Read Online Blood Diamond: A Pirate Devlin Novel by Mark Keating - Free Book Online
Authors: Mark Keating
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names and ins and outs of prisons as other men could the fields and factors of their trades. Dandon noted the look. ‘Aye. Newgate. I met him there for he murdered a man this morning.’ Dandon finally drank.
Hugh laughed. Bill rummaged for his pipe. Peter Sam’s red beard lifted as he looked upward. He walked back to the table, put down the bottle and picked up the holstered hand-cannon. ‘To it then. It is a trap as I feared,’ he glowered at Bill. ‘As I ever said it were.’
‘No,’ Dandon corrected. ‘Not a trap. An accident I assure you, Peter. I have met with the prince’s man and all is in order. It is the captain who has made a mess of things.’
Peter shouldered the leather holster. Built for a saddle, it fitted his back fine, the gun slung behind his massive hide. ‘His fault or no I’ll not stand by while he waits.’
Dandon emptied his bottle. ‘My sentiments exactly, Peter. He has already rearranged his agenda with the prince for tomorrow. I hope you have all eaten, Gentlemen, for it will be a long night.’ He reached for Peter’s discarded wine. ‘He needs our hand.’
‘Hold,’ Bill stopped loading his pipe. ‘You intend to break him free? From Newgate? Is it not wiser to buy him out? He must have a price.’
‘You’re getting old, Bill.’ Peter hung his pistol to his belt and a pair of knife sheaths vanished around his waist. ‘Stay and help Dog-Leg wash the pots.’ He picked up his long coat and belly-box. ‘Hugh. Up now.’ Hugh scrambled for his pistols and a bag of grenadoes at his feet.
‘Dandon,’ Peter slapped Dandon’s chest. ‘Tell me where this gaol be.’
Dandon turned to Bill. ‘Peter is accurate to a degree, Bill. The captain has asked for this matter to be settled tonight. He was most insistent. I gather time is an issue to the prince. Also, bargaining would bring unwarranted attention and as yet his gaolers know not his real name. He called himself Captain John Coxon, no less.’ He drank quickly as they laughed at the name familiar to them all.
‘The man has something about him to be sure, even in his current straits.’ He watched the weapons being buried about the two men. ‘But a frontal assault would also be an errant choice. We must be prudent.’ Hugh and Peter glared at him.
‘First we need to know more about this fortress. I suspect that there would be one amongst us who is familiar with this gaol? The crew are abroad in the inns I take it, Bill?’
‘Aye. Gaming and whoring for the most. The Dog and Duck stairs and the Plough. Three days drunk for the lot of ’em.’
Peter Sam pulled Dandon’s shoulder. ‘But you’ve seen him! You know where he lies!’
Dandon winced under the bruising grip. ‘And I’m sure Morgan knew where Portobelo lay, Peter, but a map or two no doubt assisted.’ He tugged himself free. Peter Sam’s dark look returned.
‘Am I to be sure that you don’t just want more of us to follow you into this gaol, Dandon? Where maybe you’ve taken a pretty coin or two to betray us all, perhaps? Are you sure there is not a squadron of men waiting for us at the inn? How would that sound to your mind, jackal?’
Dandon went back to his bottle. ‘It is this suspicious mind, Peter, that keeps you lonely in your old age. Come and see for yourself.’
‘Oh, I will, popinjay, I will. But mark that you’ll be the first to fall if I smell a trap!’ He stared into Dandon’s face. ‘The first to fall!’ he spat. Dandon reeled away.
‘If you can smell anything above you own maleficence, I would be most surprised.’
Peter’s hand went for some steel at his belt, Black Bill seeing it in time. ‘Enough, Peter! Away with you both! Is this what the captain would want whilst he sits and waits for you! Fight over a shawl in your own time! To the boat, to the inn and find one of us who knows Newgate!’
Peter Sam glared. Hugh went for the door, taking his sniggering to the deck. Dandon brushed the creases from his coat and
Hugh laughed. Bill rummaged for his pipe. Peter Sam’s red beard lifted as he looked upward. He walked back to the table, put down the bottle and picked up the holstered hand-cannon. ‘To it then. It is a trap as I feared,’ he glowered at Bill. ‘As I ever said it were.’
‘No,’ Dandon corrected. ‘Not a trap. An accident I assure you, Peter. I have met with the prince’s man and all is in order. It is the captain who has made a mess of things.’
Peter shouldered the leather holster. Built for a saddle, it fitted his back fine, the gun slung behind his massive hide. ‘His fault or no I’ll not stand by while he waits.’
Dandon emptied his bottle. ‘My sentiments exactly, Peter. He has already rearranged his agenda with the prince for tomorrow. I hope you have all eaten, Gentlemen, for it will be a long night.’ He reached for Peter’s discarded wine. ‘He needs our hand.’
‘Hold,’ Bill stopped loading his pipe. ‘You intend to break him free? From Newgate? Is it not wiser to buy him out? He must have a price.’
‘You’re getting old, Bill.’ Peter hung his pistol to his belt and a pair of knife sheaths vanished around his waist. ‘Stay and help Dog-Leg wash the pots.’ He picked up his long coat and belly-box. ‘Hugh. Up now.’ Hugh scrambled for his pistols and a bag of grenadoes at his feet.
‘Dandon,’ Peter slapped Dandon’s chest. ‘Tell me where this gaol be.’
Dandon turned to Bill. ‘Peter is accurate to a degree, Bill. The captain has asked for this matter to be settled tonight. He was most insistent. I gather time is an issue to the prince. Also, bargaining would bring unwarranted attention and as yet his gaolers know not his real name. He called himself Captain John Coxon, no less.’ He drank quickly as they laughed at the name familiar to them all.
‘The man has something about him to be sure, even in his current straits.’ He watched the weapons being buried about the two men. ‘But a frontal assault would also be an errant choice. We must be prudent.’ Hugh and Peter glared at him.
‘First we need to know more about this fortress. I suspect that there would be one amongst us who is familiar with this gaol? The crew are abroad in the inns I take it, Bill?’
‘Aye. Gaming and whoring for the most. The Dog and Duck stairs and the Plough. Three days drunk for the lot of ’em.’
Peter Sam pulled Dandon’s shoulder. ‘But you’ve seen him! You know where he lies!’
Dandon winced under the bruising grip. ‘And I’m sure Morgan knew where Portobelo lay, Peter, but a map or two no doubt assisted.’ He tugged himself free. Peter Sam’s dark look returned.
‘Am I to be sure that you don’t just want more of us to follow you into this gaol, Dandon? Where maybe you’ve taken a pretty coin or two to betray us all, perhaps? Are you sure there is not a squadron of men waiting for us at the inn? How would that sound to your mind, jackal?’
Dandon went back to his bottle. ‘It is this suspicious mind, Peter, that keeps you lonely in your old age. Come and see for yourself.’
‘Oh, I will, popinjay, I will. But mark that you’ll be the first to fall if I smell a trap!’ He stared into Dandon’s face. ‘The first to fall!’ he spat. Dandon reeled away.
‘If you can smell anything above you own maleficence, I would be most surprised.’
Peter’s hand went for some steel at his belt, Black Bill seeing it in time. ‘Enough, Peter! Away with you both! Is this what the captain would want whilst he sits and waits for you! Fight over a shawl in your own time! To the boat, to the inn and find one of us who knows Newgate!’
Peter Sam glared. Hugh went for the door, taking his sniggering to the deck. Dandon brushed the creases from his coat and
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