Sebastian Darke: Prince of Pirates

by Philip Caveney

  'He's awake,' he heard her say, but he couldn't see who she was talking to and he presumed it must be Cornelius.

  'Young master!' Max's voice seemed to boom because Sebastian's ear was flat against the buffalope's back. 'Speak to me! Are you all right? Or have those villains dashed out your brains?'

  'What . . . what happened?' groaned Sebastian. His mouth was horribly dry and there was a buzzing sound in his ears, as though clouds of angry insects were swarming inside his skull.

  'You were hit with a belaying pin,' Jenna told him. 'It's a wonder your skull wasn't smashed in.' She glanced around quickly. 'They're taking us back to the Marauder. Trencherman said that he's prepared a special welcome for us.'

  'We . . . we have to bargain with him,' muttered Sebastian. He was barely holding onto consciousness. 'He doesn't know . . . where the rest of the treasure is . . . maybe we can use that . . .'

  But Jenna was shaking her head.

  'He searched me and found the map,' said Cornelius's voice from somewhere out of sight. 'He knows everything.'

  'But . . . but . . .' A great roaring redness was filling Sebastian's head, and Jenna's lovely face was fading away as unconsciousness tugged at his senses once again. He struggled to throw off the dark enveloping arms that reached up to claim him, but his strength was all gone. He slipped back into the darkness like a pebble falling into a bottomless lake.

  He woke again, and this time he knew he really was aboard a ship. There was no other way to account for that familiar pitching and rolling sensation. He opened his eyes and blinked, quickly realizing that he was in a dark and dingy location, somewhere below decks. Two anxious faces were gazing forlornly down at him in the semi-darkness. He recognized Jenna and Cornelius.

  Sebastian tried to sit up and a terrible pain lanced through his temples. He groaned and fell back onto what he realized was a rough wooden board with a thin blanket thrown over it.

  'Take it easy,' Jenna advised him. 'That was quite a whack you took. And besides, we aren't going anywhere for the moment.'

  Sebastian turned his head and understood what she meant when he saw a row of thick steel bars in front of him. He realized where he was: in a lockup down in the dank, dark bowels of the Marauder. He made an effort to put aside the pounding in his head and sat up, swinging his legs off the board and putting them down onto what he expected to be wooden planks. But he received a shock when they plunged into several inches of icy water.

  'What the—?'

  'Yes,' said Cornelius. 'I'm afraid it's every bit as bad as it could be. The Marauder is sinking. Clearly, enchanted as he was, Captain Trencherman didn't bother to make any repairs. That's how he was able to catch up with us so quickly. But at a terrible cost. His ship is doomed – it's only a matter of time before she goes down.'

  Sebastian lowered his hands to the water and scooped some up to splash in his face, which helped to bring him back to full consciousness. 'Where's Max?' he asked.

  Cornelius shrugged. 'He was taken aboard the ship when we were,' he said. 'I suppose he must still be up on deck.'

  'But . . . if we're sinking' – Sebastian struggled to make his fuddled senses work – 'then why are we out at sea?'

  Cornelius frowned. 'The Marauder was moored a short distance down the coast from the Sea Witch,' he observed. 'My guess is that Trencherman will try and make it to Jenna's ship. But knowing him, I can't see him politely asking if he and his crew can come aboard, can you?'

  'He'll have his hands full if he tries anything!' said Sebastian fiercely. 'Jenna's boys will give him a fight to remember!'

  But Cornelius was shaking his head. 'I don't think so,' he said. 'Not when they realize that Jenna is Trencherman's captive.'

  Realization dawned in Sebastian's aching head. 'Of course,' he said mournfully. 'That's why he didn't kill us all back at the crevasse. He means to use us as a bargaining tool!' He reached up a hand and touched his fingers against a hard lump on his head. He winced. 'We've got to do something,' he decided. 'We can't just sit here and let it happen.'

  'I'm afraid we don't have much choice,' Cornelius told him. 'I had a good look at those bars while you were sleeping. It would take a couple of thunder-sticks to make any impression on them. I tried picking the lock, but I didn't get anywhere with that approach. That's more your territory, Sebastian.' He looked thoughtfully down at the water around his ankles. 'The way this water is rising, we may not be sitting here for very long, anyway.'

  'He can't just let us drown like rats in a trap,' said Sebastian.

  'I wish I had your faith in human nature,' sighed Jenna. 'Trencherman is capable of just about anything. It's a shame I didn't ignore the Code of the Sea and leave him to perish when the Black Hand was attacking his ship.'

  Sebastian splashed more water onto his face. The pain in his head was still pretty bad, but at least the fuzziness had gone and he could now see everything with crystal-sharp clarity. He glanced at Cornelius. 'Let me have a look at that lock,' he said.

  Cornelius splashed aside and Sebastian searched in the pockets of his belt until he found a suitable pick. He reached through the bars and spent some time fiddling with the heavy padlock that secured the door, but without success. As he struggled, everyone was painfully aware that the level of the icy cold water was creeping gradually higher.

