The Ring Of Water Part 14

Only the echo of his voice responded. What more had he expected? What more had he expected?

Solitary and stoic, the great bronze Buddha sat unwors.h.i.+pped in the darkened recesses of the hall. Above, like a heavenly crown, hung the immense temple bell. The Buddha seemed to glow in the afterlight of the fading sun and Jack felt himself drawn to him. Before he even realized it, he'd crossed the room and was kneeling at the statue's feet.

Bringing his hands together, he prayed. For Saburo. For Kiku. For Masamoto. For the memory of Yamato. For the friends.h.i.+p of Akiko. And... for his sister, Jess, in England.

Once again he found himself facing the possibility of death by the sword and his only thoughts were for his friends and the welfare of his remaining family. No matter what it took, he had had to survive. How he wished for Sensei Yamada's guidance now. The Zen master always had an answer, even if it wasn't always obvious. to survive. How he wished for Sensei Yamada's guidance now. The Zen master always had an answer, even if it wasn't always obvious.

All of a sudden there was a noise and a bird in the rafters took flight, its wings flapping in a wild panic.

Jack spun round. 'Who's there?'

Distant laughter.

He turned the other way, his eyes darting around the gloomy hall. He caught a flash of red reflecting off the bronze Buddha. He felt his throat go dry with fear.

Surely not?

His senses on high alert, Jack heard every creak and groan of the derelict building. Shadows seemed to spring to life.

Riddle me this, young samurai! What is greater than G.o.d, more evil than the Devil? Poor people have it, rich people need it, and if you eat it you'll die. Tell me this and I shall give it to you.

'How should I know?' hissed Jack, his voice thin and lost in the emptiness of the hall as the Riddling Monk's words plagued his mind. Like an incessant irritating tune, he couldn't get the riddle out of his head.

Getting to his feet, Jack edged round the bronze Buddha, his hands out in front ready to fend off any attack.

Know this! What you find is lost. What you give is given back. What you fight is defeated... What you fight is defeated... What you fight is defeated...

Turning the corner, Jack came face to face with a fire-red monster. Fearsome, with a wild moustache and a single black eye, it towered over him. In his panicked state, his brain barely registered that the monster was merely an oversized Daruma Doll. And the unexpected shock of seeing it in the darkness sent Jack fleeing from the temple.

He flung himself through the doors and outside, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He knew he'd let his imagination run away with him, but it didn't make the terror any less real. He was certain he'd felt the Riddling Monk's presence and a s.h.i.+ver ran through him.

Stopping to get his breath back on the steps, Jack heard Hana scream...

28.

PLUM FLOWER POLES.

Jack burst into the garden as Hana's cry of pain turned to laughter the same laughter he'd heard from the Buddha Hall. Ronin sat cross-legged upon the garden's veranda, his chin resting upon the hilt of the bokken bokken he'd picked up. Hana was lying on the floor amid a small forest of poles. he'd picked up. Hana was lying on the floor amid a small forest of poles.

'You must be relaxed and free-flowing ' instructed Ronin.

'How can I? I'm always falling off!' said Hana, rubbing her rear.

Ronin scowled at her. 'Don't interrupt! If you want to learn, keep your mouth shut.'

Hana nodded obediently and sealed her lips.

'A rigid body is easily knocked off centre,' he explained. 'A flexible fighter, one relaxed as if drunk, can easily dodge, recoil and strike from any angle. To master the art of balance you need to find your centre.'

Hana spotted Jack. 'I've saved you some food,' she said, pointing to a dish piled high with rice and fish. Then she saw the worried expression on Jack's face. 'Are you all right?' she asked.

'I thought you were in trouble.'

Hana laughed again. 'I am! Ronin's teaching me.'

'And I have an inept student!' huffed Ronin, taking a swig of sake sake and turning to Jack. 'I hope you prove better.' and turning to Jack. 'I hope you prove better.'

'What are they?' asked Jack, eyeing the peculiar arrangement of wooden stumps. At least a dozen of them stood in a spiral pattern, driven into the earth at different heights.

'They're plum flower poles,' explained Hana eagerly. 'Ronin built them to help improve my balance.'

She leapt on to the first stump, then stepped up to the next level.

'The higher you go, the more they wobble.' Her arms wavered as she climbed. 'And the harder it is to ' She fell, this time managing to stay upright. 'It isn't easy!'

Ronin tutted. 'Keep your centre!'

He irritably strode over and mounted the plum flower poles with ease. Halfway up, he leant back until his body formed an arc. To all appearances, he was completely off-balance and about to topple over.

Ronin pointed to his stomach. 'See, when I move, my centre is always above my point of balance ' indicating his feet 'That way I always stay in control.'

Jumping from one stump to another, he reached the topmost pole and stood on one leg, arms primed in a fighting guard.

'Be nimble like a cat.'

