Read Online The Devil's Tide by Matt Tomerlin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Matt Tomerlin
Tags: Historical fiction
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unfortunate mistake," Dumaka grinned.
Hornigold followed Dumaka out onto the deck. A two-masted merchant ship, slightly larger than
Ranger
, had pulled close and was running parallel. Her crew was lined up at the rail, exchanging friendly words with Hornigold's men, who were acting the part of honest sailors. The captain, a distinguished looking man with white hair, dressed all in blue, stood at the forecastle with a profound look on his face, as though contemplating the meaning of the universe.
Copernicus Ryan moved close to Hornigold and whispered, "These simpletons don't seem to know the hazards of the Caribbean. The Lord sends a gift." Copernicus produced a crude wooden cross from within his collar and kissed it.
Hornigold seized the boatswain by the arm and drew him near. "We ask before we take, and we harm no one."
Copernicus pulled away, raising an eyebrow. "Who are you to deny the Lord's gift?"
"If that ship is a gift of the almighty, then he steals from honest merchants in the offering."
"We need their sails," said a raspy but unmistakably female voice. Hornigold turned. Kate Lindsay was smiling at him.
"They willingly offer help!" Hornigold said, a little too loud.
"Then they are fools," Lindsay replied. "I'm amazed they've made it this far."
"Maybe them not fools," Bastion said as he approached, rubbing his back. His face was racked with anguish.
"Maybe a trap." Dumaka suggested.
"We clearly outgun them," Hornigold said with a dismissive snort.
Ranger
was the most heavily gunned sloop in the Caribbean, and the merchant vessel was sporting under a dozen cannons and swivel guns combined. "I'll not deprive them of their sails and leave them stranded out here to ease our temporary misfortune."
"Every second we waste," Lindsay said, "allows Woodes Rogers to advance. Do you honestly think he hasn't already dispatched his best man to hunt you down?"
"I am his best man," Hornigold said, trying to maintain his calm.
"You
were
his best man," Lindsay corrected.
"Who are you to deny what the Lord offers?" Copernicus whispered eagerly in Hornigold's ear. Hornigold caught a whiff of the boatswain's foul breath, stinking of rotten teeth saturated in rum.
"The Lord is generous today," Lindsay said, smiling at Copernicus.
"Aye," Copernicus replied, nodding firmly at her.
Another comrade easily forged. This woman was tricky. Hornigold's fingers found his mustache, tugging at it furiously.
"We mustn't deny His offering," Copernicus insisted.
Hornigold shoved the boatswain away. He straightened his shirt. "We are not savages. Our sails are mendable."
"Lost time is not so easily mended," Lindsay insisted.
Hornigold glared at her. "I'll decide how time is best spent, thank you, Mrs. Lindsay."
She advanced on him, raising her voice so all around could hear. "Give them our sails and the tools to mend them, if your conscience worries at you so. Take theirs. Our time is far more precious, is it not?" A lock of red hair fell in front of her face, and she flicked it away with a fast hand.
"That's true, captain," Copernicus agreed.
"She's right, captain," Dumaka agreed.
"Reed would say the same," Copernicus added, "if he were here."
"Reed's not here!" Hornigold shot back, a bit of spittle pattering Copernicus' cheek. "Reed's in pieces! Puzzle him back together and you would see me dumbstruck enough to accept counsel from a dead man!"
"We can't do that, captain," chimed in Billie Dowling. "We put the pieces over the side." Not a smart boy, by any means.
Lindsay lowered her head, hair shielding her face. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and Hornigold realized she was chuckling. "What is funny about any of this?" he said.
"Many things," she squealed.
"Suspicion is mounting," Copernicus reminded them, gesturing at the opposite ship.
Lindsay slowly raised her head, recovering herself. "They won't wait much longer, captain."
Hornigold glanced over his shoulder. The captain of the merchant ship was staring at him from
Hornigold followed Dumaka out onto the deck. A two-masted merchant ship, slightly larger than
Ranger
, had pulled close and was running parallel. Her crew was lined up at the rail, exchanging friendly words with Hornigold's men, who were acting the part of honest sailors. The captain, a distinguished looking man with white hair, dressed all in blue, stood at the forecastle with a profound look on his face, as though contemplating the meaning of the universe.
Copernicus Ryan moved close to Hornigold and whispered, "These simpletons don't seem to know the hazards of the Caribbean. The Lord sends a gift." Copernicus produced a crude wooden cross from within his collar and kissed it.
Hornigold seized the boatswain by the arm and drew him near. "We ask before we take, and we harm no one."
Copernicus pulled away, raising an eyebrow. "Who are you to deny the Lord's gift?"
"If that ship is a gift of the almighty, then he steals from honest merchants in the offering."
"We need their sails," said a raspy but unmistakably female voice. Hornigold turned. Kate Lindsay was smiling at him.
"They willingly offer help!" Hornigold said, a little too loud.
"Then they are fools," Lindsay replied. "I'm amazed they've made it this far."
"Maybe them not fools," Bastion said as he approached, rubbing his back. His face was racked with anguish.
"Maybe a trap." Dumaka suggested.
"We clearly outgun them," Hornigold said with a dismissive snort.
Ranger
was the most heavily gunned sloop in the Caribbean, and the merchant vessel was sporting under a dozen cannons and swivel guns combined. "I'll not deprive them of their sails and leave them stranded out here to ease our temporary misfortune."
"Every second we waste," Lindsay said, "allows Woodes Rogers to advance. Do you honestly think he hasn't already dispatched his best man to hunt you down?"
"I am his best man," Hornigold said, trying to maintain his calm.
"You
were
his best man," Lindsay corrected.
"Who are you to deny what the Lord offers?" Copernicus whispered eagerly in Hornigold's ear. Hornigold caught a whiff of the boatswain's foul breath, stinking of rotten teeth saturated in rum.
"The Lord is generous today," Lindsay said, smiling at Copernicus.
"Aye," Copernicus replied, nodding firmly at her.
Another comrade easily forged. This woman was tricky. Hornigold's fingers found his mustache, tugging at it furiously.
"We mustn't deny His offering," Copernicus insisted.
Hornigold shoved the boatswain away. He straightened his shirt. "We are not savages. Our sails are mendable."
"Lost time is not so easily mended," Lindsay insisted.
Hornigold glared at her. "I'll decide how time is best spent, thank you, Mrs. Lindsay."
She advanced on him, raising her voice so all around could hear. "Give them our sails and the tools to mend them, if your conscience worries at you so. Take theirs. Our time is far more precious, is it not?" A lock of red hair fell in front of her face, and she flicked it away with a fast hand.
"That's true, captain," Copernicus agreed.
"She's right, captain," Dumaka agreed.
"Reed would say the same," Copernicus added, "if he were here."
"Reed's not here!" Hornigold shot back, a bit of spittle pattering Copernicus' cheek. "Reed's in pieces! Puzzle him back together and you would see me dumbstruck enough to accept counsel from a dead man!"
"We can't do that, captain," chimed in Billie Dowling. "We put the pieces over the side." Not a smart boy, by any means.
Lindsay lowered her head, hair shielding her face. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and Hornigold realized she was chuckling. "What is funny about any of this?" he said.
"Many things," she squealed.
"Suspicion is mounting," Copernicus reminded them, gesturing at the opposite ship.
Lindsay slowly raised her head, recovering herself. "They won't wait much longer, captain."
Hornigold glanced over his shoulder. The captain of the merchant ship was staring at him from
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