Part 4 (2/2)

Three men sat upon the raised floor, observing Jack's entrance.

'I thought you said he was samurai,' whispered the man in the middle. Pudgy, with a generous double chin, drooping moustache and balding head, he reminded Jack of a walrus. As first impressions went, he seemed an odd choice for a Shonin and bore little resemblance to his lean, muscular son. But as this was a farming community, Jack presumed they didn't require a toughened warrior as their leader. Or a tactful one, it seemed.

'The boy trained at the Niten Ichi Ry Niten Ichi Ry,' replied Soke, who sat to the man's left.

'But he's foreign,' the pudgy man remarked as Jack approached.

'He's still samurai. His guardian's Masamoto Takes.h.i.+.'

'That at least explains why there's such a high price on his head.' The man's eyes lit up with a realization. 'This boy could be used as leverage in negotiations with at least explains why there's such a high price on his head.' The man's eyes lit up with a realization. 'This boy could be used as leverage in negotiations with daimyo daimyo Akechi ' Akechi '

'There's no no bargaining with that lord,' Soke cut in. 'And you should be aware the boy speaks fluent j.a.panese.' bargaining with that lord,' Soke cut in. 'And you should be aware the boy speaks fluent j.a.panese.'

The man's face froze in alarm. 'You could could have told me that before!' he hissed, forcing his startled expression into a smile. have told me that before!' he hissed, forcing his startled expression into a smile.

Pretending not to have overheard the comments, Jack knelt before the three men and bowed low. Though the pudgy man was clearly two-faced, it would do Jack no favours to show disrespect. 'It is an honour to meet you, Shonin.'

'Well, our friend certainly knows the proper etiquette,' said the third man, smiling. Slim, with a handsome face and hair neatly tied into a topknot, he wore a dark-green kimono and possessed an air of supreme confidence. He studied Jack with the eyes of a hawk.

'If you know such graces, what could you possibly have done to offend the Shogun? We know he's banis.h.i.+ng foreigners, but why is he so keen on capturing you?'

Jack decided it would be best to tell the truth to this man, who seemed more astute than the Shonin. But not the whole truth. He'd avoid mentioning the rutter rutter. 'I fought against the Shogun in the war. I also defeated his sword school in a Taryu-Jiai Taryu-Jiai contest a couple of years back. I don't think he's ever forgiven me.' contest a couple of years back. I don't think he's ever forgiven me.'

The man laughed. 'I've heard the Shogun is full of pride. Such a loss of face over his school would be hard to bear. But why are you travelling alone? Surely you still have some samurai friends?'

'Yes, but I don't wish to endanger them.'

'Very loyal of you, and brave to attempt such a journey on your own. I understand you're heading for Nagasaki. How do you expect to get through all the post station checkpoints?'

Jack shrugged. 'I've got this far. I'll find a way.'

'Courageous, as well,' commented the man. He turned to the others. 'The boy's a samurai. He clearly follows their code of bus.h.i.+do bus.h.i.+do. Already he's shown four of its seven virtues. Respect, Loyalty, Courage and Honesty. I like this boy. He should stay.'

Shonin nodded his head reluctantly in acknowledgement.

The man in the green kimono addressed Jack again. 'It's an honour to meet you, Jack Fletcher. You're welcome in my village.'

Jack was momentarily taken off-guard, before realizing this this man was actually Shonin. In j.a.pan, it was expected that the most senior person took central position. Shonin had gone against this convention. That meant he was playing a joke on Jack or was a very cunning man. man was actually Shonin. In j.a.pan, it was expected that the most senior person took central position. Shonin had gone against this convention. That meant he was playing a joke on Jack or was a very cunning man.

'Thank you,' replied Jack, now noting the man's obvious similarity to Tenzen, his son. 'But I'm not intending to stay. I appreciate Soke helping me, but I don't want to burden you or your village.'

'Jack, I'm aware you overheard Momochi-san's earlier comments,' Shonin said, respectfully indicating the man in the middle. 'But don't concern yourself. Momochi will do anything to preserve this village, even sell his own grandmother.'

'Too late! He's already done that,' commented Soke.

'And I didn't get a very good price!' retorted Momochi.

The three men laughed at their little in-joke. Jack, however, couldn't help wondering what sort of trouble their village was in.