He leapt off to land lightly beside Jack. 'Now you try. Remember, put the weight on the b.a.l.l.s of your feet.'

Jack tested the lowest pole with one foot. It hardly moved and he had little problem standing on it. As he climbed higher, he compensated for the growing sway of the poles with his body, while his feet instinctively sought the best placement. He discovered the plum flowers were just like being atop the main mast of the Alexandria Alexandria.

'You've done this before!' said Ronin.

'I was was a sailor ' a sailor '

Without warning, Ronin threw his bottle at Jack. But Jack was ready this time and caught it confidently, not even wavering.

'Good, you're learning,' said Ronin as Jack stepped down to return his prized sake sake. Picking up his swords from the veranda, Ronin offered them to Jack. 'You need to practise with my daisho daisho for tomorrow.' for tomorrow.'

Jack bowed, holding out both hands to receive Ronin's swords with respect.

'I appreciate the honour, but why didn't you take up Araki's offer?'

'Not a chance,' snorted Ronin, seizing the bokken bokken. 'Any sword he lent you would be unbalanced and flawed. Araki may be honourable, but he'll do everything in his power to ensure he wins.'

Sliding the saya sayas into his obi obi, Jack unsheathed the two weapons and weighed them in his hands. They were functional, brutally efficient and well used. Their balance was good and the cutting edges expertly honed, numerous times. While they weren't crafted like the s.h.i.+zu blades Akiko had given him, he was confident he could defend himself with them.

'You're skilled in the Two Heavens,' said Ronin, taking up a fighting stance, 'and I only have a bokken bokken. You should easily beat me.'

With that, he struck at Jack's neck. On instinct alone, Jack blocked the wooden blade and countered using the wakizas.h.i.+ wakizas.h.i.+. Ronin evaded the attack and came at him with a surprise upward cut. Jack barely moved out of the way in time. He was slow and unsure from lack of practice, while Ronin was an experienced and highly skilled swordsman.

'Is that your best?' challenged Ronin, and the duel really began.

They fought through the garden, the huge standing stones forming a natural arena. As the night drew in, the two fighters flickered orange in the firelight. Hana watched with dread fascination from the veranda.

'Come on, Jack! You can beat him!' she cried.

A sharp look from Ronin, though, made her quickly change allegiances.

'Take him down, Ronin!'

But Jack was warming to the swords and gradually his Two Heavens moves began to flow once more. Flint-and-Spark strike. The strike of Running Water. Mountain-to-Sea. Moving the Shadow. The Autumn Leaf strike. Flint-and-Spark strike. The strike of Running Water. Mountain-to-Sea. Moving the Shadow. The Autumn Leaf strike. Ronin felt the pressure and retreated towards the plum flower poles. As Jack made a cut for his chest, Ronin jumped on to the first stump. He now had the advantage of height. Ronin felt the pressure and retreated towards the plum flower poles. As Jack made a cut for his chest, Ronin jumped on to the first stump. He now had the advantage of height.

'Follow me if you dare!'

Jack drove him further up the poles, and the fight s.h.i.+fted to a mid-air battle. They leapt between the stumps, each seeking to gain the better footing. Ronin, however, was more adept with his balance and Jack's knowledge of the Two Heavens no longer gave him the edge over the samurai.

The duel progressed higher and higher. More of Jack's concentration s.h.i.+fted to simply staying upright. Then he caught Ronin off-guard with a thrust for the stomach and the samurai was forced to make a desperate leap for another plum flower pole. He landed poorly and his free arm whirled in the air as he toppled sideways.

Jack seized the moment to finish the duel. Stepping closer to execute the winning move, he realized too late that he'd been tricked. Ronin instantly regained his balance and swept Jack's lead leg away with his bokken bokken. Jack's foot was knocked from the top of the pole and he tumbled to the ground.

Hana wildly applauded the samurai's victory.

Ronin, high upon the plum blossoms, peered down at the vanquished Jack and placed the tip of his bokken bokken on Jack's stomach. on Jack's stomach.

'Keep your centre,' he warned. 'And don't be deceived like that tomorrow!'

29.

DEATH THREAT.

The water thundered over the cliff edge, plunging deep into the lush gorge below. A fine mist was thrown up and the magnificent view of Kyoto in the valley basin was veiled in a silvery sheen. This mystical quality was only deepened by the golden blanket of autumnal leaves that now swathed the mountainsides and appeared lit from within by the rays of the rising sun.

From where Jack stood on the river's bank, he could see down on to the curving roof of the Kiyomizudera paG.o.da and the rest of the temple complex. Oblivious to the impending duel above, monks in saffron-coloured robes and pilgrims weary from travel stood upon the butai butai the wooden platform that jutted out into the gorge and allowed visitors access to the legendary curative waters of the Sound of Feathers waterfall. the wooden platform that jutted out into the gorge and allowed visitors access to the legendary curative waters of the Sound of Feathers waterfall.

