The Ring of Earth - Chris Bradford [58]
‘A single tree doesn’t make a forest,’ said Jack.
‘What?’
‘Not all ninja are like that. Many are simply farmers, just trying to survive –’
The daimyo cut him short with a dismissive wave of his hand. ‘You’ve clearly spent too long among them. The ninja have bewitched your mind with their magic.’
He clicked his fingers and the two guards hauled Jack to his feet.
‘Perhaps you need time to think about where your loyalties lie, gaijin,’ snapped daimyo Akechi, his previous charm giving way to displeasure. ‘Gemnan!’ he called.
A thin-faced man with sallow skin and narrow eyes slipped through a side door into the room. Shuffling up to his lord, he gave a crooked bow.
‘You have a choice, gaijin,’ stated the daimyo. ‘If by tomorrow morning you haven’t revealed the location of the village, Gemnan will help you remember. He can be very persuasive.’
Gemnan, his lips parting into a sadistic grin, scrutinized Jack the way a snake might its prey. Jack felt a shiver of dread run down his spine. Whatever means this man had of persuading him, it wouldn’t be pleasant … or painless.
33
HELL’S GARDEN
‘Welcome to my garden,’ wheezed Gemnan as the two guards threw Jack roughly to the ground.
The courtyard, located to the rear of the castle, was a barren, sunbaked patch of earth. There were no flowers, no bushes, just a lone tree from which a man hung, suspended by his arms behind his back.
‘It’s quite beautiful, isn’t it?’ said Gemnan proudly.
Jack’s eyes widened in alarm as he looked around the high-walled yard. Another prisoner was tied to stakes driven into the ground. He lay spread-eagled in the sun, groaning feebly, his skin red-raw and bloodied. To Jack’s left, an immense black cauldron stood over a fire, steam rising from the bubbling water. But Jack didn’t think for one moment Gemnan ever cooked food in it.
At the far end of the yard, a wooden crucifix had been erected. It stood ominously vacant, its shadow stretching towards Jack like a beckoning skeletal hand.
‘Follow me,’ ordered Gemnan.
Getting to his feet, Jack was violently shoved in the back by one of the guards. He staggered forward as if in a nightmare, the gruesome garden a vision of Hell on earth.
‘Mind where you’re walking, gaijin,’ said Gemnan. ‘We were testing swords this morning.’
‘On what?’ asked Jack, horrified, as he stepped over a pool of blood drying in the midday heat.
‘Prisoners,’ replied Gemnan. ‘We’d run out of corpses.’
Seeing the shock on Jack’s face, he let out a callous laugh.
‘Don’t worry, I have other plans for you.’
Gemnan led Jack past a large iron grille set into the ground. The pitiful sound of moaning could be heard coming from below. Jack glanced down into a large stinking pit. Several emaciated men lay in a heap, flies buzzing around them.
‘There’s a dead man down here!’ cried one unfortunate soul.
‘And there’ll be another soon if you don’t shut up!’ replied Gemnan, spitting on the prisoner from above.
Even in his perilous state, the prisoner couldn’t help but gawp at the bizarre sight of a blue-eyed, blond-haired foreign boy in their midst.
Gemnan walked over to the crucifix. Panicking, Jack began to look for a way of escape. But the two guards behind him were watching closely, their hands ready on their swords. Jack wouldn’t stand a chance. He’d be cut down in an instant.
‘The cross would be a fitting punishment for a Christian like you,’ Gemnan considered, clearly relishing Jack’s growing fear. ‘Perhaps that will be your end. For the time being, though, I’ve been told to treat you well. So I’ve arranged for your own private chamber.’
Producing a set of keys, Gemnan made his way over to a small metal cage in one corner and unlocked the door. Bowing, he gestured