The Ring Of Water Part 19

'How can I?' replied Jack. 'He's surrounding all my groups.'

'You have to see the patterns patterns in his strategy! Predict his movements. View the whole board ' in his strategy! Predict his movements. View the whole board '

'Time!' called Kanesuke, noticing the exchange.

Returning to his seat, Jack stared bleakly at the board. He couldn't see any 'patterns', only individual conflicts. The configuration of Black and White was almost meaningless on a large scale and there appeared no obvious way to interpret a strategy from it.

'If he takes much longer, we'll be playing by starlight!' remarked Kanesuke sarcastically.

Constellations!

Jack was. .h.i.t with a flash of inspiration. As a s.h.i.+p's pilot, his father had taught him how to navigate by the stars. At first, there'd been so many constellations he'd been unable to interpret the sky at all. His father, though, had shown him how to see the small in the large and the large in the small see the small in the large and the large in the small. Gradually, Jack had learnt to recognize key star cl.u.s.ters and then, all of a sudden, he was able to read the heavens at a single glance and steer a safe course across the featureless ocean.

If he viewed the White stones as stars and his Black as the night sky, he could picture the whole battle in his head. Almost at once patterns started to emerge, and a strategy formed, revealing a glimmer of hope that he could navigate his way to victory.

He now saw that the daimyo daimyo's plan was to sacrifice his three White stones and in the process destroy Black's prospective territory at the bottom of the board. Immediately Jack made a play for this area. Two groups formed White and Black and there was a race to capture one another. Jack got there first, seizing four prisoners and securing the zone.

The daimyo daimyo, his nostrils flaring, s.n.a.t.c.hed up a White stone and retaliated with an invasion for the mid-left. But now he could see the game in its entirety Jack's instincts told him to ignore this. Instead he placed a stone in the centre of the board with a loud clack clack.

'No!' exclaimed Ronin at such a reckless move. But it was too late. The stone had been placed.

Daimyo Sanada grinned. The Sanada grinned. The gaijin gaijin had made a fatal error! had made a fatal error!

Yet Jack's intuition told him that this was the right strategy. He kept deploying stones in seemingly unorthodox positions and the daimyo daimyo's initial gloating turned to worried confusion. As the battle intensified, daimyo daimyo Sanada started to run his fingers noisily through his bowl of counters. Jack, gathering from Ronin's expression that this was inappropriate etiquette, knew he'd thrown the Sanada started to run his fingers noisily through his bowl of counters. Jack, gathering from Ronin's expression that this was inappropriate etiquette, knew he'd thrown the daimyo daimyo off his game. off his game.

Frowning deeply, daimyo daimyo Sanada hesitated in all his responses. But his mood lightened once he managed to create a group with two 'eyes'. He then positively grinned when he connected this living group to the three White stones. Sanada hesitated in all his responses. But his mood lightened once he managed to create a group with two 'eyes'. He then positively grinned when he connected this living group to the three White stones.

Shaking his head in despair, Ronin could no longer watch the game. It was clear they were doomed. His eyes darted to the six guards who stood nearby. There was a chance he could overpower one, maybe two of them. But without his swords any escape attempt was sheer suicide.

'That's an illegal move!' declared Kanesuke tersely.

Ronin's attention was brought back to the board and he saw that Jack had put a Black within one of White's 'eyes'.

'With no liberties, you're committing suicide,' explained daimyo daimyo Sanada with glee. Sanada with glee.

'But doesn't my stone capture that that piece?' Jack asked innocently, pointing to the adjacent White trapped against the edge. piece?' Jack asked innocently, pointing to the adjacent White trapped against the edge.

Ronin took a second look at the gameplay and gasped. 'A false false eye!' eye!'

Although Jack's stone appeared to be surrounded, he actually had captured one of White's. The daimyo daimyo, having been distracted by Jack's unconventional strategy, fumed at his error in judgement. Whatever he did now, he could no longer save this group since it was enclosed on all sides by Black. On Jack's next move, the other 'eye' was filled and he imprisoned the false living group along with the three key White stones. Like an entire constellation of stars dying at once, Jack had surrounded a quadrant and taken it prisoner.

The game entered the final phase... with everything to play for.

The battles over stones and fights for territory were bitter, each and every liberty hard won. Jack no longer consciously thought about strategy. He just relied upon his instinctive reading of the board.

