The Pirate Round by James L. Nelson

Author:James L. Nelson [Nelson, James L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical, Adventure
ISBN: 9781473509436
Amazon: 1473509432
Goodreads: 25845775
Publisher: Transworld Digital
Published: 2002-06-01T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

Marlowe could feel his control of circumstances slipping away, a little bit at a time, like water leaking from cupped hands.

The Elizabeth Galley was repaired and provisioned, guns swayed aboard and rigged at the gunports. Yancy’s men no longer made their morning appearance. Nagel had come out and insisted they shift their anchorage closer to the harbor entrance. Dinwiddie was gone.

Marlowe’s steward came up to him, stammered, ‘I looked all over the ship, sir, and right down to the cable tier, and Mr Dinwiddie, he ain’t aboard.’

‘He went ashore yesterday,’ Bickerstaff offered. ‘Early evening, I should think. I have not seen him since.’

‘Burgess had the boat. Says he saw one of them natives give him a letter,’ Honeyman added.

All of this discussion took place as the three men stood on the quarterdeck and watched the now-familiar form of Henry Nagel as he was pulled in a small boat out to the Elizabeth Galley.

‘Well, it is passing strange,’ Marlowe said. ‘Were it any other man, I would assume he was passed out, drunk, in some whorehouse, but that doesn’t seem like Dinwiddie.’

Nagel’s boat came alongside, and Nagel climbed aboard, with never a hail or request that he might do so. He came back aft, smiling, nodding his greetings. But there was an edge to his manner, something Marlowe had not seen before. He wondered if it was his imagination. He felt the control slipping further from his grasp.

‘Good day Nagel, and what brings you here?’ Marlowe asked.

‘Lord Yancy sends me. He requests you join him for dinner, one last time, before you sail.’

‘Did I say I intended to sail?’

Nagel looked confused. Marlowe detected a spark of irritation. ‘You’re all fit out and provisioned—’

‘But I seem to have lost my first officer.’

Nagel brightened. ‘Oh, Mr Dinwiddie is Lord Yancy’s guest, stayed the night in the big house. If you’ll come to dinner, you’ll see him then.’

Marlowe nodded. ‘I do not care to have my people spirited away like that. You may tell Lord Yancy as much.’

Nagel stiffened, folded his arms. His eyes darted up toward the battery that commanded the entrance to the harbor. Those big guns could easily sink the Elizabeth Galley, firing at point-blank range. They were so close that they would need only indifferent gun layers to do mortal damage.

Marlowe had noticed that there was an ensign flying from the battery’s flagpole, the first time since his arrival. If that meant on St Mary’s what it did in the rest of the world, then the battery was garrisoned and ready for work.

He did not know if Nagel’s glance was involuntary or an intentional threat, but he took the meaning well enough. He had come of his own accord into the wolf’s lair, had accepted the hospitality of the dangerous and unpredictable beast. Now he could leave only by permission.

‘Forgive me, I am not myself today,’ Marlowe said. ‘Of course I should be delighted to attend dinner with Lord Yancy.’

‘Good. And your officers, if they wish. And my lord would be most disappointed was he not able to personally say good-bye to your wife.

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