The Pirate's Revenge (9 page)

‘Ready to come about,' he shouted. ‘Then we'll heave to, so quick hands!'

Miller ran the length of the deck, yelling, ‘Boat men, make ready! We'll send in the launch.'

It was all hands to the ropes as we came about with naval precision and made ready to bring the ship to a stop outside the channel. It was a dicey business, asking a ship to wait in these conditions, but there was nothing for it. Jem called me over.

‘I can't leave the ship,' he said. ‘You go ashore with Miller and see if you can find Hussein. We're to deliver this stuff to him and nobody else.'

‘Did he say where we'd find him?' I asked.

‘You know Hussein. He'll find you. Mind, I won't be too worried if we have to come back next week when the wind's died down, so don't look too hard.'

Miller had chosen the strongest men to ferry us in through the crack in the cliffs. Ricardo and Francesco were at the tiller, their faces filled with apprehension. Both were keeping a close eye on the waves that gushed through the cave mouth and swirled up the sides of the crevice. We were in for a rough ride. I handed across a stout boathook, and clambered down the ropes into the boat. Miller thumped down on the seat next to me.

‘Cast off,' he called.

‘Be gentle with that boat,' Jem shouted from the deck above us.

‘Never mind the bloody boat,' Miller muttered. ‘It's our ribs that'll be stoved in, if we don't get through.'

‘Do not fear,' said Ricardo, his voice filled with dread. ‘Francesco and I have done this a thousand times.'

‘Now I'm really worried,' said Miller, out of the corner of his mouth. ‘Whenever they say that, it means they're making it up as they go along.'

‘Ye of little faith,' said Francesco, huffily.

I shook my head. I would even miss these inevitable arguments. ‘I have complete faith in you,' I said reassuringly.

‘Cygno, you are the only intelligent person on the
Mermaid
,' said Ricardo, battling against the tiller as we ploughed through the waves.

‘Besides me,' Francesco corrected him. ‘I am the most intelligent, Cygno is second.'

‘Of course,' said Ricardo. ‘That's what I meant.'

I reached up and put one arm around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. ‘I'll miss you, both of you.'

Ricardo blushed.

‘At last, Ricardo has a girlfriend,' shouted Francesco.

‘Shut up,' I scowled. ‘That wasn't what I meant.'

‘Yes, Francesco, shut up,' said Ricardo. ‘Cygno is our little sister now. Our little sister of the sea.'

‘If you lot have finished sorting out your family tree,' Miller interjected, ‘can we concentrate on making it alive through this damned hole in the rock?'

The cliffs were riddled with caves and soaring grottoes, but Francesco pointed the boat at the smallest cave of them all.

‘There! See it?'

Everyone started shouting at once.

‘Heave!'

‘You there! Keep in time.'

‘Tiller to starboard.'

It was going to be a battle, all right. The ocean was pouring out through the tunnel, white water churning under the boat's bow and splashing up into our faces. The men pulled hard on the oars, struggling to stay in time with each other, keep the bow headed straight, and force the boat into the face of the waves against the current.

‘Heave!' I shouted, along with everyone else. It seemed to help. Our voices kept time with the oars. The water was roaring now as we edged nearer to the rocks. ‘Not far now.'

‘Two more,' cried Miller. ‘One more!' The boat blasted its way through the spewing waves and into the darkness of the tunnel. The current was still running strongly against us, and the jagged black rocks on each side threatened to shred the tiny boat to pieces.

‘Ship oars,' said Miller. ‘Steady now, lads.'

‘I told you we could do it,' said Francesco proudly.

Miller didn't even turn to face him. ‘We're not there yet.'

He and Francesco stood ready with boathooks to fend us off the rocks if we got too close. Ricardo leaned with his whole body on the tiller, holding a steady course. It was too narrow to row. Instead, the boys braced themselves against the thwarts and used the solid ends of their oars to push against the rock. Each of them strained, shoving with all their strength, to propel the boat between the solid cavern walls that seemed to close in on either side. In spite of the darkness, the water below us shimmered, an incredible blue.

‘Keep pushing, lads,' I shouted. If we faltered now, the waves would lift us like a pond yacht and smash the boat to kindling.

‘Stay at it!'

Then we were through the tunnel, in a sudden splash, and found ourselves in bright sunshine, zooming across a lagoon that was as calm as a mill-pond. The boys sagged over their oars.

