by Alex Bledsoe
I picked up the knife and waited for the shakes to stop and my breathing to return to normal. When my fingers were steady, I checked her neck for a pulse. It was there, and she moaned when I pulled my hand away.
I carried her to the wall and propped her against it. There was nothing to cover her with, but the tropical breeze wasn’t exactly chilling. I tore a strip from my tunic and risked dipping it in the water, but again, there was no sign of the beast. I returned and wiped her face until, at last, her eyes opened and focused on me.
“You didn’t kill me,” she said.
“Hell, I didn’t even mean to hit you. It was a reflex.”
She looked down at herself. “I’ve still got my clothes on.”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
She smiled wryly, without humor. “You’ve never been a woman captured by pirates. Even old pirates.” She gently felt the back of her head. When she pulled her fingers away, there was no blood. “There’s a lump, but it doesn’t seem to be serious. What’s your name?”
“Eddie.”
She laughed, again without any humor. “No.”
“Yeah. Eddie LaCrosse.”
“Another one. Two Eddies. Well, he’s an Edward. Was an Edward.” She paused, took a moment to compose herself, and said, “Is he really dead?”
“Yeah.”
“Can I see? I need to see it for myself.”
“Sure, if it won’t wake up Grabby.” I nodded at the pool.
“Cherish,” she corrected.
“Cherish? That thing’s name is Cherish?”
“Everything needs a name. Wendell picked it; he said she was an old girlfriend who went crazy on him.”
“Wendell Marteen?”
“Yeah.”
I wanted to ask her more questions, but the desperate need in her eyes was hard to ignore. I helped her to her feet, led her around the wall, and showed her the corpse of Black Edward Tew.
After giving her a few moments to take it in, I asked quietly, “How did he end up in there?”
She kept her eyes on the body. “A comedy of errors. He dropped the key to the treasure chamber out here and didn’t realize it until the door slammed shut behind him.”
“So where were you when that happened?”
She smiled, again with no warmth. “Right here. He took me everywhere, and I mean that literally. One of his favorite places was bent over his precious treasure. This time, though, he told me to wait outside while he filled the box. His last and best mistake.”
She knelt and reached through the bars toward his nearest hand, too far away to touch. “You have no idea what that man did to me. You can’t imagine. And all I wanted in revenge was to see him die. And I missed it.”
“Where were you?”
“Where do you think? Following you. Didn’t you see my footprint in the mud? I didn’t have time to go back and cover it up.”
“Did you sic the lizards on us, then?”
“No, they don’t need me to help them find meat.”
I looked at the way the door was constructed. There would be no removing it easily, and picking the lock would take time. “So the door just happened to close when you were out here and he was in there?”
“Think whatever you want,” she said wearily. “I threw the key into the pool when I realized he was locked in. It was the only one; no copies. There’s no fishing it out, and there’s no way to break into the cave without stirring up Cherish, and she’s so big and pulpy, weapons don’t hurt her. Which means you’ve wasted your trip.”
“I’m not interested in the treasure.”
She laughed. It came out as a sharp little snort.
“I’m serious,” I insisted. “Why does nobody believe that?”
“Are you a monk?” she taunted.
“No, I’m a sword jockey. I was hired to find Black Edward Tew, nothing more.”
She looked up. “Then… did my husband send you? To find me and bring me back?”
“No,” I said. “But I will take you back, if you want.”
She just stared at me. I couldn’t imagine the feelings going through her, so I just waited. At last, she said, “You really are just looking for Edward? Not the treasure?”
“Yes. Someone wanted to know what happened to him.” Now I laughed without any amusement. “You reminded me of her, actually. That’s why you startled me so much.”
“The other Angelina?”
I nodded.
“So I do look a lot like her.”
“A lot,” I agreed.
