Ill Wind and Dead Reckoning: Caribbean Pirate Adventure (Valkyrie) (49 page)

The squall blew for an hour and proved our greatest peril, but we didn’t have to contend with a waterspout. Once the worst of it had passed, we slipped
Freyja’s
anchor, re-rigged the towing warp and recommenced our slow, clumsy progress west until the sun dawned this morning with a cry of, ‘Land oh!’

I was back aboard
Freedom
, my honeymoon over, but I still counted my blessings, although part of me wondered if I would be married now if Klara hadn’t died or
Valkyrie
been crippled. I shook the thoughts off – the answers didn’t matter. I
was
married to Gabriella, back in command of my ship and soon to be a father. That was all that mattered, and if Gabriella had changed – hardened – that was my fault and I’d have to bear it. Hopefully it wouldn’t last long.

I looked again at our options through the glass. My father’s Spanish forebears had slaughtered most of the Arawak and Carib Indians here long ago, and now these islands were mainly used by pirates for watering, wooding and careening. But they weren’t the greatest danger; the waters teemed with sharks thanks to the large number of turtles who bred here, and whose young provided many an easy meal. Nobody liked to linger here. We should be safe.

Of the three closest islands, the middle one was the smallest and so less likely to be visited by other pirates, who tended to take the easier option as a rule. There looked to be a clear sizeable passage through the reef, the island itself was well-wooded – which boded well for water and meat – and there was no obvious sign of permanent human habitation.

*

We had only one chance of beaching the boats in their condition without making our situation worse, and no choice but to go at high tide, which gave us little time to make our preparations.

I stood at the bow and stared at the horizon and the lumpy island that rose out of the early morning grey water into an even greyer sky. Surrounded by thin cloud, I felt a sense of foreboding that only grew the closer we got, and which wasn’t helped by the knowledge of all those sharks between us and the distant land.

I gave the order to Frazer to bear away, and we headed for the channel between two large mounds of rock rising from the sea, keeping guard. I half imagined them moving towards us as we passed. The sun was stronger now, and the grey of the sea became a vibrant and beautiful blue, the greenery of the island the colour of malachite, and what had earlier looked a place of doom now seemed a paradise.

Leaving the safety of the ship for the vulnerability of the pinnace, I remembered again the tales I’d heard of these waters. How one unwary sailor sat with his feet overboard to cool them, instead losing them in a flash of a gaping mouth filled with blades of teeth; of a wager where the loser was to swim ashore and only lost his already wooden leg; and others I couldn’t, or wouldn’t, believe.

At the flood of the tide, Gabriella had
Freyja’s
foremast rigged, and the conjoined vessels launched their largest boats. My pinnace took the existing towing warp, the women each had another, and the three boats steadily warped
Freykarie
to the beach
across that River Styx of teeth. Another boat stood by to help
Freyja’s
rudder by hauling her round so that she’d be left high and dry with
Valkyrie’s
stern fair to the sea.

Now we had time to rest before the work started all over again at the next high tide, but these crews had been idle too long during our slow westward passage and, after a swift fortification of rum, they set about exploring the island.

I looked around at what would be our new home for the foreseeable future and smiled. It would do. White sand, dotted with the green and brown shells of turtles, was lapped by the gentle swell of the sparkling sea. Shoreward, the beach was lined by palm and lush greenery, so there must be plenty of fresh water. The casks were rancid after so long adrift – I’d put a water party together straight away.

Further inland, a rocky outcrop towered over jungle, and I racked my brains trying to remember which island this was. It didn’t look very long, maybe only a league across, but I’d have to verify that. I looked back to the beach and my exploring crew, wondering if some of them had had the same idea, then I realized they weren’t exploring at all. They were simply charging down the beach after the turtles and flipping them on to their backs. Unlike the sharks, we could eat the fully grown despite their armour. There were hundreds, if not thousands of them, and it promised to be quite a feast. There was still work to be done today, but I decided to leave them to their fun for now. It had been a tense and frustrating few weeks, if not months, which had affected everyone. The work could wait a day.