Miller mopped his forehead with the tail of his grubby shirt. ‘God-forsaken bloody hole, this. Who'd want to go through that every time they need to go to town?'

‘I suppose they wait until the wind is on their side,' I said. ‘It'll probably turn soon enough.'

‘Now you tell me,' Miller grumbled. ‘Well, let's get to shore and get this over with.'

The boys lifted their heads and applied aching arms to the oars. Within minutes, the hull was bumping on the pebbly beach. Around us, bright blue fishing boats were pulled right up onto the shore. On the prow of each was painted the eye of Osiris, to keep away the evil spirits.

A few old stone buildings and fishermen's huts were scattered around the bay.

‘What do you reckon?' Miller asked.

‘Let's try that place over there,' I suggested. ‘Maybe it's a tavern.'

It was a lucky guess. When Miller pushed the door open, a few men were standing in the darkness, waiting, around a long table. They had obviously abandoned their half-full mugs and a stoneware flagon as they watched our unfamiliar boat land.
There was no way to make a surprise entrance in this village.

‘Cheers, mates,' said Miller. ‘How'd you be?'

One man stepped forward, a hand on a knife in his belt. His dirty white shirt was torn at one shoulder, and there were wine stains in his grizzled beard.

Miller nodded to him. ‘Would you be the tavern-keeper?'

The man grunted.

‘
Sku
ani
,' said Ricardo. ‘I don't think he speaks English. I will ask him.'

Ricardo chattered on in Maltese, obviously adding a few more polite greetings than Miller's blunt attempt. At last the man replied.

‘He wants to know who we are,' Ricardo said.

‘Never mind about that,' said Miller.

‘Tell him we're looking for someone,' I said.

The man spat a few words.

‘He says he's not here,' said Ricardo.

‘How does he know that?' I said. ‘I didn't say who we were looking for.'

‘Who are we looking for?' asked Ricardo.

‘Hussein Reis, you fool,' Miller snapped. ‘Now, hurry up, I don't like the feel of this place.'

The tavern-keeper snarled some more.

‘He says he's never heard of Hussein Reis.'

‘Hussein told us we could find him here,' I said.

I stared straight at the tavern-keeper. ‘We are his friends.'

Ricardo translated my words while I waited, still holding the man's gaze. At last he snorted and looked away.

‘He says there is no-one here by that name.'

‘Could have saved ourselves the trip,' said Miller.

I shrugged. ‘Oh well, let's go.'

The tavern-keeper stepped forward.

‘What is it?' I asked Ricardo.

The man grabbed Ricardo's arm as he spoke.

‘He wants to know if we need supplies,' said Ricardo. ‘He says he has good British Navy rum. Goats. Sugar.'

I shook my head. ‘Tell him we have our own goods to sell. That's why we came here. But if he's not interested …'

The tavern-keeper's eyes seemed to narrow and glisten. He licked his lips.

‘He wants to know what we're selling.'

‘Grain, mostly, olive oil. But tell him it is only for friends of Hussein Reis.'

Ricardo had hardly finished translating when the man slapped his sweaty forehead.

‘By San Paulo! Now he knows who you mean,' said Ricardo.

I tried to narrow my own eyes, as if I'd been dealing with smugglers my whole life.

‘
That
Hussein Reis, he says — of course, everyone knows him.' Ricardo was smiling. ‘He apologises for his stupidity. Hussein is right here, in the village. This man will get a message to him right away.'

‘No need to send for me,' Hussein's voice sounded from somewhere in the darkness at the back of the room.

‘What a surprise,' said Miller, sarcastically. ‘He was here all along.'

‘I'm sorry I wasn't here to meet you.' Hussein stepped forward into the trickle of light slanting through the open doorway. ‘I've sent boats out to the
Mermaid
for the cargo. They'll take whatever they can manage in this swell, but there's more weather on the way.'

‘Fair enough,' said Miller. ‘We can always come back with the rest in a few days. We're headed to Santa Lucia, and fast.'

I couldn't help but smile.

Hussein glanced from Miller's face to mine then back again. ‘In that case, may I join you?' It seemed impulsive, uncharacteristic of a man whose every move was calculated.

‘Why would you want to go to Santa Lucia?' I asked suspiciously. I didn't want any pirates anywhere near my island ever again.

‘I have some business there.'

‘Since when?'

‘Never you mind,' he said sharply. ‘Shall we go? You'll want to row out with the offshore breeze.'