She gazed down at Edward’s haggard face, now gray with death. His wet hair lay plastered across his cheeks and forehead. “Edward kidnapped me from Kontis, where I worked in my husband’s tavern. He said I reminded him of someone, and I guess it was this Angelina woman. He brought me here… my God, fifteen years ago. My husband barely knew I was around when I was underfoot all the time; wonder how long it took him to notice I was gone?” She paused. “Of course, that was before Edward went crazy.”
“Crazy how?”
“You know how every ship has a bell with its name on it? He took the bell from his ship before he sank it. He used to say he could hear it ringing still, even when it sat there on his desk, collecting dust. Finally, he gave it to one of the old men in town.”
“The ones you released the lizards to get?”
“They got what they deserved. And if the lizards kill some of Wendell’s crew when they get back, that’s even fewer people around to hurt me.”
“So who were the people that lived here? Not Tew’s original crew.”
She snorted. “No, they’re dead. You know, even after he gave away the bell, Edward swore he could see their ghosts accusing him of treachery and murder. He painted that mural to try to quiet them, to give them a memorial. But they only lived here,” she said, tapping her temple.
She shook her head back to the moment. “The ones in the huts were people Wendell accumulated whenever he left the island. For years it was just me, Edward, and Wendell. Then when Wendell would leave, he’d bring someone back. They were harmless, or so I thought; just bums too lazy or old or injured to make a living at sea, and wanting nothing more than a beach to lie on and enough rum to make them forget. They were afraid of Edward, so they mostly left us alone. But Wendell gathered enough of them that he finally made a crew after Edward’s accident. If you stay long enough, you’ll get to meet them. They should be back soon.”
“Wendell’s crew isn’t coming back.”
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What happened?”
“The ship in the harbor is a pirate hunter I hired to help me find Edward Tew. We captured the Bloody Angel and sent the survivors back to Blefuscola to hang. Wendell’s dead.”
Now her lips twisted in a little smile, one very Angelina-like. “You expect me to believe you got away from his trap?”
“Sank it right on top of the monster.”
“Without poxbinder?”
Many things clicked into place in my head. “Is that what was in those jugs you used?”
“Mostly water. Just a tiny bit of poxbinder.”
That explained the cache on the Bloody Angel. Marteen wanted enough poxbinder to tranquilize or kill Cherish so he had time to break through the bars and get to the treasure. “So how did Marteen get the other monster to cooperate? Did he drug it, too?”
“Yes. He called that one Abigail. Cherish is too big to leave the cave, but the males are smaller and they get in through some underwater passage. She lays eggs every year, and they grow fast. He caught Abigail when she was no bigger than his hand, raised her until she was the size of a rowboat, and then chained her to the bottom of an old ship he stole. She kept growing, and when she was big enough, he towed the ship out into the ocean, figuring any ship that stopped to check on it would get its crew eaten. Then he could raid the poxbinder from their medicine chests.”
“Never occurred to him to just go buy the stuff?”
“Did you meet him?”
She turned and leaned back against the bars. Eyes closed, she said, “So Edward’s dead. And Wendell. And everyone else.”
“Except you.”
She let out a deep, long sigh. “Does the real Angelina know about the treasure?”
“She’s not interested in it, either.”
“So what happens to it?”
I thought about Jane, Clift, and Suhonen waiting above. I thought about dirt-poor, dirt-farming Duncan. It was better for all of them if they never knew. “You and I are the only ones left alive who know about it. Do you want it?”
“No,” she said emphatically. “I’ve been raped on top of it, and now that he’s dead, I never want to see it again.”
“Then if you don’t mention it, I won’t.”
“You can really walk away from all that?”
“Doesn’t seem to have done anyone else very much good, does it? Besides, I did what I was hired to do. I found out what happened to Black Edward.”
Her expression changed to one of almost little-girl desperation, disconcerting on such an obviously grown woman. “So you’ll be leaving soon?”
I nodded.
She licked her lips nervously. “And you really will take me with you, like you said? Off the island?”
