The Ring Of Earth Part 26

'In the pit,' Momochi groaned as a fresh wave of pain and grief hit him.

'Hanzo and Soke too?' asked Jack.

Momochi nodded solemnly.

Leaving him in the care of Zenjubo, the others dashed over to the pit. Tenzen, Jack and Akiko crouched beside the heavy iron grille and peered into its depths. The moonlight barely reached the pale faces that stared up in disbelief from the stinking black hole below.

'Father!' whispered Tenzen.

The other prisoners parted to allow Shonin through. 'Tenzen, I knew knew I could rely on you.' I could rely on you.'

Then he spotted Akiko.

'Don't be alarmed,' said Tenzen. 'She's with us.'

'If a samurai is helping us, we must be desperate!' replied Shonin, smiling good-naturedly at Akiko.

'Hold on,' said Miyuki, taking the guard's keys from Tenzen. 'We'll have you out in no time.' She began to work her way through the set.

'Is Jack there?' croaked Soke from the dark depths of the pit, forced by his injury to sit on the fetid floor.

'I'm here,' he replied, glad to find Soke still alive. 'But where's Hanzo?'

Shonin lifted the boy upon his shoulders. Hanzo looked exhausted, dark patches beneath his eyes. To Jack's relief, he seemed relatively unharmed, except for a nasty bruise along his jawline.

'Tengu? I thought you'd died!' exclaimed Hanzo, tears running in rivulets down his grime-ridden face. I thought you'd died!' exclaimed Hanzo, tears running in rivulets down his grime-ridden face.

'Tengu can't die, remember!' replied Jack. 'I've brought someone to see you.' He moved aside for Akiko. can't die, remember!' replied Jack. 'I've brought someone to see you.' He moved aside for Akiko.

She removed her menp menp and stared at the boy's face for a long time. Hanzo stared back, bemused by this lady in samurai armour. and stared at the boy's face for a long time. Hanzo stared back, bemused by this lady in samurai armour.

'Well, is it?' asked Jack, the moment of truth causing him to hold his breath.

Akiko didn't reply.

'Perhaps you need to see the birthmark?' he whispered.

Akiko shook her head and broke into a tearful smile. 'My kachimushi kachimushi!'

Hanzo immediately stopped crying. 'You ... you're like the lady ... in my dream.'

Jack could barely believe it. His instincts had been right. Bewildered looks were exchanged between the prisoners crowded in the pit. Weeping with joy, Akiko reached through the bars and gently stroked Hanzo's face. 'My kachimushi kachimushi, what have they done to you?'

'I kicked a samurai warrior,' said Hanzo proudly. 'He tried to kill Grandfather.'

'Young samurai!' said Shonin, getting Akiko's attention. 'I don't know who you are or what this is about, but now isn't the time for explanations. We need need to get out of here.' to get out of here.'

Akiko immediately refocused on the task in hand, and turned to Miyuki. 'What's taking you so long?'

'None of the keys work!' Miyuki replied in annoyance. 'I've tried them all twice.'

Akiko s.n.a.t.c.hed the keys from her, but she didn't have any luck either. In frustration she grabbed the bars, pulling futilely at them.

'I could pick the lock,' Jack suggested. 'Tenzen, have you got a needle shuriken shuriken?'

Tenzen handed him the thinnest one he had. But the lock proved more resistant than the one on the cage. The tip jammed and he almost broke it off.

'It's no use,' said Jack after his fifth attempt.

Akiko gripped the bars again in desperation, the torment of being so close yet so far from her little brother almost too much to bear.

'Who would hold the key?' asked Shonin calmly.

With cold certainty, Jack knew.

'Gemnan.'

51.

SLEEPING S SAMURAI.

'Time is not on our side,' Tenzen cautioned as Jack and Miyuki prepared for their mission to find the key. 'There could be a change of guard at any moment.' 'Are you certain certain you know where his room is?' asked Miyuki. you know where his room is?' asked Miyuki.

'It's on the second floor,' Jack replied, praying his memory served him right. 'After my meeting with daimyo daimyo Akechi, I was dragged out by the guards. But we briefly stopped on the stairs halfway down, while Gemnan went to his room. He'd joked he had to get the key to my lodgings!' Akechi, I was dragged out by the guards. But we briefly stopped on the stairs halfway down, while Gemnan went to his room. He'd joked he had to get the key to my lodgings!'

'Jack, please please get the key,' implored Akiko, still kneeling beside the pit. 'I want my Kiyoshi out of this h.e.l.lhole and home where he belongs.' get the key,' implored Akiko, still kneeling beside the pit. 'I want my Kiyoshi out of this h.e.l.lhole and home where he belongs.'

