Read Online In the King's Name by Alexander Kent - Free Book Online Page A

an’ don’t forget, see?”
He coughed blood, but his fingers had tightened. “Knew you’d come, see?”
    Napier heard another spar slither across the deck, but he did not move.
“Tell me!”
    The eyes were closed now, but the voice seemed stronger. How could that be? “I should have known … but too late.”
    â€œWho did this?” Napier felt the hand try to respond, but it was still. Only the eyes were alive, and the lips.
    â€œNo quarter. One by one. But I knew you’d come.”
    Napier knew it was too late, for both of them. This was all they had left. And he could not move. Soon now …
    He felt the fingers tighten again. “Remember the name!
Tell them
.”
    There was silence, and Napier heard another sound: the trickle of water over the coaming, lapping against their legs.
    The face moved, almost touching his; he could feel the cold, rasping breath.
“Ball—an—tyne
.” He was trying to squeeze his hand.
“Say it! “
    Napier repeated, “Ballantyne.” He felt the hand relax, and knew that he was now alone.
    There was a crash, more loose gear falling in the hold, and he stood, waiting numbly for the end. Then he was gasping, his mind reeling as the door was wrenched aside, and he was being dragged clear of the floating debris.
    Luke Jago exclaimed, “This is no place for you! So out of it, my lad!”
    Napier was on his feet, staring back: Jago was bending over the body, the gilt buttons moving as he thrust his hand between them, the eyes fixed and gazing across his shoulders.
    â€œGone, poor devil.” He took Napier’s arm sharply and together they headed toward the ladder. Only then did Napier realise that the water was around his knees.
    â€œWhat can I do?”
    Jago stared up at the sky and the thickening layers of cloud and took a deep breath. “Pray, if you believes in it!”
    They were both on deck, swaying together like two drunks recovering from a lively run ashore.
    Vincent was leaning against the bulwark, alone, with his back to the sea. He snapped, “We’d almost given you up!” and gestured briskly. “Into the boat with you!”
    Jago waited for them to climb down into the gig and followed. The grapnels had already been removed, and the bowmen were ready to cast off.
    Napier stared at the schooner’s side, trying to marshal his thoughts.
    â€œShove off forrard!
Out oars!
”
    He could sense Jago’s nearness and rock-like calm as he took control of men and oars.
    Someone shouted, “She’s goin’, lads!”
    Napier saw
Moonstone
start to turn on her side, showing her scarred deck, and the open hold where he would still be trapped but for Jago’s timely arrival. One of the broken masts slid down the deck, and he heard it crash against that same bulwark, dragging tangled rigging and canvas after it.
    He gripped his wrist and could still feel the dying man’s desperation, hear his voice. The urgency and the despair. The rudder squeaked and he twisted round to see Jago swing the tiller bar, eyes steady as he gauged the moment.
    There was a rumble like distant thunder, and sharper sounds as the hull continued to heel over toward them: carronades which had not been fired in
Moonstone
‘s defense crashing free, their great weight uncontrolled and speeding her last moments. And suddenly she was gone, the gig pitching only briefly as the wash subsided.
    Napier rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. When he looked again he saw
Onward
, her sails aback and livid against the low clouds, waiting.
    The ocean was deep here, and in his mind he could see the schooner still on her way down into eternal darkness. He gripped his wrist again and knew the memory would never leave him. Nor would he allow himself to forget.
    It was a pledge.

4 D ANGEROUS R ENDEZVOUS
    I N C ORNWALL it had been a hard winter so far, but on this February morning the sky above