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Authors: Michael Crichton
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animal, with no discernible effect. The shark flopped and writhed on the dockside planking until well into midday.
Then the shark was slit open at the underbelly, and the slimy coils of intestine spilled forth. A glint of metal was perceived and when the innards were cut open, the metal was seen to be the full suit of armor of a Spanish soldier — breastplate, ridged helmet, knee guards. From this it was deduced that the flathead shark had consumed the unfortunate soldier whole, digesting the flesh but retaining the armor, which the shark was unable to pass. This was variously taken as an omen of an impending Spanish attack on Port Royal, or as proof that Hunter was himself going to attack the Spanish.
. . .
SIR JAMES ALMONT had no time for omens. That morning, he was engaged in questioning a French rascal named L’Olonnais, who had arrived in port that morning with a Spanish brig as his prize. L’Olonnais had no letters of marque, and in any case, England and Spain were nominally at peace. Worse than that was the fact that the brig contained, at the time it arrived in port, nothing of particular value. Some hides and tobacco were all that were to be found in its hold.
Although renowned as a corsair, L’Olonnais was a stupid, brutal man. It did not take much intelligence, of course, to be a privateer. One had only to wait in the proper latitudes until a likely vessel happened along, and then attack it. Standing with his hat in his hands in the governor’s office, L’Olonnais now recited his unlikely tale with childish innocence. He had happened upon the prize vessel, he said, and found it deserted. There were no passengers aboard, and the ship was drifting aimlessly.
“Faith, some plague or calamity must have fallen it,” L’Olonnais said. “But ’twas a goodly ship, sire, and I felt a service to the Crown to bring it back to port, sire.”
“You found no passengers at all?”
“Not a living thing.”
“No dead aboard the ship?”
“Nay, sire.”
“And no clue as to its misfortune?”
“Nary a one, sire.”
“And the cargo—”
“As your own inspectors found it, sire. We’d not touch it, sire. You know that.”
Sir James wondered how many innocent people L’Olonnais had murdered to clear the decks of that merchantman. And he wondered where the pirate had landed to hide the valuables of the cargo. There were a thousand islands and small brackish cays throughout the Carib sea that could serve his purposes.
Sir James rapped his fingers on his desk. The man was obviously lying but he needed proof. Even in the rough environment of Port Royal, English law prevailed.
“Very well,” he said at last. “I shall formally state to you that the Crown is much displeased with this capture. The king therefore shall take a fifth—”
“A fifth!” Normally the king took a tenth, or even a fifteenth.
“Indeed,” Sir James said evenly. “His Majesty shall have a fifth, and I shall formally state to you further that if any evidence reaches my ears of dastardly conduct on your part, you shall be brought to trial and hanged as a pirate and murderer.”
“Sire, I swear to you that—”
“Enough,” Sir James said, raising his hand. “You are free to go for the moment, but bear my words in mind.”
L’Olonnais bowed elaborately and backed out of the room. Almont rang for his aide.
“John,” he said, “find some of the seamen of L’Olonnais and see that their tongues are well oiled with wine. I want to know how he came to take that vessel and I want substantial proofs against him.”
“Very good, Your Excellency.”
“And John: set aside the tenth for the king, and a tenth for the governor.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“That will be all.”
John bowed. “Your Excellency, Captain Hunter is here for his papers.”
“Then show him in.”
Hunter strode in a moment later. Almont stood and shook his hand.
“You seem in good spirits, Captain.”
“I am, Sir
Then the shark was slit open at the underbelly, and the slimy coils of intestine spilled forth. A glint of metal was perceived and when the innards were cut open, the metal was seen to be the full suit of armor of a Spanish soldier — breastplate, ridged helmet, knee guards. From this it was deduced that the flathead shark had consumed the unfortunate soldier whole, digesting the flesh but retaining the armor, which the shark was unable to pass. This was variously taken as an omen of an impending Spanish attack on Port Royal, or as proof that Hunter was himself going to attack the Spanish.
. . .
SIR JAMES ALMONT had no time for omens. That morning, he was engaged in questioning a French rascal named L’Olonnais, who had arrived in port that morning with a Spanish brig as his prize. L’Olonnais had no letters of marque, and in any case, England and Spain were nominally at peace. Worse than that was the fact that the brig contained, at the time it arrived in port, nothing of particular value. Some hides and tobacco were all that were to be found in its hold.
Although renowned as a corsair, L’Olonnais was a stupid, brutal man. It did not take much intelligence, of course, to be a privateer. One had only to wait in the proper latitudes until a likely vessel happened along, and then attack it. Standing with his hat in his hands in the governor’s office, L’Olonnais now recited his unlikely tale with childish innocence. He had happened upon the prize vessel, he said, and found it deserted. There were no passengers aboard, and the ship was drifting aimlessly.
“Faith, some plague or calamity must have fallen it,” L’Olonnais said. “But ’twas a goodly ship, sire, and I felt a service to the Crown to bring it back to port, sire.”
“You found no passengers at all?”
“Not a living thing.”
“No dead aboard the ship?”
“Nay, sire.”
“And no clue as to its misfortune?”
“Nary a one, sire.”
“And the cargo—”
“As your own inspectors found it, sire. We’d not touch it, sire. You know that.”
Sir James wondered how many innocent people L’Olonnais had murdered to clear the decks of that merchantman. And he wondered where the pirate had landed to hide the valuables of the cargo. There were a thousand islands and small brackish cays throughout the Carib sea that could serve his purposes.
Sir James rapped his fingers on his desk. The man was obviously lying but he needed proof. Even in the rough environment of Port Royal, English law prevailed.
“Very well,” he said at last. “I shall formally state to you that the Crown is much displeased with this capture. The king therefore shall take a fifth—”
“A fifth!” Normally the king took a tenth, or even a fifteenth.
“Indeed,” Sir James said evenly. “His Majesty shall have a fifth, and I shall formally state to you further that if any evidence reaches my ears of dastardly conduct on your part, you shall be brought to trial and hanged as a pirate and murderer.”
“Sire, I swear to you that—”
“Enough,” Sir James said, raising his hand. “You are free to go for the moment, but bear my words in mind.”
L’Olonnais bowed elaborately and backed out of the room. Almont rang for his aide.
“John,” he said, “find some of the seamen of L’Olonnais and see that their tongues are well oiled with wine. I want to know how he came to take that vessel and I want substantial proofs against him.”
“Very good, Your Excellency.”
“And John: set aside the tenth for the king, and a tenth for the governor.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“That will be all.”
John bowed. “Your Excellency, Captain Hunter is here for his papers.”
“Then show him in.”
Hunter strode in a moment later. Almont stood and shook his hand.
“You seem in good spirits, Captain.”
“I am, Sir
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