The Ring of Water - Chris Bradford [69]
‘Stop!’ shouted Ronin. ‘I think … I might remember.’
Botan smirked. ‘See, all it took was a little encouragement.’
‘It’s still a blur,’ Ronin admitted, rubbing his forehead. ‘I don’t even recall the robbery! I just remember waking up next to a gorge … a bearded man … in red robes … sat before me, gibbering away in rhymes … I thought I was dreaming or gone mad … He had a book in his hands – the rutter I presume – and riddled me for it … but I got the answer wrong …’
‘What nonsense!’ snorted Botan, raising the knife once more to Hana’s terrified face.
‘No!’ said Jack. ‘He must be talking about the Riddling Monk.’
Botan and his henchmen laughed at this. ‘He’s just a myth. A story told to scare little children.’
‘But I’ve met him,’ Jack insisted, desperate to save Hana. ‘I can take you to the shrine he prays at.’
Botan released Hana from his grip and walked over to Jack.
‘You’d better not be lying, gaijin,’ he said, waving the knife menacingly before him. ‘Otherwise, I’ll cut out far more than your tongue.’
‘Release Hana first.’
Botan contemplated this. ‘No, but you can … with these.’ He pulled out five shuriken from a pouch on his obi.
Jack’s eyes widened in disbelief at seeing the throwing stars his ninja friend Tenzen had given him.
‘I found them in your pack,’ explained Botan, noting Jack’s expression with curiosity. ‘Don’t tell me you pretend to be a ninja too!’
Jack didn’t reply.
‘We’ll soon find out. Shoda, put a fallen apple on the girl’s head. We’re going to have a little game before we leave to find this Riddling Monk.’
Botan held one of the shuriken in his right hand and took aim at Hana, who stood petrified, still tied to the tree.
‘The problem with a live target is that they often scream –’ he threw the star ‘– and bleed.’
The pointed shuriken struck her. She cried out as blood began to flow. The throwing star’s razor-sharp edge had clipped her right ear.
Botan passed Jack a ninja star. ‘Let’s hope, for Hana’s sake, you’re more accurate than I am. Hit the apple, she goes free. But if you don’t …’
44
BULLSEYE
Jack hadn’t practised with a shuriken since leaving the ninja village. He weighed the weapon in his hand, trying to get the feel of it again. The stars were deadly, capable of wounding, incapacitating and even killing their victims.
For a moment, Jack considered using the shuriken to attack Botan or one of his gang, but Shoda had his knife again and was close enough to slay Hana before he’d taken two steps. Ronin was still on his knees, morosely staring at his bottle of saké, and could no longer be trusted to help.
‘I need three attempts,’ stated Jack, indicating the other shuriken in Botan’s hand. ‘It’s been a while since I threw one of these.’
Botan eyed him suspiciously. ‘If that’s what it takes.’
Jack lined himself up with Hana. She was a good thirty paces away. He couldn’t afford to make even the slightest error of judgement. He’d have to allow for the breeze, while the growing drizzle of rain made the throwing star slippery to hold. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he decided on an over-arm technique and launched the star at Hana. The shuriken whistled through the air but was wildly off target. The point slammed into the trunk beside Hana’s right wrist.
‘You almost took my hand off!’ she exclaimed, much to the amusement of Botan and his gang. ‘Have you ever done this before?’
‘Once or twice,’ Jack replied, giving her a sheepish look and taking the next shuriken from Botan.
Hana’s face went pale as Jack tried an under-arm delivery this time. The spinning star flashed towards her, in direct line with her eyes. She screamed … as it lodged itself a hair’s breadth to the left of her head.
‘You’re getting closer,’ smirked Botan.
‘No more, Jack!’ Hana pleaded, staring in horror at the deadly star.
‘I think I’m getting the hang of it now,’ replied Jack, holding up the third shuriken.
He flicked the weapon with a side throw. It spun crisply towards its target, striking the apple dead centre. The fruit exploded, sending chunks flying everywhere. Botan’s