Hades's Revenge (10 page)

“Fin don’t hide things from us. ’E’s a right
good pirate, ’e is,” another slurred.

Another bunch of grunting endorsements were
spewed from the crowd at the table when Squid’s eye caught Jessop’s
watching them.

“Whatchya lookin’ at, boy? Gitch yerself an
earful, did ya?”

Jessop hadn’t realized he was staring at the
men and swiftly turned his head towards his own table’s
conversation.

“Let’s get outta here, men. Come on,” Squid
said with a glare of distaste directed at Jessop, to which he acted
as if he didn’t notice with a laugh at something William said.

“What was that about?” Jim said sitting down
with a pint of brew next to Stubby after his bath.

William offered, “Jesse here, is itching to
get his bones broken by old Fin.”

“What? Bad idea, lad,” Stubby said.

“I’m not trying to offend him, I just asked
him a question,” Jessop retorted.

“Or ten,” William said after a gulp. “And
now you’re eavesdropping on his bootlickers letting off a little
steam?”

“I wasn’t eavesdropping, or at least I
hadn’t meant to.”

“Sure you weren’t,” William added
sarcastically as the other men looked at Jessop with concern.

“Fin is no one to be maddenin’. He’s a short
fuse and lighting tis a bad idea,” Jim offered with a lisp.

“Indeed you’re right. That was not my
intention, I just asked him who it was that bought the loot we had
for sale and he spouted off about some pirate code I was unaware
of.”

“He,” *hiccup* “does like to,” *hiccup*
“throw that into,” *hiccup* “his conversations,” Tom said.

Stubby said, “Doesn’t he just!”

“First off, I can tell you who buys our
treasures,” Jim offered. He took a sip of beer before continuing,
“We’ve been selling the arms and supplies to the patriot troops.
They meet us here every so often in two smaller ships and we sell
them what we’ve raided from the royal navy,” he explained.

“Why smaller ships? Wouldn’t it be easier
and cheaper to do it with one large ship?” Jessop asked.

“Maybe, but smaller ships is less likely to
be haulin’ weapons and less likely to get stopped by the Brits,” he
said.

“I see. Do the patriots think it will come
to war?”

“They’re already planning fer it and
gatherin’ men.”

“And the captain’s an advocate for the
cause?”

“Yes. That’s why he sells to them so cheaply
and why everything is so secretive.”

“Indeed. It would have to be. Why here
though?”

“I’m thinking it has to do with one of his
anonymous buyers who lives on this island. Plus Great Diamond has a
sheltered port where we can do our business without being seen by
ships passing by.”

“Why anonymous?”

“Who knows…maybe he’s a wanted man, or maybe
he has ties to the patriotic war brewing in the colonies. For
whatever reason, the captain has kept his word and made good on
keeping his identity a secret. Some think this secret fellow is one
of George Washington’s men or he himself.”

“The general?”

“The very one. Though I doubt he could be
away so often without someone noticing.”

“My thoughts too, but they say he has a
secret circle of spies that do his bidding. Word is it’s one of
these fella’s the captain meets. They say it might even be a
woman.”

“A woman spy? Highly unlikely,” Jessop
remarked.

Jim raised his eyebrow to the comment as if
he wasn’t so sure.

“And this…code. What is it?”

“The pirate’s code? Some follow it, some
don’t. It’s just a set of rules to live by,” Jim said.

“I didn’t think pirates abided by any
rules.”

“To a degree. I mean, the ship has rules. We
follow those, but some like Fin who take the rules to another
level, feel the code is what makes a successful pirate crew.”

“So what are these codes? Are they written
down somewhere?”

“I suppose they are, but as to where, I
certainly know not. They’re really just common sense. Don’t steal
from your mates, always be ready for battle, every crew member gets
a vote, fight to the death for your ship, don’t bring a woman
aboard…stuff like that.”

“I see.”

“Some crews add their own rules, so not all
are the same, and most are loosely interpreted as the needs that
arise.”

Jessop nodded in acceptance of
understanding.

“What about this ill will towards the
captain? Is it an issue?”

