The Voyage of the Sea Wolf by Eve Bunting

Author:Eve Bunting
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Published: 2012-08-16T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

“I meant only to teach him some respect,” Captain Moriarity said.

“ ’Tis too bad, but perhaps no great loss.”

“Shall we throw him over or leave him be?” someone asked.

“He will be left for the crew of his own ship. Beg pardon, Cate. Of yer father’s ship.”

I tried to hide the shock I felt, not only because of Herc’s sudden death, but because of Captain Moriarity’s ruthless action. He had insulted the captain and he had spoken ill of William. And he had paid a terrible price.

I would not wish this death upon my worst enemy, I thought, and he was my worst enemy. He was the one who happily planned a slow, painful end for William and me. But he was gone now and if I could not forgive I could show some deference for the dead. And what of his terrible, odious brother Hopper, who had been as villainous as he?

“He has a brother on the ship,” I said. “He’s...” I glanced up at the familiar frightening sound of Hopper’s wooden leg tapping toward us.

The tapping stopped.

Hopper looked down at Herc then knelt beside him, his crutch sticking out behind him. He gently pushed the hair that was thick with blood away from his brother’s face. Whatever words he whispered were not discernible even through the silence of the pirates gathered around us.

Perhaps there is love in him, I thought. Until now he has kept it well hidden.

He looked up. “Which of yez did this?” he asked.

“I did,” Captain Moriarity’s voice was strong and untroubled. “I listened to him with the courtesy of one captain for another. But I found him offensive and without respect for me or my crew. I exercised the just right of the victor.”

Hopper crawled himself up. “Aye, ’twas was yer right,” he said. “ ’Tis my sorrow. I will care for him. No one else must touch him.”

I had never imagined I would see Hopper dignified. But at this moment he was.

It was William who stepped forward and asked, “Ye need help to lift him, Hopper?” and it was Hopper who become his true self and spat at William. “Not from you, ye turncoat. This was your ship.”

“Aye.” William gave a short laugh. “I’m a turncoat who was sentenced to death by you and your brother. I owe ye no loyalty.”

The heat was out of the fighting. There were just the sounds of scattered shots and men’s voices raised in anger or mockery.

Mr. Trimble stepped forward—Mr. Trimble, false friend to my father and my mother. I could hardly find it in my heart to look at him. He had had the chance to speak up and save William and me when we had been in mortal danger and he had kept silent.

“Captain Moriarity,” he said. “There is disarray amongst the crew of our ship. We have no captain at this time. There are two men in need of burying. We ask leave to surrender and will be grateful if you will spare our vessel.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.