Read Online Vampirates: Tide of Terror by Justin Somper - Free Book Online Page A

their ranks for her. Gratefully, she moved forward until she had a clear view of proceedings.
    At the stern of the ship stood Captain Wrathe and Cate. They were at the right of Jez’s coffin, which was draped in the skull and crossbones flag. To the left of the coffin stood Jez’s pallbearers, including Bart and Connor. Grace watched them from the crowd, wondering how Connor was holding up. The last funeral they had attended was their father’s. How long ago that seemed already. Then they had stood together, at the front of the congregation, leaning upon one another for support. She scanned Connor’s face, but he looked distant. Jez’s loss was written all over his features.
    The cannon sounded once more and now Captain Wrathe, dressed in funereal black velvet — trimmed with silver — turned to address his crew.
    “Pirates of The Diablo , this is a dark morning indeed. But the darkness in the skies above and the waters below are only mirrors to the darkness in our hearts. For today we say good-bye to one of our finest men, Jez Stukeley.
    “Jez came to us as a young lad — eight years ago — and from the start he kept us amused with his sharp wit and his love of a good tale.” Molucco smiled. There were a fair few nods and muted chuckles among the ranks of pirates.
    “He was one of the most companionable of crew-members,” Molucco continued. “He was never too busy to help out another fellow in need, whether it be with a ship-board chore or in the field of battle. . . .”
    Grace winced at the term. Field of battle. He made it sound so noble. It wasn’t.
    “And it was here that Jez Stukeley marked himself out, time and time again, as one of our most capable, courageous, and effective men.” Molucco glanced at Cate, who was nodding solemnly. “Yesterday, I’m afraid that my actions placed all of us in mortal danger....”
    Grace’s ears pricked up. She hadn’t been expecting such frankness from the captain, but perhaps she had underestimated him.
    “I regret this, deeply. Let me assure each of you that I have been searching my soul and that I shall continue to search it when the events of this day are complete. But whatever the circumstance, brave, honorable Mister Stukeley came to our aid. He threw himself into the fire so that we might be saved. He fought a fine fight, full of flair and determination. He might well have prospered.” Again Cate nodded. “But fate has taken Mister Stukeley from us . . .”
    Grace wondered at that. Where did you draw the line in the sand between fate and your own actions? Was it simply Jez’s destiny to die on that other deck, or was it Molucco’s actions which had led him there?
    “We find ourselves at a terrible loss, knowing that no more shall we be entertained by his wisecracks, and no more shall we be able to depend upon one of our most able.” Molucco raised a large handkerchief to his eyes and wiped away the tears that were welling there. “Bravest, dearest comrades, I know you all have your own memories of Mister Stukeley. And now, I’d ask you to spend a minute or two remembering him as you would wish to.”
    Silence fell once more about the deck. The only sounds were the churning waters beneath and the flapping of the sails in the wind. Grace looked up to the crow’s nest, thinking back to the very first time she had met Jez.
    It was the day after she had joined the ship. As excited as she had been to be reunited with Connor, she had felt disorientated by leaving the Vampirate ship — and her friends there — so precipitously. She had gone up to the deck of The Diablo , just as she had sometimes made for the deck of the Vampirate ship. She had stood at the deck rail alone — until Jez had joined her, bringing two hot mugs of tea with him. They had sat chatting — or rather, he had talked to her, nonstop. She couldn’t remember exactly what he’d said but he had been kind and warm and funny. Just as he always was. She remembered how at that moment