The man"s eyes widened in shock when Jack removed his straw hat to reveal his blond hair and foreign face.
"But... but... we left you for dead," spluttered the man.
"Not dead enough," said Jack, clenching his fists in anger. He fought to restrain himself, calling upon the discipline Masamoto had ingrained in him. "Where are my belongings?"
Overcoming his initial shock, the man stared defiantly at Jack and remained tight-lipped.
"Answer him!" ordered Ronin, driving his forearm across the man"s throat and pinning him to the wall.
"I don"t know... what you"re talking about."
"We can do this the easy way or..." Ronin pressed harder and the man choked. "Now where"s the money you stole?"
The man gulped nervously. "I gambled it."
"All of it!" exclaimed Jack. of it!" exclaimed Jack.
"I had a run of bad luck," snapped the man, as if that excused him. No longer able to meet their eyes, he mumbled, "I even lost my swords swords."
Ronin stared at the man in astonishment. "You bet bet your swords! What sort of samurai gambles his soul away?" your swords! What sort of samurai gambles his soul away?"
"But it was a sure sure win," he protested. "The dice must have been loaded!" win," he protested. "The dice must have been loaded!"
"Well, it just isn"t your night, is it?" said Ronin. "You"re about to lose the kimono off your back too."
Ronin beckoned Jack closer. On inspection, the kimono had no identifying kamon kamon and was of the same blue cloth as the one Akiko"s mother had given him. Jack nodded in agreement. Releasing the chokehold, Ronin ordered the man to hand over Jack"s clothes. and was of the same blue cloth as the one Akiko"s mother had given him. Jack nodded in agreement. Releasing the chokehold, Ronin ordered the man to hand over Jack"s clothes.
"But I don"t have anything else to wear! I"ll catch my death!"
"You never gave Jack that courtesy," said Ronin, unsheathing his sword as an additional incentive.
Hurriedly, the man stripped down to his loincloth and stood shivering in the rain.
"We know the fate of Jack"s swords," said Ronin, resting the tip of his katana katana over the man"s heart. "If you don"t want to end up like your friend Manzo, then tell us where the rest of his belongings are." over the man"s heart. "If you don"t want to end up like your friend Manzo, then tell us where the rest of his belongings are."
"I-I... don"t have them," stammered the man.
"That"s plain to see," said Hana, giggling at the samurai"s scrawny torso.
"Then who does?" demanded Ronin.
"Botan!" he confessed, spitting the name angrily. "He blamed me for losing the pearl. Thought I"d gambled it. But I reckon he stole it for himself." blamed me for losing the pearl. Thought I"d gambled it. But I reckon he stole it for himself."
Jack and Ronin glanced at Hana, who was trying to suppress a grin.
"Where"s this Botan now?" pressed Jack, the rutter rutter foremost in his mind. foremost in his mind.
"How should I know? We parted company after Manzo"s death. He could be anywhere anywhere by now." by now."
In the blink of an eye, Ronin flicked the razor-sharp kissaki kissaki up to the samurai"s throat, drawing a bead of blood. "You can do better than that." up to the samurai"s throat, drawing a bead of blood. "You can do better than that."
"M-m-most likely Nara," blurted the man. "That"s where he"s from."
Ronin withdrew his sword. "You"ve been most helpful. Now for your reward "
"Wait!" interrupted Jack, seeing the intent in Ronin"s actions. "I need to find out about my father"s diary and what they did to me."
The man laughed coldly at this revelation. "Of course... you can"t remember!" His eyes flicked to Ronin, a smirk on his face. "I know know you " you "
"Don"t change the subject. TELL HIM!" roared Ronin, his face like thunder.
The man"s bravado crumpled under Ronin"s ferocity. But just as he was about to reply, Hana hissed, "Doshin!"
The light from several lanterns could be seen coming up the street, accompanied by the sound of marching feet. A patrol was checking each and every alley.
"Looks like your luck"s back in," growled Ronin, sheathing his sword with annoyance. "But if you say one word to the doshin doshin you"ll lose far more than your clothes." you"ll lose far more than your clothes."
Leaving the gambler in his loincloth, the three of them hurried away down the alley.
"See you again, Ronin!" called the gambler, daring a parting shot now he was safe.
Ronin stopped in his tracks and glared at the man. "Pray you never do."
Cutting through Kizu"s backstreets, they emerged into paddy fields. Ronin spotted an old rice store and they ducked inside.
"Do we have to stay here here?" protested Hana, holding her nose.
Ronin nodded. "It"ll do for the night."
"But it smells like some animal"s died. It stinks."
"So do you," snarled Ronin, peering through the door to check the doshin doshin weren"t following. "We"ll need to keep watch. I"ll go first." weren"t following. "We"ll need to keep watch. I"ll go first."
Jack found a dry spot in the corner of the storehouse and folded his blue kimono into a makeshift pillow. "Hana, you can sleep here. It doesn"t smell quite so bad."
Mumbling her thanks, Hana curled up, exhaustion overwhelming her as soon as she closed her eyes. Jack cleared a s.p.a.ce for his own bed, but he wasn"t ready yet. Their encounter with the gambler had given him fresh hope they"d find the rutter rutter. Rubbing the green silk omamori omamori for luck, he now knew the amulet for luck, he now knew the amulet had had been leading them in the right direction. They also knew who to look for Botan. been leading them in the right direction. They also knew who to look for Botan.
As Jack settled down to sleep, a thought occurred to him. "Ronin, how did the gambler know your name?"
The samurai turned on Jack, his dark eyes blazing. "What"s it to you?"
Jack recognized the haunted look in Ronin"s face. "It just seemed rather odd "
"Listen, I"ve met many samurai in my time and made a few enemies along the way. I don"t always remember the reasons." He swigged on his sake sake. "Now get some rest. You"ll need it for tomorrow."