“Of course.”
She ran her hands through her hair, trying to straighten and arrange it, and arched her back so that her breasts strained against the leather vest. “I’ll do anything,” she said demurely, her assertiveness gone. “Just please don’t hurt me.”
“You don’t have to. And I won’t. No one will.”
I saw gratitude like I never imagined I could see in a human being’s eyes, shaded with the skepticism a life like hers demanded. “You swear?”
“I swear. We’ll get you back home.”
“Not home,” she said quickly. “It’s been too long. Just… somewhere else. Somewhere away from the ocean.”
“Okay. Now let’s go catch up with my friends. They’re probably getting worried by now. And I’d rather not be here when Cherish finally wakes up.”
“I’ll show you the quick way.”
“Quicker than the shaft from the cottage?”
She laughed. “There’s an easy path up the hill outside that crack.”
“Really? Then what was the shaft for?”
“Oh, the crack is recent. It opened up just after Edward got locked in. Before that, they had to use the shaft to bring up the gold he sent off with Marteen.”
“He sent Marteen off with the gold? It looked like most of it was still there.”
“Most of it is. He just sent a single box at a time. He did it a couple of times a year, but never told me why. I asked once, and he tied me to a tree and beat me. I never asked again.”
I suddenly knew exactly where the gold went, but I said nothing. I was too tired for more epiphanies. We climbed the hill just as the rain began, and by the time we found Jane and the others, it fell steadily. It was not a storm, though; it was a hard shower, washing clean the years Barbara had been forced to live here under another woman’s name.
Chapter Thirty-three
It took a long time to get back to Neceda. I told no one but Jane that I’d found Black Edward. Clift and the rest believed I’d discovered only a cave and Edward’s former concubine.
Barbara had learned a lot of useful nautical skills during her time as Tew’s captive, and she quickly fell into the shipboard routine. She was okay with anyone who spoke to her, but she reacted violently if someone deliberately touched her. This quickly became common knowledge, and she was treated with the deference her experience on the island demanded. She and Jane spent a lot of time together talking, and I think having another woman to confide in, particularly one as self- possessed as Jane, helped a lot. I didn’t know where she’d end up, but I felt good about her chances.
At Blefuscola, harbormaster Moleworth presented Clift with a medal and a certificate of appreciation from Queen Remy herself. She had been monitoring the shipping crisis, and when Clift’s crew arrived with Marteen’s Bloody Angel, she was informed at once. I could tell it bugged Moleworth to deliver this praise, but he did so with professional efficiency. I wondered if it also meant Clift got a raise. Most of the Red Cow ’s crew was there to witness the ceremony, and Moleworth let Jane pin the little ribbon on Clift’s tunic. Clift clearly enjoyed getting the award from his old captain.
As we left the ceremony in the harbormaster’s office, Suhonen said behind me, “Got a minute?”
This time I didn’t jump, although as always, I had no idea he was there. “How did you get to be so good at sneaking up on people?”
“I’m the runt of my family. I had to learn to disappear if I didn’t want my brothers to kick my arse.”
“I see. Well, what can I do for you?”
“After all we’ve gone through, I wondered if you thought I’d make a good sword jockey.”
“Sure. Lots of it isn’t very exciting, though. And it’s easy to lose your way, morally speaking.”
“Easier than when you’re a pirate?”
“Okay, maybe not. But you still have to keep a close watch on yourself.”
He nodded, thinking hard. “Would you like an apprentice?”
“Me? No. I’m not a good team player.”
“You could’ve fooled me. You led that boarding party like you’d done it all your life.”
“And you’ll remember, the other ship got away.”
He laughed. “Okay, thanks, Mr. LaCrosse. I’ll keep what you said in mind. I owe Captain Clift my sword until the end of this tour, but after that, we may be working the same side of the street. Mind if I come by occasionally to ask your advice?”
“You’re way too big for me to refuse.”
