The Stolen Heart (16 page)

 

 

Then he went to relieve Cook from his duties with Al.

 

 

“I’m fine. Why don’t you lie down?” Cook offered. "You can't have
been getting much sleep."

 

 

Jared grinned. “Better still, I'm going to muster the men and get
them to holystone the deck and get everything cleaned up properly.

 

 

"And I might just give Mate the laundry duty. A few hours soaking
the whaling slops in the urine barrel, and having to wash them and
rinse them will certainly keep him out of trouble.”

 

 

Cook winked. “I think the heads need to be cleaned as well.”

 

 

“Good idea. I’ll be back soon.”

 

 

Jared whistled a jaunty tune as he headed up on deck to tell Mate
the good news. It was no more than the bastard deserved; in fact,
for the rest of the voyage, he would make sure he found every dirty
disgusting chore he could manage for him and his boatcrew, and have
Mate led by example by doing it himself.

 

 

He would also ease Perkins gradually into more and more roles of
responsibility. There would be no need for an overt confrontation
until they got nearer port.

 

 

Then, once Mate was gone, Perkins would be taking over, so Jared
would have to make sure now that he was fit for the challenge in a
few weeks' time.

 

 

Mate was none to happy with the chores assigned, but did not dare
argue with Captain Starbuck. He was a man with power and influence,
and he had to admit, he was a good captain, even if he thought he
was too soft, and prone to unnatural attachments if that cabin boy
was anything to go by.

 

 

Still, so long as he didn’t lay a hand on him or try to roger half
the crew, it shouldn’t make a difference to him. No, what really
galled the Mate was not being captain of the
Trident
himself. He had never imagined when he had take the Master’s exam
that he would be cleaning the damned heads.

 

 

As soon as Jared’s back was turned, he asked around and discovered
that Al was indeed still ill, and laid up in bed in the Captain’s
cabin.

 

 

Well, he would just see about that. No little monkey was going to
lie about in the lap of luxury while he scrubbed the clothes in the
urine barrel.

 

 

But when he got down to the cabin and tried to enter, he found Cook
there, and he refused him admittance.

 

 

“I said, I’m here to order Al on duty.”

 

 

“No, you aren’t.”

 

 

“Are you trying to tell me that you refuse to obey the Captain’s
orders?”

 

 

“No.”

 

 

Mate gave a smug smile, and tried to push past him into the room.

 

 

“No, I mean that those orders never came from the Captain at all. Go
away before you get into even more trouble than you are already.”

 

 

“What? Are you sharing the little punk now?”

 

 

“I would watch my mouth if I were you.” Cook demanded, squaring up
to Mate with his fists balled.

 

 

“Or what? You’re going to make me?” Mate sneered.

 

 

“No,
I
am,” Jared said, coming down the companionway.

 

 

“Captain, I must protest,” Mate said in his most stern tone. “I was
just trying to see how the lad was, and this one here cheeked me.”

 

 

“No you weren’t,” Jared growled, a gleam of fury lighting his golden
eyes. He looked like a jaguar about to pounce. “You were trying to
victimize the child again, and Cook was trying to stop you. Get the
hell of my sight now. You stay away from Al and Cook from now on, do
you hear?”

 

 

“But Captain, I-”

 

 

“Save your breath. I wouldn’t believe a word that came out of your
mouth at this point. I am sorry to see what a terrible pass you have
come to, why you have taken against one of the crew so. Al has been
a good greenhand, one of the best, even though he is only supposed
to be the cabin boy. You’ve persecuted him, nearly killed him.”

 

 

“So he says, the lying little bastard.”

 

 

Jared slammed the first mate up against the wall by his lapels. “But
that is just it, Mate. He never said a word. But I
know
.
That last stunt of your, sending him aloft for eight hours in the
scorching sun, gave him heat stroke. He fell and nearly died. Do you
not even care about that?”

 

 

“It’ll toughen him up,” Mate shot back.

 

 

“Sure, if you don’t kill him first!” Jared slammed Mate so hard
against the wall he almost put him through the wooden partition.

 

 

“That’s the last straw, Mr. Reeves. I’ve been more than patient, and
given you more than enough chances. But you have done nothing but
abude your position on this shop, and played favorites yourself with
your own boat crew at the expense of the other men.

 

 

"So I'm not even going to waste my time with another warning. You’re
relieved of duty, and rank. I want you out of your cabin and into
the fo’c’sle by the end of the day. Cook, you stay here while I
muster all hands.”

 

 

Mate tried to protest, but Jared was already dragging him onto the
deck by the scruff of his neck, and called all hands to join him at
the main mast.

 

 

Everyone who was well enough mustered quickly, with the ill men the
forecastle trailing along behind, but at least making the effort,
not sure what the situation was but well-trained enough to know it
could be something serious and they would just have to do their best
to help.

 

 

Jared waited until they were all near enough to hear him, and said,
“It has come to my attention, men, that Mate here has been bullying
some of you. He appears to have decided he is going to run the ship
whatever way he likes without regard for your well-being. Now, I
like whale oil as much as the next captain, and a ship-shape vessel.
I want a greasy voyage, sure, but
not
at the expense of your
lives.

 

 

"It was Mate’s fault that Tom died. He knew the storm was coming. He
had been warned. But because it was Al who told him there was
lightning, he ignored him, attacked him, and while he was so busily
trying to punish the child for doing his duty, did nothing to save
the ship.

 

 

"The other day, he nearly killed Al by sending him aloft for eight
hours. Now he's just come to the child's sick room to do what, eh,
Mate, do your chores that I just assigned you?"

 

 

Mate didn't even bother to deny it.