Daimyo Sanada pushed into the one remaining gap in Black's wall of defence, but Jack quickly shut him out, preventing further capture. The boundaries between White and Black were now fixed. The Sanada pushed into the one remaining gap in Black's wall of defence, but Jack quickly shut him out, preventing further capture. The boundaries between White and Black were now fixed. The daimyo daimyo recognized there were no more stones left vulnerable to attack and he pa.s.sed on his next move, handing Jack a White prisoner as required by the rules. Jack pa.s.sed too, surrendering one of his own Black stones in return. recognized there were no more stones left vulnerable to attack and he pa.s.sed on his next move, handing Jack a White prisoner as required by the rules. Jack pa.s.sed too, surrendering one of his own Black stones in return.

'Game over,' stated Kanesuke, and the count of unoccupied liberties and prisoners began.

40.

LIFE AND DEATH.

Jack sensed he might s.n.a.t.c.h an unthinkable victory. And he could see it in the daimyo daimyo's eyes too. After all the conflicts, the balance of Black and White was too close to call.

Stooping in to count, Kanesuke stumbled and fell into the table, scattering the stones everywhere.

'You fool!' exclaimed daimyo daimyo Sanada, with something that sounded like relief. 'How can we judge the score now?' Sanada, with something that sounded like relief. 'How can we judge the score now?'

Kanesuke bowed his head in shame, but Jack caught the crafty grin on his face.

'Jack won,' stated Ronin.

'There can be no winner!' the daimyo daimyo snapped. 'The count was incomplete.' snapped. 'The count was incomplete.'

'Black conquered White by two points.'

'You couldn't see from over there.'

'But I did!' snarled Ronin, getting to his feet. Two guards seized him before he'd even taken one step towards their lord.

'The game is forfeit,' declared daimyo daimyo Sanada. 'Take them away.' Sanada. 'Take them away.'

'But that man fell on purpose!' Hana protested as she was dragged across the courtyard. 'You cheated!'

The daimyo daimyo, stepping into her path, grabbed her by the throat. For a second, Jack thought he would order Hana's immediate execution.

'No one accuses me of cheating,' he said in a cold tone, reaching for his sword. 'Especially a accuses me of cheating,' he said in a cold tone, reaching for his sword. 'Especially a hinin hinin!'

Hana didn't back down. 'Your word... is your bond!' she spluttered.

'I should kill you right now for your insolence. But I am am a man of honour and respect the a man of honour and respect the bus.h.i.+do bus.h.i.+do code,' he said, letting her go. 'Our agreement was code,' he said, letting her go. 'Our agreement was if if the the gaijin gaijin won, I'd set you free. But unfortunately there was no winner.' won, I'd set you free. But unfortunately there was no winner.'

'Then play again,' she said, shrugging off the guards.

Daimyo Sanada turned to Jack. 'As entertaining as the game was, I have business to attend to. Another time perhaps. Yet, in fairness, I will give you the chance to win your freedom.' Sanada turned to Jack. 'As entertaining as the game was, I have business to attend to. Another time perhaps. Yet, in fairness, I will give you the chance to win your freedom.'

The daimyo daimyo asked for Kanesuke's money pouch. Emptying the coins on to the table, he then picked up two Go stones from the ground and put them in the cloth bag. asked for Kanesuke's money pouch. Emptying the coins on to the table, he then picked up two Go stones from the ground and put them in the cloth bag.

'Choose a stone,' he said, presenting the money pouch to Jack. 'A white means life. Black is death.'

Jack contemplated the innocuous bag. Once again the fate of his friends lay in his hands. At least, this time, he had an even chance of saving them.

'I'm not having you decide whether I live or die!' Hana snapped, grabbing Jack's hand as he was about to reach in.

'I don't care who does it,' said daimyo daimyo Sanada impatiently. Sanada impatiently.

'We'll let janken janken decide,' Hana announced, pulling Jack and Ronin aside. decide,' Hana announced, pulling Jack and Ronin aside.

'What's janken janken?' asked Jack, bemused by Hana's sudden intervention.

'Rock, paper, scissors,' she replied, rapidly making a fist, an open palm and a V-shape with two fingers. She lowered her voice to a whisper. 'I saw the daimyo daimyo put put two two black stones into the bag.' black stones into the bag.'

'You can't accuse him of cheating a second time,' said Jack. 'He'd execute us all on the spot.'

The three of them had a mock game of janken janken, not even paying attention to the result. They were purely playing for time in a desperate hope one of them would think of a plan.

'He never had any intention of letting us go,' spat Ronin, glancing round at the circle of heavily armed guards in preparation for a last-stand fight.

'No more time-wasting,' said daimyo daimyo Sanada, shaking the bag. 'It's a simple choice. White or Black. Life or Death...' Sanada, shaking the bag. 'It's a simple choice. White or Black. Life or Death...'