‘What do you think we should do with the Freyjamen?’ Gabriella joined me.

‘They’re your prisoners, what do you want to do with them?’ I hoped that was the right answer.

‘Get them out of that stinking hold for a start, any that want to join us, that is. Do you really think they’ll sign our articles?’

‘Sí. You bested Hornigold and have a hold full of plunder, why wouldn’t they want to join a successful pirate crew?

‘Talking of articles, you realize you broke them?’ I added.

She stared at me. ‘Is that really the way you want to start married life?’ she asked.

I sighed, we would have to start again. ‘Will your Valkyries sign articles with
Freedom
again?’

She didn’t answer for a while, then laughed. ‘I’ll have to take a vote, but I doubt it unless you agree to better terms – we’ve proved ourselves now.’

I nodded, that would have to be thrashed out in a crew council and could wait. Gabriella was negotiating, not arguing. Not only did I have my woman back, even if she did seem a little distant, but I had my fleet back too, and it was growing.

‘We’ll split the boats at the morning’s high tide,’ I said. ‘Assuming we can save them both, what are your plans for
Freyja?’

‘She’s
Valkyrie’s
prize and Carmen’s my quartermaster, so she has first refusal as
Freyja’s
captain and I’m sure she’ll take it.’

‘Mmm, you’re probably right. Will she be trouble?’

‘I expect so, but that would be true whatever deck she sailed on!’ She laughed, then grew serious again. ‘If she agrees and signs the articles, she shouldn’t be too much of a problem, not with her own command again. She wasn’t happy about leaving
Freedom’s
firepower behind, she’ll behave well enough.’

I laughed with her. That was probably the best we could hope for, whoever captained her. If Carmen did take
Freyja
, I decided to make sure I had some of
Freedom’s
best men aboard her, just in case. Not that it had done me much good with Gabriella and
Valkyrie.

Whilst
Freedom’s
crew found and fetched water, and gathered driftwood for tonight’s feast – our wedding feast I realized, even if it was a week or two belated – my Valkyries organised the warps and kedges that would be needed tomorrow to haul
Freykarie
apart, and I admit I was nervous. We’d only be sure of
Valkyrie’s
stem once she was free, and if it was cracked, she’d rot here. I wanted to know now, but I also wanted to put the knowing off for as long as possible. In the meantime, I had thirty-odd men captive in my prize, and it was high time I sorted them out.

Andy supervised bringing them topside, still bound, and they emerged on to decks that had so recently been theirs: blinking, stinking and beaten. They gathered on the maindeck in full view of the activity on the beach and the Valkyries patrolled around them. I could almost see them salivating at the growing pile of keel-up turtle and the trench of driftwood. I decided to keep this short.

‘I’ll not mess about with any fancy speech, you’ve done this enough yourselves to know what’s coming,’ I started. ‘You’ve a choice to make. Your captain’s dead, I suppose the most senior Freyjaman left is Sharpe and you can join him, although I have to say his prospects are not looking too bright at the moment. Or you can sign on to our account and sail under myself or Leo. But don’t think you’ll have it easy under a woman captain – and never forget it was me and my crew that beat you in a fight where you had all the advantages.

‘I will not tolerate any disrespect on my ship, whether it’s aimed at me or a member of my crew – male or female. I will not hesitate to maroon any one of you who steps over the line or makes a nuisance of himself. Do I make myself clear?

‘Do not forget who I am or what I’ve done.’ I glared at each of them in turn to make sure they understood my sincerity.

‘You, what do you say?’ I pointed at the man closest to me. Dirty, scrawny and unshaven, he croaked. ‘With you, ma’am.’

‘Very well, untie him and give him some water and a writing stick to make his mark.’

