The Ring Of Water Part 20

'Hana, I need you to go east... to Toba.'

'Another quest?' she replied, brightening slightly.

'Yes, an extremely important one,' he urged. 'You must warn Akiko that Kazuki is looking for her and wants revenge.' He handed her the inro inro. 'Show this to Akiko and she'll know you're my friend. She'll look after you.'

'Come with me!' Hana implored.

'I can't. I'd lead the Scorpion Gang right to her,' Jack explained. 'I'll be going in the opposite direction and intend to leave a trail, ensuring that I get spotted so as to draw them away from Toba. Will you do this for me?'

Hana grasped the inro inro in both hands and nodded with determination. in both hands and nodded with determination.

'Thank you,' said Jack, relieved there was now a possibility Akiko would be forewarned.

They shared out their provisions and Jack and Ronin watched Hana stride up the path, waving one last time before she disappeared over the rise.

'She's a brave soul,' said Ronin. 'I'll miss her.'

'Even her talking?' said Jack, surprised to hear such an admission from the samurai.

'Even that that,' admitted Ronin. He turned to Jack. 'I'm sorry we couldn't find your rutter rutter.'

'We tried,' Jack replied, putting on a brave face. 'But I agree, it'd be suicidal to continue our hunt for Botan under the circ.u.mstances.'

He knew it was time to face the hard truth. As devastating as it was the rutter rutter was lost. was lost. What you want is sacrificed What you want is sacrificed, the Riddling Monk had said. This This must be the sacrifice he was talking about. After all the effort, hards.h.i.+p and risks, Jack had to forgo his last connection to his father, his guarantee of a future and break his promise never to let the logbook fall into the wrong hands. must be the sacrifice he was talking about. After all the effort, hards.h.i.+p and risks, Jack had to forgo his last connection to his father, his guarantee of a future and break his promise never to let the logbook fall into the wrong hands.

'Don't you worry, I'll keep an eye out for that rogue... and the rutter rutter.'

'You've done more than enough,' insisted Jack. 'Please don't risk your life any further.'

'I don't have much of a life left to risk,' said Ronin, holding up his bottle. 'But it was an honour to help you, young samurai.'

He bowed and headed north towards Kyoto.

'Wait!' said Jack. 'I owe you for your services.'

'You owe me nothing nothing.'

'But I do,' insisted Jack, running after him. 'It's a matter of honour. We agreed, you could choose one item from whatever we recovered.'

'But I couldn't take your swords.'

'Then... have the pearl,' offered Jack, opening up his kimono to pull out the gold hairpin. He hated to sacrifice the black pearl, but Akiko would have wanted him to stand by their agreement. It was the right thing to do.

'How touching!' said a voice thick with sarcasm.

Jack and Ronin spun round. A samurai in a dark brown kimono kimono grinned at the confused expressions on both Jack and Ronin's faces. Barrel-chested, with arms like knotted ropes, he looked a formidable and experienced warrior. His rugged handsome face was framed by a neatly trimmed goatee and moustache. But his nose was flattened, certainly as a result of being broken in a fight, and a battle scar marked his chin. grinned at the confused expressions on both Jack and Ronin's faces. Barrel-chested, with arms like knotted ropes, he looked a formidable and experienced warrior. His rugged handsome face was framed by a neatly trimmed goatee and moustache. But his nose was flattened, certainly as a result of being broken in a fight, and a battle scar marked his chin.

'Ronin! I never thought I'd see you again,' said the man, opening his arms in a friendly gesture.

Ronin stared at him, bemused and wary. His hand went to his sword.

'I feel hurt that you don't remember me.'

Ronin squinted and studied the man's features more intently. 'My memory's hazy. Remind me.'

'You were quite drunk at the time. In fact, I'm surprised you haven't climbed all the way into that bottle by now.'

'Who are you?' demanded Ronin.

'Botan, of course.'

Jack and Ronin simultaneously drew their swords, stunned their quarry had found them them.

'Why would you want to attack an old friend?' said Botan, showing no concern at their hostility.

'I'm no friend of yours,' Ronin replied. 'Where's the rutter rutter you stole?' you stole?'

Botan laughed. 'I was about to ask you that very same question!'

'What do you mean?' said Ronin, frowning.

'Come now, you must must remember. Kanesuke was most insistent that I find this book called a remember. Kanesuke was most insistent that I find this book called a rutter rutter. Now, my friend, please tell me where it is.'

Jack was as perplexed as Ronin by this line of questioning. 'We were seeking you because you you had it.' had it.'

'I wasn't speaking to you, gaijin gaijin,' snarled Botan. 'You're supposed to be dead.'

He turned back to Ronin, all smiles and pleasantry. 'I must admit I was surprised to discover you were accompanying the gaijin gaijin. Especially as you you helped rob him in the first place!' helped rob him in the first place!'

Both Ronin and Jack's look of acute shock sent Botan into convulsions of deep booming laughter.

'You liar!' said Ronin, but a shadow of doubt pa.s.sed across his face nonetheless.

Jack caught it and stared at his friend in disbelief. Had Ronin really attacked him before they met at the tea house in Yamas.h.i.+ro? Was their whole friends.h.i.+p based on a deception?

He looked first to Ronin, then to Botan, searching for the truth.

'I can't believe neither neither of you remember,' exclaimed Botan, shaking his head in amus.e.m.e.nt. of you remember,' exclaimed Botan, shaking his head in amus.e.m.e.nt.

