly said, ‘I know where there’s a boat.’
She pointed to a small iron gate beyond the jetty at the base of the cliff.
‘I shouldn’t be telling you this, but that passage leads to a hidden sea cave. Tatsumaki has a boat stowed there for emergencies.’
‘You’re a life saver, Li Ling. What sort of boat?’
‘A skiff. Tatsumaki asked me to check its supplies before we went into battle with the Sea Samurai. But you’ll need the key for the gate.’
‘No, we won’t,’ replied Jack confidently. ‘Miyuki can pick locks.’
‘Not
this one. It’s a Chinese double lock.’
‘So where’s the key?’ asked Jack.
‘That’s the other problem,’ she replied, biting her lip awkwardly. ‘It’s attached to Saru’s collar.’
‘It’s lucky that Saru likes me,’ said Jack, although he had no idea how he would take it without the Pirate Queen noticing. He’d figure that out once he was reunited with his friends.
‘Good luck!’ cried Li Ling as Jack sprinted up the gangway into Pirate Town.
The main street was crammed with marauding pirates, elbowing one another out of the way as they seized their precious loot. Some were raiding the shops and stores. Others were ransacking the cabins of their recently dead friends, scuffles breaking out each time a highly valuable item was discovered.
Jack rushed past, dodging between the Wind Demons and their fights. He clambered up ladders and along the suspended bamboo walkways. The citadel seemed impossibly high up and he was aware that with every passing second the Sea Samurai were sailing closer and closer.
Finally, with his heart pounding and his lungs burning, Jack reached the top level. As he staggered past the door to Captain Kurogumo’s house, he remembered his Shizu swords were inside. Sliding open the shoji, he hurried into the main room and over to the corner where he’d seen the treasure chest and weapons. He spotted his daishō immediately. His hand was almost upon the red hilt of his katana, when he felt the sharp tip of a knife in his back.
Behind him, silent and still as a statue, stood the white-faced geisha.
‘Just claiming what’s mine,’ explained Jack calmly.
The geisha said nothing. She merely pressed the blade harder into him. Jack hastily moved his hand away from the katana’s hilt and the pressure eased a touch.
‘Stealing from a pirate?’ tutted Captain Kurogumo, stepping out from the balcony.
‘Samurai aren’t thieves,’ replied Jack. ‘You know they belong to me.’
‘Once belonged to you,’ corrected Captain Kurogumo.
‘Tatsumaki said I could have them back, for defeating the Nihon Maru and saving the Wind Demons.’
‘Did you save us?’ challenged Captain Kurogumo, baring his shark-like teeth in a flash of anger. ‘We’re fleeing from the Sea Samurai. Our fleet is decimated. Pirate Island is lost to us forever. Skullface was right about you. You’ve cursed the Wind Demons!’
A great cheer echoed up from below – the Killer Whale had entered the lagoon.
‘Captain Kujira survived after all,’ remarked the pirate captain with a twisted smile. ‘Unlike you, gaijin,’ he added, drawing his sword.
With the geisha’s tantō close at his back, Jack dared not move. Before he could even reach for his katana, Captain Kurogumo’s kissaki would pierce his heart in a split second and he’d drop to the floor, stone-cold dead.
So this is to be my end, thought Jack. Run through by a dishonourable pirate. No chance to free my friends or see Jess ever again.
Then the Killer Whale opened fire, its cannon booming as if the volcano itself was exploding. The cliff walls shuddered under the impact of heavy iron shot.
‘What in the name of –’ cried Captain Kurogumo, losing his footing as the balcony rocked wildly.
Another salvo blasted Pirate Town. A cannonball struck the supports of Captain Kurogumo’s house and the building started to sheer away from the cliff face. In the chaos of the moment, Jack spun round, knocking the tantō from the geisha’s grasp with his elbow. Then using a palm-strike to her chest he sent her crashing into the balcony rail.
As the bamboo house pitched violently, Jack snatched up his swords and dived for the door. He managed to grab hold of the walkway’s supporting post, just as the building completely broke away. He hung suspended in the air, watching Captain Kurogumo and the geisha flailing among the falling wreckage of their house, the pirate’s precious weapons cascading out like lethal jewels into the lagoon far below.
As their screams spiralled away, Jack thought that perhaps he really had cursed the Wind Demons – or at least Captain Kurogumo – for capturing him and his friends in the first place.
59
Collapse
The Killer Whale continued its bombardment of Pirate Town. Jack could only presume that the Sea Samurai had taken over the ship, cunningly using it to masquerade as Wind Demons and fool the lookouts. Cannonballs tore into the town’s lower levels and ripped through the main street. Daejon fire arrows embedded themselves in the walls, setting the bamboo buildings ablaze. Pirates, screaming and on fire, plunged to their deaths. Many fled in blind panic. Some managed to reach the jetty and their ships, but others, trapped by the fires, had to leap into the lagoon for their lives.