The last time Jack had been here was to retrieve the Jade Sword. Even now he could see the shrine in which it was housed, upon a small island on the lip of the waterfall, a precarious set of stepping stones running to it from the bank. In his race with Yamato, he'd been the one to get there first. But their bitter argument while hanging off the cliff face had resulted in them both falling into the rock pool below. Only good fortune had saved them from drowning or breaking their necks.

'I now truly truly believe these swords belong to your master,' called Araki, patting the red-handled believe these swords belong to your master,' called Araki, patting the red-handled daisho daisho on his hip as he approached along a mountain path. 'To risk his life in such a quest proves it to be so.' on his hip as he approached along a mountain path. 'To risk his life in such a quest proves it to be so.'

'Are they the ones?' whispered Ronin, Hana standing close by with Jack's staff.

Black saya sayas, mother-of-pearl inlay, red-woven handles. Jack nodded. He'd found his swords!

He now had to fight for them.

A crowd of Yagyu Ry Yagyu Ry students followed in Araki's wake. It was evident the samurai was held in awe by many of them, and an opportunity to see their hero in action was clearly not to be missed. As Araki took off his outer students followed in Araki's wake. It was evident the samurai was held in awe by many of them, and an opportunity to see their hero in action was clearly not to be missed. As Araki took off his outer haori haori jacket, two of the students were immediately by his side to collect it. He stretched, tightened his jacket, two of the students were immediately by his side to collect it. He stretched, tightened his obi obi round his waist and adjusted the swords on his hip. round his waist and adjusted the swords on his hip.

'Am I to see the face of my opponent before we begin?' enquired Araki, raising an eyebrow at Ronin.

Before Ronin could reply, there was a shout and the crowd of students parted as the towering bulks of Raiden and Toru forged a path for Kazuki and his Scorpion Gang. They surrounded Jack, Ronin and Hana.

'I want to see his face too too,' said Kazuki.

Jack hadn't thought his situation could get any worse. But there was no hiding now. Even if captured or killed, he'd stay sword in hand and his head held high.

'Kazuki,' greeted Jack, giving Ronin back his hat and bowing curtly to his old rival. 'How's the hand?'

'The gaijin gaijin samurai!' exclaimed Araki with a look of delight upon his face. samurai!' exclaimed Araki with a look of delight upon his face.

'It is is you!' snarled Kazuki, fury and astonishment halting him in his tracks. 'I heard there was to be a duel over a pair of s.h.i.+zu swords and knew you fought with Masamoto's pair. But the ones on Araki-san aren't Masamoto's!' you!' snarled Kazuki, fury and astonishment halting him in his tracks. 'I heard there was to be a duel over a pair of s.h.i.+zu swords and knew you fought with Masamoto's pair. But the ones on Araki-san aren't Masamoto's!'

'No, they belonged to Akiko's father,' replied Jack. 'She gave me the honour of bearing them.'

'Akiko! She lives lives?' queried Kazuki. 'I thought... hoped I'd killed that traitor.'

'She's tougher than you think,' retorted Jack.

Kazuki held up his right hand. Covered in a black glove, the fingers were curled into a permanent and useless claw.

'This is her fault,' he spat. 'When I've killed you, I'm going to punish your precious Akiko for her crime. She won't be so pretty when I've finished with her.' is her fault,' he spat. 'When I've killed you, I'm going to punish your precious Akiko for her crime. She won't be so pretty when I've finished with her.'

Jack felt his anger start to boil, both at himself for having let slip Akiko's survival and at Kazuki for his malicious threat. He would never never let Kazuki harm her. let Kazuki harm her.

'Is she here with you in Kyoto?' demanded Kazuki.

Jack didn't answer. In spite of his error, Akiko remained safe as long as Kazuki had no idea of her whereabouts.

'Where then?' he demanded, drawing his katana katana with his left hand. with his left hand.

'Kazuki-san,' addressed Araki, stepping between them. 'I appreciate you have debts to settle and traitors to punish, but first I have a duel arranged with this samurai.'

'Samurai? He's no samurai!' said Kazuki with utter disgust. He's no samurai!' said Kazuki with utter disgust.

'Oh, but he is,' corrected Araki. 'He's the infamous gaijin gaijin samurai. A master of the Two Heavens.' samurai. A master of the Two Heavens.'

'I could do the Two Heavens,' muttered Kazuki tetchily. 'It's nothing special and it didn't help Masamoto in the end, did it?' could do the Two Heavens,' muttered Kazuki tetchily. 'It's nothing special and it didn't help Masamoto in the end, did it?'

'Please respect our arrangement, Kazuki-san,' insisted Araki firmly, ignoring Kazuki's bitter comments. 'This duel is a matter of honour. Of course, if he survives, he's yours. If not, you may have his... head.'