Sebastian Darke: Prince of Pirates
Read Sebastian Darke: Prince of Pirates Online
Authors: Philip Caveney
Table of Contents
- Title
- By the Same Author
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- PART ONE
- PART TWO
- CHAPTER 13 THE SEA WITCH
- CHAPTER 14 THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE
- CHAPTER 15 THE ANGEL'S LAIR
- CHAPTER 16 DOWN IN THE DUMPS
- CHAPTER 17 THE BIG BRAWL
- CHAPTER 18 THE CODE OF THE SEA
- CHAPTER 19 THE KID SPEAKS
- CHAPTER 20 ALL ASHORE
- CHAPTER 21 IN LEMORA
- CHAPTER 22 THE SALTY DOG
- CHAPTER 23 A HASTY DEPARTURE
- CHAPTER 24 SHIPS IN THE NIGHT
- CHAPTER 25 TRUE CONFESSIONS
- CHAPTER 26 MYSTERIOUS ISLAND
- CHAPTER 13 THE SEA WITCH
- PART THREE
- CHAPTER 27 TREASURE HUNTERS
- CHAPTER 28 BACK FROM THE DEAD
- CHAPTER 29 YARKLES
- CHAPTER 30 ONWARDS AND UPWARDS
- CHAPTER 31 ACROSS THE ABYSS
- CHAPTER 32 X MARKS THE SPOT
- CHAPTER 33 CALLINESTRA'S SECRET
- CHAPTER 34 ICE-COOL REUNION
- CHAPTER 35 OUT OF THE FRYING PAN . . .
- CHAPTER 36 THAT SINKING FEELING
- CHAPTER 37 A WATERY GRAVE
- CHAPTER 38 LAST HOPE
- CHAPTER 39 THE SHOWDOWN
- CHAPTER 40 THADDEUS PEEL
- CHAPTER 27 TREASURE HUNTERS
- Epilogue
- SEBASTIAN DARKE Prince of Fools
- SEBASTIAN DARKE Prince of Explorers
- THE EYE OF THE SERPENT
Also by Philip Caveney:
Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools
Sebastian Darke: Prince of Explorers
Alec Devlin: The Eye of the Serpent
S
EBASTIAN
D
ARKE
Prince of Pirates
PHILIP CAVENEY
Illustrated by Julek Heller
This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author's and publisher's rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
ISBN 9781407020501
Version 1.0
SEBASTIAN DARKE: PRINCE OF PIRATES
A RED FOX BOOK
ISBN: 9781407020501
Version 1.0
First published in Great Britain by The Bodley Head
an imprint of Random House Children's Books
A Random House Group Company
The Bodley Head edition published 2008
Red Fox edition published 2009
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
Copyright © Philip Caveney, 2008
Cover illustration by Jonny Duddle
Inside illustrations by Julek Heller
Illustrations © Random House Children's Books 2008
The right of Philip Caveney to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This electronic book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
For everyone in the Writers' Workshop, past, present and future. Thanks for your good advice and encouragement across the years. In particular for Terie, who provided a timely introduction; for Ed, who drives me around and never complains; and for Eric, who never lived to see his own words in print.
PART ONE
C
HAPTER
1
THE FOREST OF GELTANE
The ancient wooden caravan had been crossing the wide stretch of plain for several days. Pulled by a single buffalope, it was making decidedly slow progress. Now the caravan creaked to a halt a short distance from the edge of a mighty forest.
The owner of the caravan sat perched on the wooden seat, clutching the reins and staring thoughtfully into the trees. He was what many plain-spoken people referred to as a 'breed' – the offspring of a human father and an elvish mother. He was not yet out of his teens and his tall lanky frame was loosely draped in the colourful uniform of a jester, one that had clearly been designed to fit a much bigger man. A garish three-pronged hat was perched on his head.
On the sides of his caravan were painted the words,
SEBASTIAN DARKE, PRINCE OF FOOLS
. The word 'Sebastian' looked somehow different to the rest. It had been added in a wobbly, amateurish hand, clearly over-painting another name that had been there before.
Alexander, his father, had been a very successful jester. After his untimely death Sebastian had tried to take up where his father left off, but his recent visit to the city of Keladon had taught him one valuable lesson: that whatever skills he possessed, he was not cut out to be a jester. His future lay in a different direction, and this journey, more than anything else, was his attempt to discover what that future might hold for him.
'This looks depressingly familiar,' said the buffalope in a slow, gloomy voice. He too was gazing straight ahead into the thick green ranks of the forest, his apprehension fuelled by a journey through those self-same woods in the not-too-distant past. 'I can't believe we're going through there again.'
'What's the problem?' asked a voice to their left, and they both turned to look as a little warrior on a tiny pony came riding abreast of them. Though his voice was deep and sonorous, the face that stared out from under his bronze helmet was smooth and baby-like, completely devoid of hair. His large blue eyes showed not a trace of concern. 'Surely, Max, if you've passed through the forest of Geltane once before—'
'It was no picnic,' interrupted the buffalope. 'There are
things
in there . . .'