Read Online The Devil's Tide by Matt Tomerlin - Free Book Online
Authors: Matt Tomerlin
Tags: Historical fiction
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uncharted island that concealed Jonathan Griffith's vast fortune. Hornigold drew a dagger from his boot and dug it into the X. The tip hit an inch short of the center. He wrenched the dagger loose and slammed it down again, and again it came up short of the mark. He angrily hurled the dagger across the room, where it slapped the ornate headboard of his bed and tumbled down, slipping behind the mattress.
His frustration swiftly gave to exhaustion, and he slumped in the chair, closing his eyes. He knew it wasn't proper for a captain to rest while his crew was dealing with disaster, but he needed just a moment to recover his strength.
That isn't too much to ask, is it? Just a moment.
It couldn't have been more than a few seconds before he fell asleep. He dreamed of an island, lush and beautiful, with impossibly white beaches, crystal waters, and green trees bearing fat coconuts. The island was small but dense with tropical vegetation. A rainbow colored parrot flew overhead, looking down at him as it sailed toward the island. "This way," it called. "This way. This way. This way." The bird's voice faded as it disappeared into the jungle.
The breeze was cool on his face but not cold. The sun was warm on his back but not hot. He felt renewed as energy coursed through him from the legs up.
Where am I? Am I on a ship? No, I must be in the water.
He looked down and, sure enough, found himself submerged to his waist in shallow water. He could see straight through to the white sand. Colorful seashells were scattered all around, big and small. A red crab scurried away from his foot, taking shelter in one of the larger shells. He bent down and reached in, plucking the shell out of the water. He turned it over, but there was nothing inside. He looked down at the water again. The crab materialized in the hollow from which Hornigold had removed the shell. It scuttled away, staring at him with upturned, bulbous eyes that rested on long stalks.
I've been deceived by a crab.
The island looked inviting, and he was fond of coconuts. A man could live his entire life off coconuts and crab. A waterfall with a little lake at the bottom would be nice too. He was certain there had to be one in that jungle.
He took a step forward . . . and halted when something grey darted through the water before him. He scanned the water, but he couldn't see where the grey thing had gone. And then something flashed silver in his peripheral vision, rising above the water to the right of him and then sinking before he could look at it. And then another silver flash, this time from his left. He spun in place, things shuffling in the water all around. He looked down. Dozens of grey streaks were circling his legs. A fin broke the surface. A yawning mouth with two sets of razor sharp teeth lunged at his face. He recoiled in horror . . .
. . . And woke to a rap on his door. "Come in," he mumbled.
Another knock.
"Come in, I said!
The door opened, and Dumaka, very tall and very black, stuck his head in. "Captain?"
"Yes, Dumaka, what is it?" he said, wiping sweat from his brow.
Hornigold had recruited Dumaka from a slave ship two years past. Dumaka learned English in under a month, and he spoke it better than most of the crew. After complaints of leakage in the barrels, Dumaka made some barrels of his own, and Hornigold instantly promoted him to cooper. The previous cooper, a middle-aged man named Jeremiah, did not take kindly to a black man stealing his job, and he drew his pistol on Dumaka later that day. The shot missed Dumaka but hit another man in the forehead, killing him instantly. Jeremiah was marooned on the next island they came to, with nothing more than his unreliable pistol for company.
"Ship off the starboard bow," Dumaka said.
The words didn't register at first. "Merchant, navy, or pirate?" Hornigold managed.
"Merchant," Dumaka said. "They've hailed us, want to know if we need help."
Hornigold frowned. "They must think us reputable sailors."
"An
His frustration swiftly gave to exhaustion, and he slumped in the chair, closing his eyes. He knew it wasn't proper for a captain to rest while his crew was dealing with disaster, but he needed just a moment to recover his strength.
That isn't too much to ask, is it? Just a moment.
It couldn't have been more than a few seconds before he fell asleep. He dreamed of an island, lush and beautiful, with impossibly white beaches, crystal waters, and green trees bearing fat coconuts. The island was small but dense with tropical vegetation. A rainbow colored parrot flew overhead, looking down at him as it sailed toward the island. "This way," it called. "This way. This way. This way." The bird's voice faded as it disappeared into the jungle.
The breeze was cool on his face but not cold. The sun was warm on his back but not hot. He felt renewed as energy coursed through him from the legs up.
Where am I? Am I on a ship? No, I must be in the water.
He looked down and, sure enough, found himself submerged to his waist in shallow water. He could see straight through to the white sand. Colorful seashells were scattered all around, big and small. A red crab scurried away from his foot, taking shelter in one of the larger shells. He bent down and reached in, plucking the shell out of the water. He turned it over, but there was nothing inside. He looked down at the water again. The crab materialized in the hollow from which Hornigold had removed the shell. It scuttled away, staring at him with upturned, bulbous eyes that rested on long stalks.
I've been deceived by a crab.
The island looked inviting, and he was fond of coconuts. A man could live his entire life off coconuts and crab. A waterfall with a little lake at the bottom would be nice too. He was certain there had to be one in that jungle.
He took a step forward . . . and halted when something grey darted through the water before him. He scanned the water, but he couldn't see where the grey thing had gone. And then something flashed silver in his peripheral vision, rising above the water to the right of him and then sinking before he could look at it. And then another silver flash, this time from his left. He spun in place, things shuffling in the water all around. He looked down. Dozens of grey streaks were circling his legs. A fin broke the surface. A yawning mouth with two sets of razor sharp teeth lunged at his face. He recoiled in horror . . .
. . . And woke to a rap on his door. "Come in," he mumbled.
Another knock.
"Come in, I said!
The door opened, and Dumaka, very tall and very black, stuck his head in. "Captain?"
"Yes, Dumaka, what is it?" he said, wiping sweat from his brow.
Hornigold had recruited Dumaka from a slave ship two years past. Dumaka learned English in under a month, and he spoke it better than most of the crew. After complaints of leakage in the barrels, Dumaka made some barrels of his own, and Hornigold instantly promoted him to cooper. The previous cooper, a middle-aged man named Jeremiah, did not take kindly to a black man stealing his job, and he drew his pistol on Dumaka later that day. The shot missed Dumaka but hit another man in the forehead, killing him instantly. Jeremiah was marooned on the next island they came to, with nothing more than his unreliable pistol for company.
"Ship off the starboard bow," Dumaka said.
The words didn't register at first. "Merchant, navy, or pirate?" Hornigold managed.
"Merchant," Dumaka said. "They've hailed us, want to know if we need help."
Hornigold frowned. "They must think us reputable sailors."
"An
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