We shook hands, and then followed the rest of the Red Cow ’s crew to the nearest tavern.
I bought a round of drinks for everyone, and we all toasted both Clift’s award and the successful voyage. Songs were sung, tales were told, and a few noses bloodied. Mostly we laughed. I realized that I’d actually miss these former lawbreakers, and came closer to changing careers than I can truly blame on the alcohol. But my anchor was already set back in Neceda, my home port.
I kept an eye out for the strange man who’d prophesied that I’d find Black Edward alive. There was no trace of him, and no one else in Blefuscola remembered him. Like the ghost of Dorsal Finn, he’d quietly vanished, his job done.
Before the Cow departed, I managed to get Duncan alone on shore. We stood at the rail along the dock, gazing out at the harbor. When it wasn’t packed to the gills with terrified ships, it was a beautiful place. “So what are your plans?” I asked him.
“I haven’t gotten paid yet, so I can’t go back to Watchorn.
Guess I’ll keep working until I can.”
“Do you want to go back?”
“I miss my boys.”
“And your wife?”
“More than I thought I would. But not as much as the kids.” I paused. I was about to light the fuse. “I need to tell you something. Back on the island, down in that hole… I found your father.”
He turned to look at me. “Really,” he said flatly.
I nodded. “He was dead. He’d been dead for a while.” It was a small lie for comfort’s sake, and I could live with that.
He chewed his lip. “Well… I guess that’s that. You don’t get answers to every question, do you?”
“Sometimes none at all,” I agreed. Then I handed him a pouch of gold, cut from Angelina’s advance. “Here’s a bonus. Don’t say anything about not deserving it or just doing your job. You left Watchorn a whiny little boy, and I’d call you a man now. A man who needs to get home to his family.”
He tried not to let his pride show as he took the money. “Thanks, Mr. LaCrosse. And when you see my mother…”
I waited for the rage and fury.
He smiled. “Just give her my regards. Tell her where to
find me. If she wants to see her grandsons, that’s great, if not-” He shrugged. “-I won’t hold my breath.”
“Probably a good idea.”
Jane and I left the Red Cow in Blefuscola and booked passage to Mosinee on a passenger ship. Compared to what we’d had on the Cow, these quarters were palatial, and we both slept soundly for about three days straight. Subsequently, she spent most of her time in the ship’s bar, regaling tourists with tall tales of adventure in return for free drinks. Her laugh carried from bow to stern. By the end of the first week, most of the men on board thought they were in love with her.
I had a grimmer task. I had put off reading Black Edward Tew’s journal, diary, or whatever the hell it was as long as I could. I knew it would probably answer most of my remaining questions, and Angelina would want those answers. But I was sick of this whole case by now, disgusted with the people who would do such horrible things for such petty, selfish reasons. I’d had my fill of the Brotherhood of the Surf.
Still, I was a professional. I ordered some ale, locked my door, and arranged the journal so that the light from the porthole shown on the pages. The cover promised I’d know why Black Edward had done the awful things he had done. I opened it, saw the neat words written in my own native language, and began to read.
He told about his past: the son of a well-to-do merchant, educated and trained for the family business but enamored of the sea since childhood. I didn’t know the family he said he came from, but socially they would have been a tier or two beneath me. I recognized the place names, though, and the descriptions. He was Arentian, all right, just like me.
And in a short time, I knew pretty much everything else about him, too.
WHEN we reached Mosinee, I paid Jane what I owed her and added a healthy bonus, which used up the last of Angelina’s gold. Our horses, kept in reasonable shape by the stable, showed no overt sign they’d missed us. Baxter seemed just as annoyed as he always did when I climbed onto his back. I was equally uncomfortable after being out of the saddle for so long. I could tell my butt was going to really hurt for a while.
Outside Tallega, we stopped where the road divided. “Well, LaCrosse, this is it,” Jane said. “A hell of a trip, I’d say.”
