Murder and Magic by Randall Garrett

Author:Randall Garrett [Garrett, Randall]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-62567-021-2
Publisher: Jabberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.
Published: 2013-02-25T16:00:00+00:00

Lord Darcy stood with Lord Seiger on one of the lower decks of the Esprit de Mer and looked around. “So far, so good,” he said in a low voice. “Piracy has its advantages, my lord.”

“Indeed it does, my lord,” Lord Seiger replied in the same tone.

Down a nearby ladder, his feet clad in soft-soled boots, came Captain Sir Androu, commander of the Marquis’ Own. “So far, so good, m’ lords,” he whispered, not realizing that he was repeating Lord Darcy’s sentiments. “We have the crew. All sleeping like children.”

“All the crew?” Lord Darcy asked.

“Well, m’ lord, all we could find so far. Some of ‘em are still on shore leave. Not due back ‘til dawn. Otherwise, I fancy this ship would have pulled out long before this. No way to get word to the men, though, eh?”

“I have been hoping so,” Lord Darcy agreed. “But the fact remains that we really don’t know how many are left aboard. How about the bridge?”

“The Second Officer was on duty, m’ lord. We have him.”

“Captain’s cabin?”

“Empty, m’ lord.”

“First Officer’s?”

“Also empty, m’ lord. Might be both ashore.”

“Possibly.” There was a distinct possibility, Lord Darcy knew, that both the captain and the first officer were still at the warehouse—in which case, they would be picked up by Chief Henri and his men. “Very well. Let’s keep moving down. We still haven’t found what we’re looking for.” And there will be one Hell of an international incident if we don’t find it, Lord Darcy told himself. His Slavonic Majesty’s Government will demand all sorts of indemnities, and Lady Darcy’s little boy will find himself fighting the aborigines in the jungles of New France.

But he wasn’t really terribly worried; his intuition backed up his logic in telling him that he was right.

Nevertheless, he mentally breathed a deep sigh of relief when he and Lord Seiger found what they were looking for some five or six minutes later.

There were four iron-barred cells on the deck just above the lowest cargo hold. They faced each other, two and two, across a narrow passageway. Two bosuns blocked the passageway.

Lord Darcy looked down the tweendecks hatch and saw them. He had gone down the ladders silently, peeking carefully below before attempting to descend, and his caution had paid off. Neither of the bosuns saw him. They were leaning casually against the opposite bulkheads of the passageway, talking in very low voices.

There was no way to come upon them by stealth, but neither had a weapon in hand, and there was nothing to retreat behind for either of them.

Should he, Lord Darcy wondered, wait for reinforcements? Sir Androu already had his hands full for the moment, and Lord Seiger would not, of course, be of any use. The man was utterly incapable of physical violence.

He lifted himself from the prone position from which he had been peeking over the hatch edge to look below, and whispered to Lord Seiger. “They have cutlasses. Can you hold your own against one of them if trouble comes?”

For answer, Lord Seiger smoothly and silently drew his rapier.

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