Suddenly the man's laughter was all too recognizable. The scar. The broken nose. And the odour of excess sake sake originating from Ronin became disturbingly familiar too. originating from Ronin became disturbingly familiar too.

Like the clearing of a sea mist, a memory emerged from the recesses of Jack's mind...

42.

DRUGGED.

'Allow me to buy you a drink,' slurred the drunken samurai, sitting down uninvited at Jack's table in front of the village inn, set beside the mountain road.

'That's kind of you, but my vows don't allow it.' Jack was disguised in the blue robes of a komuso, komuso, a Monk of Emptiness, and wore their trademark wicker basket over his head so as to be unrecognizable as a foreigner. And he wished to keep it that way by avoiding company, especially any samurai. a Monk of Emptiness, and wore their trademark wicker basket over his head so as to be unrecognizable as a foreigner. And he wished to keep it that way by avoiding company, especially any samurai.

'I insist.' The drunk waved the innkeeper over. 'A sake sake for me and for my friend a...' for me and for my friend a...'

'Sencha,' said Jack, realizing a refusal might draw an angry reaction from the samurai and he didn't wish to attract any more attention. There was a group of three samurai on another table, chatting and joking. One in particular a muscular man with a scar on his chin and a deep booming laugh had been glancing over at him since his arrival and Jack didn't fancy his chances if he was forced to fight his way out.

The innkeeper scurried off with their order.

'I'm Ronin by the way... and you are?'

'Takes.h.i.+,' replied Jack, using his guardian Masamoto's first name.

'Pleased to meet you,' said Ronin, his head lolling in an attempt at a formal bow. He reached out and prodded Jack's hat. 'Why do you wear these funny baskets?'

'It's a sign of our detachment from the world,' Jack explained, steadying the basket with his hand.

'Strange to hide your face like that.'

Their drinks arrived and, much to Jack's relief, Ronin was distracted from further enquiry.

'I'll pour,' Ronin offered, fumbling with the teapot. With an unsteady hand, he decanted a cup and pushed it across the table to Jack.

'Kampai!' said Ronin, knocking back his sake sake in one. in one.

Jack took a sip. The tea was extremely bitter and of poor quality. Ronin, smacking his lips appreciatively at the rice wine, spotted Jack's shakuhachi shakuhachi on the table. on the table.

'I've always wanted to play one of these,' he said, picking up the long bamboo flute that was the other symbol of the komuso komuso monk. He put his lips to it and blew hard. A strangled screeching sound burst out. monk. He put his lips to it and blew hard. A strangled screeching sound burst out.

'Must be broken,' he said, giving it a cursory inspection before handing it back. 'Anyway, where are you headed?'

'South,' replied Jack, quickly finis.h.i.+ng off his tea. The conversation was entering dangerous territory again.

Ronin sucked in air between his teeth. 'Dangerous. Many bandits.'

'Thank you for the drink,' said Jack, picking up his pack and swords, wrapped in a cloth so as not to rouse suspicion.

'Tell you what, Takes.h.i.+, I'll be your guide.'

'That won't be necessary.'

'But I insist,' he said, getting unsteadily to his feet. 'Don't want a monk getting into trouble, do we?'

Jack took off at a good pace down the road and entered the mountain forest.

'In a real hurry to pray, aren't you?' remarked Ronin, catching up as they hiked through the countless cedar trees. 'Good thing I know a short cut!'

He dragged the protesting Jack off the main road and along a narrow path that cut through the woods, following the edge of a narrow gorge. They hadn't gone far when Jack began to feel drowsy and a wave of nausea hit him.

Seeing Jack stumble, Ronin said, 'You should rest a while.'

In no fit state to argue, Jack let himself be helped over to a tree and sat down. His limbs felt as heavy as lead and the earth seemed to be rolling beneath him. He closed his eyes against the sickening sensation...

43.

LIVE TARGET.

'You drugged me!' shouted Jack, backing away, one sword raised at Botan, the other now at Ronin. drugged me!' shouted Jack, backing away, one sword raised at Botan, the other now at Ronin.

'I did?' replied Ronin. And then the memory slowly dawned upon him as well. 'You were the were the komuso komuso monk?' monk?'

'I thought you were honourable. A man of bus.h.i.+do bus.h.i.+do! A samurai!'

'It was the drink!' he implored, shaking his bottle with disgust. 'I was desperate and needed needed work. I was told we were trapping a spy... disguised as a work. I was told we were trapping a spy... disguised as a monk monk! And I have good reason to hate spying monks.'

Jack ignored his pleas. 'That's why the gambler in Kizu knew your name. You're one of Botan's gang! How can I trust you now, Ronin?'

'I've been helping you since '

'But I wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for you you!' interrupted Jack.

Ronin lowered his head in shame. 'I made an unforgivable mistake.'

'Is that you or the drink talking? It's no surprise you're a ronin ronin. No master would want you in their service!'

'I'm sorry to interrupt this lover's tiff,' smirked Botan. 'There are more pressing matters at hand. Now what did you do with the rutter rutter, Ronin?'

Jack glared at Ronin, equally eager to hear the answer.

Ronin regretfully shook his head. 'I... I can't remember.'

'You're a useless waste of a samurai, Ronin,' said Botan, throwing up his arms in frustration. 'No wonder you failed your father.'

Anger flared in Ronin's eyes. Brandis.h.i.+ng his katana katana, he charged at Botan.

'Put down your swords!' shouted a man emerging from the forest. It was the gambler from Kizu. 'Or else your friend dies!'

Ronin stopped in his tracks when he spotted Hana, a knife held to her throat by the gambler.