“There’s always a few who disagree with the
way things are run. It’s human nature I fear, but my hope is these
men were just talking, not organizing a coup of mutiny.”

“I understand.”

“Good. Now keep your distance from Fin. He’s
bad news.”

“I’ll take that under advisement.”

“Do that, Jesse. We kind of like you and
your fancy inventions.”

They all clanged their steins and cups
together. “Thanks,” Jessop added.

Jessop excused himself from the boys at the
table and went outside to relieve himself against a tree behind the
building. It was twilight—that beautiful time when the sun has
dipped behind mountains or sea, sending magnificent colors into the
sky and clouds. While he enjoyed the grandeur of nature’s artistic
performance, he heard footsteps walking down the path that led over
the wooded bluff and out of sight. A brief moment caught his breath
as he glanced up to see someone he recognized.

Trying not to make a sound around the
branches and rocks that littered the area, he peeked out from
behind a tree and saw the captain ambling up the path with a worn
leather satchel slung over one of his shoulders.

Where is he going? Is this what the men were
referring too? Was a private meeting about to happen that might
possibly include George Washington? No. That was preposterous. The
man had much too much to do without traveling to Diamond Island
every couple of months to meet with the captain of a pirate ship.
Though the captain had hinted at a secret he would divulge at a
later time and he did speak with a British accent. So many
questions darted through his head that he did not notice footsteps
coming up behind him.

“What are you looking at?” William
asked.

“Ho!” he said in a loud whisper. “You scared
me?”

“I scared you? You’re scaring me with
picking fights and spying on people. Have you lost your wits about
you?” William said focusing his attention at relieving himself.

“No,” Jessop said, leaning against the
tavern’s outside wall.

“Good, so tell me who you were spying
on?”

“I wasn’t spying, I just heard footsteps and
found it was the captain heading into the woods,” he answered.

“So the stories are true—he does venture off
on secret meetings,” William said making his way over to
Jessop.

“It would seem so,” Jessop said. Stepping
backward and looking up the path where he’d seen the captain
moments ago, he bumped into a woman carrying several large baskets.
The collision sent the baskets into the air and crashing in a
jumble of debris.

“Look where you’re going,” she said as she
composed herself putting her hands on her hips and assessing the
mess. “What do you think you were doing?”

“I wasn’t expecting anyone to be there,”

“Well, you were wrong, now, weren’t you,”
she said as she squatted and opened one of the basket revealing a
slimy goo of smashed eggs. “What a mess,” she added as she revealed
the same contents in the other two basket.

“Look what you’ve done,” she said to Jessop
as if scolding a pet.

“It was not my intention to…” Jessop bent to
dump the contents of the basket into the weeds.

“Don’t….” she shrilled.

“What?” he said as the last of the eggs hit
the dirt noticing a painted name on the side of the basket,
“Patti’s Eggs.”

“There could have been some good ones in
there. Don’t touch another thing,” she roared.

“My very purpose is only to assist you.”

“You’ve assisted enough for one day,” she
said bluntly as she felt through the slime for unbroken eggs in the
other two baskets, then added the muck to the pile Jessop had
started. She had saved maybe four eggs out of three baskets wrapped
them in a handkerchief she had pulled out of an apron pocket and
gathered up her baskets.

“Please, let me help,” Jessop insisted,
practically yanking the baskets out of her hands all the while
William was at the corner of the building smiling and laughing at
the spectacle before him.

“To what end?” she said yanking them back
and breaking the handle of one. “Perfect” was her response. She
grabbed the remnants and hobbled to the path she was on, favoring
one leg greatly.

“You’ve hurt yourself,” Jessop urged.

“I did not hurt myself. YOU twisted my
ankle, and the last thing I want or need is your aid.”

“Come now, let me take some of the weight
off your ankle,” he said grabbing her arm and putting it over his
neck as he tried to act as a crutch.

She was having none of that and swatted at
him, pushing him away only for her to trip over a stone and fall
hard on her rump. She sat for a moment as if gauging what to do
next, then with red-splotched cheeks looked at Jessop. He started
to chuckle. It wasn’t his intention but the whole incident was so
ridiculously comical that he couldn’t help himself.