‘Aye,' said Miller. ‘Let's get going. I don't want to hang around here a second longer. It gives me the creeping shudders.'

‘Nobody invited you here,' sneered the tavern-keeper.

‘Really?' I said. ‘So you can speak English after all?'

Miller's laughter drowned out the tavern-keeper's protestations, which jumped from English to Maltese to something that sounded like Greek.

Ricardo slapped him on the shoulder. ‘I'll let the
Navy know where you are, and they can call in next time they need some rum.' He started giggling, in his most wicked, playful way. ‘Unless, of course, you stole it from them in the first place!'

His brother joined in. The two of them laughed as if it was the most hilarious thing they'd ever heard. It was hard not to smile.

‘You hyenas! Get out of my tavern!'

We were still laughing as we sculled quickly across the lagoon, this time borne along through the tunnel by the currents. Even Hussein was smiling. As we rowed back towards the
Mermaid
, I pointed out the watcher on the cliff.

‘Is he one of your men, Hussein?'

He squinted, and shook his head. ‘Nobody knows that I'm here, and I presume nobody besides me was expecting the
Mermaid
.'

‘No-one knows we're here either, not even Caruana.'

Hussein took a last look at the horseman on the hill. ‘Damn, I wish I knew who he is.'

‘Whoever it is can stare at us all he likes,' said Miller. ‘We'll be in Santa Lucia by dawn.'

Santa Lucia by dawn. The whole boat crew smiled with me — even Hussein seemed to be grinning fit to burst. But I was happiest of all, because now our day's work was done and I was going home.

We were only a few leagues from Dwejra when they sighted the sail. Miller jumped down from the shrouds.

‘Jem,' he said, ‘it's the
Gisella
.'

‘Not that old octopus again,' groaned Jem.

‘Now, now, McGuire, that's no way to speak of your captain,' said Hussein, mockingly. ‘There's no point trying to evade Diablo. Go quietly, as if you've been looking for him everywhere.'

‘Aye,' Jem conceded. ‘It worked once before. It's the only way.'

‘I can't face that man again,' I warned Jem. ‘Besides, if he sees me, he'll know you came back to find me in the Grotto.'

‘Best keep out of sight, then,' suggested Miller. ‘Stay quiet for a change.'

‘I wouldn't worry about Lily,' said Hussein. ‘She can talk her way out of anything. She's got the touch of the blarney.'

‘I can deal with Diablo,' I said. ‘It doesn't take too much to outsmart him.'

But as the brigantine drew near, a terrible dread
folded about me like a cloak. Jem moved among the crew, telling them to keep out of trouble and say nothing of our past few weeks. Hussein disappeared below decks for a while, then returned to stand alone in the bows. The men went about their work as usual, even making sail so we could bring the
Mermaid
closer to
Gisella
's route. By the time the hourglass was tipped again, we were within hailing distance, and it seemed only a few moments more before the ropes sailed over and the ships were made fast together.

Hussein slipped over the side and clambered quickly up onto the great ship's deck.

A familiar face shouted down. ‘Ahoy there!'

‘Brasher!' called Jem. ‘Still kicking, then?'

Brasher scampered down the ropes as if he were a midshipman and clasped Miller's hand tightly.

‘How goes it, old son?'

‘We been all round the globe, I reckon, since we seen you last, lads,' said Brasher. ‘Algiers and all sorts.'

‘Oh aye,' said Jem. ‘Seen any Frenchies?'

‘Seen plenty of trouble, for sure, and that's just among the crew.'

‘How's Cookie?' I asked.

‘He jumped ship.'

‘What?' I exclaimed. ‘That's crazy. He'd never do such a thing.'

‘Crazy or not, it's done now,' said Brasher. ‘He'd better hope the captain never catches up with him, neither. Seems Cookie didn't take too kindly to you getting left behind in the Grotto. First chance he got,
he laced the captain's supper with some rot-gut old toadstools. Diablo spent the next week heaving up his gizzards. Before he got his strength back, Cookie rowed himself ashore, and he's never been seen since.'

Miller threw back his shaggy head and roared with laughter. ‘Pity he didn't kill the bastard.'

‘Cookie'll be running a tavern on the waterfront by now,' Brasher joked. ‘Safe as can be.'

‘Quiet now,' said Jem. ‘Speak of the Devil and he appears at your elbow.'