'Leave no trace and stay invisible,' said Zenjubo, handing Jack his kaginawa kaginawa climbing rope. climbing rope.

Like Momochi, he was unhappy about sending Jack, but he was the only one with personal knowledge of the keep's layout. Miyuki had volunteered to go with him as her exceptional shin.o.bi aruki shin.o.bi aruki skills would be required. skills would be required.

'Jack,' called Soke from the pit. 'I have faith in you, but remember the rice paper. A tear is a tear.'

'It'll be like stealing a pillow from under your head,' replied Jack, though in truth they both knew this wasn't the case. This time the lives and future of the clan were at stake.

'May the Five Rings guide you,' said Shonin as the two of them set off.

Miyuki led the way, vaulting on top of the wall and darting along its length. Jack followed close behind, leaping from wall to wall and roof to roof in the direction of the keep. They reached it without resistance, only encountering a samurai patrol in the last courtyard. Once the guards had turned the corner, the two of them jumped down and ran over to its base. The keep presented greater challenges than the castle wall had. The first-floor shutters were closed and the lower roof jutted out. Somehow they'd have to negotiate the overhanging eaves to reach the second floor.

Miyuki took the kaginawa kaginawa, spinning its grappling hook in one hand, and threw it high into the air. The rope wrapped round a gargoyle of a tiger-headed fish that projected from the curved roof two storeys up. She gave the kaginawa kaginawa a tug, checking it was secure, before climbing the rope. Jack held it steady as she hauled herself up. As soon as she had negotiated the eaves and got a footing on the roof, she beckoned him to follow. a tug, checking it was secure, before climbing the rope. Jack held it steady as she hauled herself up. As soon as she had negotiated the eaves and got a footing on the roof, she beckoned him to follow.

Jack grabbed hold of the kaginawa kaginawa and shot up the rope with practised ease. For one brief moment, he even imagined he was in the rigging of the and shot up the rope with practised ease. For one brief moment, he even imagined he was in the rigging of the Alexandria Alexandria, the wind blowing in his face and the waves crashing far below. He was snapped out of his reverie by Miyuki urgently gesturing to him. Jack wondered why she was being so so impatient. impatient.

Then he heard the voices. The patrol was coming back.

His muscles straining, one hand after the next, he shimmied up the kaginawa kaginawa as if the rope was burning like a fuse behind him. The voices were getting louder, the footsteps closer. He leapt for the roof and Miyuki snapped up the rope seconds before the patrol rounded the corner. Breathing hard, Jack and Miyuki crouched in the shadows while the samurai pa.s.sed beneath them. as if the rope was burning like a fuse behind him. The voices were getting louder, the footsteps closer. He leapt for the roof and Miyuki snapped up the rope seconds before the patrol rounded the corner. Breathing hard, Jack and Miyuki crouched in the shadows while the samurai pa.s.sed beneath them.

Jack whispered, 'That was too too close ' close '

Miyuki put a hand over his mouth, silencing him. She pointed to the open shutter to their right and Jack nodded, realizing his carelessness. Creeping along the roof, they approached the window and peered in.

The darkened room was full of samurai.

At a glance, Jack counted about thirty asleep on the floor. Miyuki indicated for the two of them to sneak through.

Bad idea, mouthed Jack.

Miyuki nodded, but crawled through the window anyway. Slowly and silently, she began to cross the room. Against his better judgement, Jack followed. He stepped lightly on to the wooden floor. Tiptoeing between the sleeping samurai, he prayed all his stealth training would pay off.

He was halfway when a loose floorboard squeaked under his weight. He stopped. So did Miyuki.

But all the samurai slept on, their snoring drowning out his mistake.

Carefully retracting his foot, Jack skirted the offending floorboard and joined Miyuki near the shoji shoji. Her eyes were wide with alarm as she pointed to the floor.

Jack saw that a samurai had rolled over in his sleep and on to her foot. There was nothing she could do unless they woke him. Miyuki signed for Jack to go on without her, but he shook his head, unwilling to leave her behind.

All of a sudden the man snored loudly like a pig.

This was enough for him to stir in his sleep, and he rolled off Miyuki's trapped foot. She hastily stepped away and over to the door. Keen to get out of the perilous situation, Jack reached for the shoji shoji. But Miyuki stopped him.

Pulling a vial of oil from her pouch, she greased the runners first. The door slid silently open. Poking her head through, she checked the way was clear before stepping into the corridor with Jack and closing the door behind them.