'Let me do it,' said Hana to Ronin and Jack.

'What's the point?' said Jack. 'We can't can't win!' win!'

'Trust me,' she insisted, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Striding over, Hana reached into the bag. A triumphant smirk formed on daimyo daimyo Sanada's lips in expectation of the result. Sanada's lips in expectation of the result.

Jack and Ronin waited with baited breath. They both knew she couldn't plant a white stone in the bag. The daimyo daimyo would simply accuse would simply accuse them them of cheating, since there would be three stones in play. So what was her plan? of cheating, since there would be three stones in play. So what was her plan?

With a flurry, Hana drew out her hand and clumsily dropped the stone before anyone saw its colour.

'Oh, no!' she cried as it landed among the other Go counters on the floor. 'Now we don't know which stone I took out.'

'No matter,' said daimyo daimyo Sanada, his patience worn thin. 'You've lost your chance for freedom.' Sanada, his patience worn thin. 'You've lost your chance for freedom.'

He beckoned the guards.

'Wait!' said Hana excitedly. 'We do do know which colour stone I picked. Just look in the bag.' know which colour stone I picked. Just look in the bag.'

Jack and Ronin exchanged glances at Hana's brilliance. She s.n.a.t.c.hed the pouch from the daimyo daimyo's hand and emptied the contents into her palm. A black stone tumbled out.

'See, I picked the white!' she exclaimed. 'LIFE!'

Daimyo Sanada fumed at being outsmarted. The guards faltered, unsure whether to proceed or not. Sanada fumed at being outsmarted. The guards faltered, unsure whether to proceed or not.

'Your word is your bond,' reminded Hana, smiling sweetly at him.

41.

A PARTING OF WAYS.

'I can't believe he let us go,' said Jack as they fled the outskirts of Nara and entered the lower slopes of a mountain forest.

A light rain was falling, but even this couldn't dampen their spirits. The daimyo daimyo, incensed as he was, had remained true to his word, even to the point of returning their swords and handing over the inro inro.

'He won't let us get far,' said Ronin, supping on a fresh bottle of sake sake. Hana had been sly enough to slip a couple of Kanesuke's coins into her kimono sleeve and they'd stopped briefly for supplies. 'But at least we have a chance chance of escape. Thanks to Hana.' of escape. Thanks to Hana.'

Ronin clamped a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it with affection. 'How did you ever think to outwit the daimyo daimyo like that?' like that?'

Hana lowered her eyes bashfully. 'I've done a few confidence tricks in my time. It just takes one to know one.'

Laughing, Ronin pulled her close. 'I take back what I said about you, Hana. You may be a thief, but you're more courageous and loyal than many samurai I've known.'

Hana beamed at such praise. Seeing them together, almost like father and daughter, Jack realized they were good for one another perhaps even needed needed each other. It was certainly the first time Ronin's eyes had been filled with something other than regret. each other. It was certainly the first time Ronin's eyes had been filled with something other than regret.

As they came upon a crossroads, Ronin's expression turned serious once again. 'This is our parting of ways,' he announced.

Hana's jaw dropped, all her joy extinguished in an instant. 'B-b-but why?'

'There's a warrant out for our arrest. As a group, we're too easily spotted.'

Jack knew Ronin's decision made good sense. With the Shogun's samurai, Kazuki and his Scorpion Gang, and now daimyo daimyo Sanada's men after them, they had little hope of avoiding capture. Individually, at least, Ronin and Hana could blend in and disappear. Sanada's men after them, they had little hope of avoiding capture. Individually, at least, Ronin and Hana could blend in and disappear.

'But where would I go?' said Hana, highly distressed at the impending split. 'I like like being with you both.' being with you both.'

Seeing her in such a state, Jack knew Hana would more than likely wander straight into one of the search parties.

'Couldn't she go with you, Ronin?' Jack suggested tentatively.

'Yes!' Hana exclaimed, seizing the possibility. 'Ronin, you could be my teacher and I could cook for you and...'

Ronin shook his head firmly, but couldn't bring himself to look at her. He was clearly finding this as hard as she was.

'I attract trouble,' he said, glancing darkly at his sake sake bottle. 'That's no place for a girl to be.' bottle. 'That's no place for a girl to be.'

Hana grabbed hold of Ronin's sleeve. 'Please. You won't even notice me.'

'No!' said Ronin, s.n.a.t.c.hing his arm away.

Tears welled in Hana's eyes, the rejection hurting more than the idea of separation.

Jack couldn't risk Hana accompanying him to Nagasaki either. He was even more of a target than Ronin. But he had another idea. And it solved a problem that had been burdening his heart since Kyoto.