Read Online Tempus Fugitive by Nicola Rhodes - Free Book Online Page B

hell, I forgot.  So what are we going to do?’
    ‘Get captured.’
    ‘What kind of a plan is that?’
    ‘It’s not.’
    The smugglers or pirates or whatever they were, were advancing on them.  They had been seen – again.
    ‘We’re really bad at this covert stuff,’ observed Denny.
    * * *
    They were hustled aboard a tiny boat and rowed out to sea, where the ship was waiting.
    The pirates were uproariously delighted with their capture; laughing and drinking and making sinister remarks about the fate that awaited their captives once they were handed over to the Captain.
    ‘Can’t you just grab it and we’ll get out of here?  We could jump overboard.’
    Tamar ignored this, no more risks, he would just have to wait, ‘Who is your Captain?’ she asked them.
    ‘Aha,’ smirked one, ‘Have you ever heard of the Dread Pirate Hogarth?’
    Tamar choked. 
    Denny looked curiously at her.  ‘Dread Pirate Hogarth?’ he said, ‘Sounds like something you’d come up with.’
    ‘You know me too well,’ she managed through gritted teeth. 
    ‘What’s the matter?  Do you know this guy?  You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’
    ‘In a manner of speaking.’  She was silent for a moment, thoughtful.  ‘Look,’ she said, ‘there’s a chance that you’ll recognise this Captain, just promise me something – don’t react.’
    ‘That I’ll recognise him?  How’s that?  Oh is it – him?  Have we found him?  Do you know something?’
    ‘Something,’ she said, cagily.  ‘Shhh, now.’  The pirates were giving them funny looks.’  
    * * *
    They were hustled on board and prodded forward with the ends of the pirates’ swords; the other pirates crowded forward to get a look at them, most were drunk, and all were leering and spitting on the deck.
    ‘Tremble before the Dread Pirate Hogarth!’  They were told as they were forced to their knees.  ‘Scourge of the seven seas, terror of the Barbary Coast, on your knees dogs!’
    The Dread Pirate Hogarth was indeed an imposing figure, tall and dashing, flamboyantly dressed, and, strangely enough, masked.  He stood, hands on hips like a pantomime villain
    ‘Any minute now,’ thought Denny, ‘he’ll slap his thigh and break into a song about the high seas.’ 
    Naturally, this did not happen.  Captain Hogarth looked the prisoners over; he took a long, intense look at Denny, and then said.  ‘Take them to my cabin.’  As he spoke, Denny felt a strange quiver, a feeling of familiarity.  They were manhandled into the cabin; Tamar was strangely silent and restless.  The cabin was lavish, in the way that only magic can create, as Denny realised. 
    ‘Who is this guy?’ he asked.  ‘Why should I know him?  What …?’
    ‘I’m not sure,’ she said.  ‘It was a long time ago. I just have this feeling.  Now shut up.’
    Denny recognised that tone; he shut up, just as the Captain entered the cabin. He held up the Athame.  ‘Now, do I take it that this fine dagger belongs to one of you?’
    ‘It’s mine,’ said Denny, before Tamar could stop him. 
    ‘Yours is it?  How peculiar, you are not a Demon.  You’re much too sweet.’  He laughed at Denny’s stunned face.  ‘Yes I know what this is.’  He took Denny’s chin in a silk gloved hand.  ‘But who are you ?’ he said, stroking Denny’s face and hair, almost seductively.  ‘You’re pretty!  I think I might keep you.’ 
    Not again!   Denny was silent. 
    ‘You think that an impertinent question from a man in a mask?’  He said.  ‘Very well, you shall see my face.’  He took the mask off, in a dramatic gesture.  Denny’s reaction was all that the Captain could have hoped for; he gasped in amazement.  Then he looked at Tamar.  ‘You devil,’ he said.     
    * * *
    ‘We aren’t keeping him here,’ said Stiles, referring to the preist. ‘Won’t that just make things worse anyway?’
    Hecaté shrugged helplessly. ‘What else is there to do?’ she