The Way of the Sword

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The Way of the Sword Page 28

by Unknown


  ‘About time,’ growled the man.

  Without turning round, the man picked up the package and unwrapped it to reveal a worn leatherbound book.

  ‘The rutter!’ he breathed, caressing its cover, then opening its pages to examine the sea charts, ocean reports and meticulous logging of tides, compass bearings and star constellations. ‘Now we possess what is rightfully ours. To think, the fortune of the world is in my hands. The secrets of the oceans laid bare for our nation to command the trade routes. It’s our divine right to rule the seas.’

  The man placed the logbook on the altar. ‘And what of the boy?’ he asked, his back to the ninja still. ‘Is he dead?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Why not? My instructions were explicit.’

  ‘As you know, the samurai Masamoto has been training the boy in the Way of the Warrior,’ explained the ninja. ‘The boy is now highly skilled and has proven somewhat… resilient.’

  ‘Resilient? Are you telling me a mere boy has defeated the great Dokugan Ryu?’

  Dragon Eye’s single emerald-green eye flared in annoyance at the man’s mockery. He contemplated snapping the man’s neck there and then, but he had yet to receive payment for retrieving the rutter. Such pleasures would have to wait.

  ‘I employed you because you were the best. The most ruthless,’ continued the man. ‘Am I mistaken in my judgement, Dragon Eye? Why haven’t you killed him?’

  ‘Because you may still need him.’

  The man turned round, his face cast in shadow.

  ‘What could I possibly want with Jack Fletcher?’

  ‘The rutter is encrypted. Only the boy knows the code.’

  ‘How do you know that?’ demanded the man, a note of alarm registering in his voice. ‘Have you been trying to break the cipher yourself ?’

  ‘Of course,’ revealed the ninja. ‘After the mistake of acquiring the Portuguese dictionary, I thought it wise to check the contents before delivery.’

  ‘Did you have any success?’ asked the man.

  ‘Not entirely. The unfamiliar combination of Portuguese and English made the task somewhat more complex than anticipated.’

  ‘No matter. It’s of little consequence,’ said the man, evidently pleased that the knowledge remained secret from the ninja. ‘There’s a Franciscan monk in the dungeons, fluent in both the languages and a mathematician. The mere promise of freedom should secure his decoding services.’

  ‘And what about the gaijin boy?’ asked Dragon Eye.

  ‘Once the code’s broken, complete your mission,’ ordered the man, turning to kneel before the altar once more. ‘Kill him.’

  MEET CHRIS

  HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU STARTED TRAINING IN MARTIAL ARTS?

  I started judo when I was seven years old. I won my first trophy at the age of eight and have since trained in over nine different martial arts.

  WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE MARTIAL ART AND WHY?

  I have enjoyed all my styles – each one has taught me something new – but my favourite must be Zen Kyo Shin taijutsu, since it was the first one I earned my black belt in. The style originates from the fighting art of the ninja – my sensei was even taught by a ninja grandmaster!

  HAVE YOU EVER MET A REAL SAMURAI WARRIOR?

  Yes – I am a student of Akemi Solloway Sensei, who is the eldest daughter of an old samurai family, descended from the karō of Iwatsuki Castle (near Tokyo) in the time of Lord Ota Dokan (1432–1486). The name Akemi means ‘bright and beautiful’ and, because she has no brothers, Akemi has a special responsibility to keep alive the traditions of her samurai ancestors.

  WHEN DID YOU START WRITING?

  I’ve been writing all my life, but mostly lyrics for songs. I didn’t start writing stories until much later, though I remember making up stories in my head as a child, especially on long car journeys to stop myself getting bored.

  HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO WRITE THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR?

  I wrote The Way of the Warrior very quickly – in two months! The story literally burst out of me and on to the page fully formed.

  WHERE DO YOUR IDEAS AND INSPIRATIONS COME FROM?

  My heart and my life. The Young Samurai trilogy was inspired by my passion for martial arts. It is the story of a young boy learning about life through martial arts. It could be about me. Equally it could be about you.

  WHAT DID YOU USED TO DO BEFORE YOU WERE A WRITER?

  I was a songwriter and musician. I sing, play guitar and harmonica. I have performed all over the world, appeared on TV and taught music at the illustrious Academy Of Contemporary Music in Guildford. My musical experience led me to writing my first book on songwriting (Heart & Soul) for the British Academy Of Composers & Songwriters.

  WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK? It by Stephen King. The scariest, and his best.

  WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE WORLD AND WHY?