17.
THE BODYGUARD.
"I"ve got the job," announced Ronin the next morning, triumphantly returning to the storehouse. "He"s even paid today"s wages in advance."
Ronin produced a cloth sack, opening it up to reveal several steaming manj manj. While Hana and Jack greedily tucked into their breakfast, Ronin uncorked a fresh bottle of sake sake and went over the final details of his plan. and went over the final details of his plan.
"Best save the two redbean manj manj for later," Ronin advised. "Now, the merchant closes his shop at the Hour of the Rooster, and I"ve learnt he and his wife like to walk along the riverside on their way home. There"s a wooded path that runs from it to their house, so that"s where you two will lie in wait." for later," Ronin advised. "Now, the merchant closes his shop at the Hour of the Rooster, and I"ve learnt he and his wife like to walk along the riverside on their way home. There"s a wooded path that runs from it to their house, so that"s where you two will lie in wait."
"Are you certain this"ll work?" asked Jack.
Ronin stood, neatened his kimono and adjusted his swords. "There"s only one way to find out."
"Can you see them yet?" asked Hana as they hid in a ditch beside the path.
"No," replied Jack, beginning to wonder if the merchant and his wife had taken a different route home.
"Do you think something"s gone wrong?"
"I hope not," said Jack. The sun was close to setting and there was still no sign of them... or Ronin. Their plan would be a lot more risky the darker it became.
"Perhaps Ronin"s drunk."
Jack didn"t answer, not wanting to consider that possibility.
The longer they waited, the more impatient Hana became.
"Do you trust this samurai?" she asked, digging at the earth with her blunt knife, Ronin having returned it. "I mean, you"ve only known him a few days "
"They"re coming!" said Jack, glad the conversation had been interrupted by events. Hana"s concerns were mirrored in his own heart. Ronin was unpredictable and his past history murky, but the samurai was the only option Jack had.
At last, the merchant and his young wife could be seen making their way along the riverbank towards home. As they turned up the woodland path, Jack and Hana jumped out, Jack wielding his staff, Hana her knife.
"I"ve come to claim what is rightfully mine," declared Jack.
The merchant"s eyes widened in disbelief. "The gaijin gaijin samurai! So samurai! So you you were the intruder!" were the intruder!"
The wife"s hand instinctively went to her hair. "You can"t have it. This pearl"s mine!"
"It was a gift to me me before it was stolen," explained Jack. "Now I respectfully ask for its return." before it was stolen," explained Jack. "Now I respectfully ask for its return."
The merchant laughed. "What does a foreigner know about respect?"
"More than a merchant!" said Hana. "You lied to me about its value."
"Business is business. Besides, you don"t deserve respect you"re an outcast, a n.o.body."
Fuming at the repeated insult, Hana took a step towards the merchant.
"Have you met my bodyguard?" said the merchant, arrogantly clicking his fingers.
From behind the couple, Ronin appeared. Jack and Hana stared in shock, but he displayed no flicker of recognition just a cold murderous stare.
"Kill them!" ordered the merchant.
Hana took one look at this Ronin, no longer a drunken washed-up samurai but a fearsome warrior, and ran. But Jack stood his ground. "I"m not here to fight. I just want my pearl back."
"That"s not a choice you have," said Ronin, drawing his sword.
Like a bolt of lightning, Ronin attacked, his katana katana slicing for Jack"s head. Barely having time to duck, Jack felt the deadly steel skim past. He thrust his staff in retaliation, but the samurai evaded the strike and cut down across Jack"s chest. Jack leapt away, the blade whistling past his face. slicing for Jack"s head. Barely having time to duck, Jack felt the deadly steel skim past. He thrust his staff in retaliation, but the samurai evaded the strike and cut down across Jack"s chest. Jack leapt away, the blade whistling past his face.
Whatever they"d planned, Ronin was fighting for real real.
Perhaps the merchant"s job offer had been more than persuasive. Or maybe the temptation of the reward for his head had finally turned Ronin against him. Whatever, Jack was now fighting for his life...
He blocked the samurai"s thrust for his heart and whipped the end of his staff round at Ronin"s head. Jack had the advantage of the bo bo"s length, but Ronin proved the more skilful warrior. Dodging Jack"s a.s.sault, he brought the hilt of his sword down upon Jack"s fingers. Crying out in pain, Jack lost his grip on the bo bo before reeling from an elbow strike to the jaw. before reeling from an elbow strike to the jaw.
Stunned, Jack was left defenceless as Ronin drove his blade straight through his side. He crumpled to his knees. Jack felt no pain, but an ominous patch of dark red instantly stained his ragged kimono.
"He"s bleeding! He"s bleeding!" the young wife squealed, in a mixture of horror and delight.
Jack, too shocked to fight back, clutched at his wound in a futile attempt to stem the flow.
"Behead him!" she screeched, her beautiful face contorted with murderous glee.
"Only real real samurai deserve such a death," replied Ronin. samurai deserve such a death," replied Ronin.
Jack collapsed to the earth, letting out a last gutteral moan.
"Is he dead?" asked the merchant, peering over his wife"s shoulder.
Ronin prodded the body with his toe and got no reaction. "Yes," he replied, flicking Jack"s blood from his blade before resheathing it.
"Then what are we waiting for? Dinner"s ready," said his wife imperiously.
"Perhaps we should take care of the body first?" suggested Ronin as his employer followed his heartless wife.
"We can do that later," tutted the merchant. "Just get him off the path. The crows can pick at his remains."
Ronin rolled Jack"s lifeless body into the ditch. Then he strode after his new master.
18.