El Capitán de Diablo was standing on his quarterdeck, gazing down at the
Mermaid
and her crew.

‘Come aboard, all of you,' he called. ‘Even you, Mistress Sharkbait, although how you come to be still breathing I cannot fathom. But when old mates meet at sea, there's much to tell and much to celebrate.'

Jem met my glance, both of us suspicious.

‘He doesn't really think he'll fool us with that bilge, does he?' muttered Miller.

‘Nothing to be done now,' said Jem. ‘We'll see how the land lies and slip away as soon as we can, just like last time.' He led the way up the ropes and onto
Gisella
, where Diablo and Hussein stood facing each other across the deck.

‘Splendid pennant, Mister McGuire.'

‘Thank you, sir.'

Diablo's mock cheer didn't last long. ‘Thought you might captain your own ship, did you? Thought you could run before the wind and I'd never find you? Thought you could steal my prize, eh?'

Jem met his glare. ‘Navy's making things a bit hot
around here, sir. We been keeping out of trouble.'

‘Ballast! Seize him.' Two of
Gisella
's crew grabbed Jem's arms and bundled him towards the mainmast. They looped ropes around his arms and neck and bound him tight.

The other boys from the
Mermaid
clustered together on the deck, fearful. They were outnumbered three to one by the other crew. Only Miller was still rebellious, as always. ‘At ease, lads,' he said, reassuringly.

‘I will decide what to do with you later,' Diablo warned. ‘You men, keep a watch on that lot.'

A couple of his men braced themselves with cutlasses and stood ready, watching the
Mermaid
boys carefully. I moved closer to Hussein, though it meant being closer to Diablo. It felt safer to be near this renegade in the tattered robe.

‘McGuire's telling the truth,' Hussein lied. ‘I was with them. There was a squadron of four ships of the line and six frigates. Only thing to do was hope for nightfall and race like the wind.'

‘But what has the
Mermaid
been doing since that time, eh? Somebody please tell me that.' Diablo glared at Miller and the boys. ‘Did you come to find your captain? No. Have you taken any further prizes for me? No. You have skulked around and tried to keep out of my way. I hear tales of your exploits on Malta. Where is my share of the smugglers' bounty?'

‘There was no bounty,' said Jem. ‘They couldn't pay.'

‘So you sold wine and grain for nothing? Don't treat me like a fool. I am too clever for you all.'

‘Let McGuire go, Diablo,' said Hussein. ‘You need him to sail the
Mermaid
.'

‘You cannot lord it over me any longer, Hussein. I am now Diablo Reis, captain of an Ottoman fleet. A fleet of two, for the moment, that is true, but the pickings are choice in these waters.'

‘What are you talking about?' snapped Hussein. ‘The Turks would never do business with a water-rat like you.'

‘You think not? But it was I who warned them of Napoleon's plan to attack Egypt.'

‘You're lying.'

‘The Sultan did not think so. Granted, I did not arrive in time for the French to be stopped, but we let the British deal with them at the Nile.' Diablo's lips parted in a black-toothed smirk. ‘Nevertheless, my loyalty has been rewarded with a commission — and this.'

He clawed inside his filthy shirt for a crumpled scroll of parchment and held it out.

Hussein grabbed it at once. ‘You must have done more than that to receive this,' he said.

‘Of course. When we took the
Mermaid
, I found reports on board from the French spies in Alexandria and Algiers. I had to do my duty, of course, and informed the Dey. Those ridiculously patriotic men all hang from the city walls now.'

‘So this is your blood reward.' Hussein was sounding weary.

‘What is it?' I asked.

‘A Letter of Marque,' said Hussein. ‘Signed by the Dey. It would seem
Gisella
is now part of the Ottoman
fleet and authorised to capture any French ships on behalf of Algiers.'

‘As is the
Mermaid
, now she is back under my command,' crowed Diablo. ‘A pretty flotilla we make, don't you think?'

I glared at him. How could such a man prosper?

‘Now, Hussein, you have no ship — I sank your precious
taridha
a week or so ago.' Diablo's eyes betrayed his delight. ‘A pity, but your crew would not yield. You are now under my orders. We are on the French trading routes and I will take more ships. If you behave, I may let you have one. Until then, you will stay below. Soon I will be Kapudan Pasha.'

‘What's that?' I whispered to Hussein. ‘Some kind of disease?'

