But I didn’t wait to hear.I took off for the cabin and quick as I could, got myself put to rights so he’d be pleased with me.I sometimes forgot I’d been promoted to officer and probably should remember my shoes.But I’d got lazy whilst we were on Talamanca, and once back aboard, I became careless.
By the time I got back on deck, theArrowwas pulling alongside theEloiseand multiple crewmen were preparing to hitch the ships together.
“Toss the ropes!”Hillier shouted, as the men threw ropes attached to metal grappling hooks.“Prepare for trouble!”
But no trouble was had.The hooks made their connections, and the men hauled on the ropes to draw the ships together, as the wood of their hulls creaked and shuddered.
“Fasten the ropes!Keep us alongside!”Hillier shouted.
Once we were joined with the other ship, we could see the deck was empty and abandoned, which was suspicious, for where could they be?Were they hiding to save themselves or hiding to ambush us?Or had they abandoned ship?
“I don’t feel right about this,” I said, voicing my unease.
“Nonsense, White.She’s easy pickings, that’s all.”
I wasn’t so sure, but I trusted the captain’s and Hillier’s judgement.They were much more experienced than I.
“Get on her, then, and root out the crew!”Hillier shouted, giving Dinesh a nod before he went over the rails.
“Come on, Rooster.”
I gulped and nodded.“Aye, Captain.”
There was no way I was staying on theArrowwhen almost everyone else had gone aboard theEloise, so I scrambled over the rails behind him, keeping my gaze from the abyss between and gaining my feet on theEloise’sdeck.
“Where the fuckarethe buggers?”Dinesh muttered as the boarding party spread out, swords drawn, pistols at the ready.
The captain held a finger to his lips, and we waited for any sign of life.
I pulled my dagger from its place in my belt and met the captain’s eye.He winked and gave me an encouraging smile, right before all hell broke loose.
There was a sudden cacophony from below decks as men appeared to materialize from the air, shouting and aiming pistols at us.
“No!”I yelled.
I saw one of our longtime crewmen shot in the chest.He went down, clutching his shirt.
“Get behind me.Now!”Dinesh yelled over the noise, pulling me behind him as he raised his sword.
The clang of steel and bursts of pistol fire filled my ears as theArrow’screw fought for their lives.
“A la victoire!”shouted the French merchants as they attacked with little skill but the desperation to survive.
“Attend!Attend!” Dinesh held up his hand.“On ne pas cherché la sangue!”
How did I not know the bastard could speak French?
“Abandoner!Abandoner tout suite!” he cried, fighting a rather stout fellow who already looked winded.These were merchants, not soldiers or vagabonds.
“Je vous traiterez bien!”Dinesh shouted.
“Non, tu es les rats!Victoire!”
I didn’t know how many of our men had fallen, and I didn’t want to contemplate who.We were surrounded and men would die if I didn’t do something.
As if he’d had the same thought, Dinesh shoved his opponent forward and glanced at me.
“This would be a good time to see about those powers of yours, Rooster.”
