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Authors: Chris Bradford
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spray into Jack’s face. The
Golden Tiger
groaned under the strain, its rigging threatening to snap.
‘She won’t take much more of this,’ warned the captain.
‘We don’t have any other choice,’ replied Jack, gritting his teeth as he held firm to the tiller.
The
Golden Tiger
was now maintaining its lead, but wasn’t pulling away. Jack needed to get even more from the boat.
But at what cost?
This single square-sailed rig wasn’t built for such demanding sailing.
Miyuki clambered over the heeling deck to join Jack at the stern. ‘That’s every bit of loose cargo we can shift.’
Jack considered their options. The pirate ship was relentlessly pursuing them, picking up speed for a second collision course. He
had
to squeeze another knot of speed from the
Golden Tiger
.
‘Get everyone aft and on the windward side,’ ordered Jack.
Miyuki ran off to collect Yori, Saburo and the crew. They gathered on the stern deck beside the port quarter.
‘Now sit on the guardrail and lean out,’ instructed Jack.
‘Are you crazy?’ said Saburo, glancing fearfully with Yori at the rushing sea beneath them.
‘We need to counterbalance the wind and keep an even keel,’ explained Jack. ‘The heeling of the ship is slowing us down.’
Without needing to be told twice, Miyuki jumped on the rail and, grabbing hold of a rope, hung herself over the side. The four crew slipped their feet through the gaps in the bamboo latticework and leant back as far as they could. With great reluctance, Saburo took hold of two ropes and did the same. Drawing in a deep breath, Yori perched on the guardrail and, closing his eyes, suspended himself above the open sea.
‘And you, Captain!’ ordered Jack.
As everyone threw their weight to port, little by little the
Golden Tiger
righted itself.
‘Please tell me, we’re going faster?’ Yori begged, unwilling to open his eyes.
‘Yes! Yes! We’re losing the Wind Demons!’ shouted a crewmember in delight.
Gradually, the distance between the
Golden Tiger
and the pirate ship began to increase. Jack reckoned if they could maintain their speed, the black spider sail would be no more than a dot on the horizon by dawn.
Jumping on deck, the captain slapped Jack on the back. ‘Fine sailing,
gaijin
! Get us to Hiroshima in one piece and I’ll forget about the cargo you ditched … and the fact that you’re a foreigner.’
Jack’s gamble had paid off. The crew smiled with relief at their narrow escape and gazed in wonder at the
gaijin
sailor who’d saved them.
Suddenly a rigging line snapped, the sail slackened and the
Golden Tiger
lost speed. Behind, the Wind Demons closed in again for the kill.
13
Sea Dragon
‘Head for that island,’ said the captain urgently, pointing to a dark outline off their starboard bow. ‘There’s a sea cave on the far side of the bluff. I’ve used it once before to hide from these cursed
wako
.’
Jack adjusted course. If they could make it round the headland, they might have a chance. The darkness of night would help conceal their movements and, with any luck, the pirate ship would pass them by.
‘The Wind Demons are catching up,’ warned Miyuki.
‘I know,’ said Jack as he continued to spill wind from the sail. But he daren’t risk putting any more pressure on the damaged rigging.
The
Golden Tiger
limped on towards the fortress of rock that thrust up from the sea, its peak capped by a mantle of windswept trees. The shoreline was craggy and treacherous, and Jack had to precisely follow the captain’s instruction to avoid running into submerged rocks – even more so, when a cloud slipped across the moon, muting its pale light.
The pirate ship disappeared from view as they rounded the bluff.
‘There’s the cave!’ said the captain, pointing to a black crevice at the base of a huge cliff. It was hard to make out in the gloom, but that made it an ideal refuge.
Wind bleeding from the sail, Jack allowed the
Golden Tiger
to drift
Golden Tiger
groaned under the strain, its rigging threatening to snap.
‘She won’t take much more of this,’ warned the captain.
‘We don’t have any other choice,’ replied Jack, gritting his teeth as he held firm to the tiller.
The
Golden Tiger
was now maintaining its lead, but wasn’t pulling away. Jack needed to get even more from the boat.
But at what cost?
This single square-sailed rig wasn’t built for such demanding sailing.
Miyuki clambered over the heeling deck to join Jack at the stern. ‘That’s every bit of loose cargo we can shift.’
Jack considered their options. The pirate ship was relentlessly pursuing them, picking up speed for a second collision course. He
had
to squeeze another knot of speed from the
Golden Tiger
.
‘Get everyone aft and on the windward side,’ ordered Jack.
Miyuki ran off to collect Yori, Saburo and the crew. They gathered on the stern deck beside the port quarter.
‘Now sit on the guardrail and lean out,’ instructed Jack.
‘Are you crazy?’ said Saburo, glancing fearfully with Yori at the rushing sea beneath them.
‘We need to counterbalance the wind and keep an even keel,’ explained Jack. ‘The heeling of the ship is slowing us down.’
Without needing to be told twice, Miyuki jumped on the rail and, grabbing hold of a rope, hung herself over the side. The four crew slipped their feet through the gaps in the bamboo latticework and leant back as far as they could. With great reluctance, Saburo took hold of two ropes and did the same. Drawing in a deep breath, Yori perched on the guardrail and, closing his eyes, suspended himself above the open sea.
‘And you, Captain!’ ordered Jack.
As everyone threw their weight to port, little by little the
Golden Tiger
righted itself.
‘Please tell me, we’re going faster?’ Yori begged, unwilling to open his eyes.
‘Yes! Yes! We’re losing the Wind Demons!’ shouted a crewmember in delight.
Gradually, the distance between the
Golden Tiger
and the pirate ship began to increase. Jack reckoned if they could maintain their speed, the black spider sail would be no more than a dot on the horizon by dawn.
Jumping on deck, the captain slapped Jack on the back. ‘Fine sailing,
gaijin
! Get us to Hiroshima in one piece and I’ll forget about the cargo you ditched … and the fact that you’re a foreigner.’
Jack’s gamble had paid off. The crew smiled with relief at their narrow escape and gazed in wonder at the
gaijin
sailor who’d saved them.
Suddenly a rigging line snapped, the sail slackened and the
Golden Tiger
lost speed. Behind, the Wind Demons closed in again for the kill.
13
Sea Dragon
‘Head for that island,’ said the captain urgently, pointing to a dark outline off their starboard bow. ‘There’s a sea cave on the far side of the bluff. I’ve used it once before to hide from these cursed
wako
.’
Jack adjusted course. If they could make it round the headland, they might have a chance. The darkness of night would help conceal their movements and, with any luck, the pirate ship would pass them by.
‘The Wind Demons are catching up,’ warned Miyuki.
‘I know,’ said Jack as he continued to spill wind from the sail. But he daren’t risk putting any more pressure on the damaged rigging.
The
Golden Tiger
limped on towards the fortress of rock that thrust up from the sea, its peak capped by a mantle of windswept trees. The shoreline was craggy and treacherous, and Jack had to precisely follow the captain’s instruction to avoid running into submerged rocks – even more so, when a cloud slipped across the moon, muting its pale light.
The pirate ship disappeared from view as they rounded the bluff.
‘There’s the cave!’ said the captain, pointing to a black crevice at the base of a huge cliff. It was hard to make out in the gloom, but that made it an ideal refuge.
Wind bleeding from the sail, Jack allowed the
Golden Tiger
to drift
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