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board the
Mahmed
. His scimitar slashed wildly as he was immediately engaged in hand-to-hand combat. The battle was brutal, for the
Mahmed’s
crewmen were exceptionally fierce and determined.
    Dariq felled one man, but not before suffering a slash high on his thigh. Another man came up behind him and would have sent Dariq to eternity if Mustafa hadn’t beheaded him with one swift stroke of his scimitar. Dariqbarely had time to smile his thanks before two burly Turks attacked him and Mustafa.
    Elsewhere the battle raged as men struggled for their lives, the deck running red with blood. Dariq and Mustafa fought on, quickly finding other prey. Both men were covered with blood, some from minor wounds of their own and the rest from their foes.
    Dariq cursed each time he saw one of his men fall and renewed his effort to fight his way to the captain. Once the captain was killed or captured, Dariq believed his crewmen would lose heart and surrender. Dariq saw Captain Hamid standing on the quarterdeck and slowly fought his way to him; as always, Mustafa protected Dariq’s back.
    Dariq fought with easy grace, wielding both scimitar and knife with equal dexterity. When he reached the quarterdeck, he lunged at the captain.
    “Surrender your ship!” Dariq shouted above the din of battle.
    “Never!” Captain Hamid yelled back.
    “Surrender before you are left with no men to sail your ship back to Istanbul.”
    Hamid gave Dariq a blank look. “You intend to let me keep my ship? Why? I know how you work. Not only do you steal cargo, but you add all captured ships to your pirate fleet.”
    “Not this time,” Dariq promised. “If you surrender, your cargo will be confiscated, but your ship will be left intact to return to Istanbul.”
    “If I surrender my ship, do you promise not to slaughter my men?”
    “I thought I made myself clear. You will need crewmen to sail your ship to Istanbul so that you can deliver a message from me to my brother.”
    Captain Hamid looked at his bloody scimitar and then at the dead and wounded littering the deck, his expression bleak when he noted there were more pirates standing than his crewmen.
    “Your answer, Captain,” Dariq growled, gripping his scimitar in a threatening manner. “You know I can slay you in combat with little effort.”
    Hamid wiped blood-tinged sweat from his forehead and glared at Dariq. Dariq could tell that the captain was still in the throes of blood lust, and that he was weighing his thirst to engage in battle against Dariq’s superior strength. Finally Hamid lowered his head and let his sword fall to the deck.
    “You win, Prince. I surrender my ship to you. I hope your black soul burns in eternal hell.”
    “I won’t argue that point with you, Hamid, for hell is likely where I will end up. Tell your men you have surrendered the ship.”
    Hamid ordered his men to lay down their weapons, shouting that he had surrendered his ship to the pirate prince. The sound of weapons falling to the deck sounded like thunder, and the battle was disengaged. A triumphant roar filled the air as Dariq’s men claimed victory.
    Mustafa herded the
Mahmed’s
captain and crew to one end of the deck while Dariq climbed into the hold to inspect the cargo. He found a veritable treasure trove of spices, silk and other valuable commodities. He returned from the hold smiling, and immediately set his men to work transferring the cargo to the
Revenge’s
empty hold.
    Dariq approached the sullen captain. “While my men are transferring your cargo, I will tell you what I wish you to say to Ibrahim when you return to Istanbul. We will speak privately in your cabin.”
    Dariq motioned Hamid to lead the way. He ached from more than a dozen wounds but brushed the pain aside in order to conclude his business. When they entered the captain’s cabin, which had suffered only slight damage from one of the
Revenge’s
cannonballs, Dariq came right to the point.
    “Your ship suffered minimal damage,