Read an extract from Samurai Kids Book 7: Red Fox
“I crumple to my knee and heave the contents of my stomach into the sand. Ah-Argh. Half an ocean of water spills from me in painful, cramping waves. Sensei says it is good to empty seawater out of your lungs, otherwise you can drown inside. But I don’t feel good now.
My muscles ache but my heart aches even harder. I am the only one who has made it to the shore. I am the only one who has survived the monsoon’s rampage.
For the first time in my life I am completely alone. No Mikko to tease me. No Kyoko to make me smile. No Yoshi, Taji, Chen or little Yuri. Not even Sensei is here to help me.
For three days we were crew on the Sea Dragon, the pirate ship of Yuri’s uncle, Dreaded Oong. It was tiring work and Oong was a grumpy, hard-to-please captain, strutting the deck and waving his broadsword in our faces.
“Scrub those boards, boys. Get your skinny arms moving,” he bellowed and laughed.
“I’ll make this patch so shiny he’ll slip and fall on his nose. Then he won’t think it is funny,” Mikko grumbled.
“Less talking, more working,” Sensei counselled from his place in the sun. “Hard work uplifts the soul.”
“It would be much easier if you helped us, Master,” Kyoko said.
Sensei laughed. “I am busy supervising so that I can ensure Oong is happy with your scrubbing.”
Copyright © 2012 Sandy Fussell
