the Pirate Devlin (2010) by Keating Mark

Author:Keating, Mark [Mark, Keating,]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2011-01-14T19:12:28.781000+00:00

For the second time that evening, Dandon found himself pinned unceremoniously to the filthy wall, this time by a powerful right forearm; the left hand was pointing a pistol mouth at his sweating temple.

'I beseech you, Captain Teach,' Dandon spoke calmly, despite choking on the arm at his neck. 'I was not of suggesting that the odour was related to your personage entering the tavern, merely if anyone could inform me of its source, that is all!'

Teach's pupils were needle-holes, the whites of his eyes growing every sweating second.

'Dandelion! Every time I see you I wants to kill you more!'

'We are agreed, then, that absence is our preferred situation. We should follow on such a notion, surely, so as not to displease the nature of the world.' Dandon grinned his most effacing gold-capped smile. Teach could see his own savage, skeletal rack reflected in their sheen.

'You're not worthy of pistol shot, you wretch!' Teach pushed the dragoon pistol into his belt and released his arm from Dandon's throat, only to replace it a breath later with the tapered tip of his cutlass. 'I’ll run you through likes I been promising since I first saw you!'

Sam Morwell was standing, along with his brethren, all of them half reaching for their own weapons, unsure of the proper tack to take against the man about whom even pirates spoke only in whispers.

'He's no weapons, Teach! Leave him be!' he pleaded.

'Bide your steel, boys!' Teach glared back at them with a sweep of his head. 'Else you'll all follow his judgement!'

'Come now! Judgement, is it?' Devlin's voice rang from the flight of stairs at the back of the tavern. 'Leave the devil some work!'

Teach had to swing round to see the owner of the voice. All eyes in the room watched Devlin, sans stockings and boots, levelling his pistol at the tall, black-framed pirate, his sword belt in his left hand.

'Did I disturb you, sir?' Teach queried. All the heads in the room, sensing a contest, sidled back to Teach, whose beard lifted up as he grinned. 'But I'd put that pistol away. Before I do. My business is none of yours.'

The expectant faces weaved back to Devlin, who took a soft step down the stairs.

'As you notice - "Teach", was it? - I have nowheres to secrete my pistol. So I must either drop it or have it dropped for me. And I'm loath to risk a dent to my pistol by my own hand. Which is it to be, Teach?'

Dandon felt his breath return to him in relief that Teach's attention was distracted.

'Do you not know me, man?' Teach asked, lowering his sword almost in disbelief.

'I am new to Providence. I got the name. Other than that I have responded with drawn pistol as I heard a shot and those two tables are full of my men. It's in their interest that I stand before you.' Devlin took the final step to the slab floor, fifteen feet from the towering pirate.

'Your men?' Teach took in the tables either side of him.

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.