Young Samurai_ The Way of the Sword - Chris Bradford [36]
‘I can see that, but origami in bed! You take Sensei Yamada’s lessons far too seriously,’ accused Jack. ‘Listen, if you hear Akiko come back, can you let her know that I’ve gone over to the Butokuden.’
‘The training hall? And you accuse me of studying too hard!’ Yori glanced dubiously at Jack’s katana. ‘Isn’t it rather late to be practising your sword kata?’
‘I don’t have time to explain. Just tell Akiko.’
Jack sped off, not bothering to wait for Yori’s response.
As he reached the main door, he briefly considered alerting Yamato and Saburo, but they would be asleep and he had wasted too much time already. The intruders might have gone by the time they all reached the Butokuden.
Jack rushed across the courtyard. The storm was approaching fast and icy blasts of wind stabbed through his thin night kimono like a tantō blade. Pressing himself flat against the Butokuden’s wall, he edged towards its main entrance. Poking his head round the wooden door frame, he searched for the intruders.
In the gloom of the great hall, he could distinguish a number of hunched figures sitting in a tight circle within the ceremonial alcove. But from this distance, he was unable to make out their faces or hear what they were saying.
Jack hurried to the back of the Butokuden, where the slatted windows behind the dais were within easy reach. As quietly as he could, he eased open a wooden shutter. Peering through, he discovered he had a direct line of sight to the alcove.
Jack counted four intruders in total. They each wore a heavy cowl so their faces remained cast in shadow. Pressing his ear close to the slatted opening, he listened.
‘…the daimyo Kamakura Katsura is going to wage war against the Christians,’ whispered a youthful yet commanding male voice in the darkness.
A husky female voice took over. ‘The gaijin are a threat to our traditions and the orderly society of Japan.’
‘But there are so few. How can they be a threat?’ queried a third voice, high and thin like a bamboo flute.
‘Their priests are spreading an evil belief, converting honourable Japanese daimyo and their samurai with their lies,’ explained the male voice. ‘They’re trying to overthrow our society from within. They want to destroy our culture, control Japan and its people.’
‘They must be stopped!’ interjected the female voice.
‘The daimyo is drawing loyal samurai to his cause in preparation for an all-out assault on every Christian,’ explained the first voice. ‘My father, Oda Satoshi, has joined his ranks and sworn allegiance to this righteous cause.’
‘Gaijin are the germ of a great disaster and must be crushed,’ hissed the female voice with venom.
‘But what can we do about it?’ asked the fourth shadow.
‘We can prepare for war!’ stated the male and female voice in unison.
Jack could hardly believe his ears. He had been right all along. Sensei Yamada was mistaken. The killing of the Christian priest was not an isolated case. It had been just the beginning. The daimyo Kamakura was intent on slaughtering every Christian in Japan.
Yet what chilled Jack’s blood most was the fact that he knew who the ringleader of this mysterious group was. He recognized his voice. It was Kazuki, following in his father’s footsteps and calling for war.
Outside, the first drops of rain began to fall. The shower quickly became a torrent and within moments Jack was soaked to the skin and numb with cold. But he was determined to stay and learn all he could. Ignoring his discomfort, he strained to hear the ongoing conversation above the rain, which was now beating an insistent rhythm upon the Butokuden’s roof.
‘…all Christians will be forced to leave on pain of death,’ continued Kazuki. ‘Some may try to hide, but it will be our duty to hunt them down.’
‘What about Jack?’ asked the thin reedy voice. ‘Surely he’s protected by Masamoto-sama.’
‘The great Masamoto-sama’s got more important things to worry about than some gaijin. I mean, have you seen Masamoto-sama at school recently? No. His duty is to daimyo Takatomi. He couldn’t care less about Jack.’
‘And without his samurai