Jack now took the lead, their way lit by candle lanterns set into the wall. Padding down the corridor, they bore right to a set of stairs. Jack recognized these as the ones he'd been dragged down from daimyo daimyo Akechi's floor. Having got his bearings, he was now able to guide Miyuki to Gemnan's room. Turning left, Jack found the corridor they'd been looking for. Akechi's floor. Having got his bearings, he was now able to guide Miyuki to Gemnan's room. Turning left, Jack found the corridor they'd been looking for.

He took one step then froze as a bird warbled.

It was a Nightingale Floor.

52.

GEMNAN.

'Gemnan must have a lot of enemies,' whispered Miyuki, studying the corridor before them.

Jack slid his foot off the Nightingale Floor and shook his head with dismay. Only now did it come back to him. Singing birds. He'd been so preoccupied with his fate at the time of his capture, Jack had thought all the sounds were coming from outside.

'It's impossible,' he said.

'For a samurai, yes. But not for a ninja.'

Miyuki placed her toes lightly upon the first floorboard.

Silence.

She moved on to the next, her feet seeming to float above the surface.

'Follow in my footsteps.'

'But Soke said only one man has ever ever done this.' done this.'

'I'm not a man,' stated Miyuki.

Chastened, Jack did as he was told. Even though he'd perfected floating feet technique on rice paper, he'd never been taught the secret skills necessary to cross a Nightingale Floor. Jack realized he'd have to match Miyuki's movements exactly exactly. A single mistake a tear a tear would bring their downfall. would bring their downfall.

Sweat beaded on his upper lip as he walked the invisible tightrope down the corridor. Progress was slow. And the longer they took, the more concerned Jack was that a guard would discover them. Distracted by this thought, he overcompensated mid-step and lost his balance. Teetering on one foot, his arms flailing, he fought to put his foot down in the right place.

Miyuki, concentrating on what lay ahead, was oblivious to his plight. Keeling sideways, Jack's hand found the wall and he managed to regain his balance. Breathing a silent sigh of relief, he continued to follow in Miyuki's footsteps, taking extra care now.

The corridor seemed to stretch on forever. Then Miyuki stopped.

Gemnan's door stood before them, the final barrier to their goal. Miyuki pointed to the floorboard bordering the shoji shoji. 'This one will be fixed,' she whispered.

They both stepped on it; no sound of a nightingale.

As Miyuki took a moment to oil the shoji shoji's runners, Jack put his ear to the washi washi paper door. He heard a rhythmic wheezing from within. paper door. He heard a rhythmic wheezing from within.

Ever so gently, Miyuki slid open the shoji shoji. A single guttering candle lit the room. The floor was matted with finely woven tatami tatami. In the centre, Gemnan lay upon a futon futon, a crumpled blanket covering his skeletal body. Protruding from beneath his pillow was the hilt of a knife. Next to it was a set of keys.

Jack just hoped one of them unlocked the pit cage.

Just like stealing a pillow, he reminded himself.

Stepping inside the room, Jack stealth-walked over to Gemnan. Miyuki, keeping one eye on the corridor, covered his back in case of trouble.

As silent as a ghost, he approached the sleeping torturer.

His skin crawled at seeing the man up close again. In the flickering gloom, the sallow-faced Gemnan looked like a corpse, only the sound of his laboured breathing indicating he was alive.

Reaching out, Jack's fingers closed round the keys. Very carefully, he picked them up, but still they made a slight jingling noise. Gemnan snorted and Jack froze as the torturer's head turned towards him. But the man was just settling in his sleep and his wheezing soon resumed.

Jack didn't want to linger any more than he had to. Pocketing the keys silently in his pouch, he turned to leave. Suddenly a tant tant appeared, its blade catching the dying light of the candle. Jack seized the attacker's hand, trying to wrestle the knife away. appeared, its blade catching the dying light of the candle. Jack seized the attacker's hand, trying to wrestle the knife away.

But Miyuki wouldn't let go. She was determined determined to kill Gemnan. Her dark eyes blazed with hatred. The tip of the blade hovered over Gemnan's heart as a mute battle was fought between Jack and Miyuki. to kill Gemnan. Her dark eyes blazed with hatred. The tip of the blade hovered over Gemnan's heart as a mute battle was fought between Jack and Miyuki.

She's gone crazy! thought Jack. An unplanned a.s.sa.s.sination could jeopardize the entire mission. Releasing Hanzo and the others had to be the priority. thought Jack. An unplanned a.s.sa.s.sination could jeopardize the entire mission. Releasing Hanzo and the others had to be the priority.