  'It's no use,' confessed Sebastian at last. He moved back to slump down on the seat. 'Perhaps if my head was clearer . . .'

  'We don't have the luxury of waiting for that,' Cornelius told him. 'Look, if I'm right about Trencherman needing Jenna as a hostage, he isn't going to let her drown. That would be stupid. And though that man may be sly and treacherous, the one thing he isn't is stupid. So . . . let's try something. When they come down to take Jenna out, you pretend that you're still unconscious, let them get past you and—'

  'You needn't bother,' said a voice from the top of the stairs on the other side of the room. Glancing up, they saw Trencherman coming down the staircase, followed by his first mate and a couple of other burly crewmen armed with swords. He was smiling again, that spiteful, all-knowing smile that Sebastian had already learned to hate. 'I was about to release you anyway. But please don't try anything funny. You're all unarmed and my men have instructions to cut you down at the slightest show of resistance.'

  One of the crewmen stepped down into the shallow water. He paddled across to the bars and unlocked the gate. Opening it, he stepped aside to allow the prisoners out. Trencherman beckoned to them impatiently. 'Well, come along, we haven't got all day. Or would you rather remain down here until you drown? Captain Swift, you first, if you please.'

  Jenna scowled and strode out of the cell, the water swirling around her knees now. 'Your ship's going down fast,' she observed. 'You should have taken our advice and gone back to Ramalat.'

  'Madam, I assure you I would have done so had I been in my right mind. But that witch commanded and I had to obey. Which means that I am in a fix and must resort to desperate measures.' Trencherman took hold of Jenna's arm and pulled her roughly towards the stairs. Sebastian and Cornelius started after her but were immediately seized by the sailors. Then Trencherman unsheathed a vicious-looking dagger and pressed the blade against Jenna's throat. 'Now, now, gentlemen, I have already told you,' he growled. 'No funny business. We're all going to go up on deck, nice and peaceable, and nobody is going to do or say anything that makes me angry, otherwise my hand is just liable to slip and make a mess of this pretty little neck.' He turned and pushed Jenna up the staircase before him. Sebastian and Cornelius had no option but to allow themselves to be frogmarched after her.

  They emerged into the brilliant sunlight of afternoon and stood blinking around for a moment. Trencherman's crew were gathered on the main deck, armed to the teeth and watching the captives impassively. Beyond them Sebastian caught sight of Max. He was lying on his side, chained around the neck to the wooden rail, and his front and back legs were roped securely together. He didn't look very happy, and when he caught sight
of Sebastian, he struggled against the thick ropes but could do nothing to free himself. Sebastian tried to make a move in his direction, but the sailors held him and pushed him forward again. He saw that over by the mizzen mast a small table had been set up with paper and ink. Trencherman propelled Jenna towards it and forced her to sit down in the vacant chair.

  'What's this? she demanded, looking down at the sheets of paper.

  'Those are deeds of sale,' Trencherman told her. 'I've just had them drawn up by the ship's clerk. They explain that you're selling the Sea Witch to me for a modest sum. I just need you to ink your signature here.' He pointed to a blank space at the bottom of the page.

  'Sell the Sea Witch?' Jenna glared at him. 'Are you mad?'

  'Not at all. I tried everything I could to persuade you to sell her to me when your father suffered his little accident, but you would not do it. Now my own ship is sinking and this time you will sell her, like it or not. And when I sail her back to Ramalat, I'll be able to prove that I didn't take her by force. These papers will see to it that nobody can contest my ownership.'

  'And what makes you think I'd agree to something like that?' snarled Jenna contemptuously.

  Trencherman smiled. 'I thought, perhaps, with the right persuasion—'

  'You can do what you like to me, I won't sign anything,' she told him.

  'Hmm. Well, I expected as much. You always were far too brave for your own good.'

  Trencherman gestured to the men who were holding Sebastian and Cornelius. 'Take them,' he said. The men started pushing them across the deck to the port side. Sebastian saw, to his horror, that a plank of wood had been securely fixed to the rail, jutting out over the open water. A bearded sailor was occupying himself throwing fish scraps over the side and he gave Sebastian a ghoulish gap-toothed grin.

  'Come along, lads,' he said. 'Don't be shy!'

  Sebastian started to struggle but he could not withstand the muscular crewmen holding him. They picked him up bodily from the deck and set his feet onto the plank of wood. A moment later Cornelius was lifted, kicking and struggling, to join him. Then various swords and spears were prodding them out towards the far end of the plank. Sebastian looked down into the clear blue water and saw, with a feeling of dread, that several big kelfers, attracted by the fish scraps, were moving around in the water, their triangular fins cleaving the surface.

  'It's quite simple,' Trencherman told Jenna. 'Sign the document . . . or your two friends become fish food.'