He didn’t look to William because he heard
him chortling at the spectacle already. She leaned back a bit
resting her weight on her arms. “You find this humorous?” she
asked, eyes narrowed.

Jessop tensed his lips in an attempt to
conceal the smile that had been there as he extended his hand to
help her up. She slapped it away. “I don’t want your help.” She
stumbled to her feet, brushed her skirts off, and gathered her
baskets noticing another handle casualty. Her auburn hair was
disheveled, and long strands had come unbound from the neat bun she
once had at the back of her head.

“Please, you’re hurt, let me see you safely
home,” Jessop said again offering to support her as she walked.

With raised eyebrows and a stern face, she
pointed a finger at him as she wobbled from the pain in her ankle.
“YOU are not touching me. Not now. Not ever!”

Annoyed by her stubbornness, Jessop offered,
“Agreed. I won’t touch you, but my friend here can help you while I
carry your wares.”

“Wares, as if I have anything left,” she
said under her breath and then looked to William with a suspicious
eyeing.

“How did I get pulled into this?” William
said, trying to keep his laughter in control.

She returned Jessop’s gaze and with a
dissatisfied huff, she said, “Fine, but he has to carry me
piggyback. I don’t want his hands around my waist.”

“Agreed,” Jessop said, waving William to
them.

A flustered surprised look shown on
William’s face and for a moment he couldn’t get any words out. “I
don’t see how it’s my back that has to pay for your mishap,” he
said, bending over for her to jump on his back.

“Hmph,” exploded from William’s mouth as he
looked at Jessop for sympathy. He met with only a smirk.

* * *

As they walked along the path, only the
nature around them and the stomping of their footsteps disturbed
the quiet. The sky was muddled with fluffy gray clouds that
meandered inland from sea. No one dared say a word for a long
while. The trees became less dense as they emerged into a wide
green meadow with a dilapidated barn set in the middle. It had long
been abandoned, but its roof and walls remained in fairly good
condition.

A drop of rain fell upon Jessop’s nose, then
another. A white streak zipped across the darkening sky and a large
boom of thunder followed. The sprinkles of rain grew into a pouring
of water and Jessop pointed to the barn to take refuge therein.

“We are not spending the night in that
rickety old barn,” the woman said.

“It’s the only thing we can do. The
lightning will surely strike us out in the open and the chances of
us slipping and injuring ourselves will steepen if we trek on in
this weather,” Jessop said.

“No,” she argued wiggling out of William’s
grasp and off his back. She was soaked to the skin as were they all
as she limped along the muddy path. William made a run for the barn
now that he was free of his load. Jessop stood watching the woman
trying to walk with her heavy, wet skirt material accumulating
weight from the mud that attached itself to her hem with every
step. She was a stubborn mule of a girl, but he wasn’t going to
have her death on his conscience.

“I’m going to regret this,” he said to
himself, then ran passed her, and turned, blocking the way. With
the advantage of surprise, he lunged toward her and threw her over
his shoulder. She kicked and screamed and wiggled. She pounded on
his back. “Put me down this instant!”

“I will not. This is for your own good,” he
declared defiantly and smiled a bit that he finally had the upper
hand in this situation. After much complaining and jostling, she
realized there was no getting loose and gave up the fight.

Another flash of lightning and the crack of
thunder at the same time, told Jessop he better pick up the pace.
The lightning was close and two figures in an open field was not a
great place to be. The barn may be a beacon in the lightning storm
but at least it was protection from the rain, and the huge oak next
to it was a more likely target for the bolts.

Whatever happened, the barn was where they
were headed and he wasn’t looking forward to the tongue lashing he
knew was coming. But she wasn’t exactly the most amiable woman he
ever met. He was sure if he had just scooped her into his arms, she
would have beaten him over the head with her baskets. At least this
way he wouldn’t get hurt too badly.

Jessop crashed through the barn door, out of
breath and drenched, then released his unwitting passenger to the
ground. She shoved him away and took several large steps back with
an indignant look.