Jack tossed his swords on to the walkway, then hauled himself up. Without a moment to lose, he sprinted for the citadel. The gates were wide open and he charged straight in. Two oarsmen were dragging a treasure chest brimming with silver and gold towards the lift. They ignored him as he flew past and headed down the corridor to where his friends were imprisoned.
A blast rocked the citadel and Jack was knocked off his feet. Lanterns clattered to the floor. Scrambling back up, he staggered round a corner and dashed towards the room. The guards were gone, but the door was still barred. He heard frantic hammering on the other side.
‘Yori! Miyuki! Saburo!’ cried Jack, yanking the bolt free. He flung the door open and was greeted by the familiar faces of his friends. He felt as if he hadn’t seen them for months. As they exited, he embraced each of them in turn.
‘Good to see you too,’ said Saburo, smiling at Jack’s unreserved emotion.
Yori was too overcome to say anything, tears of relief welling up in his eyes.
Returning Jack’s embrace, Miyuki whispered in his ear, ‘I really thought I’d lost you forever.’ Then she stepped away, Japanese formality taking over once more, and focused on their situation. ‘Let’s get out of here. I’ve had enough of this Pirate Queen’s hospitality.’
‘Do you still have the sea chart?’ asked Jack.
Miyuki nodded and held up the roll of paper.
‘Excellent. There’s a boat through a gated tunnel beside the jetty, but first we have to get the key,’ Jack explained. ‘And if we’re lucky, find your weapons and the rutter too.’
They turned to go when Yori remembered: ‘The rice!’
He ran back into the room just as a tremendous explosion shook the building. The floor beneath Yori collapsed.
‘NOOOO!’ yelled Jack as his friend disappeared.
He rushed to the door, where a huge gaping hole now exposed the perilous plunge to the lagoon. Fragments of wood and tatami mats twirled through the air, vanishing into the distance. A gunpowder store on the level below burned fiercely, having been hit by a daejon arrow.
‘YORI!’ cried Jack, his eyes searching for his fallen friend.
‘Down here!’ replied a tiny terrified voice.
A section of floor hung precariously from a few broken beams. Yori clung to the edge, his legs dangling in mid-air.
Dropping on to his stomach, Jack reached for him. ‘Grab my hand!’
Yori shook his head. ‘I can’t. It’s too far.’
The floor gave a little as a beam split further. Yori cried out in panic.
‘Take my ankles,’ Jack instructed Miyuki and Saburo.
Using the door frame as a brace, they lowered him over the abyss. Jack stretched out his arms to his friend. He could hear the terrible sound of splintering wood and snatched in desperation for Yori’s hand … and missed.
He tried again. ‘Now!’
Yori let go with one hand – the floor broke away and tumbled down the cliff face – and he just managed to clasp Jack’s fingers. Jack held on to Yori with all his might, his friend swinging helplessly over the lagoon. Miyuki and Saburo wrestled to pull them both in.
‘Hurry!’ urged Jack, feeling Yori’s fingers slipping through his grasp.
As Jack was dragged back over the threshold, he lost grip of
Yori … but Saburo made a grab for his jacket and pulled their friend to safety. They collapsed in a heap on the corridor floor, panting from exhaustion and shock.
‘Sorry …’ gasped Yori. ‘I dropped … the rice.’
Jack burst into laughter at his unnecessary apology. ‘As long as I didn’t drop you, nothing else matters.’
Another explosion shook the building.
‘This citadel’s becoming a death trap,’ said Saburo, scrambling to his feet. ‘Let’s go!’
‘We need to get the key first,’ reminded Jack.
He led them down a corridor towards Tatsumaki’s quarters. They hurried past open shoji on every side. Discarded loot and treasure were scattered across the floors, only the best having been taken by Tatsumaki’s oarsmen.
‘Our packs!’ exclaimed Saburo as they passed by one of the ransacked rooms.
Darting inside, they grabbed their belongings. They were relieved to discover their weapons stacked in a corner. Miyuki secured her ninjatō to her back and her utility belt round her waist. Saburo thrust his katana and wakizashi into his obi, while Yori was thrilled to be reunited with his trusty shakujō.
They heard the Pirate Queen shouting from a nearby room. ‘Hurry up!’ she ordered. ‘The Sea Samurai fleet are almost upon us.’
Creeping down the corridor, Jack and his friends peeked round a door into the citadel’s main hall. Tatsumaki stood with her back to them, directing the loading of her last remaining treasure chests. Saru sat upon an open chest, nibbling a piece of her favourite fruit.
‘There’s the key,’ whispered Jack, spying the glint of metal hanging from her collar.
‘How can we get it?’ said Saburo. ‘You can’t just walk up to Tatsumaki and politely ask.’
‘I have an idea,’ said Miyuki.
Reaching into her pack, she pulled out a blowpipe.
Young Samurai: The Ring of Wind Page 24