The Queen's Pardon (Alexis Carew Book 6)

by J. A. Sutherland

  “And the fastest, which would get us to safety all the quicker. Stay and fight? A useless gesture, which would only —”

  “Yer a bloody pegger,” Blackbourne muttered.

  “Is he?” Deckard asked, then nodded. “Seems true enough. Yes. Bloody pegger, him.”

  Ellender’s jaw clenched. “I’ve had enough from the pets — and that one —” He pointed at Blackbourne. “— I’ll see hung as soon as we’re in darkspace and clear of this place. Lieutenant?”

  Alexis hesitated.

  “I expected as much,” Ellender muttered. He tapped his tablet, which he must have got from aboard Claw and drew his pistol, Culliver doing the same, but slower and with some reluctance.

  “Captain Ellender?” Alexis asked, startled.

  “Stay where you are.” Ellender tracked his pistol from Alexis to Blackbourne and on to Kannstadt. “All of you. My men and I are taking this ship and sailing for New London.”

  Alexis’ own tablet pinged for her attention. Ellender jerked his head at it.

  “Take the call, Carew, and let’s avoid any unpleasantness.”

  Alexis tapped the device and Dockett’s voice sounded. The bosun spoke slowly and carefully, as though trying not to spook an angry dog. “Ah, sir, we’ve a bit of a kerfuffle with Captain Ellender’s boat crew …”

  “Tell your crew to stand down, Lieutenant Carew.”

  Captain Ellender kept his pistol trained on her, as though he thought Alexis might come over the expanse of her own dining table and grasp at his throat.

  Which, when one thought about it, showed the other captain had a rather good understanding of Alexis at the moment.

  “Captain Ellender,” she said, keeping her words as slow and calm as her bosun had a moment before. “This isn’t necessary.”

  “I’ve seen your sort before, Carew. Convinced of your own rightness and judging others — and I know the sorts of extremes you’ll go to. My men want to go home, and I do too — we’ve had enough of the Barbary, enough of enslavement, and enough of the bloody Hannies.”

  Kannstadt snorted at that.

  “This ship,” Ellender went on, ignoring the Hanoverese captain, “is far faster than those others, and better armed. We’re going to take it and go home, then let a proper fleet worry about the pirates and bloody Erzurum.”

  “You heard what Blackbourne told us this Ness will do,” Alexis said. “Captain Kannstadt’s seen the sorts of repercussions the pirates took on Erzurum for simply attacking a farmstead. Do you not think they’ll do that and worse for our escape? You’re dooming those men left behind to death. All the men from our fleets and the civilians of Erzurum as well.”

  “Perhaps,” Ellender said. “It’s a risk we all took when we first sailed. But, as you pointed out, I’m senior in-system, and I think their best chance lies with notifying the Fleet and Admiralty.” He jerked his head at Kannstadt. “If you’re so concerned, Captain Kannstadt, then you should sail for Hanover as well, as your own fleet is closer.”

  Kannstadt was watching Ellender with lips curled in disdain. He slowly reached out and grasped his mug of poor beer, then took a sip. “I believe I will follow Captain Carew’s plan.” He chuckled. “The water is rising yet again, and I do not wish to be caught on my roof.”

  “Enough of your bloody platitudes.” Ellender jerked the pistol he still pointed at Alexis. “My men have spread out through the ship and drawn their weapons when I signaled them. Tell yours to stand down.” He nodded to her tablet. “There’s no need for bloodshed.”

  “What is the state of the ship, Mister Dockett?” Alexis asked to her tablet.

  “All that prissy so-and-so Ellender’s men’ve gone and drawn on us, sir. The lads haven’t drawn back, them being our own, and all, but it’s a bit, what you might call, tense, sir.” Alexis could almost hear Dockett swallow. “They’ve men in engineering and on the quarterdeck.” He paused again. “Sorry, sir, but with all to do putting things to rights still the hatches were open. We didn’t —”

  “It’s quite all right, Mister Dockett.” Alexis gave Ellender a hard look. “One doesn’t expect family to come bearing a serpent.”

  “Ah, well, sir, you’ve not met Mistress Dockett’s —”

  “Another time, Mister Dockett.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  “For now, please pass the word for all to stand easy while I discuss things further with Captain Ellender.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  Alexis disconnected and stared at Ellender while she wracked her thoughts for some solution.

