Part 1 (1/2)

The Ring of Earth.

by Chris Bradford.

THE LETTER.

j.a.pan, 1614.

My dearest Jess, I hope this letter reaches you one day. You must believe I've been lost at sea all these years. But you'll be glad to know that I am alive and in good health.

Father and I reached the j.a.pans in August 1611, but I am sad to tell you he was killed in an attack upon our s.h.i.+p, the Alexandria. I alone survived.

For these past three years, I've been living in the care of a j.a.panese warrior, Masamoto Takes.h.i.+, at his samurai school in Kyoto. He has been very kind to me, but life has not been easy.

An a.s.sa.s.sin, a ninja known as Dragon Eye, was hired to steal our father's rutter (you no doubt remember how important this navigational logbook was to our father?). The ninja was successful in his mission. However, with the help of my samurai friends, I've managed to get it back.

This same ninja was the one who murdered our father. And while it may not bring you much comfort, I can a.s.sure you the a.s.sa.s.sin is now dead. Justice has been delivered. But the ninja's death doesn't bring back our father I miss him so much and could do with his guidance and protection at this time.

j.a.pan has been split by civil war and foreigners like myself are no longer welcome. I am a fugitive. On the run for my life. I now journey south through this strange and exotic land to the port of Nagasaki in the hope that I may find a s.h.i.+p bound for England.

The Tokaido Road upon which I travel, however, is fraught with danger and I have many enemies on my trail. But do not fear for my safety. Masamoto has trained me as a samurai warrior and I will fight to return home to you.

One day I do hope I can tell you about my adventures in person ...

Until then, dear sister, may G.o.d keep you safe.

Your brother, Jack

1.

THE G GAIJIN S SAMURAI.

j.a.pan, summer 1614 'Hey, stranger, you're in my seat!' snarled the samurai warrior.

Jack stopped slurping his noodles. Even though there were plenty of empty benches in the dilapidated inn at Shono, a post station that served those travelling along the Tokaido Road, Jack didn't dare question the samurai. Without looking up from beneath his straw hat, he slid himself across to the next table. Then he returned his attention to the steaming bowl and took another mouthful.

'I said, you're in my my seat,' repeated the man, his hand now resting upon the hilt of his samurai sword in a clear threat. Behind him, two other pairs of sandalled feet appeared. seat,' repeated the man, his hand now resting upon the hilt of his samurai sword in a clear threat. Behind him, two other pairs of sandalled feet appeared.

Jack tried to remain calm. So far on his journey, he'd managed to avoid any serious confrontations. He hoped to keep it that way.

But with j.a.pan in upheaval, he knew it would be difficult. Following daimyo daimyo Kamakura's victory in the civil war, the samurai lord had declared himself Shogun, the supreme ruler of j.a.pan. Many of the samurai who served him were belligerent because of this. Drunk on victory, Kamakura's victory in the civil war, the samurai lord had declared himself Shogun, the supreme ruler of j.a.pan. Many of the samurai who served him were belligerent because of this. Drunk on victory, sake sake and newly acquired power, they bullied the local people and any person of lower status. and newly acquired power, they bullied the local people and any person of lower status.

At first glance, Jack appeared to be no more than a farmer or a wandering pilgrim. He wore an una.s.suming plain blue kimono, a pair of sandals and a conical straw hat typical of a rice farmer or Buddhist monk. Its wide brim hid his foreign face.

Without protest, Jack moved to another table.

'That's my friend's seat.' my friend's seat.'

There was a sn.i.g.g.e.r of laughter from the other two soldiers. Jack realized he was in a no-win situation. He would have to leave. If they discovered his true ident.i.ty, he would be in real real trouble. As a foreigner, a trouble. As a foreigner, a gaijin gaijin, he was a target for persecution. The Shogun's first act in office had been to issue a countrywide edict banis.h.i.+ng all foreigners and Christians from his land. They were to leave immediately or face punishment. For some zealous samurai, the foreigners weren't departing quickly enough. Even in his short journey from Toba to the Tokaido Road, Jack had already pa.s.sed one unfortunate Christian priest, his mutilated body hanging from a tree and left to rot in the sun.

'I'll be finished soon and on my way,' replied Jack in perfect j.a.panese.

Too hungry to leave any behind, he hurriedly gulped down more noodles with his chopsticks. This was the first hot meal he'd had since saying goodbye to his friends four days ago.

'NO! You'll finish now!' ordered the samurai, slamming his fist upon the table.

The bowl clattered to the ground, spilling its contents across the hard-packed earth. A stunned silence filled the little inn. Its few customers began to edge towards the door. A serving girl cowered behind the counter with her father.

Forced to confront his a.s.sailant, Jack looked up for the first time.

The samurai, a burly man with a rat of a moustache and bushy black eyebrows, stared in astonishment at Jack's blue eyes and blond hair.

'A gaijin gaijin!' he gasped.

Jack stood up. Though only fifteen, he was taller than many j.a.panese men. 'As I said, I'm leaving.'

The samurai, quickly regaining his wits, barred Jack's way. 'You're not going anywhere,' he said. 'You're a fugitive and enemy of j.a.pan.'

The other two soldiers closed rank. One was thin with a narrow pinched nose and close-set eyes; the other short and fat like a toad. Each of them carried a pair of samurai swords a standard katana katana and a shorter and a shorter wakizas.h.i.+ wakizas.h.i.+.

'I don't want to cause any trouble,' Jack insisted, his hand grasping his pack in readiness to make a run for it. 'I'm just pa.s.sing through, on my way to Nagasaki. I'm leaving as ordered by the Shogun.'

'You should never never have arrived in the first place,' sneered the thin samurai, spitting at Jack's feet. 'You're under arrest ' have arrived in the first place,' sneered the thin samurai, spitting at Jack's feet. 'You're under arrest '

Jack tossed his chopsticks into the man's face, momentarily distracting him, and bolted for the door.

'Seize him!' ordered their leader.

The toad-like soldier grabbed Jack's wrist. All of a sudden, the man was on his knees and crying out in pain as Jack executed nikky nikky on him. This wristlock was the first on him. This wristlock was the first taijutsu taijutsu move Jack had ever been taught at the move Jack had ever been taught at the Niten Ichi Ry Niten Ichi Ry, the samurai school in Kyoto where he'd trained for the past three years.

'Help!' whimpered the man.

The leader, unsheathing his sword, now charged forward.

Jack released the lock just short of breaking the man's arm and threw him into the path of the attacking samurai. At the same time, he reached for the katana katana strapped to his pack. As the samurai's lethal blade arced towards his neck, his own steel sword flashed from its strapped to his pack. As the samurai's lethal blade arced towards his neck, his own steel sword flashed from its saya saya.

The two katana katana collided in mid-air. For a brief second, no one moved. collided in mid-air. For a brief second, no one moved.

'A gaijin gaijin samurai!' exclaimed the leader, his eyes wide as saucers. samurai!' exclaimed the leader, his eyes wide as saucers.

'This is the one the one!' The toad-like warrior squealed as he scrambled to his feet. 'The gaijin gaijin our Shogun is seeking!' our Shogun is seeking!'