Against All Flags Page #4

My lamb, my lamb.

Wait.

There's nothing to...

Let me go, you murderer.

Let me go!

What, you mean there's

a girl aboard that ship?

In the prayer closet

with a carpet over its door.

In the small cabin.

You may be a pirate, but

you look like a man to me.

Save her, the Lord

will reward you.

Save her!

Well! Come.

No.

I am afraid.

I am very much afraid.

Don't be, little one, don't be.

There.

My lamb. My lamb.

Is she... Is she...

Oh, no, ma'am.

Merely swooned away.

I'll take her, Tom.

South-southwest, sir.

South-southwest it is.

And a fair night.

Never saw her fairer, Tom.

Why don't you turn in?

No point in both of us

being on deck.

That's very good of you,

Mr. Hawke.

Thank you, sir.

Psst!

What are you doing here?

I came to find you.

All right, little one.

I'll take you back

to the rest of the girls.

Again.

No, no. You must not

come on deck alone.

Again.

Again what?

I will give you

the Kohinoor.

Oh, that.

There. Now, come on.

Are you a prince

from the Arabian Nights?

No, little one.

No, I'm just a man.

I've known

but two men.

Hassan has no hair

on his head,

and my father has

hair on his face.

Do you mean

to tell me that

I am the third man you've

ever seen in your life?

Tell me, what was that

you said you'd give me?

The Kohinoor.

Do you mean...

Do you mean

the Grand Mogul's big diamond?

Yes, he will give it to me,

and I will give it to you.

He'll give it to you?

Tell me, little one,

what's your name?

I do not remember what

MacGregor memsahib said.

But I must not say that I

am Patma, Princess of Hormuz.

Princess of...

No, no, little one.

No, you must not say that.

No, we'll find

a name for you.

Something easy

for you to remember.

A lovely name, as lovely

as you are yourself.

Yes, but first, again.

Anything

to keep you happy.

Curse him. I've searched everywhere

for him and no sight of him.

Has he been here?

Has who been here,

Mistress Stevens?

Who? His Royal Highness

Brian Hawke.

You go get your dinner.

I'll take care

of the shop myself.

Yes, Mistress Stevens.

Rot him. Blast him.

Spitfire! How's the

flower of Diego Suarez?

So it's you.

Well, you could

look more delighted

seeing as I come

to bring you a favor.

Indeed.

Here.

There weren't nothing finer

in all the loot we took.

You don't have

to tell me that.

Yeah, I'd like to see it

around your neck.

Look here, Spitfire,

there's no future here

for a girl like you.

I've got all the riches

a man could want.

Come with me to

Genoa or Venice,

outside the reach

of English law and...

Oh, by Judas,

I'll even marry you.

Why?

There'll be plenty

of fine women for you

in Genoa or Venice,

won't there?

Yeah, but could I trust them not to

vanish with my treasure some night?

So it's because you can

trust me that you're asking?

Well, there's only

one thing wrong with that,

and that is that

I can't trust you.

No, thank you, Captain

Roc. I'll go my own way.

I've told you

I've a fancy for you.

Now, I'll remind you, I am a

man that gets what he wants.

Tell me where

you want it.

It's this popinjay Hawke

that's turned your head.

The last time I saw him,

he got a muzzle in his belly,

and the next time he'll get a bullet

in it, if there is a next time.

Because anytime I see him

again will be too cursed soon.

You won't set

eye on him so soon,

seeing as I gave orders

for him not to leave the ship

till he finished

the accounting.

Psst!

Lieutenant, sir.

We took this job of painting

ship to reach you, unseen belike,

seeing as how we had no idea

how long you'd be kept aboard.

I have no idea myself.

I've been confined to ship.

Were you able to get

a copy of the map?

Aye, sir. Harris has it.

Better open

the other port, sir.

He'll be along

any minute now.

Happy to see you, sir.

Thanks.

Have you got the map?

Aye, sir.

Here it is.

Good man.

That's excellent,

excellent.

Have you memorized the

positions of all the guns?

Aye aye, sir. We can

find them in the dark.

That's when we're gonna

have to find them.

Come in.

I'd expected to see you

before now, Mr. Hawke.

I seem to remember having

offered you the command of a ship.

Yes, and so

you did, ma'am.

But, you see, I've been

confined aboard this one

to make an accounting

of all the treasure.

As I am sure that Captain

Roc must've told you.

How did you know

I saw him?

Well...

Let's see. "One necklace, pearls, rubies

and sapphires, to value 5,000 guineas,

"delivered to Captain Roc. "

I hardly thought the Captain

would want to wear it himself.

Well, you can put it

back on your list.

I will.

Won't you be seated,

ma'am?

Smells like

a joss house in here.

Yes, it does a little,

doesn't it?

But there's something

oddly fascinating

and exotic about

those Eastern perfumes,

don't you think?

You can put these back

on your blasted list, too.

Yes, of course.

Of course.

Rather nice quality

though, isn't it?

You see, we had

to give this cabin

to Miss MacGregor and all

the young ladies because...

Incidentally, what did the captains

decide to do about the Scotswoman?

They put her in my keeping.

Oh, good.

Then perhaps you could

return these to her.

I have a venture for you

on the Shark.

Oh? When?

In about two weeks.

Oh, I know you've taken

a rich spoil, but...

Would it interest you

a little more

if you knew that I was going

to be aboard her myself?

Yes. Yes, it would.

I told you

that I would kiss

when I had a fancy for

kissing myself, didn't I?

Well, I have a fancy now.

You boasted about what you

could do with your hands untied.

So...

Get to it, Mr. Hawke.

Well, I hope you'll forgive

me, Mistress Stevens,

but, you see, as you see, I am very

much occupied at the present moment.

What?

Yes, I regret that

I cannot put pleasure

before the press

of business affairs,

but I had strict orders

from Captain Roc

not to let

anything whatsoever

interfere with the accounting.

First things first,

I always say.

I never in all

my born days...

But, of course, if you wish

to put a ball between my eyes

merely because I'm trying

to be conscientious...

Blast you.

Are you trying to say

that it will take a threat

to compel you to...

Oh, no. By no means,

Mistress Stevens.

I'm merely trying to

say that I should be

most happy to accede

to your request

at some more favorable time.

Some time when I can put

myself fully to the task at hand

without all of this

ridiculous accounting.

And I am so bad

at figures, too.

Come to my house

when you've done here,

and we will talk of

the venture on the Shark.

Oh, again you must

forgive me, ma'am.

When I am done here,

I shall be otherwise engaged.

With a woman?

No.

Not with a woman,

with 10 of them.

Hear ye, hear ye!

By order of the Brotherhood of

the Coast, these Moorish females,

well-found and fully rigged,

will be sold here and now

without inspection

for lawful wedded wives.

What do I hear

for this little rig?

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