  She could, indeed, resign her commission. It was entirely possible that she was recalled to active duty even now, simply by Ellender’s stating his intent to do so. Admiralty was not known for demanding its captains follow the niceties of formal, written communications in the midst of action, and it could well be argued that all of Erzurum was an ongoing action against the pirates.

  So, she could resign, and throw her career away, which she’d readily do if there were no other way to keep Mongoose in-system to try and stop the pirate Ness when he returned, but would it? Mongoose was, indeed, exempt from Ellender commandeering it, both by her letter of marque and Eades’ more shadowy declarations. Neither of those would leave her in command, though.

  Ellender would almost certainly take her resignation and refusal to give him Mongoose poorly and she couldn’t see where he wouldn’t have her put in chains aboard whichever ship he did take. He might even hang her alongside Blackbourne, leaving it to Admiralty to decide whether he’d had cause and authority to do so — and those worthies would almost always back their captains, as to do otherwise invited chaos and loss of authority. He’d certainly still take Mongoose, letters and declarations aside, leaving it to Admiralty to work out.

  The worst of it was that he’d likely see no consequences from it — his actions were reasonable on their face, to save what he could and bring back word, rather than face the overwhelming force when the pirate Ness returned.

  Alexis caught Isom’s eye where he stood in the pantry doorway and shook her head slightly. Her clerk had a weapon or two in there, but he was a poor shot and that wasn’t the way to handle this situation anyway, not with Ellender’s men armed and spread throughout Mongoose.

  Ellender’s officer, Culliver, despite his own weapon never wavering, did have the grace to look a bit embarrassed by the whole thing, and Deckard, the New London officer who’d so oddly attached himself to Kannstadt, was watching her intently. She thought she might even detect a hint of sympathy behind whatever madness stretched the poor man’s eyes so wide and unblinking.

  It might be, that without Ellender’s cooperation, she had no choice but to give him Mongoose. Even if he took her in chains, she could give the ship to Kannstadt, though she’d likely be hung for that by Admiralty, even if Ellender didn’t — giving the fastest, best-armed ship in-system to the Hanoverese would not be looked upon fondly, ceasefire or no. All that would accomplish, though, would be to get Kannstadt and his men killed when Ness returned. With no New London captain to offer pardon, there’d be no deal with the pirates, no more men to crew the ship, and he’d be outnumbered in both ships and men when the pirates returned.

  Giving Ellender the fastest ship, no matter how it galled, might well be the best option left to her.

  Deckard caught Alexis’ eyes and raised an eyebrow.

  “I —” Alexis started to say, not sure what unasked question she was about to answer, when Deckard sighed and his shoulders slumped.

  “No ideas, right?” the man said. “Of course not. None to be had. Not a one? No good ones, certainly.”

  “Captain Kannstadt,” Ellender said, turning slightly toward him and Deckard. “You and that bloody madman will leave my ship immediately. Do as you will with him after, but I’ve had —”

  Deckard launched himself to his feet, surprising everyone, and with enough force to tip his chair despite the magnets in the legs to hold it fast to Mongoose’s deck in a darks
pace storm.

  His legs drove him upward and his right fist struck Ellender in the gut, doubling the captain over. He wrapped his left arm around Ellender’s gun arm near the elbow and twisted his body away, using all his mass to bend the elbow the wrong way.

  A sickening crunch echoed through the stunned silence and Deckard plucked Ellender’s pistol from the captain’s nerveless fingers before holding it to Ellender’s head.

  “Is that enough?” Deckard asked, spinning Ellender around to put him between himself and Culliver.

  “Ian!” Kannstadt shouted over Ellender’s cry of pain.

  “Stay back!” Deckard yelled, though to whom Alexis couldn’t tell.

  The tableau around Alexis’ dining table resettled in quite an unexpected way, with Kannstadt half-risen, Deckard with an arm about Ellender’s throat and the captain’s former pistol pressed tightly to its owner’s temple. Ellender’s officer had backed up a step, his aim wavering from Alexis to Deckard, despite the latter being sheltered by his grip on Ellender.

  “You mad fool,” Ellender hissed. “You’ll hang for this.”