  I’ve travelled to many wonderful places, but my three favourite memories are playing guitar on a beach as the sun set in Fiji, sitting in a tree house in the middle of a jungle in Laos and listening to a temple bell chime at dawn in Kyoto, Japan.

  WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE TYPE OF FOOD?

  Sushi. It’s so healthy and very tasty.

  WHAT’S YOUR MOST TREASURED POSSESSION?

  My samurai sword. The blade gleams like lightning and whistles when it cuts through the air.

  WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE FILM?

  Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The action scenes are magical and literally defy gravity, the actors are like fighting ballerinas, and it features one of the greatest female movie martial artists, Michelle Yeoh.

  JACK’S BEST MARTIAL ARTS MOVES

  KICKS (GERI)

  MAE-GERI – This front kick is extremely powerful and can even push an opponent to the ground.

  YOKO-GERI – This side‐kick is devastating on contact but be careful, it’s easier to see it coming than a front kick.

  MAWASHI-GERI – Often used to start combat, this roundhouse kick is when you swing your leg up in a circular motion.

  USHIRO-GERI – This spinning back kick is one of the most powerful kicks in martial arts.

  CHO-GERI – This is called the butterfly kick because all the limbs are spread out during the kick so you look like a butterfly’s wings in flight.

  PUNCHES (ZUKI)

  OI-ZUKI – This lunge punch or jab is the most basic of punches but can definitely come in handy

  GYAKI-ZUKI – Even more powerful is the reverse punch or cross punch, which employs most of the body in its motion.

  KAGE-ZUKI – You have to be very fast for this hook punch but it’s one of Jack’s favourites as it’s hard to block.

  URAKEN-ZUKI – This back fist strike is even quicker and is achieved by forming a fist and striking with the tops of the two largest knuckles.

  WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE?

  Let us know at youngsamurai.com

  It all started with a Scarecrow

  Puffin is well over sixty years old.

  Sounds ancient, doesn’t it? But Puffin has never been so lively. We’re always on the lookout for the next big idea, which is how it began all those years ago.

  Penguin Books was a big idea from the mind of a man called Allen Lane, who in 1935 invented the quality paperback and changed the world.

  And from great Penguins, great Puffins grew, changing the face of children’s books forever.

  The first four Puffin Picture Books were hatched in 1940 and the first Puffin story book featured a man with broomstick arms called Worzel Gummidge. In 1967 Kaye Webb, Puffin Editor, started the Puffin Club, promising to ‘make children into readers’.

  She kept that promise and over 200,000 children became devoted Puffineers through their quarterly installments of Puffin Post, which is now back for a new generation.

  Many years from now, we hope you’ll look back and remember Puffin with a smile. No matter what your age or what you’re into, there’s a Puffin for everyone.

  The possibili
ties are endless, but one thing is for sure: whether it’s a picture book or a paperback, a sticker book or a hardback, if it’s got that little Puffin on it – it’s bound to be good.

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  About the Author

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Contents

  Map: The Japans – 17th Century

  Prologue – Dokujutsu

  Young Samurai

  1: Knucklebones

  2: The Rutter

  3: The Daruma Wish

  4: A Grain of Rice

  5: Circle of Three

  6: The Invitation

  7: Randori

  8: Submission

  9: Fudoshin

  10: The Nightingale Floor

  11: The Golden Tea Room

  12: Tamashiwari

  13: Origami

  14: Intruder

  15: Sensei Kano

  16: Mugan Ryū

  17: Planting Seeds

  18: Irezumi

  19: Fighting Blind

  20: The Scorpion Gang

  21: Temple of the Peaceful Dragon

  22: Maple Leaf Viewing

  23: Breaking Boards

  24: Trial by Wood and Fire

  25: More than a Piece of Paper

  26: The Gauntlet

  27: The Selection

  28: Break-in

  29: The Decoy

  30: Sticky Hands

  31: Yuki Gassen

  32: Scorpions vs Phoenix

  33: Mushin

  34: Ganjitsu

  35: Hatsuhinode

  36: The Net Widens

  37: Body Challenge

  38: Running On Empty

  39: Yori

  41: The Eyes of Buddha

  42: Mind Over Matter

  42: First Blood

  43: Escape

  44: Interrogation

  45: Dim Mak

  46: Mountain Monk

  47: Spirit Combat

  48: The Challenge

  49: The Duelling Ground

  50: No Sword

  51: Kunoichi

  52: Sasori

  53: The Way of the Dragon

  Notes On Sources

  Acknowledgments

  Japanese Glossary

  Origami: How To Fold A Paper Crane

  Sneak preview: The Way of the Dragon

 

 

 


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