 

 

Jared shook him by the shirt collar like the rat he was. "His own
silence proclaims him guilty. This man is obviously not fit for
command, or to ever become captain. Mr. Perkins shall be relieving
him and Mr. Wright will be made up to Second. Bob shall take over
from Wright as boatsteerer. We’ll take on new crew at our next port,
for it is evident that four of you are unwell and will not be able
to continue aboard."

 

 

The four men sighed, but didn't bother to argue.

 

 

“I had hoped to wait until we got to port to make this change of
Mate, but Mr. Reeves has stepped out of line once too often. He will
therefore be moving into the fo’c’sle by the end of the day. Mr.
Wright will move into his cabin, and Bob into Wright's place. There
will be one more space in steerage for anyone who would like to
apply for it. Otherwise, we will base it on seniority."

 

 

He looked around from one to the other, meeting the eye of each man,
all except Mate, who looked away.

 

 

“You have your orders, men, so I expect you to carry them out. Oh,
and one final point. If anyone would like to make me aware of any
complaints they also may have against Mr. Reeves, they have only to
come to see me, and it shall all be duly noted in the official
record. Any questions?”

 

 

“No, sir,” they all said to a man.

 

 

Mate glowered, but to make a fuss at this juncture would be
pointless. He had been disgraced in front of everyone, and would
just have to take his punishment.

 

 

But if he had any chance to get even with the Captain or that little
bugger Al, he would seize the chance and do it in a heartbeat.

 

 

 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

 

 

But Jared had other things to worry about than the former Mate's
enmity, for no sooner was Mr. Reeves settled in his new tight
quarters in the fo’c’sle, than one of the huge storms Cape Horn was
famous for blew up, sending everyone scurrying for the sails to take
them down.

 

 

Too much sail, and they would be blown over. Not enough, and they
would be at the mercy of the elements, bobbing up and down like a
cork amid the forty foot waves.

 

 

Al moved restlessly down below, thrashing her head from side to side
on the pillow. Cook tried to soothe her with cool compresses on her
fevered brow, but she would not still.

 

 

Almost as if sensing the storm, her ravings grew more and more
urgent.

 

 

“I have to go. I have to. He needs me,” she repeated over and over
again.

 

 

Cook assumed she was delirious, and went to fetch some fresh water
for her to drink.

 

 

As soon as he was gone, she opened her eyes and swung her shaky legs
over the side of the bunk. She took up one of Jared’s discarded
shirts, and her trousers, which were folded at the top of the
dresser, and yanked them on as she headed up the companionway.

 

 

Jared needed her. He was in danger. She had to help him….

 

 

The ship rocked and bucked, first pitching bow-downwards into the
waves, and then from larboard to starboard. It felt as though a
battering ram were crashing against the front of the ship, sending a
huge judder from stem to stern.

 

 

Most of the men were clinging onto the ropes and laboring to pull
the sails down. Jared was standing by the rail, and her heart turned
over seeing his handsome face. Not that she had not seen it, for her
dreams had been filled with nothing but him.

 

 

But here he was in the flesh, and in danger. In the pitch blackness,
she sensed the movement rather than saw it.

 

 

Whoever it was, she knew they meant harm. In these conditions, it
would be all too easy to be rid of Jared with just one well-timed
shove….

 

 

“Jared, look out!” she shouted, as Mate rushed him.

 

 

Jared stared at her for a split second, just enough time for Mate to
gather enough speed to send the unsuspecting captain flying over the
taffrail.

 

 

Jared managed to cling on with one hand, but Mate was standing right
over him, ready to smash his hand with a belaying pin.

 

 

Al ran forward, and grabbed him with one of the wrestling holds Cook
had taught her. With a preternatural strength born of fury and
desperation, she heaved him straight over the side. Above the
howling of the wind, no one even heard the splash.

 

 

She grabbed Jared’s wrist and shouted, “I’ve got you! Grab me with
your other hand, quick!”

 

 

His warm hard fingers locked onto her wrist, and she leaned
backwards, lifting him far enough to get his waist level with the
railing. She pulled at his belt, and then they were tumbling on the
deck in a tangle of arms and legs.

 

 

“Are you all right?” she asked.

 

 

“I am now. Thank you,” he panted.

 

 

He stroked her soaking hair out of her face, and then pulled her up
onto her feet and into his arms.

 

 

“Come, my dear, you should be in bed.”

 

 

He shouted up the deck to Mr. Perkins, “Are we all right?”

 

 

“Aye, Captain. We will keep all hands at the ready, but for the
moment we are making good progress right around the Horn.”

 

 

“I’ll be below if you need me.”

 

 

A panic-stricken Cook came charging onto the deck, obviously looking
for Al. His expression was one of pure relief as he saw her with
Jared.

 

 

“She’s all right. If she hadn’t come up here, I would be a dead man
by now. But why did you let her?”

 

 

Cook stared. “I didn’t let her. I left her for only a minute. She
was muttering something about someone needing her. By the time I got
back with the water, she was gone.”

 

 

“I’ll take over with her for now. It’s all right, Cook. I’m not
angry.”

 

 

Cook gave him a relieved smile, and headed forward to help the new
first mate.

 

 

Jared lifted Almira into his arms and carried her down below to the
cabin. He stripped off her soaking clothes, and wrapped her in a
blanket.

 

 

Then he took off his own, and wrapped himself in one as well, and
tugged her into his embrace.

 

 

“I was never so relieved to see anyone in my entire life as I was to
see you just now.”

 

 

He rubbed her shoulders and back, coaxing the warmth back into her
trembling limbs.

 

 

She snuggled against him as if being in his arms were the most
natural place in the world for her.

 

 

She had not objected to him removing her clothes-was she really as
innocent as she seemed?

 

 

But Jared decided he didn’t care. There were no more questions about
Al for him any longer.