  Jenna shrugged and adopted a 'couldn't care less' expression. 'They're nothing to me,' she said. 'Do as you please.'

  Sebastian felt a brief jolt of shock at her attitude, but then realized that she was merely trying to bluff her way out of the situation.

  Trencherman studied her in silence. Then he grinned. 'Very well,' he said. 'Men, start with the breed.'

  The swords and spears began to jab with renewed intensity, and Sebastian had to flinch back from them, retreating to the very end of the plank.

  'Wait!' cried Jenna. She bowed her head in defeat. 'I'll sign,' she said quietly.

  A wave of bravado swept over Sebastian. 'Don't do it, Jenna,' he cried. 'Don't give him the satisfaction. It was your father's ship; it means everything to you.'

  Jenna looked at him and he saw that her eyes were glistening. 'It's not worth the lives of two men,' she told him. She picked up the quill and quickly wrote her name on the paper.

  'Splendid!' Trencherman grabbed the deed of sale, examined it for a moment, then folded it and slipped it into the inside pocket of his frock coat. 'In a short while,' he said, 'we will come upon the Sea Witch and you will prevail upon your crew to throw down their weapons and hand the ship over to me. Do you understand?'

  Jenna nodded sullenly, then looked expectantly towards the plank. 'What about them?' she asked.

  'Oh yes, I nearly forgot.' Trencherman looked up at Sebastian and Cornelius with that cold, merciless smile. 'Goodbye, gentlemen,' he said. 'I trust you'll enjoy your last swim.' And he signalled to his men.

  The swords and spears began prodding once again. Sebastian heard Jenna's shrill cry of protest.

  'But . . . you told me they would go free!'

  Trencherman shook his head. 'I don't believe I said anything of the sort,' he replied. 'You simply assumed I would let them go. But they are of no value to me now.'

  Sebastian was dimly aware of Jenna leaping up from her seat and of Trencherman grabbing her again; but he had little time to think about helping her, because a spear's cruel point had driven him to the very end of the plank and his heels were teetering on the edge of the drop. He caught a glimpse of Cornelius's grim expression, looking up at him; and then he lost his balance and he was falling, his arms waving frantically as he tumbled feet first towards the clear blue water where the hungry kelfers waited.

  CHAPTER 37

  A WATERY GRAVE

  The impact of the cold water hit him like a fist, driving all the breath out of his lungs, and he was sinking. At first he felt almost serene, as though he was descending into a silent, magical world where nothing could harm him; but then a lithe grey shape flashed through the water ahead of him, reminding him of the deadly danger he was in.

  He panicked, attempted to snatch in a breath and got a mouthful of salty water for his trouble. He clawed his way upwards and broke the surface, gasping for air He bobbed around in the water for a moment, coughing the last of the seawater out of his lungs, and saw the Marauder moving away at considerable speed and the vast expanse of water all around. To his left he could just make out the distant line of the shore, but it was a greater distance than he could ever swim, even if he wasn't surrounded by kelfers.

  And where was Cornelius?

  As if in answer to his thought, the little warrior surfaced a few feet away, coughing just as desperately as Sebastian had. Cornelius was rarely at a loss, but he was in an unfamiliar element here and, quite literally, out of his depth. He saw Sebastian and swam closer, spitting out water as he did so. He got up close and said one word, his eyes glittering with malice.

  'Trencherman,' he growled.

  Sebastian nodded. 'If we ever get out of this . . .' he said.

  Cornelius looked apprehensively at a great triangular fin cutting the surface a short distance to his left. 'It seems unlikely,' he said matter-of-factly. 'The best we can hope to do is sell our lives dearly.'

  Sebastian nodded and threw another hopeless glance after the Marauder, but it was already dwindling in size. 'If only I had a weapon of some kind . . .' he muttered.

  Cornelius sighed. 'I had a knife hidden in my boot,' he told Sebastian. 'I was hoping Trencherman's thugs wouldn't find it – but they did.'

  Sebastian looked at him for a moment and then pointed towards the distant shore. 'What do you think?' he gasped. 'Maybe . . .?'

  'We'd never make it,' said Cornelius flatly. 'It would take a champion swimmer to cross that distance. And we—'

  He broke off as a huge kelfer cruised through the water to his right.

  'They're getting bolder,' he said. 'Here . . .' He turned round in the water and pushed his back up against Sebastian's. 'Better get ready,' he said.

  'I don't want to die like this,' said Sebastian mournfully.

  'I have news for you. Neither do I. But sadly, you don't always get a choice in these matters.'

  A kelfer came speeding up from the deep, straight at Cornelius. He threw back his arm and punched it in the nose, and it veered away, crashing the water into a frenzy of foam.

  'Aim for their eyes if you can,' said Cornelius. 'It looks like the most vulnerable part of them.'

  Sebastian nodded. 'It's been a honour and privilege knowing you,' he told his friend.

  'I'm sure it has,' agreed Cornelius. 'You've had your moments too.'