Part 27 (1/2)

Miyuki made a final bid to thrust the tant tant into the samurai's chest, but at the last moment Jack prised the knife from Miyuki's grasp. She glared at him, then at Gemnan. Miyuki looked ready to leap for the man's throat and Jack grabbed her, pulling her out of the room. He closed the into the samurai's chest, but at the last moment Jack prised the knife from Miyuki's grasp. She glared at him, then at Gemnan. Miyuki looked ready to leap for the man's throat and Jack grabbed her, pulling her out of the room. He closed the shoji shoji behind them, leaving Gemnan to sleep in blissful ignorance of his near death. behind them, leaving Gemnan to sleep in blissful ignorance of his near death.

Miyuki fumed, but said nothing. Jack's heart was thumping in his chest, bewildered at what had just happened in there. Unable to ask for fear of waking the torturer, he merely signed for Miyuki to lead the way back over the Nightingale Floor.

A tense walk ensued. Jack was concerned that Miyuki might no longer be focused on the task in hand. He was right. She misjudged the last floorboard and it chirped loudly. Miyuki immediately corrected her step, but the damage had been done.

Reaching the stairs, Jack glanced back. Neither Genman nor a guard had appeared. But a tear is a tear But a tear is a tear, he thought.

Not wanting to risk the samurai's sleeping quarters again, Jack opened a shutter in the outer wall. They clambered out of the window and on to the roof. With the shutter closed, Jack could no longer hold back.

'What were you thinking thinking?' he hissed. 'Zenjubo said leave no no trace!' trace!'

Miyuki, seething, trembled all over. In a tense whisper, each word delivered with venom, she replied, 'That man killed my family!'

Jack stared in shock. 'You're certain?'

She nodded once. 'That horrible, gloating face haunts my every dream.'

From his own experience, Jack knew that being so close to her family's murderer must have been insufferable.

'I understand your torment '

'Then why did you you stop me?' Miyuki whispered with icy malice. stop me?' Miyuki whispered with icy malice.

'His screams would have woken the whole castle,' said Jack, trying to get her to see sense.

'I'd have slit his throat '

'a.s.sa.s.sination is not not the mission,' Jack reminded her. 'Saving the clan is!' the mission,' Jack reminded her. 'Saving the clan is!'

'I want my revenge!' she said, tears welling in her eyes.

Jack took Miyuki's head gently between his hands, fixing her with his gaze.

'The greatest revenge you could have is for us all all to escape.' to escape.'

53.

TRAITOR.

'What took you so long?' demanded Momochi.

'A Nightingale Floor,' Jack replied, leaving out Miyuki's a.s.sa.s.sination attempt and their misjudged steps.

Tenzen found the correct key and had the grille open in seconds. 'Give me your kaginawa kaginawa, Jack.'

Lowering the rope into the pit, Tenzen braced himself to take the strain as the prisoners climbed up. Shonin was first out, quickly followed by the others. The wounded Soke needed help, so Zenjubo jumped down and carried him up on his back. When Hanzo emerged, Akiko pulled him into her arms, much to his surprise. But there was no time for an explanation or prolonged reunion.

'Get the uniforms off those two guards,' ordered Shonin, then turned to address Takamori, one of the family heads renowned for his strength and combat skills. 'You and I will disguise ourselves as samurai. Together with this girl Akiko, we'll escort everyone out of the castle's main gate.'

'What about the sentries?' asked Tenzen.

'Zenjubo will scout ahead from the roof. The clan will stay back, while the three of us walk straight up to the gate. You, Jack and Miyuki can hide behind us. At my signal, we'll silence the sentries, then escape through the town and into the forest.'

Changing into the samurai's clothes, Shonin nodded towards the gagged third guard. 'What's he he doing still alive?' doing still alive?'

'Akiko made me promise not to kill anyone needlessly,' explained Tenzen.

Shonin gave his son a disbelieving look. 'You've a far more merciful heart than I have.' Then turning sternly upon Akiko, he said, 'Your loyalty to your fellow samurai is admirable, but our clan's survival is at stake. You need to decide now are you with us or against us?'

Akiko looked down at Hanzo, then back at Shonin. 'With you.'

'Good,' he said, slipping the guard's katana katana into his into his obi obi. 'Are we ready?'

The clan nodded as one.

'Leaving so soon,' said a sneering voice.

Daimyo Akechi stepped into the courtyard, Gemnan at his side, a malicious grin spread across his sickly face. A troop of heavily armed samurai surrounded the ninja in an instant. Akechi stepped into the courtyard, Gemnan at his side, a malicious grin spread across his sickly face. A troop of heavily armed samurai surrounded the ninja in an instant.

'I'm so glad you could all all join us,' announced join us,' announced daimyo daimyo Akechi. 'Just as planned.' Akechi. 'Just as planned.'

'What do you mean?' snarled Shonin.

The samurai lord paused, relis.h.i.+ng his moment of conquest. 'A little bird warned us of your coming.'

Miyuki bowed her head in shame, the guilt of her mistake crus.h.i.+ng her.

'Why do you think Gemnan kept the key to the pit by his pillow? The Nightingale Floor thankfully proved its worth. Even though your ninja got in, they couldn't get out undetected. But none of you will be able to do either, once your feet are nailed to the cross!' He smirked, stroking the tips of his moustache. 'Admittedly, the rescue party arrived earlier earlier than expected. Still, you can't trust everything a spy tells you.' than expected. Still, you can't trust everything a spy tells you.' Daimyo Daimyo Akechi paused again, letting this piece of information sink into the ninjas' minds. Akechi paused again, letting this piece of information sink into the ninjas' minds.

'A spy spy?' exclaimed Momochi.

'Yes, ironic, isn't it? A spy within spies. Gave us the location of your village. Told us the best time to attack. Even sabotaged your rescue mission.'

For a moment, no one spoke, all of them too shocked by the implications of Akechi's disclosure. Then Momochi, consumed with rage, launched himself at Jack.

'You traitor!' he cried, seizing him by the throat.

'But aren't you ... the traitor?' Jack gasped, his fingers clawing at the man's iron grip as stars burst before his eyes.

'I'm going to kill you!' Momochi bawled. Tenzen, leaping to Jack's defence, fought to pull him away.

'NO, she's she's the spy!' screamed Miyuki, pointing at Akiko. the spy!' screamed Miyuki, pointing at Akiko.

Akiko, holding Hanzo close, vigorously shook her head in denial.