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show the nut. With a triumphant expression, he popped his
     prize into his mouth.
    Jack was dumbfounded. There was simply no
     way he’d made a mistake. His eyes had never left the nut-containing shell.
    ‘Third time lucky. Do you want to bet
     your swords this time?’ suggested Benkei.
    Jack shook his head. He’d never risk
     gambling his weapons. The red-handled
katana
and
wakizashi
were forged
     by Shizu, one of the greatest swordsmiths to have lived. Moreover, these swords were an
     heirloom from Akiko’s father as well as Jack’s last link to Akiko herself.
     He treasured them almost as much as he treasured their friendship.
    ‘Wise decision,’ said Benkei.
     ‘You see, this shell game is our moneymaker. Merchants and greedy samurai love to
     gamble!’
    ‘But what if you lose?’ said
     Jack, doubtful Benkei’s luck would hold.
    ‘That will never happen.’
    Jack gave him a sceptical look.
    ‘You see, I’m not a gambler.
     I’m a conjuror!’ revealedBenkei with obvious pride.
     ‘That’s why my friends call me Benkei the Great.’ He jumped to his
     feet with a flurry of his multicoloured kimono and bowed. ‘I’m the
greatest
trickster in Kyushu.’
    Jack looked uneasy at the idea.
    ‘Don’t worry,
nanban
.
     Your noble conscience will be safe. We’ll only take from those who can afford it –
not
like the
daimyo
and their samurai, who take all they can from
     the poor farmers.’
    Picking up his three shells and the nut,
     Benkei strode off towards a treelined ridge heading west.
    ‘First stop, Yufuin. It’s the
     nearest spa town from here. There’ll be lots of rich merchants and dumb samurai
     who need their purses lightening.’

10
  
Lookout
    As they descended a rocky mountainside
     later that afternoon, Jack could see why Yufuin was such a popular destination for
     travellers and
onsen
seekers. The small provincial town sat in a picturesque
     green valley, with a sparkling river weaving its way like a silver thread into a
     crystal-blue lake. A magnificent double-headed volcano reared up behind the town,
     providing a stunning backdrop for the hot springs. Serving the visitors’ every
     need, numerous thatched-roof inns, temples and
onsen
lined the streets and
     winding alleyways. Even from a distance, Jack could hear the tranquil flow of water and
     the meditative chime of temple bells.
    ‘A genuine heaven on earth,
     don’t you think?’ remarked Benkei.
    Jack was inclined to agree and felt a sudden
     urge to stop running. He wished he could do what his heart really desired and return to
     Akiko in Toba. Ever since he’d made that fateful decision to leave her, his life
     had been like a cork tossed on the ocean waves. But however much he longed for those
     precious times he was duty-bound to his orphaned sister in England.And
     there was no turning back. The Shogun had made certain of that.
    Avoiding the main road, they approached
     Yufuin from the east, using the trees for cover. The town’s terraced paddy fields
     had turned golden in the late afternoon sun, their shallow waters still as dew ponds now
     that the farmers had finished working for the day. Benkei and Jack trotted along the
     mudbanks, skirting the fields until they came to a group of farm buildings. An old
     farmer emerged from a nearby cottage and Jack and Benkei quickly ducked inside a
     barn.
    ‘I can’t go into town like
     this,’ said Jack, indicating his blond hair and foreign looks.
    ‘You’re right,
nanban
,’ replied Benkei, studying him intently. ‘We should put a
     bag on your head. That would make you easier on the eye!’
    Jack baulked at the idea, unsure whether he
     was being serious or not.
    Benkei laughed at Jack’s offended
     expression. ‘Only joking! Here, wear this.’
    He’d found a straw hat discarded upon
     a pile of rotting hay. The hat was old and tattered, but its rim was broad enough to
     cover Jack’s face and hair.
    ‘It stinks of dung,’ said Jack,
     trying not to