They would have to sign
Valkyrie’s
existing articles until we agreed new terms with Leo and the Freedom Fighters.

‘Oh, and if you call me ma’am again I’ll cut out your tongue. You’ll address me as Captain. Who’s next?’

One by one, they joined us. Leo was right, they didn’t care who they sailed with now that Hornigold had been routed. Meat, rum and gold would be enough to keep them loyal to the articles. Cheval was next.

‘I’m with you, Capitaine.’

‘No you’re not, Cheval.’ I turned at Leo’s interruption and raised my eyebrows in question. ‘We go back a while, Gabriella, I’ve given Cheval a chance once before, he is not to join us again.’

I stared at him, annoyed that he was telling me what to do in front of my crew and captives, then nodded my agreement – I knew Cheval of old. ‘Very well, he’s yours to do with as you will.’

Leo smiled and hauled Cheval off the deck.

‘Sharpe?’ I’d left him until last. I’d once counted him a friend, and knew I owed him my life, but he’d killed Jan and Wilbert. He was also one of the men who had taken Leo’s first love, Magdalena, and I didn’t know how to react to his presence aboard my ship.

‘Yes, Captain. It will be a pleasure to serve under you.’ He smiled. I nodded, still unsure of him.

‘Very well. That’s it. Everyone ashore and get to work, we have my wedding feast to prepare!’

*

I watched Jack grab another turtle from the dwindling pile and slit its neck. He slid his knife between belly and shell and worked it all the way round, then gutted it, cut away the ill-tasting dark meat from the shoulders, and threw the body on the fire to cook. I tore another mouthful of flesh from the one in front of me and chewed slowly. It was delicious – by far the sweetest delight in the sea.

‘Mr-and-Mrs-Captain!’ I turned to Greenwoode, who had proffered the slurred and annoying toast yet again, smiled and drank. Again. The wedding toasts had got overly numerous by now and I was getting a bit tired of raising my rumpot to them.

Leo leaned closer and put his hand on my belly. ‘Any regrets?’ he asked me – he must have sensed my irritation and the rum had made him bold enough to risk my answer. I smiled and shook my head, resting it on his shoulder for a moment. I couldn’t bring forth any more enthusiasm, even if I had only been married a week.

Truth be told I had plenty of regrets, and they started with my belly. I was sick of being fat and lumbering around deck. I wanted the child out, but just like separating the boats, I also wanted her to stay exactly where she was for as long as possible. I was a sailor, a pirate, not a mother, how could I rear a child at sea? I thought back to Klara’s last words.
I did as you asked, Klara
.
I’ve married him and I’ll call her Raphaella. I’m keeping my promises to you, and we’ll attack Brisingamen and kill Erik – I hope you knew what you were saying. I hope I’m doing right by my child. I wish you were here, Klara, I wish you were still with me.

‘What is it, Gabriella? Why are you crying?’

‘I-miss-Klara,’ I mumbled, then sat up and wiped my face. I didn’t want my crew – especially the new members – to see my tears.

‘We have to decide what to do with the Freyjamen,’ I added, all business again.

‘Sí, we should spread them round all three of the ships.’

‘Yes. I want a handful on
Valkyrie
to replace those who’ll sail with Carmen aboard
Freyja
, and she’ll need more men too. But I’m worried there’ll be trouble, Leo. I’m nervous about having so many Freyjamen on our decks.’

‘Hmm, let’s put most aboard
Freedom
where there’s a bigger crew to keep an eye on them. Both
Valkyrie
and
Freyja
are light and manoeuvrable,
Sound of Freedom
is by far the bigger ship and the better fighting platform – I can use plenty of hands on guns.’ He paused. ‘What do you want to do with Sharpe? I know he helped you in the past, but you can’t trust his obedience, especially now that he’s the most senior Freyjamen. We need to take care with him.’

I smiled. ‘Put him aboard
Freyja
. Let Carmen deal with him.’