Part 4 (1/2)

Jack put the katana katana safely to one side. safely to one side.

'Your reactions are so so fast,' Hanzo said in admiration. 'Anyway, you need to get up. You've missed breakfast-time. And you promised to teach me the sword.' fast,' Hanzo said in admiration. 'Anyway, you need to get up. You've missed breakfast-time. And you promised to teach me the sword.'

That was the last thing Jack felt like doing. But he'd made a promise and, as a samurai, he had to honour it. Rolling out of bed, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and went into the next room. A bowl of cold rice and a jug of water were laid out beside the hearth.

'Where's Soke?' asked Jack as he tucked into his belated breakfast.

'Grandfather's gone to see Shonin,' said Hanzo, who waited excitedly by the door. 'He's left some water in the sink for you to wash with.'

Finis.h.i.+ng off his rice, Jack slipped on his sandals and entered the doma doma. Beside the sink was a wooden scoop, which he used to douse his face and hands. What he really wanted, though, was a hot ofuro ofuro. The habit of the samurai to bathe daily was one of the surprising pleasures of living in j.a.pan. But Jack didn't suppose farmers had such luxuries. Anyway, five days of travel grime was nothing compared to being a sailor at sea or living in England, where was.h.i.+ng was considered unhealthy.

Refreshed and a little cleaner, Jack stepped out into the bright midday suns.h.i.+ne. The glistening paddy fields were a vibrant green, the seeds planted in spring having grown into lush summer gra.s.ses. A few farmers tended the rice crop, but most appeared to be relaxing in the square. Jack could hear the laughter of children nearby and was struck by how tranquil the village was.

Hanzo tugged on his sleeve. 'So, what are you going to teach me first?'

Jack felt a twinge of nerves. How could he be a teacher, when he wasn't much more than a student himself? He didn't even have any training weapons. Looking around the yard, he spotted a stack of bamboo stems beside the outhouse. Jack selected one of appropriate length and pa.s.sed it to the boy. 'Here's your sword.'

'But I want to use a real real sword!' Hanzo protested, giving his bamboo subst.i.tute a disgruntled inspection. sword!' Hanzo protested, giving his bamboo subst.i.tute a disgruntled inspection.

Jack laughed, recalling his own impatience to wield a steel katana katana. But all that had changed when his late swordmaster, Sensei Hosokawa, had given him a harsh lesson in the responsibility of carrying such a weapon. It had involved a grain of rice, Yamato's head and nerves of steel to cut the grain in half. Jack had backed out of the challenge, straight away appreciating his teacher's point. But he had no wish to test Hanzo in such a way. Something about the boy told Jack he'd attempt the feat, whatever the danger.

'Until you have complete control of this this sword,' Jack explained, repeating Sensei Hosokawa's words, 'you don't have the skill to use a real blade.' sword,' Jack explained, repeating Sensei Hosokawa's words, 'you don't have the skill to use a real blade.'

Though obviously disappointed, Hanzo nodded his acceptance. 'So, what do I do now?'

Jack thought back to his very first lesson with Sensei Hosokawa.

'Hold out your arms straight in front of you,' he instructed, 'with your sword resting in both hands.'

Hanzo eagerly did as he was told. 'Now what?'

'Keep holding it like that.'

There was a small tree in the yard and Jack found a spot beneath it to observe his student. Hanzo gave him a puzzled look. 'This isn't sword fighting!'

'Yes, it is,' said Jack with a wry smile. Reiterating his kenjutsu kenjutsu master's teachings, he explained, 'If your own sword can defeat you in your own hands, what hope do you have of ever defeating your enemy?' master's teachings, he explained, 'If your own sword can defeat you in your own hands, what hope do you have of ever defeating your enemy?'

'Ah, it's a test!'

With renewed determination, Hanzo held out his sword. A few minutes pa.s.sed and the boy's arms weren't even trembling. Impressed, Jack realized there was more to Hanzo than met the eye.

As Hanzo stood there, stock-still, three boys and a girl wandered past.

'What are you doing?' called a round-faced boy over the fence.

'Sword training, Kobei.'

'Scarecrow training more like!' he laughed.

'What would you know? You don't have the King of the Tengu Tengu teaching you,' Hanzo shot back, nodding to Jack in the shade. teaching you,' Hanzo shot back, nodding to Jack in the shade.

The four of them gawped at Jack in amazement.

'I caught him,' Hanzo explained. 'And now he's set me a test to defeat the sword.'

'That's easy,' scoffed Kobei, keen to impress the tengu tengu.

Suddenly the challenge was on. Jack was taken aback by the children's enthusiasm as all four grabbed a piece of bamboo and held it out like Hanzo.

Just then a young farmer approached. Strong and tanned from working in the fields, he looked tougher than many samurai. Jack judged him to be about seventeen. He had a broad handsome face with eyes brown as the earth. Discovering the children standing like statues, their faces screwed up with the effort of holding their bamboo swords, he shot Jack a questioning glance but made no comment.

'Hanzo!' called the farmer. 'Soke said to bring your guest to Shonin.'

'Yes, Tenzen,' replied the boy, hurriedly putting down his makes.h.i.+ft weapon.

'You lose!' said Kobei.

'I'll beat you all later,' shot back Hanzo.

Jack got to his feet and bowed. The farmer inclined his head respectfully.

As they made their way through the paddy fields, Jack's curiosity finally got the better of him. 'Who is Shonin?' he asked.

'Not who, but what,' replied Tenzen civilly. 'Shonin means the head of the village and is how you should address the leader of our clan. He's also my father.'

Walking up a rise and pa.s.sing through a tall wooden gate, they entered the main square. In one corner was a set of stables. Several children were playing on the horse rail outside, attempting to walk along its beam without falling. Beyond the fence was the pond, where a group of lads were swimming, diving and play-fighting.

The villagers in the square gazed in wonder at Jack, many bowing at his approach. Jack returned the courtesy. It appeared the anti-foreign prejudice afflicting the rest of j.a.pan had not yet reached this community. Even so, Jack overheard uneasy murmurings among the crowd about a samurai being in their village. It seemed his status was more of an issue than his race.

Tenzen led Jack over to the farmhouse. The building was far grander than Soke's and more akin to a samurai's dwelling. It had a raised veranda and shuttered windows, and was at least double the size of any other home in the village. Two men greeted Tenzen at the door and let them through. Slipping off their sandals, the three of them walked down a polished wooden corridor, pa.s.sing two rooms to a set of double shoji shoji doors at the far end. As they drew nearer, Jack could hear a heated conversation going on. doors at the far end. As they drew nearer, Jack could hear a heated conversation going on.

'Do you really think it's appropriate to have brought a samurai here here?'

'We could learn many things to our advantage,' replied a voice Jack recognized as Soke's. 'Besides, I sense the boy has a good heart.'

'You said that last time about an outsider and we all know what happened. What if he were to draw a patrol to this valley? Need I remind you that daimyo daimyo Akechi still seeks to destroy our village?' Akechi still seeks to destroy our village?'

'I realize it's a risk, but the boy's as much an outsider as we are. Meet him and judge for yourselves.'

The doors to the room opened and Jack was ushered inside.

8.

SHONIN.

The reception room was large, carpeted with finely woven tatami mats and a raised wooden dais at the far end. To Jack's right was another set of shoji shoji and on the wall behind the dais hung an ink painting of a kingfisher perched over a river. and on the wall behind the dais hung an ink painting of a kingfisher perched over a river.