Against All Flags Page #2

to his foul-mouth lies?

We'll find out soon

enough whether he lies.

I remember well,

Captain Kidd,

when you'd let the crabs

have their fill of them first

and find out if they

told the truth after.

And well I do, too.

But I was younger then and

consumed with the impatience

and the injustice of youth.

It was during your youth

that your name

was to be feared

along the seven seas.

Meaning, of course, that I

am to be feared no longer?

You can take it

as you wish.

Better to die while

you're still a legend

than to live long enough to

make a mockery of that legend.

Is that what you imply,

Don't you think

you're getting a little...

It's not Captain Kidd

who is on trial here,

but these three men.

Aye.

Proceed, Captain Kidd.

You say you had 20

at the grating?

Yes, sir.

We've only got

your word for that.

I can show you

if it's the truth or not.

Go ahead then, Gow.

Who did you have

20 from on the Monsoon?

From the boatswain,

Flower.

Right. I sailed on the

Monsoon meself, gents.

And I knows that when Flogger

Flower lays 20 to a man's back,

he signs his name with

the last four lashes.

So let's have that shirt off

and see if it's there.

Now, wait,

gentlemen, please.

In the presence of a lady?

He ain't lying, gents.

Leastways not about having

them from Flogger Flower.

Look you now,

Captain Kidd,

a man with the guts

to spy upon us

would have the guts to take 20

on his bare back,

would he not, whatever?

Indeed to goodness.

Undoubtedly, Captain

Roberts. Undoubtedly.

I say we take

no chances.

To the tide stakes

with him.

We may be

making a mistake.

Nothing has been

proved against him.

If there's any mistake

to be made,

I aim to make it in

our favor, not in his.

Nobody asked him

to come here.

There might be a way

of testing the fellow.

sailing master, from below.

Aye, aye, sir.

Mr. Hawke, it's apparent

you're a gentleman.

I've had considerable

experience of your kind.

Now, this fellow Swaine's been

convicted of concealing booty.

You must know

what that means here.

Kill the scoundrel

in any way you please

if you'd have us believe

you've a stomach for pirating.

Belike I've

a stomach for pirating,

but I'm no hangman

to kill a man unarmed.

You've the choice of it.

Or a slow death

along with your mates.

So say we all.

Well, belike I've no

stomach for that, either.

But if it narrows down to

a choice of evils, why then,

I'll fight any man here

with any weapon he wants.

Then fight

the sailing master.

Aye, we might kill two

birds with one stone.

An excellent suggestion,

Captain Roberts, excellent.

What have you to

say to it, Mr. Hawke?

As I said, sir,

any man, any weapon.

Kill him and I'll

give you your life.

I'll fight him.

With what?

Any man, any weapon is what you

said, if I remember correctly.

Well, Swaine,

what weapon do you want?

Boarding pikes.

Take them to the main deck, get pikes.

Three to one on

Swaine for 100 moidores.

I lay you threes.

Hawke for 50 reals.

100 guineas on

the Englishman.

Done.

Stay in close, sir. He's

got too much reach for you.

A fool he is to fight

you with a lower-deck arm.

Are you ready?

Aye, aye, sir.

Aye, ready.

Then would you be good enough to

give them the signal, Captain Death?

Stay in closer!

Stay focused!

I'll wager you 20 moidores

and take your pick.

Mercy, sir, mercy.

I distinctly heard him choose

boarding pikes, not rum bottles.

Mercy it is,

since it was Mistress Stevens

gave me this advantage.

Take Swaine below.

are you satisfied?

I still put

no trust in him.

Well, I do, and enough to give him

my ship as soon as she's re-rigged.

No man is taking

your ship out of here

unless he has a rope around

his neck like any known pirate.

All right,

if he wants to sail,

let him sail on the

Scorpion as my navigator.

I have need of one

and at once.

When he comes back

with blood on his hands,

then he can hoist his own

black flag, but not before.

Your pardon, sir.

I didn't hear you come in.

That's all right,

master gunsmith.

For a moment there, I thought

I was getting a warm reception.

I'm in need of a good blade

and a brace of pistols

to be charged to

I'm only Williams

the foreman here, sir.

I can show you the arms,

but Mistress Stevens will have

to give her word about the charge.

Mistress Stevens?

Is she a gunsmith?

In a manner of speaking,

sir, she is.

And a good one, too.

But her father

was the smith.

When he passed away,

the business came to her,

along with his ship and his

rating as a Captain of the Coast.

That's very interesting. How'd

they come here in the first place?

Try this one

for balance, sir.

Thank you.

Her father was sentenced for

transportation to the Virginias

as a bonded laborer, sir.

Seems hard to think of a man and

his child being sold to slavery

for no more than the poaching

of a rabbit in Windsor Park.

It doesn't quite

come to hand for me.

Maybe the blade's

a little long.

Try this Toledo, sir.

When Captain Roberts

took their prison ship

and gave all as wanted

the chance to come here,

it was the best day's work

he ever did.

Yes, this is much better.

It's a beauty.

I'll take it. Why do

you say that, Williams?

It was Master Stevens

who fortified this port.

I didn't see any

fortifications when I came in.

Naturally not, sir.

Master Stevens did a

right clever job, he did.

Masked batteries, sir.

Every pair of them

set to cross fire.

I see.

That must be why the Portuguese

lost three ships of the line

when they tried to come in.

You heard

about that, sir?

What sailor hasn't?

This place is said to be

a veritable deathtrap.

That it is, sir.

That it is.

That's why Master Stevens was

made a Captain of the Coast.

If you've

a liking for these, sir,

we'll try them

in the clamps.

I don't think the clamps

will be necessary.

Got himself a ship, too.

Said a captain

ought to have one.

Of course,

he never went to sea.

Only had his share

in her ventures,

same as

Mistress Spitfire does now.

So that's how it was, huh?

They're all right.

I'll take them.

You've a hand, sir,

and an eye.

Thanks, Williams.

I've also an eye to inspect

those batteries one time,

having once been

an engineer myself.

You'll need permission from

the Captains of the Coast, sir,

seeing as how they're

guarded at all times.

If you could only see

the map of the port

in Mistress Stevens'

bedchamber,

you'd get an idea

of the master's cleverness.

It were the original plans

for the fortifications

which Mistress Stevens,

sentimental-like,

had framed after

her father passed on.

Williams,

if I'm ever

permitted the honor

of Mistress Stevens'

chamber, I'd...

Well, hello.

What are these?

Belonged to

Mistress Stevens, sir.

Not the ones

she carries, though.

I should think not.

They're much

too heavy for her.

Satin Jack Sabin wouldn't

agree with you

if he were here,

which he ain't, sir.

Stood back-to-back

with him, she did.

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