The Following Sea by Marsha Canham

Author:Marsha Canham [Canham, Marsha]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance
Amazon: B007PVHRA8
Barnesnoble: B007PVHRA8
Goodreads: 13569498
Publisher: Marsha Canham
Published: 2011-12-31T11:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Dante found Stubs on the quarterdeck leaning on the binnacle, a long-stemmed pipe clamped between his teeth. The three galleons had not changed position, they sat there like big birds of prey watching and waiting.

The sea was smooth and calm, showing infrequent ripples from a cat's paw breeze as it scuttled across the surface, disturbing threads of mist.

"Air is gettin’ cooler," Stubs said casually.

Dante hadn't noticed. His body was still warm from being entwined by soft arms and legs. He took up his spyglass and studied each galleon in turn. At first he saw nothing overt to suggest Muertraigo was making preparations to attack, yet he sensed that was exactly what was happening six hundred yards away. The gallery windows in the stern of the San Mateo were ablaze with lights that fanned out hazily across the water, suggesting the capitan was meeting with his other commanders, sharing information about what he had seen and heard aboard the Endurance.

"Air is gettin’ cooler," Stubs said again, joining him at the rail.

"Yes, I can feel the chill in the air, what of it?"

Stubs sighed extravagantly, for it was not often his captain was distracted or too thick in the head to ignore the obvious. He took the pipe out of his mouth and used the stem to point to three specific things: the tiny tendrils of mist swirling beside the hull, the blurred halos around the deck lamps on the galleons, and lastly, the darkness along the horizon where the coast of Espiritu Santu should have been visible now that the moon was in descent.

Gabriel cursed. "Fog. The air is cooling and the fog is coming up."

"Aye-yup." Stubs returned the stem of the pipe to his mouth. "Came down myself to tell ye a mite ago, but... erm... didn't sound like ye wanted to be disturbed right at that moment."

Dante's cheek twitched at the sight of the quartermaster's knowing smirk. "You should have disturbed me anyway."

"Can do a body harm gettin' interrupted that way, if ye know what I mean."

Dante snapped the glass open again and stared long and hard into the darkness. Thick fog banks were not uncommon in the tropics, especially close to land, and from what he could see... or not see... there was a large one forming, spreading out from Espiritu Santu, drifting across the water like a large black cloud, the upper reaches silvered by moonlight.

If they could get into that cloud, they might have a chance to thwart Muertraigo’s plans for the morning.

"Two gigs?"

"Three," Stubs said. "In this calm she'll be a bitch to tow."

"Three then," Gabriel agreed. "Eight oarsmen apiece. Get them in the water as quickly and quietly as you can. Wrap the cleats and winch to muffle the sound and keep the hull between us and their watchers. Bring Betts up on deck with his fiddle, and get a few men singing ditties. If their lookouts report that the crew is drunk and relaxed, they may not pay as close attention. As soon as the moon is gone, I want every man on deck, the guns primed and ready to fire.

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