'You're our guest,' Shonin continued, 'and I a.s.sure you we won't be handing you over to the samurai. They're not exactly our friends. In fact Soke considers it our duty to help you. I, therefore, insist you stay here and rest, at least until the search has died down.'

Later that evening, Jack joined Soke and Hanzo for dinner, a fresh pot of sencha sencha steaming over the hearth. steaming over the hearth.

'Shonin was quite taken by you,' said Soke, scooping up a mouthful of rice with his has.h.i.+ has.h.i.+.

'He's very kind,' replied Jack. 'But Momochi is right. I could attract a samurai patrol here. I don't want to add to your village's problems.'

'Please don't worry about such matters. You have enough difficulties of your own to contend with. Shonin doesn't make such decisions lightly. He's a.s.sessed the risk. There's little chance you'll be found here.'

'But what does this daimyo daimyo Akechi want from you? Why is Momochi so concerned about the village's safety?' Akechi want from you? Why is Momochi so concerned about the village's safety?'

'Daimyo Akechi isn't popular. As lord of this region, he taxes the local villages heavily for their rice. Those who refuse to hand over their share of the crop are punished. Those who do, have barely enough left to eat. The Akechi isn't popular. As lord of this region, he taxes the local villages heavily for their rice. Those who refuse to hand over their share of the crop are punished. Those who do, have barely enough left to eat. The daimyo daimyo knows of our village, but not its location. We intend to keep it that way.' knows of our village, but not its location. We intend to keep it that way.'

'But what if the daimyo daimyo discovered you were helping me? He'd surely do far worse than take your rice.' discovered you were helping me? He'd surely do far worse than take your rice.'

'Jack, you know as well as I do that the samurai are scouring these forests for you. The Iga mountains are a maze of gorges and river valleys. That's why our village has yet to be discovered. If you were captured in this area, it could be disastrous for our village. At least wait a few days.'

Jack relented, bowing his head in acceptance.

'Good, that's settled then,' said Soke, smiling warmly. 'I hear you were teaching Hanzo this morning.'

Jack nodded, but before he could reply Hanzo b.u.t.ted in. 'Tengu's been showing me how to defeat my own sword. Otherwise, he said, how can I expect to defeat the enemy!'

Soke nodded appreciatively. 'A sound lesson.'

Hanzo tugged on Jack's sleeve. 'What are we going to do tomorrow?'

'Erm ... a parry and strike,' replied Jack.

'Great!' grinned Hanzo, polis.h.i.+ng off his meal.

Soke got to his feet. 'If you'll excuse me, I have to see Shonin before I turn in. Hanzo, he's asked to see you too.'

The boy jumped up and mock-fought his way across the room.

'See you in the morning, tengu tengu!'

Jack tried but couldn't get to sleep. His mind was too full of concerns. Though Soke and Shonin had persuaded him to stay, he had yet to be convinced this was the right decision. It wasn't only his worry of endangering the village; it was a matter of self-preservation. Shonin appeared a good man, but Jack didn't trust Momochi. If the village needed to pay taxes, then Jack was surely the solution. The reward on his head was apparently substantial, maybe even enough to cover the annual rice tax several times over. This was a good enough reason why he should leave now, before Momochi persuaded the others. But, as he'd discovered, the mountains brought their own problems and dangers.

Since Soke and Hanzo hadn't yet returned from the farmhouse, Jack decided to take a short walk around the village to clear his head. Sliding open the main door, he emerged into a beautiful star-filled night. The pond near the farmhouse mirrored the sky, the moon floating like a silver coin in its waters.

As he wandered along a path between two paddy fields, Jack gazed up at the constellations. His father had taught him how to navigate by the stars and he knew many of them by name. Arcturus. Regulus. Bellatrix. Spica. They were like old friends.

Jack wondered if Akiko was looking at the same stars as he was. He'd once shown her Spica, one of the brightest stars in the firmament. He smiled at the memory. That had been more than two years ago in the Southern Zen Garden of the Niten Ichi Ry Niten Ichi Ry. They'd just foiled an attempt by the ninja Dragon Eye to a.s.sa.s.sinate daimyo daimyo Takatomi, the Lord of Kyoto Province. Takatomi, the Lord of Kyoto Province.

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