  “Should someone hang?” Deckard asked. “Oh, aye, they should. Who, though? Me? No, you? Oh, yes. Abandon all those lads?”

  “Ian,” Kannstadt said gently, holding out his hand. “Give the pistol to me, hein? We will talk.”

  Deckard shook his head.

  “Listen to him, Lieutenant Deckard,” Alexis said. “This isn’t the way. No good will come of this for you. Give Captain Kannstadt the gun and we’ll talk this through with Captain Ellender.”

  “Talked before, heard everything. Heard his words. Were they good? No, they weren’t. Bad words to say, and he’ll only say more.” He jerked his head at Alexis. “Were her words good? They were. Balanced the bad ones. Scales are balanced now. Stay that way? Have to. Another word, another breath — too much.” He clenched his eyes shut and knocked his forehead against the back of Ellender’s. “Bloody narrow beam to walk, this.”

  Deckard took a deep breath, closed his eyes to wrinkled slits, and grimaced as though in pain or going through a great effort.

  “Captain Ellender,” he said, his voice not holding a trace of the madness it had a moment before. “Tell your men to put up their weapons and return to your boat. I will escort you to your ship and you may sail. If I’m attacked or shot, I’ve nearly more pressure on this trigger than it will take as it is, sir.”

  Ellender did as Deckard demanded, though every step of acquiescence was punctuated with threats.

  He didn’t seem to know quite who to lay the blame on, so alternated between cursing the treachery of Kannstadt and the Hanoverese, assuring him that this plot he’d hatched with Deckard would end in the war being resumed and the other captain’s nation destroyed; insulting Deckard with the very worst of curses Alexis had ever heard from a host of bosuns, all of which the poor lieutenant ignored as though he didn’t hear; and accusing Alexis of being complicit in Deckard’s act, assuring her that she’d hang along with him as soon as Admiralty heard about it.

  Deckard let the man rant, though any time Ellender’s words trailed toward what could be considered an order instead of recriminations, Deckard would smoothly and calmly return from whatever place he went to in his silence. He held the barrel of his pistol to Ellender’s ear with enough force that a trickle of blood ran down the captain’s neck.

  “Don’t think this is done, Carew,” Ellender said as they made their way to his boat. Deckard kept him walking sideways, so as to keep himself sandwiched between the captain and a bulkhead, with no one ever at his back. “I demand you —”

  “Ah!” Deckard jammed the barrel of his pistol so far into Ellender’s ear that Alexis thought he might do damage with that alone. “Been enough bad words, haven’t there? Oh, yes. No more, or I’ll have to stop them all. Would that be right? Not at all. Don’t want that. Get them aboard your boat, sir, will you? You will, if you like your brains as they are — all of a piece and sheltered, yes? Best for them to work that way? So I’ve heard. Would you prove the rule? Maybe, but let’s not find out.”

  They’d reached the hatch where Ellender’s boat was docked. His men milled about the hatchway, weapons lowered, but not put away. A group of Alexis’ lads, led by Dockett and Nabb had positions some bit farther along, their own weapons out now and at their own sides, though they seemed perplexed at the turn of events.

  “You’ll all hang!” Ellender shouted at them. “This is mutiny!”

  “Is it?” Deckard asked. “Whose then? Everybody says, ‘Give me the gun, Deckard,’ and I don’t, then who’s to blame, eh? Heard those words? Didn’t you?” He tightened his grip on Ellender’s throat. “Didn’t you?”

  “Did I what, you barking fool?” Ellender asked.

  His face was red, though from rage or Deckard’s grip around his throat Alexis couldn’t tell.

  “Hear them say give them the gun. Did you?”

  “I —”

  Deckard blinked again. “Does it matter? Doesn’t. No, not at all. Log was running, yes? Is this hard? Too hard — no time. Too hard. Get on the bloody boat, you lot!” He ground the barrel of his pistol into Ellender’s ear. “Tell them!”

  “Board the boat,” Ellender ordered, trying to pull his head away from the pistol’s barrel, but blocked by Deckard’s arm about his throat. He grimaced and grunted as Deckard pressed it harder. “We’ll deal with these later — or Admiralty will.”