‘It's an Ottoman admiral — the Grand Admiral of the Fleet,' said Hussein out loud. ‘El Capitán de Diablo has high hopes of his new career. Bored with pretending to be Spanish, he has decided to become Algerian.'

‘Don't waste time talking to this child, Hussein. It's none of her business, and yet she is always snooping about like those French spies. She should learn a lesson from what happened to them.'

‘You're out of touch, Captain,' I warned. ‘Since the Battle of the Nile, the British rule these waters. They will blow your pathetic flotilla to the sky and back.'

Diablo bent down, his stinking breath in my face. ‘If you knew anything at all, you'd have died in the grotto with the eels. Admiral Nelson and I are on the same side now.'

I laughed in his rotten face. ‘Nelson will see you hang!'

‘Enough. You have crossed me once too often, girl. You are a curse on board my ship. I do not understand why you are still alive to torture me.'

Hussein came closer, his arm touching mine so I could feel his warmth. ‘Leave her alone,' he said, calmly.

‘She is trouble, eternal trouble,' Diablo sneered. ‘Throw her overboard and she comes back again. She bores me. Whenever I turn around, there she is, like the plague.'

I tried to keep my fury inside. I tried to swallow my words, but they blurted out before I could stop them. ‘I will plague you.' I took one step forward and spat on the deck. ‘I will follow you to the ends of the oceans and the depths of hell, Captain. You killed my father, and one day I will kill you, I swear.'

His laughter crackled across the morning. ‘It's a hell-cat, that's what it is. A harpy.' Diablo slapped me hard across the face and I landed at Hussein's feet like a dead fish.

‘Stay quiet,' whispered Hussein. But the words would not stop.

‘I'll see you hang from a Navy yard-arm,' I snarled. ‘I'll see you rot on the gallows. I'll watch you die in despair like my father.'

‘Your father!' Diablo roared at me. ‘Who cares about your damned father? A man like me kills many men. Do you think all their ghosts send girls to fight me? Who was he, some liverless lieutenant? Some quivering fisherman? They're all the same to me.'

I stood up slowly, glaring at him, my fists clenched into cannonballs. ‘He was Rafe Swann.'

In the silence I heard Jem swear.

Hussein grabbed my arm roughly and pulled me back to stand behind him. I couldn't see Diablo now, but I heard his voice. It was queerly quiet.

‘A little Swann. How funny.'

I listened as his boots thumped on the deck. He paced over to the rails.

‘Make the smallest boat ready. No oars. No sail.'

‘No!' It was Jem. He struggled against the ropes that held him, shouting and blustering. The rest of the crew stood silent.

‘There's no need for that,' said Hussein. ‘She's only a child.'

‘She is a Swann,' Diablo growled. ‘She curses me for the death of her father. So be it. She can die like him.'

‘No. I forbid it.'

Now it was Hussein's turn to feel the captain's wrath. Diablo's fist caught him in the face and he stumbled against me. A heartbeat later, we both sprang forward towards Diablo, but rough hands grabbed us and held us back.

I couldn't move. The men of
Gisella
were too strong for me, but I wriggled like a sardine and bit someone's wrist as hard as I could. They held me tight. I watched as Hussein punched two men, stumbled, and grabbed a third to throw him into the crowd. Miller came from nowhere and launched himself at them.

One of the gigantic Moors threw himself on top of
Hussein and pinned him to the deck, while another clobbered him hard over the head with a belaying pin.

Hussein went limp. Miller was pinned face-flat to the deck, his arms wrenched behind his back.

Diablo strode over and pushed the others aside. Hussein's eyes rolled back in his skull, with only the whites showing. There was blood on his robes, running down from a split on his forehead.

‘The mighty Hussein Reis falls at last,' said Diablo. ‘About time, too. Put them both in the boat.'

My arms were bound tightly and I was thrown into the smallest of the ship's boats as if I was a crab-pot. Hussein, still unconscious or maybe dead, was flung in beside me.

I could hear Jem shouting as the boat was pushed away from
Gisella
. Miller cursed and swore until someone clobbered him into silence. Brasher stood at the rails, looking down, Moggia leaning next to him with tears pouring down his cheeks and one hand raised in farewell. Francesco and Ricardo had their arms around each other's shoulders. None of them could stop what was happening, I knew. They would have been killed. But I turned my head away.

The swell slowly towed the little boat away from the
Mermaid
and from my only friends in the world. As night fell, Hussein Reis and I were alone in a circle of despair.