  Ellender’s men filed into the boat, sending dark looks in their wake. When they were all aboard, Deckard nudged Ellender toward the hatch and pushed him through, keeping a tight grip.

  “Let him go, Ian,” Kannstadt said. “We’ll seal the hatch and he’ll be gone. No more to worry on, hein? Please, mausebär? You need not go.”

  “Can he be trusted?” Deckard asked. “No. He’ll talk — more words. More bad words. Tip the scales.” He grimaced again, as though pushing a mighty weight up a hill and his eyes seemed to clear for a moment. He looked first to Alexis.

  “Listen to the words, Captain Carew,” he said. “Your log from our meeting. Listen to it carefully once we’re on our way and you’ll see what I see. Where the balance lies.” He grinned. “You’ll not need to be mad to find the key, I assure you.”

  “You’re not mad, Ian,” Kannstadt said, hand outstreetched, “only troubled. Please, leave the fickfehler to his boat and come here to me.”

  Deckard shook his head and his eyes filled. “I am mad, Wendale. I can feel it pressing in, like the Dark itself and I’m without a ship. Every day it’s stronger and I lose more of myself.” He sniffed. “What would there be for us after Erzurum, in any case?” He chuckled. “Should I come with you back to Hanover? An inselaffe among the boche? Or would you come home with me? Either way I’m —” He grimaced with effort. “— bloody useless, aren’t I? Yes.”

  Kannstadt took a step toward them, but stopped as Deckard shook his head. “You’re not useless, Ian,” he said. “Not to me.”

  “No, not useless yet, I suppose,” Deckard said. “I’ve strength yet … enough? It must be. Has to be.” He shook his head hard. “Let me do this thing, Wendale. I must. You’ll see why.” He smiled. “Trust the madman, will you.”

  Kannstadt’s shoulders slumped.

  “I’ve one other thing to ask you, Wendale,” Deckard said, he tightened his grip on Ellender. “Once we leave, once Claw’s transitioned, don’t let this bastard return, will you? You mustn’t — it’d ruin everything. He must be well away, you see?” He shrugged. “If he comes back, it’ll mean I’m dead, after all.”

  Kannstadt turned his wet eyes to Ellender.

  “Do not come back, Kapitän Ellender,” he said in a voice that sent chills down Alexis’ back. “When next we meet, here or where I find you one day, we shall have a reckoning. By ship or sabre or my bare hands to still your heart, you will face me.”

  Ellender’s boat returned to Claw, which immediately broke orbit for the transition at L1, the closest of
the Lagrangian points offering access to darkspace.

  Alexis and Kannstadt went to Mongoose’s quarterdeck where Kannstadt took over the signals console from Creasy and opened a channel to Claw.

  The other ship’s quarterdeck was sparsely manned, Deckard ordering all but essential personnel off and enforcing it with the pistol he still held to Ellender’s head. He put himself with his back to the bulkhead, Ellender in front of him, and in sight of Claw’s signals console, so that Kannstadt could see him, but kept his attention on the quarterdeck.

  He stood such, unwavering save for the occasional grimace or wince, for the four hours it took Claw to reach the Lagrangian point.

  Kannstadt simply spoke.

  He no longer attempted to dissuade Deckard from his course, apparently accepting that this was something the other man felt he had to do.

  Instead, Kannstadt talked of his home and family, his career, his aspirations for the future. As though trying to fill the last hours he had to speak to Deckard with a lifetime of words.

  Ellender had stopped objecting to this or interrupting when a larger trickle of blood appeared from underneath the barrel of the pistol Deckard held to his head.

  “No words from you,” Deckard told him. “Are any of them good? No, they’re all bad.”

  Then Deckard simply listened while keeping his eyes ever moving to watch those on Claw’s quarterdeck.

  “You would like Dübenstal, mausebär,” Kannstadt said, seemingly as oblivious to the presence of any others on Mongoose’s quarterdeck as he was to the tears staining his cheeks. Isom set a fresh mug of beer on the console, as he had from the first time the Hanoverese captain’s voice had grown hoarse and strained from his words. “I think that with enough prize money I will retire to that world.” He raised his mug and wet his lips. “There is a place where the mountains rise from the sea and one can go from sunning on the beach to skiing in no more than an hour.” He smiled. “A place for those who wish all things, and not to decide too much, hein?”